“Oh, ju giving orders now, hm? Not happy in jour position anymore?” Jumwa stared at Anjasa, a devilish grin on his black tattooed lips.
Anjasa grinned right back, sitting in front of him, her arms folded against her chest, “No, not that, but I ain’t budgin’ on this,” she stared at him, meeting his eyes evenly. “Ju stupid girl!” he raised his voice, moving forward quickly and shoving her to the wooden floor of the tauren inn, tickling her sides with his large digits. She laughed loudly, squirming away from him and striking at his arms. “Ju want to get grounded?” he laughed, lowering his lips to her neck, still tickling her sides.
“I’mma ground ju!” she shouted back, squirming and kicking to get free, both of them erupting in fits of laughter, punching at one another.
~~
The rich smell of earth and fire rose towards the setting sky, sweaty bodies intermingling near the great fire in Mulgore. The grass was thick and soft beneath her feet as she danced slowly, watching Jumwa dance in front of her, reminding her of the way his lithe body moved in the throws of battle and lust, making her lick her lips slightly.
The two moved together, close, but not so close as to raise alarms, pulling in to one another to whisper back and forth. Anjasa smiled and looking up at him, brushing her black hair from the frame of her face, exposing her long, slender neck, speaking louder over the music and the rhythm of dancing on the ground, “Ju ain’t bad, boss!”
He grinned wickedly at her, not breaking a step, “I’ve had a lot of practice… watching, jes?” She giggled softly, nodding and looking away from him, mumbling “Jes, I recall,” softly, her voice traced with excitement, looking deeply happy until she noticed the small troll approaching behind Jumwa.
Anjasa’s lip immediately twitched before she looked up to Jumwa and winked, smirking and backing up slightly as the troll, Kenyeni, spoke, “Jumwa, mon. At joor lesuiah,” she bowed as Jumwa turned around, causing her to smile softly.
He grinned at her, tapping the hilt of the dagger at his side that Anjasa had recently fetched for him, ready for the evening’s ultimate plan.
“Come den. Awaeh from all dis chattah,” she smiled, moving gracefully away from the crowds, one of her roguish companions trailing close behind. Anjasa never moved far from Jumwa’s feet, her eyes trained to him.
“Shall weh call owah mons ovah, so deh see dis?”
Jumwa looked over at the gathering nodding, “A fine idea, jes. Would defeat de purpose not to, hm?” He smirked to her at an angle before looking back to the gathering.
The crowd quickly moved, curious as to why the music and dancing had stopped, and why these two trolls seemed so serious in the midst of such a casual evening. Jumwa pulled the dagger from its hilt and held it up, laying it flat against one palm, waiting for her to take the lead.
“So. Mons. We gathaed heah, because Jumwa an ah gonna show joo mons dat we trust each othah,” she spoke loudly, over the confused conversation taking place around them as she pulled out her blade, mimicking Jumwa’s movements and placing it in her palm.
“Dis blade has a long history in de Tribe, and has served many an honourable purpose,” Jumwa started, the two watching one another, oblivious to the circle of bodies mashed together around them.
“An dis beh mah Ketis. Mah Soul-Blade.”
Kenyeni smiled slowly, then moved to pick up the blade in her three fingered hand, drawing it across her palm and hissing, one of her eyes narrowing slightly in pain. Jumwa stares to Kenyeni stoically, “Forged in de forests, it arrives here today for a proud purpose…” he slide the dagger across his own palm, digging deep across the light blue skin, so that the blood pooled about it.
Anjasa stared, her body tense, her teeth gritted, her eyes never leaving Jumwa’s body, watching his face, then his palm as he offers it to the troll. Cahlind, Kenyeni’s ‘Ghost’ watched with a mirrored expression as he fingered his swords, ready to spring to action if needed.
The intensity in the air was palpable, as though everyone had taken a collective breath and was holding it through the long minutes.
Kenyeni reached out her hand, extending it to Jumwa, staring up at him as he extended his in return, dripping with blood, smiling softly.
The female troll licked a tusk quickly, as their blood mingled, and Anjasa broke her eyes from Jumwa for a moment as she sneered, turning back to their hands and counting the moments in her head, trying to determine how long is too-long. She could hear the gritting of teeth from Kenyeni’s side, as well, coming from her troll.
Jumwa gripped Kenyeni’s hand tightly and grinned, opening to speak slowly, displaying a black, tattooed tongue, “A bond sealed in blood, so not’ing may break it and only more blood will feed it.”
“Blood, tah blood. Dere beh no untruth between us…no hahm,” Kenyeni spoke as she released her hand from his, the crowd taking in a breath, the tension breaking, and the grinding of teeth from the overprotective troll and elf stopped.
“May dis be de last of eachodahs blood spilt… unless for fun,” Jumwa smirked at her, winking playfully, eliciting a purr from the troll. Anjasa narrowed her eyes, looking between the two of them as ‘Ghost’ growled lowly, obviously displeased with this.
“Truth,” Kenyeni lifted her hand, licking at it slowly, eyes hooded, “let no Tribe fight Tribe. Owah deh will answah tah Jumwa an Kenyeni.”
Jumwa grinned, watching Kenyeni and dabbing an index finger into the pooled blood on his opposite palm, using it to decorate his two tusks.
Large cries came from the crowd, hailing the alliance between the two Tribes, some quickly returning to their dancing and music.
Kenyeni grinned, and bows in a amused fashion, “now. Ah will take ah rest..den dance some moah. Somemon owe meh.”
Anjasa rolled her eyes, her arms still on her chest, as Kenyeni moved away, resting on a grassy knoll. Jumwa twisted to pass the blade over his shoulder to Anjasa, holding the blade carelessly out to her. She smiled up at him, snatching it and placing it on her hip, speaking softly to him, “Good work, Chieftain.”
Jumwa smiled at her, “T’ank s, Lieutenant,” before motioning to those still lingering around him, “I trust todays friendship will only grow wit’ time, my Zandalarian bruddahs and sistahs.”
Time passed swiftly at the large gathering until finally Anjasa looked up at Jumwa, standing on tip toe and whispering to him, pulling away and winking a little, before speaking up, “Alright. I gotta go. Fer anyone listenin’.”
“Jes, I need to be off as well,” Jumwa nodded, looking around the group, “where are de odah leadahs, hm? Should say my farewells to dem.”
Anjasa shrugged, giving a half hearted wave to everyone, smiling slightly before noticing Kenyeni heading towards them, a frown immediately befalling her face.
“So den. Cousin,” she smirked up at him as Anjasa grumbled behind Jumwa in Thalassian, her arms folded tightly over her chest again.
“I have duties to attend to for de evening. A fightah and a Chieftain, I am kept double busy, jes?” he smirked at her.
“Truth. But ah didna get mah dance. So joo will still owe meh,” Kenyeni grinned, her rogue snorting in annoyance, Anjasa once again resorting to Thalassian with narrowed eyes, watching the two.
“It seems I do, hm? Apparently we wont be able to avoid anodah meeting even if we tried, jes.”
“Truth. Ah will wait tah see wen joo call on meh agains,” Kenyeni winked.
“We will see how long I last, jes? I doubt my new decoration will be wiped away by den,” Jumwa spoke, indicating the dry blood adorning his tusks. Anjasa gritted her teeth, ‘Ghost grinding his in return, as Kenyeni looked the tusks over, purring softly, “Ayah…truth. Et lookin good on joo. Perhaps we kin all go huntin togethah wun night.”
” Dat would be… excellent. Spirits be wit’ ju, lady Kenyeni. Until next we meet, jes.” He saluted, bowing slightly as he and Anjasa turned and began walking from the village.
Anjasa smiled up at Jumwa once they were out of earshot of the crowd, walking slowly back to Thunder Bluff, “Jour welcome for de blade. Nice cover.”
Jumwa smirked widely down at her, nodding, “I t’ought ju might appreciate getting jourself… in between de special moment, hm?”
She nodded, looking up at him and sighing happily, lightly rubbing her hand against his arm, “Thanks for de dance.”