Belle.

[Malabelle De Lawrence]

Tanaris, eighteen years ago a girl cloaked in all black with flowing red hair, covered in an ebon mask walked the only road to the shore. Her mission was nothing other then to get away, she was a in her mid twenties and knew nothing other then being unseen. Her feet dragged the ground while her hips swayed tirelessly, her gaze was locked on her footsteps and the surroundings.

“There's only one thing that bothers me about Tanaris, it's so dry and hot, I just wish-”

A man armored with elegent leather, he had a headband symbolizing to be some sort of bandit, but he was not a lowly one. He had eight men following him on horse back, while he road the most beautiful white horse she'd ever seen.

“Girl, is there a town worth while around here?” he smirked at her, he was a man in his thirties, very handsome with a flowing black pony tail.

“No, just rowdy goblin town. You'll have to travel to a decent town, I'd say all the way on the other coast.” She fumbled with her locks of red waving hair. She still hid behind her mask, but her green eyes looked straight on at the man with the white horse.

“What's your name, girl. I'll pay you to come with me and show me the way, if you so please of course.”

“Anna D'lawrence, I go by Dagger if you don't mind.” she had a girly grin under her mask that was obvious to the man.

“Well then, -Dagger-, I'll pay you 10 gold to accompany me.” He jumped off his horse, the other men staid on there keeping watch. He walked over to Dagger bowing deeply taking her hand, giving a simple peck on it. “The name is Marin Ravenstrider. It would please me if you decided to join me.”

She seemed a bit taken back, gold, the kiss on her hand, the first time she felt like a lady. She nodded slowly “I will show you the way, yes.”

The men looked at her and grinned with a sinister look like they knew something she didn't, she simply stared back under her mask. Marin took her hand and lifted her onto his horse and he jumped on behind her. This made Dagger feel a bit uncomfortable but at the same time, he was holding her, it felt nice and safe.

“Dagger, you look like a rogue in all that black, are you?”

“You could say that, I work with whelplings and good with a bow as well.”

He grinned looking forward, kicking his horse and hollering for his men to follow, the tracked back through the lands, mountains and beasts. She proved to be a good help while they made there way through, ending in Feralas. The men made camp along the beach near a patch of big trees that looked to be oak. Marin took her into town insisting to buy her an elegant dress.

“This really isn't necessary Marin, I'm fine in these clothes.”

“I insist, besides you depress me in all that black cloth, go find a dress and come find me at camp.” His brow raised, pointing at the town. She nodded, taking a few gold coin she looked through all the town before going to the inn she saw an elf with long beautiful white hair.

“Excuse me, I'm looking for a dress it must be beautiful and elegant, I have no idea where to find one.”

The elf grinned bowing behind the desk. “Greetings, I could show you a few dresses I've made myself there upstairs.” she motioned to the ramp her and Dagger went there. A gorgeous dress that fit Dagger perfectly. It was more her, it was a white dress ending at her shins, sleeveless corset. Silk and lace all over, there was no measly cotton or wool cloth to be found on it.

“This must be expensive, how much?”

The elf grinned, shaking her head. “It's an art form, I only need a few gold to buy more supply's for my next dress”

“Oh, thank you, I really appreciate this.” Dagger handed her the gold, and grabbed her boots and clothes, running back to camp on the beach. The sea air made her hair look especially beautiful, her pale skin echoed in the moonlight. She threw her clothes at the men and ran to the other side of the beach barefoot. She spotted Marin, walking slowly now. He looked different this time, he wore steel armor, his shoulders spiked and helmet had the horns of a tauren. He rested on his broad sword the tip plunged into the sand, his long black cloak flipped in the sea breeze. He tilted his head down to the side seeing her from the corner of his eye.

“Beautiful.”

“You, look different?”

“Different beasts call for different armor, love.”

“Love?” She continued walking slowly to him, her dress and skin, both so pale the moon reflected it's shining pearl aura. Her hand slipped into his but something didn't feel right. The clouds where low rolling a golden reflection on them, the men back surrounded by the flickering light of the campfire watched.

Marin looked more like a knight, not a bandit like before his facial features even changed, he held tight to Dagger's hand, pulling close to him, kissing her. She hesitated and pulled away she looked directly into his eyes.

“Dagger, don't you love me?”

“Love? I.. I don't even know you.”

“Let's change that.” He pulled her along the beach farther away from the men, in a cove like area. The great tree's howled in the wind she hesitantly walked behind him, as they went farther, and farther, till anyone else was unseen.

“Where are we going”

“Just need some privacy.”

He stopped suddenly and turned to her, pulling her in tightly going to kiss her. She hesitated again trying to push away. This did not please Marin so he punched her. She fell to the ground holding her face.

“What's going on?!”

He slapped her a glazed over look in his eye, the golden clouds kept rolling in. He quickly went down to her level and began tearing at her dress, she began kicking and screaming loudly. Back at camp the men heard these screams and began laughing.

“Another girl, another town, what more is there to life?”

Everyone began a mad laughter and made there way to the inn, the elf greeted one of the men with a passionate kiss.

“Glad you boys could make it back into town, Marin better pay me for that dress, its third one this month!”

Dagger looked up at Marin crying, he had completely ripped off the dress, and took off all his clothing while holding her down. With each crashing wave into the shore, another thrust. With each tear, came another laugh. The waves began faultering, the laughs where no more, she ran to the camp as fast as she could grabbing her whatever she could as Marin simply walked. The last words she heard from him “I'll find you again, and when I do, you will no longer have a head.”

She ran, and ran. Through the forests, swamps and desert she ran. Crossed the ocean, and kept running and running. Barely any sleep her green eyes held more sorrow then ever. Weeks, and months she ran, until she couldn't. In the mornings she would vomit continuously before she had to stop in ironforge

“Oi! Missy yar pregnant you are!”

“This can't be, I can't.”

“Tell that to yer inerds, and clean up the mess!”

Her stomach began growing over months, her travels slowed down with it. She arrived to a place with dark forests, full of undead, spider and wolves. She felt safe here, she knew Marin couldn't simply walk in and find her here. She took residence in a farm near the town of Darkshire, there with a family that took care of her and let her stay till the baby was old enough to walk.

--

“Belle, wake up! Time to go!” she was approached by her mother, and given an apple and a piece of jerky.

“Don't waste, you know thats all your getting today. Let's go we must start early today.”

Malabelle, six years old, followed behind her mother she had black hair and blue eyes like her father, but ringlets like her mother, she dressed very similar to her mother, all black and unseen. Belle was different then most children her age, she carried a dagger with her everywhere. In a field in westfall Dagger and Malabelle dueled.

“Well done Belle, now try and sneak behind me and attack.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, now go!”

With her small dagger, she approached from behind taking a jab at her mother, nicking her thigh.

“Ouch! ... Well done.”

Belle began laughing, giggling and all of the sort.

“Stop wasting my time, again! Why can't you just focus like I ask!”

Belle looked down, nodding slowly a tear came down her face but she was used to this, and tried again. She wasn't successful like the first time, getting knocked on her back and the wind knocked out of her.

“See what happens when you don't focus?!”

Hours went by before they went back to the farm which they'd over stayed there welcome. The farmer's approached them, telling them they had to leave.

“The girl can stay.”

Dagger looked back at the man, a scowl on her face. “She's -my- daughter.” She stormed out, dragging Malabelle along with her.

Dagger took Malabelle with her to Elwynn, there the darkmoon fair had started, she let Malabelle play as much as she wanted, do anything. She handed her three gold, which was a lot for them.

“Go do something, I'll be right back.”

Malabelle nodded excitedly, taking her gold and chasing after the local children, playing tag until she was tired. She drug her feet and plopped onto a barstool looking up at an enormous tauren woman.

“What will it be, little one?”

“Can I have some candy?”

The tauren woman grinned, handing the little girl a cupcake, patting her on the head and returned to the dishes in the back of the tent.

Hours passed, and Belle sat near one of the fair stands, a night elf looked over at her, kneeling down at her level.

“Little girl, it's getting dark what are you doing here?”

“My mom, said she would be right back.”

She began crying, at her age she even knew it was a lie. The elf took her with him and his wife and their three children into the city, staying at the local inn. They where a family of tricksters, of the sort, throwing daggers, disappearing and reappearing, escaping traps, card tricks, things that would excite crowds. From then on she traveled with the fair, she was training to become a master entertainer. She excelled at which she had trained in, anything having to do with daggers, guns and bows. While in Ironforge with the fair she learned to make guns, bullets and goggles. That is how she made her extra money from selling guns.

When she reached ten years old, she decided she'd enough traveling. In Mulgore she decided to run away.

“Mala, where are you going?”

“Shut up, bird-brain, don't ever speak a word of this to your parents, got it?”

The night elf child nodded slowly, watching Malabelle pack a small bag, taking what she could, daggers, guns, food, water and a deck of cards. She tied a black cloth around her face, concealing her facial features except for her blue eyes as she gave a nod, taking off across the plains. It took a year for her to find her way just from Mulgore to the Eastern Kingdoms where she knew she'd find her home. She arrived at Menethil Harbor where she met a man, mid-fourties. He had short black and grey hair with blue eyes. He watched Malabelle carefully as she got off the boat. She looked like someone he knew.

“Girl. You there! Come here.”

Malabelle rolled her eyes, walking up to the man, her ten year old body was short compared to the average human.

“What do you want, old man?”

“That isn't a nice thing to say to a stranger. You look familiar, what's your name.”

“Don't ask me my name, ya freak!” The girl disappeared into thin air, the man jumped back looking around as he simply whispered “Dagger.”

Days turned into months, months turned into another year. The girl curled up ontop of a mountain her head laying on the rock as she looked down at the dragonkin and lava, it was so amazing yet at the same time scary. All she wanted was to go home, the home she knew.

She kept going and going, until she stopped at the red mountains with a large lake in the middle. Blood frenzied orcs controlled the far side but the town was safely guarded. She stayed in the stables at night and hunted during the day, this was her life for many years except for the occasional show she did for the town hall, card tricks and a disappearing act.

At the age of seventeen, Malabelle returned to to the city to entertain a few guests at the local inn, she was the main attraction for a night. She started off with card tricks, the crowd stupid enough to believe her deck wasn't infamously rigged. In the crowd she saw a black shadow amongst the people, her curiousity raged until she could take no more, when it was time for her disappearing act she moved to the back of the room watching the black figures every move. They walked just outside of the inn and there she saw her, the lady she knew from her past, her mother. She followed her, into the forest she was stargazing, leaning against one of the trees, and wrapped her knee's in her arms, there she wept.

“Dagger?”

The woman grinned, her long red hair coming out from under her hood as she looked to Malabelle. “I knew you'd come.”

From the shadows, Malabelle stepped forward, she was a master stealther.

“Mother? Why did you leave me?! Why didn't you come back for me?!!”

Dagger pulled her hood back and took a step toward the young woman, a grin on her face.

“Do you not see, what I did for you?”

“What you did for ME?! Are you insane?!”

“No. You see, if you stayed in my care, you would have been dependant on me, always looking to me for the answers. But, you where forced to look within, and learn to trust yourself and to life on your own. You where taught by yourself how to be a true rogue, an assasin.”

“Do you think I care? All I wanted was to be with my mother! I hate you!!”

Dagger truly showed sadness in her face, as she brushed some of Mala's hair from her face. She turned away, never to be seen again, never to come back. Before she was to far, she looked back and smiled, her daughter was better than she was, something that would truly make a mother proud.

Malabelle grew with a silent fury, she would never depend on anyone but herself. Never trust anyone, and never love anyone. This is the path that was chosen for her.

When she went back to city, she hid herself from all others. No one knew where she was, what she was doing for months. She sat at the inn in the old district watching a group of guards have a meeting. They'd just come back from a trial, speaking about all that had happen when men in white armor and the famous cloak they all wore, referred to as the “Whitecloaks” came storming into the inn. Malabelle sat back and watched with a grin on her face as she went to work on the Whitecloaks with her daggers, the Guards of Stormwind looked to her as a potential soldier and recruited her into their association right off the spot, from then on she has been known as a Stormwind guard.