Old friend

There were goblin fairs in Orgrimmar. They were selling their technology and everywhere in front of an auction house was noise and hustle. It was nearly impossible to keep our party together and everyone needed to buy something different. We decided to split up and then meet again in front of the embassy in two hours.

 I had to buy some elixir ingredients, so breaking through the crowd, I searched, what was missing in my resources. I felt uncomfortable in this hustle, that's why I got out of here as fast as I could. I have even seen some elfves from Silvermoon along my way. Thanks to that my thoughts got towards my home again. It's been a long time since I've thought about Silvermoon. I was beginning to feel more, that now I belong to this party, I'm wandering with. Not that I forgot about Silvermoon, but this felt somehow... better. Easier. In fact, my main reason, why I left Silvermoon was, that I could think only about those I have lost. Everything reminded me of them there. But now I was making new friendships and those old and lost weren't hurting me that much... I will never forget them, but I can't mourn indefinitely. I was slowly putting myself together. After a long time I was alone for a while and it was nice to have time for myself again.

 Lost in my thoughts I was again breaking through the crowd, which thinned down a little, because I was on the edge of the fairs. That's when I saw him for a second with a corner of my eye. I froze in surprise. I shook my head, no, that's impossible! I looked in that direction. He wasn't there. Right, he can't... be here, he is... dead. That's definitely because I got lost in my thoughts of my friends again. I was just imagining things. Sadness began to fall on me again. I sighed and continued on my way with my sight on the ground. I wanted to quickly deal with it, so I can join the others.

 I bumped into someone. Oh, I should be more careful about that... I looked up to apologize, but I stayed with my mouth and eyes wide open. My hearth thumped like never before. My legs and arms were shaking and my mouth went dry. In front of me was an elf with deadly pale skin and ice in his eyes. Death knight. He looked coldly and disgusted at me from above. But his face... No, that's not possible... It felt as if someone broke my heart to pieces.
 "What?!"
I blinked. "R-rap...?" I whispered in disbelief, quietly, with a shaky voice.
He moved his eyebrows a little bit, like I've disturbed hism with this address. I felt my eyes filling with tears, so I quickly began to blink to supress them. This isn't possible...
 "Is that you?" My voice was still shaky and silent. The elf looked puzzled.
 "Rapshik..." I whispered and subconsciously raised my shaking hand towards his cheek. But I withdrawed it, when I realised, what I'm doing. My Rapshik. My very best friend, from childhood was standing before me. No, god, I'm having hallucination, for sure. I was in shock. I was still just gawking at him. He still looked like he did not understand and began to look angry. Someone bumped into me, so I woke a little.
 "Rapshider" I address him hoarsely with his full name, because I still couldn't speak with my normal voice. There was a big lump in my neck and I was shaking and still fighting with tears. Nobody could call him Rapshik, just me. :) He reacted a little to this address. Now he was looking more suspiciously than angrily at me.
 "Rapshider..." he said quietly, pensively, more to himself than to me. "Yes... That's how people called me in my past life..." as if thinking for a second.
Than he looked at me again. I raised my hand to his cheek again and he slightly dodged. I stayed like this, with raised hand halfway to his cheek.
 "It's me. Sanchi." I said gently. "Don't you remember me?"
I decided to touch his cheek. He didn't dodge this time. I slowly caressed his cheek with my fingers. It was cold. So much cold... He stared at me. He looked a little bit surprised, that someone decided (or dared?) to touch him. Well he didn't react to it in any particular way. He looked like he is thinking deeply.
 "Sanchi...?" His face eased and his eyes growed wide. "Sanchi!" He exclaimed in suprise.
 "Yes!" I said happily. That's when I realized it. I carresed his cheek again and took a half-step closer. He wasn't dodging me anymore, just looking at me in surprise. He still didn't seem to realize everything, but he slowly remembered.
 "What happened to you...?" I said with shaky voice. I looked at him all over and felt, how my eyes water again. I couldn't supress the tears anymore. I was crying like little girl, tears trickled down my cheeks like a streams.

 He slightly bowed his head to me, he was always a lot taller then me, and took a step closer too. He looked strange and looked away. I couldn't read any emotion in his face. He pursed his lips for a second and then looked into my eyes again. I woke from my shock again and finally realized it all. My very best friend stood before me. The elf, who once knew everything about me. I thought he is lost forever. He was one of those, who was lost during Arthas's raging and whose bodies was never found.

 "Rapshik!" I yelled again. I laughed even though my tears flowed. "My Raphisk!" A wide smile spread across my face and I jumped into his arms in happiness. He catched me and I hugged him tightly. He was little staggered and looked suprised, because he didn't expect such "attack" from me. He looked into my eyes and smiled a little bit. I think, that was all I could expect from death knight. I still hugged him with my arms and legs, laughed and cryied into his shoulder. He was cold, it wasn't Rap I knew before. Someone coughed behind my back.
 "Ehm... Well, it looks like you have bought everything you needed. Hah." said Valdyr with diffident laugh. I quickly squeeze him a little and then got off of him. "This is Rapshider, the Luckbringer." I said with proud and wide smile while looking at Rap. I gave him this title very, very long ago, when we were little kids. It was because he always won everything. "My lost best friend." I completely ignored the fact, that he is kind of undead.
 "I'm Valdyr." He offered him his hand and Rap shook it for a second. "I've never saw her smile like this before." Valdyr chuckled again. "Well, it looks like you haven't seen each other in a long time, so I'll leave you alone." he said with a smile. "And don't be late." He blinked at me.

 Time has passed, I even didn't know how. I still didn't have any of what I came to Orgrimmar for. But I have found something much better. I have asked Rap how is he, what is he doing and where is he living, when Valdyr left. But we didn't have time for long chat. I grabbed his hand and dragged him towards alchemy apothecary, so he could answer me during the trip. I bought everything I needed as fast as I could. I should go now. I turned myself towards Rap before leaving.
 "Rapshik..." Emotions ripped through me, so my voice was a little shaky again. "I have to go now. What are your plans now?"
 "Probably nothing specific..." he said pensively.
 "Go with us, please." I proposed. "We have to catch up with a lot of things. I will introduce you to the others. It's a nice party! And maybe someone could finaly beat you in cards!" I said impishly. He looked at me with a smile, only he could make. Passersby goblin woman noticed him and fainted. All the women fainted from him every time...

 "Do you think it's a good idea?"
 "Of course. This encounter is the best thing that has happened to me in the last few years!" He still smiled at me. It looked like he is glad, that he sees me now, when he remember everything. He was silent. I grabbed his hand and pulled him gently. "Come, we'll be late."
 "That's nothing unusual for you." He answered with chuckle.
I frowned at him. "I dont know what are you talking about..." I gave him innocent look.
He laughed. "Fine, I will be glad to meet your new friends. Even if..." He pointed to himself to point out what he is now. "Won't I be more of a nuisance? I don't want to ruin your friendships." He pointed out the prejudices that almost everyone had against death knights.
I straightened myself. "If someone has problem with you, than has problem even with me!"
 "And nobody wants that..." He laughed openly. He grabbed me by my shoulders, pulled me close and put a kiss on my cheek, as he always did. Then he realised what he has done and let me go. I just smiled at that.
 "Come." I grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the embassy. I introduced him to everyone there. Some showed that death knight bothered them but it seemed, that Valdyr warned them, that maybe I will bring him with me, so they tried to overlook it. I was grateful for that. I couldn't help myself. I was still smiling from ear to ear and my eyes sometimes water with tears, but i went over it. We set off on the road. Rap and me fell a little behind after a while. The others generously overlooked it and ignored us.
 Neither of our mouths stopped. He talked, how he left to fight in the front lines against Arthas and I talked what happened after Arthas's attack on Silvermoon. I confessed, that I already mourned him, becouse I was convinced he didn't survived... Well actually... I paused. I was in tears. He noticed it and grabbed my hand. He didn't said anything. He just wiped my tears and asked me about my travels around the world to change topic.
 We camped somewhere in the middle of the Barrens. I had no idea where we were, because I didn't pay attention to the road. Rap and me settled a short distance from the others. We were talking almost all night, until I fell asleep on his shoulder.
 We continued on our way in the morning and we stayed with the others this time. No one minded anymore, that a death knight is traveling with us. They accepted him among themselves, like he was with us from the beginning.

(original story - Sanchielle, translate - Abrahamovic)