Strained Tolerance

*Northpass Tower, Eastern Plaguelands. Midday*

The light streaming in through the tower opening was shadowed for a moment as an armored form filled the space. Captain Frederick Lightstone looked up from the map table that he had been pointing at, smiling as he saw the figure moving into the interior of the tower's space. The five men and women around him comprising a strange mixture of different races also paused, looking at where the Captain's gaze had been drawn.

"Ah, you've arrived finally!" he said, a smile on his face.

The armored figure, a Sin'dorei paladin bearing a tabard of the Argent Crusade with light blonde hair neatly tied in place with white ribbons, smiled and offered the human a salute, "I came as soon as I received your missive, Captain Lightstone."

Frederick smiled and shook his head, "Please, Britany, no formalities. You've not been under my command in quite some time now, and though I may nominally hold a higher rank than you in the Crusade, you've been doing just as much work as I have on your solitary quests."

Britany Dawnblaze smiled, nodding once as she moved towards the group of Argent Crusade officers that Frederick had been addressing. Many of them offered her a polite head nod or smile, all recognizing one of the Crusade's many paladins. Britany studied Frederick for a moment, the smile still on her face as she spoke in heavily accented Common, "I hope that there is no trouble, Fred. I know that we've been busy in this area trying to remove the remaining Scourge."

"No, no, nothing of the sort that would require your expertise, Britany," Frederick said lightly. "I had heard you were passing through Light's Hope and wanted to ask a favor of you, if I may. I know you were going to Quel'Thalas to do some fund-raising and hopefully recruiting."

Britany nodded again, her fel-green gaze meeting the human's. They had been comrades in arms for many years, and friends beyond that. It was Frederick that had nicknamed her Britany; a name that she now bore proudly and had inscribed on her cloak clasp. The bond between them was one that could be seen between many of the Crusaders that had passed through the trials of the Icecrown campaign, and when Britany replied to Frederick, her words were sincere, "You know you can ask anything of me, Fred. I will always support you and the Crusade."

Frederick smiled, reaching out to clap a hand on one of Britany's shoulder pauldrons, "I know, my friend! Fear not though, it is nothing too arduous. It seems that one of my men, one Necros Sunsworn, has lately been showing some hint of a higher calling. Although he is still a trainee, I think it is important for the Crusade that he at least be introduced to a possible mentor to further develop his potential. Being that he is a Sin'dorei and you were in the area, I was wondering if you would allow him to work as your escort for a time while you travel here."

Britany tilted her head, one eyebrow rising in surprise at the request, "Although I am not an instructor, I do not see any harm in having the Crusader accompany me. The journey will not be arduous or present a danger except perhaps in the Ghostlands."

Frederick smiled, "Excellent! It is settled then. I will have him pack his kit and prepare to travel within the hour. He will be thrilled to have such an exceptional mentor to guide him."

Britany blushed, the bright pink color spreading across her cheeks and up to her eartips, "I am simply a servant of the Light, Fred. There is no difference between me and any other of the Light's children. Be that as it may, I will do what I can for this Sin'dorei in the hopes that he will further our cause in the future."

"You have my thanks, Britany. And please, the next time you are near Hearthglen stop and visit for a while. My wife and I would love to have you as a dinner guest and it really would do you well to have a few days of rest here and there, hmm?" Frederick said with a smile.

Britany grinned and bowed, speaking over her shoulder as she turned to leave, "As you say, Fred. I will do my best to drop in, preferably before you have an entire clan of children for me to babysit when you need a rest!"

Frederick's laughter echoed within the tower and followed Britany outside as she exited the structure, the sunlight slanting down through the clouds and kissing her skin. It was a beautiful day, and the rest of her journey into Quel'Thalas would be a pleasant one. At least, that was her thought until a commotion caught her attention. Tilting her head, she determined that the shout she'd just heard had come from one of the forward guard positions around the tower and proceeded to head that way.

She quickly made her way past the tower's outer defense walls, the trail beyond snaking down and around the tower to lower ground. There were sounds of a scuffle on the other side of the wall and Britany turned and walked along its perimeter, rounding a bend and encountering the source of the noises.

Two Argent Crusaders were there, one a dwarf and one a human, each holding their arms out and blocking the way towards the front of the tower. Beyond them stood a blonde woman in a black dress, her eyes covered by designer sunglasses. A quick inspection of the woman showed that she was wearing a rather expensive looking but worn dress, and that she had taken other steps to beautify herself by having her nails painted jet black and by wearing an abundance of golden jewelry. None of this was a concern to the paladin though once she sensed exactly what the woman was.

The chill of undeath could be felt even from a distance for someone like Britany, and it immediately make her feel sick to her stomach. Fists clenched, she stormed towards the scene, already suspecting who it was that approached the tower.

"Ma'am, you cannot enter the tower. We've been ordered to keep travelers away while there is a-" one of the Crusader guards was saying.

"Get the fel out of my way! I didn't come out here to bicker with one of the Crusade's lackeys!" the woman snapped back.

Britany stepped in between the guards, her voice firm as she took control of the situation, "What is the meaning of this? Identify yourself at once."

The two Crusaders backed up and lowered their arms, content to let the paladin handle the situation. The woman had been argumentative and showed no signs of leaving anytime soon. Britany planted her fists on her armored hips, awaiting an answer.

"I have come to see Captain Frederick Lightstone. I know he's here, and I have matters I wish to discuss with him," the blonde woman said, her voice echoing with a hollow quality.

Britany glared at the woman, her eyes seeking the scourge-blue glow that she knew lurked behind the glasses, "I know exactly what it is you wish to discuss with him, Beckyann Eastberg. Fred and I have discussed this at length. If he's ordered you away from the tower, then away from the tower you will stay. He's working on a local campaign here and your kind is neither needed, nor wanted."

The woman, the death knight, nearly hissed as Britany finished speaking, rearing back as if she'd been slapped. When she responded, her tone held barely restrained rage, "He was not so unwilling to speak to me when I was saving an entire patrol of his new recruits from the Scourge around Corin's Crossing. And how dare you presume that you know my business, slick-ears! I will speak with him for a few minutes and then be on my way. He owes me at least that much after my assistance. Besides, I'm trying to apologize for another...incident."

Britany remained firmly in place, her tone stern, "You will not see him. I know the 'incident' you are referring to and you should be glad that you still walk the face of this world and darken it with your footsteps. Turn and walk away. There is nothing for you here and this tower is property of the Argent Crusade."

Beckyann actually did hiss this time, her voice filled with hate. She lurched forward, one hand grabbing the armor that covered Britany's upper arm and squeezing it hard enough that the plates pinched the paladin's skin even through the padding beneath, "Get. Out. Of. My. Way. I am going to see him, whether you like it or not."

Whatever response Beckyann was expecting from the paladin, it was likely not one that would have made the death knight herself proud. Britany's hand came up and clamped down hard on Beckyann's arm, her other hand snapping out and grabbing the blonde woman by her throat. Using the grip she had as leverage, the paladin swung Beckyann around and slammed her against the wall of the tower, Britany's face scant inches from Beckyann's.

When she spoke this time, there was no question as to the paladin's feelings about the death knight, "Some of your kind take the opportunity to make amends for the things they've done. Some have souls that can be redeemed. Some of the living would have given anything, absolutely anything to have the chance that you've had to speak to those who passed on at the hands of the Scourge just one last time. And you waste every moment of that time by bringing more pain on those who recall you from life. You are a waste of existence, a filthy beast conjured from dark magic and if not for the Accords and for Fred's own wishes, you would even now be a burning torch, your soul set free when you were laid to rest. Do not test me again. The dead have no place here, or anywhere."

The look on Beckyann's face would have been comical to all present if not for the deadly nature of the confrontation. The death knight shifted in place for a moment, feeling the holy energies in the form of the Sin'dorei that held her in place. She wasn't hurt, but still felt like she'd been kicked in the gut. She violently reached up and broke the elf's grip on her throat, her body pushing against the other's armored form to force her to back up.

"FINE! I'LL LEAVE, BUT DON'T THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT IT WOULD BE ME THAT WOULD SUFFER IF I DECIDED THIS SHOULD GO FURTHER!" Beckyann raged.

"Just go. Return to your floating fortress of the dead and trouble us no more," Britany said, her gaze leveled at the death knight. "Fred does not need you ruining his life any further, nor do I need to waste my time speaking with you. You cannot be redeemed; I know this from what I've learned of you. The only boon you grant is that you destroy those things which we also fight, but one day that work will be done and then it will be your turn to go, monster."

Beckyann sneered, her voice low and cold now and chilling to hear, "Do not think that you are Fred's gatekeeper, or that he can hide behind your plate skirts forever. One day we will continue the conversation we had, and I will state my regrets. Only I get to decide if I can be redeemed, or if my good deeds outweigh the bad. Pray to your blessed Light that we do not meet again."

With that the death knight turned and stormed off, heading into the plaguelands around the tower without concern for the undead that lurked in the wilderness. Britany stared at her the entire time, until she was no longer visible and it was clear that she would not seek to enter the tower from another route.

"You are wrong, death knight. It is you who should pray to the Light. You should pray to it every day for forgiveness, and pray to it that you and I do not cross blades on the field of battle one day, for I should love nothing more than to put you to your rest so that my dear friend can live at ease, without your shadow to darken his doorstep."

With that, Britany turned and walked away, her mood greatly soured by the encounter although her purpose still clear in her mind. She would return to Quel'Thalas with the new recruit in tow, and seek to further the cause of the Crusade and the Light wherever she went. It was her purpose in life, and one she would never set aside until the day she drew her last breath.