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Description
       Below decks of the passenger ship, Aku slipped off his black cloak and unbuckled the thick leather armor he was accustomed to working in.  He pulled out a loose button-down and threw it on, grabbing a runecloth handkerchief and wiping the sweat from his chest and shoulders before buttoning it up halfway.  His daggers were sheathed and stowed inside of his satchel alongside the armor, and his coins were counted out and slipped into the custom made pocket on the inside of his right boot.
       "Nevah know when dere be ah peek-pokkit about," he mumbled to himself, chuckling at his own joke.
       He took out his hunting knife and strapped it to his belt.  It was an ordinary looking affair, though it had an edge on it that could easily split a hair or cut a throat, depending on what he needed it for.   Taking out a small, slightly tarnished mirror, he set about polishing his tusks to a shine and pushing his hair back.  After adjusting his eyepatch over the empty socket, he shouldered his satchel and headed back above decks, where 207 waited.  The orc was leaning on the mast, looking towards the Bay as it quickly neared.  He gave Aku the once over and rolled his eyes.
       "We're just going to get a drink, brother.  Didn't have to doll yourself up on my behalf," he snickered.  Aku smirked at his partner and stuffed the handkerchief into the cuff of his shirt.
       "So wat?  Don' be jealous cuz ah clean up like ah propah gentlemon, bruddah," he sneered mockingly, dodging a punch from 207 and smacking him in return.  The orc grinned at him as the troll turned on a heel and moved towards the dock.  "Joo steel slow, son.  Don'  'urt yo'self."  Aku stepped over the gap between the ship and the dock as the crew had only just pulled into position, and began to stroll down the length of the pier.  207 grabbed his duffel and hurried after him, chuckling.
       "Excuse me, Grandpa, now that you are off the market you are a "gentleman" too?"  He slapped his leg and cackled as Aku raised a brow at him.
       "Boy, joo tink ah get da ladiehs ah do wit' jus' meh stunnin' good looks?" he chuckled, his tongue pressing against his exposed teeth for a moment.  "Gotta be suave, mon.  Dey love dat sheet."  He paused to wave at a couple of wenches who had whistled his way, and sighed in satisfaction, turning to the orc with a smug look on his face and a brightness in his eye.  "Jus' imagine 'ow much ass ah woulda gotten if ah 'ad me WHOLE face!"  Cackling manically, he wandered into the tavern and draped himself over a chair.  207 shook his head with a smile and walked to the bar.
       "First round's on me, Thirty-three," the orc grunted, as Aku set his feet onto the table and kicked back with a sigh.  He spotted a couple of draenei girls across the way and waved his fingers at them.  The older of the duo simply rolled her eyes, yet the younger one blushed and waved back.  The old troll smiled and folded his hands on his chest as she got up, much to the dismay of her friend, and came over to take the empty seat next to the rogue.  Immediately, he rose to his feet and pulled the seat out for her, offered a hand as she sat down, and tucked it in behind her, mindful of her tail.
       "Fine by meh, mon," he called over to the orc, who had turned around just in time to watch the scene play out.  "Jus' get one fo' ou'ah loveleh frien' an' 'er companion, eh?"  The orc sighed loudly and went back to the bar as Aku took his seat once more, and kissed the young draenei's wrist gracefully, looking at her with a charming grin.  "Good eve, mah'dam," he purred in Common, much to the lady's surprise.  "Ah be Kaz'jin.  An' dis orc 'ere, 'e be Mok of da Fros'wolf clan."  The draenei widened her eyes.
       "Eesn't dat ze tribe of Thrall, sir?" she asked, her face revealing a bit of awe that Aku picked up on immediately.  He grinned and nodded to her.
       "Ah, smaht gurl!" he exclaimed, scooting a bit and brushing a strand of hair out of her face.  She smiled and blushed at him, and he grinned.  207 narrowed his eyes at Aku as he set the drinks down and took his seat.
       "Oh ho, I guess you rather land your own catch than take my offer from before?" he snickered.  "I knew you hadn't changed that much, old friend.  You were beginning to worry me!"  Aku simply kept smiling at the draenei as he answered his partner in Orcish.
       "Oh, ah 'as changed.  But joo steel couldn't land dis catch wit'out me help, eh?" he murmured.  The orc raised a brow at him.
       "…What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.  Aku raised his mug of ale to the ladies and downed it in one quick chug.  Turning to 207, he smirked.
       "Jus' trus' meh."
~~
Aku took a long draw off the cigar in his mouth, then gingerly dipped the end of it into his whiskey and touched it to his tongue with a pleased grunt.  The scent of alcohol was heavy on his breath, and the smell of his cigar lingered about him as the smoke drifted upwards and gathered below the upper deck of the inn.  He looked up at it, blinking his eye slowly before turning to his companion and cracking a sly smile his way.
"From ovah 'ere eet looks like joo be enjoin' yo'self, bruddah," he chuckled.  207 returned the grin before once more burying his face in the young draenei's neck and giving it a playful bite.  The lady giggled drunkenly, as did her friend, who was now seated on the orc's other knee, his hand firmly on her ass.  Aku smiled to himself, chuckling as he threw back the last sip of whiskey and ashed his cigar.  "Ah 'ope joo was watchin', ah ain' gonna always be dere to land yo' beeches fo' joo," he teased.  The orc scowled at him, hugging the two femmes to himself with a huff.
"I do just fine on my own, old man!" he exclaimed, drawing a raised brow from Aku until 207 broke down and laughed.  "Ah, but this isn't fair, my friend!  Come take one of these off my hands, you earned it!"  Aku bit the end of his cigar and shook his head.
"Ah keep tellin' joo, mon.  Ah be good ovah 'ere."  The orc smirked, and then nodded over at the door.
"Then I suppose you don't want to open your present, eh?" he smirked.  Aku furrowed his brow and peered over his shoulder.  He dropped his cigar suddenly and looked angrily at the orc, who simply shrugged and smiled.  "Sorry, man.  I'm not letting run off without getting you something."
Aku scrambled to pick up his cigar, pausing with a gulp as a pair of delicate, perfectly pedicured feet stopped in front of him.  The old troll looked up at the gaunt human female, her black hair peppered with a bit of white here and there.  Her hand reached out and her fingers danced over the marred side of Aku's face, the attractive crow's feet at the corners of her blue eyes bunching as she smiled at him.  The rogue took her hand and kissed it.
"Natasha…" he murred, letting her lean down and kiss his forehead warmly.  She smelled of rosewater and candle smoke, her soft linen robes flattering to her curvy figure and welcoming to his calloused hand as it made way to her hip.  Natasha carefully took a seat on his knee and tapped a finger on his chin.
"Your friend tells me you are getting' married, m'love," she pouted at him playfully, her crimson lips pursed.  "I am broken hearted that you didn't come tell me yourself!"  Aku hugged her tightly and sighed with a smile.
"Aw babeh, eet ain' like dat at all."
It was no lie that Aku frequented the shadier parts of the Booty Bay docks.  It was at the tender age of 12 that his shipmates had taken him from the deck and into the tavern.  A few drinks later, they had tossed a naïve…and very frightened…young troll into the home of a beautiful, dark haired woman.  The door had been locked, and it wasn't until later the next day that Aku emerged from the room looking a bit sad, yet walking just a bit taller.
That woman had been Natasha's mother and former mistress, and Aku had been a faithful "customer" of hers up until her retirement and untimely death.  Natasha had happily taken her mother's place as Aku's favorite..."business woman".  He was as protective of her as he had been of her mother, often victimizing rival pimps and mistresses, killing hookers that had no affiliation with Natasha's harem.  He had never accepted gold from the mistress, but Natasha, like her mother, had always seen to it personally that Aku was paid in full for his services.
It was this woman that took the troll's hand and led him towards the doorway, as the orc cheered him on before returning his attentions to the draenei pair draping off of him.  Aku knew the way to Natasha's home all too well.  Out the door, down the pier, up to the second level and second door to the right.  This is where he followed her in silence, the smell of rosewater drifting into his face and filling him with a familiarity.  Her mother had used rosewater as well.  This place had been hers, too.  The wrought iron bed frame was the same one a 12 year old troll had gripped as Natasha's mother had gently done her work.  Aku stood in the doorway as the dark-haired woman went to the nightstand and poured him a snifter of his favorite bourbon, and then opened a drawer and took out a cigar from the wooden box stashed there.  These were for him; always on hand should the rogue decide to come around looking for a warm bed and a familiar touch.
The snifter was placed in his hand; the cigar was lit for him and pressed between his lips with a smile.  The rogue chuckled, looking down at the glass and giving it a swirl before sipping it, letting the taste of the bourbon mingle with the taste of the smoke and sighing.  Natsha grinned at him and sat down on the corner of the bed, one that had seen countless men, yet was still inviting with the clean sheets, full pillows and dark lighting of her abode.  Aku felt his feet under him, moving towards her as her robes dropped from her shoulders and revealed the lily white skin of her chest and breasts.  They had lost some of their perk, yet were still attractive to the old troll as his hard reached out…but he stopped, letting his fingers instead drift to a dark blotch marring her arm and side.  He frowned.
"Wat happened, Tasha…" he asked, turning her slightly to see the extent of the beating.  She shrugged and pulled her robe over it with a sad smile.
"Don't you be worryin' yourself about that lil thing, Aku."  She chuckled and patted the bed next to herself, and he sat down.  "You know how it is.  Boys don't have any respec' for a lady these days, think they can come into her home and…well."  She smirked and winked at him.  "I don't do this for free, ya know?"  Aku's eye was sad as it looked upon her, hand smoothing down her hair as her face fell, suddenly tired and old looking.  "'Tis not the life I wanted, m'love."  She coughed and took the cigar from his hand, drawing a deep breath before releasing the smoke towards the ceiling.  "But you know mama.  Mama did the best she could, and who am I to blame her?"
"Yo muddah, was ah good woomon.  Ah be sure da Loa takin' care of 'er now, Tasha," Aku mumbled, taking his cigar back from her and drawing off of it as well.  Natasha laughed and took hold of his tusk, giving it a tug.
"Aye, but what a life to leave to your daughter?  I hate her sometimes, Aku" she whispered, leaning against him.  "Some days, the only reason I go on is to see you again.  As few and far between as that has gotten these past few years."  She smiled up at him.  "But I suppose I knew I would not stay young forever.  Soon I will be grey, and none of the boys will come see me anymore."
Aku looked away from her and sipped his bourbon with a pained expression.  He knew what she wanted to hear…that he would still be coming around.  That he would continue their visits even with a mate back home, that he would break Janza'ri's heart in secret when he had the opportunity.  A pang clutched Aku's chest, for he knew that it was true.  He would.
The old troll leaned down and kissed Natasha softly, easing her back onto the bed and climbing over her as he had countless times before.  The femme smiled and breathed into his ear as he kissed her shoulder, one hand holding her wrist above her head as the other went to his belt.  Kissing her ear softly, he whispered into it.
"Ah be sorreh, Tasha," his voice quiet and mournful as his fingers smoothly flicked the edge of his blade over the side of her neck.  Her blue eyes widened at him, hand wrenching free of his grasp as he held the dagger there, her blood pouring over his wrist and onto the pristine sheets beneath them.  Natasha's eyes met Aku's…and, seeing the apology in them still, she stopped struggling.  Her hand went to touch his cheek gently, the words "Thank you" mouthed as her hand fell limply over his tusk.  His fingers wandered to the uncut side of her neck, and felt for a pulse that did not exist.  His blade was pulled away, and two fingers swept over the mistress's eyes to close them for the last time.
Natasha was tenderly redressed, then wrapped in the bloodied sheets before Aku took the time to gather up what valuables he could.  The box of cigars and the bottle of bourbon were tucked carefully into his satchel, and the key to Natasha's vault was looped to a silver cord and hung around his neck.  He went to her liquor cabinet and pulled a bottle of vodka out, and spread it all about the room.  Gathering up Natasha's body in his arms, he took one long, final look at the place before tipping over a candle and closing the door.
The guards were too occupied with the fire to notice the troll carrying off such an odd bundle.  It was with relative ease that he slipped from the tunnel and out into the Vale.  There was a place they had both gone when they had been younger, less scarred by life.  He took her there now, swiftly, before he could be interrupted.  The glade was small, barely noticed from the road, yet if you passed the thick foliage you would find a set of waterfalls, tumbling over each other as the water headed back into the sea.  It was here that Aku began to dig.
It took him the rest of the night to get the grave the proper depth, and as light began to creep over the jungle he lifted Natasha into his arms, a thumb gently rubbing the dew that had settled upon her lips.  He looked at her and frowned, turning away and pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose as he composed himself.  A dagger was taken from his belt and carefully, a lock of hair was trimmed and placed into the cigar box.
       He smiled sadly at her.
"Ah be sorreh, Tasha…joo was too beautiful fo' da world joo knew.  But as long as joo livin', ah would be tempted aweh from me Janzi.  She be muh 'eart, Tasha.  Sometin' ah know joo couldn't undahstand…not in dis life."  He kissed her cold lips, and then lowered her gently into the earth.  "But…mebbe joo will in da nex'."

Description
       Below decks of the passenger ship, Aku slipped off his black cloak and unbuckled the thick leather armor he was accustomed to working in.  He pulled out a loose button-down and threw it on, grabbing a runecloth handkerchief and wiping the sweat from his chest and shoulders before buttoning it up halfway.  His daggers were sheathed and stowed inside of his satchel alongside the armor, and his coins were counted out and slipped into the custom made pocket on the inside of his right boot.
       "Nevah know when dere be ah peek-pokkit about," he mumbled to himself, chuckling at his own joke.
       He took out his hunting knife and strapped it to his belt.  It was an ordinary looking affair, though it had an edge on it that could easily split a hair or cut a throat, depending on what he needed it for.   Taking out a small, slightly tarnished mirror, he set about polishing his tusks to a shine and pushing his hair back.  After adjusting his eyepatch over the empty socket, he shouldered his satchel and headed back above decks, where 207 waited.  The orc was leaning on the mast, looking towards the Bay as it quickly neared.  He gave Aku the once over and rolled his eyes.
       "We're just going to get a drink, brother.  Didn't have to doll yourself up on my behalf," he snickered.  Aku smirked at his partner and stuffed the handkerchief into the cuff of his shirt.
       "So wat?  Don' be jealous cuz ah clean up like ah propah gentlemon, bruddah," he sneered mockingly, dodging a punch from 207 and smacking him in return.  The orc grinned at him as the troll turned on a heel and moved towards the dock.  "Joo steel slow, son.  Don'  'urt yo'self."  Aku stepped over the gap between the ship and the dock as the crew had only just pulled into position, and began to stroll down the length of the pier.  207 grabbed his duffel and hurried after him, chuckling.
       "Excuse me, Grandpa, now that you are off the market you are a "gentleman" too?"  He slapped his leg and cackled as Aku raised a brow at him.
       "Boy, joo tink ah get da ladiehs ah do wit' jus' meh stunnin' good looks?" he chuckled, his tongue pressing against his exposed teeth for a moment.  "Gotta be suave, mon.  Dey love dat sheet."  He paused to wave at a couple of wenches who had whistled his way, and sighed in satisfaction, turning to the orc with a smug look on his face and a brightness in his eye.  "Jus' imagine 'ow much ass ah woulda gotten if ah 'ad me WHOLE face!"  Cackling manically, he wandered into the tavern and draped himself over a chair.  207 shook his head with a smile and walked to the bar.
       "First round's on me, Thirty-three," the orc grunted, as Aku set his feet onto the table and kicked back with a sigh.  He spotted a couple of draenei girls across the way and waved his fingers at them.  The older of the duo simply rolled her eyes, yet the younger one blushed and waved back.  The old troll smiled and folded his hands on his chest as she got up, much to the dismay of her friend, and came over to take the empty seat next to the rogue.  Immediately, he rose to his feet and pulled the seat out for her, offered a hand as she sat down, and tucked it in behind her, mindful of her tail.
       "Fine by meh, mon," he called over to the orc, who had turned around just in time to watch the scene play out.  "Jus' get one fo' ou'ah loveleh frien' an' 'er companion, eh?"  The orc sighed loudly and went back to the bar as Aku took his seat once more, and kissed the young draenei's wrist gracefully, looking at her with a charming grin.  "Good eve, mah'dam," he purred in Common, much to the lady's surprise.  "Ah be Kaz'jin.  An' dis orc 'ere, 'e be Mok of da Fros'wolf clan."  The draenei widened her eyes.
       "Eesn't dat ze tribe of Thrall, sir?" she asked, her face revealing a bit of awe that Aku picked up on immediately.  He grinned and nodded to her.
       "Ah, smaht gurl!" he exclaimed, scooting a bit and brushing a strand of hair out of her face.  She smiled and blushed at him, and he grinned.  207 narrowed his eyes at Aku as he set the drinks down and took his seat.
       "Oh ho, I guess you rather land your own catch than take my offer from before?" he snickered.  "I knew you hadn't changed that much, old friend.  You were beginning to worry me!"  Aku simply kept smiling at the draenei as he answered his partner in Orcish.
       "Oh, ah 'as changed.  But joo steel couldn't land dis catch wit'out me help, eh?" he murmured.  The orc raised a brow at him.
       "…What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.  Aku raised his mug of ale to the ladies and downed it in one quick chug.  Turning to 207, he smirked.
       "Jus' trus' meh."
~~
Aku took a long draw off the cigar in his mouth, then gingerly dipped the end of it into his whiskey and touched it to his tongue with a pleased grunt.  The scent of alcohol was heavy on his breath, and the smell of his cigar lingered about him as the smoke drifted upwards and gathered below the upper deck of the inn.  He looked up at it, blinking his eye slowly before turning to his companion and cracking a sly smile his way.
"From ovah 'ere eet looks like joo be enjoin' yo'self, bruddah," he chuckled.  207 returned the grin before once more burying his face in the young draenei's neck and giving it a playful bite.  The lady giggled drunkenly, as did her friend, who was now seated on the orc's other knee, his hand firmly on her ass.  Aku smiled to himself, chuckling as he threw back the last sip of whiskey and ashed his cigar.  "Ah 'ope joo was watchin', ah ain' gonna always be dere to land yo' beeches fo' joo," he teased.  The orc scowled at him, hugging the two femmes to himself with a huff.
"I do just fine on my own, old man!" he exclaimed, drawing a raised brow from Aku until 207 broke down and laughed.  "Ah, but this isn't fair, my friend!  Come take one of these off my hands, you earned it!"  Aku bit the end of his cigar and shook his head.
"Ah keep tellin' joo, mon.  Ah be good ovah 'ere."  The orc smirked, and then nodded over at the door.
"Then I suppose you don't want to open your present, eh?" he smirked.  Aku furrowed his brow and peered over his shoulder.  He dropped his cigar suddenly and looked angrily at the orc, who simply shrugged and smiled.  "Sorry, man.  I'm not letting run off without getting you something."
Aku scrambled to pick up his cigar, pausing with a gulp as a pair of delicate, perfectly pedicured feet stopped in front of him.  The old troll looked up at the gaunt human female, her black hair peppered with a bit of white here and there.  Her hand reached out and her fingers danced over the marred side of Aku's face, the attractive crow's feet at the corners of her blue eyes bunching as she smiled at him.  The rogue took her hand and kissed it.
"Natasha…" he murred, letting her lean down and kiss his forehead warmly.  She smelled of rosewater and candle smoke, her soft linen robes flattering to her curvy figure and welcoming to his calloused hand as it made way to her hip.  Natasha carefully took a seat on his knee and tapped a finger on his chin.
"Your friend tells me you are getting' married, m'love," she pouted at him playfully, her crimson lips pursed.  "I am broken hearted that you didn't come tell me yourself!"  Aku hugged her tightly and sighed with a smile.
"Aw babeh, eet ain' like dat at all."
It was no lie that Aku frequented the shadier parts of the Booty Bay docks.  It was at the tender age of 12 that his shipmates had taken him from the deck and into the tavern.  A few drinks later, they had tossed a naïve…and very frightened…young troll into the home of a beautiful, dark haired woman.  The door had been locked, and it wasn't until later the next day that Aku emerged from the room looking a bit sad, yet walking just a bit taller.
That woman had been Natasha's mother and former mistress, and Aku had been a faithful "customer" of hers up until her retirement and untimely death.  Natasha had happily taken her mother's place as Aku's favorite..."business woman".  He was as protective of her as he had been of her mother, often victimizing rival pimps and mistresses, killing hookers that had no affiliation with Natasha's harem.  He had never accepted gold from the mistress, but Natasha, like her mother, had always seen to it personally that Aku was paid in full for his services.
It was this woman that took the troll's hand and led him towards the doorway, as the orc cheered him on before returning his attentions to the draenei pair draping off of him.  Aku knew the way to Natasha's home all too well.  Out the door, down the pier, up to the second level and second door to the right.  This is where he followed her in silence, the smell of rosewater drifting into his face and filling him with a familiarity.  Her mother had used rosewater as well.  This place had been hers, too.  The wrought iron bed frame was the same one a 12 year old troll had gripped as Natasha's mother had gently done her work.  Aku stood in the doorway as the dark-haired woman went to the nightstand and poured him a snifter of his favorite bourbon, and then opened a drawer and took out a cigar from the wooden box stashed there.  These were for him; always on hand should the rogue decide to come around looking for a warm bed and a familiar touch.
The snifter was placed in his hand; the cigar was lit for him and pressed between his lips with a smile.  The rogue chuckled, looking down at the glass and giving it a swirl before sipping it, letting the taste of the bourbon mingle with the taste of the smoke and sighing.  Natsha grinned at him and sat down on the corner of the bed, one that had seen countless men, yet was still inviting with the clean sheets, full pillows and dark lighting of her abode.  Aku felt his feet under him, moving towards her as her robes dropped from her shoulders and revealed the lily white skin of her chest and breasts.  They had lost some of their perk, yet were still attractive to the old troll as his hard reached out…but he stopped, letting his fingers instead drift to a dark blotch marring her arm and side.  He frowned.
"Wat happened, Tasha…" he asked, turning her slightly to see the extent of the beating.  She shrugged and pulled her robe over it with a sad smile.
"Don't you be worryin' yourself about that lil thing, Aku."  She chuckled and patted the bed next to herself, and he sat down.  "You know how it is.  Boys don't have any respec' for a lady these days, think they can come into her home and…well."  She smirked and winked at him.  "I don't do this for free, ya know?"  Aku's eye was sad as it looked upon her, hand smoothing down her hair as her face fell, suddenly tired and old looking.  "'Tis not the life I wanted, m'love."  She coughed and took the cigar from his hand, drawing a deep breath before releasing the smoke towards the ceiling.  "But you know mama.  Mama did the best she could, and who am I to blame her?"
"Yo muddah, was ah good woomon.  Ah be sure da Loa takin' care of 'er now, Tasha," Aku mumbled, taking his cigar back from her and drawing off of it as well.  Natasha laughed and took hold of his tusk, giving it a tug.
"Aye, but what a life to leave to your daughter?  I hate her sometimes, Aku" she whispered, leaning against him.  "Some days, the only reason I go on is to see you again.  As few and far between as that has gotten these past few years."  She smiled up at him.  "But I suppose I knew I would not stay young forever.  Soon I will be grey, and none of the boys will come see me anymore."
Aku looked away from her and sipped his bourbon with a pained expression.  He knew what she wanted to hear…that he would still be coming around.  That he would continue their visits even with a mate back home, that he would break Janza'ri's heart in secret when he had the opportunity.  A pang clutched Aku's chest, for he knew that it was true.  He would.
The old troll leaned down and kissed Natasha softly, easing her back onto the bed and climbing over her as he had countless times before.  The femme smiled and breathed into his ear as he kissed her shoulder, one hand holding her wrist above her head as the other went to his belt.  Kissing her ear softly, he whispered into it.
"Ah be sorreh, Tasha," his voice quiet and mournful as his fingers smoothly flicked the edge of his blade over the side of her neck.  Her blue eyes widened at him, hand wrenching free of his grasp as he held the dagger there, her blood pouring over his wrist and onto the pristine sheets beneath them.  Natasha's eyes met Aku's…and, seeing the apology in them still, she stopped struggling.  Her hand went to touch his cheek gently, the words "Thank you" mouthed as her hand fell limply over his tusk.  His fingers wandered to the uncut side of her neck, and felt for a pulse that did not exist.  His blade was pulled away, and two fingers swept over the mistress's eyes to close them for the last time.
Natasha was tenderly redressed, then wrapped in the bloodied sheets before Aku took the time to gather up what valuables he could.  The box of cigars and the bottle of bourbon were tucked carefully into his satchel, and the key to Natasha's vault was looped to a silver cord and hung around his neck.  He went to her liquor cabinet and pulled a bottle of vodka out, and spread it all about the room.  Gathering up Natasha's body in his arms, he took one long, final look at the place before tipping over a candle and closing the door.
The guards were too occupied with the fire to notice the troll carrying off such an odd bundle.  It was with relative ease that he slipped from the tunnel and out into the Vale.  There was a place they had both gone when they had been younger, less scarred by life.  He took her there now, swiftly, before he could be interrupted.  The glade was small, barely noticed from the road, yet if you passed the thick foliage you would find a set of waterfalls, tumbling over each other as the water headed back into the sea.  It was here that Aku began to dig.
It took him the rest of the night to get the grave the proper depth, and as light began to creep over the jungle he lifted Natasha into his arms, a thumb gently rubbing the dew that had settled upon her lips.  He looked at her and frowned, turning away and pressing his fingers to the bridge of his nose as he composed himself.  A dagger was taken from his belt and carefully, a lock of hair was trimmed and placed into the cigar box.
       He smiled sadly at her.
"Ah be sorreh, Tasha…joo was too beautiful fo' da world joo knew.  But as long as joo livin', ah would be tempted aweh from me Janzi.  She be muh 'eart, Tasha.  Sometin' ah know joo couldn't undahstand…not in dis life."  He kissed her cold lips, and then lowered her gently into the earth.  "But…mebbe joo will in da nex'."