A mere two minutes later, Kotonoha had told the party her plan, they'd approved it, and everyone was in position. Everyone except Koto had stayed back a bit and was hiding behind a wall just before the hut. Meanwhile, Koto was stealthily making her way down the path to the lone guarded hut that Serac had spotted as where Jag and/or Jaina was potentially being kept. No one else was around. It was actually kind of peaceful, with the only audible sound being the chirping birds' sweet melody. And it was really all they could hope for that they'd find at least one of their captured friends in this hut.
As she was coming up on the hut in question, she took a deep, slow breath and quietly exhaled. This was the hardest part of the entire plan. Believing she was ready, she began creeping closer towards the hut (though still staying a comfortable distance away from the guard) until she had a good look at what, if anything, was inside.
What she saw inside nearly made her burst out with loud, ecstatic cheers...which would have been a very, very bad thing indeed. It was Jag! Jag was in the hut! He was sitting upright with a peaceful smile on his face...and looking rather good considering he'd been in captivity for as long as he was. And no trolls! No hiding trolls! It was just the one! This was great!
Koto wanted so badly to just call out to the rest of the party and tell them the good news, but that would have been a very unwise thing to do, even with just one troll standing guard here. She'd learned her lesson out in the field earlier. The initial element of surprise is key. So she kept all her excitement to herself (practically imploding in the process) and instead, imitated the song of the Teldrassil Longswallow. The troll guard thought nothing of it, thinking it was just another bird, like all the others, doing what all birds in the Hinterlands do. But for the rest of the party, who knew that Koto's mother was a druid who had taught her a few bird calls during her childhood, it was the very distinct, very exciting signal that it in fact was just the lone troll and that Jag was inside the hut! They didn't budge from their hiding spot, but they did all smile in celebration. They'd found Jag!
Upon completing the short avian melody, she prepared for the second part of her plan. She moved in close behind the young guard and placed her dagger right by the side of his neck, just close enough so that it was as close to his neck as it could be without the sharp edge actually touching his skin. Then, with a grin only visible to herself, she giggled. Out loud. The troll guard immediately snapped his whole body around to find out where the sudden giggling came from, and in the process, slit his own throat on her dagger's sharpened blade. And just like that, the young, promising troll named Kalwen fell to the dirt ground, dead. Kalwen had uttered not so much as a solitary gasp as he collapsed. And in the meantime, Koto had suddenly appeared at the hut's opening.

When Jag first heard the bubbly giggling, he thought it was all in his head, a delusion triggered by all the pain he was experiencing by sitting up instead of laying still. But then his guard's throat mysteriously slit itself when he'd turned around and he knew he didn't imagine that. The guard actually bled, collapsed, and ceased breathing. The guard was dead. Jag was shocked and confused and chose to remain as he was, practically still in an upright sitting position. He didn't have any clue what was going on...unless...nooooooo...was it? Could it be?
And there was Kotonoha, blocking Jag's view of the outside where the guard once did. "HaHA!" Jag shouted delightfully. It hurt quite a bit to shout, but Jag wanted to look strong for his friends. He wanted to be strong for his friends. "I thought it was you! Praise the Naaru!"
Kotonoha smiled down at Jag and laughed joyfully. Then she turned to face the direction where the others had been hiding, and she repeated the Longswallow's song for a second time, this time signaling it was okay to come over to the hut. Within seconds, everyone was standing in the opening, beaming from ear to ear, person to person.
Jag was smiling back, for a couple of reasons. Sure, he was happy that his friends were here and he could be sure of his safety, but more than that, he was glad that they were all there standing in the opening, because by doing so, they were practically blocking out all the light from coming into the hut and he knew that as a result his friends weren't able to see how he really looked and wouldn't be able to read on his face how he really felt.
"Okay, okay" Jesiach chimed into the happy smiles and laughter. "We've got to get a move on here, or else we're sure to have company."
"Right." Marckus said as he knelt down to enter the tent. "Jag, do you have any idea where we might be able to find your wi-" He had been talking to the ground until he was all the way into the hut. It was as he flipped himself off his knees that he finally got a good look at Jag. His face, his beaten body, how thin he looked, everything. Marck's voice turned serious. "Jesiach, Voudka, get in here. Serac and Koto, keep guard out there."
As Voudka crept her way into the hut to make it a comfy quartet within the warm hut, Marckus asked, "Koto, how could you have missed th-" He stopped speaking and rolled back his head along his shoulderbones as he let out a deep sigh. "Of course. The same way I did."
"How'd I miss what?" Koto asked. "What'd I miss? What's wrong?"
"Nothing, dear." Jesiach replied. "Please just do as Marckus asked, okay?" He paused for a second, then added, "You'll see soon enough."
"Uh-" Koto started. "Okay." She turned back around to watch the path from which they'd come and while concerned and worried, knew she had to do as she was told. Marck, Voud, and Jesiach, while friends, were High Elders above all else.
Meanwhile, Jesiach turned back around to face Jag. He gazed up and down the battered, bruised body and could feel the cold rage burning within himself. Yeah, he and Jag weren't super close "bunk buddies" or anything like that, but he did like Jagauric quite a bit and his like for him grew daily. Seeing the number the trolls had done on Jag was almost too much to take. There were not many experiences Jesiach could think of that could relate to what Jag must have endured. "This is above and beyond. Any troll we come across on the way out is as good as skewered."
"I hear that!" the four of them heard come from outside. Serac had gotten really good at skewering trolls during that particular battle.
Voudka began to smile and chuckle, just as a reflex to Serac's unintentional moments of comedy, but it didn't get far this time. Ever since she'd entered the hut and first gazed at Jag's present state, she was stunned. She was still stunned. "Jag," she began to say, though it was hard for the words she was thinking to come out. The one so far had come out real shaky. "Jag?" she repeated, a bit stronger. He turned slightly to look at her. She took this as a sign that he was listening to what she had to say. "Where's Jaina?"
It was the last question Jag wanted to be asked, but it was the first question he knew they would ask. Almost immediately, Jag's outward façade of strength and peppiness fell away and in its place, there was the real Jag. The Jag in extreme pain everywhere. In his muscles, in his bones, all over his face, and especially in his heart. With those two words, it all came back. Jag could no longer sit up. The pain was too intense. He fell back, as though his muscles had all just given out (they had...Jag just let go in order to fall). Marckus stretched out his right arm to catch him mid-fall and guide him down the rest of the way. Once Jag was laying down completely, there was complete silence for at least half a minute. Jag took this time to try to relax and get a regular breathing pattern going after all the sharp, striking pain had hit. Once the pain had predominantly gone away, he turned to face the three plate-clad Elders and said, in a simple, calm, almost nonchalant way, "Jaina's dead. They killed her. She's gone." As he finished speaking, a few tears burst from his eyes, sliding hastily down onto the dry dirt.
"Aw, that is it!" Jesiach yelled, not giving a damn who heard him. Then, snapping to look at Marck and Voud, he said with great conviction, "We are getting him out of here. Right now! Marck, help me lift him." Marckus did not hesitate to comply. Carefully, very carefully, the two men picked him up by his arms and legs and crept out of the hut on their knees. Jag was in agony the entire time. When the bright sun shone onto his face, he squinted and his face burst into flameless fire. Voudka followed them out of the hut, and as she got back on her feet, Koto and Serac got their first look at the "real" Jag. Immediately, Koto began to sob silently. Serac just looked at his friend and kept a calm expression on his face. He had no words, and while his face read otherwise, he was heartbroken seeing his friend in the shape he was in. Completely heartbroken.
"So how do yeh suppose we get him out of here?" Serac asked, still not outwardly displaying the emotional anguish he felt inside. "Yeh can't really expect to cart him away like yeh are right now."
Marckus turned to respond. "Of course not, Serac. I'll carry him over my shoulder. That way, Jesiach can have his revenge on any passers-by and I'll still have a free hand for stunning. Besides, I'm the only one besides Jesiach who can actually carry him in the first place."
"No one's disagreeing with you," Voudka said. "There's no need to defend yourself." She paused a moment. "So it's settled. If only there was something we could do about the pain."
"Oh!" Koto exclaimed suddenly, from out of her crying. She began digging through her pack. The sound of many vials clinking together was prevalent. "Here we are." she continued as she pulled out a vial of a teal-colored liquid.
"Koto," Voudka began to say, "I think Jag needs more than just a restorative at the moment. From the looks of it, he's going to be in excruciating pain with every step. I'm afraid that just won't be enough."
"Which is exactly why I brought this along." Koto replied, waving the vial a little. "Jag'll be just fine." Realizing she was talking about Jag in the third person, she walked over so she could speak directly to him and said, "You'll be just fine. This is a Dreamless Sleep Potion. It will restore some of your strength and magical energy, all while under a deep sleep. If it works as it should, you won't wake up until we're back in Ironforge."
"That sounds wonderful," Jag exhaled, consciously dreaming of what such sleep would feel like.
"Yes, that does, Koto." Voudka apologized. "I'm sorry for doubting you."
"No worries." Koto said. "Let's just get him, and us, out of here ASAP, k?"
"Indeed," answered Jesiach. "Marckus, kneel down so we can get this goin', alright?" Marckus nodded, and the two of them gently placed Jag down on the ground. Marckus crouched down and Jesiach grabbed Jag all by himself and carried him the small distance over to Marckus. At this point, Koto walked over and handed Jesiach the potion to give to Jag. Jag merely opened his mouth, painfully of course, as Jesiach let the potion slide down. Then, he handed Koto the empty vial and bent Jag over Marckus' shoulder so that Marck could hug Jag's legs with his right hand, while the rest of Jag hung over Marck's shoulder. Jag tried to give off the impression that this didn't hurt much, but it was agony and there was no concealing it for long. He moaned and struggled for breath during the entire process.
"And he won't have to worry about all the discomfort of blood going to his head either," Koto added once Jag was secure in his position for transportation.
"Well that's good," Jag coughed. "I hadn't even thought of that." He started to cough again, trying to breathe while upside-down, in great pain, and with blood rushing to his head. But just then, he felt a wave of calm rush over his entire body. As soon as that wave had subsided, another came along. "Whoa," Jag breathed. "I think that potion's kickin' in, guys."
"That's great," said Voudka. "I guess we can get going then."
Everyone else nodded in agreement. They began to walk away from the hut, ready to leave it behind forever, but Jag suddenly shouted, "Wait!" He sounded drunk, but everyone knew it was merely Jag fighting sudden, extreme fatigue brought on by the potent potion. Marckus stopped moving, as did everyone else, and all those not carrying a Draenei over their shoulder turned to look at the one Draenei who was hanging over a shoulder.
Serac was the first to speak up. "What is it, Jag?"
"My gear," answered a very sleepy Jag. "They took all my gear."
Everyone looked at each other. Marckus then spoke without turning around. "Well we can't very well leave it behind."
Slightly frustrated but understanding completely how important it was to and for Jag to get his gear back, Jesiach said, "Yeah...so I guess we start looking."
"Uh, that won't be necessary, guys!" Koto said. "It's all right here." She was standing behind the hut where Jag had been found, at the foot of a rather large unlocked chest. It looked as though she'd found long-lost treasure, the way the chest lay open and the mail gear and metallic weapons reflected the sunlight.
"How'd you know...?" Voudka asked.
"Jag's wearing a loincloth, Voudka." Koto responded. "He was bound to remember his gear, if no one else did."
"No one said trolls were that smart." Jesiach joked, reflecting on the location of the chest.
"Well they can sure pack a punch when they really want to." Voudka said. "And at any rate, when did you become so observant? And so resourceful?"
Kotonoha merely shrugged. "I don't know, but I really like it. I like being helpful."
"Well, even with the rough start, you've been invaluable today, Koto." said Voudka. "Keep it up and you will be a High Elder one day." She winked at Koto as she continued to speak. "I guess you and I will carry the chest. Serac, you can defend our backs."
"Aye," Serac acknowledged. He would take this responsibility very seriously, as it might very well be his actions from this point forward that would ensure the party's escape from the fortress.
All of a sudden, Jag stirred. "Are we there yet?" he mumbled. Koto began to crack up. Serac chuckled a little.
"No, darlin'. The ship just left from the harbor." Serac said, without hesitation.
"Aww.....okay..." Jag muttered in a voice that sounded as though he was very much asleep.
Marckus turned around to face the rest of the group. "Geez, Koto. That stuff is strong."
"Yeah, but it's working like a charm!" Koto replied cheerily.
As Marckus turned back around to face the way they would begin heading out, everyone could hear Jag mumble a very drowsy, kiddie-sounding "Weeeeeee!" Koto and Serac began to really crack up this time. Voudka and Jesiach even began to chuckle.
"Oh my goodness." Marckus said, facepalming himself with his free hand as he shook his head. "He thinks I'm a human Ribbon Pole." This sentiment sent the whole group into a laughing riot. Suddenly though, an explosion occurred on one of the higher tiers of the fortress. Marckus reacted. "Okay, I don't know what that was, but I'll take it as our cue to snap out of it and get ourselves far away from this place."
A round of synonymous remarks akin to "yeah, let's go" was said by everyone else, and they were on their way. Forget walking, or walking briskly for that matter. Everyone broke into a hastened jog. Everyone, including Marckus, now with a fast-asleep Jag over his shoulder, and Voud and Koto, each holding a side handle of the heavy armor-filled chest, was booking it as best they could while still staying close to the rest of the group. This was the final phase. After weeks of what must have been endless torture and abuse, Jag was mere minutes away from total freedom.

* * *