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Sylvanas stood in front of the tall dressing mirror, not looking. Her hands were busy fixating her left vambrace, but her eyes were unfocused. Her mind was busy, tired. Dark thoughts and stony emotions weighted her. It had been months since Quel'Thalas left the Alliance. Months, since the world had gone mad and stupid. First the damned Orcs escaped, and then, instead of chasing, finding and killing the accursed monsters, the entire Alliance turned against each other. Pointing fingers and exchanging insults, they devolved from seasoned monarchs to impudent children, her own king being the chief among them. It took a mere fortnight for Quel'Thalas to formally withdraw from the Alliance, tearing down a decade of military and diplomatic partnership.The real problem was how popular this decision had been. They had just bereft themselves of the protection of the most powerful military pact on the planet, and most of Quel'Thalas was happy! From lords and ladies to peasants, from common rangers to magisters, majority of people from all walks of life seemed pleased, like some grave injustice had been corrected. It was so contradictory to what logic demanded, Sylvanas had doubted her own sanity.Not everyone had joined the madness of course. Yet that did not comfort for her. People who had been fervent supporters of the Alliance had found themselves outnumbered and outmaneuvered. That wouldn't have been the worst, if the crown hadn't gone down the road of twisting their arms... When the declaration came, it didn't simply split them from the Alliance, it severed pretty much all military and diplomatic ties to the world outside: No more non-elven foreigners were allowed within the borders of the kingdom. Even though Quel'Thalas maintained her non-aggression and cooperation deals with Lordaeron and Dalaran, neither their military personnel, advisory or combatant, nor their ambassadors were allowed to stay. The mandate dictated that all military work and diplomatic relations would be handled by Quel'dorei representatives in the respective countries.That had been the most brazen attempt at political subjugation she had ever seen. Surely, King Anasterian and his council had thought that this would deal with the internationalist “problem” once and for all. Well, in a sense it did. Many of those targeted by these policies made a choice, and they chose the Alliance. Within the month, majority of her political allies left their homes for one Alliance kingdom or another. Including her own sister.No, that wasn't why Vereesa left. She left because of her husband. Because the decree meant she could be with her sister or with her Rhonin, not both. And she chose him. The whole leaving the Alliance business made her angry and the support people had shown baffled her, but this one just hurt. She first denied that it hurt and put on a calm face for Vereesa. Her little sister on the hand, was all tears and sniffles. She apologized and said she would try to visit. She didn't know if she would be allowed to, but she promised she would try. Sylvanas didn't know if she believed her. Or cared whether she believed or not. She was first numb, but that was over after a few weeks. Then came the anger. She was pissed at her for leaving. “Traitor” was the word that rang on her mind over and over. Then the anger passed too, leaving behind only sorrow. She lifted her gaze towards the mirror, checking the armor... And realized she had forgotten to put her gorget on. Frustrated, she started unstrapping the vambraces, taking off her gauntlets. The truth was that Sylvanas had seen herself descending down a dark path mentally. When the news of withdrawal first arrived, she blamed Terenas II and cursed his name: His senseless show of mercy for those greenskins had brought about this disaster. Then when the details became clearer, she blamed the council and her own king. Then her own sister, then herself and then everyone everywhere. It was the same spiral she tumbled down after the Second War. Back when she first learned about the death of her parents, her brother, her entire extended family save for her two sisters, she blamed herself. Then Alleria, then the Alliance, then the King, and then Alleria again and then herself again. But it wasn't the cycle of shifting blames and the sense of powerlessness they brought that had been suffocating her. No. It was the final conclusions she had reached, what they meant and the shame they brought. Both then and now, Sylvanas settled on blaming her king, his council and her people: The king she was sworn to serve, the council that was her fellow nobles, and the people she took an oath to protect. It was treason, plain and simple. Betrayal of the worst kind. Her thoughts were so vile, if she had heard them from the mouth of another, she would drag the wretched creature to the nearest chopping block and ensure they got nothing short of a summary execution. So she swallowed them. They sat at the pit of her stomach, waiting for her to lose her grip and puke them out. She felt sick as she finished putting her armor on. If she missed anything again, she didn't care. She was late for the meeting with her commanders, she didn't care about that either. Back in the day, someone would come and chastise her if she were ever late. Not that it was a common occurrence, but her mother wouldn't stand for it no matter how rare, and Alleria wouldn't miss an opportunity to mess with her little siblings. But now, there was not a single person in this spire who could do that. She was the Lady Windrunner and they were her servants. She did as she pleased and none of them could say a word. The thought made her feel lonely, and the loneliness made her feel like she was choking. She pushed herself out of her chambers.The Windrunner Spire looked as full and lively as ever: Maids and footmen had prepared the large oak table for her breakfast, waiting for her to come down. Rowdy voices coming from the outside meant that her guards were already served theirs. The head cook was shouting over to the kitchen wenches to be more quick. With a hundred armed guards, over two dozen housekeeping staff and half a dozen stable hands, the Spire itself was crowded to say the least. Stone masons and carpenters were called from the Windrunner Village nearby when the need arose. As Ranger General, she had her own helper staff from the ranks of her rangers as well as an appointed magister under her command, and all of them lived here. Their presence could have been a heartwarming distraction for a kinder person. For Sylvanas, it just further emphasized the absence of her family.She stormed passed the staff, telling them how she was late and needed to leave immediately. That was enough to send one of the footman running down towards the back as she continued her descent down the stairs. By the time she emerged from the large stone building, Visca the Stable Master had already been waiting for her at the ready. “I'll take one of the dragonhawks Visca, whichever one can be readied the quickest.” He made a sprint at that. “Thori'Suran my Lady Windrunner. He had been eager for a ride since last week, I'll put on his bridle and saddle in no time.”The ever excited Visca was true to his word and soon she was flying the uncharacteristically chirpy beast. Journey to Silvermoon was too short. She needed more time, more wind on her face to shake off her blues. Being alone was good for her. Be it in the sky, or on the ground, she felt free, or at the very least, away from all the reminders of her reality. But she had to make the descent all the same, and landed with all the disappointment of an escape cut short. She handed the reigns to the stable hand waiting there. Half reciprocating, half ignoring the salutes from the lieutenants, she made her way to the offices.“Ah, there she is!” exclaimed Halduron. Her nerves did not agree with the overt familiarity of his tone.She walked passed him and sat on her desk, not bothering to go to her chair,“Keep your voice down Halduron. Let's start this meeting, we are late enough.”Lor'themar shifted uncomfortably at the sharpness of her voice. “We can start, but we are one Ranger Lord short; Marris isn't here.” Renthar picked up from where he left off, “Is he even allowed in Silvermoon anymore? Or anywhere in the kingdom really?”Sylvanas dismissed the non-concern, “He is not an allied personnel, he is a direct member of Farstriders. The decree does not affect him.”“Are we sure about that? I have the feeling His Grace could argue for a case against.”“I am sure he can Renthar. Then again we all know how the last argument about him went. So, let's move on to the actual matters: We are about to lose half of our personnel. Any ideas about how to make up for the shortage?”Even as she asked the question, she already knew the answers: They would increase patrol times for the remaining rangers, try to recruit, build new outposts closer to the borders with the Amani and the Thalassian Pass. But at the end of the day, nothing would be enough to make up for the loss of half their army and the Alliance personnel who aided them. “We could build a wall? At least King Greymane thinks it will work.” Halduron was grinning like the cheeky bastard he was.Lor'themar was not amused, “Excellent idea, as long as our enemies don't know how to tame flying beasts, or build ladders.”“I have the feeling trying to build a wall in forest terrain will render either the forest or the wall useless. I mean, they could always just climb a tree, or are we chopping down our own woodlands as a precaution? And who pays for that anyway, our budget got slashed too.” Renthar was dead serious as he spoke, causing Halduron to go from grinning to snorting.Sylvanas sighed. “We can beg his majesty to reinstate the conscription.”“I thought you had already done that.” Lor'themar sounded as tired as she felt.“I begged to keep the conscription. Perhaps now, after a few months, they would be willing to reinstate it?”“You don't believe that.”“It is our best shot. We cannot walk into that council gathering asking to go back to the Alliance. They will say yes to any useless rearrangement, however, we don't have the luxury of being complacent. If you have a better idea, speak up. That's what this meeting is for.”“We will increase the patrols. Just the number of tours instead of the duration. Maybe build one more lodge closer to the Thalassian Pass. Another one facing Zul'Aman. That much we already planned. Mostly we'll need to decrease the personnel operating abroad, bringing them back home to serve here.”“We don't have much personnel operating abroad,” Renthar interjected, “Most of the best went to Outland with the Alliance Expedition. Raising a proper Farstrider takes at least two decades if not more. We never managed to fill their shoes. The soonest we can put someone in their place is, what? 12 years away?”“Make it 20.” said Halduron, still clinging onto his cheer even if it was half gone now. “The class we started to train are about to go back home, remember? They were conscripts.”Sylvanas crossed her arms across her chest. “We are going in circles here. These are the exact same ideas, with the exact same jokes as we had for the past a few months. We made the calculations, no matter how we spin this, we will have a glaring vulnerability. Orders are ready, this time next week, all rangers will take double patrols. We even pulled senior students in the academy for occasional duty. And yet, we cannot cover even half the area we had before.”“We can just say that.” Halduron was now fully serious, standing straight in front of her, “We can just tell them that their little political stunt made us less safe. Leaving the Alliance? Fine. But abolishing the conscription? Slashing our budget? How do they think that's gonna work?”“Magisters.” Lor'themar's answer come out more like a confession than anything else. “They will rely on magisters and the Runestones for the defense of the greater kingdom. Silvermoon will be safe thanks to Ban'dinoriel.”“What kinda nonsense is that?” Renthar looked at him like he heard an unpleasant joke. “Most of our people live outside of Silvermoon. And the dependance on Runestones fucked us in the Second War! We had the largest army of monsters this world had ever seen march right through our borders with dragons and shit, and we didn't even know before half of the Eversong was burnt!”

“I am not saying it makes sense. I am just saying that's what they'll do.”“And you know this because?” Sylvanas' voice came out way more threatening than she had any intention of. And Lor'themar squirmed at that, “Dar'Khan told me. He works for Grand Magister Belo'vir now.”Both Halduron and Renthar turned to him, disbelief and shock apparent on their faces. Realization dawned on all of them slowly: The tug of war between magisters and rangers had been going on since the founding of Quel'Thalas. Sometimes magisters got what they wanted, sometimes rangers. But now, magistrecy didn't simply outmaneuver them, they out right replaced them. The main authority on defense in the High Elven kingdom was no longer the army.Renthar was the first one to shake the shock off, “The King can order whichever spellchugger he wants, whatever he wants, Sylvanas is still the Ranger General. That's not an appointed office, that seat belongs to her family. And we all have the right to raise troops from lands under our rule. They think they can just reduce us to glorified sentries? We'll walk right back to our own domain and raise an army, their abolishments be damned!”“And do what?” Sylvanas' voice was ice cold, “What do you suggest we do, Ranger Lord? And do choose your next words carefully, lest we go from glorified sentries to rebels.”“We defend the lands as we see fit. We have the right!”“Who will obey that? You forget that the conscripts want to go home. They are happy with the arrangement. Those are the people you suggest we rally in our own lands. And even if we managed to that, how do you think it will look? Do you think anyone will believe that defending the lands claim, no matter how true?”“So what? We just roll over?” Halduron was fuming while Lor'themar shrinked in his seat, “We just let them, what, demote us and then watch them go play soldier with their precious crystals!?”Sylvanas opened her arms to her sides. Leaning back on her desk, she held on to the edge of it as she spoke, “We go the council gathering. We offer to complete the slashed portion of the budget from our own pockets. In return, we ask permission to recruit, and authority to make contracts with mercenaries.”“If the goal is to declaw us, they will not allow any recruitment or mercenaries,” pointed out Lor'themar.“That can be arranged. They could have restrictions on where the recruits can operate. Same for mercenaries. The point is to have enough personnel to continue the level of protection that had been deemed necessary after the Second War. Who holds the reigns and who gets to brag does not matter.”“That's it then. We tell them they fucked our defenses and we can salvage it if they let us pay for stuff,” said Halduron as a matter of factly.“Yes, but in a less confrontational, more political manner. And that means you should all be glad that I, Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, will be doing the talking and not Halduron the Rogue Brightwing.”That managed to get a laugh out of Lor'themar. With the meeting done, Sylvanas dismissed them all and stood alone in her office. She was being dishonest. There had been other options. Options she had turned down with impunity, until now. If she had accepted one of the marriage proposals made to her, she would have been in a much better position. Some of her suitors were from families who supported the same policies as her, however, some were now in the opposition camp. Getting one of those houses to her side could have opened up the opportunity to reach even more of them. King had the last word, but since the day he was crowned, he had never gone against what the majority of his council voted for. There had been times he had gone and done something before the council even had a chance to discuss it, but still...The very thought made her physically ill. It wasn't like this before. Before, a political match was normal to her, she had neither negative nor positive feelings about it. She was certain, one day, if she were to see it fit, she would marry a fellow noble who would be beneficial to her family's standing. Not anymore. Not for years now. And she had lost all sense of shame and embarrassment about her own weakness too. The Second War took care of that. She had tasted the despair of losing so much. And she had tasted the comfort he provided. Alleria and Vereesa were her precious sisters, Lor'themar and Halduron were dear friends who stood by her for well over a century. But it was Nathanos she turned to when the world seemed at its darkest.Making him swear oaths of undying fealty to another realm and another race seemed amusing at first. Then she realised he only cared about those vows because she was the one asking. But even after she had given up on pretenses, some part of her was still ashamed of what she was doing. She could neither lie to herself about the depth of her feelings, nor she could claim this was an acceptable behavior for a High Elf of her station. Sure, meaningless dalliances with humans were not uncommon. On the contrary, they were the greatest and the worst kept secrets of Quel'Thalas: A shame no family admitted and yet all families carried. Conceiving bastards was a tad worse, however, one could always ditch them at Dalaran with a decent sum of money and be done with it.No, having affairs and even bringing life to this world was acceptable, as long as you abandoned them at an appropriate location, never to be mentioned again. “Warm blood in all our veins” was how the saying went. Now, falling in love, that was madness! Her own affair was an open secret. Never confirmed by either of them, yet somehow everyone knew. Despite all her fears, that still wasn't enough for anyone to dismiss his skills. Yet, they ignored him as a man all the same. Prince Kael'thas knew about him when he proposed. Her own rejection had been curt because of it. He had looked baffled then, like he wasn't expecting a woman already in an affair with another man to reject him. Sylvanas doubted he would be as brave had her “lover” been a fellow High Elf. She went and slouched in her chair. Her thoughts drifted to Alleria: The oldest of the Windrunner sisters had always been a free spirit. Never cared much about tradition, or expectations. She wanted to be a Farstrider because that's what she wanted to do, not because that was the family mission. And she refused her own inheritance because she despised politics and preferred brawl to diplomacy. Surely, even their mother wouldn't be surprised she ended up having a human as a partner. Disappointed, but not surprised.
“She would be mortified,” a voice said in her head. “She would be mortified if she were to see all three of her prized daughters falling for human men.” But she didn't see any of it. Her mother did not see Alleria coming home at the end of war, telling her she was carrying a half blooded bastard. She didn't see her go to Stormwind to give birth in secret. Or her face when she returned.

That broke Sylvanas, even more than putting their parents and little Lirath onto the pyre. She was used to seeing Alleria in all her ways; The peaks of her anger and the depths of her sorrow. She thought she had seen the worst of her when they first got the news about their family: She was a blabbering mess, going round and round among rage, despair and shock, unable to settle on any. Then she had just left, disappeared shortly after the funeral, to drown herself in her cups Sylvanas had assumed. She learned where she had actually gone after the war's end. She couldn't blame her, not when she had done the same. But how she looked after her trip to Stormwind... She was a ghost. Worse than a ghost, a tormented revenant, like someone ripped half of her soul out. Alleria had given herself the bare minimum amount of time to recover and then immediately volunteered for mop-up missions against Orcs: Hunting the monsters with a self destructive bloodlust and then spending all her leaves with her baby boy in Stormwind.In a way, Sylvanas had known the day she could no longer see her sister was fast approaching. She feared it would be because her recklessness would get her killed in one of her hunts. But if she were to survive, Alleria would eventually choose to stay in Stormwind permanently, with her son and with the father of her child. Fate was cruel for stealing her, not just from Sylvanas, but from little Arator too. Arator, her nephew... The only memento of her older sister other than a piece of jewelry. She hadn't seen him in years, since the ceremony for the unveiling of the statues in Stormwind. He would be, what, 9 years old now? That was a decent amount of time for an elven child and humans grew even faster.The dread of loneliness creeped up on her again. She was in the homeland of her people, but everyone she cared about were elsewhere. Vereesa was in Dalaran, she could go visit Arator, maybe even take the boy to live with her. And then they would be together there, while Sylvanas was alone here. “You can leave too,” said the voice. Sylvanas sat up straight at that thought. She was the Lady Windrunner now, Ranger General of Silvermoon. Her place was here. Among her people, in the lands of her ancestor, carrying on their legacy. While the last members of her living, breathing family were in exile...

Sitting in the office was ideal for her to drown in her own thoughts, so she left. What she really wanted was to fly to the Marris Stead, however, there were rules to every clandestine affair and one of those rules was to have an excuse for meeting. Since his next scheduled report wasn't due for another two months, going there was not an option. Down and out with the cadets on the field worked as a good alternative: They were happy that Ranger General herself was attending the training, she was too busy and active to drive herself mad and chewing them out on occasion was good for her nerves. And when the day ended, she was too tired to think, allowing her to just take a bath, eat and have a dreamless sleep.But the morning came and with it, all the bricks and stones from yesterday did too. She didn't skip breakfast this time, she needed to be at her best if she were to brave this council gathering. Fully clad in her ceremonial armor, she called her magister for a portal and set foot to an unusually chilly Silvermoon. Her adjutant, Ranger Captain Avareth, welcomed her immediately, carrying the documents she would need today, “His Majesty haven't arrived yet, but I saw Grand Magister Belo'vir, so at the very least he is here.”“Any news of His Royal Highness?”“He is not here and as far as I know, he is not expected to be.”Typical. Kael'thas was a great advocate of cooperation with the other races that made up the Alliance... Until the time came for him to actually stand up to his father and do the advocating. Their prince was content with living in Dalaran and posturing about the issues he allegedly cared. Meanwhile, the persistent absence of his only heir was driving His Majesty mad with paranoia: Worrying about lesser races stealing him at one time, worrying about him conspiring to usurp the throne in the next. King Anasterian was old even for a High Elf and he needed someone to help him make decisions. And when his own son refused to join his advisers, others did in his stead. Rumors ran that the prince had a lover that he couldn't bare to be apart, but Sylvanas didn't believe them. She had known Kael'thas Sunstrider, and if he had a lover he couldn't be apart, it was the Arcane. They made their way to the throne room in quick step. She took the files from Avareth and sent him on his way out. As she sat down on her designated seat at the far right corner of the base the throne, she eyed the crowd, trying to see if she had anyone she could rely on. There were small yet visible gaps in the chamber, seats that used to hold the pro-Alliance house-heads were mostly empty. Some had left the kingdom, some refused to attend the meetings in protest. Ah, but Lady Ar'nareth was still there: Sitting on the stone step reserved for her family, looking as displeased and annoyed as ever. That was an ally that could just as easily be a hindrance: Quick to anger and with a tongue that would put the late Queen to shame, she could burn this entire meeting down if her opposition acted in an intentionally obtuse manner. Granted, Grand Magister Belo'vir was too smart and too proud to even pretend to be anything less than appropriately intelligent, but Lord Astalor was not.The moment she thought of the man, he appeared alongside His Majesty together with the rest of the royal advisers. Everyone stood up and bowed to the King as he walk towards his throne. After he sat down, he signaled with his hand for the rest them to sit as well. Astalor was sitting next to Belo'vir's left, as far away from Sylvanas as possible without leaving the base of the throne. If he was avoiding her, then he knew an argument was coming. Grand Magister opened the session with the traditional declaration and the usual took place: Reading the list of topics that were supposed to be discussed today, followed by the opening statements on the first item. The list was short, but subjects were heavy: Budget was always a contentious matter, so was any sort of infrastructure. Following them was the expected upon reports from the Army about the new defense arrangements in the post-Alliance Quel'Thalas: Her turn.Putting that after two of the most time consuming matters had to be a deliberate choice. Even the most diligent ones in the room would be fed up and tired by then, aching to go home. Especially budget. That was clearly done so she wouldn't be able to ask for anything other than what they have already decided to give, “Budget had already been set,” they would say. All of them were expected tricks. Not that expecting them made any difference. She would have to work her way through them all the same. Swift and on point would be the way to go, bringing up the most crucial parts and not getting into every detail no matter how useful. She didn't have the luxury of arguing points she knew would not be approved. She had to aim for the most realistic point, which was a bare bones arrangement that would be too vague and chip too much of her autonomy. Better than nothing.

The gathering dragged on and on, as usual. Profanities were shouted during budget talks, things got so heated, they had to take a break to calm some people down. All of this, with a massive tax cut. Money grubbers were always the ones her mother hated the most. “High Goblins” she would call them. They maintained the cuts made to the army and Sylvanas did not object. That was not the fight she was here for. Her family and the families of her Ranger Lords would have to bare that burden for the next 5 years. After that, well, if all things went well, they could come back and have another fight and this time manage to rip a few coins from the High Goblins.Infrastructure on the other hand, went relatively smooth. Probably because all the lands in question belonged to the crown, so it wasn't skin off anyone's back. And His Majesty had already agreed. Lord Astalor seemed disappointed at that. If Belo'vir was also feeling the same way, he did not show. At last, her turn had come.Upon hearing the Grand Magister call her name, Sylvanas stood up and walked to the center of the hall: Designed as an amphitheater, everyone could see and hear her from there, “I will cut to the chase immediately: There is no way to fulfill the expected standard of defense under the current circumstances. We have rearranged work schedules to increase the number of patrols, we pulled academy seniors into filling the lesser missions, we changed the routes and decreased the number of rangers in each platoon in order to have more teams. Still, we can only cover barely half of the ground we had the past decade. The restructuring resulted in each team having less force in them, meaning their ability to properly respond to enemy presence is also reduced on top their ability to detect them.”Not hearing any objections, she continued, “Taking the cuts to the budget into consideration, the High Command came up with a solution: Ranger General and the Ranger Lords will pay from our own fortune to complete the amount missing from the Army's previous income. In return we ask for three things: Permission to recruit, permission to implement localized conscription in regions of the willing Grand Seigneurs and permission to hire mercenaries.”As soon as she said the word “conscription” voices of disagreement and annoyance rose from the crowd. “Let the people go home already!” “You say willing, we all know you would just shame us for it!” “If we give in to conscription, we'll have riots in our own towns!”Among the shouting of complaints, Grand Magister Belo'vir stood up, “Now, if we all could just keep things in an orderly manner please? Thank you.” When the hall quieted down, he continued, “I am afraid Lady Windrunner, that conscription part will not do. It is absolutely admirable that you are willing put your own fortune out there, however, a conscription is more than just coin. It is time out of people's lives, it is families left without their younger ones, it is apprentices and students whose education get disrupted and delayed. While we may ask our people to put everything on hold to serve their country in the time of need, it is not a sacrifice we can demand continuously.”Sounds of approval rose from all around, and Sylvanas spoke unconcerned, “That is all good and well Grand Magister. I take it as you having no other objections to other parts of the plan?”“Well, no. I have other objections and many other advisors as well-”“Why? Rest sounds fine to me: Recruits and mercenaries, she can have a million of them for all I care,” shouted Lord Voren'thal.“Because we have just made a decision that forbids non-elven presence within our borders and the essence of removing conscription is so that we don't lose valuable labor from other aspects of society to the armed services. Mercenaries violate the first part and any recruitment campaign would violate the second,” answered Belo'vir matter of factly.“Well then I'm afraid we are in a conundrum. We need to protect our people and our lands from any and all threats, yet are unable to under the current circumstances. Do you expects us to lie and say everything is safe and sound? Or do you have a solution in mind that I am missing?” Sylvanas knew what was coming, and arguing against it was her best shot.“Runestones will provide more than enough protection for our borders. Elfgates we shall further empower and enhance with our fellow magisters and together with Ban'dinoriel they will cover most of the defensive needs of our kingdom,” stated Lord Astalor.
“Here we go.” Raising her hand to signal a stop, Sylvanas began to lay out her case, “Let me stop you right there, because those won't do. Ban'dinoriel covers only the Silvermoon City proper. Majority of our population lives outside of the city, in the countryside. Reliance on Runstones and Elfgates is what got half our kingdom burnt in the Second War. There is no point in unlearning what we already know. Researches and evaluations done after that tragedy still stand: The best way to ensure safety is to have enough rangers that can cover the kingdom in patrols at any given time and respond to any enemy incursions together with the magical defenses provided by our magisters. Going back from that now will only return us to the point we started. The point that is now proven beyond all doubt to be unsafe.”

Not giving any of the royal advisers an opportunity to respond, she turned her face towards the rest of council, “We had an army of unimaginable size, full of enslaved dragons march into our heartland, and neither our Runestones nor our Elfgates could stop them. There was a time when we could rely on them and them alone, but it has passed. There is no going back in life, only forward. We need to do all we can to match the standard that is proven to be necessary, anything less is just throwing the lives of our people out.”“Oh please, spare us the hyperbole. We are in no apparent danger of another such invasion and the Arcane crafts you declare useless protected our kingdom for millennia!”Lord Astalor was clearly annoyed, his voice was just short of an angry rant.“Are we not?” Sylvanas pressed, “Orcs have escaped from their camps. Who among you can guarantee that they aren't mustering their strength to start another campaign of terror? We know Black Dragons are active and around, can we honestly say we are prepared against an airborne attack? Amani aren't dead. Zul'jin is still at large. With their Orcish allies now free, how can we claim they won't be setting their eyes on our lands again? And those are the threats we know about. With all the history of our world, of our people, can we really afford to fool ourselves into thinking that no unpleasant surprises will happen? For us to be safe, truly safe, there is only one thing to do: To be vigilant at all times. To have the utmost security we can muster.”“And you think more foreigners flashing their bows around is the way to go about it?”“I think that reducing our physical defenses is a step backwards. If the Magistrecy wants to have a larger role in matters of security, then by all means, do so. Enhancing Elfgates and Runestones all sound fine to me, but we still need to keep up our military capacity to its highest. These things are not mutually exclusive.”

“On that, I am forced to disagree,” Belo'vir visibly blocked Astalor with his body as he spoke, “There are more to life than just protecting mere existence of a people. We have made a decision here, to preserve our people's way of life, our culture and our bloodlines, and your suggestion runs contrary to that. And while I do think you are coming from a point of concern for our safety, I think you are underestimating the capabilities of your fellow Quel'dorei. Especially that of our magi. Runestones, Elfgates and Ban'dinoriel together with the Ranger Army kept Quel'Thalas safe for almost 3000 years, since the days of Troll Wars. We had doubters back when we first put those magical defenses, rangers such as yourself were unconvinced, yet they worked all the same.”“They worked, until the Second War. Back when our Arcane protections were first established, it was those who did not understand the need for newer and better defenses who objected them. They thought the old way of Ranger Army being the sole force would be enough, and they were wrong. His Majesty and the council back then had shown the will to make the necessary improvements despite their misgivings. I am asking for the same today. Back then your suggestion was the improvement. Today, it is the old news. We need a step forward. And addition, not an extraction.”“And mercenaries is the step forward? Letting bunch of glorified bandits into our borders is the next step?” Try as he might, Belo'vir was incapable of calming Astalor, or perhaps this was a strategy where one played the raging thug and the other played the conciliator. It didn't matter which, because Sylvanas was determined not to take the that fight, bait or genuine-“Alliance was the next step,” Lady Ar'nareth said with a loud enough voice for all to hear, her face full of contempt.
“Oh no...”

It took a moment for the hall to register what she had just said, and then it erupted in angry shouts. Insults, rants, unintelligible screams filled the entire throne room. Lady Ar'nareth was completely unfazed by the amount of hate she received, “Call me whatever you want, you all damn know I am right.”That just caused even more shouting. Sylvanas had to return them all to the subject at hand, otherwise the entire session would be derailed with a screaming match, “THE ALLIANCE IS NOT AN OPTION ANYMORE!” she roared the way only a battle hardened commander could. Amphitheater did its job, drowning all other sounds. They were quiet with shock for a moment, and a moment was all she needed, “But we have other options and no, I am not talking about bandits. Upkeep of armies is expensive, very, very expensive. The Alliance kingdoms are stretching their resources, trying to support their massive force. People are no more happy about paying exorbitant taxes there than they are here. We can rent or hire a portion of their forces, they would be glad about not paying for them anymore. We can put them in charge of our border defenses, set up protocols so they are not allowed to move much into the kingdom. With them taking the brunt of defending the most vulnerable areas, we can take care of the rest with our existing personnel. If we hire a large enough force, we may not even need additional recruitments.”

“Oh I get it! You just want us to pay your Alliance friends' debts!” Astalor was beyond all reason, screaming from where he stood.“She said she'll pay herself just now! Come on, be honest for heaven's sake!” Lord Voren'thal was no friend of hers, but he was apparently no friend of Astalor either.“How is her buying a private army and jamming it through our borders suppose to be better?”“Astalor you senseless twig. You haven't said a single useful thing this entire gathering, do us all a favor and keep your wine hole shut!” Lady Ar'nareth had lost all sense of decorum long ago, standing up from her spot. She was fully clad in her battle pose.“THE POINT OF THE MATTER IS LADY WINDRUNNER,” Belo'vir mimicked her action from a few moments ago with magic, “WE WILL NOT ALLOW NO MORE OF THEM WITHIN OUR KINGDOM BECAUSE WE SEE NO USE AND FEEL THAT FRATERNIZING WITH THEM CAUSES TROUBLE ABOVE ALL!”“No use! Did we all forget who saved us when a monster army of over quarter million came?” Sylvanas was losing her patience as well. Powerplays, stinginess and unnecessary challenges to get more concessions were all fair parts of the game, but to rewrite inconvenient truths out of recent memory? That was bordering on delusion, madness.“We wouldn't have any monsters in the first place if we hadn't allied with them!” Astalor was still shouting, with rising rage visible on his face. Yet he did not make any moves to get closer to her.
“Coward.” Sylvanas snapped at him this time, “Orcs came because they were allied with the Trolls. You all thought Orcs wouldn't care for us and sent the last of the Arathi line away with a mere century of archers as if that could ever pay for our debt! They came to help us anyway.”

“They sent a recently anointed priest playing at knighthood!”“Turalyon was a Paladin and Second in Command to Anduin Lothar himself. He came here with more than one third of the entire Alliance Army.”

“For all the good it did. Our people were safe thanks to Ban'dinoriel, not them.”That did it for Sylvanas. She didn't care if it was a trap, “Safe thanks to Ban'dinoriel is that it? They were safe because we were out there fighting! All those towns and villages, we evacuated them and hid them behind the defensive lines we built with our own bodies!” She took a few steps toward him, and Grand Magister blocked her path. But before he could say anything Astalor resumed his own rant.

“Your own family almost went extinct, protected them she says! Orcs came, they couldn't pass the barrier into Silvermoon and then left! Thanks to our magic!”“They left because we trapped them between the shield and our forces, cutting down their army piece by piece. They left after a mere week because if they didn't, they would all die to us. You think that's how wars work? You think people just siege a city for a week and then leave. Without us out there you have an army full of dragons and warlocks comfortably studying the ways to break down the barrier. They had already downed the Runestones and Elfgates, you really think they wouldn't be able to break Ban'dinoriel? Really? And yes, my own family was almost all gone, but we have saved far more. All the people who weren't lucky enough to live in the city, we protected them in safe zones we carved through the Orcish Horde, while you all hid inside a bubble!”Sylvanas had long darted pass the Grand Magister and as she walked towards Astalor he kept going backwards, eventually hitting the foot of the throne. Unable to move any further, he had trapped himself between the throne and the raging Ranger General.As the shouting match between her and Astalor kept escalating, so did the other voices in the hall. People were completely lost in their anger, some were furious at the accusation of hiding, others were outraged that all the dead rangers were getting insulted with the claim of only magic saved us, mages were flabbergasted that their own efforts were belittled. Soon, pushing and spitting began on the steps of the amphitheater. Sylvanas grabbed Astalor by the collar of his robes and started dragging him away from the throne, “Come out here and talk properly you sniveling excuse of a mage.” Belo'vir was trying to stop her but physically he was no match for any ranger, let alone her. Taking a step back he began casting a spell. Sylvanas almost threw Astalor to the ground and drew her scimitar. Closing the gap between her and Grand Magister in one swift step, she jammed her fist to the base of his chin, silencing whatever incantation he was trying to voice.

“QUIET IT DOWN!”The entire hall froze. No one made a sound or a move. King Anasterian Sunstrider had stood from his throne and shouted in a booming voice that almost deafened them all. This was the second time Sylvanas had ever seen him raise his voice like that, or stand in such fury. The first one had been when Alleria came to the council room during the Second War, and threw the Troll head she had cut from the invading army to the feet of the throne. He had jumped then, blind with rage and kicked it from his step, ordering all of their military might to be sent out to fight against the Trolls who dared to set foot in their lands. And now, this. This time, it was their own nonsense and brawl that got to him. Sylvanas felt small, like a little child who got caught doing some mischief. They were all children compared to the King. Over 3000 years old, people they called ancestor, His Majesty called childhood friends. The sentiment was shared by everyone in the room. In that moment, they were all children, waiting for their dad to bring the boot down.“Windrunner, Bloodsworn, Salonar, you stay. Everyone else, out! The session is over. And Ar'nareth, keep your mouth shut on your way out.”Lady Ar'nareth pursed her lips at that, fists clinging her own gown almost to the point of tearing it. But she did not object. None of them did. Heads down and mouths shut, they all bowed to His Majesty and rapidly left the hall. Sylvanas took the moment to sheathe her sword and take in deep breaths to calm herself down. Belo'vir Salonar was spitting blood, one hand on his jaw. Astalor Bloodsworn was rubbing the back of his neck like it had a cut, looking at his feet, too scared to move away from Sylvanas.At last, the entire hall was empty save for the three of them, the King and his guards. Once the gates closed, His Majesty took his seat on the throne again. “Windrunner, baring your blade in the presence of Your King, have you lost your wits?”Sylvanas had no excuses. She kneeled, head low, “I apologize Your Majesty, I accept any punishment you see fit.”He snorted at that. “Bloodsworn, don't you know better than to taunt people with their deceased kin? Keep your mouth shut for the reminder of this talk, or you're out of the royal advisors.”Astalor had no response to that, shaking his head in agreement he continued to stand where he was.“Grand Magister Belo'vir Salonar, gets stopped by a single punch. Perhaps Windrunner is right, the skills of the magi is not enough.”Belo'vir lifted his chin as he spoke, “With all due respect Your Majesty, we are not trying to disband the Ranger Army. Of course they are necessary and I am not at all ashamed that our esteemed Ranger General managed to beat me with such ease in close quarters. We expect this and trust their services. However, with all things considered, her demands are still unacceptable and unnecessary.”“Yes, all things considered. Windrunner, your capabilities aren't in question, but the things you want are too extravagant, and create a sense of suspicion. Why do you need a larger army, an Alliance army at that, under your command? Going so far as to say you will pay for it yourself?”“The command of the contractors could be at the hands of Your Majesty directly or any other authority you see fit. The point is that we need more people to do the job we are tasked with. Nothing else matters.”“Still, you should understand your position. We do not want anymore Alliance presence within our kingdom, no matter the cause. It is a matter of sovereignty and preserving of the elven race.”A chill went down her back at that. “With all due respect Your Grace, but what is my position exactly?”

The King didn't answer, instead Belo'vir did, “You are politically compromised.”Her own blood was whistling in her ears, “And what does that suppose to mean?”“It means we have reasons to believe your loyalties are split and thus cannot be trusted without concern.” What Belo'vir described was dangerously close to treason.She kept her breath steady despite the throbbing veins in her head, “And I am being accused of this because? I have never wavered in my duties nor have I ever had anything but the best interest of Quel'Thalas in mind.” “Your sister married a human and then left the kingdoms for him. It is well known how close you are to her. And then we also know... Well, you can guess that yourself already.”Sylvanas was shell-shocked. That's what all of this was about? So all that talk about protecting our people's way of life, preserving of the elven race... was about this? About the love Vereesa felt, and about the hypothetical half elven children some people might have. "Your nephew is the enemy they hate the most. The children you never dared to have."

Sylvanas took it all in, and decided to leave before her shock gave way to rage. “As far as I understand, Your Majesty has no intention of changing his mind about the size and capacity of our army.”“Yes. You can keep all the other changes you mention. The ones about new schedules and new platoon structures. But no recruitments, and no mercenaries. Quel'Thalas will protect its own and we won't sabotage the wealth of our people with fear.” King Anasterian was calm as he spoke. For months they had discussed and deliberated, for months they had been bent over maps, pouring hours and days into finding a solution to their glaring security issues. All of that, for nothing. Decision was long made, and it had neither care for the safety of the kingdom, nor a a concern for its welfare. They were worried about some people fraternizing with other races.

“If that is all Your Grace, I ask permission to leave?”“Granted. And Windrunner, don't you ever draw a sword or any other weapon in my presence again. I will not be this lenient.”“As Your Majesty commands,” and with that, she rose back up after bowing to the King and left the throne room as quickly as she can without running. Her entire body shook with rage and sorrow. She wanted to leave the city, right at that very moment. She wanted to be somewhere else, anywhere else. But she had to return to her offices, meet with her Ranger Lords, and inform them about how the council gathering went. Swallowing all the emotions building up inside her, she made her way towards the military wing.All three of the Ranger Lords jumped back when she slammed the door open. Not bothering to close it, she walked passed them and forcefully sat in her chair. Lor'themar darted back and closed the door to the office while Renthar and Halduron kept standing in front of her desk, waiting for her to speak. “We get nothing,” she said finally. “No conscription, no recruitment, no mercenaries, nothing.”Halduron was visibly taken aback. Ever the optimist, he clearly did not expected such a decisive defeat. On the other hand, Lor'themar had the face of a man who had given up long ago. Renthar was enraged.“What? Why? What kind of nonsense is that? What's the excuse here? Have they all gone mad?”“We will keep the new structure and the new patrol schedule and that's it. No extra spending and no extra hand.”“But that's absurd! What even is the reason making them so opposed to the idea of having a proper armed force?”

She did not answer that. Sensing her simmering rage, her Ranger Lords did not press, waiting for her to speak on her own instead. Sylvanas felt both exposed and unappreciated: Exposed, because this was the first time someone threw her affair in her face. Unappreciated, because she had done everything for her people, yet it did not matter: All the battles she had fought, all the times she had bled, all the people she had lost, none of them mattered. With whom she shared her heart was enough excuse to write them all off. She felt her stomach rising. All this swallowing of thoughts had started to get to her. She forced herself to speak, lest she let something else slip.“There are... societal concerns, regarding how the presence of a mercenary army might affect our people. They also think recruiting outside of the academy as a drain on our workforce.”“Oh what a buttload of horseshit! Seriously now!” Halduron, shaken off his shock, joined Renthar in his anger, “Which societal concerns exactly? They're afraid people will shit in the woods?”“What's done is done. Screaming on our own won't change anything, it merely ruins our nerves further.” Lor'themar took it upon himself to try and stop the other two from driving each other into a frenzy, “We heard, shortly before you arrived Ranger General, that there had been fighting in the throne room.”“Yeah, someone tried to bite Lord Voren'thal's ear off apparently. What about that? And they said something about how you tried to cut down both Astalor and Belo'vir,” Halduron asked. He was searching for some news about a bit of fisticuffs to brighten up his own mood.“Clearly it was a lie. You don't draw a blade in front of His Majesty and not get at least whipped for it,” Lor'themar retorted.The look Sylvanas sent his way almost gave him a heart attack, “You didn't!”Renthar was in a mood, “Are they dead? Is that why we don't get anything?”“Astalor insulted my family. And no, I did not draw my blade on him. But Belo'vir tried to attack me with a spell, now to that, I did unsheathe my scimitar.”“Did you get whipped?” Halduron was grinning from ear to ear. It was contagious.“No, but I did get warned not to do it again. Probably will lose an arm and a leg if I ever dare,” Sylvanas gestured from her seat like she had been hung from her left limbs.They started laughing way too loudly at that. It was a form of catharsis, even Lor'themar joined despite the scandalized look he had a moment ago. They calmed down after an inappropriately long time. Sylvanas gave them their leave, but Lor'themar asked for permission to stay, which she granted. After he settled down back in a chair, he started to speak in a tone that meant he was trying to comfort her, “I know all the horrors we fear, but perhaps we shall be lucky once more. We had been blessed with 20 centuries of relative peace before, could happen again.”“We used to think those times as normal rather than peaceful. Times when we had to fight against resurging Amani and and other beasts crossing into our borders. Before the Second War, you and I thought we got baptized in fire, fighting against Zul'jin. Now we consider them be the good old days when everything was fine and quiet. This is our reality now, even if they don't want to admit it.”

“Think of it this way: Zul'jin escaped, but heard no word of him, even after a decade. Maybe he survived, recovered and will attack us tomorrow. Or maybe he succumbed to his injuries. Yes, Orcs escaped, but they are a weakened bunch of marauders, hiding in the mountains. They have no power and no tools to reopen the Dark Portal. And even if they were to rally their strength and attack us, I highly doubt the Alliance would sit on their hands and watch. We may not be close friends anymore, but the greenskins are still a common enemy.”“Would they really bother to help I wonder? We haven't exactly been good allies: First they came to us in their time of need, we dismissed them with a mere token of support. Then, when it was our turn to need help, they showed up and it looked like we were committed too. But now, we ditched them again. We had been such fair weather friends, they may not care. Our elders always said it: Humans are ambitious and reckless. Dwarves are greedy. If they see no profit in helping us, they may not show up.”

Lor'themar frowned at that. “Perhaps. Then again, in that case, we have no guarantee they would help us even if we stayed with them, since the the important part is seeking profit.”Sylvanas slouched in her chair, “We have one man o war flag ship and 50 frigates in our fleet. 200 if we take every galleon in the kingdom, and outfit them with scorpions, ballistas and culverins. Kul'Tiras alone has 400 frigates, not to mention over two dozen man o' wars, at active duty any given time.”“Kul'Tiras won't attack us.”“No, but If you were some malevolent overlord, looking for a seaborne invasion, would you attack Kul'Tiras, or would you attack us?”“You underestimate us way too much. We are not that weak.”“We are not as strong as most of us think and that's dangerous.”They sat in silence for a while after that. Eventually Lor'themar asked his leave and left. Once more alone, Sylvanas had nothing to do but battle her own mind, “You should go back to the spire.” Ah, the spire, not home. Because it wasn't home anymore. Not a single family member waited for her there. Over 11 dozen staff members, several horses, hawkstrides, dragonhawks and gryphons of the best breed and a decently sized treasury full of coins, gems and precious metals. But not a single Windrunner. The more she thought, the worse she felt. Heavier, deadlier emotions from the council gathering returned. Feeling a shortness of breath, she shot from her seat and marched out of her office. She muttered some basic orders about next week's paperwork to Ranger Captain Avareth, and made her way to the magister's office, asking for a portal back to the Windrunner Spire.

Being back did not do her any favors. Sharp pulsating in her head had made a comeback by the time she reached her chambers. Holding her temple, she tried to calm down. Tomorrow, she had to go back and fulfill her usual duties. Being a mess like this, sitting at the edge of losing her control was not sustainable. She needed to accept the things as they were, swallow her pride, and do what a Ranger General was suppose to do. “Why?” Because she was the Ranger General of Silvermoon, she took an oath, to serve and protect. “Why?” Because that was her family's ancestral duty, their legacy. “But your family is dead.” No. They were not dead. As long as she lived, as long as her sister drew breath, and their nephew, House Windrunner was not dead. “Your sister and your nephew don't count, remember?” They counted for her. For her, but not for the people she owed her vows to. Quel'Thalas demanded she remained loyal, but did not believe her to be loyal. They demanded her life's blood, but did not let her have the means to actually do her job. They demanded she fights for the kingdom, but she couldn't even have her own sister in her own estate.

No, this line of thought was dangerous, treasonous even. But she had it all the same. Realization made her gulp, like she could physically swallow her own feelings. Instead she made herself nauseated. Taking in deep breaths, half bent, her hands on her knees, she tried to get herself together. Family, honor, duty, she needed to uphold them all. But her family was lost to her. Her honor was in question, the King and his council trusted her as much as they trusted a half witted kitchen wench. And her duty, she was not allowed to carry on, only play pretend...

What was she even doing here? What was the point of this charade? So that she can prove her worth to her King, his council, his son and the people? The King who was getting increasingly bigoted, a council that did nothing but feed his worse impulses, an absentee prince and the people... people who would spit on her face and call her a whore if she were to tell them whom she loved.

She almost barfed at that last one. For a moment she got angry, but then, she was just tired. Tired of everything and everyone. “What's the point? Why even bother?” yes, there was no point in bothering anymore. She had enough of this suffocating prison. Standing up straight, she marched back out, all the way down to out of the spire and towards the stables. Visca jumped at her sudden arrival, but she didn't care. Telling him she wouldn't be returning for the night, maybe even more, she saddled one of the gryphons herself and left.

Being on the air was better. Much better. But half of it was her destination. Report schedules be damned, she would see Nathanos tonight. He should have been at the stead for the night, but if he wasn't, she could always search the land for him. She was a ranger, that's what she did for a living. And at the very worst, hunting him would be fun. Like the old days, back when she first started to train him to be a proper Farstrider.She made her landing before arriving to the stead, in one of the Farstrider lodges beyond the border between Quel'Thalas and Lordaeron. Leaving the gryphon in the stable there, she started walking for the rest of her journey.She saw him long before he could hear her. He was leaning on the wooden fence, cleaning one of his hunting knives. The very sight of him made her feel stronger. Nathanos was not an imposing man, she was maybe less than half inch shorter than him, yet his presence was still reassuring. Back when she was still in denial of her own feelings, she would tell herself that it was his beard. Lush, almost reddish auburn beard and mustache, combined with his repeatedly broken nose and eternal scowl, he could easily scare any men or women he wanted. And he liked scaring people. He was like a wild beast, hostile to any person who got too close. Perfect companion for a ranger strong enough to tame him. Perfect for her.She let him notice her presence. It was a game. Every time she visited him, she would let him notice first and then wait for him to open the dialogue. He never failed to amuse her with his absolute lack of manners.“Came to give me my notice of discharge?”“Properly salute your Ranger General damned it.”“Ah, if you are still my Ranger General then I am not getting kicked out,” Nathanos turned to her with an exaggerated show of slamming his right fist onto his chest. Her face must have looked awful, because his usual grumpiness disappeared upon seeing her, eyes filling with concern instead, “Sylvanas, what happened?”She walked to his side, to lean on the wooden fence with him. She stayed there for a moment, breathing in the earthy smells of the surrounding stead, trying to find her balance of mind. Nathanos came closer and kept silent. He looked like a scared puppy, worry apparent in his face.“Let's go hunting.”He stood up straight at her words, mind going into duty mode, “Trolls?”“No. Let's just go hunting. There is suppose to be decent game here.”He grabbed his bow without even a moment of hesitation, yelling at his uncle, “I WON'T BE JOINING THE DINNER! DON'T WAIT UP.”And with that, they were on the road. Nathanos took the lead in this case, these were his lands, his territory. Sylvanas followed silently, drinking his presence. He did not ask what was wrong again. Nathanos knew when to give her space, let her do her talking when she chose. She let herself be absorbed in the moment of simplicity. She wanted to touch him, to feel his warmth. Play with his unkempt beard, his messy hair. She wanted to hear his heartbeat, the reassurance that he was alive and this was real.Later, not now. Now, it was time for hunting: To find a beast and defeat it in the most final manner. To take the most primal victory, to prove to herself that she was strong, capable and alive. No more suffocating, no more nausea. As they tracked the trace of a deer and fell onto its tail, Sylvanas felt as confident and healthy as she had ever been. The cloud of sickness and weakness that had haunted her for the last couple of months dispersed, and when she made the killing shot, she was fully herself again, Sylvanas Windrunner, the hunter.Nathanos lead them to an area he apparently used for camping before, and they quickly set to the task of properly working their prize: Hanging it from a tree, they skinned and gutted the deer. After cutting a decent portion for their dinner, they prepared for smoking the rest, so as not to waste its meat. With their smoking pit under Nathanos' control, Sylvanas turned to the makeshift brazier and started cooking their meal. Minutes bleed into hours. They worked on their respective cooking duties, speaking only for asking necessities. She had forgotten to take any ale with her, but Nathanos had a few bottles buried at the other side of the tree they had done their skinning. Eating, drinking, checking the smoking pit, it was a careless, worriless, simple time.Once they decided that the meat was properly smoked, they set it to cool. Their makeshift brazier had already burnt down, now turned into a proper campfire. Cleaning both their tools and themselves in the stream nearby, their actions were almost wholly domestic. That filled Sylvanas with more longing than anything else.When they returned to the camp, they sat side by side in front of the fire, giving their backs to a tree. She leaned to his side, putting her head on his shoulder without even thinking. He tilted his head to touch her with his cheek.“They gave the control of our defenses to the Magistrecy,” she almost sounded like a disappointed child.“Did they do anything to you?”“I am not technically demoted. But they restricted the Ranger Army in every way and set the magisters loose.”“Hmmm... That's not what's bothering you.” It was not a question, it was a statement.“They said I was not trustworthy. Because...” Sylvanas pressed herself closer to Nathanos, hand grabbing onto his leather armor.He was perfectly still for a moment. “Then you should kick me out of the Farstriders and be done with me.”“No.”He shifted to face her, “Why? If I am a hindrance to you, to the well-being of your family, your legacy, then I don't want to be a ranger.”She looked into his eyes, and saw the seriousness of his words. She already knew he did not care for his vows other than that he made them to her. It made her want to keep him all the more.“No.”“Sylvie, I am not worth it.”“But you are. Why should I give you up? What for? My family is almost dead. My only sibling and nephew are both in exile. You're all I have left. Why should I give you up?”“I am not your family.”“You can be.”She was only half surprised at the words that came out of her own mouth. If they were going to belittle her work and refuse to give her the proper respect anyway, then she had no reason to deny herself the things she wanted. Things she never dared before because of a false sense of propriety.Nathanos was silent in shock, his bearded mouth half open. He blinked a few times, trying to steady his breathing. “I am 44. I maybe have a good decade in me and then one more shitty one at most. You'll live well over a millennium, so will your people. Don't burn those bridges for me.”“You have two good decades in you at least and then more,” she smiled, “And I don't care about spending one more day with them if it means never seeing you again.”“We did not have that much ale.”“I am not drunk.”“You make no sense. What do I have that I can give you? Nothing. That farm isn't even mine, my uncles run it.”“I know that already and I don't care.”“You are a lady.“I am a ranger. I lived in wilderness for years.”“You can live in the woods for centuries I know. But you deserve better. Better than being a simple farmer's wife.”“You are not a farmer. And who said anything about staying here? We can leave, go anywhere we want.”“Sylvie, what has gotten into you?” She took a deep breath to steady herself for a moment. And then let it all out, “I'm tired Nathanos. I'm tired of hiding, of chewing my own thoughts, of denying my own feelings. I'm tired of trying to be useful to people who do not care for it. World has gone mad. Stupid and mad. And I am sick and tired of being the only sane one. I lived my life for my family and my homeland. Now my family is almost gone and my homeland does not want my services. All the politics, the narrow mindedness, the lack of foresight. They have more ambition than wits and I am the loser at every turn. I want to be with my family, I want to see my sister, my nephew... Damn, I avoided seeing little Arator for nearly 7 years now, and what for? What did it earn me? They despise me all the same. I don't want to ignore myself anymore. I want what I want and I want you. I want a life with you, one we could have if only we were to just leave.”Nathanos gulped. His face was stuck in somewhere between longing and fear, his voice was rougher than usual, “You... I... Could we even... I am not worthy of this I am sure.”“But do you want it?”“Sylvie...”“Answer the question and let me be the judge of your worth.”He made a half laugh at that. He had tears in his eyes as he spoke, “Do I want it? Do I want what I never even dared to dream about? You know I want you. You know I want all the silly, lovely things with you. But I swore to myself, that I would be by your side and be your champion, your strength. That if I ever were to be a burden for you, I would leave. And now... You tell me they sabotaged your station because of our affair and tell me you want to...”“They sabotaged themselves, because they freak out at the idea that other people could be like us. That's their true reasoning for leaving the Alliance. That someone somewhere might fall in love with another race and have half blooded children.”Nathanos looked like she stabbed him in the gut, “Children...”Sylvanas sat up straight. There was no point in denying anything, not anymore. Not to herself, and not to him. “Nathanos, I want to raise a family with you.”He took in what she said. She waited with bated breath, watching him wage battle in his own mind. He looked at her straight in the eye. And then, after a moment that felt like an eternity, his familiar grumpiness and roughness returned, bringing relief to her ,“Where?”She blinked. “Dalaran maybe? Vereesa is there.”“A city of mages, just kill me here.”

“How about Stormwind then? Plenty of forests and grassland. We can pick a piece of land within a town proper, close enough to have the perks of civilization, far away enough that it's still within nature. And Arator is there too.”He gave her a proper smile then. His was always stuck between a smirk and a grin, but his eyes shone through, “Stormwind it is.”And with that, it was done. They had just taken a step in their life that until now, they never thought they would. They sat there face to face for several moments, letting it all sink in. This time he was the one who broke the silence, “I am almost certain that I've just gone mad and conjured this up in my head.” He had a silly joy on his face that made him look like an exited puppy. Sylvanas gave him a devilish smile, “Oh dear, you couldn't possibly imagine this.” Sylvanas leaned forward and kissed him on his lips. And then again, then again and again.Soon she was sitting on his lap, their kisses were deeper and breathless. They took a few seconds to look at each other and then started to dress off. Their cloaks were the first to go. His upper body armor was a single piece made from leather plate, covering his arms and torso. It was much simpler to take it off so they started with that. Next, it was her gauntlets, then pauldrons and then vambraces... Piece by piece they were stripped off their armor.Sylvanas stood up and started to unbuckle her belt. Nathanos put his hands to the sides of her trousers, “May I?”With all the patience of a predator savoring the hunt, Sylvanas let him strip the piece of clothing off of her. For a moment she stood there, relishing having his full attention on her. Not breaking eye contact, she took off her linen shift. Nathanos mimicked her with his own shirt. Left only in his trousers, he waited for her command. She did not disappoint, “Lie down on your back.”When he did as he was told, Sylvanas prowled over him, getting just close enough to his lips like she was going to kiss him and then pulling away in an instant and going for his pants instead. As he made a little growl of annoyance at her trick, she took those off too.Once that was done, Sylvanas straddled him. She put her hands on his lower torso and then began moving them up towards his chest, enjoying the contact at every moment. Nathanos was exceptionally hairy even for a human. His chest, his belly, his shoulders and even some of his back was covered in thick auburn colored hair. He was like a bear, her bear.She lied down on him and they began kissing again. They both had their hands all over each other, desperate to touch more. She could feel that his manhood was hard against her. Instinct took over and she started pressing and moving against him. He responded by moaning and kissing her even harder.After a while he stiffened and pushed her shoulders up, breaking their lips apart, “If you keep doing that I'll just...”She laughed breathlessly, “It's alright,” and kept going. Soon after he shuddered, moaning into her mouth, ruining his underwear.“Well, that was a shameful fucking performance,” he was flushed.“Oh don't worry, happens to every men,” she was having too much fun teasing him.“Still, I would like to set things right,” he moved his hands to the side of her arms, “Allow me to return the favor.”She let him motion her onto her back. Now he was on top. He first captured her lips with his, and then moved to the side of her mouth, then down on her chin, then on her neck... He kissed her all the way down to her linen underwear. With his hands ready to pull it down, he looked at her. When she nodded in approval, he began to slowly take them off. Once freed of the clothing, she spread her leg slightly, inviting him.Nathanos positioned himself between her legs and kissed her there without a moment's delay. She couldn't help a little yelp escape her at the contact. His beard was brushing up against her in the most sensitive place, while his mouth was hot and soft against her core. Soon he took two fingers and licked them to make them properly wet. When he added them to the effort her mind went blank. He was touching all the rights spots with all the right amount of pressure. His tongue, his lips, his fingers and the tingling caused by his mustache, it was all too much and not long after Sylvanas broke with a loud cry of pleasure she didn't bother suppressing.While she still saw the world with a blur, Nathanos sat up, took one of the ale bottles and guzzled down whatever was left in it. When he came down on to lie on her, she kissed him, tasting the ale and herself on his mouth. It was weird, but not unpleasant. They resumed their caressing, yearning to feel more.Her right hand wandered down and found his manhood. He breathed sharply at her touch, his earlier efforts had him hard once more. When he pressed against her, Sylvanas pushed away his shoulders, breaking their kiss, “I want to ride you.”Nathanos gave her another kiss and granted her wishes. After he lied on his back, Sylvanas straddled him and her hands continued to explore his body. She pulled his chest hair a bit, earning herself a little gasp from his mouth. Going down to catch his lips with hers, she took his manhood in her hand again. After making sure he was ready, she sat up and rose herself and positioned him at her entrance. He put his hands on her hips, motioning her down. When she lowered herself on him, they were both stunned for a moment. Breathing loudly, they tried to regain control over the sensation. Sylvanas felt complete, whole. Everything made sense now: Of course she was a wreck these past months, of course she was lost, drowning. She wasn't missing another person, she was missing the other half of her soul. She opened her eyes and saw him looking at her with all the want and passion a man can muster. She put her hands over his chest and began moving.It was all too much and too little at the same time. They wanted to feel more, to touch more, to breath each other in. Sylvanas came to lie on him as their lips met once more. When she pushed herself up to take a breathe and keep her momentum, he took the opportunity to pay proper attention to her breasts. She held onto his head at the sensation of his mouth, her finger grasping his hair tightly.They kept moving in a rhythm they found to be appropriate for their touching and kissing. As they got closer to that edge, Nathanos brought his fingers to his own lips to lick them, but Sylvanas caught his wrist. Instead, she pulled his hand up to her own lips and sucked them. Nathanos bit down a loud gasp and sent his fingers to touch her down there.The added sensation was almost too much. She lied down on him again, kissing feverishly. They held each other tight. Her breasts pressed against his chest, the feel of his hair against her was both scratchy and ticklish, making her press even harder, desperate to increase contact. That did it for the both of them as they fell down that cliff, moaning into each other's mouth.They stayed that way for several moments, panting and trying to collect their wits. Once they came down from their high, they remained as they were, heart beat on heart beat, enjoying the intimacy. But the night was chilly and their campfire was about to go out. So Sylvanas spoke up almost disappointedly, “It's getting cold here.”“Maybe for you,” Nathanos chuckled.“Ah, pardon me, I have forgotten you are a bear. You have your fur.”Nathanos laughed out loud at that. Smiling herself, Sylvanas got up and made her way to the stream from earlier. He took a moment to add another log to the fire and blow on it to strengthen its flames. Once it caught on, he too got up and joined her in the stream.Water was bitingly cold, but they still took their time to properly wash themselves. After they were done, they ran back to the side of their campfire. Drying themselves with their linen towels, they quickly redressed. Rolling their wool on leather mats open side by side close to the fire, they took their blankets and huddled under.Sylvanas pressed her back against Nathanos, fitting her head under his arm. Nathanos brought his other arm around to hold her close. She put her hand over his, their finger intertwined.“I love you,” she said with relief, free from all the worries of the past several years.“I love you too,” he responded, kissing her temple.There were so many things needed sorting out. So much more work to do, and all the confrontations and struggles that were sure to follow their decision. However, in that moment, they did not care, all of those could wait until tomorrow. For this one night, they were happy and content just being with each other. Mind full of hope about their future, they fell asleep smiling.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

CHAPTER TWO: LEGACYAfter every decision, comes the task of implementing them. When they woke up the next morning, Sylvanas and Nathanos sat down and had a proper talk on how they were going to actualize their commitment. They came up with a decent plan, however, it required for them to remain separate for a while longer, and specifically, it required that they kept everything a secret until they were ready to leave. Letting anyone know, even family, had the potential to cause a lot of trouble, all sorts of setbacks and petty insistences were sure to be thrown their way. Sylvanas needed to sort her affairs: The Windrunner lands and properties, people working there and the family fortune all had to be dealt with. For his part, Nathanos had to ready himself for a lengthily journey, cover his necessities and prepare to part ways with his family. So they said their goodbyes, for now, and went back to their respective residences. Sylvanas was fearful at first. She was afraid that on her return, the Spire would look warmer and like a home again. Afraid that her decision would lift some sort of an enchantment and endear her family estate once more, making her regret her own resolve. Instead, the place looked even emptier and colder. With her mind made up over what her heart had long desired, her former home had lost whatever tiny grip it had on her. She took that as validation, that her decision had been right and true. Not a hastily made jump, but a bridge she had been building for years.She had sent written orders to her other Ranger Lords, delegating her duties at the capital to them. Ranger Captain Avareth was tasked with helping Lor’themar as he was the primary regent. It was something she had done before, and they had no heavy or urgent business waiting for them yet, so Sylvanas was sure that wouldn’t arouse suspicion. She needed the time. For two weeks now, she had been buried in the old law books in the library of the Spire. Going over every bit again and again, taking detailed notes, making sure she wouldn’t get blindsided by anything. Because when the time came for her to finally go out there and make her declaration, there would be no going back. She immediately noticed how easy it was for her to just leave: As long as she gave everything up she could depart from the kingdoms permanently at any moment, there were no arrangements needed. However, that did require her to give everything up, and that just wouldn’t do. For one, it would leave all the people serving her high and dry without any security. They would be in His Majesty’s mercy and Sylvanas did not want them to suffer for any misguided sense of revenge over a perceived insult her actions may cause. Secondly, it would leave her quite vulnerable. She did want to take certain things with her, certain family memorabilia and an appropriate sum of funds to help rebuild her life elsewhere. With these in mind, she charted her course of action: First, she used her powers as the Ranger General of Silvermoon and the Grand Seigneur of the Windrunner Estate to establish a new company of rangers based on her domain. All 100 of her guards were appointed to this new company. Second, she attached her housekeeping staff to this new company as cooking, cleaning and stable personnel. Third, she granted the Windrunner Spire to the company as their headquarters. Fourth, Sylvanas took two of the gryphons for herself and left the rest of the saddle beasts to her former guards as their new mounts. Fifth step was a bit tricky: She needed to reserve them a proper budget, however, in order to make sure her arrangements were kept up after her departure she also needed to pay a ransom to the Crown. That ransom would be based on the entirety of the family wealth and once she went and declared her abdication and renunciation of her inheritance, she wouldn’t be able to go back and withdraw from the family vaults. And emptying the treasury now would mean the newly established company wouldn’t have any funding. As a solution, Sylvanas endowed the Windrunner lands and the income they brought to the High Command and then diverted a portion of its budget towards paying for the new unit’s expenses.Once she drafted the necessary orders, all that was left was to select the things she would take with her and more importantly, manage the timing. Sylvanas opened up the family vaults and picked the memorabilia and artifacts she was going to keep: Her mother’s signet ring she already wore, another set of three dozen rings, bracelets, necklaces and pendants, two sets of enchanted ceremonial armor and Alleria’s old identification badge left from back when she first became a Farstrider. The last one was neither magical nor particularly expensive. It was a simple silver piece, yet it had sentimental value: Aside from the two necklaces she and Vereesa had, this one was the only item left from her, and Sylvanas would be damned if she didn’t give it to Arator. The boy would have a memento of his mother.The timing part was more about patience and keeping up appearance than anything else. She would not be able to give any orders after she abdicated. That meant that she had to make sure her plans were already put into effect before she severed her ties to the kingdom. Lucky, the schedule of the council was in her favor. The nearest time for His Majesty to hold court and accept petitions would be four weeks after the last disastrous one. Sylvanas completed all the necessary work a week before that, and made her first announcement: Her relocation to Silvermoon and the new structure concerning the Windrunner Estate and staff. It came as a shock and a surprise to her people, but not so much as to cause them to dig deeper. Technically speaking, when her demands about recruitment and mercenaries were rejected, they also rejected her offer to pay in a roundabout way too. However, it was never explicitly stated, and when she read the records released after the gathering, she realized, much to her delight, that they hadn’t added any mandates against it. It was the perfect cover: Her granting of personal fortune and property, along with establishment of a new ranger company were just rebellious enough that they would draw all the attention, but not too rebellious as to cause alarm in her opposition. She had another set of living quarters in the capital already and the decision to move there would be seen as a typical attempt to curry favor with the court and increase influence. They all knew she needed it after her resounding defeat.When Sylvanas got to her offices for the first time in three weeks, the three Ranger Lords were waiting for her there. Renthar and Halduron were excited, because they assumed all of this was the start of a renewed push back against the Magistrecy. She told them there was no plot in her mind and this was merely about her own personal life. That disappointed the two, and the deception brought shame to Sylvanas, yet she endured it all the same. Lor’themar on the other hand, looked relieved. One of his closest friends was a magister named Dar’Khan Drathir and every time the High Command and the Magistrecy banged heads, his relationship suffered. Well, he would be soon be spared the danger of that happening ever again. Lor’themar was the most likely candidate to replace her. He was both the most qualified and the best connected: A moderate voice in contrast to her more headstrong approach, more traditionalist in his political views, the head of one of the oldest ranger families and a good friend to both a rising magister and the adopted daughter of High Priest Vandellor who was a close ally to Grand Magister Belo’vir himself. Perfect for the Crown. It would be a huge surprise to her if he wasn’t selected.Spending the week while keeping her plans a secret had been easier than she had thought. Putting a final date to her wait made it more bearable. The real trick had been not to dwell on what the reactions would be. They would come when they come, and she would brave through them. For at the end of this tunnel, was more than just light: It was the beginning of her new life. In the eyes of the people of Quel’Thalas, The Windrunners would be a dead family, but in truth, they would be reborn somewhere else. The morning of the court’s opening, she wore her ceremonial Ranger General armor, complete with the golden and sapphire brooch that was the official regalia of her seat. On her hip, bound in silver chains, was the enchanted family icon, the symbol of their status as nobles and members of the Sunstrider Court: A white steel sword engraved with their oath of loyalty and service, it had a golden handle shaped to look like an eagle spreading its wings, with a large emerald at its pommel. She had left her residential chambers early, sooner she got this matter done the better it was. Yet when she arrived at the hall, she saw that she was not the first: Lady Ar’nareth and Lord Voren’thal were both there and engaged in a heated conversation with Grand Magister Belo’vir and Lord Astalor.“I understand that you challenged him to a duel, but he doesn’t have to accept. That’s how it works. And he already offered to pay tribute to you. We cannot force him into a fight! Besides, it is forbidden to duel in His Majesty’s city,” Belo’vir irritatedly explained.“We’ll fight in Lady Ar’nareth’s estate and of course you can force him,” Lord Voren’thal spat back. He had a robe in his hands, its collar was clearly bloodied. He waved it in front of Grand Magister aggressively, “He spilled blood! I don’t want his damned coin! I want my duel, and the laws are clear: You spill a nobles’ blood, you either pay tribute or accept their challenge! I have proof of his assault right here and I have a witness too,” he said, pointing towards Lady Ar’nareth.“Your proof could have easily been conjured and your witness is suspect,” Lord Astalor had clearly not learned his lesson about messing with the wrong people.Lady Ar’nareth gave him an icy look and turned directly to His Majesty, “This one insults me. I demand a duel as well, with him.”King Anasterian was frowning, his mouth was curved downwards in apparent displeasure, “There will be no duel, for anyone.”Lord Voren’thal’s face was puffed, “But-”“There is no but. What is going to happen if you duel him? Hmm?”“We will fight with honor and the loser will be forced to grovel!”“You will kill him is what’s going to happen. You are a magister of exceptional power, he is average with Arcane and hopeless with everything else. He will die and then I will have a blood feud in my hands. My answer is no and that is final. He will pay your tribute and you will let this one go. You are almost as old as me Voren’thal, Songweaver is young enough to be your great grandchild and has an even younger boy to raise.”The two nobles were visibly angry and disappointed, yet they made no further objections. Bowing rather indignantly, they turned to leave. Lady Ar’nareth noticed her standing just one step in from the gate and raised an eyebrow. As she walked passed Sylvanas she spoke in a hushed tone, “They won’t accept your challenge for a duel if that’s what you came for.” She gave a small smile at that. No, that wasn’t why she was here for. And what she was about to demand, they had no authority to reject. She had checked.After they were gone, the herald announced her arrival and she approached the throne. Realising she was clad in full regalia, Grand Magister Belo’vir and Lord Astalor raised their chins and looked rather worried. Ignoring them, she went down on both knees and prostrated in front of His Majesty with hands on the ground at both sides of her head: More than just an exaggerated show of respect, it was used to signal a demand for audience in matters of blood and oaths.“You may rise,” King Anasterian’s face was hard with anticipation of something unpleasant.“Your Grace, I have come to declare that I am abdicating the seat of the Ranger General of Silvermoon, and renouncing my rights to the Windrunner Estate and all its associated wealth and personnel.”Silence ruled the hall for several long moments. Eventually, Astalor’s impudence broke through, “Oh come on now Windrunner! This is such an absurd show of petulance, no one is telling you to stop doing your job, enough with the exaggerations already!”“Why? I know we had a terrible fight, but this is not necessary. We all know your capabilities, your are needed here, our goal isn’t to replace you,” Belo’vir looked and sounded upset.His Majesty stared into her eyes and then commanded, “Leave us, all of you.”Grand Magister was surprised but he quickly gathered himself and stood up. Pulling Astalor as well, they made their way towards the exit. The King looked around him and then spoke even louder, “I said all of you!” With that, everyone in the throne room, all the guards, scribes and servants jumped and started to leave. As the last of his royal guards exited, they closed the gates behind them. Only the King and Sylvanas remained.King Anasterian waited a few moments before he spoke. “What is the meaning of this?”“I no longer see a reason for myself to remain here. My only living family is in exile, and my services are clearly not needed no matter what Belo’vir says. I wish to be with my kin. That is all.”“Your sister is married to a human. He will die in a few decades and she will return home. No need to fret,” his tone was dismissive and frustrated.“Perhaps she will return, or perhaps she will stay there, with her children and their children and so on. She is not here now and I don’t want to be here either.”“This will be the end of your line, do you understand that? There will be no House Windrunner if you do this.”“My line won’t end here and my family will live on.”“Ah… So that’s what this is about. You want to go play with a stunted Vyrkul spawn as well. Go play as you please, we’ll relieve you of your duties for a few years, then once you had your fun, you can come back.”“With all due respect Your Majesty, I don’t think you understand me fully: I am leaving forever, no matter how many millennia pass, I won’t return. I’ll rebuild my life and my house elsewhere.”
“Oh I understand it just fine, you and Kael’thas are both going through the same phase: You think you are in love with a rowdy peasant because he can wield a bow, he thinks he is in love with a glorified pirate’s daughter because she can conjure some Arcane tricks. Within the century those two will be buried underground and you two will come back to your senses.”“I cannot speak for His Highness, but my decision is final.”He sighed deeply at that and sunk in his throne. The next time he spoke, his voice was paternalistic and weary, “Listen, Sylvanas. Your mother grew up right beside my feet. I was the one who chose your father for her. She and I made plans for you, about your future and the future of this kingdom. Now, your dalliances with that man is distasteful to say the least. And your insistence for a larger army or fondness for the human kingdoms are definitely things worth of scorn. However, they are not the end of you. Those are youthful mistakes, they will pass. You are Lady Windrunner and the Ranger General, your place is here. And one day, you shall be Kael’thas’ queen, it will be your children who rule Quel’Thalas. Our great families will merge, the Crown will have the Ranger Army at its direct command and the House Windrunner will add its name to the royal dynasty.”Sylvanas took it all in. There was nothing there that she hadn’t already known. In fact, she was certain she had listened to this exact same speech from her late mother the first time her affair with Nathanos had come to her attention, due to Kael’thas’ proposal. She had agreed back then, even though she had rejected Kael’thas, she had it in her mind that one day she would wed someone fitting her family’s ambitions, if not Kael’thas, then another. It felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since then, so much had changed. Her mother was dead now, along with the rest of her family save for one sister and one nephew. Her family had changed, and her ambitions too. Now, she only wanted one thing in life: To be with the ones she loved. To not waste even a single moment for life was fleeting. To have children with the man she fell for, and to watch them grow and their children after. Dynasties, royalties, inheritances, they were important for society surely. But not for her, not anymore. When she answered him, her voice was soft and determined, “I am deeply sorry to disappoint you Your Majesty, however, I can no longer fulfill that destiny. My heart belongs to someone else and my wants in life are not that grand. This title, this station, they are chains, burdens. They drag me down and suffocate me. If I stay, I’ll be miserable until I die. And I don’t see the virtue in enduring such a torment. His Highness will find himself a suitable spouse, your line will live on as the absolute rulers of Quel’thalas and I will keep my family alive in another realm, as another people. Windrunners were mere hunters before the first Ranger General Talanas rose up among the Farstriders. Someone else will rise after we are gone, and we shall survive without these privileges once more.”King Anasterian looked way older than he did a moment ago. He kept quiet, eyes unfocused. Eventually he stroked his face a few times and then turned towards her, “Do as you please. It’s not like I have the power to stop you. When the day comes, you will be the one facing your ancestors and explaining to them what you have done. For your sake, I hope they are forgiving.”With that, Sylvanas took off her brooch of the Ranger General and unbuckled the chain belt of the Windrunner Icon Sword. Lowering her head once more, she raised them above with both hands, presenting them to the King. He took it after a moment and gave her leave. When she got out of the throne room, a not so small crowd was gathered, other petitioners and some of her, now former, rangers. As soon as she exited, the royal advisers, guards and servants went back inside in a rush. She passed by them without paying attention to the increased murmurs and fingers pointed at her direction, and made her way towards the treasury to pay her ransom. It didn’t take long for a scribe to arrive with the official paper. She signed and put her seal on one last time, and lead them to her soon to be emptied chambers. Once they took the chests filled with coins and gems, she closed the door and changed out of her Ranger General Armor, into more casual hunter clothes and began gathering her luggage.Before she could leave the room, Lor’themar appeared at her door, face full of hurt and disbelief, “You didn’t… You can’t…”“I can and I did. It’s done Lor’themar. Let me congratulate you on your promotion early and let us say our goodbyes in a respectful manner.”“Promotion? Where did that even come from? And… Why?”“You will be the next Ranger General, you deserve it. They need to be way greater fools not to pick you and even I don’t think that lowly of them.”She saw Halduron and Renthar turn the corner and rush towards her. Halduron was clearly confused while Renthar looked enraged. They both got visibly sadder as they got closer to her.“What happened? What did they do?” Halduron exclaimed with almost childlike panic.“They didn’t do anything. I have just realized that my place is no longer here.”“Oh fuck that! We’ll go deck Astalor and Belo’vir too if he moves funny. We’ll go do that right now, this is absurd!” Renthar was as serious as he had ever been about violence. “There will be no decking anyone,” Sylvanas said with an authoritative tone. “I abdicated my seat and renounced my family inheritance. I am no longer a noble or a citizen. Now, I need to leave before I get kicked out.”The three Ranger Lords stopped exactly where they were, looking dejected. The sight got to her, bringing out tears she did not know she was holding. She held it in and calmed herself, “I’m sorry. I really am. But I don’t want to be Ranger General anymore. And the things I want, I cannot have them here.”The moment kept on stretching. She eventually made the first move, grabbing her luggage, she began walking out of the door. They let her pass then, looking down at their feet. As she put some distance between her and them, she resolved not to look back. There was nothing to say. Maybe one day they would meet again as friends and have a heartfelt talk about everything, however, right at that moment, there was no point in staying and prolonging the sorrowful tension.She felt better as she walked and by the time she made it to the stables, she was already way too deep in excitement to feel anything else. Sylvanas saddled the two gryphons, loaded her trunks and chests on them, mounted one and took to air while commanding the other with a whistle. She flew past the ancient and great spires of Silvermoon, moving south. She went by the shoreline, saw the beaches and cliffs at the side of the Eversong Woods, the Windrunner Village and the Spire, the fields. Those sights had brought a certain nostalgia and melancholy, yet they couldn’t stop a sense of happiness and freedom from rising within. She felt like a silly school girl, like she was going away from some small town to chase her dreams instead of a self-imposed exile from her ancient homeland. Would her ancestors hater her for it, call her names and judge that she would not be allowed near them in the afterlife? Maybe. But Sylvanas weighed her choice and found that she didn’t care. In this life, they would build their own family and create their own legacy. And in death, If she was not allowed into that grand lodge, then she and Nathanos would set out on their own in the eternal fields, the Spirit of the Hunter would bless them all the same. She flew towards the Marris Stead, however that was not her exact destination. Her first stop was before reaching the farm in one of the hills. When she came within viewing distance, she saw a figure down there whom she guessed to be Nathanos. When she began to make her descent she could clearly see that it was him along his mastiffs. That put an unstoppable smile on her face, which she tried to subdue as her feet hit the ground.“I’ll take that as you being too excited to see me instead of me looking goofy in civilian clothes,” Nathanos tried to sound offended, yet it was an impossible sell with that bashful smile on his face. “I am happy to see you,” Sylvanas said coyly as she started walking towards him.“Stop, that was too sweet, completely unbecoming of you.”“On the contrary, teasing you by using sheer sincerity is the best.”“Look at you! Proud Sylvanas Windrunner telling a peasant that she is happy to see him with that look on her face! Your reputation as the unreachable lady is ruined!”“Oh you just wait, I will tell everyone that peasant is my husband. I don’t know if a man can die of a red face, but I guess we’ll find out,” she was full of herself in the best way possible.Nathanos got a serious face then, a smile still dancing in his eyes, “I won’t die, not now. Not when I got this chance with you. I’ll fight my way through Shadowlands if I must.”When Sylvanas reached him, she did not stop and instead walked into a tight and loving hug. They stood like that for a while, drinking each other’s presence. She eventually spoke from his shoulder, “Fighting through Shadowlands sounds like you. However, the real question is if you can handle a few weeks and perhaps a few months in Dalaran.”“I plan on using it to make you feel bad for me and cater to me in ridiculous ways.”“Implying you haven’t been doing it via Silvermoon for years.”“At least you know what you are getting yourself into.”“You had doubts?”“I had decided that if this was some fever dream, I didn’t want to wake up. And if it was because you have gone mad, then I didn’t mind going down the crazy road with you.”She pulled her head back to look at him in the eye, “You are right for me Nat. As right as an arrow for a bow. As stars are right for the skies and as rivers are right for their beds. We belong together.”He looked at her with deep breaths. “You have always had a way with words, but conversations have never been my strong suit. So…” Nathanos pulled something out of his pocket and presented it to Sylvanas.She realised it was a white gold ring as she took it. Inside was a carving of two dogs at each side of two crossed arrows. Dogs were clearly mastiffs while the arrows were shaped like those of the standard ranger set of Quel’Thalas. “I made a little trip to Lordaeron City in your absence. I don’t do words, but you know I am good at maps and drawing other stuff as well, so…”She looked at her hands. She still had her signet ring on her left hand and another one of her mother’s in the index finger of her right hand. She pulled the signet ring off and put it on her ring finger on the right. The ring Nathanos gave her went to the left. She could hear how loudly his heart was beating as he watched her. Sylvanas reached for a small velvet pouch at her side, “I got something for you as well.”The ring had a large cushion cut aquamarine set on a broad sterling silver band. It belonged to her father. Back when she was a little child, she played with it so much and had forgotten it wasn’t hers. Her poor father had long conceded the jewelry to her. “You would cry when I tried to take it away, so I gave it up all together,” he had said to her once she was old enough to understand. She had kept it since then, not as a toy but as a remembrance. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to touch the item ever since her parents died. However, after coming from her meeting with Nathanos, after making the decision to be with him fully, she went and sought it from the vaults. It hadn’t hurt then, instead it brought warm memories of home and family.Sylvanas presented the ring to Nathanos who took it and put it on with a certain difficulty. She feared it would be too tight, but once on, he was able to move it.“I probably won’t wear this to be honest. I don’t know how rest of you do it, but if it isn’t a glove or a gauntlet, it feels irritating and heavy on my fingers.”Sylvanas gave him a steely look, “You are not allowed to take it off on your life.”Nathanos raised one eyebrow and then gave another look to the ring as he closed his hand in a fist, “I guess with a gem this big I can do way more damage when I punch someone,” he motioned his fist slowly like he was hitting something.They shared a soft laugh over it and kept standing in the half hug. Eventually Sylvanas spoke, “Have you brought saddles for Rex and Bolt?” Two mastiffs raised their heads towards her upon hearing their names and she knelt to pet them. Normally serious hunting dogs, they were excited like puppies whenever she played with them.“Right here,” Nathanos had turned towards his back where his belongings were. He had two trunks, one of them clearly had his gears and weapons. Next to them were two large baskets paved with cushions, they had leather straps around them. He moved to attach them to the gryphon she brought with her, “Hello there Malan’dal, you’re gonna carry some stupid dogs today, hopefully you won’t throw us off.”Once Rex and Bolt were safely tucked, they mounted the gryphons and lifted off. The destination was Dalaran, and given how early the day started, it was a decent guess that they would make it to the City of Mages shortly after sunset if they did not stop. Two veteran rangers saw no reason to take a break and surely enough, the spires of Dalaran and Violet Citadel appeared just before sun went down. Landing to the stables, they paid for a week’s expense upfront for both the gryphons and the mastiffs and made their way into the city.A small suspense crept up inside Sylvanas. Keeping everything secret meant not even her sister knew that they were coming. Granted, the plan was to go to stay at an inn anyway, however, she still wanted to see Vereesa and a part of her hoped she would be welcome in her house. As they moved further into the city towards more residential parts, people on the streets began to turn and look. Dalaran, like Silvermoon, did not sleep: The mages made sure it was fully functional and illuminated throughout the night. Kirin Tor, the ruling conclave of the magocratic nation, had its banners hanging from every archway and every tower, sigils upon them enchanted to glow. Visible from every point in the city, an exceptionally large banner bearing the crest of Lordaeron gold on blue was hoisted on top of the Violet Citadel. This was an Alliance city and Archmage Antonidas, the Grand Magus of Kirin Tor, made sure everyone knew that.“Ah! Oooo fuck you Arelas what did you make me drink? I’m seeing the fucking Ranger General on the street!” a young High Elf in warrior training uniform stumbled in front of Sylvanas from a tavern. Before he could gather himself from the confusion, a taller man fully clad in battle gear grabbed him by the collar.“Get your shit together! I accept to take your lot to drink for one night and you all start a ruckus.”Before the older man could get him to stand straight however, a dozen more youngsters in uniform came out of the said tavern, all yelling and joking, visibly and audibly drunk. Taking advantage of commotion, Sylvanas and Nathanos quickly left them and continued on their way before anyone noticed that young trainee wasn’t really hallucinating.“You are too damned famous did you know that?” Nathanos was somewhere between pissed and amused.“I know that boy: Caladis Brightspear. He was a cadet in the Academy before Quel’Thalas left the Alliance. His family was one of those who chose to relocate outside of the kingdom.”“Poor boy, he thinks he is hallucinating.”Sylvanas gave him a smirk, “Arrogant chimp thinks he can see me in his dreams.”“Oh they all do, whether they admit it or not. It has always been my pleasure to know that. Made me feel really lucky, and boosted my ego too, I won’t deny.”“It strokes my ego too I must confess.”“I know.”Sylvanas’ smirk got devilish, “Now you have to take care of that all by yourself.”Nathanos gave her the side-eye for a moment, and then grabbed her hand with his, coming even closer as they walked, “My husbandly prerogative,” he whispered in her ear.Touche! Sylvanas put her hood up for the rest of the way. At last, they reached a street lined with identical three story buildings made from white stone. Each building had numbers on them with stairs that went all the way up to the third floor. Checking the numbers, they found the one they have been searching for.Light was coming from the second floor window, however, Sylvanas remembered that the entire building was supposed to belong to Vereesa and Rhonin. So she reached for the bell and pulled. As it rang, they stood there, getting ever so closer to each other, seeking support. Sylvanas heard voices from inside the building, “Gotta be one of Ansirem’s runners. He just has to pester me until the job is done. He still treats me like I am some apprentice.” A displeased Rhonin Redhair ready to shoo away a poor runner opened the door, “Oh look who-”Whatever quip he had in mind died on his lips, staring at the two of them blank for a moment.“Hello Rhonin. Sorry to come unannounced at this hour, but can I see Vereesa?” Sylvanas decided it was best they spoke first.“Ahp, a, of course! Of course come on in, not at all, just. I was surprised that’s all. Shitty apprentices of extremely paternalistic archmages are expected visitors in this house, but Ranger General of Silvermoon is a first! Please, come in whatever you are going to talk, just do it inside, it’s warm, we were just having dinner so join in, we got tea too, Vereesa has wine but I can bring some brandy as well!” Rhonin frantically gestured them inside, saying two dozen words in a second. As they made their way inside and moved towards upstairs, Vereesa appeared in the stairway, “What are you shouting about Ranger Genera-”Vereesa froze for a moment, and then jumped on Sylvanas like she used to do back when they were children, “You’re here? You’re here! You came to visit! Oh Light you are here!”Sylvanas managed to return the hug and not drop her overly excited little sister, “I am here and I am glad to see you are in good spirits as well.”They just held onto each other for a few moments, murmuring words of endearment. Eventually Vereesa managed to collect herself and pulled away, “You are in, what, I haven’t seen you in civilian clothing for ages. I assume this is an off the record visit then?”“Not exactly. In fact, why don’t we just go sit somewhere, we have much to talk.” “Of course, come up, we were just having dinner so join in,” Vereesa noticed Nathanos standing at the back, who moved towards the stairs. With a quizzical look on her face, she turned to Sylvanas.“You really should greet people properly,” Sylvanas said in mock chastisement.“Hi.” Nathanos had his most innocent face on, fooling absolutely no body.Exchange confused Vereesa even further, who decided not to say anything. They reached the second floor and the moderately sized dining room it held. Rhonin quickly moved to make space for them on the table while Vereesa went where Sylvanas assumed the kitchen was, and brought more plates, silverware and cups. They all sat down as the red haired mage began serving their portions, “So, I am new to this cooking deal, I used to just eat at an inn or a tavern, therefore, it may not be as nice as you are used to. It’s just simple beef stew and we have some mashed potatoes on the side.”“Did you burn it? If you didn’t burn it, it will be fine,” Nathanos was in a good mood, as he was prone to be when food was involved. “No, I did not burn it this time! Finding a recipe and sticking to it worked wonders. To be perfectly honest, the only reason it got burned the last time was because I was too engrossed in this book.”Sylvanas looked at Vereesa with an amused expression of pity on her face. Vereesa responded with a smile of her own and whispered, “He is trying and he did improve.”They began to eat and it was… not bad! Could definitely use some improvements, but it was a nice enough meal and Rhonin looked genuinely happy when they told him that. As they finished their dinner, he brought an expensive bottle of brandy and they each took a single. Looking over the glasses, Vereesa and her husband came to a silent agreement about their next course of action.“So, we got this balcony on the third floor, not exactly a special view, but you can see the Violet Citadel and the stars too, I would love to show it,” Rhonin got up from his seat talking to the gruff ranger.Nathanos gave a look at Sylvanas and then turned towards the mage, “Sure, lead the way.”Once the two of them left the room, Vereesa turned to her elder sister, “Soooooo… What’s going on? Because I’m pretty sure I saw one of your rings on his finger.”Sylvanas finished her glass and put it back on the table. “I abdicated the seat of the Ranger General and renounced the family inheritance. I am no longer a noble. I am no longer a citizen of Quel’Thalas. Nathanos and I are getting married, hopefully we will settle in Stormwind.”Her little sister, the Little Moon of the family, stared at her with mouth agape. Several moments passed as she stayed stunned and Sylvanas did not interfere. Eventually Vereesa managed to shake off her surprise, “How? A-... Did they do something? Did they force you? Is it because of me?”Seeing where her line of thinking was going, Sylvanas the Lady Moon interrupted, “No, they did not do anything of the sort. Though I must confess, the recent political dealings within the kingdom helped make the decision way easier. The thing is, at some point I just realized I was flailing for no reason. You’re here, little Arator is in Stormwind and the best staying at Quel’Thalas offered to me was to marry Kael’thas -I cannot be arsed to show up in one council meeting in a century- Sunstrider, maybe someday in the future. So I thought to myself, why bother? I love Nathanos and he loves me. Why waste that? I asked him to marry me, he accepted. We’ll stay in Dalaran in the meantime until we get an answer from Stormwind. We’ll go to some inn for lodging, however, I wanted to see you first. To tell you about it before you heard it from anyone else. And also, I have brought certain items from the Spire, some memorabilia I think you should have.”The Little Moon looked at her with tears in her eyes and then leaned from her chair, giving her elder sister a hug, “I’m sorry. I didn’t even realise, I was so absorbed in my own affair I didn’t even know…”Sylvanas returned the hug and put a kiss on her head, “It was not your burden to bear. And I am the one who kept it so quiet for so long.”“Still, I knew about him. I knew, it was no secret, you told me just as much when I asked. Still, I never thought about it. I’m sorry. I should have asked you to come with me in the first place.”The Lady Moon chuckled at that, “I wouldn’t accept back then, so rest easy. I think I needed it. To be left alone, in order to realise what truly mattered.”They shared a sad laugh over it. Pulling their chairs until they were abutting, the conversation continued, “You are not staying at any inn by the way, that’s absurd. We have plenty of spare rooms here and I have missed you. Now, if you are saying you want to be alone with your new husband…”Sylvanas burst into laughter over her sister’s implication. “I would love to stay with you as well, if that’s fine for Rhonin too. And we are also not yet married. We need witnesses and I thought you two would be great if you agree?”“Are you joking with me? Of course we agree! When? Oh! We need to celebrate properly, just give me a few days, I can arrange something nice. We can have a large feast at the tavern district, most of the Quel’dorei diaspora here would love to attend!”“No, no, no. Please. I appreciate the sentiment, however, I want this to be private. A small affair just within the family.”“Oh, alright.” Vereesa had a sheepish smile, “Mine was crowded and loud. The noise made it more fun!”“Glad it was good. It’s on the list of things I had needlessly missed. Hopefully, I won’t miss anything like that ever again.”Vereesa leaned forward to the table, arms laid out on the surface with her chin resting on top of them, “You said Arator and Stormwind… We have been discussing bringing him here to live with us. We can do that, and then you two can stay as well, that way we will all be together.”“I am sure Nathanos would bite it down and suffer it for me, however, I have already put him through enough hardships for all those years. Now it’s time for us to have something we both want. Besides, I don’t really like this city either. It’s like a cheaper, lousier Silvermoon.”Her little sister seemed saddened by that, but she kept listening with a genuine smile on her face, “Dalaran is a major hub for politics between humans and elves. They have a deep and old relationship with Quel’Thalas. My presence here will always be too much. I want to keep things small from now on, it’s for the best.”Vereesa snorted, “I don’t think you can do small,” she was terribly smug.“Oh? And why do you think that way?”“That’s not you, that’s not your nature,” suddenly, her face got clouded with dark shadows, “Lirath was quiet… And Alleria was loud enough for the entire family...” she brightened up as she continued, “But you… You have always been grand. Grand plans, grand gestures, grand ambitions… You are Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, now and forever.”“Well you are wrong Little Moon, because currently I am not a lady. It’s just Sylvanas now.”Vereesa had an extremely confident smile, “We’ll see about that. We’ll see…”They kept on talking about all the things they have missed about each other’s lives. Sylvanas pulled the chest she brought to give Vereesa out of her backpack. Within were several precious items, tokens left from their parents and grandparents. Looking through the mementos brought up tears for both, but they didn’t mind shedding them in each other’s company. Eventually the two men were called from upstairs. When they came down, all four of them had a talk about what was going on and what they would do. It was decided that Sylvanas and Nathanos would stay with Vereesa and Rhonin during their time in Dalaran. One of the empty rooms was immediately arranged as a temporary study for Sylvanas and the only furnished guest room was designated as their bedroom. Satisfied with their arrangements, they retreated to their respective chambers. The next morning they had a cheerful breakfast together. Nathanos took over the kitchen for some Lordaeron specials and Rhonin joined as an apprentice. After they finished, Vereesa went for Alliance Army Offices, however, her mage husband had a more lax schedule. So he took off with Nathanos to go get some groceries in preparation of the lunch and the dinner. Sylvanas for her part, retreated into the temporary study given to her and began drafting her formal letter of request to Stormwind. In theory, most human kingdoms had no rules stopping people from traveling to or settling down anywhere. However, that also meant the guards at the kingdom borders or even in any given town could just reject anybody. And in her case, she wasn’t some commonfolk figure who could just go wherever she wanted. Her presence had meaning, it had burdens and potential complications for anyone harboring her. That’s why she avoided Lordaeron altogether: Nathanos was a commoner there, she was self-exiled from one of their special allies that sit right at their border. It could sour the relationships between two kingdoms, or at the very least, put them through unpleasant hardships, perhaps even the humiliation of banishment. Dalaran was a safer bet, the mage city was famous for doing their own things and not caring for much else. A significant minority of High Elves deeply tied to the city as its native population, who also happened to be very pro-Alliance, meant that Dalaran could not afford to treat recent Quel’dorei exiles with disdain. Still, her presence could make it harder on everyone else and that, she would not have.She had first blurted out Stormwind because she was thinking of Arator, however, the more she thought about it, the more it made sense: Stormwind had favorable relations with both Lordaeron and Dalaran, yet no real contact with Quel’Thalas. All of their dealings were based on the Alliance and with High Elven kingdom out, they basically had no diplomatic, military or economic ties. Which meant that any eri her presence might evoke, had little to no impact. A large kingdom with a lively countryside and a prominent armed forces, it was a place she and Nathanos could enjoy settling in and find appropriate work. On paper, they had other options, but in reality, those options were not actually sensible. They were planning on starting a family, various frontiers of the world were not fit places for raising children. And the other civilized lands mostly lacked the conditions they sought, they were also no more likely to accept them than Stormwind.With all of these in mind, she eventually managed to pen a letter she was satisfied with. It was addressed to the Grand Marshal of Stormwind Army, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon. Sylvanas was going to send it through the Alliance garrison in Dalaran, as a volunteer for the Alliance Army. She would be technically asking for an admission and a transfer and she hoped they would answer favorably. Sylvanas took the letter to the Alliance Offices to be posted, and used the opportunity to see her baby sister at work. On her way there, Sylvanas didn’t bother to hide herself this time and in return she had several enthusiastic greetings, on top of most people looking at her and immediately descending into a chatter among themselves while pointing at her direction. This was deliberate on her part. She would have to live with this for a long while and maybe it would never truly end. She needed to get used to it. Vereesa blushed and looked embarrassed like a child when she saw her sister at the offices. This was the first time in a long while they had been in public without a strict hierarchy dictating their interactions. Seeing the respect and support shown at her Little Moon, Sylvanas was proud. It sunk in then, when she heard people call her Ranger Captain, when she sat in her quarter, with all the maps on the walls, documents on the desk and several additional pieces of combat gear right beside her, that Vereesa was not just a grown woman: She was a proper Farstrider, and a proper officer.Following few weeks were spent in idle comfort. Two days after their arrival, Rex and Bolt were brought to Vereesa and Rhonin’s home to stay at her sister’s insistence. Sylvanas assumed she was seeking the company of some animal in the city, but was pleasantly surprised to see that her mage husband seemed just as joyful at their presence. The two mastiffs for their part, acted within the expected discipline from hunting dogs of their station, while still being as innocently happy and excited as they were wont to. Nathanos on the other hand, lasted only three more days before he collected his gear and decided to go out on a lengthily hunt. Sylvanas joined him of course, and enjoyed being out of the city and within nature, with him. It turned into a little camping trip during which they made private oaths of loyalty and love to each other and upon their return, they formally took their vows with a priest officiating, Vereesa and Rhonin as their witnesses. The coming days saw them settle into a routine: Morning breakfasts were had with the entire household. Afterwards, Vereesa and Rhonin went to their respective works while Sylvanas and Nathanos went out of the city, training and practicing their combat skills and then going for a proper hunt. They made sure to return before their hosts and prepare the dinner, mostly with fresh game meat. It was not a sustainable affair for the long term, however, it was ideal for their temporary visit.Vereesa on the other hand, was quite certain it was sustainable. She kept her mouth shut however, les she agitated her elder sister to leave. Part of her, the selfish, spoiled little sibling part, wished that Sylvanas’ request would be rejected and they would stay here with her forever. A more rational part knew they wouldn’t stay even if they were not accepted by Stormwind, and she prayed they were just let in without much of a fuss. Her sister deserved to be happy. Vereesa’s work was more idle than she would like. They had their training sessions, yet any proper military exercise involving maneuvers were postponed after the partial dissolution a few months ago. They were eager to get them back on, however, the national leaders were less than thrilled. That meant most of her time was spent in her office, drafting petitions to ask for permission and handling other boring paperwork. It was during one such boring session, just slightly more than a month after her sister’s arrival, she heard a knock on her door.“Come in.”A private, one of those in reception duty, opened the door and saluted her, “Ranger Captain Windrunner, there is a Sorin Magehand here who wants to speak with you.”-Magehand? Ah! Must be one of Lord Voren’thal’s bastards.- Before she could speak, a tall High Elf man with long dark blue hair in purple-blue robes walked in, “Ah hi, I was hoping we could talk in private, Lord Voren’thal sent me here, I am supposed to meet up with some Joy Ar’nareth as well,” he had a sealed envelope in his hand.“Of course, come on in. Thank you private.”Private saluted her again and made his exit while Sorin walked in.“Please, take a seat, “Vereesa gestured with her hand towards the chair in front of her desk.The man took her offer and sat down. Looking at him, he couldn’t be older than herself. “What brought you here? I know Lord Voren’thal as a noble of Quel’Thalas, but I have no connection left with the kingdom.”“I am here to join the Alliance Army and the Kirin Tor. I was hoping you could help.”“You are a mage then?”“I am.”“May I ask why you are trying to join? As far as I know, Lord Voren’thal is still in the kingdom and the last I checked, he wasn’t particularly thrilled with neither the Alliance nor the Kirin Tor.”“Ah, it’s...It’s a bit of a long story.”“That’s what private talks are for.”Hesitation crossed his face, then came the surrender, “Do you know of Lord Songweaver? Well, I had visited him in his estate about a week ago. We had an argument, things got heated, insults were exchanged. I challenged him to a duel, he accepted. We fought, he lost. Died. His Majesty did not like that and banished me from the kingdom. Lady Ar’nareth and Lord Voren’thal resolved to send me here, so, here I am.”-A blood feud!? Great, just great. We didn’t have one this century, so of course, the gap was filled!- Vereesa sank into her chair, trying to calculate what needs to be done. Lord Voren’thal was no fan of the Alliance, or paying high taxes. Yet, he was a proud man and according to what Sylvanas had said, he was also not on pleasant terms with the current royal advisers. Lady Ar’nareth’s help meant that she was close with him and she was an ardent supporter of the Alliance, one of the few who were still in the kingdom. This was bad, she thought she should ask Sylvanas- No. Sylvanas wasn’t the Ranger General anymore, this was not her burden to bear. She would make the decision herself and deal with the consequences, whatever they were.If she were to be perfectly honest, Vereesa had no real power to stop this Sorin from joining in. She could only recommend for or against or simply stay out of it. The decision still lied with the High Command. However, it was obvious her actions here would determine her and in extend the diaspora’s relationship with Lord Voren’thal and perhaps even with Lady Ar’nareth. Well, the Crown hated them all the same. They were all traitors in their eyes. So accepting in one more exile wouldn’t significantly increase animosity, rejecting one wouldn’t also appease them. But a show of solidarity here could help gain Lord Voren’thal as an ally, or least drop him from the enemy list. And since he apparently had a far closer relationship with Lady Ar’nareth than she had known, perhaps they could forge a an anti-isolationist axis there? Vereesa looked at the envelope in his hands, “May I see the contents of that?”Sorin looked at his hand and after a short deliberation shrugged, “They didn’t tell me it was to be kept secret, so I assume it should be fine.” He extended the document to her.She opened it by breaking the seal. Reading the letter inside quickly showed it was simple instructions. This Joy Ar’nareth was apparently a granddaughter of the esteemed lady. Written from the mouth of the lady herself, it was telling her to help Sorin get in the Kirin Tor and the Army, adjust to life in Dalaran and provide him with accommodations. Satisfied, she rang the bell on her desk, “Very well. I shall send your letter of recommendation within the week.”“Thank you very much Ranger Captain,” He thrust his hand out, she took it and shook as she answered the knock on her door, “Do come in.”The private from earlier opened it, saluting her, “You called Ranger Captain?”“Yes, take…” Vereesa looked at Sorin for appropriate titles.“Just Sorin.”“You take Sorin Magehand here and accompany him to the Violet Citadel. He is to meet with Joy Ar’nareth of the Kirin Tor,” Vereesa scratched a quick note on a piece of paper as she spoke, stamped it with the seal of her seat and she extended it to the exiled mage, “This should help them show you around.”“Thank you again Lady Windrunner,” Sorin expressed polite gratitude one last time as he made his way out of the room.Just as they were leaving, another receptionist arrived at her office, with a man and a woman at her side. The duo was clad in full plate armor, carrying their helmets under their arms. The armors were clearly enchanted, they had Stormwind tabards made of expensive and sturdy cloths. The way they glowed meant that they were enchanted too, along with the dark blue cloaks they wore. The brooches attached to their cloak clips showed that they were Commanders, easily outranking her. She reflexively stood at attention and saluted them.Private spoke in full salute, “Commander Jacob Alerius and Commander Andrea DeSousa, here to speak with you Ranger Captain.”The one named Commandes Jacob pushed passed the poor receptionist, “We’ll do so in your quarters, just the three of us.”Before Vereesa could react, Commander Andrea also got in the room and closed the door behind her, leaving a confused rank and file soldier out.“Well, at ease Ranger Captain,” Commander Jacob made his way to her desk and gestured for her to sit down. Vereesa sat down in her chair as the two Commanders did so in front of her desk. Jacob continued, “We are here by the direct order of Highlord Fordragon. He will be arriving at the city in two days time, to speak with your sister Lady Sylvanas Windrunner. We need you to secure a date and an appropriate place for the meeting.”Commander Andrea took a sealed scroll out of the bag hanging from her side, “The instructions for the meeting and the necessary security measures are here. It will be a private affair and no one will be allowed in until they are done. We will be here in Dalaran and help you with preparations. We can trust you shall inform your sister, right?”“Yes, of course!” Vereesa shook her shock off, took the scroll and began to read. They were simple enough, adequate requirements for a man of Highlord’s station, with an extra dash of secrecy and privacy. However, they didn’t need such a pompous affair just to reject Sylvanas. They also didn’t need it just to accept her either. Something was going on. Oh my Lady Moon, she thought to herself: You can’t do small. It’s not in your destiny.Satisfied with her answers, the two Commanders left. Spending the rest of her shift dealing with this newly given mission, she was fidgety. When her time clocked, Vereesa basically run from her office and to her home.Arriving at her three story residence, she rang the bell by pulling almost frantically at it’s cord. Her sister was the one who answered the door, “Are you really that eager to see us or was it a terrible day and you can’t wait to just throw and relax?” Sylvanas was clearly annoyed at her childish act.“Never mind that now! You have-”“Ah there she is, come quick!” Rhoin who rushed down the stairs as the door was opening grabbed her by the hand and started pulling her to the second floor, towards the kitchen. “Nat, tell her what we are cooking today!”“First of all, no one calls me Nat. Second, it’s étouffée and you need to pay attention to what I’m doing here if you are to pull this one off. This is much easier to fuck up than a simple beef stew and you did fuck that one up more than you succeeded,” Nathanos looked both enthusiastic and patronising, all with his signature grumpiness. “Of course, yes! They hunted crayfish today, just for this!” Rhonin went deeper into the kitchen and took up a task as he was instructed.“Lake Lordamere is full of them and no one seem to be touching any. I am honestly surprised they were not hunted down to extinction given how stupidly easy it was to catch them.”“Oh well, that’s because there are farms. A couple of years ago they, together pretty much all other animals in the lake, were actually under the risk of going extinct, so the Council of Six banned pretty much all hunting activities. There were a lot of dissent of course, but the Council started giving out loans to former hunters to build fish farms and also farms for other freshwater crustaceans. Most still couldn’t handle it, but now we have far more and far steadier supply of them, and plenty of old fishers just became sellers or restaurant owners. Long story short, magocracy works.”Nathanos rolled his eyes, “Just stir the sauce and don’t let it stick and burn.”“It took longer than we would like because we had to build our trap cages first, so dinner will be a bit later than usual,” Sylvanas had come after them, standing at kitchen door right behind Vereesa.“That honestly sound and smells delicious, so thank you already. However, I have news and they are important!” Vereesa turned to her elder sister intently.Sylvanas knew her to be easily excitable, yet she still felt excited by her enthusiasm. It had been more than a month since she sent her letter of request, and haven’t heard a word since. It had began to feel like they were delaying for a polite rejection and the spark in her sister’s eye gave her hope.“Alright Little Moon, tell us the news. I’m all ears.”“Today, just a few hours ago, two Commanders from Stormwind came to my office. Fully in perfectly polished enchanted battle gear. They were sent by Highlord Bolvar Fordragon himself and the reason they were sent was to arrange a private and highly secure meeting, with you. They gave me instructions on how to prepare, they are also staying in the city and are involved in the process and asked me to help them in arranging the whole thing. It will be an isolated, private affair just between you and him, no one else is allowed in the room until you two leave. There are silence spells and everything requested for the chamber!” “Why?” Nathanos’ undivided attention was on the two of them.“I have no idea,” Vereesa had a huge smile on her face, “But I do know, no one bothers with such fanfare just to tell you no.”Sylvanas was deep in thought, “They don’t need it just to tell me yes either.” Something was going on. They were going to ask something of her, and not knowing what agitated the former Ranger General. A mission? A quest? Gold? Would they ask her to betray Quel’Thalas’ secrets? She frowned, this was not the news she was hoping for. Still, she decided it was better than nothing and if they asked for something she wouldn’t accept, it was all the better to know it this way than to face it after arriving at the human kingdom. Nathanos had arrived at her side, “What do you have in mind?”Before Sylvanas could answer, however, Rhoin spoke up without taking his eyes off the sauce pot, “Well, King Varian is in need of a wife.”Nathanos was just about to start yelling that Sylvanas responded with an ice cold tone, “I have told them very clearly why I had left the kingdom and what I would be doing. Now, monarchs can be pretty dismissive and entitled, however, I highly doubt that the King of Stormwind who is by all accounts a humble man still in the process of mourning his deceased wife, would be that foolishly rude.”“Exactly!” Vereesa almost screamed at her ear, “And Highlord Bolvar has a wife and a daughter, so that’s not it either!”“Well,” Rhonin was completely unfazed and still had most of his attention on the pot, “You are an exceptionally qualified military commander, maybe they want you to join them on a more permanent and exclusive basis.”“Yeah,” Vereesa responded with an exaggerated head shake, darting past Sylvanas and Nathanos, she went right behind Rhonin and jokingly slapped the back of his head, “Why didn’t you tell this one first dummy?!”“In my defense, I hear how King Varian needs to remarry and one son isn’t enough on a daily basis in the Violet Citadel. It is carved into my brain at this point,” He had an innocent face.“Well, he needs to find himself someone else!” Nathanos proclaimed with his hands on his hip, voice just short of a yell. Sylvanas couldn’t help a laugh escape her, “Oh dear, and I had thought you were jealous of me before.”“I was jealous of you. It’s just that now, I am allowed to express it violently and loudly!”“Since when are you allowed?”“Since we got married. It was right there in the vows, right after the part about how we were going to be loyal to each other and love each other, it said we were allowed to express our jealousy loudly and violently.”“Ah, yes, I remember now. Right around the part where it said I could call you Nat.”“Yeah, that too,” Nathanos seemed relaxed as he joined in the laugh. Sylvanas kissed him and spoke to him just quiet enough for him to hear, “We’ll talk about what to do later, alright?”He nodded and that seemed that. The rest of the evening was fun: Etouffée was delicious and the wine Rhonin picked with it fit nicely. They had a pleasant conversation during and after the dinner. However, throughout the night, Nathanos had kept closer to her and been more touchy than usual, Sylvanas noted with a mischievous delight. And when they retreated to their respective rooms, he demonstrated a possessive sort of passion. She had to put in extra effort to keep her voice down. He just took that as a challenge and he won when Sylvanas came undone with an embarrassingly loud moan. She just prayed her baby sister hadn’t heard that.The next morning, after the breakfast, Sylvanas and Nathanos went to her study and talked about what they were willing to do: Nathanos was down with any mission, any quest, no matter the danger. He was less thrilled with the idea of becoming a regular member of their army, however, he was fine with it as long as they were allowed to live outside of the city walls. Sylvana drew the line in endangering Quel’Thalas. For her, a regular army seat was more desirable, it was the kind of stability they would be lucky to have. With their minds made up, they spent the rest of the day as it had become their routine. That evening Vereesa brought a more detailed guideline for what they would need to do. They decided that since Highlord Bolvar was going to have two guards on the floor right at the door of the room they were meeting, it was only fair she had the same. Nathanos and Vereesa were going to stand as her guards. When the day of the meeting finally came, she had a mix of hopeful anticipation and dread sitting at her chest. She wore her custom made personal armor. It was neither an official Farstrider one nor one tied to her former nobility. This was a family tradition. They all had private armor sets commissioned once they graduated from the academy. It was both a powerful, high quality set as well as appropriately fancy. She had convinced Nathanos to get one done as well, back when he had been first admitted into the ranks of the Ranger Army. Best part of an enchanted armor such as these was that they did not get old or looked any less than the day they were made. Proper wear for the meeting she was about to go.They made their ways to the Violet Citadel with Rex and Bolt on their side. The room had soundproofing enchantments done, however, there was nothing against light or smell, they had checked. They had a bottle of the alchemical liquid that turned the two mastiffs insane. Anything went wrong, she would open and poor the potion which would alert the dogs and Nathanos with them. He swore he would come to her help no matter what and all the kingdoms and their guards be damned. She wasn’t certain what he was fearing would happen, Bolvar Fordragon was a paladin and she had doubted he would personally come to assassinate her even if he wasn’t, still, knowing Nathanos would be right there within her reach made her feel more confident. When they arrived at the right floor, Commanders Jacob and Andrea were already there, together with Vereesa. Just was she was wondering how long they would need to wait for Highlord Bolvar, he appeared at the top of the stairs. Auburn haired, green eyed paladin looked as hopeful as he had been when she had last seen him: Few months ago back when the kings of the Alliance were busy tearing their organization down, Highlord accompanied his king Varian and was cautiously optimistic. The disappointment over that clearly did not change his perspective on life, or perhaps that’s how it was for all servants of the light.“Lady Windrunner, I did not have you waiting for too long I hope?”“Not at all Highlord, we had just arrived.”“Lord Marris, an honor to meet you,” He extended his hand for a shake, looking like a kid meeting their idol.Nathanos accepted his hand, “I am not a lord.”“And I am not a lady anymore Highlord,” Sylvanas joined in on the correction.“Ah, yes, of course, but still, I hope it was forgivable mistake. Well, l- Ms.Windrunner, shall we?” He gestured towards the chamber as Commander Jacob opened the door. Sylvanas accepted his offer and walked in with Bolvar after her. Jacob closed the door behind them, leaving Vereesa and Nathanos waiting on one side with the two commanders standing sentry on the other.The chamber was too large for a meeting between two people. It had a massive roundtable with only two chairs. Highlord Fordragon moved to sit in one as he offered the other to her.“So, to what do I owe such a meeting? Giving me a simple yes or no answer shouldn’t require this much fanfare,” Sylvanas decided getting to the matter immediately was the best.“Of course. We had your letter arriving quite some time ago. His Majesty and his advisers sat down and had a discussion over it and we decided to comeback to you with an offer of our own: Instead of just being a member of the Alliance Army or a resident in Stormwind, we want you to train and command a ranger army for us. It will be a sub-branch of the Stormwind Army and your rank shall be the equivalent of a Field Marshal, very few people has that rank or an equivalent in the navy. From the perspective of standing, you shall be directly under me and above me is only His Majesty, King Varian Wrynn. We are hoping your husband Nathanos Marris will also join us in this capacity with the rank of a Marshal, however, even he doesn’t, you alone accepting our offer will suffice.”Sylvanas was surprised beyond words. This was way more than all her wildest assumptions. Still, she kept a neutral face, “Is this a request? Or a demand?”Highlord seemed almost ashamed, “I wish I can say this is merely a request. However, we had long and detailed deliberations about this, and the conclusion we reached was that we couldn’t justify taking the risks that came with accepting you and your husband in, without getting something in return. You see, we have our own problems down south and our actions must consider the benefit of the kingdom first, regardless of our personal opinions.”“Fair enough. However, I need time to think this and discuss it with Nathanos.”“Of course. I will be leaving for Lordaeron City later today. I will stay there for a fortnight and will return to Dalaran before I make my way back to Stormwind. We can arrange a second meeting then, together with both of you this time, if that’s alright? And you can give me your answer then.”“That sound perfectly fine to me Highlord,” Sylvanas stood up and extended her hand which the Highlord Bolvar took with grace.“Please, you first,” he gestured towards the door just like he had done before the meeting.When they came out, the four standing outside clearly did not expect them to finish this fast and jumped. Nathanos almost had his hand on his blade when he saw her and relaxed. They shook hands one more time and went their separate ways.Nathanos could only wait until they left the Citadel, “What did he say?”“Well, they want me to train and command an army for them. A ranger army to be specific. We arranged a second meeting for two weeks later, that’s when we are going to give him our answer. You and I both will be attending that one.”Nathanos looked confused for a moment, and then a wiseacre smirk appeared on his face, “So, you’re gonna be the Ranger General again?” He turned towards Vereesa, “You win this one and prepare yourself for round two because I won’t be beaten twice.”Vereesa was grinning from ear to ear, “I told you, you can’t do small, there is just no way.”“Now hold on, both of you. I haven’t accepted anything yet. And neither have you,” She poked Nathanos on his arm, “Are you fine with this? You hadn’t sounded very interested when we talked about this yesterday. What changed?”“Wait, they want me too?”“Yes, of course, and even if they didn’t, you know I wouldn’t do this without you.”“I was fine with being your ranger lord just a mere month ago. I am not suddenly against it. And if they are going to treat you with the respect you deserve, it’s all good with me. Wait! Will they ask that we live in the city?” Nathanos pursed his lips so much he had basically the same face with his mastiffs at that moment.“That’s one thing we need to discuss and decide. Thankfully, we have time.”Vereesa escorted them a while longer before she left and went to her own business, but not before she hugged her and expressed her happiness in a really smug manner.The following two weeks were spent in careful deliberation. They decided that living in Stormwind City was a big enough deal breaker that they would rather give up on that kingdom whole together and search for other options. But living close to the city as long as it was outside, was fine. Training rangers would be outdoors duty anyway, even the more technical, studious education for officers would need to be blend in with field work, so doing the job itself wouldn’t confide them within any closed space for too long. Nathanos agreed to take a position as a ranger lord, this time as a trainer rather than just a Farstrider in missions abroad. In that case, they would take her nephew in. They would try their luck with Kul’Tiras next if these negotiations failed and they resolved that they would help Vereesa and Rhonin with their initial plan of taking Arator to Dalaran in that case. With that conclusion, they made their way to the same conference room from two weeks earlier.Highlord Bolvar was earlier than them this time. After a brief greeting, they went inside. There were three chairs in, with two carefully tucked in closer to each other than the third one. Fordragon made his way to the more distant one and signaled for Sylvanas and Nathanos to sit as well.“We have decided to take you up on your offer, however, we have certain conditions that if not met, we will not be able to come an agreement,” Sylvanas saw it best to get right to the point again.“Let me hear these conditions and if it’s within acceptable limits, we should be fine,” Highlord had his now usual optimism.“We don’t want to reside within the city proper. In fact, we would like to have as little as possible to do with the workings of the capital. Our hope is to have a corner for ourselves within the countryside.”Bolvar had a thoughtful face as he spoke, looking slightly above their heads,“That… Could be arranged. Of course you will need to be present in the Stormwind City time to time, however, having a residence outside the walls is perfectly doable. By the way, I should have mentioned this earlier, so pardon me. However, in Stormwind, only nobles can have a rank of Lieutenant Commander or higher. Which means you two will be granted nobility. No lands though and don’t expect a seat in the House of Nobles either. It is their decision to allow anyone new in and they have never granted that privilege to ascended military. This also means you shall be taking oaths of fealty and servitude, on you life, to King Varian Wrynn and the royal line of Wrynn. And unlike the ones you had for Sunstrider Dynasty, these you will not be able to rescind, only can be relieved of. ”“That is perfectly understandable and fine. The less we have to do with politics the better,” Nathanos waved his hand like he was shooing away the matter. “Well, that’s is then! We have a deal!” Bolvar slapped his hands together in glee.“Not so fast. There are other details need discussing, like the size of the ranger army and the budget as well as their operational limits,” Sylvanas on the other hand, was not so easily excited.“Yes, of course, however, those are far more technical matters and we need to decide them on the job. For now, all I can tell you is this: We in Stormwind, take the matter of state security quite seriously. And I mean no offence when I say this, however, we know about the recent decisions regarding defensive measures made by the Elven King and we find them to be, well, foolish. Being cheap about defense is the costliest thing in this life, and a mistake we simply cannot allow ourselves to make. So, even though I cannot give exact details here, I can assure you, we are not looking for token troops to show off. We really do want a ranger army. The performance of Lady Alleria and her Farstriders have become stuff of legends and the various hunter teams trained since the Second War had fallen way short of that standard.”Sylvanas and Nathanos looked at each other with barely contained satisfaction. She turned back to Highlord, “Very well. Then we shall talk the rest in Stormwind.”Bolvar stood up, “I was planning to leave tomorrow, perhaps you can join me and we can go together? At noon, in fact, past noon would be our time of departure. I have a breakfast rendezvous with the Grand Magus and I have the sneaking suspicion it will stretch on to a brunch.”“Yeah, mages do that,” Nathanos shook his head in agreement as he get up from his chair.They shook hands and that was it. Far from official, yet it was mostly done. Walk back to Vereesa and Rhonin’s home had been full of cheer with a bit of sadness in it. That evening, Sylvanas took it upon herself to cook Vereesa’ favorite dish, spiced chili crab. After the dinner, the two sisters went to the balcony on the third floor and talked for hours, in their native Thalassian. They had reminisced the old days, their childhood, their parents, their lost siblings. Oaths were made to keep in touch and come to one another’s aid. Childish as it was, they almost didn’t want to go to bed, like they could delay their separation if they somehow did not sleep. And yet, they were adults, so eventually, they said their good nights and retreated to their respective rooms. Morning wasn’t any better. After Sylvanas and Nathanos had done packing, Lady Moon and Little Moon and sat down, hugging and talking until the very last minute. Her little sister had tears in her eyes again, and this time, Sylvanas couldn’t keep a clean face either. When they finally said their goodbyes, they were more hopeful and more confident in their bonds.The two rangers went to the stables to take out their gryphons, who were terribly bored of not being able to fly for almost two months and were quite aggressive at first. However, handling animals was one the very basics of being a ranger, so they managed to calm them down and mount up, Bolt and Rex tightly secure in their baskets. They joined the Highlord’s entourage outside of the city and made their way to the southern harbor of Southshore. From then on, it was a sea voyage and the two poor gryphons we confined in enclosed spaces once more. Most of the way till Stormwind City was spent below deck, trying to soothe them. When the finally arrived the city harbor, they quickly realized Stormwind had a new fleet at anchor. Sylvanas and Nathanos both tried to make calculations on how much it must have costed, and looked at each other in barely contained shock. Highlord was not joking when he said they believed a cheap defense was more expensive, because those ships must have required a fortune. They took their miserable mounts for a fly above the city, before eventually landing at the stables.“We have a day before properly meeting the King. Shall we go see Arator?” Nathanos had gotten quite used to the idea of having her nephew around. He had plans about all the things he would teach the boy.“No. This whole thing can still fall apart. I don’t want to give any false promises. Once we have it on official, then we go see him,” Sylvanas was telling the truth, saying they would take him in, only for it all to go down the drain would be too cruel. Instead, they moved into their temporary residence within the city and went out for a walk.Stormwind was, huge and new. It was rebuilt after its destruction at the end of the First War, so despite being the over a millennium years old capital of an over a millennium years old kingdom, it felt and looked like a fresh settlement. The presence of military at every corner was jarring at first. Then they remembered the Stonemason riots a few years back that culminated in the murder of the Queen. It all made sense. Stormwind had always been the most military leaning of the seven human kingdoms, having expansionist wars against Gurubashi Trolls and the Gnolls, it had managed to stand against the might of the Orcish Horde, alone, for years. The subsequent fell of the kingdom and the later success of the Alliance against the Horde, seemed to have only further strengthen the martial mindedness of it. Combined with the recent riots and potential resurgence of a brigand activity, it was no wonder that they would want an army as large and strong as possible. The question was, could they afford it? Outfitting an entire ranger army from scratch was going to be a costly undertaking and that was before Sylvanas had seen their new fleet. Navies were even more expensive than armies, even the wealthy and lumber rich Quel’Thalas didn’t really keep a large one, Kul’Tiras being an exception, as they were an island nation, it was their only defense.The city lacked the polished cleanliness of Dalaran. Nathanos saw a few beggars here and there and it soured his mood. Beyond the politics and crowds, it was the poverty that turned him off from cities. “People feed each other and put a piece of clothing on each other’s back in the countryside. Something about all those tall buildings and large stone roads make people cold in the heart, they walk by starving fellows and don’t even look back,” He had said to her once. Sylvanas couldn’t object. Then again, beggars weren’t allowed to reside in Silvermoon, so out of sight was out of mind. They decided to take their gryphons for a flight and went back to the stables. From the skies, the beggars were invisible and the Elwynn Forest stretched on and on, so they flew that way. Sylvanas resisted to the temptation of flying to the small church Arator was living in and they made it back to the city shortly after sunset. The next morning, they had a light breakfast before they made their way to the King’s presence. Deciding that wearing armor and carrying weapons to the first ever meeting would be rude, they opted to wear proper clothes. Nathanos had only one such set, something they would need to amend if everything went well. The knowledge of possible future shopping caused him to grumble all the way to the royal quarters of His Majesty. Highlord Bolvar greeted them a floor below and walked with them to their destination. When they arrived to the large white doors, one of the two guards standing at each side saluted him and knocked for them, while declaring who came loudly. Another guard from within opened the gate and they made their way in.“That will be all, you may leave,” King Varian commanded the guard inside.A quick and sharp salute saw the sentry out and they were left alone. Well, not exactly alone. A dark haired, honey colored eyed woman in obvious noble attire and a comfortable seating that Sylvanas didn’t know who was also there. Still, she focused on the King instead and assumed they would be informed as to her identity.“Your Grace, allow me to present Sylvanas Windrunner and Nathanos Marris,” Bolvar bowed together with the ranger duo and gestured towards them.“No need for such theatrics, we have all seen each other before and know who we are, well... Except you my lady, this is Lady Katrana Prestor, she is a trusted adviser in my council and the current Speaker for the House of Nobles,” King Varian looked tired and sorrowful as he presented the woman to his left.Lady Katrana did not speak and instead bowed her her ever so slightly, displeasure apparent on her face. -Oh, great. SheAstalor.- Sylvanas held herself like she was used to holding herself at the council gatherings in Silvermoon, -Here is to hoping this one doesn’t end like the last one there.- With a silent command from the King, they were all seated at the large rectangle table. Sylvanas and Nathanos was at the right side of the table, towards the middle. King Varian sat at the head with Bolvar and Katrana to his immediate right and left respectively.“Bolvar here informed me that he had already told you all that would be. So I assume you know the requirements and commitments necessary.”“We do Your Grace. Oaths and service we understand quite well.”Lady Katrana snorted at that without any attempt to hide it. “Excuse me Ms.Windrunner , if I am not convinced of that. You swore vows to another king before, we all know how that one ended. And allow me to be honest right here: I was against this whole deal. We don’t need a larger army, we cannot really afford such a fanciful expense… And yet, our Grand Marshal here insisted that he just absolutely needed a ranger army. So, here we are,” displeasure was more than apparent, Sylvanas was quite sure Lady Prestor was actually holding from spitting out far harsher words.She kept her cool, “Allow me to be honest as well: I left the ancient king of my kin because he didn’t bother understanding or appreciating the finer details of military. If the same will be the case here, let us end this before it even began. If you brought me here to parade a couple of archers in extravagant armor, don’t bother. I won’t waste my time on it, and there are far cheaper ways to show off.”“No such tricks or cop-outs, I swear it on my honor,” Highlord Bolvar was dead serious. “Lady Katrana is always thoughtful of our finances, however, she sometimes thinks us little boys and herself our mother,” King Varian gave the woman on his left a warning look, “You will have your budget. We want an initial force of 1000 combatants strong, not counting the support troops. Building the structure, the bureaucratic workings, arranging all the necessities for their training, outfitting and accommodations as well as operational readiness, deciding the wages, raising and commanding them will be your responsibilities. We shall appoint proper adjutants for you both. If there is anyone you wish to recruit specifically, just tell Bolvar, he has full authority on the matter. So, when do you think we can have this force ready the earliest?”Sylvanas and Nathanos looked at each other and came to a silent agreement, “Three years is a realistic assumption, if we are allowed to recruit from within the existing army combat units. Nathanos here completed his training in two years and he had prior combat experience in local militia for Lordaeron. That’s of course, assuming we can begin today. Considering the fact that getting everything ready for even starting to recruit people would take months, I say 4 years is our earliest assessment,” Sylvanas finished leaning back to her chair.Highlord Bolvar and King Varian looked at one another in pleasantly surprised faces, “That is a much better and earlier date then we had hoped. Well then, let’s finish the rituals, so you can begin the work as soon as possible. Bolvar here will help you in all the early steps of establishment,” King Varian had an honest smile on his face.“There is one more thing,” Sylvanas leaned slightly forward, “We had told Highlord that we wish to reside outside of the city.”“Ah, yes. I almost forgot,” King Varian took a large polished iron key out of one his pockets in his large coat, “There is a villa just inside the treeline of Elwynn Forest to the north of the city gates. Close to the church your nephew is living in. It belongs to the Crown, but I shall hand it over to you. Together with its staff. They can be sent here, to the Keep, if you don’t wish to hold them. It should be large enough to raise a family in, it was used as a hunting lodge for foreign dignitaries.”“That’s very generous Your Grace,” Nathanos had genuine gratitude in his voice. “Not at all,” Varian stood up and they all followed him, “I will take your oaths, along with your tributes, at the throne room, tomorrow,” He turned towards Bolvar and he whispered “noon sharp”, so Varian continued, “Noon sharp.”“Well, if one good thing will come out of this ordeal, it will be to watch Count Lescovar’s face as he witnesses a High Elf and a Lordaeronite peasant get anointed as Stormwind nobility,” Lady Katrana seemed in much better spirits compared to earlier. She turned towards Sylvanas, “That whole rule about how only noble can hold a certain rank, well, it was the brainchild of his ancestors, back when our kingdom was first founded. The idea, of course, was to bar any commoners from ever rising within the army. However, King Landan realized that it just meant that anyone he saw fit to be Lieutenant Commander was also fit to be a noble. They have been howling at it ever since. Now that think about it, I have the feeling I shall quite like this new sub-branch of our armies,” the sheer antagonistic glee in her face sent chills down Sylvanas’ spine, however, the King and Highlord seemed slightly amused and quite casual about the whole deal, so she kept her discomfort to herself. “You will be the one listening to them complaining in the House of Nobles,” Bolvar had pity apparent in his voice.“It will be a change from all the moaning about taxes. Wait, no. They will still be moaning about taxes, but at least, I can tell them it’s because of the new High Elf noble. Uh, it will be glorious to watch them melt on the floor,” With a deep smirk on her face, Katrana Prestor made her way out of the chambers first.Once out of the Keep, Sylvanas and Nathanos decided to go visit Arator immediately. If the boy was in the middle of some educational activity, well, they would make it up with over time later. Taking their gryphons they quickly made their way to the church sitting within the trees in recluse. Even before they landed, Sylvanas saw the boy playing outside and felt a fist in her chest. She had been absent from his life for so long, and what for? Would he even like to see her let alone live with her? She grabbed on the reins even tighter as they made their descent.Arator did not move away as they made the dive and landed. As soon their feet hit the ground, her nephew started to walk closer to them, a fascinated look on his face, curiosity in his eyes and a wooden sword in his hand, “You came from the city? If you are looking for Brother Danil, he is at Northshire Abbey. Won’t be back for another day.”-Of course he doesn’t recognize you. How could he? He was barely two years old when you had last seen him.- Shame filled Sylvanas. She couldn’t stop a sad smile forming on her face, “Are you alone here? Who else is at duty?”“Priestess Anetta is here today. Shall I go get her?!”“Would you do that for me?”“Yes mam! Ehh, yes My Lady!” He sprinted towards the simple yet sturdy looking chapel and went inside yelling, “Priestess Anettaaaaa!!! There is a High Elf lady and a man looking like her guard here! She wants to see you!”The sheer innocence and brightness of the kid made her feel even worse. Nathanos walked to her side and held her hand in his, “We got this. You got this.”Soon enough, a young woman with dark honey colored hair in priestess robes appeared with Arator at the gate. Upon setting her eyes on Sylvanas, she froze, “Lady Windrunner!? It’s an honor to have you here. If you had sent word of your visit we would have made proper preparations! I am so sorry, please, do come in, we have enough living space here. Would you like to drink anything? You must be exhausted from the long journey, do take a seat at the table. We have tea, I can open some bottles as well, we had a decent harvest about 5 years ago, nothing befitting your station I’m afraid,” poor priestess was gesturing them inside, counting a million things while bowing and keeping her head low. Arator on the other hand, had a blank face since he heard the word Windrunner. Gone was the carefree movements of a child, he was almost rigid like a golem. Anetta whispered in his ear, “That’s your aunt!” A sharp and emotionless, “I know,” was his only response.They walked inside, towards another room separate from the prayer one and sat at the one table they had there. Sylvanas did her best to convince Priestess Anetta that she need not labor and the tea already had at the ready would be enough, after a few more frantic seconds, she seemed convinced, or at least surrendered.With their cups in front of them, Sylvanas decided to break the awkward silence, “Arator, you know who I am right?”“I do,” he spoke looking right in her eyes, face that of a steel. He had Alleria’s emerald green eyes, her hair too, and in that moment, Sylvanas felt like it was her elder sister looking at her, judging, “Where were you?” she was asking, “I had left my only child to your care and you abandoned him here, and what for?”Sylvanas took a long breath, being frank and without pleasantries would be the way to go. Alleria wouldn’t be fooled by curtsies and neither would her son. “I have decided to move in here, in Stormwind. And if that’s alright with you, I want you to live with us,” she pointed to Nathanos with her finger, “This is my husband, Nathanos Marris.”“Hi,” Nathanos had a face as serious as the one he had back at the meeting with the King. He extended his hand for a shake and Arator took it with an equally serious face, “Hi,” he responded back, “You are human I see.”“I am. Would that be a problem?”“No.”“Lady Windrunner, I appreciate the sentiment, I really do. However, we have, ahem, we have certain instructions about his upbringing and I’m afraid they override your kinship,” Priestess Anetta interjected with an apologetic face.“I know about Supreme Commander Turalyon’s will. It’s specifically about his education and not particularly about where he lives, or do I remember that one wrong?” Sylvanas summoned her Farstrider nerves to keep herself in check.“Ah, yes, no. I mean, yes, they are about his education, mostly. There are also instructions about his inheritance, which is locked in Stormwind vaults and neither he nor anyone else can access it until he turns 17.”“That’s perfectly alright, nothing that prevents him from living with me. Besides, we won’t be too far. We are settling down at the King’s hunting lodge, we checked on our way here, it is a mere twenty minutes walk from there.”Arator had a sad but hopeful expression on. He looked back at Priestess Anetta and then to his aunt and uncle. Anetta continued, “Well, that is quite alright. However, this decision is not mine alone. We need to gather all the entire and inform them Brotherhood. And the soonest I can do that is in two days time and not before.”Sylvanas turned towards Arator, “That’s alright isn’t? It would give you time to say your proper goodbyes and we would be able to ready the villa. You will be back here, pretty much everyday. I have no intention of cutting your education, however, you will be living with me and that means I get to teach you certain subjects as well. Do you accept that?”The boy blinked, twice. And then he had a short begging of a laugh, cut down with disbelief. He looked back at the priestess and then turned to Sylvanas, eyes making a pause on Nathanos, “Yes. Yes, that’s quite alright My Lady, My Lord.”“Excellent! Now, are you busy? Were you supposed to be doing something?”“No! I mean, I was practicing left parry and left lunge, but just because I wanted it.” “Would you mind showing me?”“No! Sure, come out!”Arator jumped from his seat and went outside. The wooden sword which he did not let go during the entire conversation, was shaped like a longsword. And It was also the same size as a longsword, meaning, too long for a child his age. Yet, when he began demonstrating his moves, he was sharp and able. From the way he moved, it looked like the sword had weight to it, probably had mercury in it: Proper training sword for a knight in the making.Nathanos and Sylvanas both had followed him to the outside together with Anetta, “He had began his training when he was five years old, as is custom for lords of Stormwind,” she told them with pride. Shortly after, Nathanos started to give him instructions, which the boy followed successfully and without question. Sylvanas had first thought he only looked like her sister, however, as he kept practicing his swordsmanship, the undeniable signs of his paladin father became visible: The way he stood, his jest and mimics, reminded her the young commander with whom she had fought against the Orcs.Arator wasn’t just the son of her elder sister, he was the son of another great hero, one of the saviors of Quel’Thalas. -And Quel’Thalas didn’t want him.- For the first time since she came to the chapel, Sylvanas didn’t feel shame, instead she felt validation. She had been right. She had done the right thing, was doing the right thing.They spent the rest of the day playing with the boy. They practiced sword fights, they walked a bit into the forest and Sylvanas showed him how to climb trees faster and how to tell a few plants apart. They gave him their presents: Nathanos had bought him a real sword, a short sword that is. It had a mighty fine craftsmanship and complete with its scabbard, it looked befitting a real knight. Sylvanas had a beautiful, Thalassian made leather plate armor, designed to look like a tight fitting doublet of green and gold. He laughed all loud and bright then. He was correcting himself each time he called her lady instead of aunt at Sylvanas’ encouragement. When the evening came, Arator first went for a bath, which he did all by himself. And then, they sat down for supper together with Priestess Anetta, who seemed relaxed and pleased with how the day went. After a while, Arator went to have his evening prayers, and they all joined, despite that fact that neither of the ranger duo were particularly interested. Light, clearly meant a lot to the boy, and how wouldn’t it, and that decided it now meant something to them as well. Once done with his prayers, he was only allowed to sit with them a short while longer, then Anetta informed them that his bed time had arrived. Sylvanas asked for permission to put him to bed, which they both gave. Nathanos stayed downstairs to learn more about her nephew’s daily routine and other important details of his life and persona.When she took him to his bedroom, Arator quickly changed into a simple and loose linen shirt and a soft, cotton pajama pants. As he got under his blankets, she sat down in a chair next to his bed. “I don’t feel sleepy right now. Usually I do, but I just want to sit and talk,” he still had a smile on his face, but some darkness Sylvanas couldn’t quite place was shadowing his eyes.“I guess you are excited. So am I. But you need to sleep all the same. A proper schedule is always important, however, it means even more when you are growing up. You want to be a paladin. You cannot be a paladin if you stunt your growth.”After a silent moment he spoke, “Why are you moving to Stormwind? I know it isn’t for me.”“On the contrary, I chose Stormwind because of you.”“But that’s not why you left Quel’Thalas.”“No, I’m sorry. I should have done this long ago. As soon as it became apparent… Well, I should have done this years ago.”“Is it because of him? Because you couldn’t be married to him there?”Sylvanas gave a soft chuckle, “For starters yes. I wanted to have children, children like you, and they wouldn’t let me have them there, so I have come here.”Arator’s face suddenly got washed with tears. Sylvanas panicked for moment, however, before she could figure out what to say, Arator talked, “Is that why… Is that why she left me? Abandoned me here? Because she was ashamed of me? Because she couldn’t go home if she had me? She went to a whole other world because she was too ashamed of me?”“No! No, no, no. Arator, Alleria, your mother, she didn’t leave you, or abandon you. And she was not ashamed of you, Never! No, she, she had a duty. To protect you, to protect the world you lived in. She did her duty fighting against Orcs and every other moment she had, she spent it with you. She was here, with you, at every opportunity,” Sylvanas had a bitter laugh with tears in her own eyes, “Heavens, I hadn’t even seen her for months when she left. Because she spent every, every moment that she was not on the field, here. With her son.” She caressed his faces, like she could touch his sorrows away.Arator sniffled and gained some control over his tears, though they continued to pour slowly, “I used to, feel her and dad too. I used to think I could feel them. Every year, on my birthday, I could swore I felt them. But then, last year, I didn’t. And I felt so lonely. It’s silly I know. I guess I was a child back then and hadn’t really understood what death meant, and then when I finally did, the illusion ended. Still, it was horrible. Like I lost them, truly this time.”“But you can never lose them completely, never. The ones we love, they are always with us. We carry them in our hearts and minds in every moment we live. And they watch over us, from the great plains of the Hunter and from the warm embrace of the Light and all the other heavens that spirits of the virtuous rest. We live our lives under their protection, strive to make greatness out of our own time, and then, if we manage to be worthy of those planes, we join them when the time comes,” Sylvanas reached the pocket of her jacket, right above her heart. When she brought her hand out, she had Alleria’s identification badge, “This one belonged to her. This is Alleria’s first ever badge, they gave it to her when she finished the academy and became a real Farstrider. It’s yours now,” She put it in Arator’s hand. Arator looked at the simple silver badge like he had seen the greatest treasure in the Nexus of Blue Dragons. His hands deftly put it on, chain was long and thin enough that it would not bother him in his sleep. Sylvanas leaned down and kissed on his head, caressing his hair, “Go to sleep now, you need to rest. Two days, that’s it. After only two days, we will be together forever, and we can talk as much as you want, about anything.”“About mom?”“Especially her.”Arator gave her a genuine, sweet, innocent smile and closed his eyes. Not wanting to bother him any longer, Sylvanas blew on the faint gaslight and went downstairs.That had been the longest two days in her life, and when it was finally over, she felt like she had eaten too much sugar, with wine. The boy’s energy was contagious and both she and Nathanos were caught off guard. They had their fears and doubts, they kept close contact with his caretakers. They had nothing but the best to say about him, however, they also gave proper warnings about his quirks, his more sullen and angry side. Raising him would be a group effort: His education at the chapel and Northshire Abbey continued and at home, they took onto properly teach him what they knew and keep a disciplined, steady life without suffocating him. After a month, they eased into each other’s presence. They were going to be alright.At the Stormwind City, Sylvanas had once again been bent over maps and charts and lists. Bolvar was enthusiastic at his helping, which was a plus. They decided against seeking any specific people Sylvanas knew. Building a new branch and one of the High Elven tradition would be aggravating enough for some, they did not want to add poaching into that. While drawing plans and completing the constructions of the new facilities for ranger training and accommodation, they designed a training schedule. Decision was made to recruit from existing army personnel with at least two years of prior combat training and exemplary record. They would take in and train officers first, and then those officers would be tasked with training NCOs who would then raise privates. Nathanos was brought to the head of the all training basics. They had kept the Farstrider rank system in place, both as a sense of tradition and because they believed the difference would make it feel more special. Given the requirements and future operational duties, they arranged for their wages to be double of standard troops. Both of these worked. They were flooded with applications as soon as they began taking them. There were even some from marines, and after a short deliberation with the Navy, they selected some of those as well. Sylvanas went with a simpler approach to their uniforms, the uniqueness would be point enough. They had pretty much the same design as the Farstrider one: It was forest green and brass instead of blue and gold, more lion figures instead of phoenixes and with old version of common runes over their jacket shoulders spelling the Kingdom’s motto: -Lion Never Yields-When the day come for the new ranger cadets to begin their training, Sylvanas was there too. With Nathanos at their command, they saluted her at the training field built inside the Elwynn Forest and she saluted them back. Standing at the watchpost, she watched them fail, get back up and try again. She was wearing her new green uniform of the Ranger General of Stormwind. Sewn onto the chest of her new leather plate jacket, in accordance with its color scheme, was the new crest of her family as anointed by the King of Stormwind: Two crossed ranger arrows with two mastiffs on each side.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Little Lireesa fascinatedly pulled on the blue ribbons of her dress. The youngest member of the Windrunner family was put into the sky blue and silver clothes for the celebration of her first birthday and it was ruined as soon as she got her hands onto her iced cake. She didn’t mind of course, the one year old, auburn haired, silver eyed half elf was interested in testing how hard she would need to pull to rip the ribbons off. She was also interested in the cake in her other hand, but as she shifted more attention to tearing her own dress, she started smearing the side of her mouth with the frosting.“Oh come on now sweety, you are going to cover yourself in cream!” Vereesa spoke as she tried to reach with a handkerchief to wipe her cheeks.“Nah, it is fine. She can smear herself all she wants,” Nathanos interrupted. He took the soft piece of cloth from his sister in law and gave it to his daughter, “but if she wants to clean up, she’ll need to do it herself.” Normally gruff ranger was smiling from ear to ear as he continued, “Oi! You filthy rabbit, wipe your face!”Quickly realizing that wiping her face would require her to stop pulling the ribbons or gave up the cake, Lireesa Windrunner instead chose to ignore her father’s command and dropped it to the ground.All four of the adults at the table started laughing heartily at that. Vereesa and her husband Rhonin were tilted sideways, almost falling from their seats. That just made Sylvanas laugh even harder and she was forced to stop trying to pour wine, lest she wasted a good Dalaran Red. Arator on the other hand, got up and walked over to his cousin’s side, picked up the handkerchief and gave it back to his younger aunt. He had always been a bit too serious for his age, however, as puberty started to rear its head, he had adopted an attitude of seeing himself as a real grown up, in the stiff, overcompensating manner that children did.Sylvanas didn’t mind. Having him play the responsible older brother was preferable to him acting like a petulant delinquent that so many other people were in this period of their lives. She too stood up from her seat, and went to take her daughter from her husband.“I’ll hold her, you baked the cake and haven’t even eaten a piece yet,” she said as she got her daughter into her arms. As she went from sitting on her father’s lap to her standing mother’s arms, the relatively fast change of height elicited an excited response from little Lireesa,“UP!”“Yes missy, up,” Sylvanas answered. Her daughter was at that stage where she was kind of talking and not really talking at the same time. She was rapidly picking up words from all around, but proper syntax still eluded her. Mixing Thalassian words with common ones, as well as the grammar structure of two wildly different languages were also not helping. However, Sylvanas would be damned if she didn’t teach her own daughter her own native tongue. Arator didn’t know a word of Thalassian when they started living together and it had been the first thing she had set to amend with the boy.That hadn’t been easy: Unlike Dalaran, Stormwind lacked a thriving High Elven community and teaching him Thalassian after his infancy, was no different than teaching him any other foreign language. Sylvanas figured he would probably have a human accent for his entire life. Still, she was proud of his studiousness and her own tutelage. It had also been an opportunity to talk to him about his mother Alleria, and a special bond that brought the aunt and nephew closer.She turned to her to her daughter and put on her serious mother voice,“Eat the cake or I am taking it away,” she said as she made a reaching motion with her hand.“Minn’da, nooooo,” answered her daughter dramatically, pursing her lips and trying to pull her hand away.“Well, then eat it missy.”“EAT IT!” She retorted with urgency and shoved the cake that has long been squished out of its shape into her mouth. One, two, three bites and it was over. She, “ate” it, at least most of it and the rest was smeared all around her mouth.Snorting at the sight, Sylvanas walked away from the table they had set up in the garden of their home, towards the water basin next to the flower bed. She sofly washed her daughters mouth, cheeks, hands and then slowly toweled her off, but there was no salvaging the dress. Looking back, she saw Nathanos and Rhonin trying to open another bottle of ale the latter had brought from Dalaran. They were already tipsy and this just guaranteed that they would be properly smashed as the day went on. Rex and Bolt were sprawled under the table, sleeping in its shade. Vereesa and Arator were now standing next to the edge of the small grove that merged with their garden, and talking amongst themselves while pointing at the trees. Sylvanas quietly went to their side, trying to listen to what they were saying.“Well, too much water shouldn’t really be a problem for this, it is native to Stormwind after all, but yes, perhaps you should avoid watering it as often as the others,” Vereesa was enthusiastically explaining to her nephew as Arator crouched down and started checking the leaves of his sapling.It was an old Quel’dorei tradition, to plant trees whenever a child was born into a family. They had had their own back at Quel’Thalas, in the Windrunner Estate. When the Horde marched through their homeland, burning it as they went, their trees were gone too. Theirs, and their parents’, and Lirath’s…Neither Sylvanas nor her sisters had the heart to plant new ones in their place. The motion felt meaningless then and once Alleria was lost to them as well, the very idea became too painful. However, once Lireesa was born, Vereesa came to her visit with a sapling. It was not one of Eversong Woods’, rather it was a close species from Dalaran. They had decided then, they would plant one for all of them: Their parents, their lost siblings, their husbands, the children and themselves. So now, right at the edge of their garden, they had eleven saplings, all of them barely a year old.Arator, for his part, had taken the responsibility of caring for his parents’ ones as well. They had brought a different one from Lordaeron for his father Turalyon and the boy had picked a Stormwind native for himself. Sylvanas crouched down next to him, with Lireesa now on her lap,“How are you doing?”“Eh!” Her nephew was surprised for a moment, but he quickly got over it, “I’m fine, just trying to make sure I don’t overwater this.”“You look like you have something on your mind.”“I… I’m just bored that’s all.”“Well, sorry about that,” said Vereesa as she pointed towards her husband and Nathanos, “I can see how it can be dull to spend time with a bunch of drunkards.”“Oh no!” Arator had mischievous smile on his face as he glanced behind, “No, no, no. That part is fun and I have a feeling that it will only get funnier.”Just as he said the words, Rhonin dropped his glass and both grown men started laughing excessively.“I had meant lately, not just today,” Sylvanas tried to get him to share without making it sound like an interrogation. “Ah, well, I… I guess I’m just bored lately, that’s all. I’m fine.” Arator had a calm voice but his face showed annoyance. His aunts looked at each other and silently agreed not to push further, for now.Meanwhile Lireesa was trying to reach the leaves, with the highly important purpose of plucking them. Sylvanas became aware of her ambitions and pulled her back, putting her hand between the little girl and the defenseless sapling,“No pulling on the leaves. Trees need them to grow.”Her daughter had put on her best fake innocent face that fooled absolutely nobody.“Look,” Arator spoke to his little cousin, “this one is yours,” and he pointed to one to the left of his.Lireesa made the same grabbing motion towards that one, though she was too far away. So she started to wiggle in her mother’s lap to move closer. And yet, the dastardly woman held her in place, “I have just told you, no pulling the leaves,” Sylvanas spoke with a soft yet final tone. Little Windrunner stopped her struggle and pursed her lips. The tree was hers, yet she was not allowed to pluck from it. What kind of a cruel and mad world was this!?Arator, Sylvanas and Vereesa had all pursed their own lips, mimicking her. And then they started laughing, which only confused the toddler. However, that was all they needed for her to forget about the recently thwarted plans.Despite having an overt display of energy, Sylvanas knew her daughter would get sleepy soon. She stood up and said, “I need to get her ready for her nap.”“Nooooo…” came the protest from Lireesa, but it fell on deaf ears.“Of course, let me help!” Vereesa seemed rather excited as she spoke to her sister, as if this was some sort of a trial for her…“Where are you all going?” shouted Nathanos, with a subtle slur in his speech. He wasn’t full on drunk yet, however, he was definitely getting there. “They are going to put Lirie to bed,” Arator answered for them.“Oh, give me a kiss then rabbit, come here,” Nathanos walked to his daughter and kissed her. Lireesa giggled as she shook her head at the touch of his beard on her cheeks.Nathanos turned his own cheek to his daughter, “Where is my kiss rabbit?”Not yet fully succeeding at the motion, she still tried and gave him a kiss of her own, and then she continued giggling as she shook her head again when his beard had tickled her face.Sylvanas couldn’t stop herself from joining her daughter. As she laughed, she also tried to warn her husband, “Try not to get too drunk before we come back.”“Oh don’t worry, we have enough booze for all of you,” he turned towards Arator, “You want a sip?”“NO!” shouted both sisters while Arator made a hand motion that signaled he was not interested.Rhonin came up to them as well, “You stay here with us Arator, we totally won’t let you have a cup while they are gone,” and then made the most obvious wink.Sylvanas rolled her eyes at that and started walking to the house as Vereesa stayed behind in an attempt to watch over Arator. Her sister was desperately trying to get two not so sober men to behave, which only made them act even more childish.Her house, one of King Varian’s hunting lodges close to the chapel Arator had been raised in, was far too large for a family of four. Sylvanas didn’t want to leave the existing staff without a job, so they were kept in her employment, mostly to take care of the large mansion. She had picked several rooms for her family’s use and rearranged them the way they saw fit. Other rooms were maintained in the event that the King would wish to make a visit. For his part, Varian had kept away. Sylvanas had assumed it was to let them have their own lives without an intruder and appreciated it. With just them and the now familiar staff as the only residents, they got used to the lodge, making it their home. Home… Far away from the lands of her ancestors, yet Sylvanas truly felt that this was where she belonged to. It was here that she taught her nephew how to use an elven bow. Here was where she gave birth to her daughter, her first and only child. Here, she could enjoy being alive, and tell the creeping voices at the back of her head to shut up. Fear, Sylvanas had learned, has become a greater constant in her life since she had started building a family of her own. Fear that these days wouldn’t last, fear that some dreadful misfortune would befall them, fear that she would lose everyone all over again. But in moments like these, with her daughter in her arms, under a clear blue sky with the lively voices of her loved ones in her ears, she could smother it with bliss instead. And yet, her ever vigilant senses picked up a sound and when she turned westward her heart sank. Three gryphons had been flying towards them and started their descent in a clear intent to land. There were only two riders and Sylvanas knew their uniforms all too well to confuse them with anyone else.Commander Jacob Alerius and Commander Andrea DeSousa dismounted swiftly and started making their way towards the front of the low garden. As soon as they were in a distance where they wouldn’t need to shout, Commanders saluted her and Jacob started talking,“You are urgently needed in the Stormwind Keep Ranger General. The King demands your presence at once.”Nathanos was already at her side, flanked by his two mastiffs that immediately jumped and joined him the moment they heard the gryphons. He took their baby girl from her hands as Sylvanas spoke, “Am I allowed to put on my uniform at least?”Commander Andrea answered, “It will be required Ranger General, however, we were ordered to ask you to be quick about it.”As soon as she got the word, Sylvanas marched inside with Vereesa bolting after her. With her younger sister’s help, she was ready within moments and out of the house.“No need to wait for me,” she said to her family and mounted the third gryphon that was brought. Together with the two commanders, they quickly took to the sky and began a racing journey to Stormwind City.It was a short trip and when they landed, they basically run towards the keep. Neither officers said a word on what was going on and instead quickly lead her to King’s private study upstairs. The guards at the door stepped aside and allowed Sylvanas entry. Jacob closed the door behind her, he and Andrea stayed outside.When Sylvanas first entered the room, she immediately saw King Varian pacing back and forth on the left side. Lady Katrana Prestor was standing to the back with an unusually calm face that looked deep in thought. In the middle of the room stood Lord Merek Erlgadin, the Ambassador to Lordaeron, with his head low and hands behind his back. To the right side was Grand Marshal Highlord Bolvar, Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth, Admiral Dvorek and Admiral Rogers. This was not a meeting, this was a full blown war council.She immediately saluted the King and moved to the right, taking her place next to Highlord Bolvar. Varian stopped his pacing when he saw her and turned towards the rest of them,“Now that the Ranger General is here as well… Just tell them what you told me Merek.”The highest ranking officers in the Stormwind’s armed forces all turned their heads towards the tall but skinny noble. Lord Merek Erlgadin stood up straight, brought his hands to his sides and addressed them in a calm voice that still betrayed concern,“Three days ago, while in the court of Lordaeron, Sir Uther Lightbringer and two of his lieutenants came to ask private audience with King Terenas in the middle of the night. I and the other diplomats in the city were not invited and did not get any official explanation regarding what it was about. However, I did manage to learn the contents of their meeting, thanks to my… connections. Apparently, Prince Arthas Menethil disbanded the Order of the Silver Hand, sending Sir Uther and his knights away, took full command of the Lordaeron Second Army and then he and the soldiers under his command went and… well… sacked the City of Stratholme.”“WHAT!” shouted all of the commanders in one voice.“Apparently, the population of the city was infected with the plague that they have been struggling with for a while and the Prince had decided that the only solution was to and I quote ‘purge’ the city.”“He is a paladin!” Sylvanas was speaking in more confusion than rage, “Surely he knows other ways to handle sick people.”“Yes, this is clearly a tall tale, right?” Admiral Rogers was in denial.Lord Merek looked at King Varian, who gave a nod of approval.“Apparently,” Lord Merek continued, “the plague was no mere disease. It allegedly has the power to turn those it kills into… undead.”The entire room froze. This was way beyond a tall tale. This was sheer insanity. A disease that turns people into undead, a prince massacring his own people by the thousands…“How is that even possible?” Highlord Bolvar sounded as lost as all of them felt.“I don’t know,” was Lord Merek’s honest answer. “However, I do know this; no explanation or declaration was made about it to anyone. So I quickly sent my wife out of the city and rode my gryphon all the way here without any breaks.”“Why was that?” Admiral Dvorek was genuinely curious, but the answer was already obvious to Sylvanas.“I didn’t want to get caught up in a lockdown. This is a dire matter and His Majesty needed to know, … you needed to know.”“This doesn’t make any sense,” Bolvar walked towards Varian as he spoke, “he is a paladin, why- how could he even do such a thing? And why on earth would King Terenas try to keep it quiet?”“To protect his son and heir, obviously.” Katrana Prestor had broken her silence for the first time in this meeting and she was already making too much sense for Sylvanas’s liking. “We need to protect ourselves. Whatever this is, it is an internal matter of Lordaeron, we don’t need to interfere.”“Did you miss the part about the plague that is turning people into undead or did I made that up in my mind?” Admiral Rogers came off as too sharp to Jes-Tereth’s ear who silenced her with a look.“We need details Lord Merek, please do not be shy about it. Whatever you know, we need to know as well.” Grand Admiral seemed to be the calmest and the most focused among them.“Ah, well, I’m afraid not much else… I know the Prince was investigating the disease, ah! It’s the grain, they said the disease was spreading through the grains in Lordaeron, apparently people in the city of Stratholme consumed them and that’s why the Prince gave the order.”“If that is true we need an immediate ban on all grain imports from Lordaeron,” Highlord Bolvar was back in the conversation, having gotten control of himself.“We need a ban on grain imports from anywhere north of Khaz Modan. Lordaeron grain goes through several hands before it comes here, simply banning one kingdom wouldn’t be enough,” Sylvanas had already started to think upon the logistics of enforcing such a ban.“Hold up!” Lady Prestor quickly broke the conversation between Grand Marshal and Ranger General, “Are you trying to starve the whole kingdom? Cheap grain imports is what’s feeding the people. Ban them and we’ll have food riots in our hands!”Riot, was a magical word in Stormwind. Speak it and everyone immediately got scared and became far more apprehensive. Whenever one wished to be listened to, they only needed to utter that word and everyone would be all ears, fearing what might happen, again, if they did not pay attention and do as they were told. And Lady Prestor was the lord and master of that dreadful spell. Not for Sylvanas, not today,“Undead is a threat beyond any social unrest. Undead means necromancy. Necromancy means…”“The Burning Legion…” Bolvar was almost too quiet as he finished her sentence.“Let’s not get carried away,” Varian had an ashen face but he sounded calm, “Whatever this is, no one will do anything until I go meet with King Terenas. I had been his ward since I was fifteen, he is like a second father to me. He will speak to me and I will learn the truth of this matter. Until then, no bans and no lockdowns.”“We can start an inventory count to see what we may need if or when a mobilization is ordered,” Sylvanas continued her trail of thought with a less urgent attitude, “Maybe even get the officer core together for ‘training maneuvers’, it would give us a proper excuse to have them ready if the need arises, without causing alarm, preventing panic.”Grand Admiral joined her, “We could hasten the maintenance of our frigates docked at the shipyard. All of our man o wars are already operational. We can start stocking up, under the pretense of preparing for patrol missions and use it for deployment if the decision is made.” “Border patrols,” Grand Marshal continued, “can be increased. Far away from the capital, they would not draw much attention. We can pull the necessary troops from all over the kingdom in small groups from each region, making it look like they were routine assignments.”King Varian seemed satisfied by these responses. He nodded his head in approval as he spoke, “Yes, these are all fine ideas, do them. I will leave at once, to Dalaran via gryphon and from there I will ask for a portal. I don’t think Grand Magus would refuse me.”Katrana objected with clear concern, “You will lack protection if you leave with such haste. Let us arrange proper escorts.”“There is no time and I will be as safe as anyone can be. There will be no further arguments on this matter. Remember, keep your mouths shut, not one word, not to anyone else outside of this room.” He sharply waved his hand to all of them, “Dismissed.”And with that, the King marched out of his own study as his generals saluted him. Several of his guards flanked him and together they walked towards the royal stables. Short, dark looks were exchanged between the remaining military commanders, who quickly darted towards their own separate ways. Sylvanas saw Lady Katrana Prestor with the corner of her eye, holding Lord Merek from leaving the study and shutting the door behind them, with a now familiar, unpleasant look on her face.Lady Katrana Prestor was a complicated and difficult presence to manage. Sylvanas would have called her an isolationist like Astalor and Belo’vir, if she hadn’t known hers was a different kind of suspicion that ran far deeper. Lady Prestor expected the worst in every person and acted accordingly. Beyond cynicism, beyond distrust, she believed above all, everyone else to be terribly insidious, awaiting an opportunity to hurt the Kingdom of Stormwind. Even among the harshest Alliance opponents in Quel’Thalas, Sylvanas had never sensed such visceral hatred for the “outside”.Not long after her appointment, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon had sensed his Ranger General’s discomfort with the attitude of their Speaker for the House of Nobles, and had taken it upon himself to explain or excuse her perspective and behavior. The story was that the Lord Prestor’s castle fell during the First War, before the City of Stormwind did. His wife and daughter were unable to escape the Horde. Captured and imprisoned, they had stayed in Orcs’ hands until they were liberated by the Alliance army along with all the other prisoners, after the end of the Second War. The mother died, but the daughter, Katrana, survived. No one could bring themselves to ask her what happened during that time, and she never offered any details to anyone, but the stories of what happened to most prisoners spread, and that was enough to explain it.That made her feel terrible then, one of the few occasions Sylvanas had thought, deep down, that her own kin got lucky. The Windrunner family was almost extinguished, but at least they didn’t suffer captivity under the Horde. And she could see what it did to Lady Prestor: No one else in Sylvanas’ life had ever spoken with such venom in their voice or with such burning hatred in their eyes about the Orcs, or the Alliance. In the eyes of the Stormwind noble, all the human kingdoms, Dwarves and High Elves, were responsible for what happened to her, to her family, as much as the greenskins. That core “truth” ruled over her every decision. She was forever displeased with them and never felt they deserved any commitments from her homeland. Sylvanas knew that if it wasn’t for the close relationships King Varian and Highlord Bolvar had with other realms, she could never be convinced to cooperate or even silenced in her protests. Whatever was this trouble up north, she would object any and all interference from Stormwind and that, Sylvanas believed, would be their first and perhaps hardest struggle in this matter. King Varian and Grand Marshal kept Lady Katrana in their council and trusted her, because of her proven ability to control and keep the House of Nobles from their back. However, it also meant whenever the Ranger General wanted to press a matter, she had to dance around the Speaker, or convince Highlord Bolvar first in privacy and then act as a united front in the King’s presence. Luckily for her, Varian was a martially minded man and more often than not, came to agree with them over Lady Prestor.Sylvanas returned to her own offices in the opposite wing of the Stormwind Keep. She immediately summoned her adjutant, Ranger Captain McCree, and together the two of them began gathering the relevant documents and drafting official papers for the inventory count. It was a boring chore that would take weeks to complete if it was just the two of them, so Sylvanas gave him permission to gather a few captains and lieutenants to help them out. The more people heard about the count, the more people would start to speculate as to why, so she immediately prepared an order for training maneuvers for the next week. It gave poor McCree a terribly short deadline, but he would manage.By the time she was able to leave the office for home, it was already past midnight and if she had been a human, it would be too dark to fly. When she started her descent to land on the side of the stables with the gryphon, Bolt and Rex started barking at her. She heard the front door of the house open. It was Nathanos with a lantern, completely sober and with clear concern in his eyes. He silenced the mastiffs and took over the duty of unsaddling the beast. They did not speak until they both went into the house and sat at the table of their kitchen,“Your sister and her husband are gone. Just a few moments after you left, a message came from Dalaran and they both took off.”“A rider came by?”“No. Rhonin froze a moment, his eyes all gloved pink and then he was up on his feet, saying ‘I have to go, they are calling the Kirin Tor personnel back.’”Sylvanas took a deep breath and sank in her chair,“Something… insane is going on. You are going to hear about it in a few days at worst. Probably everyone is going to hear about it in a few days, but for now, the King had us sworn to absolute secrecy.”Nathanos raised one eyebrow as he shifted in his seat,“The King had you sworn to secrecy? Then it must be a scandal. What kind of a scandal can affect both Stormwind and Dalaran? And calling his generals… I am assuming admirals were there as well. A military scandal? No, that’s too narrow. What royal ties are there between Stormwind and Dalaran? One that would require the presence of military? Ah fuck, this is about Arthas isn’t it?”Sylvanas’ stomach fell at the name and she couldn’t help but show it in her face, which Nathanos took as approval of his line of thought,“Aha! Let me guess, he ditched the Proudmoore girl, again, and this time Daelin is coming for his head.”After staying silent for a moment, Sylvanas burst into laughter, almost falling from her chair,“OH MY…. HEAVENS… NO! No! You are way off, waaaay off, oh the Light…” “Come on now. I saw the shock on your face when I said his name, I am absolutely right it has something to do with him. You remember how everyone reacted when we got the news of how he suddenly ended his courtship with Lord Admiral’s daughter. Even Lor’themar looked offended and he doesn’t even like humans.”“That’s Ranger General Lor’themar Theron to you, and stop trying to guess, I have just told you I am under orders by the King himself.” Sylvanas stood up from her chair with half a smile and started making her way out of the kitchen, “And yes, it is about him… But nothing entertaining like you think…”Sensing the dread in her voice, Nathanos followed her out and towards their bedroom,“Do I need to start preparing the cadets for deployment? Because you and I both know they are not ready.”And they wouldn’t be ready in time, if things went the way they feared. Four years she had told King Varian, it would take them four years to get their ranger army ready and it hadn’t even been three years yet. Granted, their cadets were picked from combat ready personnel, however, being a ranger was vastly different than being a footman and Sylvanas loathed the idea of putting them on the field early. “Graduation by fire” was the term used, she called it desperation. “I am dropping a training maneuver on your head. You need to pull it off in a week. We shall see what is lacking and try to make it up as much as we can, as fast as we can. Also, get ready to be swamped in paperwork.”When they got into their bedroom, Nathanos acted as her valet and quickly got her out of her uniform.“I got the hot water ready, in case you wish to take a bath.”“Oh thank you, that was an unusually polite way of saying that I stink,” Sylvanas teased him.Nathanos rolled his eyes at that and made an exaggerated bow with his hand showing the bathroom door.She didn’t object. She was tired and a million scenarios ran in her mind. So she took the opportunity to relax and put her thoughts in order. Dalaran was close to Lordaeron, way closer than Stormwind, and they were a city of mages. If Lord Merek had made it here in three days time, then Dalaran absolutely knew it for almost the entirety of those three days and probably longer. Yet they only now summoned their members. Rhonin was not a low ranking magi, but he was no Council of Six either. This meant that the Council had time to think the matter through and decided they needed to act on it, one way or another.The Ambassador did mention that the Prince was investigating the plague. Was Kirin Tor assisting him? If so, then surely they had enough information to explain the matter. King Varian would be there in two days time, if he asked Grand Magus Archmage Antonidas, would he give him the full story? Would Varian even ask him? The King trusted Terenas II above all, and he left with the clear intent of speaking to him directly. And what would happen if Terenas gave one story and Antonidas gave another? Logic dictated that they trust the academically minded and politically straightforward archmage, but Varian would certainly take his surrogate father’s word over his. She didn’t like how isolated they have felt here, emphasized by this recent development. Stormwind was a member of the Alliance, yet it always seemed like they were constantly disconnected from the rest of the kingdoms, almost like they were being left out.The suspicion made her uncomfortable beyond any real security concern. She could tell it was Lady Katrana Prestor’s perspective rubbing off on her. It was rubbing off on all of them. And if Sylvanas hadn’t known better, she would call it a sorcery. However, she was a High Elf and she did not get even a whiff of magic from her, meaning Katrana was a normal human. Either that, or a mage so powerful that she was able to completely shroud her aura, which was an absurd notion. If she had been that strong, then she wouldn’t be imprisoned by the Orcs for years.Sylvanas finally left the tub once the water began to go cold. She quickly dried herself off and went back into the bedroom. Nathanos was still awake, though barely. So she put on her nightgown and tucked beside him in the bed. He immediately put an arm around her, saying her good night and fell asleep in moments. The fear that had been pulsing at the base of her skull threatened to keep her awake, but she pressed herself to her husband’s body and managed to go to sleep in his warmth.The next three days were extraordinarily busy and went by in a sense of overwhelming chaos. Charts were made, schedules were drawn, maps were studied and reports upon reports were written to the point that Bolvar’s office was a maze of stacked up paper. The Army Printery was doing overtime and still, several hand-written copies had to be made to keep up. The inventory count was coming up with some absurd results, too many scarves, not enough lances... One saving grace was that the weapons of her rangers were ready, together with their spares. Enchanted items would be nigh impossible to make in time for their training otherwise. The real problem both the Grand Marshal and the Grand Admiral faced, was that although they currently, mostly, had the equipment necessary, they were running out of contracts to make more. If a war happened, they would need constant reproduction to keep up with the loses. They had avoided pressing that issue to His Majesty the past year, mostly in favor of other matters, but also because extending the contracts or making new ones meant the “temporary” taxes put in place back during the Kingdom’s rebuilding would be extended, again.Sylvanas was of the opinion that the sooner they abandoned all pretenses about the reality of the taxes, the better it would be for all of them. Her superior officers disagreed. They argued that the “pretense” was giving people hope that one day they would be gone, which provided them with the necessary tolerance to pass another extension from the House of Nobles.“Lady Katrana is exceptional at her craft, but even she cannot pull that off. There is a limit to how much you can push an unwanted policy.” Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth was the most pessimistic of them.“I disagree. I think the main problem here is convincing Lady Prestor herself. I have never seen her fail at pushing something through there. We just need to come up with something to convince her.” Highlord Bolvar was way more hopeful, though he yet didn’t know what that “something” could be.“As far as I can tell, the main reason she objects these expenses is because she considers them to be unnecessary. If we can find another use to our demands than just a ‘possibility’ of a war, that might work.” Sylvanas tried to pull from the book of excuses that she had used for years in Quel’Thalas.Bolvar Fordragon and Jes-tereth looked at each other for a moment and then with a completely straightforward face they both said, “We are going to annex Alterac.”If they hadn’t outranked her, Sylvanas would roll her eyes and chastised them for not taking this seriously. But they did outrank her, so instead she said, “I was thinking more of an expedition into Gurubashi territory, maybe expand southward a bit, create a buffer in Stranglethorn Vale.”Highlord first opened his mouth to protest, but he stopped, and then put on a face that told her he was seriously considering it.“It could work… Maybe? Your true expertise is fighting Trolls in a jungle, we could use that. Though we have so few incursions from there since the First War, I don’t really know how we could make it seem important,” Grand Admiral spoke as she pulled one of the maps closer to herself.“No. I don’t think it will work. Not a bad idea per se, however, it would be restarting a conflict that was long... on hold, if not over. Granted, the Kingdom still claims rights over most of those lands, but we lack the power to actually press that claim, so it is a moot point.” Bolvar had declared his conclusion with disappointment.Just as Sylvanas was about to offer another alternative, they heard a hard knock on the door.“Excuse me Grand Marshal,” Commander Jacob let himself into the room without awaiting an invitation, “However, His Majesty has returned and is asking for all you to meet him in his study, at once.”They bolted out of the room, without paying attention to the Commander’s salute. From Grand Marshal’s office to the King’s study was not a long way, and three generals basically ran there. When they arrived, Katrana Prestor was already inside. Sylvanas cursed silently; she had hoped to catch the King alone with just the fellow military.King Varian Wrynn had a grimm face and a sullen mood. He was sitting in his chair, spread over almost carelessly. When they entered and the door was closed behind them, he simply nodded with his head to acknowledge them.“You all better sit for this one,” He pointed to the chairs in front of his desk as he spoke, “and please keep quiet until I am finished.”A cold sensation latched itself onto Sylvanas’ spine. They quietly complied with the King’s command and started awaiting his speech. After one more moment, he began, “I have talked to King Terenas. The worst parts of the… story we heard are indeed true. Arthas did slaughter everyone in the City of Stratholme and yes, the plague that has been ravaging their country side is turning those who die from it into undead. However, there is more; He left the kingdom. Arthas… had taken the Second Army and a decent chunk of the Lordaeron fleet with him and sailed north. He apparently told Lady Proudmoore he was going to Northrend. They, and I mean Sir Uther and Lady Proudmoore, confirmed that this is indeed the Burning Legion’s doing, or rather an agent of theirs… A demon named Mal’Ganis is the architect behind the plague and allegedly he is hiding somewhere in Northrend. King Terenas was… sorrowful regarding the events at Stratholme, however, he has full confidence in Prince Arthas that he will put an end to that creature and solve this matter, once and for all.”Varian stopped and reached for the carafe on his desk, pouring a glass full of Dalaran Red. They sat in silence and watched as he drank the whole glass in one go. When he put it back on the carved oak surface, Lady Prestor sofly put her hand on top of it, blocking it from being filled again. King gave her a look and then let go of the glass in surrender.“Apparently, they had been running around together with Lady Proudmoore for months, trying to solve the mystery. And when they finally did, he went and made the decision himself, despite her objections. King Terenas, refused to reinstate the Order of the Silver Hand. He said he doesn’t want to overrule Arthas, not when he is out in a dangerous mission. He wants his son to be accepted back into Lordaeron when he returns, so he takes his ‘side’, even though he disapproves greatly of his methods. What’s done is done.”Seeing they were all still quiet, Varian said “That’s it. Now, you are my council, so… council me. Make sense of this mess.”Out of line or not, something did not fit in her mind, so Sylvanas spoke first, “Why on earth would Lady Katherine be ‘investigating’ some disease in Lordaeron?”“Oh, not- not her, her daughter Jaina. She is the apprentice of Archmage Antonidas, apparently she volunteered,” clarified the King.“Well then, why on earth was she investigating, as far as we knew, an internal matter of Lordaeron that, until now, seemed a sad yet insignificant affair?”“She wasn’t.” The answer came from Lady Katrana Prestor. “A bookish princess did not ‘volunteer’ to go ‘investigate’ a disease hitting small poor villages covered in mud. This whole matter never made sense, until now. It is a ‘magical’ plague. Somehow, the eldest child and heir of Kul’Tiras, who is also the apprentice of Grand Magus of Dalaran, and the son and heir of Lordaeron are the only ones tasked with investigating it. They are not priests, not healers, and for all the talk of Arthas being a paladin, he is not even the strongest one they have, he is average at best. No, they were not investigating, they were doing something that their fathers and masters couldn’t trust with anyone else.”The more she spoke, the more horrified Sylvanas felt. Because it made sense and Sylvanas could see where it was leading. Dalaran was famous for the reckless experiments of their mages, hell! Humans were famous for their reckless experiments regarding any type of magic. While necromancy was officially banned by the Kirin Tor, they still had access to the information and potential samples thanks to the Second War. That would explain the involvement of a mage in the affair. But it didn’t explain the axis of three separate kingdoms. Something far more sinister than that did. Sylvanas balked at the idea and felt ashamed for even thinking it, but Lady Katrana had no qualms about speaking it out loud,“Undead was a weapon of the Horde. Which makes it a, well, weapon. Anyone who dares can use it-”“Now, hold on a moment Lady Prestor,” Highlord looked offended as he cut her off, “Are you implying that- what? King Terenas was trying to make an undead army? That is preposterous!”“I am in agreement with Grand Marshal here,” Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth joined in, “That is preposterous. Why would they even do that, what would be the purpose?”Ranger General shifted in her seat as she spoke, “Undead doesn’t tire. They don’t need to eat or rest. Neither cold nor heat affects them. If one could replicate the Death Knights of Gul’dan enmasse… We will need more paladins. Or magical weapons for the entire army and probably both.”Katrana prestor look at her with a pleased face that Sylvanas did not want to see.King Varian was silent in his chair, eyes showed increasing concern. Bolvar Fordragon on the other hand, pressed on,“So there can be a ‘pragmatic’ benefit to it, at the grave cost of one abandoning their honor entirely and committing sacrilege. And in this scenario, we are to believe King Therenas suddenly became that kind of a- cannot say man, but I suppose monster would be fitting, so he became that kind of a monster and had ordered his old friends to make a poison to kill his own people and those friends also became- or I guess for this to hold they will just have to be from the start- monsters, and joined him with no objections and then the entire Kirin Tor, all the magi in the city were fine with it too and no one said a word of it? No. Just no. I normally appreciate the unique perspective provided by both of you esteemed ladies, however, I am drawing the line here. No, no, NO!” His voice had risen to a borderline shout towards the end of his rant, at which Sylvanas managed not to flinch.Lady Katrana had a far less dignified response; She shot up from her seat, almost hissing the words out, “I am not your child or your servant! Do not presume to chastise me, ever!”
Even King Varian was startled and in the next second he was up on his feet as well, causing Sylvanas and Jes-Tereth to join him out of respect. He put a hand on Katrana’s arm. She turned back at him swiftly, with a look on her face that said ‘How could you let him talk to me like that?’Highlord Bolvar slowly got up from his chair, his hand first pulled his hair back and then fixed his doublet, “My apologies Lady Prestor. I did not mean to raise my voice. Could you please forgive me for the infraction?”Katrana made a point of breathing out loudly in a sigh, “You are forgiven, Sir Fordragon.”They all sat back down. The King still had his hand on Lady Prestor’s arm, which slowly went lower toward her hand. Sylvanas had to put real effort into not raising one of her eyebrows in question. Really? Was this really happening? ‘Well, he has been lonely for years since his wife died.’ And yet, something in her guts told her this was not right, and she knew that only half of it was out of selfish desire to put more distance between the King and the frugal Speaker of the House. Something about the implication in the scene unfolding in front of her eyes was jarring, however, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, yet.“If we were to return to the subject at hand,” Grand Admiral was once again the most level headed person in the room, “we can follow Prince Arthas if we so please. The Royal Fleet will be ready for sail at full power in less than two months. We can go join him in Northrend and see for ourselves what’s really there?”“There is nothing there,” Lady Katrana snapped at Jes-Tereth who kept a cool face. “And if there is anything, it is sure as shadow not a demon army. Perhaps more of that plague or equipment they couldn’t hide here in the Eastern Kingdoms. Mark my words, that boy has it in his mind to challenge his father. No one takes the king’s army and the king’s navy away without permission and then comes back like nothing happened. Maybe Terenas is foolish enough to let him get away with it, but I don’t think the boy is foolish enough to risk it.”Varian was clearly distraught with the implication, “What are you suggesting now?”Lady Katrana Prestor leaned on the back of her chair and turned towards King Varian as she spoke, “He is a paladin is he not? And now he was forced to kill a city full of innocents because of his father’s schemes or incompetence, choose whichever you are more comfortable with. You tell me what a paladin is supposed to do after that?” She turned her head specifically to address Highlord Bolvar, “Would a paladin let anyone escape such a horrible act without punishment? Even if they were their own royal sire?”All color was withdrawn from Bolvar’s face. He did not open his mouth to respond.Content with his silence, she continued, “He is not the first and won’t be the last prince who rebelled against his kingly father. Lordaeron throne does belong to him by birthright, and now he may have the mind to claim it early.”A civil war in the Alliance was the last thing they needed. And it were to come to pass, then they would be forced to pick a side. Even if they declared themselves neutral, that would be a choice in and on itself; The stronger side would take it as a validation of their cause and the weaker side would take it as a silent agreement with their opponents. And then came the question of whom their King would choose: The reigning monarch who was like a father to him, or the rebel prince who was like a brother to him?“Regardless of what may happen in Lordaeron, we need to be prepared. The time for silence is over. We need to inform our troops on the developments up north and get ready for war.” Highlord was fully in control of himself as he spoke.“We are not ready,” Sylvanas informed them with disappointment. “We may be able to make up for it somewhat, however, unless this potential conflict takes a good year to start, our rangers will not be able to complete their training before hitting the battlefield.”“Graduation by fire,” said Jes-Tereth with a sigh.“We cannot wait. Complete the training maneuvers scheduled for this week and then we need them on the field. We need them up north of Khaz Modan. If there is one thing we can all agree on here it is that we cannot rely on Dalaran or Lordaeron to keep us updated. We need boots on the ground to give us information if nothing else.” Bolvar seemed and sounded frustrated.“Now, slow down for a moment, all of you,” King Varian had clear eyes and a real calmness for the first time this meeting, “We cannot and will not just declare a military incursion into the territories of our allies. Especially not combat missions. Let’s plan this carefully.”“A reconnaissance operation then. We will give them strict no-engagement orders and make sure they remain hidden from everyone’s eyes. We can remove identification badges, and other official insignia that would show whom they belong to and place gag orders. If they get caught, they are to deny any and all association with the Kingdom and the Army of Stormwind.” Farstriders’ code, she was born in it and her rangers, human or elf, had to live it.“Deny how? They still be obviously wearing our ‘Ranger Army’ uniforms. No one would believe such a farce,” dismissed Lady Prestor.“They will deny it all the same, they will claim they had stolen the gear if they must and we won’t accept them either,” Sylvanas answered coldly.“Wouldn’t that offend or demoralize the troops?” Grand Admiral was speaking from a place of genuine concern.“It is within the definition of the duties they have signed up for. It is expected of them and on that ground, I trust them with my life and honor. They lack some crucial practical training, not discipline.”The pride Sylvanas took in her rangers was reflected in more than just her words. Ever since she had arrived in Stormwind, she had known her “place”. She was “nobility” in name only. She owned no land and no properties, she and her entire family was living in the King’s lodge by his leave, he could kick them out anytime he pleased. She was a High Elf in a human kingdom no matter how much Stormwind boasted about being “tolerant”. In the military, she was outranked by two humans whose combined ages were less than her own service time and she was married to another foreigner who was by every sense of the word a “peasant”. And yet, she would not, could not stand anyone, no kings and certainly no mere “speaker” to question the dedication, loyalty and honor of her rangers, regardless of intent. She had crawled in the mud with them, run under the rain with them, shouted at them even insulted them, sent them to do the same tasks over and over again until they perfected it, and even if they were about to collapse they did not disappoint her, not even once. At that moment she was not subordinate to anyone, she was the Ranger General and the entire room felt it in their bones.All four of the humans in the room got straightened up in their seats and King Varian cleared his throat, “That is it then. A reconnaissance mission for our Ranger Army and the rest of the military will start to prepare for mobilization. Cancel all leaves. And no more grain imports from anywhere north of Khaz Modan. I want our borders secure. Establish camps near the mountain range and anyone coming from Lordaeron should be stopped and taken there for a week, to see if they have the symptoms of a disease or not.”As the King rose from his seat following his orders, so did they.“It will be done Your Grace,” Bolvar saluted him, followed by Sylvanas and Jes-Tereth.“You can all leave, we will meet again tomorrow, noon sharp. Make sure you have everything ready by then. Now… I want to go spend some time with my son,” sadness returned to his face as he said the last words and left the room. They did the same, only after him. Sylvanas made sure to check where Katrana Prestor was going, and at least for now, it didn’t look like she was going towards the same direction as the King.For their part, Grand Admiral and Grand Marshal went their separate ways and Sylvanas followed her direct superior officer. Once they reached Highlord Bolvar’s office, he simply gestured with his hand as he took his own seat and said, “Sit.”As soon as her bottom hit the chair, he went straight into business, “We need to inform the staff officers now. We need them to know what’s what. Do you have someone in mind to send over to Lordaeron to command the field there?” “Myself and Ranger Lord Nathanos are the only ones qualified to take charge of an operation of the scale we are planning. Do you intend to make the choice yourselves, Grand Marshal?”“No, there is no need for that. I trust you know the best course of action. I am rather concerned about that no-engagement order though. It would work against other people, but undead… They should be able to fight them. They have enchanted scimitars, silver tipped arrows and some alchemical combustibles if I remember correctly. That makes them the best equipped ones to deal with the threat other than paladins.”“The question is, which one will have priority; Fighting undead or remaining hidden? If confronting the creatures would expose them, what should be their choice? We can of course, always leave it to the personnel on the ground, trusting officers to make the best possible decision given the situation they are in.”“Let’s go with that. Micromanaging such special troops often brings more harm than good. They will have a blanket no-engagement order, but it will be flexible.”Bolvar took a moment to rub his eyes. The next time he spoke, the subject caught her completely off guard, “So… You noticed it too, right?” He had a disappointing surrender in his eyes.“Ah… You mean…” Sylvanas made a motion of holding her own arm like King Varian did to Lady Prestor.“Yes, that,” he hit his own teeth with his thumbnail, “I mean, I do not judge obviously, it is not my place, however…” he trailed off without saying anything that might be unpleasant.Sylvanas on the other hand, took the opportunity to dig further, “How long has this been going on?”Bolvar shrugged, “I have only noticed it recently, a day before His Majesty left for Lordaeron. I had thought my mind was playing games with me.” He stopped and then added, “He won’t marry her.”And at that, Sylvanas was confused. She frowned, “If you don’t mind me asking, how do you know?”“Because he said so. That very day, he said he won’t remarry, ever.”“Did you ask?”“No. I wouldn’t dare. I mean… he is my dearest friend, but he is also my king, one of those comes before the other. No, he just up and told me that and then I saw them act all weird, later.”“Perhaps he was speaking to convince himself?”Bolvar shook his head in disagreement, “He was full of sorrow when he spoke. I think… I think he too realizes what he is doing is debaucherous, but… I suppose he feels it’s a comfort he couldn’t resist.”The declaration that an extramarital affair was inherently “debaucherous” made her uncomfortable, but she bit her tongue. Humans were… generally more, prudent if not prudes, and religious ones were a tad bit more so. After years of dealing with their politics and now living among them, she was used to it, till a point. This, however, reminded her that the Highlord was in a similar position himself.He was no widower of course, but he was estranged from his wife who lived in Lordaeron. Apparently Lady Fordragon had come to Stormwind only once, to attend King Varian’s coronation. She knew it was a political match that King Terenas arranged back during the Second War, in order to strengthen the ties between the two kingdoms and give his own nobles a motivation to help rebuild Stormwind, however, it seemed to be a particularly bad one. They had one daughter, close in age to the Crown Prince Anduin, and the Highlord visited his wife’s estate in Lordaeron several times a year in order to spend time with her, but the girl was never once sent here. It didn’t look like anything more happened in those visits, and Sylvanas knew the paladin was unfortunately restrained by his own morality and did not seek “comfort” elsewhere. Such deprivations only compounded one’s loneliness and people who were suffering from such severe isolation did not make the best decisions or behaved in the best manner, she would know.“Do you think she will use it to her own benefit?”Bolvar looked scandalised, “No! She is- No! My concern is for her, after the tragedies of her life, she deserves more than just being the-” he leaned over the table and lowered his voice, “mistress of a man who has no intent to marry her, king or not.”Sylvanas made a point of raising one of her eyebrows, “I don’t think our lady of concern is as delicate a flower as you believe her to be. She basically whips us whenever we have a meeting and she doesn’t ever show any fear, no matter who is challenging her. I am more worried about the King, and our relationship with him regarding the military. She has a powerful tongue, we didn’t need it any closer to his ears.”Bolvar gave her a confused look and shook his head in disapproval, “You two have too similar a nature, sometimes the things that come out of your mouth shocks me, like today.” He took a deep breath before he continued, “I suppose since you ‘are’ similar you would know her better, or guess better. Even so, there is nothing we can do, I cannot tell His Majesty to… you know…”Sylvanas did not enjoy that the Highlord likened her to Lady Prestor, but she couldn’t really object either. She knew the type, and she supposed it did rub off on her, due to all the time she spent in both courts, full of similar people.There was another thing she felt they needed to address, “If this plague situation intensifies, what will you do?”He became silent with a serious face, he looked angry. When he spoke, Sylvanas heard real rage in his voice for the first time, “She won’t send her here. I am trying to arrange for her to be taken as ward to somewhere else, but if things come to worst, I am not ‘allowed’ to bring her here,” he continued under his breath, “stubborn woman.”“While we are at Lordaeron, we can snatch her. Never kidnapped a five year old before, but cannot be more difficult than dragging Troll commanders out of their strongholds,” Sylvanas was joking with the hope that it would get the man to relax, but his expression did not change,“You jest, but it might come to that. Would it be too tall an order?”Sylvanas was quiet for a second before she answered, “Are you asking me if I would save a child from undead monsters, if it meant enraging an entire kingdom and maybe causing a war?” She leaned on the back of her chair, “If we get caught, we will deny having any orders and say we acted alone.”Bolvar snorted, he had half a smile on his face but his eyes showed he was hurting, “I understand she is her mother, I understand that. But Taelia is my daughter too, mine, I have- I should have the right…”He shook his head one more time then pulled a paper in front of him and grabbed his quil, “I’ll handle the paperwork, you focus on your operation only. Inform Commanders Jacob and Andrea, they are to call on the other Field Marshals to handle the rest of the work.”Ranger General got up from her seat and stood at attention, “We will also need a code name for the operation, as this will be a covert one, we need a method to address it without exposing it.”Bolvar raised his head from the paper in front of him for a moment and then said, “Call it ‘Visitor’, make sure to encrypt all reports.”“As you command Grand Marshal.” Sylvanas sharply saluted the Highlord and left his study for her own. Once she arrived at her own quarters, she summoned the two Commanders and gave them their orders. Her adjutant, Ranger Captain McCree, was awaiting her at the door and after the Commanders were gone, she turned to him, “Summon the rest of the staff officers, we will have an emergency meeting here, starting in 10 minutes. Once everyone arrives, clear the floor and put it under lockdown.”Ranger Captain saluted her swiftly and ran down the stairs. * * * * * * * *The Grand Lodge of the Ranger Army of Stormwind was hidden deep inside Elwynn Forest. Built in the traditional style of Quel’dorei Farstrider lodges, it had a mess hall on the first floor that served as an auditorium when needed and it was needed now: The shutters were sealed shut, enchanted runes were activated to prevent any noise from getting out. With magical shrouding curtains blocking any sunlight, the mess hall was enlightened by illuminator crystals embedded in its ceiling. Sitting on the wooden benches in rows, were all 1000 members of the ranger army combat personnel. On the stage at the end of the hall, there were several boards with their contents hidden behind covers. As Ranger Lord Nathanos Marris walked up to the stage, Ranger Captain Troteman shouted, “ATTEEENTION!”The entire room shot up to their feet with a salute. The Ranger Lord signalled with his hand for all of them to sit back down and went to the first board in the middle. Pulling down the cover, he turned towards the rangers and his booming voice filled the room,“Operation Visitor: A covert recon mission across allied, neutral and potentially hostile territory. Primary Objectives: Acquiring intel on the operational activities of the state and military organizations of each region. Identifying and assessing the threat or the potential of a threat of undead and/or demonic activity. Secondary Objectives: Mapping of the defensive positions and patrol routes of military organizations active in each region. Identifying and accounting their strengths, both of numbers and of equipment. Is everyone following so far?”“Yes Sir!” came the unified answer from the hall.Nathanos continued, uncovering another board, “This is an undercover operation. Rule number one: Absolutely, under no circumstances, can you expose yourselves or your mission. You will remain hidden from the local populace no matter what. I fucking repeat, you are not allowed to show yourselves to anyone, ever! You will not mention what your mission is, who you are or whom you work for to anyone. When you get deployed, your families will be given cover stories and the record of this mission will be sealed until your death or such a time that the King himself sees it fit to make them public. Once you hit the field, you are not going to be ‘rangers’ or ‘Stormwinders’ or ‘Alliance personnel’. No identification badges, no tags, no insignia, no display of banner, flag or coat of arms of any kind. If you get captured, you will keep your mouths shut and under no circumstances will you give information regarding your identity, affiliation or mission. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?”“YES SIR!” the entire room shouted back.“Rule number two: NO-ENGAGEMENT! This is not a combat mission. You are not to engage any hostiles that may be in your area or threaten you. If you face any human, elven, dwarven or gnomish presence that threatens you, fucking hide and if you cannot hide, fucking run. I FUCKING REPEAT: DO NOT ENGAGE! CLEAR?”“YES SIR!”“If you face any undead or demon, protecting your cover takes absolute priority, however, you may engage these if you, on the field, believe the need has arisen. The officers and petty officers will have the responsibility and you can all be court martialed, depending on the outcome. Is there any questions?”One of the rangers raised his hand.“Yes, Ranger Danforth.”“Sir, will we be allowed to engage Orcs and Trolls if we face them?”“Same rules as the undead and demons apply. Anything else? IS EVERYONE CLEAR?”“YES SIR!”“Good. Now,” Nathanos moved towards the rest of the boards and took off their covers one by one, exposing several maps and details showing pretty much everything north of Thandol Span; Only Gilneas and Quel’Thalas were left out. “This is your area of operation. Each company will operate in a specific predetermined section. Any fluidity between companies and regions will depend on the circumstances on the field. First and foremost, everyone will learn their area and focus on them. However, since fluidity is an option, EACH AND EVERY SINGLE RANGER WILL STUDY ALL THESE MAPS UNTIL THEY CAN DRAW THEM FROM MEMORY.”“YES SIR!”“We will be having training exercises and lectures every day and every night for the next three weeks. You will be given courses on field tactics and your gear, the actual study required for the operation will fall on you to complete on your own. Starting from now until deployment, you will not leave the facilities in Elwynn, any type of contact with the outside is strictly forbidden. RANGER CAPTAINS!”The officer core of the Ranger Army jumped from their seats and stood at attention.“Divide the room between each company and start the briefing of your troops,” And with that, Nathanos went down from the stage. As he passed through the length of the hall, rangers were turning benches, moving boards and taking out their journals. The staff officers had been actively involved in the planning of the operation and thus, knew it by heart. And now it was their turn to drill it into their units’ mind. Exiting the mess hall, he half run up the stairs and went to the Ranger General’s office there.Inside, the Ranger General was examining a manual about several alchemical components and their use. Since they needed to hasten the process of training their cadets, these were made to aid them on the field, in case they needed it.“Ranger Lord, look at this and tell me what’s wrong,” Sylvanas extended the manual to Nathanos without getting up from her seat.“Yeah, if you put that much Firebloom in the Oil of Immolation, it will explode in your hand.”“They all have the formula wrong and it’s not just the oil. Flasks have errors in their component lists as well. This entire batch is just a waste of paper, we have to get them all reprinted.” Frustrated, she threw the two other manuals on her desk into the trash pile of paper at the other side of the room.“When things go fast, they always go wrong as well, here and there.”“We will have dozens of men and women out of commission because they blew their fingers off trying to follow a faulty instruction.” Sylvanas was annoyed and enraged about more than just a bunch of misprinted manuals. The training maneuvers hadn’t gone as terribly as they had assumed, yet it was still a disaster in her eyes. She wanted to be out there on the field with them, as if she alone could somehow make up for the year they were lacking from their training. However, logic, not desires dictated decisions and the decision had been made; Nathanos would be the executive commander in charge of the operation and she would stay here, in Stormwind. As soon as they got the word from Grand Admiral they would deploy and after that, everything would be out of her hands.The situation at the court was getting more erratic by the day as well. When Lady Katrana Prestor took to the floor at the House of Nobles for an extension of the taxes, she had faced fierce opposition, to the point that a portion of the city guard was brought inside the building to keep the order. Which only created a bigger commotion out in the streets. In the end, fear took over the capital with stories half true-half a lie regarding what was exactly going on in Lordaeron. She didn’t like how quickly they had spread and how convenient they were, however, those stories convinced the House to pass the extension. Sylvanas couldn’t complain, but she made sure to take a mental note of the whole situation, how quickly it flared up and how quickly it died down.Due to the whole wartime preparations she was barely at home, if ever. Which meant she couldn’t see her daughter properly and probably wouldn’t be able to for a long while. At least until this whole situation was resolved, one way or another.The three weeks of training that they had given themselves passed more successfully than they hoped and just a week later, deployment time had arrived. It was midnight in Stormwind and the docks were filled with rangers waiting to board. Slowly they got loaded into the frigates and Sylvanas watched them from the battlements overlooking the harbor. Her Ranger Lord stood beside her, looking into the scene he would soon join.“They got this. They will shit the bed here and there, but they are talented professionals and they got trained by the best.” Nathanos was speaking more to ease her concern than anything else. He had already said his goodbyes to his daughter, who did not and probably would not understand why he was gone. Arator had hugged him first and then saluted him like a soldier on his way out. The boy was getting stiffer and stiffer, and looked more brittle since his departure was announced. When he got back, he would make sure to sit him down and have a proper talk about what it means to be a man.This was neither the first, nor the last time Sylvanas would send him out to a dangerous mission far away. And yet, somehow this one hurt, ate at her heart. She actually knew why, but for a good while she did not confess it to herself. She feared confessing would tempt fate, bring about all of her worst nightmares. So she pushed them all down and put on her ranger general face. And then they had said their goodbyes as well, in the privacy of their bedroom, without fear. Confessing her worst to Nathanos was easier than saying it to herself, it had always been.When the last of the companies started boarding, it was time for him to leave as well. They exchanged a sharp salute,“Good fortunes on your mission Ranger Lord.”“Thank you Ranger General. But I have the best of luck in all of the Eastern Kingdoms, so if you could just go tell my wife not to worry too much, that would be great.” He gave her a cheeky grin.“If nothing else, all the arrows they will accidentally shoot you with will bring you some humility.”“If I get shot, I will use that as an excuse to avoid any and all work at home, love.”“In your dreams, Nat.” She smiled for a moment, and then gave him her ultimate order, “Come back.”He looked as serious as the day they were sworn to each other, “I will.”And then, he was gone.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As summer arrived, the green and lush fields of Lordaeron were resisting the call to turn yellow. Within the tall grass, lie three rangers in green-brass uniforms that blended into the scenery. Ahead of them was a dirt road and at the other side of the road, surrounded by a rather sparse set of trees, was the Balnir Farmstead.They were waiting for the patrol that passed from that road every day, just past noon. Today, they were late.The Captain checked his gnomish pocket watch; More than an hour had passed the usual time. These patrols weren’t minute accurate, however, they were not this lax either.“Click-Clack.”The clatter got all three rangers freeze their already minimal movements. To an untrained ear, it could have sounded like an insect or a small bird, however they knew better. Their Captain reached into his pocket with his hand and brought out his own metal cricket,“Click-Clack, Click-Clack.”The double sound he made was answered by shuffling noises and now they could see the grass shifting, down southwest side of the lower road. With a small shake of his head, he sent one of his rangers towards that direction,“Click-Clack.”“Click-Clack, Click-Clack.”Ranger Alessa stopped her crawling when she felt she was close enough to the road.“White.” She said with an almost too loud whisper.“Lion!” Came the answer from the other side and five other rangers quickly jumped from the grass they were hiding in and made their way to Alessa. The brown haired, blue eyed woman made an awkward salute from her crawling position,“Sir, Ranger Alessa, Sir.”“Ranger Captain Talmont, where is your superior officer?”“We have Captain Jason looking over the farm road. Our Ranger Captain Velrek went into the city Sir.”“Oooo shit!” Said one from Talmont’s squad. Ranger Captain went up in a sitting position and took out his journal from his front pocket,“You go tell your platoon, they are to keep their eyes open for the Prince.”“The Prince? Sir?”“Prince Arthas, he has returned to the Kingdom via the North Coast. He has his army with him, they don’t seem to be marching for war, but still. When your Ranger Captain returns, tell them what I have just told you. We are moving further east to inform the Ranger Lord.”Talmont took a few notes in his journal with his compressed charcoal and then put them both back into his front pocket under his leather armor-jacket.“Click-Clack.”They all turned towards the direction of the sound. Ranger Captain reponsed with his own two clicks and then sent Alessa on her way. He and his platoon kept going eastward, now able to run at least at half speed thanks to knowing their allies’ position.* * * * * * * *Nathanos had just returned from his inspection of the company operating in Andorhal. He took his jacket off and sat in his tent, looking over the recent reports, comparing them with the earlier ones,“How are your shits Troteman?” “They are ongoing Sir.” Ranger Captain Troteman had a less pale face than before and even managed to crack a small smile.“If you turn into undead, do give us a heads up, will you?”“Yes Sir!”Since the operation had begun, they had not faced any combat situations and his boys and girls managed to work undetected by locals, civilian or otherwise. When they moved deeper into the countryside of Lordaeron, they had made it a priority to follow the story of the plague and pinpoint its origin. Andorhal seemed to be the place, however, their limited ability to speak with people made every bit of information too obscure for his taste.In the meantime, Nathanos had chosen the woodlands just south of Stratholme for his headquarters. Lordaeron did not make any moves to reclaim or clean out the city, and kept no patrols around either. Besides the fact that Prince Arthas had taken a decent chunk of their army away, it rather seemed like King Terenas kept his soldiers and his people inside the cities and castles, rather than allowing free travel as he used to.“Ranger Lord, Sir?”“Yes Ranger Captain Blueheart.”“Sir, I was thinking, perhaps we can work on the City of Stratholme itself.”“We had already ‘worked’ on the city, we even got some samples from the remains in the city.”“That is quite correct Sir, however, while the homes are burnt down, the stone walls of this great stronghold still stand. We can refit it with ease to protect ourselves, if the need arises.”“We cannot protect ourselves ‘if the need arises’. Did you forget this is not a combat mission? If we face a threat where we have to hide in a walled city, we are leaving. Our orders on that regard is clear.”Ranger Captain Joanna Blueheart looked rather disappointed. She had a mind to be a proper ranger lord someday, however, she had a tendency to think too much on stuff she wanted to do and then make them fit the book, and not the other way around. Rex and Bolt raised their heads and shot up on their feet in an instant. The alarm of the dogs made the ranges around pick their bows and turn them to the direction that the two mastiffs were looking at, with arrows nocked and drawn.“White! WHITE GOD DAMN IT,” came a shout from far outside the camp’s west side.“LION!” Roared Nathanos in response.Ranger Captain Talmont showed himself from behind a tree,“I used the cricket and I said the code, but none of these imbeciles at the watch responded!”“So you decided it was a good idea to try and sneak in?” Ranger Captain Troteman looked pissed.“No, I decided I should get closer so that they can hear!”“Cut the crap, both of you! Fucking staff officers right there, setting a real example for the rank and file.” Nathanos interrupted the spat between the two with a chastisement of his own,“Well? Don’t fucking stand there, come here!”Talmont and the rest of his squad walked past the watchers at the perimeter, both sides giving each other nasty looks.“Sir, I have come to report that Prince Arthas has returned to Lordaeron Kingdom proper. The last we had seen him, he and his army has been marching south towards the Capital City.”Joanna and Troteman both had alarm on their face, however, Nathanos kept calm,“Who did you leave in charge of tailing him?”“Rest of my company and I also informed a portion of Ranger Captain-” he pulled out his journal and shifted through the pages, “Ranger Captain Velrek’s company. They were on the Balnir Farmstead, apparently the Ranger Captain himself went into Lordaeron City.” “Everyone, get your gear. I want every single one of you to be ready to up and march out at a moment’s notice. Troteman! Send out riders to all companies, tell them to get ready as well. When I give the order, they will all leave from the evacuation zones in the regions they are in, not their original appointments. I don’t want anyone running around cross country. Halters! Send three gryphon riders to Stormwind immediately! They will inform the Ranger General personally that the Prince is back in Lordaeron. THE RANGER GENERAL! NOT ANYONE ELSE! CLEAR?”“YES SIR!” The two Ranger Captains run to carry out their orders as Nathanos turned towards Ranger Captain Joanna Blueheart,“Blueheart! Gather your company, you will go to Lordaeron City at once and keep a close watch on it, now. I want to be informed about any changes immediately, do not wait for scheduled updates!”“Yes Sir!”When the rest of his fellow officers all scattered around, Talmont stayed behind with unease,“Sir, what’s going to happen now?”“Best case scenario: Nothing. “Nathanos had put his leather jacket back on, along with his bow and quiver, “We will wait and continue to observe and eventually the High Command will call us back home. Worst case scenario: Shit will hit the fan, then we will be forced to evacuate immediately. We don’t have the authority to take part in any conflict.” He got his backpack on and fastened the straps over his chest.“Cheer up Talmont,” He slapped the stiff Ranger Captain on his shoulder, “One way or another, we will soon be on our way home.”* * * * * * * *Ranger Captain Joanna Blueheart had divided her company into three; The First Platoon were positioned between the Balnir Farmstead and the Capital City. The Second Platoon were at the western foothills of the Uplands. The Third Platoon were in the northeast side of Shining Strand. Satisfied that she had all three directions covered, she had sent a few observers further in the Uplands, to keep an eye on Lordamere Lake.Just 20 minutes after the First Platoon reported the sight of the Prince’s army, they got the visual from their positions in the Uplands. Looking through her spyglass, she tried to make a count of the troops following him. The Capital City did not show any alarm or any preparation for an assault or a siege. For their part, the Prince’s army also didn’t seem prepared to fight either, they were on a rather speedy yet undisciplined walk. This was good news, it meant the dreaded civil war would be avoided.Still, she felt uneasy. The “renegade” forces had managed to cover quite a distance in a remarkably short time. Granted, they didn’t carry any siege weapons and from the North Coast they had followed flat plains, now dry in early summer, fit for quick tracking.“They are opening the gates,” she was speaking more to herself than her second in command.“The King will accept his son back. We have been informed that this would happen,” Captain Anderson took notes on her journal as she answered.“Anderson,” Blueheart turned to her, extending her spyglass, “Can you count them?”Slightly bewildered, Anderson did as she was asked and started counting the army waiting at the gates,“Looks about 5000 strong.”Joanna Blueheart took the spyglass back, “That’s what I thought.”“If you don’t mind me asking Ma’am, what seems to be the matter?”“Check your notes Captain, that’s pretty much the same number the Prince had allegedly left with.”Captain Anderson quickly went back in her pages, and saw that it was true,“Weren’t they supposed to go hunt a demon Ma’am?”“They were.”“... Maybe the demon didn’t expect to be found and didn’t have much defenses?”“Maybe.”Ranger Captain took a deep breath in frustration. She decided she would need to check the renegades closer. With a simple gesture of her hand she signaled her intent and all four of her aides started to move. Once they were in a position she liked, they settled back down. By that time, half of the army was already inside the city. She pulled out her spyglass again and restarted her observation,“Why do they all have their faces covered?”* * * * * * * *Waiting was what they had been doing for weeks now, and yet, waiting in anticipation was still different and stressful. Nathanos didn’t really feel it himself, however, he could see it in his rangers: Talmont was fidgeting where he sat, Troteman was at the back of some tree, shitting. At every sound the nature made, heads were turned, hands on sword hilts. They had already picked up their tents, so now they were sitting in the open woods. Almost everyone had lowered themselves to the ground, some in the crawling position. The watchers on the perimeter trees were either lying down on the branches or were perched up like birds.One of them shifted at his post,“Sir! Sir, There is a whole company running towards here from the south!”Nathanos jumped to his feet together with his mastiffs and the rest of the rangers followed, mumbling among themselves,“What the fuck?”“Shhh.”The Ranger Lord went to the edge of the perimeter and took out his spyglass. It was not a company, rather a mix of several companies. He could see Ranger Captain Blueheart at the front and as soon as they were in earshot she started shouting,“White! White!”“LION!” The whole camp shouted back.Nathanos turned towards his rangers, “Talmont, go grab Troteman, Danforth, you’re with me.” The red headed ranger followed his superior’s command and they both started running to meet the incoming group, Rex and Bolt at their side.“What the fuck is going on here Ranger Captain?”“Sir-” She looked like she had been running for the good part of a day and as soon as she stopped, she bent down, trying to prop herself on her knees with her hands.“Easy, easy now, Blueheart.” Nathanos looked at the back of the group and saw they were all pretty much in the same condition and they had- civilians following them!? He bent down to her ear,“The fuck did you do? Did you fucking expose yourself?”“Sir,” she still couldn’t stand up straight, but there was a fire in her eyes, “The Capital City has fallen. Three days ago, the Prince, in league with the undead, slayed King Terenas and put the people to the sword. We- I ordered my company to gather everyone they could find and we made our way here. We went round back down some farms, and warned people from there as well. Sir, the Prince’s army is going in expanding circles around the city, scourging the countryside. I had sent runners to inform you-” she started coughing. Nathanos pulled her down from her her shoulders and made her sit. He took out his canteen and had her drink from it,“Danforth, call them all out, we are leaving.”“No!” Joanna spat some water on herself. “Sir, the fucking Lordaeron army is gone. These people have no one else to defend them.”“We cannot defend them either, Captain.”“We can! We can if we use Stratholme-”“WE CANNOT!” Nathanos shouted in her face. His ears were ringing, his mind was swirling. Not too far from here, was the Marris Stead, his uncle’s family, his family…“We have our own orders to follow here.”“Sir,” She straightened herself up where she sat, “Our orders said we could engage the undead if we saw it fit on the field-”“‘If the commanding officer sees it fit.’ As the CO, I do not see it fit, so we are not doing it. Listen to me! We have less than 200 rangers here, we have no heavy weapons, we have no food stock to feed these people, we cannot stand against a siege. Even if we went inside Stratholme, we cannot hold it, we would be overrun. We didn’t come here to die to make a point, we came here for a specific operation, with specific rules.”He looked back at the civilians approaching from far behind,“How many did you bring?”“About 500.”“Shit!” He stood up. Troteman and Talmont had arrived, with the rest of the rangers at their back. They were all looking at him with fear and agitation apparent in their eyes, “Shit.”He took a moment to compose himself, ‘Come back’ was his order, however, he couldn’t, not like this.“Alright everyone gather around, listen up! Troteman, send out the signal, all rangers across all regions are to go to the nearest evac zone as soon as possible.”Ranger Captain Troteman took a large, dwarven rifle type gear out of his backpack and handed it to Captain Keeshan, who took off running towards the designated signal area.“Halters! Take your gryphon and go, do not stop until you reach Stormwind. You need to inform the Ranger General, the Grand Marshal and the King of what is going on here, now!”Ranger Captain Halters jumped on the beast he had with him and took to the air within moments. As some watched him go, Nathanos continued, immediately drawing their attention back on himself,“Now, we have about 500 civilians here, they are coming with us. We will be marching uphill, and pass near Quel’Thalas, so watch out for their Farstriders. The priority is to evacuate the civilians first, using the boats we hid there. Once they are all sent to the frigate waiting at the open sea, then we will start to move out.”Danforth raised his hand.“Yes!?”“Sir, that frigate won’t take us all.”“No, it won’t. We will probably have to wait for another ship to be sent out.”That bit of declaration got them all shifting where they stood, but no one said anything.“Once all the civilians are transported, we will leave for the North Lordaeron Mountains and hide there until our turn comes.” Nathanos looked around, “Blueheart, you are in charge.”Everyone blinked,“Sir?” Ranger Captain Joanna raised from the ground.“I have to go warn the Ranger General Lor’themar Theron. None of you can get in Quel’Thalas and even if you did, you would be shot and killed immediately.”Just as he finished talking the light of the flare followed by the loud sound of gunpowder hit them.“This is it everyone, the signal is sent. Divide yourselves into six groups and surround the civilians, they are to remain in the center at all times. Do not run off, you can only go as fast as they can and do not stop either, drag them if you must. See you all at the EZ.”All of the rangers went into the position of attention and saluted their Ranger Lord and their Ranger Lord saluted them back,“Good fortunes to you all.”“YES SIR! GOOD FORTUNES SIR!”And with that, he started running east, towards Thalassian pass. Rex and Bolt were running with him, their ears up. He did not turn back to look at how his rangers were handling themselves, he had to put his trust in them to succeed this without him being there to babysit. Besides, he had his own task.This was a self appointed task and depending on how it went, it could very well make him a prisoner or get him court martialed. Still, he could not run past the High Elf lands without warning them about what was coming. Maybe they would be fine with being neighbours with a kin slaying, heretical usurper, but they first needed to know that the Prince Arthas that was taking charge of the kingdom at their border -was indeed- a “kin slaying, heretical usurper.”He gave himself better odds at breaching the border than what Ranger General Lor’themar would like, however, that bit of banter could wait. It took him all day and a good chunk of the night to make it to the Kingdom. Once he passed it, he would need to find a farstrider post and then manage to convince them to pass on a message to their Ranger General and not throw him into a dungeon in the process. These odds, he did not like.Using his knowledge of the patrol routines of Quel’dorei army, he awaited until he managed to spot an elven ranger. The moonless night did not do him any favors, however, his loyal hunting partners could smell and hear far better than him. They made subtle movements, taught to them by their master, and alerted him to the passing patrol. A farstrider was “easier” to spot, if you knew that they “were” there and at which direction, and once he did spot them, he was successful at avoiding them. After they passed, he made his way inside the borders of the High Elven Kingdom.He took a blind shot and decided to try one of the old posts he knew about from his days in the Quel’Thalas’ Ranger Army. As he walked towards there, he kept his head low and made sure his hands were empty; If they spotted him before he spotted them, he didn’t wish to appear like a threat. Though, being a human, he would probably get shot once, just for insult’s sake.The old post was there alright, but before the post, there were several crystals, embedded in the ground. If he hadn’t known the terrain before, he would have missed them. Not knowing what kind of crystals they were, he decided that taking the risk of explosion was not worth it and instead, he commanded his dogs to sit and wait, while he climbed onto the nearest tree and made his way through the branches.Once he reached the proper conversation distance and after making sure he had decent enough cover in case things went south, he took out his whistle and blew it in three short intervals.Immediately, the farstriders at the post turned towards his position. One of them got his own whistle and blew it in response.“How are you doing fellas?” Nathanos had never bothered fixing the accent of his Thalassian, so they knew he was a human.“Show yourself intruder! At once!”“Alright, just make sure you don’t shoot me. I have this wife, I fear she might not like me with two dozen arrows in my face.”“Stop joking around you insolent pig and come out in the open!”Nathanos swiftly went down from the tree and walked up to the place directed, with his hands in the air,“I have brought some dire news from across the border and I fear I cannot tell them to you. You will need to call your Ranger Lords, Brightwing or Hawkspear, either of them would do. Or you can call your Ranger General Theron, that would work the best.”“In your dreams-”The elven ranger stopped in the middle of his sentence, looking at him in confusion,
“Eeehh, Ranger Lor-, eeehh, Sir Marris?”“Ah! Captain Helios! How nice to see you?” It was his luck, to find one of the rangers he had served with, one who didn’t particularly took offense at his presence among their ranks. ‘What did I say love? The luckiest man in all of the Eastern Kingdoms!’“Ahm, Sir, I’m afraid you are not allowed in the kingdom anymore, we have to arrest you.”“That is quite alright. In fact, being such a high profile intruder, you should take me to the highest authority you can find.”Helios gave the order to his fellow rangers and they went down from their posts.As they started to approach, Nathanos spoke up again, “I have my mastiffs with me, and I saw some crystals in the ground…”“Ah those, eeee, just call them from the far side this way,” Captain Helios made a large arc with his right hand.Nathanos whistled and turned towards Rex and Bolt, making the same move as Helios and they followed.When the two elven rangers started to bind Nathanos’ hands behind his back with leather ropes, his mastiffs growled, but he silenced them with a simple command. They blindfolded him with a black piece of cloth, however, they did not gag him nor did they do anything to his feet. His sword, dagger, bow and quiver were taken.“Ranger Lord Brightwing is at the base camp, Sir,” and with that, Helios and his squad started marching him.A half hour walk, done in circles as per procedures, and then they were at the base camp. The guards there did sound confused, however, they did not interfere. Soon, Nathanos found himself sitting on his legs in a tent, his dogs waiting just outside, making pitiful noises.The tent flapped open and close. A less than gentle hand almost ripped the blindfold, nearly making him fall on his face,“What the hell do you think you are doing here?”Standing in front of him was not Ranger Lord Brightwing, but the Ranger General himself.“Came to warn you of the things going down in Lordaeron, as we speak.”“They are dying of a disease. Yes, we know.”“Well, I wouldn’t call getting put to the sword a ‘disease’, but eh? Who am I to challenge the Ranger General’s wisdom?”Lor’themar Theron narrowed his eyes. He was looking at the human man with an anger that Nathanos hadn’t previously seen. The next time the elven man spoke, he spat out the words in common, like they were creating a bad taste in his mouth,“She left ‘us’ to be with ‘you’. So now, what are ‘you’ doing ‘here’?”Nathanos swallowed the retort he had on his tongue and instead went straight into the matter,“Prince Arthas has returned from his expedition in Northrend. I don’t know if you even knew he had left, but he is back now. He killed his father and sacked the Capital City. He is using necromancy, he has undead at his side and the last we heard, the source of these undead was a demon called Mal’Ganis, so, it could be that he is in league with the Burning Legion, or at least an agent of it.”Lor’themar and Nathanos had never gotten along, and it seemed like the dislike the elven man had for him had reached the point of true hatred ever since they had last seen each other. However, if there was one thing Ranger Lord Theron never did, that was taking Nathanos for a frivolous man and Ranger General Theron didn’t make that mistake either,“How do you know all of this?”“I was here in the Northlands, for the past, 'classified information' amount of time, for a ‘classified information’ with my ‘classified information’. The event I told you about happened around 4 days ago.”The Ranger General went from standing straight to stooping, his hands rubbing his eyes, “I should have you executed for spying.”“I’m afraid that would be a bit of a problem for me. You see, my wife kinda made me promise that I would return, and I have the feeling that she meant alive.”The word “wife” caused a visible shift in Lor’themar’s mood. Looking over to him now, with the intent to examine, Nathanos could see a golden engagement ring, made in the traditional Quel’dorei style, on his finger,“Congratulations,” he said with sincerity as he nodded towards the ring.The elven man looked at his own hand and then, “Captain Helios and his squad will escort you out of our kingdom. The next time you set foot into our lands, regardless of intent, your life is forfeit.”Nathanos made a frustrated sigh, “I am having the distinct impression that you are not taking this seriously.”“We are not part of the Alliance, their internal matters are of no concern to us. Whatever civil war your people are waging, Quel’Thalas will have no part in it. We will only look to secure our borders… Don’t think you can send some refugees here!”“Oh don’t worry, never had that delusion. But if you truly ‘mean’ to secure your borders, I suggest that you start now. I know you guys no longer have any farstriders abroad, which means if a danger is coming your way, you won’t know it until it hits you.”“Don’t try to teach me my job, Marris, I know it very well,” He was clearly angry and yet, Lor’themar still went behind him and took off his bindings, “Now piss off and take your mutts with you.”Nathanos came out of the tent and made a quick whistle to Rex and Bolt. Together they went to Captain Helios and left the camp. The elven rangers made a point of escorting him all the way outside of the border and only handed him his gear over once he was well and properly away from there. Helios gave him an almost apologetic look, before they turned around and went back into their own woods.Exhaustion was about to hit Nathanos, however, he had his own rangers to go back to. After taking a moment to drink from his canteen, he turned towards his dogs,“What pompous assholes amaright?”A short, enthusiastic bark from both mastiffs was his answer.* * * * * * * * When they had reached their evacuation zone, the rangers and civilians were both at the point of fatigue. Ranger Captain Joanna Blueheart, now the Temporary CO, had sent Captain Keeshan with another flare gun to the hills, this time to signal to the frigate that was supposed to wait for them away from the coast.Ranger Krakauer and a few others were taking the boats out from where they had hidden them. They seemed undamaged and untampered with, which was good news. She looked back at the rest of the troops.If Ranger Captain Troteman wasn’t dying, then he sure as hell looked like he was. His face was a white so pale, he was almost glowing even under the new moon. He was basically carried by Ranger Danforth for the entire way today, his subtle weight loss now far more apparent. She approached him with determination,“Ranger Captain Troteman. You are to leave with the civilians. Captain Anderson! You are in charge of Troteman’s company.”“Yes Ma’Am.”“Ma’am, that is completely unnecessary,” protested the man, “I am a bit winded is all. Once I rest a bit, I can do my duties.”“Troteman… You are going with them,” she had a finality in her voice.Ranger Captain forced himself back up from where he was sitting, “Now, I understand and respect that you are the TCO, however, I am the veteran here; I fought in the First War, I fought in the Second War, I damn assure you I am not missing this one.”Blueheart gave him a sad smile, “Don’t worry Ranger Captain, I have a feeling that this is going to be a long one. Danforth!” She signaled to the Ranger, “Help him off to the frigate, you’re leaving in the first boat.”“Yes Ma’am!”A green flare brightened up the night sky. The loud boom of the gun echoed down from the hills. They waited for what felt like an eternity. And then, across the open waters of the North Sea, another green light began to climb the night sky. Just after the muffled sound of the gun reached the shore, yellow-white lights appeared on the water, the frigate was there.“Alright everyone, take turns carrying the civilians, children and elderly first, the rest later. Do not separate children from their parents. Talmont, go with the first party and explain the situation to the captain there, tell them they have to take the civilians, tell them it’s the Ranger Lord’s orders. And that we will be waiting here for another ship.”As the work to ferry the Lordaeronites began, the rest of the rangers who were not tasked with the job started making their way up to the hills of the North Lordaeron Mountains.“Think of it this way Ranger Captain,” Danforth spoke with cheer as he carried the still disgruntled man to the boats , “Some smarty marine is gonna get the honor of shoveling your shit!”The rangers all around laughed at that, even Troteman couldn’t help himself. It took them a good two hours, however, they had managed to send all of the civilians, even if it required the frigate to drop a large chunk of its cargo. Once the operation was completed, they hid their boats to their original places and went up the mountain as well.It wasn’t even a full day later when their Ranger Lord had arrived and took back the command,“How is it going?”“We are fine Sir. I had sent Ranger Captain Troteman back with the civilians, he was too ill.”“That’s alright, did they create any problems, the navy?”“Apparently the Captain of the frigate had said a few things about making a complaint, but they allowed it.”“Oh no, complaints!” Nathanos made a face of fake worry and his rangers giggled like children. “Where are we on the food?”“We have been rationing it since departure, we can hold out for weeks, assuming we don’t hunt.”“We cannot hunt. I have seen a few of… Prince’s soldiers. It looks like he has a proper undead army at his command and they are getting closer. At the very least, there was movement both eastward and northward. We have to remain hidden, engagement at this point isn’t a concern for rule breaking, it’s a flat out security risk for us. Don’t do anything unless forced to. Talmont! You and your company will take the watch on the east side. Blueheart, your company will guard the north, we need to be able to see far out into the open waters. Anderson! Take the remaining rangers and spread over south and west. We need eyes on the other side of the mountains.”“YES SIR!”The following few days were spent in an uneasy quiet. The same waiting habits from before had returned, however, everyone seemed to be more in control of themselves this time.Ranger Krakauer and his two other squad mates were on watch duty at the lower east hills. Below them, was a not so steep descent that was still full of large, sharp rocks. It was Krakauer who first spotted movement down at the shore, where their EZ was.“That looks like a person to me.”“Yep, Krakauer, you genius, that is a ‘person’ alright, standing on two feet, clear humanoid shape. The question is, whose ‘person’ are they? One of ours or one of theirs?”“That looks like a ranger uniform to me,” said Krakauer, hurt apparent in his voice, “And this is our EZ.”They were still a few days away from a full moon and the night was too dark for their eyes to pick up colours.“I am calling Ranger Captain Talmont, he would know what to do,” Ranger Trippier went for his superior officer and returned with him in tow a few moments later.“Let me see,” Talmont took out his spyglass and checked the figure at the shore, “Yep, that is a ranger and a woman.”“There is no one else left to use this EZ Sir.”“Blueheart’s company weren’t supposed to use here either, however, when their route got closed by the Prince’s army, they were forced to.”“Damn! Ranger Captain, you’re telling us that there might be other rangers out there stuck too!?”“Maybe… Could be one of Ranger Captain Velrek’s. We haven’t heard from them since the Capital City fell.” He pondered for a moment. “I am going to go check. If we try to countersign from here, we might expose our positions needlessly,” he unstrapped his backpack and put it on the ground. “Keep your eyes open,” and then, he slowly started to go down on the hill, his cricket in hand. The remaining rangers grabbed their bows and nocked their arrows.Once he had reached what he believed to be an appropriate distance, he challenged and awaited a reply,“Click-Clack.”The ranger at the shore froze. Their head was raised ever so slightly, but they gave no response.“Click-Clack,” repeated Talmont.The figure shifted again, however, there was still no response.“Oh for fuck’s sake,” he whispered to himself. Getting significantly closer to where rocks gave way to sand, he spoke, “White.”The ranger at the other side did not give any answers, they did not even make a move.“White! Fucking-”This time, the ranger turned their heads slightly towards his direction and he saw the face; The brown hair and blue eyes, this was Ranger Alessa.“White!” Talmont sighed in defeat after one more try and walked out of the cover of the rocks, “Ranger Alessa, when I say ‘white’ you say ‘lion’ god damn it!”“Alessa” turned her body towards him with a swiftness that betrayed the idleness before. Her green uniform was black with blood. Where a human would have their intestines, she had a large gaping wound and nothing inside.Only then Talmont realized the unnatural glow in her eyes, but it was too late,“UNDEAAAD!” He shouted, trying to draw his sword.The creature jumped on him, grabbed his sword arm with claw like hands and bit his neck. Four arrows flew past them, two were buried deep in her skull. She was unfazed.Despite the excessive pain all over and the breath stuck in his throat, Talmont managed to bring his leg up and kicked the creature off of him. She fell prone to the ground. His right arm had flesh and muscle torn, he was barely holding onto his sword let alone swinging it. He walked back a few steps, getting behind the rock formation, “HELP! HEEEELP!”She prowled like an animal before making another jump, trying swipe his throat with her claws. He managed to bring his left arm up in time and she grazed his vambrace instead. Eight arrows pierced the creature like a doll, this time it gave a shrill screech. Talmont took his sword to his off hand and made a swipe, but she slapped it aside with ease. Unable to move much, he got a few more steps back, behind other rocks and slightly uphill. “Alessa” crawled with an unnatural speed on the hill side, keeping cover, looking for him. Four arrows shattered on the rock that she was under, another four simply stuck to the ground in front of her. Talmont tried to go even higher, but due to pain and blood loss, he could only go a few feet before he half fell, half sat down under another rock.She jumped from one side to the other. Two more and suddenly she was on top of the one he was sitting by. He could almost see a terrible smile on her face as she looked at him, drooling. A white, swift blade cut through the night. The creature’s head fell onto Talmont’s lap as her body collapsed on the rock. Standing over her was Ranger Krakauer; He was holding his scimitar with both hands, the power of his own swing almost brought it down and through between his own legs.“Oh thank the fuck,” Talmont had tears in his eyes.“We got you Sir, you’ll be alright,” He came down at his side, trying to pressure his wounds with his hands.A few moments later Trippier arrived with a healing potion at the ready, “Just drink this Sir, you will be fine-”Down south, from the entry to the narrow shoreline, came a chorus of screeches, echoing all around them.“Oh fuck! Let’s go. Move, move, move. MOVE!” Krakauer and Trippier grabbed Talmont and began climbing back up.As the unholy, shrill noises at the valley increased, the whole camp got up and gathered to leave. They had to relocate further up in the mountains, if they could.* * * * * * * * “No movement at the shore Sir,” the barrelman shouted.Commander Hodgson clenched his jaw, “Send another signal.”His Captain gave the order with his hand. Two marines locked, loaded and then fired the fourth consecutive flare of the afternoon. They had been waiting at anchor for the past three days; If this day too went without a sight of the rangers, they would be forced to leave without them.Not from the shore, but up from the west side of the North Lordaeron Mountains, a green flare answered.“Lieutenant Dawner, grab a team and go get them!” Commander barked his order.“Yes Sir!”Due to the steep cliff face and sharp rocks that covered it, it took them a good three hours before they managed to get the rangers on the frigate. They were supposed to be about two companies strong, maybe a bit less. They brought back fewer than 50.Once they settled down the rangers, the frigate raised anchor and set sail. Commander Hodgson hosted the battered Ranger Lord in his cabin,“If you don’t mind me asking Sir, what exactly happened out there? Why weren’t you at the shore?” He poured him a glass from his own personal stock of brandy.Nathanos one-shot the glass without saying anything. He motioned to him with his hand and the Commander poured another one. After drinking that one too, he finally spoke, “What the fuck took you so long?”“We have been here for three days now Sir.”“We sent for you weeks ago.”“We raised anchor from Stormwind as soon-”“From Stormwind! Was there a fucking shortage of ships at the sea? What the fuck are you people doing with those gyros if not sending fucking messages to one another?! Hell, even if you were from Stormwind it shouldn’t have taken this fucking long, I sent out my own gryphon rider there!”“There were a lot of unusual maritime activities in Baradin Bay and later at the rest of the Great Sea. Someone stole the Lordaeron Fleet that lay at anchor in Southshore, Sir.”Nathanos looked at Commander Hodgson with confusion and frustration. The Commander, for his part, looked offended at the Ranger Lord’s accusations. “Who did it?”“We do not yet know Sir, however-”“Oh shut the fuck up!” He took a deep breath to compose himself. Drinking another glass, Nathanos stood up and grabbed the bottle,“You shitcakes better name a god damned man o war after every single ranger who died out there,” he turned back as he walked out of the door, “And my dogs.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The Ranger General was standing in rigid silence in her office. She was looking at the maps that now covered ¾ of her chamber walls: All of them had a plethora of colourful pins representing one unit or another, charcoal or ink markings showing positions of shifting importance and movements, pieces of paper with intel updates scrabbled on, were attached on or around. They were all maps of the Northlands, all regions and kingdoms appeared both individually and as united, more than once. Her gaze was fixated on a particularly crowded one of Hillsbrad and specifically that of Southshore.The past few months had been a whirlwind of both hope and despair. First, they had the news that the Prince had returned. Then came the news that the Prince had murdered the King of Lordaeron in treachery and was massacring peasants with an undead army. And then… nothing. Everything north of Thandol’s Span went dark. But that hadn’t lasted long either. Soon, they were swarmed with news and speculations and outright lies: Someone had stolen the Lordaeron Fleet at Southshore! No, wait, it wasn’t stolen, that was already stolen by Orcs some time ago! No, the remaining part of the Lordaeron fleet was stolen, along with many other ships from Stromgarde and Gilneas! The confusion and the never ending, contradicting reports paralyzed the court, amplified by the domineering and over anxious presence of Lord Admiral Daelin Proudmoore.The Grand Admiral of the Alliance Fleet had demanded that they launch an invasion into the Northlands at once, with the specific intent of freeing Dalaran. That was highly unreasonable and selfish of him, and it took centuries out of Sylvanas’ life to stand against him, because she had the same selfish urge: Just like his daughter, her sister was at Dalaran too and with no news of any survivors, she was plunged to depths of sorrow, drowning. No news of her sister, her Little Moon and her husband was stranded on the North Lordaeron Mountains too, her Nat…Grand Admiral of Stormwind Navy Jes-Tereth and Lady Katrana Prestor held the line against his incessant push, while Sylvanas scrambled to gather herself and come up with a plan to let them understand what was truly going on: Another recon mission, however, this time towards the western and southern shores of the Northlands, with her newly returned rangers commanding marines and flying units. When they had managed to sell it as looking for survivors and intel for a potential invasion, they had calmed Lord Admiral just long enough to figure out what was actually happening. The results had been both a joy and an another headache.First, they had cleared the situation with the “missing/stolen/was never there!” fleet: Apprentice Mage Jaina Proudmoore had managed to assemble a ragtag fleet of leftover Lordaeron naval ships, Dalaran merchant galleons and a few frigates that were given to her by Stromgarde and a “pro-Alliance league of nobles” from Gilneas. She had loaded them with tens of thousands of survivors and sailed west to Kalimdor.That bit of revelation had washed Sylvanas with such happiness, such hope! Her sister could be alive, could be on those ships! That became her lifeline, her strength against the next tidal wave; They had unmistakably detected ships with a truly alien design, so much so that there was no suspicion that they could be anything but the craft of the Burning Legion. And those ships had sailed west too, together with another set of “foreign” ships, with undead visible on their decks, tailing the survivors on their escape to Kalimdor. And with that bit of information, Lord Admiral Proudmoore had taken the entirety of his Kul’Tiran forces and gave chase. That had robbed them of well more than half of their naval power, however, Sylvanas couldn’t find it in herself to hold it against him: If it had been her daughter, her little Lireesa, she too would abandon the heavens and the earth to go save her, kings and oaths be damned.But her daughter was here, her husband was “here” and her sister too, if she somehow couldn’t make it with those refugees, then she was here too, or rather “there” in the Northlands. They still needed saving and protecting. The fact that an “apprentice” of all people, of all the leaders of Kirin Tor and all the senior staff in Dalaran, was the one leading the refugees, was terrible news of its own. It basically meant that anyone above her was either dead or incapacitated in some other way.Next came the news of a massive offensive against Hillsbrad and the Arathi Highlands. A combined army or demons and undead were assaulting Stromgarde and what remained of Lordaeron. Within a few weeks, Southshore became full of refugees and another set of conflicting information started piling up in front of them. Sorting these out had been easier, however, the truths they brought had been far more grim. The offensive was real. Lordaeron, Dalaran and Quel’Thalas had all fallen. Sylvanas wanted to believe that even if the greater kingdom was lost, the people were somehow safe behind the Ban’dinoriel. However, they could neither confirm nor deny such a theory and the uncertainty brought guilt and shame she didn’t have time to feel. Plenty other survivors were either pouring in Hillsbrad as a last resort, or they were stuck in small pockets of resistance or were simply hiding in woodlands, hoping to be somehow ignored. That, would not do. They needed to push this Legion Army away and go rescue those people. And that was when, for the first time in her life, Sylvanas had thought of strangling someone with her bare hands: Katrana Prestor had taken up such a defiant stance against that idea, she was almost convinced the woman wanted everyone who wasn’t a Stormwinder dead. This time, safe and mostly unhurt return of Nathanos had became her salvation, and not just as a source of emotional support either.Her Ranger Lord had given the King’s Council a brutal and detailed account of what was exactly going on behind the enemy lines and what kind of a horror Arthas had unleashed upon the people of Lordaeron. After he had finished, Sylvanas, Bolvar and Jes-Tereth had piled on King Varian: Arthas was a treacherous murderer, a heretical usurper, a monsterous servant of the Burning Legion. He could not be allowed to sit on the throne of a man like Terenas Menethil, not for a moment longer than it would take them to cast him out. They would march and march all the way to the North Coast, liberate the fallen kingdoms and bring him to justice!The love Varian had for Terenas and the rage he had felt against the terrible cruelties he had learned of from Nathanos had sealed the deal. Stromgarde hadn’t asked for help, but they would receive it all the same. What remained of the Alliance was gathered and after an unnecessarily long deliberation, they had managed to organize. Despite his absence, Lord Admiral Daelin was reaffirmed as Grand Admiral of the Alliance. King Varian was chosen as the new Supreme Commander of the Alliance and he had managed to coordinate a counter offensive with King Thoras of Stromgarde: First, the already mobilized portion of the Stormwind army marched up to Thoradin’s Wall and and joined Trollbane’s troops in holding the line, against the Burning Legion demons and the “Scourge” of undead.Second, the remaining strength of the Kingdom of Stormwind, Bronzebeard and Wildhammer Dwarves and their Gnome neighbors had started to prepare for the largest military operation since the Second War. Aptly, the peasantfolk and the top brass both had taken to calling this entire conflict, “the Third War”.The idea of the operation had come from Grand Marshal Highlord Bolvar Fordragon. The enemy was numerous and fast. Trying to push them all the way back with conventional tactics would be an exercise in futility. Instead, they needed to crush and uproot them with a single blow and then ride the waves of the resulting disarray to finish them off. In order to do that, they would need to perform a massive maneuver; One where they would not simply flank the enemy forces, but plow through them and encircle them completely, and do it repeatedly until the enemy was stuck in small pockets that would be crushed by the assaults of the surrounding troops or demolished by the same troops as they tried to break through.That idea was music to her ears, however, trying to turn it into reality was an “unabashed act of insanity” as Lady Prestor had called it. And yet, Sylvanas was convinced that they could pull it off. In order to be able to march over the enemy so rapidly and so absolutely, they would need to outnumber them by about 10 to 1. They would never have an army as large as the enemy let alone that big, however, the Ranger General believed there was a way: They only needed to outnumber the enemy that terribly, in the specific places where they would assault them. Meaning, if they could create pockets of weakness along the lines of the Legion and the Scourge, those would be enough to complete the maneuver. The key was to create these pockets, and to build the biggest, the strongest and the fastest army they could to capitalize on them. Their mission had two core parts: The first part was to create a diversion, something convincing enough that the Legion would commit to it and then they could use that commitment to force the demons to break their own lines and confuse and mis-match their own troops. The second part was to build the actual forces of the offensive and lead them in the battle. After much deliberation, it was decided that King Varian would not join the battle, as it would be too risky and potentially too great a loss, given Crown Prince Anduin was all of five years old. Instead, Highlord Bolvar would be in charge of the assault. And when it came to the crucial distortion mission, the full command was given to Ranger General Sylvanas Windrunner.That sabotage, that diversion, that masquerade was her duty, her baby. In this new position, she was temporarily given command over a far larger set of troops, from a mix of army and navy alongside her own rangers. They would also be joined by a small yet important group of Dwarven and Gnomish soldiers. Aside from these, Admiral Cantlebree and Admiral Rogers who were normally equal to her in rank, had been placed under her command as well. Or rather, Admiral Cantlebree was placed under Sylvanas’ “command” and the rest of the naval forces were under Cantlebree’s, including her fellow Admiral Rogers, in order to fulfill some contrived protocol that dictated cooperation between the two branches of the armed forces. She knew she was not allowed to touch the ships without the relatively senior Admiral’s permission and that was all that seemed to matter.In order to be able to act as a convincing invasion force, they would need to look and sound the part and fight hard. They made sure to select their Dwarven and Gnomish troops percentage accurate, to make themselves appear like a proper “Alliance” army. Another must was choosing and fighting at a believable invasion point. If they were to assault from anywhere less than ideal, it wouldn’t just make their job harder, it would also simply be far easier for the Legion to figure out and ignore. Which meant the real seemingly ideal location went to her diversion operation and Highlord Bolvar needed to get creative. Another advantage they had was that the navy, which would be absent from at least the initial stages of the actual main assault due to geography, would be almost fully available to them. And that was the point where their “masquerade” had started.They would, for all intents and purposes, plan and enact a seaborne invasion of Southshore, with the seeming intent of hitting the Legion forces assaulting Thoradin’s Wall from behind and trapping them between the wall and their invading army. It was a good enough plan to trust and believe in. And they knew it to be so, because that was the original plan that was first discussed, until they changed their minds.That alone would manage to pull a significant amount of force out of the Legion’s lines, however, it wasn’t enough. They needed more than one weak spot and needed them well established beforehand, so that an assault on those locations can be planned and completed once the operation began. And for that to happen, they needed to “plan” and act the planning of the later stages of their mock invasion: The places they would “march on”, the locations they would “capture” in order to maneuver. And last but not least, they needed the Legion to know all of this without making it an obvious chicken feed. No, the Legion needed to “figure things out” and “catch them on the job,” detect the “diversion missions” and separate them from the “real ones”. And all of that meant months of recon missions, in positions that would make sense for them to land, regardless of whether they would actually go there or not, and weapons testing, regardless of if they would use them or not and organizing local assistance, regardless of whether they would actually help or not, all for an invasion that only needed to grab a piece of land and hold onto it long enough till the actual maneuver happened. An extravagant, unabashed act of insanity indeed.Today was the day it would be revealed to the rest of the staff officers who would join the operation. Sylvanas had been running potential scenarios in her head for days now, focusing on the map before the meeting, she was trying to visualize it all.Her office door was knocked and her adjutant, Ranger Captain McCree announced, “Ranger Lord Marris has arrived Ma’am.”“Send him in.”Nathanos entered the room and walked to the center of it as Ranger Captain McCree closed the door.“You are early.”“Not by much Ma’am.” He was looking at the maps as she was. After a moment he spoke, “Almost 300 dead rangers and pretty much every bit of info we got is now worthless.” He was angry and upset, truly so rather than the mere appearance of his usual mood.“That is not really correct Ranger Lord. I highly doubt that Arthas would throw himself into groundbreaking infrastructure projects. The roads, the keeps, the posts will be there, whether they are used or not. We will know where we are standing and where we are going. It’s not nothing.”“It wasn’t worth it… Perhaps if I had listened to Blueheart about Stratholme-”“Yes, perhaps… Or if we had planned things better here, or Highlord might not have pushed us, or if I hadn’t made it such an issue of pride, if, if, if… This war is exposing us, every general, every officer and every soldier. From how we build our armies to how we lead them, everything is shown to be wrong or lacking in one way or another.” She turned to face him and started walking towards where he stood, “The Ranger General and the Ranger Lord need to learn their lessons from those and join their fellow commanders in modernising the military doctrine, surely. However,” She reached out to him and grabbed the side of his collar, “I won’t have my husband beating himself over any of it. What’s done is done and things always look way more clear on hindsight.”He gave her a bitter smile, turning his eyes away, “I thought I had proven that the one you needed to worry about wasn’t me.”“Well, too late for that, I will forever worry about you,” she put a finger under his chin and lifted his head so that he was finally forced to look her in the eye, “I know this. I have seen it before in Alleria, I won’t allow you to throw your life away for some twisted sense of self-punishment-”“I am not gonna kill myself!”“She didn’t kill herself either, she was just very good at putting herself into unnecessary dangers.” She put her hands to both sides of his face and smiled, “You have promised me a few good decades remember? You are not allowed to cut our deal short.”That, at last, managed to get a laugh out of him. He brought his own arms around her and pulled her into a warm embrace, “Fine, but I am warning you, I will only get grumpier and more bitter as I grow older.”“Oh my! I suppose I have to find a way to shut these self-blaming speeches of yours.”“Since you insist on keeping me around…”“Hımm,” Sylvanas tilted her head closer and claimed his lips. “How about this, I feel like it is working.”“Well, I cannot speak with my mouth full-” She kissed him again, this time harder and felt him kiss her back just as hard. Their calm embrace got tighter, almost desperate. She had waking nightmares when his frigate came back without him. Those weeks where she did not know whether he would make it out or not, whether she would be left all alone to raise their daughter... Seeing him and having him back around wasn’t enough. She needed to touch him, to prove to herself over and over that he was here, that he was alive.It had been months since they last had any time for each other. The war and the chaos it brought was dominating almost all of their waking hours. Sleep was scarce and short and every bit of free time they had found was spent with Lireesa and Arator who desperately needed them around... And now was not a moment they could take for themselves either. This was not their room, it wasn’t even their house. They were at the Ranger Army Offices in Stormwind Keep and they were about to have a crucial staff meeting within moments.They shared one more kiss and then begrudgingly let each other go. They took a moment to fix their uniform and just as they were convinced it was all good, her adjutant knocked on the door again, “Admirals Cantlebree and Rogers along with the rest of the staff officers have arrived Ma’am!”“Let them in Ranger Captain,” as McCree opened the door she continued to address him, “And clear the floor, no one is to be allowed here until the meeting is over.”Nathanos gave a sharp salute to the two Admirals who saluted him back. Once they were all in with the door firmly closed behind them, Sylvanas activated the silence runes and began her briefing,“Welcome to our neat little operation where we invade Southshore but not really.”A few of her rangers, including the newly promoted Ranger Lord Blueheart gave a soft chuckle. Admiral Catherine Rogers raised her hand with a face that was equal parts enthusiastic and mischievous. “Yes Admiral Rogers?”“I was thinking... Ma’am. Since this is technically a covert operation, as in the intent does not match what we try to make it look like… I was thinking it would be fitting to give this a name as well. In fact, for security’s sake I believe all future military campaigns should have code names- but that’s a conversation for another time. As I was saying, I don’t think we can ignore the very real possibility that there can be spies and agents of the Burning Legion here in Stormwind! I mean, the Prince of Lordaeron was -convinced? Seduced?- to join their side, as a paladin too! For that reason, I think we need to give this operation a code name and to the other one as well and encrypt all reports.”Admiral Rogers, the youngest ever person to attain the title and forever an advocate of innovation and reform in the military, looked like an excited child.“I have the feeling you already have a name in mind. Do tell us Admiral and I will make sure to put it in, you have my word.”Rogers went into a full mouthed smile and brought her hands behind her back as she declared, “Lothar!”“With a name like that, they are certain to believe this to be the real deal,” Admiral Cantlebree joked and a few of the Naval Captains chuckled.“With a name like that, we might have difficulty convincing our own troops that it isn’t,” Sylvanas joined in.A short yet relaxing wave of giggles went around the room. Within the moment, they were all serious again, and in a much better mood too.“Alright everyone, this one here will be an operation separated into three stages: The first one is preparation. That will consist of training the troops for a seaborne invasion. All of the combatant infantry, basically anyone whose job isn’t sailing a ship or of flying a machine, will join the assault. I believe you can all take care of that rather easily, it is only slightly different than what you have done before and for Naval Captains, not even that. So, we will be largely relying on you the Naval Officers, for training.“Yes Ma’am!”“The second stage is part preparation part diversion: We will do several recon missions. Much like the ones we have done in the past months, we will use frigates and gyros as well as rangers. Now, these are important, because we both need to gather proper intel to actually plan our invasion and also act as a distraction and divert the Legion’s attention to places we will probably never go. It could get confusing out there, which ones are real and which ones are fake, so I will make it clear right now: The way we treat them will be no different. The decision about which ones will be used or not will be made here, however, unless you specifically get an order from me or the Admirals, you will treat all of them with the same seriousness. The best way to convince our enemy of the honesty of our intentions, is to be honest in the act itself.”“Yes Ma’am!”“The third stage, is the actual invasion itself. Make no mistake, we will fight it as hard and perhaps even harder than any other battle. We have to actually succeed in taking Southshore partially. We have to invade it and we have to push inside, beyond the shoreline and hold out there, for as long as the main assault forces need us. That means we will dig in, dig hard and fight as if this is the last fight of our lives. There will be no retreats, we will stand there and hold our positions and if possible, advance and join the main assault. Regardless of our condition, the Darrowmere River Reach from the estuary to the Durnholde Keep Road needs to be captured, otherwise the Fleet will not be able to join in and assist the actual maneuver of Highlord Bolvar. It is for this kind of a battle we will be gathering information, it is for this kind of a battle we will be training our troops and it is this kind of a battle we will be fighting. I want you to prepare yourselves mentally, we won’t have the luxury of being anything less than our absolute best.”“YES MA’AM!”* * * * * * * *Admiral Catherine Rogers looked cheerful like a toddler when observing the gyros and other flying machines as they returned from their tours.“These are the future Ranger General!”“The future cannot come soon enough,” Sylvanas commented tiredly. She was sitting on the deck of Admiral’s man o war, just off the coast of Tol Barad. She had just completed the sixth of her 10 planned recon missions and for the first time, she had managed to get herself seen by the Legion. Which was a good thing, they wanted demons to see and know high ranking personnel was there, planning something. However, she had taken a bigger risk to actually get a look at the type of gear that the Legion was using, and almost got herself killed in the process. One of the arrows sent her way had been lodged into her gorget and managed to make a small cut on her throat. It wouldn’t bother her as much, if she hadn’t felt there was another reason behind this near miss: She had been tired and distracted at that moment and it wasn’t the first time. Lately, the tingling sensation of unease had turned into exhaustion and tiredness. She was running out of energy quickly or had none to begin with. She was not ill and she was not with child either, and still, for the past few weeks, she was waking up tired and feeling quickly drained as the day went on. She found herself shivering, feeling cold and hungry for no reason. It was affecting her speed, strength and thought process. At the start of this week, she had gone back to meditations and nature communes that she had not needed since her academy days. They worked, and yet, her pride got the best of her which made her neglect the rituals this morning, and that bit of vanity almost cost her her life. Now, it was a mistake she knew she could not afford to make twice. Humiliation be damned, Sylvanas Windrunner was going to do her morning meditations like a studious little cadet.She eased a few pieces of her armor and took them off. As she started walking towards the master cabin, Admiral Rogers followed her.“I must confess Ma’am, I am in love with this plan! It is simply nothing like that has ever been done before!” Rogers lowered her voice as Sylvanas slumped in one of the chairs, “And not like Highlord Bolvar… Not at all Ma’am. I wonder what brought upon this new… unconventional attitude.”“He is frustrated,” Sylvanas answered truthfully., “And you don’t have to call me ma’am, we are of the same rank.”“However, you are the Commanding Officer, Ma’am.”“For now and only partially. Once this operation is over, we will be back where we were.”Admiral Rogers had a surprised grin on her face, “You don’t really believe that Ma’am.”Sylvanas raised one of her eyebrows, “You have hopes of getting a promotion?”“Oh! I ‘know’ we will all be rewarded once we are done with this. And I also know exactly what I will do with my reward! Ma’am.”“Is it the thought of rewards keeping you so jolly Rogers?” Sylvanas was amused by the hyper confident optimism of the sailor.“I have found it that focusing on the benefits one will reap after a victory, is a great motivator for a fight!” Admiral exclaimed as she pulled a bottle out of her drawers and poured from it into two glasses on the table.“Most people would consider surviving a priority over prizes,” challenged the Ranger General.Catherine Rogers pursed her lips with scorn apparent in her voice, “Well, there is a reason ‘most people’ are peasants.” She finished her glass in a few sips and then continued with enthusiasm, “Fortune favors the bold, Ranger General! Everyone eventually dies, and there are no heavens for those who lived miserable lives because of their own cowardice, Ma’am. You either waste your life or you go out there and make something of yourself, or die trying!”“Well, my dear Admiral, this is certainly the attitude I would love to have in all my soldiers, however, I would be mortified if I were to see it in my children.”“Hah! No chance to avoid it Ma’am. With a family like yours, they cannot be anything but fellow warriors.”“I suppose,” Sylvanas joined her by finishing her own glass, “Then again there are other… philosophies for fighters to follow.”Catherine had a not so subtle grimace on her face, “I guess…? Well… There are paladins. They are powerful fighters and healers, certainly valuable assets on the field too...They are just very good at raising martyrs, conquerors… less so.”“Supreme Commander Turalyon was a paladin.” Ranger General pressed on. It was an entertaining opportunity to have such a conversion with the Admiral.“He was indeed! And he was a bold man above all, even back when he was a priest! One has to be, to march into a room full of kings and tell them to get their shit together and form the Alliance already! It is a matter of character mostly, but for all the respect I have for the church, I do not approve their constant and overbearing… humbleness shall I call it? I mean, you don’t defeat demons by blushing or dying to them. You defeat demons by cleaving them in half! I think they should focus more on smiting evil and less on about this whole self-sacrifice and shame rhetoric.” Sylvanas took the bottle and poured seconds for both of them, “Self-sacrifice is the core tenet for warriors everywhere. It is not unique to paladins and it shouldn’t be either. A soldier, or a ranger or a marine, is a servant first and foremost. To give one’s life for king and country, or for the Light and the faithful, or for their people has been the very basis of the entire concept of military and is considered to be a great honor if not the greatest of honors, for countless millennia.”Catherine grabbed the table on both sides for a moment as she gave Sylvanas a quizzical look and then declared with full conviction, “Ranger General, you are selling yourself as modest and I am NOT buying!” She brought her hands together on the table as she leaned back in her chair, “I have read about the cult of the Farstriders and I won’t argue with you if you claim otherwise, however! From everything I have read and heard about Ranger Captain Alleria, I know that the rangers of Quel’Thalas were not like some timid monks bashful about their skills. On the contrary, she sounds like a vicious hunter who is always focused on their prey and the ways to get them!” She made a swift grabbing motion to the air.“That’s different,” the talk of her long lost sister had brought a sudden sense of melancholy, “Alleria… was like that. She despised being scared. If there was a danger it needed to be conquered and if there was an enemy it needed to be slain, she… She didn’t like fear and her method of avoiding it was killing whatever was the source. That was her, not me.”“Ah, but it is you,” Rogers insisted as she picked up her glass and clinked the one in front of Sylvanas, “I have read about you too and I was trying to observe you ever since you have arrived in our kingdom: The youngest ever Ranger General, you went and appointed whomever you saw fit no matter what the Elven King said, you were the one who basically took command of the Alliance troops and drove the orcs out of Quel’Thalas in the Second War and when they tried to limit your powers, you said ‘to hell with that!’ and came down here to join us, at the table of the brave and the hungry!”Sylvanas looked at her in silence for a moment and then took her glass, drinking it all in one go, “I feel like you are complimenting me, so I won’t object.”“The King may demand his generals act humble with decorum in his presence, however, when it is just us the fellow warriors, we are allowed to show our teeth and be proud of their sharpness.” Admiral Catherine Rogers was perfectly serious in her statement.Sylvanas kept her word and did not object. The following weeks passed with a rapidly increasing rush. They had managed to contact and convince the local militias and the paladins leading them, to evacuate the people from the town. As they moved the civilians further inland, up towards the hills, the confirmation that the High Command had been waiting for had arrived; The Legion had indeed bought the bait “hook, line and sinker” as their jolly young Admiral said, and they were given a date of operation at last. They had divided their forces into four: Admiral Cantlebree would command the ships. It was her duty to deliver troops ashore and her duty to provide the artillery fire they would desperately need. Admiral Rogers was to command the flying vehicles, they would be used for communication, coordination and maybe as bombardment units for places where the ships’ cannons couldn’t reach. The Ranger Army, supplemented with battle hardened marines, would be the first wave that would hit the shore, under Ranger Lord Nathanos’ command. Their job was to clear and secure the initial landing zone for the main forces that would come after them. Finally, the main bulk of their “invasion” would land, together with their dwarven steam tanks, mortars and ballistas, under the direct command of Ranger General Sylvanas. Pushing the Legion back from the shore and through the town along the line of the Darrowmere River was the key. From that point, the Legion wouldn’t be able to see their backline, and the support forces that “weren’t” coming, because this was not a real invasion. Sylvanas had the mind to cross the river from the bridge and have her vanguard follow her there. In order to do that, they would need to cut through the enemy forces that were stationed to hold the town of Southshore.Two nights before the assault, they had boarded their ships from Menethil Harbor. Rangers and marines filled below and on deck like sardines. As they sat pressed on one another in full gear in the first ships, they were tailed by the ones carrying the heavy weapons and armoured vehicles. Those were the really problematic ones: The cargo they had was too heavy, the result being that they had almost no room for any proper steering. The weather was calm, which meant they hadn’t faced much difficulties in their journey, however, these ships would remain vulnerable, along with their cargo, until they were safely able to off-load them. Admiral Cantlebree’s plan was to keep them behind the first two rows of the fleet and push them forward after they had unloaded. Which meant they would be missing a decent half of their firepower until after the rangers took over the harbor and the shore.“I had hoped for a fog,” Admiral Rogers spoke as if she was talking about a disappointing child as she entered the master cabin of the flagship.“Fog would be bad for us as well,” Cantlebree dismissed.“We know where we’re going and when we’re going. It would have been a way bigger surprise to them than it would be a hindrance to us.”“Never mind that now,” Sylvanas interrupted the meaningless argument, “What is the final situation on the field?”They had seen a few fel colored magical energies shot in the way of their flying machines, however, the sky units had managed to return from their recon tour without any losses. It was time to decide whether they would start the invasion now, before they had entered the range of the demons’ sight.“Right!” Rogers turned her attention to her Commanding Officer, “A row of infernal contraptions at the back end of the town, lined in an arc, numbers uncertain. There are juggernauts at the east bank of Darrowmere River, two dozen. Several infernals in town, devastators and cannons on both sides of the river. 50 doomguards spotted patrolling in between, 50 terrorfiends, 25 on each side, spotted as well. Most of their forces appear to be felguards accompanied by several types of fel beasts. No dreadlords, and no pit lords.”No pit lords was good news, and the same news as the one they had when they decided to embark. The presence of the doomguards and terrorfiends was not new either, yet problematic all the same; Those could fly and swoop down on their soldiers with ease. Rogers had rather insistently offered to send the flying machines into combat, repeatedly informing them that they had been trained for it. Sylvanas did not think that training would help them, however, they had been unable to come up with a solution other than “take cover and shoot” either. So, off to the combat they would go, she didn’t think they would return.Another matter of potential concern was the fact that there was the possibility that those doomguards and terrorfiends would try to pull a fast one on them, increasing the number of demons on the field dramatically, however, they wouldn’t be able to summon their dangerous masters, only more beasts. And beasts, they could deal with. The curious lack of any pit lords or dreadlords meant that either the commanders of the Legion armies were at Thoradin’s Wall or they had sailed to Kalimdor. A naive optimist could have assumed that they did not arrive at all, however, Sylvanas knew better. She had made sure the Paladins had given her and some of her officers their blessings. If any of the lords of the Burning Legion showed up, it would be up to them to fight.“Alright,” the Ranger General stood up from her seat, “Admiral Cantlebree, with your leave, we will start preparing the ships for the fight and unload the personnel at the same time. Once they are all off in the boats, the first row of frigates will sail forward, assume battle positions and start firing. And you will try not to capsize our own units, they will have to paddle around you. Is that all?”“Yes Ma’am,” came the brief confirmation from the older Admiral.“Well then, commence operations!”“Yes Ma’am!”Once the order to disembark came, Ranger Lord Nathanos got his vanguard troops to stand up and finish their final preparations as the ships’ crews rushed to get ready for engagement,“Alright everyone, get your frost oils out!” He shouted as he brought up his own so as to demonstrate, “Uncap!”Rangers and marines followed suit.“Now, rangers, unsheathe your scimitars and daggers! Marines, bring down your halberds, axes and shields!”Leather, steel and wood rubbed against one another, some of the new recruits had difficulty taking out their weapons with one hand. A few drops of enchanted oil spilled here and there saw instant blooms of ice on their uniforms, some spoke curses under their breaths.Nathanos didn’t bother with chewing out anyone. “Pour on one side first and then the other!”After the melee weapons, came the arrows. Dipping them in the flasks one by one was a chore so they poured it on, which caused a larger set of icy uniformed rangers and louder curses.“Now! Get your potions of speed out of your backpacks and into your belt pouches! You will drink them only when given the command and not a moment earlier, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?”“YES SIR!”“And if you fall into water, unstrap your backpack and swim ashore. ASHORE! Not back, not towards another boat, ashore! Otherwise you will be crushed under the ships.”“Yes sir!”“Ranger Captains, lead your companies down into the boats!”“Yes sir!”They went down the rope ladders two by two. As one boat filled up, it started to paddle away and another one was lowered in its place. Each boat had marines in the front and rangers behind them. Paddling was onto the rangers, as marines had the crucial task of holding up their shields to protect them from projectiles. The idea behind the mixed units was simple: Once they land, marines would form a wall of shields and halberds to keep the demons from getting into the rangers’ melee. In return, rangers would rain arrows from behind, taking down the monsters.First shots of cannon fire began before they could reach the frontmost ships. Sounds of battle started to rise above them with dawn, as the roars of demons and the iron clucks of flying machines jumbled. Once they made it past the first line of frigates, that’s when the true chaos began.The fires of their own ships’ cannons flared just above their heads. Almost all of the soldiers turned to look behind, only to immediately snap forward as shots from infernal contraptions hit the sea in front of them, showering everyone in salt water.There was no wind or fog, yet the sea was turbulent from the bombardment, and the smoke was rising, getting thicker as gunpowder and fel fires raged all around. Some had wood splinters rain on them from battered ships.Nathanos stood up as much as he could, trying to see the positions of the other boats as well as the shore. The first thing he saw was the boat right next to his getting blown up to pieces by a shell. Everyone in his unit ducked, as if that could protect them from such a hit. The closer they got to the shore, closer the shells and cannon balls began to fall around them. More boats hit, more boats capsized, more rangers and marines in the sea. Some frantically swam, some went under water, never to resurface. Pieces of flesh and limbs occasionally hit the sides of the remaining ones. Another close shot washed them in a wave of red.“We’ll never make it to the docks like this!” One of the new, replacement “Rangers” screamed.“Shut up and keep rowing!” Nathanos roared back in his face. “ALL OF YOU, FASTER!”Carrying out the order and the anger of their commander took their minds off from the rising panic, for now.The main problem was that while they actually would make it to the docks, most of the other ones had drifted east and west, now trying to correct course. Unfortunately, that would increase their time in the water and with it, the likelihood of their death.“BLUEHEART!” Shouted Nathanos across the sea, “HEAD STRAIGHT TO THE SHORE!” He signed with his arms, “JUST GET TO THE LAND!” He repeated the command to all sides.After a few more minutes that felt like hours, he took out his potion of speed. Making sure the rest of his officers were following suit, he turned to his unit,“Take your potions of speed out! Uncap!”Rangers frantically reached into their belt pouches. Another close shot made sure they were soaked to their bones.“Drink! DRINK NOW!”As he chugged back the oily liquid, a jolt surged through his body. First a cold sensation and then a red hot burning went from the top of his head all the way to the tips of his toes. Looking at his rangers, he saw them clenching their jaws, ready to jump.“Keep rowing until we hit the dock!”Tension gripped the entire boat. Marines straightened up their stances. Shields lowered to their fronts, the ones with halberds raised their weapons and brought them peaking forward. Rangers without a paddle grabbed their bows. Two more to the sides were holding the ropes for docking. “Stand up!” Ranger Lord Nathanos shouted.Everyone got up to their feet, just as the boat came into contact with the wooden dock, demons standing above them.“Go, Go, Go, Go!”Marines charged forward and hit the first row of felguards. The two rangers to the side threw the ropes over the bollards and pulled. Nathanos jumped behind the marines and the rest of the unit followed.As soon as their feet hit the wooden floor, their heads spun. Fortunately, the potion allowed them to recover their footing rapidly. Demons were hacking at the shield wall, reeling from the pierces and cuts of halberds as the temporary enchantment froze their flesh off.Ranger Lord Nathanos pulled a large jar, filled with a blue liquid that shimmered like a crystal, out of his backpack. He gave himself a moment to gauge the splash range and then chipped the liquid ice over the row of marines, in the middle of the felguards trying to push them back.Glass shattered and an instant flash of ice entrapped a dozen demons. Marines cut down the thin line left in front of them and then took out the frozen bunch. With now a wide zone of freezing ground blocking their way, demons were forced to the sides which the marines held with ease.“SHOOT AT WILL!” Nathanos commanded.From their open and clear position, rangers started hailing their arrows at a blazing speed. Within moments, their side of the docks was cleared and they turned towards shooting east and west, thinning out the shoreline for those coming from behind.Ranger Lord Blueheart’s boat made the second landing. They too, quickly repeated the actions of the first platoon. Wave after wave of boats hit the Southshore and soon, way sooner then the fel lord commander anticipated, they had managed to push forward from the rough landing zones and made their way into the edges of the town.Cannon fire, theirs and the Legion’s both, continued to rage. All units on land managed to link up and create one solid shield wall supported by halberds, holding the front. Behind them, rangers were shooting arrows in a barrage, bringing down most demons long before the could reach the marines’ melee. In any moment that it looked like infernal beasts and felguards can concentrate at some location, another burst of ice scattered them away.Nathanos drew his scimitar ”CHAARGE!”With inhuman speed, half of the rangers raced into the demons, each slashed at one or two and then raced back, before any of them could react. Marines took two steps forward and reestablished their wall.The first party took up their bows as the other half of the rangers repeated their charge, this time with Ranger Lord Blueheartat the helm.Three more attacks and they had cut down more than half of the felguards trying to hold the shore. Just as Nathanos made it back behind the shields, a fel green explosion hit the ground at the front, melting the marines and demons alike. Ducking down, he turned to his left, only to see four more such explosions hit both sides.“They are going to kill us along with these beasts!” Ranger Captain Troteman made it to Nathanos’ side.“They cannot. Look, it broke their own line, we have a clear path. Move! MOVE TOWARDS TOWN, NOW!” Rangers and marines both dropped their battle stances and started running into town. They jumped and sprint past the burning fires, melting fel green pools and the demons that were now in disarray.Ranger Captain Anderson’s back hit the wall of some building as she turned her face towards the shore, “Kill the ones remaining! Clear out the backline!”Her company started shooting at the demons now stuck between them and the sea.Another unholy explosion took out the roof of the building Nathanos was standing behind.“Marines! Get in line! GET IN LINE GOD DAMN IT!”As they continued to move towards the town, rangers were again broken up into companies and platoons, taking cover behind buildings as they kept on shooting. Soon, marines formed lines around them once more. Another shot from an infernal contraption completely took down a building and the soldiers around with it. On the roads and behind the houses and shops, demons had started to gather and rally in orderly defensive positions.A sharp pain and a sudden wave of exhaustion hit Nathanos and all his rangers. Some dropped their weapons, others were on their knees. The effect of the potion of speed had run off and now they had to deal with the drawback.Marine Lieutenant Emry shouted, “HOLD FAST MARINES! HOLD THEM NOW!” As the barrage of arrows ceased, demons charged. Almost a hundred small pockets of defense, formed with buildings at the back and with shields, lances and halberds at the front, got slammed with thousands of felguards and fel beasts.Teeth, claws and oversized polearms came down on the soldiers. Beasts reeled at the frost damage they suffered upon hitting the shields, but some marines were smeared to the ground under the sheer weight of the felguards’ weapons.Nathanos and his officers used the last of their liquid ice to ease the pressure for a while. Moments piled on and when he finally felt the strength return to his body, he started laughing with rage, picking up his bow, “SHOOT THEM DOWN! REESTABLISH THE DISTANCE! PUSH THEM OFF, NOW!”* * * * * * * *Back at the sea, the main “invasion” was rowing desperately to reach the shore. The vanguard had done their job of clearing the docks and opening a way inland for them. However, carrying their siege engines, cannons, mortars and ballistas had been a slower work than Ranger General Windrunner had hoped.Doomguards and terrorfiends were unfortunately not dumb. They had seen the real heavy machinery coming from behind and signalled to their own artillery. As a result, fire of the infernal contraptions, juggernauts and devastators remained focused on the sea, instead of following the landed troops. They themselves also had chosen to dive and harass these units instead of the first wave. Some of the gyros had smashed onto the demons to stop them, while the troops in the boats had to pick up their weapons and fight as they tried to paddle.Sylvanas ignored the burning at her left cheek caused by the claw of a now dead terrorfiend. Melee was not her forte and she hated things that kept on fighting with two enchanted arrows buried in their skull. One greater healing potion had stopped the bleeding and if the day would go on as it started, she would need the rest for later.She turned her back to the shore. Pulling out one of the signal flares, she asked for more fire support. It was a nonsensical request, as it would have the cannons shooting too low, but anything was better than wasting time fending of flying demons and Admiral Rogers was brazen enough to comply.The next moment she and every other soldier in the boats had to plaster themselves on the wooden floors. Cannon balls and shells were flying by less than a meter above their heads, hitting any damned agent of the Burning Legion willing to swoop down.Arching over too low, several volleys fell straight in front of them, raising waves in the sea and rocking the boats.“EVERYONE PADDLE!” Her roaring command reached across the sea. “GRAB ANYTHING, USE YOUR HANDS IF YOU MUST! ROW!”Sylvanas kneeled to follow her own command as the rest of the soldiers started to dangle from the sides, arms striking out into the sea.Several siege engines and more went down into the water along with their crew: Capsizing due to turbulance, getting hit by the Legion, getting hit by their own low shooting shells... Before they could reach the docks Sylvanas jumped from the boat with the rope. Tying it to a bollard, she signaled for the ramp to be set.“OFF LOAD RIGHT NOW! GO, GO, GO, GO!”A chorus of alien roars came from the town. Several green flamed stone giants started to appear in the not so distant roads: More infernals were summoned. Another row of doomguards gathered above them and started a dive.“EEEEEHHH! FUCK YE!” Shouted the dwarf Captain Gorum and ordered his siege engine to fire.The newly landed engines and ballistas sent a barrage up into the sky that battered the demons and ripped them to pieces.That brightened her mood, for about a second. Within the next, several explosions hit all around them.“Commander Dughan!” Sylvanas called on, “You take the first battalion with Captain Gorum here and move into town, they will need you.”“Yes Ma’am!”She charged down eastward under another set of cannon fire, as armored units and heavy weapons started to roll past her. “Commander McBride!” Sylvanas shouted at the soldier trying to walk ashore in a full plate armor, “Get all these units out of the shore immediately! They are sitting ducks here! Send all incoming troops in our tail! “Yes Ma’am!” came a panting answer. He had looked tired already, and frustrated too, soaking wet from sea water.Sylvanas turned to the nearest siege engine; Dwarven Captain Harak saluted her as she climbed onto the vehicle. He hit the hatch twice and they started moving. Their aim was to go around the west of Southshore town proper in an arc, and cross the bridge to pass into the eastern side of the Darrowmere River.* * * * * * * *“Focus on the infernals!” Ranger Captain Troteman tried to redirect his troops’ efforts, “Take them down first, FOCUS-”A shell hit the ground right in front of him, exploding with dirt and covering them all in smoke and dust. Coughing and half blind, Danforth reached for his Ranger Captain. He managed to grab onto his backpack’s strap and started to pull him back behind a half destroyed wall.As soon as they were behind the cover, Troteman half puked half spat dirt and ash. Trying to get up on his feet, he was painted a dark greyish brown from head to toe, but looked otherwise unharmed. Before his head stopped spinning, another figure emerged from the smoke.“Troteman! Can you move?” Shouted Ranger Lord Nathanos in his ear.“Yes Sir!”“Take your team and clear that building,” He pointed towards a large storage that was barely visible across the street, “And push onto the demons on the other side. Go from inside the building and flank them! No need to follow the damned roads.”“Yes Sir!”Nathanos disappeared into the smoke as quickly as he appeared from it. Dodging a blow from a weapon he barely saw, he ran towards the center of the town.“LIEUTENANT EMRY!” His booming voice was heard even over the unholy uproar raging all around. “TAKE YOUR MARINES AND CHARGE THE TOWN HALL! RANGER CAPTAIN HALTERS! YOUR COMPANY WILL SUPPORT HIM!”“YES SIR!” came the affirmation and a large cluster of marines and rangers began to go into formation.Darting further southwest, Nathanos tumbled through a gang of demons and stepped on the both heads of a felhound as he continued his run to connect his troops. Reaching the ones still pinned at the edges of the town, he kept shouting orders,“ANDERSON! GATHER YOUR FORCES AND TAKE THE CHURCH!”Another round of shells fell all around them. Nathanos turned towards his fellow Ranger Lord, “BLUEHEART! MOVE IN TOWN AND TAKE OUT THOSE DAMNED ARTILLERY!”“YES SIR!” Ranger Lord Joanna jumped from her crouching position and started to run with her troops, giving orders as she went along.Going the opposite direction Nathanos moved into the shoreline,“MATTINGLY! GET THESE FUCKERS OUT OF HERE! MOVE IN TOWN! MOVE!”Turning towards another cluster of marines and rangers seemingly without their officers he kept his run up,“EVERYONE GET OFF THE SHORE AND GET IN TOWN! CAPTAINS! SPLIT INTO PLATOONS AND CLEAR OUT RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS ONE BY ONE! DO NOT STOP! YOU ARE EASY TARGETS WHEN YOU STOP! KEEP MOVING!”He saw that Captain Keeshan and Captain Krakauer jumped into action upon his command. Reaching the western most edge of the town, he turned around and started to double back at full speed. As he made his second run through the town trying to coordinate his troops, he saw Krakauer’s unit break down a house’s door and barge in with marines at the front. Ranger Captain Mattingly was out in the middle of a street, commanding several dozens of marines and rangers from building to building, taking a shot at charging felhounds in between. A felguard with a broken halberd buried in his chest was dangling outside from the church’s attic. A second floor window broke and Captain Keeshan jumped down on the demons below with a dagger in hand. Western half of the town hall was gone. Halters was visible on its staircase, the swing of his scimitar took out the arm of the fel lord in charge. Troteman and his company threw open the shutters of the storage and started to shoot upon the demons on the street from their new positions of cover.When Nathanos reached the eastern edge of his forces, every building in town had a fire going on, some were completely ablaze. Picking the least burned, tallest standing building, he started climbing. When he got on the roofless third floor with its one remaining wall, Nathanos took aim with his bow and started shooting the infernals. While they were left unharassed by the doomguards and terrorfiends, these stone and felfire giants threatened to overwhelm them. Shouting down instructions, he had managed to coordinate ground troops to push a bunch of the creatures together in a cornered cluster while keeping their attention off of himself.From there, he could see Blueheart’s making their way around the town to a flanking position of the Legion’s artillery. The ones firing from across the Darrowmere River was out of their reach, but these ones were about to be caught with their accursed pants down. Demons noticed this incursion into their backline too late and before they could properly retaliate, the heavy fire upon Nathanos’ forced had ceased. Seizing the moment, he freed his scimitar and jumped down on one of the last remaining infernals under the building. The swing of his own sword and the impact of his fall shook his bones and his teeth chattered. Ignoring the pain, he gave the command to charge and they started a somewhat weak pincer movement on the demons. As the fighting devolved into a chaotic melee, they tried to establish their initial formations with marines at the front and rangers on the back. Enflamed splinters of wood fell on them like a rain of fire. The air was getting thicker and harder to breath in by the minute. A cannon ball flew from behind their own backline and crashed into the demon army. Another shot took out half of an infernal. Turning back, Nathanos saw a siege engine roll into the street from southwest.“ABOUT DAMN TIME!”Commander Dughan was sitting on top of the siege engine that just turned the corner. Jumping down, he ran his way to the Ranger Lord, “We have a battalion here Sir, where shall we take them?”“Blast these fuckers here and then we have to move to the river bank. Look! They are preparing to send another wave across Darrowmere, we have to finish before those reinforcements arrive!”* * * * * * * * Having made a large arc over the western side of Southshore, the march of the main force was depressingly quiet and uneventful. They had contacted and reaffirmed their mobile communication units and had information flow back and forth all the way from and to the ships. They had confirmation that the demons were indeed largely unaware of their maneuver, which was a good thing. On the other hand, this meant the vanguard stuck in town took a disproportionately heavy beating, a beating which would not stop until they completed their own movement and managed to engage the enemy.Sylvanas gritted her teeth. Looking back, she could see the flying machines and gyros still engaged with winged fiends. The fire power of both the navy and the Burning Legion was focused on the town, quickly turning it into cinders. A cloud of dark smoke covered it and from slightly elevated hillside across Darrowmere, she could see reinforcements move in to bolster demons.Turning forward, she saw one of her scouts run into their field of vision. Ranger Trippier signalled with his arms and Sylvanas cursed louder than she could allow herself.“Ranger General?” Captain Harak addressed her, assuming she was talking to him.“Nothing. The river is too shallow, the ships won’t be able to move in.”“Well it’s tha summer Ma’am! That river always dries up in this weather.”It hadn’t been the case last week. But they lived in today and today, they would not have the ships supporting them the further they moved. Precious artillery which could mean life and death would be denied to them. Frowning, she tried to come up with a solution. “Ranger Captain McCree, run back to the Communication Unit B and tell them to signal Admiral Cantlebree this message: River is too shallow. Approach the shore. Follow the ground troops eastward.”“Yes Ma’am!”After she sent her adjutant on his way, she kept her focus on the town of Southshore. By the time they started making their turn to the east, she could no longer see the details in town or the positions of the demons across them, such was the thickness and the height of the smoke rising above. Flares of fire and glows here and there was all that was visible: Green meant one of the Legion’s machineries, red meant one of theirs.The vehicles were slow, way too slow for a High Elf farstrider’s patience. She swore could have run the full distance a dozen times before they made half of the way, and yet, she was stuck with them. An army marched only as fast as its slowest member and that meant going at the same speed as the ballistas that were half pulled by horses half pushed by soldiers.Standing on top of Captain Harak’s siege engine, she saw the bridge before the rest of them could. Raising her left hand, she signalled them to stop. The entire column of heavy weaponry and vehicles came to a halt.“Siege engines and steam tanks at the front! Ballistas behind them, mortars and cannons after them and supply carts at the very back! We go forward in a single line people and only after I give the order we will turn south. Once the turning maneuver begins, we will form three rows, with each row in the order of our march. That means first row will be siege engines, second row will be ballistas and the third row will be cannons and mortars. The supply group will only pass the bridge after we have secured the eastern side of the river. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?”“YES MA’AM!”“And remember we will begin our southward turn AFTER I GIVE THE ORDER AND STILL IN A SINGLE LINE!”“YES MA’AM!”Getting into their new formation, the march began once more. Captain Harak put his large goggles on,“We ken speed up an’ charge at them from a close distance Ma’am. That shou’ nae choke tha engine!”“Wait for my command before you speed up.” She turned back to address the rest of the vehicle commanders, “We will all go in at once and together, follow the leader and match it in speed.”“Yes Ma’am!”They continued their agonizingly slow journey with an increasing sense of anticipation. The winds were blowing in their favor, the smoke and dust continuously rising from Southshore provided them with a decent cover. The closer they got to the bridge, further the visibility fell, until they could not see the back of one vehicle from the front of another. Sound and small torches were used to signal positioning. Sylvanas took it upon herself to contact her scouts near the bridge and collect them all on her way back. The moment their caterpillar tracks hit the bridge floor, she gave the command for switching gears and going full speed ahead.Mighty roars of four dozen siege engines and steam tanks joined the chorus of battle. When they tore through the smoke, the demons immediately in front of them didn’t even realize what hit them. They started firing their guns at the Legion artillery sitting on the small ridge and the watchers occupying several old and new towers. The pathetic infernal infantry was simply smeared to the ground and ripped to pieces by their spiked front rollers.Once they reached the destroyed remains of Eastpoint Tower, Sylvanas signalled them to turn southward. As the engines made their slow yet overbearing maneuver, their cannons started to shell south and west, bombarding the demons in front of them and those that were about to be trapped between them and the Southshore vanguard. Ranger General quickly scanned the field: The town looked like a furnace. If anyone was left in there, they were long dead. What remained of the vanguard and Commander Dughan’s battalion was gathered on the western bank of the Darrowmere River. Some siege engines were stuck in the middle of the water, not sinking but unable to move as well. Patches of woodland was burning and most of the trees had lost their top halves. There were several dead zones where the earth itself had melted into a green lava. Among the debris, the risen earth and holes clearly opened by cannon balls and artillery shells, rangers and marines were stuck in defensive pockets, shooting arrows, hurling rocks and glass shards, trying to put whatever they could find between themselves and the seemingly endless waves of demons and hacking at them with axes, lances, halberds, swords and makeshift clubs.Everyone was covered in soot, teary eyes and bloodied teeth were the only discernible features they had left. The functioning siege engines and mortars were firing continuous shots on the demons, trying to keep a barrier of fire. When they saw the long awaited friendly armour, some crazy ranger that Sylvanas immediately identified as her own crazy husband, ran into the river and climbed up on one of the stuck steam tanks, screaming orders,“RISE UP! RISE UP NOW AND CHARGE! CHAAAARGE!”A feverish, almost desperate battle cry echoed on the field as the vanguard jumped from their positions and started to run at the demons. Stuck between two Alliance forces, demons were quickly shredded.Ranger Lord Nathanos didn’t need Sylvanas’ order to realize that the time has come to push forward. As the relentless attack of the armoured vehicles continued, troops under his command crossed the river and started to settle along the machines.Sylvanas rode with the siege engines until they reached their second turning point at the southern cliff verge. As soon as the uphill movement began, she jumped down and turned to Commander McBride,“You lead them over that ridge and push back towards north, all the way to the Eastpoint Tower!”“Yes Ma’am!”She started to run her way back, among the infantry trying to take a breath after crossing the river.“Commander Dughan! You settle our artillery in a row along the backline here. We need to be able to shell over the ridge and we need them in a position where they can be used to shield a retreat back over the river.”“Yes Ma’am!” Dughan said forcing himself to stand up straight and immediately started to walk towards the bridge, signaling to incoming ballista crews.Leaving him to his duties, Sylvanas continued to her westward sprint,“RANGERS! MARINES! ON ME!”The infantry of the main invasion force and the vanguard both started to follow her. The shock and the surprise of their armoured charge had scattered the demons’ forces on the river banks and had them in disarray, however, that would not last long. The Burning Legion was stubborn and disciplined if nothing else, and even now she could hear orders shouted in their infernal speech, they would soon be on the counter.Their vehicles and artillery on the other hand, needed time to settle down and put up a proper defense. The narrow passage between two halves of the relatively low first ridge was a point of weakness at the moment. It fell on them, the infantry, to hold it in the meanwhile. Her rangers quickly gathered around her as their frantic run continued. Crossing the river had given them a messy wash: Their faces and uniforms were now visible, but they were dripping black water, the dirt on them turning into mud. When they approached the target area she started giving her instructions,“Ranger Lord Blueheart, Lieutenant Emry! Take half our forces, you will hold the northern edge! The rest of you are with me on the southern edge. When we arrive, rangers will run up and clear out the elevated positions on the sides, marines will build a shield wall to close off the passage. We will hold our positions until the armour completes its maneuver and relieves us!”“YES MA’AM!”They began to get in formation as they run. Once at the base of mini valley, it turned into a full blown charge. They cut down the unorganized demons left around and managed to climb up till the start of the narrow way and over the ridge. Marines immediately formed their wall with halberds and lances pointing out.Rangers run past them. Sylvanas jumped over the line, stepping on a shield to propel herself. She used the power of her fall to bring her scimitar down on a felguard’s neck and cut off its head. Two weird, hellish, glaive like weapons lounged at her as she turned to her side to dodge them. With the next step, she took the momentum of her backward movement and spun forward, swinging her sword with both hands. Her first attack sliced a demon’s arm off. Bringing her sword up, this time she swung it from the opposite side, cutting its throat. If the other one was about to do something to her, it never came to pass. A marine axe was slammed into its belly with ferocious strength. Frost oil’s effect had run off long ago, but Nathanos kept bringing it down on the chest of the beast, ripping it to pieces. They moved up, chopping and slicing their way over the ridge. Once there, Sylvanas could see a counter-attack in the making, confirming her assumptions. They rapidly settled down, but not every ranger had arrows left. She directed them to make runs into the enemy and back as she and everyone else kept raining arrows on the assault of demons trying to march through the pathway. Felguards and all sorts of fel beats slammed onto the shield wall. Weapons clashing well above their own height, marines had their feet digging up dirt form the pressure. It was a messy brawl that saw several soldiers at the front got crushed between their own fellows and demons.The push of the siege engines and steam tanks were far slower than the initial assault on the bridge. Legion forces had reinforced the line along the ridge. The fire of the navy cannons only reached as far as a small area on the south. When the armour eventual met the infantry trying to hold the passage, it was more like a pitched battle rather than a blow out.Ranger General Sylvanas saw the lights of the guns reflected on the smoke before she heard them. Within the next moment, the mortars began to batter legion forces, halting their offensive. She screamed for marching formations and their engines finally made their turn eastward, pushing off the assault. The road hit another uphill move after a short plain and they were forced to stop, however, they were settled and secure in their holdings, for now.The very south of both their and the Legion’s line was a relatively large opening. The demons had evacuated the position after the bombardment by the navy, but it was not a location they could use. It would trap them between the enemy and verge of the cliff, but it did the job of narrowing the battlefield, which was to their advantage as the smaller force.“ARMOUR, MARINES! GET IN FORMATION ONE! CLOSE THE RANKS, LET NONE PASS!” Now united into a single fighting force, her custodial army gathered in a concentrated defensive: Steam tanks and siege engines each had platoons of marines with their shields and weapons out closing the gaps in between the vehicles. They formed two such lines diagonally, shrinking the size of the troops that demons could reach and engage while providing a strong backline support to each unit.This moment of respite would be brief and they needed to be prepared for the next counter-attack that was surely coming. Sylvanas walked back from the fronts,“RANGERS! SUPPLY RUN, RIGHT NOW!”The entire combat force of the Ranger Army of Stormwind rushed down to the Darrowmere River’s banks. Getting on the supply charts, they threw the crates open and began to empty the contents. Quivers upon quivers of arrows were picked up, oils, flasks and potions were distributed. Once the rangers were fully outfitted, Nathanos sent them to provide supplies to the front. Divided into platoons, they ran to the vehicles and the infantry, giving them more ammunition, new weapons to replace broken ones, healing potions and enchanting oils.Not long after they completed restocking, demons started another counter, this time with over two dozen terrorfiends supporting them from the air.Their own flying units were long gone from the sky. Sylvanas had hoped that not all of them were dead, however, it was a faint hope. It fell onto her and her rangers to fend them off.“RANGEEERS! EYES ON THE SKY! FORM SHOOTING SQUADS AND TAKE COVER! USE YOUR OILS, SPARE NOTHING!”She followed her own command within the moment and arrows started to fly. They had groups of 10, trying to form kill zones in the air whenever one of the winged fiends attempted a dive. Soon, the demonic commanders had rallied and focused on them instead. In the front, on the ground, infantry and machinery were clashing against the bulk of the felguards, infernals, felhounds and other fel beasts. Behind their back and in the sky, rangers were facing off against terrorfiends, dodging, shooting, dodging again. When any one of them made the mistake of landing, enchanted scimitars and crescent shooting squads finished them off.Sylvanas and several others climbed on top of some steam tanks at the very back, shooting and baiting from there. When one of the monsters tried to swoop down on her, she quickly rolled to the ground. Nathanos jumped from the back of another tank, down onto the demon, bringing his sword upon its head. Cutting through more than half the way, the blade was stuck although the beast was dead. He pulled the navy axe that he, for some reason, refused to give up and threw it at the wings of another one. Hitting it and bringing it down on the same tank, he was roaring like a barbarian when he climbed on and started to beat it down with the axe he freed from its body.The rush of bloodlust and trance of battle was contagious. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling vicious as she made her way to her next target. Throwing a dagger to its knees, the slight faltering of the creature was all it took for her rangers to hack it into pieces. Sylvanas pulled Nathanos’ new scimitar out of the dead one from a moment ago and ran to his side. Deflecting some projectile she only half saw with the blade, she crouched down on the steam tank and handed the sword back to him.They turned around to stand back to back and started shooting. Once the terrorfiends were gone, the assault faltered and another retreat began. Unfortunately, they did not have the strength to push forward. This was their true weakness: They were not a real invasion force, they did not have the numbers or the artillery to make a proper march onto their pretend objective. Holding on and keeping the Legion army busy was their duty and also all they could do. A task that would become exponentially more difficult as time went on.The third counter-attack came faster than the second and much more brutally too. From above the second ridge on the east, new infernal contraptions, juggernauts and devastators entered the battle. Clearly supported by a much larger regiment, the demons began their offensive with crushing fire power.Ducking, crawling, plastered on the ground, the Alliance forces could not move, or defend properly. The guns on the siege machines and their ballistas were simply out ranged.Amongst the chaos, Ranger General stood up,“GET IN FORMATION THREE! SPLIT UP, SPLIT UP! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!!!”The diagonal front they had build broke down and quickly the vehicles and the infantry split into smaller groups, getting as far away from each other as possible. This decreased the impact of the Legion’s barrage, but it also created openings that the enemy ground troops could now abuse. She sent her rangers to help amend the gaps as the ranged and melee combat melded together once more.Another row of shots from the devastators saw her and the entire backline covering down.“WE NEED FIRE OF OUR OWN!” Ranger Captain Mattingly was lying on the ground right next to her and shouting his lungs out more due to panic than a need to be heard.“McCree! MCCREE!” Sylvanas turned and got up in a sitting position. She signalled with her hands and arms, another call for artillery support from the navy.Ranger Captain McCree signalled to her that her message was received and went down running over to the Communication Unit D.After minutes that felt like hours McCree crawled back up to her side, “Ma’am, Admiral Cantlebree says they cannot get any closer to the shore without running the ships aground.”Nathanos turned to her, “We need to silence those guns.”Sylvanas gritted her teeth. Their mortars could do the job, however, bringing them up would mean breaking the defensive formation they had at the back. It would leave them exposed, if they ever needed retreating, they would have nothing left to run back to. ‘Fortune favors the bold, eh?’ Well, it was time to put Admiral Rogers' philosophy to the test.She half crawled half slid down to Commander Dughan’s range of vision and gave her command by both shouting and signalling,“DUGHAN! BRING THE MORTARS UP! BRING THEM UP NOW AND START SHELLING THE SECOND RIDGE!”The Naval Officer was quick to follow. He rapidly mobilized the mortar units and after a short exchange of signals to determine target locations, they started firing.The dwarven inventions did their job spectacularly. Within moments, the pressure on the front lessened significantly and they were able to focus on the enemy infantry, stopping them once more. Their relief was short lived. Two more waves later Legion had brought another reinforcement of artillery, lining them up in a far too large an arc for her forces to counter. Their own cannons, ballistas and mortars were already firing at full power and it was pure carnage. Sylvanas ordered
her infantry to below the first ridge, trying to use the slight elevation of the land as cover, however, she did not pull back the armour. Giving up the only high ground they had, would send them packing in a broken retreat they could not afford.She sent for another request to Admiral Cantlebree, this time asking if they could bring some of their cannons ashore. They were not fit to carry over land exactly, but perhaps they could be settled on the docks. Given their situation, it was a thought worth entertaining.When McCree return with a negative answer, Nathanos snapped in an all too characteristic manner, in a terribly crowded environment,“Fuck her and her frilly hat!”“Ranger Lord Nathanos Marris, get a hold of yourself!” Sylvanas felt a cold calm fell on her, “RANGERS! GATHER AROUND, COME ON, QUICK!” They reached her within the minute, all sitting on their knees in rows. “Troteman, Mattingly! Go grab every piece of offensive consumable you can find from the carts. Rest of you, empty your belt pouches and backpacks, let us see what we got.”They pulled out every oil, flask, potion and jar they had while the two ranger companies basically plundered the crates at the river bank. Piling them together, she quickly scanned to see what could be conjured up.“Five oils of immolation and a torch can explode pretty decently,” Nathanos reminded her. Perks of some tragic training exercise accidents. “Liquid ice could freeze the machinery into shutting down, even shatter it,” Sylvanas continued.“Frost oil?” Asked Ranger Lord Blueheart.“It wouldn’t work like that, however, we could dip the remaining arrows, even pieces of wood, metal or plain stones in it, they should carry the effect somewhat. And if we manage to hit the damn things with enough of them, they too could freeze. A hard enough hit could even break them permanently.”She sat up straight, “Alright everyone, here is the plan: We will try to sneak up on them from the empty cliff verge side, down south. Blueheart, Troteman and Mattingly will come with me. We will be the distraction. Once in range of the guns, we will charge at them like hell. The rest of you will follow behind and start chugging those materials on the machines. It will be one hell of a run, and double back. Speed is everything here, we cannot stop. Is that understood?”“Yes Ma’am!”Sylvanas turned towards her left, “COMMANDER MCBRIDE!” she called down the officer of the armour, “You’re in charge for now, we will try to flank these Legion guns.”“Yes Ma’am! The Light be with you Ma’am!”They rapidly made their way to the clearing. Giving themselves a few minutes to prepare their makeshift bombs and projectiles, they crept up on the side and got as close as they could under the smoke’s cover.Ranger Lord Blueheart, Ranger Captains Mattingly and Troteman and their companies fixed their weapons and went into the position of ready, waiting for her signal. Nathanos put a hand on her shoulder from behind and squeezed for a moment. Smiling to herself, she gave the command,“GO, GO, GO, GO!!!”They shot up to their feet and started running with all the speed they could muster. Shooting arrows in a flurry, they quickly reached melee distance. They drew their scimitars and started slicing up and down at the demons, not stopping to take anyone out, not even bothering to finish anyone off. It was a mad charge that pulled everyone at them, both from ahead and from behind.Lungs stinging, muscles burning, they went deep. Before they could even think of slowing down, the second group arrived, throwing everything they had on the contraptions, juggernauts and devastators. They were trapped between two solid bulks of the demonic army and still they managed to sow such chaos, there was no appropriate response against them, yet. Reaching the tail end of the row of Legion artillery, Sylvanas turned her blade to the closest gun. Enchanted scimitar covered in frost oil ringed and shook her arm when she landed the blow onto the machine. Freezing effect crept up on the metal surface. Another hit ground it to a halt. The demon in charge of the contraption was stunned in shock for a moment, before turning to attack. She bowed down to her knees as she dodged the swipe and then she shot back up using the built up momentum, she brought her blade with her at full speed, carving the creature up from pelvis to throat.Her next move was to turn back and to start sprinting her way out at full speed,“GET BACK, GET BACK! RETREAT! NOW!”Final pieces of their assault tools were thrown out by the time she reached half the line. Most of her vanguard was at her tail. Ranger Captain Anderson had an idea that was similar to her from a moment ago, however, she executed it with greater strength: Slamming her scimitar on a devastator twice, she froze it solid. Her next attack shattered a chunk of the machine, making sure it was completely ruined. Turning back, she made a move to run away as well. A fel lord that came up to the front from behind, swung its black glaive like weapon and tore up her arm. Despite the pain and the blow, she kept on her step and managed to get away and keep running.Now they were on a full retreat and demons had managed to organize a response. They were sprinting, sliding, dashing in a most dangerous race. A brief whistle like sound tingled in her ear and she tilted her head to the right. A massive lance flew past her cheek. Less than 20 steps later, a large chunk of flesh and a gush of blood flashed before her, before she saw Ranger Captain Mattingly fall to the ground with the corner of her eye. She almost skidded as she stopped and started to run back to him.The felguard that cut him down tried to take a swing at her with his lance, but Nathanos’ axe splitting his arm in half ended that fantasy. Sylvanas grabbed Mattingly by one arm and pulled him half up. Ranger Danforth appeared on her side in an instant. He grabbed the poor Ranger Captain from his other arm. Mattingly had his belly sliced out like the top of a pumpkin, his internal organs looked like they were about to dangle out. Danforth put a hand over his intestines and pushed back, trying to hold it all in as they desperately dragged him away.By the time they made it back to the relative safety of their own backline, Commander McBride had already taken advantage of their assault on the Legion’s artillery and began to push against the offensive.Scattered on the field between the first ridge and the river bank, ranger army was trying to patch up and catch their breath. Anderson was sprawled on the ground, about to pass out from blood loss. Ranger Captain Halters had made a tourniquet from his own health kit, while Ranger Lord Blueheart was trying to get her to drink a healing potion. For their part, Sylvanas and Danforth had raced to wrap Mattingly’s belly with bandages, covering his exposed internals as much as they can. And then, Sylvanas chugged all of her greater healing potions down his throat. She got up and ordered two platoons to carry the heavily wounded into the supply carts. Their incursion had been a success, however, it had also cost her more than a company’s worth of rangers in dead and even more wounded. The marines were not doing any better either.Less than two hours later, another set of infernal contraptions, devastators and juggernauts appeared above the second ridge, and Sylvanas almost heard the breaking of her soldiers’ spirits. Pinned down by the ceaseless rain of cannon balls, shells and explosions of pure felfire, they had no option left but to bear it. She pulled the infantry below the first ridge again and this time, nearly half of their armour was gone. Another close shot from a devastator had them all lying on the ground.When she raised her head up, she saw Ranger Captain Troteman next to her, thrashing on the ground in a tantrum,“WHERE THE FUCK IS THE NAVY?!! WHAT ARE THEY WAITING FOR?!!” “GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER, ALL OF YOU!” Sylvanas shouted in a chastising command. Troteman stopped his movements.“Troteman, Halters! Supply run! NOW!”Ranger Captains shot up to their feet and sprinted to the carts. There was not much left, but it would keep them busy for the moment, before she would need them to make a run up to take a hit at the demons.A volley of shells fell too close around them and got them all back down again. Nathanos was crouching beside her when he spoke,“We are not going to fucking die here, no fucking way,” his voice was calm despite the fire of battle raging inside him. “We are not leaving our little rabbit or our boy. They are not going to lose their family, not again. We’ll make it out and we’ll go back home. It will just take a bit of a bloody effort.”She couldn’t help but smile. She grabbed his arm and squeezed way too tight and earned herself a defiant grin from him. “You are right on the money Ranger Lord,” she answered. Peeking to the left, she found her adjutant,“MCCREE! COME OVER HERE!”Ranger Captain McCree half crawled, half jogged to her side. She took out her journal and a piece of compressed charcoal. She wrote on the paper as she spoke, “Go to CU-D. This time, message Admiral Rogers,” she ripped out the page she had been writing on and handed it over to him, “Signal her these coordinates and tell her we need them hit and we need it now. Go!”“Yes Ma’am!”He went on running in crouching position. Nathanos had an eyebrow up, “Does Admiral Rogers know some spells to make ships go over land?”It was her turn to grin, “No. But I have the feeling she just might be crazy enough to break rank and protocol both and crash into the rocks if it means she can use the cannons. We’ll see.”The sounds of incessant artillery fire and explosions were ringing them to their bones as they waited. At last, McCree appeared on the eastern side of the river bank and signalled to her, “Affirmative.”“Yes!” She said out loud and did not bother keeping her voice down. A few more exchanges of signals later, a loud shriek tore through the sky as the first shells of the navy hit the Legion artillery on the second ridge, the first shot from the sea after over six hours.It was clearly less than Admiral Rogers’ full fire power, yet it was more than enough. Celebratory shouts and screams rose from their ranks as the morale was lifted. Not knowing and not caring how she had done it or what it would cost her once the battle was over, Sylvanas prayed to her lucky stars and one for Catherine Rogers. She quickly went up to their precious first ridge along with the rest of her infantry and pushed out the encroaching demons, before they could completely overrun the armour.Battle raged on as they arrived on the afternoon and hour started to turn for the evening. Dead piled up, the wounded too. As they pulled everyone too hurt to keep fighting back to the river bank, carts were full, hundreds were lying on the ground in rows. They had long run out of magical healing tools. At one point, Sylvanas saw Blueheart bandage her left arm with a piece of her own jacket, before giving her a smile and picking up her scimitar with her right hand.Soon, the sun would go down and her soldiers’ vision would be reduced to miserable levels while the demons would continue to see as clearly as they did in the day. However, that was the least of her worries.No, the real source of the creeping, cold sensation at the base of her skull, was something entirely more ominous. She was afraid for the actual, main assault. They were nowhere to be seen, and they had not heard any news about them either, not that they had assumed they would. Still, fear started to grip her: Fear, that their plans had failed. Fear, that their months long preparations were not enough. Fear, that while they were stuck here, the rest of their army was already dead. Fear, that it was all for naught. And then it happened.This time, she heard it first. Ground shook, in a more distinct vibration than what they had felt for the whole day. Sounds of a rampaging chorus started to rise from northeast, way behind to the north of the Legion lines they were engaged with. A few minutes later, she finally saw: A thunderous charge of demons started to pour from along the western walls of the Durnholde Keep, coming straight at them. Felguards, felhounds, fel lords, terrorfiends, doomguards, infernals, contraptions, juggernauts, fel beasts and some creatures she did not even know the names of. This was not a battalion or even a regiment. This was a whole new army. She went and climbed on a siege engine to get a better look. Too many, way too many to count and she gritted her teeth so hard, her jaw went numb.“WE CANNOT FUCKING HOLD THAT SHIT!” Lieutenant Emry shouted in pure panic, “WE HAVE TO RETREAT!” Cannot hold? Have to retreat? NO! It was the opposite! The could not afford to retreat, they had nowhere to go. They had no backline of fire to fall back into, no defensive positions left behind. The town of Southshore was gone and the hills were too far away; At the far west end, way over after the river that even she could not see. Even if they had started running now, leaving everything behind, the armour, the guns, the wounded, they would not make it in time, not to the hills and not to the shore. And even if they somehow made it to the shore, they would not be able to get into the boats, let alone reaching the ships. They would be run over long before. No, this was it, do or die.“GET IN FORMATION ONE! CLOSE THE RANKS AND HOLD!”“HOLD?!! ARE YOU FUCKING CRAZY???!!!” Lieutenant Emry was beside himself.Ranger General Windrunner snapped, “YOU’LL DO AS I DAMN IT! OR I SWEAR ON MY ANCESTORS, I’LL RIP YOU INTO PIECES MYSELF!”Whatever color that was left on Emry’s face was gone with that, however, she did not waste her time looking.Turning back over at Commander Dughan, she kept shouting orders, “LINE THE ARTILLERY UP AT THE BASE OF THE PASSAGE! I WANT AN ENDLESS BARRAGE, BLOW THEM UP!”Sylvanas jumped from the steam tank as her troops raced to follow her command. They fought to reform their two diagonal lines of armour and infantry. They brought up empty crates and threw them over to build shaky barricades in between. She ordered her rangers on top of siege engines and steam tanks, using every bit of elevation they can find for their ranged attacks. Ballistas were squeezed in between the armour, marines piling up on and around them. Ranger Captain McCree made several frantic runs to and from CU-D, as they did their best to recoordinate fire from Admiral Rogers’ ships.Ranger General Sylvanas Windrunner took her place above Captain Harak’s now immobile siege engine one more time. Standing next to the hatch, she had her bow in her hand with an arrow nocked and a dozen more in waiting for rapid shot. The urgency and desperation of their situation had awakened their every sense, whatever fatigue or dizziness they had was drowning in the rage of battle. She roared her next words to the point of suppressing every other will but the will to fight,“WE HOLD THEM HERE! CUT THEM DOWN AND GIVE THEM NOTHING! NOT AN INCH BACK! THIS IS WHERE WE STAND AND WE STAND AS ONE, FOR THE ALLIANCE!!!”“FOR THE ALLIANCE!!!” her soldiers screamed at the giant wave of demons with pure, barbaric vigor. The wave crashed onto them. What followed was not a fight, it was a nightmarish maelstrom: Arrows, shells, cannon balls filled the air, falling all around and on them and on the demons. Red fires, green fires, smoke, dust, ash, earth, all blowing up and coming down in an endless hail. Swords, axes, halberds, lances, daggers, whatever the fuck were those things that the demons were wielding, were clashing, breaking, piercing, cutting, squishing. Flesh, bone and metal, pink like a human, fire-red and fel-green, black as coal and just as hard, ripped and torn and cut into pieces. Demons were almost overflowing their barriers, climbing or simply being pushed from behind on the armour, the crates and the ballistas, like a river breaking down a dam. Ranged and melee were meaningless distinctions as Sylvanas found herself both shooting arrows and bludgeoning down a fel beats with her bow.They were sprayed with soot and blood as a pile of corpses rose in front of them, so wide and tight, that they simply climbed on it as if it was another piece of the ground without losing their footing. There was an irrational desperation to the demons push, matched only by their own stubborn refusal to retreat. Not an inch back. Several armour crews were out of their vehicles as they run out of ammunition and joined the fight with their pistols, war hammers and axes. At some point, all sense of proper battle had begun to slip from them, as most of the forces, her soldiers and the demons both, had devolved into just hacking at whatever was closest to them. She left her own scimitar in the skull of some fel lord when it got stuck and simply grabbed what was obviously a glaive with its handle broken in half. Slashing and stabbing, she at one point had an arrow in one hand and a spiked piece of wood in the other, both of which she drove into a felhound’s heads.More and new sounds of cannon fire and exploding shells began to rise from the western side of the Durnholde Keep. Sylvanas was not yet as lost as to ignore the changes on the battlefield, she spun to tear herself from the brawl and stepped on a dead infernal’s remains to get a better look.As soon as her gaze fell upon the walls, two siege engines emerged side by side, firing their guns. And then two more, and then two more and then two more… Rows and rows of Alliance armour started to pour into the field. She could swear that the fighting had stopped for a moment as everyone took a break to register what the hell was happening. She practically heard the breaths drawn, followed by screams and shouts of relief and joy washing over them.Sylvanas did not know and did not care if a demon could actually be scared or be hopeless, but she believed that she saw exactly those feelings on their faces. Roused up by the sweet sight of victory, her troops made a push against the Legion army. The once endless wave broke. Infernal creatures scattered towards every direction. By now, the Alliance cavalry had arrived, knights riding their steeds had long passed the armour and reached the first ridge, came bearing down on the enemy with their lances, greatswords and war hammers. Following them not far behind were rifle squads, charging in and settling on the road, they began to fire volley after volley at the running army of demons. When some of the creatures made the mistake of turning towards the southern cliff verge, Sylvanas did not miss her chance. A quick signal to CU-D, and the full might of the naval artillery exploded on the accursed monsters; Shredding them all to pieces within moments.10 minutes, maybe even less and it was over. Infantry took to the field to check and finish off any living demons lying on the ground. Field Marshal Teravaine jumped down from his vehicle and walked towards her with a pretty bright smile on his face. They saluted each other, looking like two over excited kids,“We were not too late I hope Ranger General?” asked Teravaine.“No! I dare say you arrived just in time.”They laughed for a bit and then the Field Marshal spoke again,“I have to say, your diversion operations were quite a success, perhaps a bit too much. We had to split into groups and run way too many circles around the demons, such was how much they kept breaking and scattering. At the end, we had to break our forces into two as well. Grand Marshal Highlord Bolvar gave me the command of this batch and we rushed to catch them here. Highlord himself is at the head of the other rest of the army, doing the very same thing, just over at Thoradin’s Wall. Now that this here is done, we will march there and join him. Care to come with us?”Sylvanas bit her lip, she tasted blood both literally and figuratively. “You know what Field Marshal? Yes. You go ahead, I will put things in order here and then we’ll follow.”“Alright, see you at the wall then!”They saluted each other one more time and then both turned their backs, going off to take care of their respective tasks. Sylvanas rounded her troops up and made it a priority to get all of the wounded onto the ships, the ones in critical conditions were first. When she went down the shore, she saw literally a dozen ships, two man o wars and 10 frigates, all run aground, half of them literally crashed on the cliff, and mostly sunk.Admiral Catherine Rogers was sitting on the body of her heeled flagship, still giving orders about carrying soldiers and materials with boats. When they saw each other, she stood up and saluted Sylvanas and Sylvanas saluted her back.She had a priest look at the scar on her face and allowed herself to be healed, along with the rest of the lightly wounded, in the field hospital that was set up to the west of the still smoldering ruins of Southshore. After that, they got more crates brought ashore from the rest of the fleet. Leaving clean up duty to Cantlebree and her sailors, she picked from her landing troops, only the ones who were completely healthy, and they outfitted themselves with full gear and ammunition once again. Picking up the still working siege engines and steam tanks, they left the mortars and the ballistas behind, got on the vehicles and followed on Field Marshal Teravaine’s trail. They arrived “too late”. By the time they reached Thoradin’s Wall, whatever real fighting there was, had been done and they caught the demons in a spectacularly pathetic position. Pulling up to the side of the main army’s armour, they began firing on the trapped monsters. It was less work than a target practise and cathartic beyond all measure. When the last of the creatures were snuffed out, Grand Marshal Highlord Bolvar Fordragon gave a short yet rousing speech, talking about the courage and the triumph of the Alliance. He had an open air, on foot briefing with his generals, got verbal reports and quickly delegated new tasks and gave new orders. After which he and his army, once again united, turned back towards the north and continued their blitz on the Legion’s now scattered forces. They were attempting to retreat along the Darrowmere River, back into northern Lordaeron, and he intended to catch them before they could.For their part, Sylvanas’ diversion troops were pulled back from combat for a rest, until further notice. It was decided they would retreat behind Thoradin’s Wall into Stromgarde Kingdom and stay there until either navy took them home or they were called to the field of battle once more.It was proper evening when they actually made their way through the wall, amongst the cheers and welcoming shouts of the defenders. Rank, order and discipline were all at bare minimum as they completed their official entry and then the revelry began. Both inside and outside the walls, priests and acolytes were still attending to the wounded and gathering up the dead. However, away from their work, at the base camp, the survivors, the victors, were celebrating.They quickly found cups full of ale in their hands, as officers and the rank and file both were basically yelling with elation: FOR THE ALLIANCE, FOR STROMGARDE, FOR STORMWIND, FOR KHAZ MODAN!Traditional salutes were chanted with full lungs: FOR KING VARIAN, FOR KING THORAS, FOR KING MAGNI, FOR THE HIGH TINKER!Praises were shouted back and forth along with toasts as they quickly fell into a drunken haze: To the Army, to Navy, to the Knights, to the Rangers, to the glorious dwarven engineering and that one blacksmith back at Stromgarde City, who apparently made a war hammer that caved 30 doomguards’ skulls in today?!The main hall in the base camp was filled with the sounds of soldiers: Drinking, eating, singing, dancing, shouting, laughing, stomping their feet on the ground and slamming their fists on the tables. Anthems and ballads of heroism were sung with broken speech and off-key voices and they all loved it. Rowdy tavern tunes and slur filled old battle songs got in between to absolutely no one’s dismay.At some point, Sylvanas herself was half singing half shouting a pretty gory and old Farstrider song, together with Field Marshal Oslight, on top of some table. The whole room sang along, in completely butchered Thalassian, about gutting trolls and their gods too.After the salty waters of Baradin Bay and the ash tainted run of the Darrowmere River, Nathanos was washed with a cask of ale as well. It was either some completely nonsensical drinking game or a stupid challenge. Two knights poured the entirety of one over his head and he had drunk it as the room cheered on, and drunk way too much of it.As the hour passed midnight, the feast was going on with no end in sight. It was a relief after months of being besieged, after months of intense preparations and a day of fighting that felt like an eternity. They were alive and they had won god damn it! The war was far from over, they still had friends and allies out there fighting, but for one night, tonight, they were allowed to celebrate. Everything else, would have to wait until tomorrow.Sylvanas had seen plenty of wounded, with bandages on arms, legs and heads, yet apparently up on their feet enough, get into the building and join the ruckus. Everyone was everywhere: People sitting on the tables, lying on the ground, lying on the tables, standing on the chairs and the kegs, sitting on one another. During another round of singing she found herself using her husband as a chair. He had one arm over her waist, holding onto her tightly and spoke with child like glee,“What did I say?! We aren’t dying. We are never going to die, we’re immortal now!”Sylvanas burst into laughter and Nathanos followed. When they both managed to catch their breath, she kissed him, for the first time after a whole day. He tasted of sea water, mud, blood, soot and ale. It was the best kiss she ever had.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

“Before we begin, I would like all of you to know this: The offensive was a success,” King Varian declared to the generals standing across him. “Looking at your faces now, I can see that is not how you feel about the situation, however, you have achieved all of the objectives which had been demanded by the High Council of the Alliance. You and the troops under your command delivered them with utmost diligence, courage and precision.” The King spoke with a face that showed his honest belief in his own words, “Now, keep that in your mind going forward, and do be seated.”Grand Marshal Highlord Bolvar Fordragon and Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth sat down at the table inside the King’s private study, followed by Ranger General Sylvanas, Field Marshal Teravaine and Admiral Dvorek. All of them had managed to force on neutral faces during the King’s speech, with the exception of Highlord Bolvar, who looked quite upset and disappointed.Sitting next to King Varian was the Speaker of the House, Lady Katrana Prestor, who looked equally smug to Bolvar Fordragon’s blues. She clearly felt validated in her previous complaints and now was savoring the “victory”. Highord on the hand, was fidgeting in his seat uncomfortably, his hands playing with the large dossier in front of him.Sylvanas would like to argue that the situation was not as dire as either of those two would make it out to be, however, none could deny that they had fallen tragically short of their ambitions: Their offensive had failed to catch the retreating Burning Legion armies before they had managed to go back into northern Lordaeron. Once the demons made it to Andorhal, the infernal forces had complete control of the choke point. Which would not have been the worst, if not for the other, more humiliating problem; They had run out of… everything. No fuel, no ammunition. Siege engines, steam tanks, mortars and cannons were forced to stop long before they could reach the choke point. Fire squads were rendered completely useless without their gunpowder. Highlord Bolvar had risked a march of his infantry together with his cavalry, hoping to get his supply for his armour and mobile artillery later, however, at the end of the day, it could not be done. They had simply spent way too much way too quickly, without actually having the production capacity to resupply sufficiently. That had left the bulk of their forces wide open for a counter attack, as they could not move across the western arm of Darrowmere Lake. Summer droughts meant the Darrowmere River remained shallow, which meant no naval support either. Their assault ground to a halt, long before it could capture most of its planned objectives, their armies now left in a vulnerable position. Ranger General Sylvanas and her diversion forces were called on to assist the front as the rest desperately rushed to set up defensive positions. Thankfully, demons were properly scared after their initial blitz, now acting extremely cautious, which allowed the Alliance to organize a decent defense. It was a traditional one, with wooden forts and motte-and-bailey castles hastily put together, heavy infantry manning the walls and cavalry sitting in waiting at central locations in between the keeps. After a few awkward moments of silence, Highlord stood back up, put his right hand through his hair once, opened the file in front of him and started to speak, “I thank you, Your Majesty, for your kind praises. The current standing of our forces is as follows: The two defensive positions we have established across Andorhal and along the line from Hillsbrad Foothills to Southshore, are stable. We continue to observe more and more undead presence among the enemy settlements from both locations, however, they do not seem to be in preparation for a counter-offensive, yet.”He stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. After turning a few pages, he continued, “According to the final report from Grand Marshal of the Alliance Ordnance, the High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque, completing the reoutfitting of our armour and artillery will take some three more months. With new calculations done, to complete the reproduction of the amount of fuel, ammunition and spare parts that would be necessary to pull off the sort of operation we had intended, without suffering the same fate, will take 26 months without any farther, major hiccups.” Swallowing heavily, he sat back down.Field Marshal Teravaine had a pained look on his face while Admiral Dvorek whispered “shit” at the last sentence. Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth stood up next, “Aside from the 12 ships we have lost at Southshore Offensive, the Navy is pretty much untouched. However, the Darrowmere River remains too shallow for our fleets. The current forecast for weather indicates this rather dry fall will continue, which means it could be midwinter before we are able to move in to the Northlands, and that is assuming the cold will not freeze the waterways. Our communications with the Proudmore Admiralty in Boralus have revealed two new pieces of information: The first one is that the Lord Admiral Daelin had successfully landed in Kalimdor and made contact with remnants of the Horde. The second is that undead and demonic activity continues in the seas. They had not requested our help in Kalimdor, nor did they offer any to us for Eastern Kingdoms. The news is neither pleasant nor bleak. In my professional opinion, two almost equal halves of the Alliance Navy should be able to handle two continents. If not, retreating from Kalimdor and focusing on Eastern Kingdoms should be our united course of action, rather than making a push there. ” As she took her seat again, Lady Katrana Prestor seemed like an over excited child who could barely contain herself. King Varian turned towards her, nodded and gestured with his hand for her to begin her presentation.Standing up with a grin that was equal parts vicious and annoyed, Lady Prestor opened her own dossier, which was somehow larger than Bolvar’s. “I’m afraid after such delightful announcements, mine will be a bit gloomy: As of right now, the total cost of Operation: Lothar and Operation: Thunder sit at 40 million gold. Luckily, our Kingdom of Stormwind is only responsible for approximately 25 million of it. With an arrangement that divides it into 10 year long installments, that means 2,5 million gold a year for the next decade until we are done! I have also received the ‘bill’ for all of the ‘resupplying” and ‘restocking’ our Highlord Bolvar had asked from the Ordnance to ‘properly pull the operation’, and it is a magnificent 164 million gold! Needless to say, we DO NOT have the coin to pay for it. Even if we assume a similar arrangement to the former spending is achieved and we are only stuck with some 60% of this, it is still almost 100 million gold to be paid over 10 years. Which would put us around some 12.5 million gold to be paid per year. I know counting coppers isn’t really of interest to military commanders, so allow me to put things into perspective for you: The cost of maintaining the orc internment camps, complete with food, shelter, security and healing, was around 23 million gold a year and we were sharing that burden with 11 other nations. And still, it was considered so high that literally three kingdoms had left the Alliance over it.”Field Marshal Teravaine had visibly shrunk in his seat while Highlord Bolvar looked almost sick. Ranger General on the other hand, was shameless, “Is 10 years the longest time limit? Are we not able to make smaller installments over a longer period of time? We are talking about a kingdom’s debt, surely it can be trusted to pay things off in a further future.”It was King Varian’s turn to shrink in his seat, “After the… matter with the Stonemason’s Guild, the House had passed a law that limits how long payments to direct sellers of materials and services can be stretched out. 10 years is it.”“There is also the fact that the amount of raw materials required for Highlord Fordragon’s project is simply too much,” Lady Prestor declared, throwing her left hand in the air, “It literally exceeds the current production limits of all our mines and wells. So there is an added cost just to build the infrastructure in order to increase the extraction and processing capacity. Current prices for even iron ores and sulfur are exorbitant and will not go down until years later. And the gradual decline obvious will not be reflected in our bills, as they are purchased ‘now.’” She turned and looked intently to Grand Marshal and spoke to him almost like he was a child, “This is an expense which the treasury cannot bear. We will need to cancel the order and make do with simply resupplying the existing troops to basic operational capacity.”“Now,” King Varian had raised a hand to signal a stop, “Let us not be hasty in that decision. While we cannot extend the installments for the purchase itself, the crown can still take out loans, there is no set limit on that.”“And what will we put up as collateral?” Katrana Prestor turned towards the sitting king with her hands on her hips, “The throne? Stormwind Keep perhaps?” “We will discuss this matter some other time,” Varian had a tired finality in his voice. “Regardless, we cannot wait two years before we go and free the rest of the Northlands anyway, so that bit is irrelevant to the current situation at hand.”He continued as Lady Katrana sat down, “This is the real challenge; We need to come up with a plan to relieve the rest of the lands from this Legion and Scourge menace, before whatever is this threat of the Horde, or a renewal of demons and undead, could come back from Kalimdor. And I’m afraid, we need to do it with what we already have. The kingdom is in no position to finance another costly project.”Clearing his throat, Field Marshal Teravaine spoke up for the first time since the meeting had started, “There is also the matter of enemy troops’ numbers and composition. Ranger General here had confirmed that they had not seen any undead presence in Southshore. Aside from the initial assault groups that started the siege at Thoradin’s Wall, there had not been another additional force of undead there either. And yet, as soon as we had reached the Darrowmere Lake, we began seeing them. We can safely assume that the Legion did not send all its might south. Quite clearly, they had a nice chunk waiting up North and since we do not know the exact sprawl of this Scourge, we do not know the size of the army we face, or their capacity.”“That’s another thing that gets me,” Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth joined in, “Since the information we have says that they can just make undead as they please, shouldn’t it have been the opposite? Shouldn’t they have sent their more expendable troops south instead of demons?”“Well, that is assuming undead are more expendable,” Teravaine answered.“Logic dictates that they are,” Jes-Tereth retorted, “They can just turn anyone into undead, they only need to kill someone. For demons, they will need costly portals that would be highly difficult to maintain. Demons are a force that can be cut off. On the other hand, they can always make more undead, they’ll never run out of resources for that one.”“Are we sure they are working together?” Admiral Dvorek had a questioning look on his face, “They are a ‘menace’ as His Majesty has said, however, it may simply be that the undead was one evil that threatened us and the Burning Legion merely took advantage of it?”“We know a demon was the one started this whole undead thing,” Highlord Bolvar was dismissive, “And the undead we had observed seemed under demonic command… Perhaps the undead and the actual demon forces are under two different commanders?”“So you are suggesting a mismanagement scenario?” Sylvanas would love it to be true, “That they are not making the best of decisions, using their forces inefficiently?”“Can we really afford such optimistic thinking?” Jes-Tereth was unconvinced.“I say there is only one way to find out,” Field Marshal Teravaine brought his hands together on the table and turned towards Sylvanas, “A recon mission behind enemy lines. It is a terrain your troops have experience with, right Ranger General?”“I mean no offense Field Marshal, however, I do not see any point in such an operation.” Sylvanas did her best not to show annoyance, “What will we even do with the information? I do not approve another blind dive into such a dangerous territory. We need to have a concrete plan here, a proper response. That comes first.” “But, we need information…” Teravaine trailed off when Grand Admiral got back into the conversation,“We have a two way problem here: First is to free the Northlands in its entirety. The second is to secure the Eastern Kingdoms, starting from the coasts, against another wave of potential Legion and Scourge invasion. I think, for all intents and purposes, we can count the Horde as a supplementary Legion force much like the undead. That’s why they had come to our world in the first place.”“Which makes clearing out the Northlands as fast as possible paramount,” Highlord Bolvar declared while waving a finger, “Otherwise, if Kalimdor Legion turns its face towards east, they will have a nice and comfortable base of operations and an easy landing ground too. Worst case scenario, all of our current gains could be wiped out in a matter of days.” They all rose from their seats as the King stood up and began to speak once more, “Right! And this is not a matter you will be able to figure out, here and now. You have a week ladies and gentlemen. Make your plans and then you shall present them to me this time next week. Meanwhile, I will meet with King Thoras, King Magni and High Tinker Mekkatorque to discuss the most recent developments. Apparently there is a pressing issue involving our gnomish allies and their homeland... Now, remember what I said about the offensive: Keep your heads high everyone. Dismissed.”They had saluted Varian and begun to make their way out of his study when he called out,“Windrunner, you stay a while, I have something I want to discuss with you.”Sylvanas had surprise briefly flash on her face, before stepping back and waiting for the room to clear. Lady Katrana was the last one to leave, and made sure to give her a suspicious look before closing the door behind them.“Please, do sit,” King Varian was in a good mood, in direct contrast with the rest of his council. Sylvanas accepted the King’s offer and sat in the chair that was opposite to his across the table.After taking in a breath and hitting his legs with his palms, he finally got to the point, “I wanted to thank you, your family and especially your nephew, for... dealing with Anduin.”Sylvanas raised an eyebrow with a genuine smile on her face, “Dealing? Not at all Your Majesty! On the contrary, it is an honour to have the Prince around.”“Yes, yes sure…” He waved his hand with a smile of his own, “However, I know my son. He can be… quite stubborn. He is not even seven yet and we have been having difficulty getting him to do things for years now. Unless he likes it! Then it is a struggle to get him to stop!”He shifted in his seat before he put on more serious face, “I truly mean it. When Anduin had learned to read just as he reached his fifth year, I was so proud. However, after a while it became apparent that was all he cared to do, aside from his mischiefs that is. When I first began to train him in arms, he was not very interested, but at least he was doing as he was told. But if I was not there to make sure of it, he would never bother. None of his tutors could ever make him. He ran circles around them, throwing all sorts of tantrums… I…”Varian sat up straight, brought his hands together on the table, “When I saw him training on the courtyard, along with your nephew... I cannot express the relief I had. And I know it cannot be easy on young Arator, Anduin is half his age, there is not much there to be friends with and yet, he is acting quite the older brother to him.”“Arator likes playing the older brother Your Grace,” Sylvanas said with utmost sincerity, “And he is not the only one. My own little Lireesa is a ‘menace’ all of her own, and His Highness handles her pretty well. The Prince is kind and very patient. Most children his age would be angry or bored with her, but he keeps talking to her, trying to get her to do things ‘right’ without a hint of frustration. I don’t see the young princeling as this naughty burden as you fear. None of us do.”She leaned back in her seat, “And I am honestly not surprised that he went to training on his own with Arator while making it difficult on his caretakers. That’s how children are like, that’s how I was like! Couldn’t care less what anyone else in the Spire had said, but I just had to follow Alleria everywhere, no matter how dangerous or silly. Her approval was more important than everything else! I would do the most boring chores if it meant I could spend time with her and get her to praise me. And then Vereesa was born, and she wouldn’t eat… most of anything really, unless I sat down at the table and ate with her. Imagine a Ranger Lord, running home from a patrol, just so that her baby sister could eat her breakfast!”King Varian had a booming laugh at that, “I suppose, I suppose…” After a moment he composed himself somewhat and continued, “I know bringing your family to the Keep was more of an obligation than a choice, given the war and the preparations, that was all you could do to keep them close during that time. And I know Ranger Lord Nathanos does not like it here, well, quite apparent from the fact that a mere two days after his return he got you all back to your house… However, I appreciate it that you indulged my son’s whims and allowed him these visits to your home.”“Your Grace,” Sylvanas raised his hand to motion a stop, “When I say this, I truly mean it: The Prince and your royal selves, are both welcome in our house, always.”Varian’s features got saddened, “Well, we’ll see… In two hours I will be taking the Deeprun Tram. The High Tinker insisted that it was ready for passenger travel, so if I survive, I will be in Ironforge, meeting with my fellow monarchs… The Light knows how long this one will last. Meanwhile, I will need you to get Bolvar out of his mood. It’s absurd how unhappy he is with a victory. I mean, we had told him that! Me, King Magni, we all did, that this would suffice and his own design of reaching Lordaeron City was farfetched, all the way back when the idea first came about.” He threw his hands in the air with some cheer back on his face , “Anyway! I thank you and your family. I have it in mind to get a proper knight’s greatsword forged for young Arator, together with its full enchantments. I think that would make a good birthday present for an aspiring paladin, don’t you agree? When is his birthday anyway?”“It was two weeks ago Your Grace.”“Oh! Oh well, later then! For Winter’s Veil perhaps?”“As Your Majesty pleases. However, no one expects any rewards or presents from you Your Grace, certainly not for the ‘task’ having the Prince around.”King Varian chuckled, “Well then, it will be my own heartfelt gift. You may take your leave Ranger General.”“Thank you Your Grace and safe travels.” Sylvanas gave a short bow to him and then left his study.When she made it to her own offices, her adjutant, Ranger Captain McCree jumped to greet her, “Ranger General! Commander DeSousa had come not too long ago and said that the Grand Marshal Fordragon expects you in his offices, once your talk with the King was over.”Having just stepped inside the room, Sylvanas made a spin around herself and walked right out, “Pull out the training reports McCree, I will look at them once I return.”“Yes Ma’am.”When she reached Highlord Bolvar’s office door, Commander Jacob was at the desk outside. He immediately stood up and announced her arrival after opening the door with a swift knock. “Thank you Jacob, close the door behind you, will you?” Bolvar welcomed her and gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk.He himself was standing next to the large window that was wide open with shutters thrown off. He had a pipe in his hand, which he immediately started to put out, smoke still whirling around him.“I did not take you for a smoker, Grand Marshal. If I had known, I would bring you some of our own blend. It has the perfect amount of Dalaran Green, adding the distinct bitter taste without overwhelming the rest.”“Ah!” He turned to her, shaking the pipe clean, “That sounds mighty fine, perhaps some other time...Old habits… I had quit when I got wed. Hadn’t smoke in more than 8 years, until a few weeks ago.” He walked to his seat, put the pipe in one of the drawers and sat down.“So… Regardless of what His Majesty might think, I know you and I can agree that we have failed,” he said matter of factly.“It was an error in calculation really,” Sylvanas knew his hangup, “And I can tell why that happened: This was never done before. No one knew what such an operation would actually entail or how much it would cost. We made all our preparations based on guesswork. His Grace and his fellow monarchs are trying to claim credit for ‘correctly judging’ our capacity, however, in reality they had just assumed that demons wouldn’t be thwarted that easily. We have certainly beat their expectations on that front. It’s just that no one thought we would run out of fuel.”Bolvar heaved a sigh, “When I finally managed to get the High Tinker Mekkatorque, it was all of 3 days before he returned with the proper assessment, and I know for a fact it didn’t actually take him that long…”“Well,” Sylvanas spoke with resign, “He is the ‘High Tinker’ after all. I think we are allowed a pass for not knowing our numbers as well as him. I just wish we had him with us since the beginning. Do you know what this issue with ‘gnomish homeland’ is?”“Gnomeregan,” he shook his head, “And unfortunately no. I tried asking the High Tinker himself, however, he dismissed me. They wouldn’t be making a whole meeting out of it if it wasn’t serious though. Proud people they are.”“Really?” Sylvanas had her suspicions.“They are!” Bolvar declared with enthusiasm, “They don’t mind getting themselves all messed up in front of everyone in pursuit of some invention, however, they seldom talk about their past or their ancestral kingdom.”“That’s understandable I think,” she leaned back in her chair, “Our lot doesn’t like to talk about the old days of Queen Azshara either.”“Who?” Highlord was clearly confused.Sylvanas waved her hand dismissively, “Some ancient and absurd ruler from way before. Even as a High Elf, you wouldn’t know about her unless you had studied history in a highly advanced, academic setting.”“Oh, well then.” He brought his hands together on his desk and leaned forward, “So, what do you think? We won’t get a single copper out of treasury now, what we have is what we have to make do with. How is your ranger army? You should have some 1200 combatant strong force.”She almost snorted, “I don’t have ‘1200’ rangers, you know it as well. What I have is 800 new recruits with varying levels of unpreparedness. Of the original 1000 I had, barely 400 who are fit for duty left and that batch was lacking more than a year’s training anyway. This current set has barely seen six months of instructions and some not even that. And the official ranger training course is supposed to be some three years long, so you figure how much of a ranger they are. Granted, we have picked from the somewhat experienced members of the army and the navy, still…”“Well, that’s the case with all of us really,” Bolvar seemed frustrated, “we all have to make do with green recruits… How is Mattingly?” He asked with clear concern.“He’ll live. However it will be at least a year, maybe more, before he can return to duty.” The Ranger Captain in question was currently lying on a bed in the hospital set up in the Cathedral of Light. Sylvanas had made sure to visit all of her wounded personnel weekly. She much preferred it to writing letters to families of the deceased.“I think, you were right to reject Teravaine,” continued Bolvar from before, “We don’t have any ‘expendable’ troops anymore and rangers were never it. Yet I am at a loss here, regarding what we should do. I already know some will suggest trying a traditional march up the demons’ lines, however, we had already determined that wouldn’t do anyway. Especially now, if we believe an equal or greater force of undead is backing the demons. The numbers of enemies basically did not decrease, though we did lose the ability to perform the one tactic we knew would work…”Sylvanas rhythmically hit the arms of her chair with her finger tips, “Another recon on its own is unnecessary at this point, however, we already do have a bit of information regarding what might be going on behind enemy lines. Information that remains uncontentious with what we have observed these past weeks: There should be pockets of resistance up there, along with small strongholds and other defensive settings, with people in them. Southshore had a decent collection of paladins and priests, all of them Lordaeronite. The militia leaders there did mention a large group had left for the heartland of the country before our arrival, in an attempt to fight the undead. Plenty others had made their way to Alterac, we knew the mountain terrain meant the Legion and the Scourge both largely ignored it, not the mention the Alteracians themselves. At the farthest north, in Quel’Thalas, the entire defense plan was to surrender the larger kingdom and retreat behind Ban’dinoriel in the case of an extreme threat. That means most of the kingdom’s army is sitting in Silvermoon, waiting to be relieved.”Bolvar started to follow her trail of thought, “We do have allied and potentially allied forces there. We just need to organize them into a cohesive union. Though, I think it still wouldn’t be enough to take the demons out on their own.”“No, however, if we were to coordinate their attacks with the troops down south..”“Then we could trap the Legion forces in between!” “We still would lack the numbers, never mind the geography, to make a large pincer move, but…”“We can go piece by piece. No need to take the whole enemy head on! We can pick and choose where we’ll attack, and then strike swiftly, clean them out and then move on to the next target.”“We have the maps, we have a pretty detailed map of all the strategic positions, keeps, forts, castles, watch towers… We just need to choose the locations that we can cover the fastest. It will be key to quickly capture a point that we can then defend. Places that will fall rapidly from a two fronted attack, but will be easy to defend from a single side.”“Yes!” Bolvar slammed his fist on the desk, “We can make this work! What’s the status of the Ranger Army Inventory?”“We sit at mostly full stock. We had freshly outfitted ourselves before leaving Throradin’s Wall and didn’t spend much once back at the front. We should be short on some consumables, though I wouldn’t be able to give a proper count from memory right now. I need to check the books.”“You do that,” Highlord shot up from his seat, “Let us meet again tomorrow, at this hour. Make your inventory count, bring in the maps, we have a week to plan this. Ah! Bring your Ranger Lords as well, the less we have to explain down the command chain the better, we don’t have time for long lectures. Besides, we’ll need their input anyway.”Sylvanas rose from her seat as well, giving Bolvar a salute, she started to make her way out of his office. Just as she had reached the door, he spoke again, with his pipe in hand once more,“Take the rest of today off. I know Ranger Lord Nathanos is currently using his yearly leave, however you should spend some time with your daughter as well. You may not have another opportunity for a long while.”“Thank you Grand Marshal,” she responded, saluted him again and made her way to her own offices. Once there, she took the training records, ordered McCree to pull the inventory register for tomorrow and then told him to take the rest of the day off as well.She walked towards the royal stables, with two large dossiers in her hands. Loading them into the saddle bags of her gryphon, she took to the sky, starting her journey home. It was a relatively short ride and a comfortable one too. The autumn had arrived without much of a change in the weather, still carrying on the late summer warm. While the drought was a cause for concern in more ways than one, Sylvanas believed they were allowed to enjoy their time outside all the same.Even before she started her descent, she saw the long table set up in the garden. There were nine people of various ages and sizes sitting at it: Her husband, her daughter and her nephew were all at one side together with Lord Grayson Shadowbreaker, who had recently accepted to train Arator. At the opposite side of the table were Prince Anduin with his manservant Wyll Benton right next to him. They were flanked on both sides by the Prince’s bodyguards, Lieutenant Commanders Wendall and Nellbrooks, with Sir Ander Germaine, the Prince’s trainer, at the south end of the table.Nathanos noticed her before the rest of them did and got up to greet her upon landing. “We were not expecting you Ranger General, Ma’am.” Wendall and Nellbrooks both were up on their feet, saluting her.“At ease gentlemen,” Sylvanas spoke as she let her husband handle beast, “It is merely a last minute change of plans. No need to make yourselves anxious, I am currently off duty.”She turned towards the Prince, who had risen from his seat, propping himself up with his arms using the table.“It is nice to see you Your Highness, how are you this fine day?” She had taken to treating the boy with a polite seriousness, which he seemed to enjoy immensely.“Quite well, Lady Windrunner. And how are you?”“I am fine, thank you, Your Highness.”Lieutenant Commanders Wendall and Nellbrooks sat down, while Lord Grayson raised an eyebrow at the exchange.“Lady Windrunner,” Wyll, the elderly servant of Anduin, had also got up and taken a bow to her.“Mr. Benton, please do sit. I appear to have interrupted your lunch, though it is getting a bit late for that.”“I’m afraid it’s on me. I had decided to push Arator a bit during his first day of blunt weapon training and the Prince and Sir Ander decided to keep at it alongside us.” Lord Grayson said with the same final and deep tone which he had when they had met him two weeks ago.“I want to try a hammer too,” Anduin said immediately. He was still standing with his arms pushing him up on the table, his doublet dangerously close to his plate.Walking to her daughter who was far too busy with her food, Sylvanas addressed the Prince, “There is an order to these things Your Highness. I’m afraid you cannot try such weapons before completing at least the early stages of your armor training.”Anduin had a disappointed look on his face while Wyll tried to gently pull him down from the back of his clothes, “My Prince, please do sit. You need to eat and you’re about to swim in your chowder!”Anduin looked down and realized that he was almost dipping himself into the plate. He instantly pressed the front of his doublet back with both hands, which caused him to lose his balance. Luckily, Wyll was already holding onto him and quickly pulled the boy down to sit in his chair.Nathanos returned just as Sylvanas was failing to draw her daughter’s attention, “Surely missy, you can spare a moment to your poor old mother,” she bent down over little Lireesa to make eye contact.Her daughter looked at her with lips tightly pressed together and near tears in her eyes.Arator chuckled, “Uncle said she cannot have any dessert unless she can finish eating without talking and not be the last one.”“Lunch shouldn’t last two hours every day,” Nathanos said with clear frustration in his voice, while putting down a plate for Sylvanas and pulling another chair. “Every day! The food gets cold, little rabbit here does every trick she can conjure to avoid finishing her meal and then when it’s time for dessert, suddenly she cannot eat enough! Well I have caught up on your scheme Lireesa Windrunner. You purposely do not eat your chow, so that you can stuff yourself with rolls and cakes. Not anymore! Now eat it up, chop chop!”Her daughtered turned to her mother, pleading with her eyes. In response, however, Sylvanas brought her arms together across her chest, “Is that so missy? Well then, you better finish that plate right now and not one word! Or else no dessert for a week!”Lireesa whimpered without opening her mouth and returned to her food. Arator almost snorted some of the broth from his nose at the whole scene, while Anduin tried to be encouraging, “We have brought cherry pie, Miss Millie baked it! You’ll love it, so just go spoon by spoon, alright?”“No one is eating any pies until everyone finishes their meal,” Nathanos declared loudly as he repeatedly hit the table, right in front of the Prince’s plate, with his index finger.“Yes! Of course,” Anduin immediately grabbed his own spoon and turned his attention to his own plate.“With the way children are behaving, one would think we are being served some poisoned mush,” Sir Ander spoke for the first time since Sylvanas arrived, his own plate had been long emptied. “Dare I say Lord Marris, this is perhaps the best catfish chowder I have ever eaten.”“Uncle is the best cook in the house,” Arator said matter of factly.Sylvanas jokingly gave him a side eye as Nathanos poured her portion. In response, Arator put his right hand over his heart as he spoke, “As an acolyte of light, I have to be honest Aunt Sylvie; Uncle Nat is simply the better cook, no contest there I’m afraid.” He had a bright smile on his face.Sylvanas made a semi-serious declaration in Thalassian, that if that was indeed the case, then from then on, it would be solely Nathanos’ duty to provide every meal.“NO! Nope, no way!” rejected her husband as he sat down, while Arator and Sylvanas devolved into giggling.Sylvanas delayed finishing her meal, sparing her daughter from being the last one to do so. When they moved onto their pies, Lord Grayson gave her a quick assessment for Arator, talking about how he needed to do some weight training and start to bulk up in order to be able to handle the new fighting style. The man was a master paladin, exceptional with war hammers and it was the knowledge of her nephew’s true heritage that had convinced him to take Arator up as his squire. Meanwhile, the young lad in question was telling the Prince about the librams granted to the first paladins, and the latter was listening intently. Nathanos had their daughter up on his lap, holding her straight as she tried to cut her pie into smaller pieces. Lieutenant Commander Nellbrooks was conversing with Sir Ander while his fellow counterpart was listening into the conversation between the Prince and her nephew. Unfortunately, poor old Mr. Wyll Benton was too busy trying to keep crumbs and cherry fillings off of Anduin’s clothes to enjoy anything.Once they were done, Sylvanas and Arator joined Nathanos in clearing the table while the rest took off after giving their polite thanks for the meal. Anduin got the promise of a visit to Stormwind Keep from Arator, just as he was getting strapped onto the saddle of a gryphon along with Lieutenant Commander Wendall. After they were gone, Arator put on his traveling cloak and girded on his short sword, just because he could.“May I go to Northshire Abbey? Father Vecktas is visiting and I want to talk to him. I promise I’ll be back before supper.”“Who?” Nathanos was suspicious.“The preacher of the weekly church,” answered Sylvanas, keeping a neutral face. “Alright. Make sure to take the main road, and come back before sunset, supper would be too late now.”“I will, thanks!” And off he went running.Sylvanas took their daughter to bed for a late, late noon’s nap. It would shift Lireesa’s sleep schedule for more than an hour ahead, however, the two year old couldn’t possibly keep awake until the evening. She stayed for a while after the little girl fell asleep, watching her sweet , peaceful face. When a knot started to tighten in her chest, she left for the kitchen, hoping to find some task to keep herself busy.Nathanos was long done with the dishes and was finishing the clean up of the kitchen itself. He spoke when he heard her enter, “That weekly church thing is unnerving. Who even needs to go to church every week? What are they, lepers?”“Devout,” Sylvanas answered when she reached his side.“Fanatics you mean.”“He is a highly respected priest, with a decorated warrior’s past.”“And he decided that the best use of his skills is to lecture bunch of poor fellows. Every. Damn. Week.”“They are a congregation of Half-Elves,” she confessed at last. “And far from poor.”Nathanos turned towards her and gave a questioning look, “You know them? Since when? How?”Sylvanas took in a deep breath, “Brother Danil recommended him. Apparently Arator had been having recurring nightmares. Prince Anduin’s manservant Wyll had noticed it and mentioned it to the Brother in our absence. He reached out to me as soon as we were back, and recommended Vecktas. He is supposed to be good with his ‘kind’ and especially an expert on visions.”Her husband had a face full of surprise and hurt, his tone was harsh, “He never mentioned it to me. ‘You’ never mentioned it to me! Why is that? Why are we learning this from a childhood tutor of his? And why am I learning this now!? We have been back for more than three weeks!”“He did not want you to know.” She didn’t see a way to make things more palatable for him, “Arator didn’t even say it to me and when I confronted him about this, he begged me not to tell anyone else, including you. He never wanted anyone to know, he thinks people will think him weak.”“What the hell? Why would we think him weak for having nightmares? Everyone has nightmares! I have nightmares!”“I don’t know. Maybe it has something to do with him being left all alone with a bunch of clergymen who only took care of him out of a sense of obligation. Maybe it’s because he thinks people will abandon him, if he doesn’t live up to their expectations! Maybe, none of this would have happened if it hadn’t taken me almost a bloody decade to take my own sister’s son home!”They stood silently next to one another after that bit of ranting. Nathanos spoke first, in a much quieter voice that sounded more upset than frustrated, “That ‘kind’ part sounds like horsehit to me. He is a fucking stranger, what would he know?”“Quite a lot actually,” Sylvanas commented in a resigned hurt, “Arator’s standing in the world is different from mine and yours both. The same place as our daughter. This is something we have to adapt to.”Nathanos threw the drying cloth over his shoulder. He pulled his left hand over his face, straightening his posture. “You got the day off?”“Highlord Bolvar is calling us to a strategy meeting tomorrow at noon sharp. He said I should take the rest of the day off to go home and spend some time with my family. He thinks, and I agree, that we probably won’t have much time to do so afterwards. We need to come up with a plan to clean out the rest of the Northlands… I don’t want to talk about it right now, I’ll give you the details later tonight.”She leaned on the counter, “How was your day?”Nathanos smirked, “Oh, it was all nice and dandy, truly. Grayson is playing hard to please but Arator has the talent for whatever that stuck up paladin thinks he can throw at him. The little princeling obviously does not care for his training. It is merely the price of spending time with his ‘friends’. Our rabbit built quite a tall mud castle all on her own. And then she put her fist through it and then she jumped on it, completely submerging herself in the damn thing. I gave her a bath and then didn’t let her outside until it was time for lunch. Seriously, we should stop buying her anything white, it’s not worth it.”Sylvanas gave a genuine smile and a laugh at his summary. “I had a talk with King Varian, after the meeting. He also mentioned how Anduin basically started his training just because that’s what Arator was doing.”Nathanos snorted, frustration returned to his mood, “Let me guess, the boy doesn’t do shit unless daddy is there to make him.”She raised an eyebrow, “Pretty much, yes.”“I bet he is all befuddled, the fucker. Too busy poking his mistress with his ‘sword’ to teach his son how to swing a damn stick.”Sylvanas instinctively looked around, as if anyone could have snuck into their house to eavesdrop on them. “If you have a solution, you might want to share it with the King himself, he looked and sounded quite desperate.”“Isn’t it fucking obvious?” he was now visibly angry, “The kid wants his damn father to spend some time with him!”“I’m afraid the Crown Prince will need to learn to make do.”“Oh! So you are on his side then!”“There are sides?” Sylvanas was confused.He puffed as his nerves began to slip him, “Of course there are! Look! Wha-... What could possibly be more important, hmmm? That’s his son, his only child!”“He is the King of Stormwind and the Supreme Commander of the Alliance.”“He is not the one fighting, is he?!” Nathanos exploded at last, “We are! We are the ones going off for months! He sits on his ass in that damn keep! The least he could do is to be a fucking father to his own son!”Sylvanas let him shift where he stood as he tried to get a hold of himself. After he began to deflate, she spoke, “This isn’t about Varian.” It was not a question.Nathanos was practically fidgeting as worry crept up on his features. He surrendered at last. He looked more vulnerable than she had ever seen before, even more so than when she had first told him that she was with child, “He lives my worst, worst fear: A dead wife and a kid to fail at parenting.”She snuggled up to him, softly whispered in his ear, “I am not dead you fool,” and then kissed him on his cheek.Immediately all his nerves got loose. He couldn’t stop a tired smile appear on his face, “No,” he said as he turned towards her and began to caress her left cheek with his hand, “Not yet.”His fingers traced the newly acquired scar: Three thin, white lines that started from next to her ear and went across her cheek, all the way down to her chin. Under most lights, at least to human eye, they were pretty much invisible, yet impossible not to feel upon a touch. She raised an eyebrow in a mock challenge, “Is this how you tell me I am ugly now?”Nathanos snorted with a widening smile, “Like hell you could ever be ugly. On the contrary, you just got more attractive, with a more ‘wild’ look.”“You still have the same old boring face I’m afraid.”“Hmmm,” he leaned into her and captured her lips with his own.Their kiss got heated rapidly. She got her hands in his hair, pulling, while he held her with both arms and pressed their bodies together. They struggled to take a moment to breathe. Lireesa would be asleep for a good while longer, Arator would not return from his trip earlier than the latest acceptable moment; They had time.They rushed to their bedroom, stumbling on the way due being unable to let each other go. Once inside, Nathanos quickly helped her out of her uniform, while she basically ripped his linen shirt off. When they managed to get in the bed, she had him under her and rode him with a desperation she didn’t know she had. At their climax, they both had tears in their eyes.After they were done, she lied on him, head above his heart. As the waves of her pleasure subsided, the knot from before returned, this time with needles piercing her chest. When the pain became too much, she finally spoke,“Do you think Vereesa was expecting when she was last here?”“Hmm?” Nathanos came back from the edges of sleep. He put his hand on her head, fondling her hair. He answered a few moments later, “If she was, Rhonin didn’t know about it yet. He kept talking about making one of ‘these’ someday, regarding the little ones, but waiting for a promotion or something first.”Sylvanas felt a gaping void threatening to open in her heart, “Do you think they are alive? And the rest of the Marrises?”After another prolonged silence, he spoke once more. Sylvanas listened to the grumblings it made inside his chest as well as his words, “I try not to think about it. If they’re dead, I don’t want to suffer a false hope. If they are alive, I don’t want to mourn them needlessly. Best not to delve on it.” He gave her a kiss on top of her head, “We’ll weather it together when it comes, whatever it may be...”* * * * * * * *“So!” Grand Marshal Highlord Bolvar exclaimed, “We are in agreement that we can pull this off with existing personnel and equipment?”“I don’t see why not.” Ranger Lord Nathanos was checking a copy of the final inventory count, “We have most of the consumables in stock. Some rarer magical and alchemical products are
lacking, like liquid ice for example, however, we have all of our basic set in abundance.” “I have just realized that the cost of a jar of liquid ice is 125 times that of a flask of frost oil???” Field Marshal Teravaine had his eyes so wide, it looked like they were about to pop out of his skull.“Generally speaking; A substantial area of effect spell that is transformed into a format where it can be cast by anyone and carried around like an object, tends to be more expensive than a temporary ammunition enchantment that still fails at passing basic spell resistance, yes.” Ranger General Sylvanas didn’t wish to spend anymore time on the subject of “costs” after the meeting they had yesterday.“We were basically throwing sacks of gold at the demons out there,” commented Ranger Lord Blueheart.Sylvanas snorted, “If only. Finding gold is infinitely easier than producing these materials, which, by the way, we cannot do in Stormwind. The specific product you are talking about is an exclusive Dalaran export.”“Well, bugger…” Teravaine was clearly having some sort of an epiphany.“No need to delve on this subject, it is of no matter to us now,” Ranger General declared as she pulled one of the maps on top of everything else on the table in Highlord’s office, “The ideal starting point for us is Dalaran. If nothing else, we can cross over to Fenris Keep and establish a base of operations there. It would provide us with a pretty protected position in the middle of Lordamere Lake, able to overlook both Dalaran and Lordaeron City.”“We should march up, on foot, from Darrow Hill, over Alterac Mountains. Sticking to the high ground as much as possible would be the safest route. I advise against using any flying units until much later. We would be spotted way too easily otherwise, and we need time to rally whatever forces are left. To remain undetected as long as possible will be key.” Nathanos put two green-brass pins over the mountain road.“And if the mages are alive or at least able to hide around in decent enough numbers, that means we can have a much faster and safer access to other crucial locations on the sub-continent,” Bolvar was betting on the resilience of Kirin-Tor.“We’ll need to reorganize our forces. I suggest dividing them into smaller chunks, in the line of regiments perhaps, so that we can pick and choose whichever ones we need at a moment’s notice and respond quickly. Cavalry will need to play a more active role in this one.” Field Marshal scribed a chart on a piece of paper and started writing down troop numbers from his open memo.“I think,” Blueheart started her suggestion with hopeful anticipation, “We need to change the training course for the Ranger Army, for now I mean. There is no way we can complete their actual program within the timeframe we have, however, we can shift subjects around, focus on the immediate skills which we know will be the most necessary ones for the operation. That could do wonders for us.”Although breaking away from proven methods did not sit well with her, Sylvanas could not ignore the reality that forced their hands, “Indeed. We should look to sharpen their basic capabilities at mobility and engagement, leave the more subtle missions for more experienced units. Since most of our replacements are army and navy veterans, we can pick and use some of their tactics, at least incorporate them in a way to match our current needs.” She turned to address her Ranger Lords, “I’m leaving this to you two. Draw up the new program and begin the new training regime by the end of next week.”“Yes Ma’am!” they said in unison.“What will be the exact progress route?” Bolvar cleared the left side of his table and opened a much larger map of the Northlands on it, “From Dalaran to Lordaeron City? That seems too dangerous, we know that the Capital City is their command center, it will be the hardest target. I think we need to start from along the border, and keep tightening our hold step by step until we finally reach the capital at last. Everything else must be secured first.”“So, we will have rangers crossing the the Northlands up and down, to establish contact with various groups and coordinate assaults. Well, it looks like we will be relying mostly on you once more, Ranger General.” Teravaine almost looked apologetic.“Not necessarily,” responded Sylvanas, “We did mention the magi, they would be crucial and definitely make everything much easier, however, they are not the only ones: We should convince the militia in Hillsbrad into joining us, at the very least the Light users. We’ll need them, not only for their powers, but also for their connections. The entire state of Lordaeron has collapsed, there is massive power vacuum that we need to fill. Gaining support from any local resistance or sanctuary will depend on how much legitimacy we can claim. Lordaeronite paladins and priests marching along us would do a lot, never mind the morale effect it would have in a fight against undead and demons. And Quel’Thalas too. This is the best case scenario so let’s not tie all our hopes on that, however, we might very well have the entire military might of the old kingdom join our cause.”“Wouldn’t that be something...” Bolvar sounded wistful.“All we have left to do now is to actually draw up the schedule, decide the contact points and communication methods.” Nathanos was quite optimistic about their prospects, “This will be a meticulous job, we’ll need to cover large distances for the most incremental of progresses, however, with some patience, it can be done.”“Well then, let us begin!” Bolvar clapped his hands, “The first deadline is in six days from now. We need to finish our planning, at least the initial parts, and turn it into a convincing presentation. The sooner we get an approval, sooner we can actually start the job itself.” “Yes Sir!”Bolvar gave them their leave and his staff officers began to move out, however, Sylvanas stayed behind, “Grand Marshal, if you are available, I have a matter that I think that needs to be settled as soon as possible.”Bolvar gave her a confused look, however, did not reject, “Sure, Ranger General…”After everyone else was gone, Sylvanas closed the door behind them and turned around to face the Highlord. He politely gestured for her to sit, as he himself took his own seat behind his desk.“Thank you, Sir,” she sat down right in front of him and immediately broached the subject, “I believe we all realize the need for efficiency and ability to unite disparate groups behind enemy lines, however, I think the matter of our own command chain remains our earliest struggle in that regard. When it is all said and done, we will be acting under the authority of the Alliance. Meaning, if anyone from Dalaran or Lordaeron decides that they outrank their respondent in these arrangements, the whole thing could fall apart. The power vacuum means that anyone with a bit of legitimacy, real or imagined, can carve a piece for themselves, which they would then defend fiercely. Now, if someone declares that they are not members of the Alliance and refuse to recognize our prerogative, that is a problem of its own. And we can always use the power we bring in as a bargaining chip to convince such elements. However, both in order to rally the existing Alliance members together and to convince independent groups to act in accordance with us, we will need a reliable voice that neither of them could challenge the position of. Whether they like it or not, they shouldn’t be able to deny the authority of the person they are negotiating with.”“Hmmm,” Bolvar leaned forward on his desk and brought his hands together, “So what you are saying is that whomever deals with these people should be able to represent the Alliance in an undeniable and unchallengeable way, at least within the sub-continent.”“Exactly.”“Well, I am the current Supreme Commander of the Alliance Forces in the Northlands, however…”“You will not be operating deep in the country.”Bolvar was quiet for a moment. He first straightened up and then leaned back in his chair.“So, I am guessing here: You wish to take over that position yourself?”“Indeed, that is my request.”He stood up from his seat after a short while and walked to the large window, opening the shutters. Standing there for a moment, he walked back and took his pipe out of a drawer, along with a pouch. Preparing for a smoke, he used a flint to light it up and went back to the window.Sylvanas remained seated and kept quiet. She had said her part, now it was up to her superior officer to decide.He smoked it all up, and then returned to his desk to prepare for round two. Only after he drew his first few breaths from his second did he speak, “Wouldn’t that cause complications in the rest of the order?”“Not necessarily. I was thinking I could take over that particular title, while leaving the rest of your position and powers intact.”“So, you would move up above me, but everyone and everything else would remain the same?”“Precisely.”He didn’t finish the pipe this time. Instead he stood next to the window, looking out, as the brew continued to smolder.“I had hoped…” he broke the silence, “That I would be… maybe…” He tilted his head towards her, sorrow apparent on his face, “Taelia, my daughter… She is asking about her mother. She has been asking about her for months now… Light, has it been a year!? She can read and write, you know? Keeps getting better at it too. How shameful is it, to dread getting a letter from your own daughter? What do I even tell her?”“I don’t know,” Sylvans spoke plainly, but without being dismissive, “That is a situation that I hope I never face.” She stood up from her seat and faced him, “However, I know this: If she is alive, somehow, somewhere, we’ll find her and we’ll bring her back with us. I swear it, on my own life.”Bolvar took in a deep breath and then nodded his head in approval, “Alright, we will do it as you have suggested.”* * * * * * * * “A feast?! In the middle of a war?!” Nathanos was openly hostile to the idea.“His Majesty thinks it will be good for morale and I agree,” Sylvanas spoke without raising her head from the stack of papers on her desk. It was a mindless chore, signing hundreds of permits for carrying weapons into the city and drinking while in uniform. They really needed a better system to handle affairs like this. “Besides, it is mostly to butter up King Thoras, in order to convince him to help us.”Nathanos uncomfortably shifted in his seat. “Do I have to come?”“Participation is obligatory for all senior staff, which includes me. And King Varian asked us to make sure to bring the staff officers who will carry out the operation to be present as well, which includes you.”“You, I understand. Why the rest of us though?”“He thinks we can make an impression on him. King Thoras… Trollbane line in general really, are warriors, much in the same way that Stormwind prides itself on being a martial kingdom. Varian thinks we can convince him of our ‘chops’ in person.”Nathanos pursed his lips like a child, “I don’t want to. I am no good at these things, you know it well. We had managed to avoid all of it back in Silvermoon, why not here?”Sylvanas raised her head this time, to look at her husband who was currently acting like a brat, “In Silvermoon, they did not want you there. No such ‘antagonism’ here.”Nathanos puffed, “Tell me we will be wearing our uniforms at least.” He was clearly dreading the Stormwind style doublet she had basically forced him to purchase.Sylvanas couldn’t keep a straight face, “We will… The ceremonial ones.” Now she was openly grinning.“Arghhh!”“The mighty Ranger Lord Nathanos Marris, brought down by the prospect of sitting at a table and eating dinner.”“With a bunch of frilly shits!”“Ahhahahahahaha…” She dropped her quill as she laughed.A swift knock on her office door saw Ranger Captain McCree in, forcing her to stop herself mid laugh.“These are the last of the permits, awaiting your signature Ma’am,” he added another large pile onto her desk.“Thank you, Ranger Captain.”Once he was out, she picked her quill back up and turned to her Ranger Lord, “This is just one tiny obstacle to hurdle. We have our plans ready, we are getting our troops ready, we have the King’s approval. It’s just one night to get the military of Stromgarde to back us. One night. You can do it.”Nathanos puffed again, this time in surrender, “Fine, whatever... Just make sure we are seated next to each other. I don’t think I can handle much anyone, especially not one of the House of Nobles.”“Oh don’t worry. Lady Katrana Prestor came up with quite the sitting arrangements. It should be fine, truly.”He raised an eyebrow, “She is playing the host now?”“Well, she basically manages all of the crown’s finances and this is something King Varian pays out of his own pocket, so…”“I thought she was the Speaker of the House, not the ‘Holder of Wrynn Coins.’”Sylvanas sighed in disapproval, “My thoughts exactly… However, it is not our concern, not really. It’s his gold, his house…”“His dick too. But we’ll be the ones paying dowry if that stingy Lady gets the keys to the kingdom.”“It may not be so bad. Having more than one heir to the throne could certainly help.”Nathanos snorted, “Siring more spawns won’t suddenly make him a better father.” He was still frustrated about that whole matter.She tilted her head, opening her arms to her sides, “Again, not our concern. And Highlord Bolvar seems quite convinced that,” she leaned forward a bit and lowered her voice, “their ‘affair’ won’t really go anywhere.”“I bloody hope so. The boy certainly doesn’t like it.”That was news to her. “Did he tell you that?”“Nah, but it’s obvious. Whenever he hears her mention, he gets all moody.”“It could very well be just a childish jealousy.” For reasons she did not wish to confront, the words that came out of her mouth did not sound right to her own ears. Was she really that desperate to find a validation for her own irrational distrust of the woman? Was she really?Sylvanas shook her head. They had a week to prepare for a political extravaganza and then, they would be off to war again. Far from dreading it, she was looking forward to the deployment. ‘For good or bad’ she was saying to herself, ‘Whatever it is, I will know it then, finally.’ The uncertainty, she had long decided, was the worst.Following days saw the Stormwind City, Northshire, Goldshire and every other town and settlement of the kingdom, no matter how big or small, buzzing with merry activity. The official excuse for the feast was their victory at Thoradin’s Wall, and it would not just be a state dinner within the keep. No, the King had opened his own personal treasury and spent generously, to turn this into a nation-wide celebration. Sylvanas had the feeling that, considering their enormous debt they were under, Varian must have decided that a few thousand more wouldn’t matter.The scale of the event encompassed the military as well, it was specifically emphasized that “no one” would be left out of this. Which meant a security nightmare: They had put pretty much all of the armed forces into a leave, minus the ones at the fronts in the Northlands and the city ward. Highlord Bolvar had made it so that even the front got a taste of the celebration, with rotating shifts to give everyone a chance to get drunk and grab a bite. Mostly, the weight fell onto the troops that had seen the least bit of action.For the capital, they had decided that the city ward too would have those rotating shifts, and they would have the military personnel fully armed during the event regardless of where they were and what they were doing, in case some unexpected situation erupted. They had to make a choice, between having no back up and trusting drunk soldiers, and chose what they thought would be the least bad option. Either way, Sylvanas was convinced that if any attack actually occurred, they would be in for a massive trouble.A day before the feast, Highlord Bolvar and Ranger General Sylvanas gathered their staff officers who would attend the event for a meeting. Since the two of them had the honour of having spent time in King Thoras’ company previously, they had decided to give a bit of a warning to their fellows. Bolvar had shared many a table with the man during the latter’s time in the Alliance, but for Sylvanas, it was one specific night, that left a particularly… interesting impression on her. It had happened some six months after the “closing” of the Dark Portal, following the Alliance victory at Blackrock. Back then, King Anasterian and his council were still reeling from the devastation laid on Quel’Thalas, by the very threat they had ignored. For a tragically short while, their King was convinced that he needed his otherwise unwanted allies. The situation with the traitor Aiden Perenolde may have also scared him a bit, causing him to believe he needed to appease his fellow monarchs, lest they took offence at his delayed “commitment” to their cause. It was with these concerns, the ancient King of the High Elves threw a feast in honour of the Alliance, its kings and commanders both.From a neutral perspective, it had been a decent enough night, until a particular incident soured the whole thing: They had caught, or rather, King Anasterian’s guards had caught, Sir Danath Trollbane in a compromising position with a certain Quel’dorei lady, which became quite the scandal within their kingdom. So much in fact, Sylvanas had been, secretly and shamefully, grateful as it took all the attention and pressure off of her older sister’s suspicious absence. Everyone was too busy with this incident to bother digging up what Alleria’s “private assignment” was.Overall, it was still an unpleasant memory. It was less than a year after her entire family, save for her two sisters, got slaughtered. She had to sit through and play the host, together with her Ranger Lords except Nathanos, while her older sister was across the continent, waiting to give birth to a child they would be forced to keep as secret. The one nice thing that happened was that, after a whole night of failed attempts, Turalyon had finally managed to catch her in a private moment and given her a letter from Alleria. Their lecture to the officers were simple on paper: King Thoras liked his drink and didn’t like it when others kept dry. He was a boisterous man, and the more he drank, more vulgar he became. He particularly enjoyed goading people, testing their patience. He would not respect anyone if they just let him walk all over them, however, they had to remind everyone that, at the end of the day, he was a king and they were not allowed to actually disrespect or insult the man in any manner. It was a tightrope to walk, especially with alcohol in one’s blood, however, if they were to forego drinking all together, he would notice that too and be no less angry. They would need to trust their staff to handle their cups.The day of the actual feast, Sylvanas and Nathanos woke up with the sunrise. The official event they had to participate would not start until a few hours after sunset, so they had decided to spend the time in between with the kids. When it was around afternoon, they got them to wear some of the finer clothes they had and went to the celebrations in Northshire: A massive long table was set in front of the abbey. All sorts of Stormwind specials, chowders and stews, soups and steaks, pies, rolls and cakes, along with several different types of ale as well as local fruit juices were all served, with people eating and drinking them joyfully. The abbey itself had banners and flags decorating it, along with long ribbons of gold and blue draping over the window frames.Their presence initially got a few folks and some of the guards anxious, however, soon, everyone was settled in a lax and merry mood again. They sat down with Arator’s former caretakers and even tasted some of the food. Nathanos finally met Father Vecktas and although it did not better his opinion of the man, it did not farther sour either. Since the two of them would be gone for probably until tomorrow, and did not wish to rob the house staff from enjoying such a unique event, they had made arrangements for Lireesa and Arator to spend the night at the small church that Arator was born in. As the sun set, they said their goodbyes to the children, gave their thanks to Brother Danil and Sister Anetta and made their way back home to prepare.Their ceremonial uniforms were similar to their operational ones, with a few key changes that made Nathanos grumble with annoyance: The armor was exaggerated in size and had superfluous embossings all over it. Silver-brass chains and braids were hanging from their epaulettes, which showed their ranks in equally ridiculous brass plates. They wore white brocaded green cloaks and had white gloves instead of gauntlets, along with gilded belts and sheaths for their scimitars. Thanks to special permissions arranged for tonight, they were allowed to bring their bows and proper quivers, though Sylvanas hoped none of them would be needed.Once ready, they made their way to the stable, took their two gryphons and made their way to Stormwind City from the sky. They both could hear the noises from the capital long before they had reached it. Flying above, they saw the streets full of people, lined with long tables and buildings covered in decorations, in every district. Lights were put on, oil and candle lamps along with magical and alchemical illuminators, making sure the celebrations were able to continue well after sunset. Smells of a thousand different brews and meals mixed with another, rose above the city as an almost nauseating vapor.When they arrived at the royal stables, they quickly dismounted and handed the reins over to the stablehands. Meeting with Ranger Lord Blueheart at Ranger Army Offices, they rushed to the Grand Marshal’s chamber for the last minute talks. Highlord Bolvar and the officers of the army were wearing their own ceremonial garments: Stand collar, long, dark blue, double breasted jackets with gold trim on the front. They had gold trims on their collars, sleeves and epaulettes as well and had gold chains and braids crossing over the left half of their chests. Their looks were completed with white jodhpurs that had gold trim on the sides and knee high black leather boots. They had absurd gold and steel pauldrons, along with oversized vambraces and poleyns. Uniforms of the navy were basically the same, the only difference being that their jackets and breeches were sky blue. The all had long swords girded with black belts and sheaths.“Remember: Drink, but not too much. If he addresses you, answer politely without quivering. If he tries to goad you into a duel just forfeit, however, if it’s any other challenge, go for it. And no need to ‘let him win’. He will probably win anyway and if you do actually manage to snatch a victory, it would improve his opinion of you.” Bolvar was pointing his finger with each sentence, like a father talking to his children and Grand Admiral standing next to him seemed rather amused by the faces of the officers.“And keep your legs closed,” said Sylvanas. She was only half joking.“I don’t think he’ll try to charm me Ranger General” said Admiral Dvorek.“You would be surprised.” Nervous laughs went around the room.“Alright, this is it everyone! Now, we’ll make our way to the main hall, no one sits or eats until His Majesty and his fellow sovereigns arrive. Good fortunes to you all!”“YES SIR! GOOD FORTUNES SIR!”They walked together to the main hall and spent a good half hour standing around before the guests of honour arrived. The entire House of Nobles were invited and by the Light, they had not declined it. Anxious greetings were exchanged between the military and the landed aristocrats during their wait.Servants were rushing in and out of the room, making last minute additions under the command of Lady Prestor: On top of each table was filled with roasted, smoked, stewed meats from both farm and game animals. Different types of fish as well as various kinds of lobsters, crabs, shrimps and oysters were all prepared in a wide variety of dishes, with spicy sauces and broths. Soups and salads were made, from the most common to the most exotic, and were awaiting distribution in large pots and basins. Barrels and kegs were all around the tables, some on top, and plenty more stashed next to the walls. Giant flags of the four kingdoms and that of the Alliance were decorating the walls. Four long tables were lined along the length of the room while a fifth one was placed breadthwise at the far end from the doors. That one was where the Kings would be seated, along with the rest of the officers and the high ranking members of the House of Nobles. Once the signal came that their royal guests were about to arrive, everyone went next to their eventual chairs and stood there.King Varian entered the hall at the front, with his son Prince Anduin and King Thoras at his sides. Prince Galen Trollbane was right behind them along with King Magni and the High Tinker Gelbin. They were all flanked on both sides by their guards, all of them in ceremonial garments.King Varian wore a uniform very similar to the Stormwind Army ones, with distinct royal embroidery and way too much gold. He had his crown upon his head and Prince Anduin was basically wearing a mini version of his father’s clothes, minus the armor and a silver crown instead of a gold one.King Thoras had his traditional red-white doublet, black breeches and was visibly wearing a chain mail underneath his clothes. Prince Galen had a similar attire, with a black cloak instead of his father’s red one. King Magni was in proper full-plate armor, but it was gilded from head to toe and decorated with rubies all over. The High Tinker Gelbin was also wearing a full plate armor, however, it was perhaps the strangest of them all, with turning gears and weird knobs and buttons and- was that a keyhole? The whole room bowed as they passed and waited for their permission to sit. Once everyone was in their seats, as comfortably as possible, King Varian stood up, with a goblet in his hand,“My Kings, my lords and ladies… We are going through most exceptional times. Facing unforeseen horrors and ancient, even mythical enemies. Yet we do not despair! With our sons and daughters holding the line, we are today able to live free and prosper. Our armies, our navies, and our heroes do not merely stop or defend against these hordes of monsters, but they prevail against impossible odds and give the beasts the crushing taste of defeat!”“AYE!”“Tonight, we celebrate! For we have struck the heart of the Legion and the Scourge and crushed them down at Thoradin’s Wall!”“AYE!”“That wall is the monument to the dawn of our age, and it once again will be where our glory starts! Like we have done with the Trolls!”“AYE!” Cups and fists beat on the tables.“Like with the Orcs!”“AYE!” Another wave of beats, louder this time, echoed around the room.“SO WILL FALL THE LEGION! FOR THE ALLIANCE!”“FOR THE ALLIANCE!” The hall erupted in the battle cry and a thunder of poundings.King Varian raised his hand to signal a stop. He continued his speech turning to his right, “Tonight, we have the most esteemed guests, who honour us with their very presence: King Thoras Trollbane!”“HURRAY!”“King Magni Bronzebeard!”“HURRAY!”“The High Tinker Gelbin Mekkatorque!”“HURRAY!”“May you live long and reign in glory!” And Varian downed his drink.“LIVE LONG AND REIGN IN GLORY!” Everyone else followed him in drinking their cups.King Varian sat down among the pleased looks of his guests and the feast commenced. He was in the dead center with King Thoras and Prince Galen to his right, and King Magni and High Tinker Gelbin to his left. Prince Anduin was sitting at the opposite side of the table, right in front of his father, between Grand Marshal Bolvar and Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth. Next to Highlord Bolvar were Field Marshal Teravaine, Ranger General Sylvanas with Ranger Lords Nathanos and Blueheart right after her, in that order. At the side of Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth were Admiral Dvorek and Admiral Tarlen. The rest of the staff officers continued towards both ends of the table, following ranks and branch. Lady Katrana Prestor was sitting next to Prince Galen and several other high ranking members of the House were also at the King’s side of the table, including Lord Merek Erlgadin and Count Lescovar and curiously, Admiral Cantlebree, all together with their equally blue blooded spouses.“That was a much better speech than the last one I remember,” King Thoras had an amused face as he reached for a piece of smoked brisket and some asparagus.“Not stuttering is indeed an improvement”, King Varian had long expected the quip.“Must be your son, teaching you how to speak properly.”King Thoras turned towards the little Prince, who had gone up from his seat. His manservant Mr. Benton was supposed to stand behind him, however, Prince Anduin had decided that it was silly and was trying to pull up a chair for him as his guards tried to stop him.“What are you doing boy?” Thoras boomed and Anduin jumped.“Getting a chair for Mr. Wyll.”The King of Stromgarde narrowed his eyes, “Are you his servant or is he yours?”Prince had an annoyed look on his face as he dragged a chair to the table amongst the protests of Wendall and Nellbrooks.“He always sits with us normally, they just forgot the chair.”“Did they now? Who are those imbeciles? Flog them right now!”Anduin’s face went white while Mr. Benton took the chair from his hands and put it back away.“This is the proper arrangement Your Highness.” Wyll said calmly.“See right here? That’s Old Wyll. He has been cleaning after your line for, how many generations now? A little bit of standing won’t do him in.”“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Benton had a smile that spoke of familiarity.“Is this one any good?”“All the princes I have served have always been the best Your Grace.”“What? Even this knuckle-head?” King Thoras gestured towards King Varian who said,“Language.”“What? He is a big boy, he can handle some words.” He turned to Anduin, “You are a big boy, aren’t you?”“Not really.” Disapproval was apparent on Anduin’s face.“You’re not all grown up?”“I am just six years old…” the Prince said, frowning.Pretty much all of the table snorted at the exchange.“Smart isn’t he? Thwarted your game, just like that.” King Varian was especially entertained.“Well, he definitely did not get that from you, so why are you bragging?”“I helped make him!”“Pah! You’re lucky they hitched you off at the cradle, otherwise there was no way you could have gotten her. Poor Tiffin, deserved so much better than you.”“She definitely deserved better. However, there was no one better, so she had to make do with the best.”“You? The best? AHHHHAHAHHA- What boy? You don’t like it? You think your father is hot shit?”“Language!”“He is way better than you.”“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-” The entire table was locked onto the back and forth, some had forgotten to get themselves any food. Prince Galen seemed to be on the Wrynns’ side while Nathanos was openly laughing.“WHAT?” Thoras snapped to Nathanos, “Amused by it, are you?”Several people in the hall got visibly startled.“I am, yes.” Ranger Lord was grinning without shame or fear.“Look at this shit,” Thoras gestured at him while addressing the whole table, “Who do you think you are?”Field Marshal Teravaine was taken unawares, “He is Ranger Lord Marris-” “I know who is you damn fuck!”“Language! I mean it!”“As if I could ever forget such an accursed face. Look at him, a bloody horse thief!”“Yes, I do remember people saying I resemble Sir Danath.” “Mountain bandit that one… How those elves ever let you in Silvermoon, I’ll never understand.”“Well, they did eventually kick me out.”King Thoras had a booming laugh at that, “For being too ugly?”“Something like that.”Thoras pointed at Sylvanas, “Stole this one on your way out?”“She stole me!” Nathanos faked being offended, “There I was at my family stead, minding my own business. Next thing I know, she is dragging me by the ear-”“I did not drag him by the ear,” Sylvanas put a mock defense against the mock charges.“-dragging me by the ear, telling me we are going off to Stormwind. Well, here we are.”“You lucky bastard.” This time, Thoras turned to Sylvanas, “Why are you with this horse thief anyway?”“He is a good cook,” she said matter of factly.“You hear that you little shit?! Keep her well fed and pray to your lucky stars that she doesn’t ever step foot into a proper bakery. You’re as old as Danath and twice as ugly and he never got to settle down before kicking the bucket, the poor bloke.”“Roger that, Your Grace. No one was spared of King Thoras’ banter. Time and time again, he turned back to the little prince, doing his best to get a tantrum out of him, yet the most he could manage was pursed lips and a silent treatment. King Magni eventually bit the bait, spending a good half hour exchanging insults, only to be stopped by the arrival of his favorite dwarven bourbon. The High Tinker was mostly absent from the conversations, until Jes-Tereth engaged him about some new ship designs, which practically opened the floodgates as they received a long lecture on fuel efficiency. For his part, Prince Galen mostly wore Lady Prestor’s ears off.An event like this, was not designed to merely have a proper supper. There was too much variety and the food never stopped coming. Anything that was finished or significantly decreased in quantity was replenished immediately. Servants never got to stay idle for long, not in the main hall and not in the kitchen and heaven forbid, if they were to ever run out of raw materials, they would be in for trouble, which meant excessive stocking had to have been done beforehand.No, in an event like this, people kept eating, as long as it continued. You could jump to fill your belly as soon as possible and then keep getting bites here and there as you pleased, or you could have stretch it over the whole night, eating constantly in tiny portions and get a taste of everything. It was a marathon of excess and gluttony. The kind that only those born and raised in such environments could be expected to handle. Nathanos and Jonna Blueheart made a quick witted decision to simply imitate whatever their Ranger General was doing, without being obvious about it. Bolvar, Jes-Tereth, Teravaine, Dvorek and Tarlen were all Stormwind nobility, so they knew what to do. However, Sylvanas didn’t believe that the House members sitting at the other side of the table would end tonight with an improved opinion of their officers, to say the least. Eventually, it was bedtime for Prince Anduin, he managed to stay awake enough to walk out of the room instead of being carried off by his servant. Once the sole child was gone, then the truly challenging “conversations” started, empowered by the steadily increasing levels of alcohol in everyone’s system. Field Marshal Teravaine was challenged into a drinking contest, which he had lost spectacularly. Ranger Lord Blueheart, Admiral Dvorek and King Thoras got into a game of five finger fillet, which Blueheart won by default when the King of Stromgarde broke his blade on the table. As the hours passed by, the feast turned into an endurance test. The High Tinker excused himself for the night, citing the necessity of a steady sleep schedule for one’s mental faculties to remain at their best and suggested they all follow his example. It largely fell on drunkenly deaf ears, not to mention the fact that the nature of the event did not really allow any of them to retire before the kings did.“This be why I dinna bring me daughter ta these things! Ye and yer filthy mouth!” King Magni was going off at the Trollbane King after another rowdy story.“She is a grown woman! You better let her live or encase her in iron. Otherwise, one of these days, she’ll slit your throat, or worse, run off with some stablehand!”“Ye take that back!” “Make me!”Sploosh went Magni’s entire mug, washing Thoras in Stormwind mead. A moment passed as the table stood still in shock, before all three kings burst into laughter. Prince Galen seemed increasingly frustrated with his father’s antics, however, he kept quiet.“Fine, fine… She won’t run off with anyone. Now that Danath is gone, everyone’s daughters are far less likely run off.”Varian and Bolvar both snorted. Sylvanas braced herself, as the conversation approached rather “delicate” subjects. “How come you have reached this ripe old age without anyone stabbing you to death in some drunken rage?” Varian was genuinely curious.“Have you seen me? You think a bit of a stabbing could kill me?”“If ye had some sense of decency instead of all that pride, ye wou’ have died of shame long ago.”“I had it back in the day, before me and my brother spawned our dolt sons. Having two walking-talking disasters around robbed me right off it.”“Galen is fine,” Varian declared.“So you admit Danath was a fucking catastrophe?”“He- he was a bit of.. bit of a”“Wanker?”Bolvar snorted some of his drink out from his nose.“You said your son doesn’t like swinging swords much? Just wait until he is around 13-14, he’ll like swinging his ‘sword’ just fine then, you’ll be begging him to stop.”Varian almost choked. Magni slapped his back until his coughing stopped.“Let me tell you all about great Sir Danath Trollbane, the Hero of the Alliance,” Thoras addressed the whole table once more. Being significantly taller than everyone else, including Varian, made it rather easy.“He had been the chief patron of all the brothels in Stromgarde since he was 15. He grew up a bit more, then the fucker just started to find lovers, all over the bloody Eastern Kingdoms. No kingdom was spared,” He leaned over Varian to give Magni a look, “None.” Magni showed him his middle finger.“Trolls too?” Admiral Tarlen had a genuinely curious face that proved how far the alcohol had done him in.“It’s TrollBANE you half-wit, not TrollFUCKER!”“Now, that would have killed you out of shame.” Varian was waggling his finger at him.“No. I would have killed HIM, out of shame.”He reached over and grabbed another jumbo shrimp, throwing it into his mouth like it was a small nut.“Blessing of the ancestors, he never bothered me with a bastard at least, unlike this shit over here,” he tilted his head towards his son.A few at the table shifted in their seats, while Sylvanas steeled herself not to flinch.“He knew how to take care of himself, unlike certain other people,” Thoras continued.“With a history such as his, the more sensible explanation is that he was infertile.” Lady Prestor spit venom and everyone’s eyes grew three times as large.“That doesn’t happen to Trollbane men,” King Thoras dismissed her with a rather cold voice.“Of course it doesn’t,” Bolvar jumped into the conversation, “Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any Trollbanes left.”The sheer nonsense of that statement flew right over most people’s heads, exposing the fact that they were all too far gone.“Anyway,” Varian tried to change the subject, “We all survived the council meetings with King Greymane, so we all know that none of us can die of secondhand embarrassment.”“Argh! That stingy, wimpy, poodle natured shit! Daelin should have shoved that sword up his arse instead of just threatening it. Would have spared us years of his bullshit.” Thoras looked like he had tasted something foul.“Don’t forget King Anasterian’s death glare. We survived that too.” Highlord was treading dangerously close to the territories that Sylvanas would much prefer that they stayed away from. The King of Stromgarde brightened up in a second and started to laugh. He slapped Varian on the shoulder, “FUCK! You remember that?!”‘Oh no,’ thought Sylvanas, ‘Damn you Bolvar!’“Wha-” King Varian caught onto his meaning and started to laugh as well, followed by King Magni.“His face! Oh the Light his face was! AHHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAH!” King Thoras was way too amused to pass up on the story. Sylvanas took a hand down on her leg to pinch herself so that she wouldn’t give off any colors. “So- So, we were at Silvermoon-” The ones who knew what was coming had already devolved into giggling, with the exception of Ranger General and her Ranger Lord Nathanos. The rest was far too curious and eager to listen just what the hell was making all three kings laugh so much.“So we’re at Silvermoon. King Anasterian himself is hosting us. This was just after- aah fuck me, when was it?”“Nae long after tha portal was shut.”“Right? So, Dark Portal is shut, war is over, we are celebrating in the elven kingdom as his guests. The whole- the entire top brass, all of us: Me, Magni, Terenas, everyone- You were there too!” Thoras pointed at Sylvanas.She simply nodded in approval.“So, everyone is there. At some point, Danath disappears. This 6.9 ft tall, greatsword carrying, ugly and loud human with a white-red jacket that sticks out like a sore thumb, just vanishes. I ignore it, he does that, if you understand my meaning. But then, we hear a commotion down the hall. Remember this is right after the war, so everyone still has their battle senses. We go out of the hall, all of us, march up to see what the hell is going on, swords drawn, arrows nocked… Then we see it, some poor guard shouting some shit in elven. All the elves run past him to look... What do we find? Danath, with some High Elf serving wench, they are desperately trying to cover themselves!”Most of the table burst into a loud, half shouting laugh. Varian was basically lying on his face, pounding the table with his fists. Magni was stomping the ground with his feet, bending over while holding his belly. Bolvar was whimpering, having difficulty breathing. Admiral Cantlebree looked as scandalised as King Anasterian had been that day. Prince Galen had a red face, however, whether it was from shame or rage or plain drunkness, it wasn’t clear. Lord Merek gave Sylvanas a pitying look.“So that’s him! Sir Danath Trollbane, in all his glory, which we all saw that day at full mast!”Field Marshal Teravaine spurted out his mead all over the table after that sentence. Sylvanas bit the inside of her cheek to keep a cool face. First of all, the lady in question was not a “serving wench”, far from it. In the Sunstrider court, only the nobles of a certain rank were allowed to serve the King and his guests. This one was a first cousin to Astalor Bloodsworn and Sylvanas was quite sure that half of that man’s antagonism against the Alliance came from that night. In fact, that whole event had quite certainly played an unfortunate part in shaping the later attitudes and perspectives in Quel’Thalas. It was far from a laughing matter in her eyes.When they finally calmed down a bit, King Thoras continued, turning to Varian, “So, long story short: Enjoy the days he doesn’t care for his ‘sword’. It’s all downhill from here.” “Oh come one now, things aren’t so bad!” Bolvar came into his Prince’s defence, “He is exaggerating. Anduin has been up on his training for months now! Arator got him up to it!”“Who?” Thoras was confused.“He be talkin’ about tha old empire.”“No, that’s Arathor.” “That’s her nephew,” Bolvar blurted out, pointing at Sylvanas.She couldn’t help but give him a side eye, though what she really wanted was to slap his mouth shut. Highlord had failed at his own advice about drinking and now his tongue had gotten terribly loose. “How? Wait-” Thoras brought up his hand and started to use his fingers to count, “Your parents are dead… Your brother is dead too, had his skull caved in by Orcs… Alleria is gone the way of my Danath…”“There is another sister at Dalaran,” Varian finally caught on and jumped to salvage the situation.“Right! The one that’s hitched to the spell-chugger. What’s her son doing here? Was he visiting?”“Yes,” Nathanos answered swiftly.“Well, isn’t that lucky! Since Dalaran is all gone now.” Conversation turned towards another direction shortly after and Sylvanas was grateful. As matters got more martial, they have also become more gory, eventually causing Count Lescovar to empty the contents of his stomach on the floor. Well, at least the staff officers had managed to avoid that. One point to the army, none to the House.“So why isn’t she here, that Rogers?” King Thoras was particularly interested in what went down in Southshore. He had spent the last half hour asking about it in detail.“Well, she won’t be part of this next operation. She is assigned to the Ordnance.” Grand Admiral Jes-Tereth had kept one of the clearer heads.“Ordnance? You pulled her from combat duties? Why?”“It was at her request. She had some studies in engineering and wanted to expand on that.”“You’re telling me that a gutsy champion like that wants to spend her days tinkering with Mekkatorque? Well, pull my beard and call me a dwarf, cause I have never met anyone like that.”“Yea, ye did. Late King Terenas, heaven’s take him,” King Magni pointed out.“Sir Uther,” Bolvar added.“And Archbishop Alonsus.” Varian was childishly pleased with the triple counter.“Aaah, fuck me you’re right… Wait!” Thoras slowly turned his attention to Sylvanas. His right arm was propped up on the desk and his index finger theatrically came down to point at her. “That’s Turalyon’s bastard,” he said with a vicious grin, “I remember that now, Danath had mentioned… Right, right. Well, how is ‘Arator’? Can he beat up Orcs with a broken sword yet?”Whatever landed nobles there were still left at the table and in the hall, had their full attention on her. She did not need to see each and every eye to know that they all had the same scandalised, spiteful glee that beamed from the ones in front of her. Nathanos was about to make a move, which she stopped by pulling on his sleeves. Instead, he settled on putting his hand over hers.“Alleria’s son is on his way to become a paladin, though he still has much farther to go,” She answered calmly. Instead of the dreaded shame, she had felt a strange relief. Sylvanas knew that things would eventually come out into the open, with her in Stormwind, in such a prominent position, it was inevitable. Still, a part of her had hoped to spare her family the scorn and scrutiny of the hostile court and the extended nobility. And yet, at that moment, she couldn’t care less. She gave a look at the House members, the military and the kings, to see if anyone would dare to say a peep against her kin. None did.“Send him up to Stromgarde one of these days,” Thoras leaned back in his chair, “I’ll teach him how to fight the right way.”“What?” Varian had an annoyed laugh.“I have seen your training boy, I know your people’s techniques: Stormwind Knight. You are not half bad with a greatsword, but it is nothing compared to the Mountain Warrior.”“Is that a challenge?” Varian still had a smile on his face, however, his body was getting ready to stand up.“Alright, that be it for me!” King Magni shot up to his feet and chugged down the rest of his drink, throwing the mug away, “I have been sittin’ here all noche, listenin’ ta yer gibberish. Mountain Warrior me arse! Ye wanna fight, I be givin’ ye tha fight!”King Thoras stopped for a moment and then chugged his own drink, throwing his cup away as
well. Standing up, he answered the challenge, “Bring it on you cranky chump!”King Varian got up too, along with the rest of the table. Those who could still muster some sensible thought had exchanged nervous looks. Was this really happening?“Rules, my Kings, settle them right now,” Varian was in for it.“A proper old melee: No mounts. Full-plate armor, pick whatever weapon ye like, first one ta yield, pass out or fall on his back loses.”“Done!”Their guards rushed to their sides, Prince Galen rose up from his seat while palming his own face. They walked out of the main hall and made their way into the courtyard with everyone else in tow. It was a cool night, edging near sunrise. It took a while for Thoras’ knights to bring out his proper armor and put it on him, however, he was at last ready, an oversized greatsword in hand.“They are not going to kill each other, are they?” Blueheart had a white face, was it from fear or just plain old nausea, Sylvanas didn’t know.“They should be competent enough to pull it off without any real harm done.”“But they’re drunk out of their minds!” Magni got his giant war hammer and took his place in front of Thoras. Varian was standing in between the two, “In the name of your ancestors, swear that you will uphold the rules you have agreed upon and those of knighthood.”“I swear it!” roared Thoras.“I swear it!” boomed Magni.Varian swiped a hand between their faces, “Begin!” and he jumped away.The two drunken monarchs settled into their battle stances: Magni committed to a fully defensive one, while Thoras retreated to a lunge distance. They circled each other, eventually Thoras took a swift step forward and made a two heavy swings, which Magni blocked with his hammer. A fire burned in Thoras’ eyes, in an instant, he unleashed a flurry of blows, four more attacks came down on the dwarven king. One of them slammed right on his shoulder, Magni clenched his teeth. Just as the last of Thoras’ swings came to an end, his opponent flung his hammer up. Thoras managed to pull his head back just in time to dodge it. Magni caught the momentum of the upwards swing and brought it down with a fierce speed. It slammed onto the human king’s chest, shaking him from head to toe and throwing off his balance. The third strike came sideways and caught Thoras right in the belly. He bent down and fell on all fours, puking out the night’s feast upon the dew touched grass. Magni brought a plated boot up and forcefully pushed him from his shoulder down on his back.“HURRAY!” shouted the crowd, “FOR KING MAGNI, FOR KHAZ MODAN!” came from Varian and Bolvar.His knights and his son rushed to Thoras’ side, who already had a smile on his face, albeit it was a bit pained.“You won! You won, Light damn it...”“It be 100 years too early for anyone named Trollbane ta beat me.”Thoras groaned where he was now sitting. Ranger Lord Blueheart brought him a cup of water, which he used to wash his mouth.Seeing the thin red line on the horizon, King Varian spoke, “Well, the night is over, and since we have a champion too, I dare suggest we end the festivities here?”“Aye,” said Magni.“Aye,” said Thoras.The former went and pulled the latter up on his feet and together they made their way back inside the keep. Sylvanas and Nathanos followed them with everyone else, in a bit of a hurry to catch up to King Varian. They quietly asked their permission to leave, which he granted. They turned towards the royal stables, woken up the hangover stablehands and took their gryphons to the sky. They would maybe get an hour’s rest, before getting up and bringing the kids back home.* * * * * * * * “King Varian is here Your Grace,” announced one of Thoras’ guards. He stepped aside within the next moment and let the Stormwind Monarch in.“Good morning to you King Thoras,” Varian was quite cheery.“It’s well past noon,” groaned the Stromgarder. He was sitting in a comfortably soft chair, at the small table set inside his guest chambers, wearing simple silk shirts and linen pants. He had ham, cheese, boiled eggs and a tall jug of ice water set in front of him, along with an empty bowl which had bone broth in it just a few minutes ago. “And yet, we have all pretty much just woke up and I see you are still having your breakfast.”“Sit down, don’t stand up there like a prison ward,” the elder Trollbane gestured in annoyance.Taking a seat in front of him, Varian continued, “Why have you not joined us down at the main hall? King Magni claims you are sore due to your defeat.”“Let him have his bragging, the stout bloke earned his rights,” he rubbed his eyes. “I barely made my way from the bed to here, I am not taking those stairs until this damn headache is gone.”“Water should help,” the Stormwinder pointed at the jug.Raising an eyebrow, Thoras poured himself another glass, “You had drunk way more than me last night, now look at us… Ah to be young again…”Varian chuckled, but otherwise kept quiet.After downing the water, he started to peel one of his eggs. “You must think me an old fool, unable to handle his drinks and be a nuisance to everyone around him…”Varian raised an eyebrow, “On the contrary, I recognize you as an exceptionally cunning man. You have quite the tolerance for alcohol and you use it well. You were not very drunk last night, not really. You kept searching everyone’s mouths, testing their characters, remembered all the bits and pieces they had slipped, gouged the secrets they were trying to keep, dug and dug until you had learned everything you could… Well, at least until the very end. That last bottle you had shared with Magni did you in.”King Thoras finished peeling his egg and leaned back in his chair, with a satisfied face, “Hubris my boy, that’s what did me in. Never try to beat someone in their own game. For dwarves, that’s drinking and war hammer melee.”King Varian got a soft and slightly sad smile, “Why did you press on Lady Windrunner thusly?”“To see who would laugh at her expense and who would take offence for her. She has few friends in court, however, they are powerful ones: Your Grand Marshal, your Grand Admiral, that Field Marshal… Now, perhaps your Speaker too, however, that might just be because she was upset with me… By the way, I do apologize for that last one. Galen is a fucking moron, cannot tell when a woman is taken.”Varian clenched a fist under the table, “Do not worry, no harm was done.”He ate the egg in one bite and then drank another glass of cold water. “Your House hates your council, did you know that? Not dislike, not in conflict; It is plain, visceral hatred. And they definitely do not like your officers either. How long do you think you can work like that?”“This is Stormwind,” he opened his arms wide and gestured all around them, “That’s how it has always been.”After taking a few moments to peel another egg and eat up some of his ham, Thoras began talking once more, “So… You fed me, made me properly drunk, allowed me a fight and praised my wits… Ask of me, whatever you have in my mind. It is high time we spoke plainly.”“We will march, further up in the Northlands, until we free all of it and bring Arthas to justice. Will you march with us?”“Hmmm, I’ll do you one better: We march up, as far as the land goes, cut down that kin slaying usurper and hang his corpse from the city walls. And then, we split it in half, all of it: Lordaeron, Dalaran, Alterac. And if that moron dares to poke his head out of his precious wall and bark at us, we take down Gilneas too.”Varian’s face hardened in an instant. “No.”“If that sounds too selfish to you, we can give some pieces to Magni too, not that I think he would ask much.”“No. I will not invade or annex my own allies’ lands.”“Ah, but it’s not their lands, not anymore. They have lost it my boy, when they failed to defend and got run over. Terenas is dead, his own son is his killer and a monster too. Perenoldes were of the same breed, mana sniffers never had proper birthright to begin with. Why should we toil just to give our gains away? What right do they have on our blood and our steel?”“I said no and I mean it.”“You think Daelin will have a different idea when he comes back? He had a mind to grab onto Lordaeron not long ago, albeit with marriage over conquest, but still. And even before that, all the way back during the Second War, he had tried to push his daughter onto you, I don’t know if Terenas ever told you that. Now? The country is ripe for the taking, he will not be complacent. Kul’Tiras was not built by frugal monks, but by greedy sailors.”Varian clenched his fists once and then let go, “If this is your final decision, then I’m afraid we‘re at an impasse.”“At some point, we’ll stop asking for ‘permission’, you know that right?” Thoras leaned forward, his tone was getting darker, “When I march my armies up, I’ll know what I’ll be doing it for and so will my soldiers. Spoils and glory they will crave. Will you face me then? What will you tell your people to die for? To preserve a dead and gone family’s obsolete rights? To let a bunch of frilly magisters run the lands again?”King Varian of Stormwind sat straight and looked as hard dark iron, “If it comes to that; Then yes, I will go to war with you and my armies will follow me all the same.” He took a deep breath and then let it go. His eyes looked wistful, but no less determined, “16 years ago, I was a king in name only. I had nothing but the clothes on my back and a broken crown too big for my head. King Terenas took me in and treated me as nothing less than an equal. He rallied his armies and spilled his people’s blood and then gave my ancestors’ homeland back to me. He didn’t take it for himself, he didn’t carve it into pieces. He gave it back, to me. What kind of a person will I be, if I don’t at least try and do the same for him?”“Terenas is gone my boy. His son own killed him. There is no one left to give it back to.”“Calia might still be alive.”“And if she isn’t?”“Then we’ll go down the line of succession step by step. I don’t think literally every single noble in Lordaeron is dead and you cannot, in good conscience, claim otherwise either.” “Alterac?”“It falls onto the Alliance as a whole to administer the region, as it has been for years now.”“Dalaran?”“Even if no mage is left there, there will always be others. That’s what that city has always been about, a sanctuary for human magi. It’s their home.”Thoras held his gaze for several moments. And then, he sighed in resignation, falling back in his chair, “Now you made me feel bad about my morals.”“That was not the intent. Heaven’s know, I have my own vices, no lesser than yours. This is merely a path we are diverging away from each other. However, I do not fear a fight, not now, not ever, not even against old friends.”“Lion never yields.”Varian chuckled, “I do hope that I don’t face your fury though.”Thoras had a chuckle of his own. After a few more moments, he slammed his palm on the table, “Well, I do wish you good fortunes my boy, I truly do. I won’t stand in your way, however, I have no intention of spilling more of my people’s blood to free someone else’s lands. If Stormwind itself needs defending, I will come in a lightning, I owe you that. But I owe the rest of them nothing.”It was Varian’s turn to sigh, “ I am truly sorry you won’t be with us. I do hope you will change your mind in the future. This war is far from over and, well… There is always the next one.” He stood up from his seat as Thoras gave him a knowing smile,“You have wasted a good bit of coin on me. I should take my leave with haste, not to cost you anything more.”Varian tilted his head, “What are you talking about? This was to celebrate our joined victory, indulge in it as long as you please.”“Ahahahahahahahahaha,” Thoras was in a good mood, “You did grow up, didn’t you? Ahh… The things that I would give to have a son like you…”“You have a son of your own, a pretty decent warrior at that.”Thoras snorted, “He is good for swinging a sharp piece of steel and not for much else. That imbecile fall for my act, thinks I’m just shitting myself all over for no reason. How dumb you have to be? To watch a trick a million times and still be none the wiser… Sometimes I think I should have squirted onto the sheets and spared his poor mother the burden.”Varian gave a bitter chuckle, “It cannot be that bad…”“You have no idea my boy- ah wait,” he got up from his seat, walked over to his bedside and then came back with a shiny brass piece of chain, “This had fallen to the floor, gave it back to Windrunner, she should know whose.”He handed over the chain and went back to his chair as Varian raised an eyebrow.“And tell her I meant what I said: Danath considered Turalyon a brother, his son will always be welcome in my house. The Light knows I would prefer the child of two heroes I respect, half-breed bastard and all, over whatever dim-witted shit my idiotic son will spawn with some poor wench.” “I’ll...Get the message delivered, however, I don’t think she will accept. The young lad is the reason why they came here in the first place.”“So be it, there is no time limit on my invitation. And while you’re at it, tell Bolvar to fuck or fight away whatever worries he has, whichever he prefers. But he can never drink them away, those dark cups are too deep even for dwarves, he’ll drown.”“I’ll keep it in mind.” Varian gave one last nod to the elder monarch and walked out.* * * * * * * *“Everyone he interacts with in his day to day life already knows who he is. Any meddling, gossiping dolt, noble or peasant, won’t bother nor dare to come to our home to spew their nonsense. And on the off chance they do, well, people get lost in the woods all the time,” Nathanos had always been the best support and he believed everything he had just said.Sylvanas managed a weak smile, “Serves me right, for thinking I can come out of a night with Thoras Trollbane of all people, unscratched.”“The King knew already, so did Bolvar, so did the Prince. Literally nothing will change for him, you’ll see. Those from the House will try to make snide comments to you, we’ll stab them if they piss us off too much and life will go on.”This time she chuckled, “We cannot really stab people left and right for holding pretty commonly shared beliefs. That woods plan though, I liked that one.”Nathanos grinned, “Worst things worst, we take the kids, steal some horses and run off to the mountains.”She burst into a full blown laughter, “The horse thief family!” They shared a laugh, before turning their attention back to the task at hand: Doing the maintenance work on their bows. It was habit to them, however, with the need for managing the military resources more efficiently, they had turned it into policy. Every ranger was now responsible for the maintenance of their own gear, weapons and uniforms both.Sylvanas had decided against informing Arator of the “offer”, for now. She did not wish to send him away while he was still a child, or give him any reason to think she might be feeling otherwise. Once he was grown up, then he could choose for himself, King Thoras’ message made clear of that.Just two days after the feast, the King had summoned them for a meeting and broke the news: Stromgarde wasn’t coming, yet they were going anyway. There would be no more delays. With winter fast approaching, they began to work on getting gear fit for the coming weather. Since they were basically done for new purchases, they had turned to scavenging stocks, but mostly, it was about juggling resources between the army and the navy. It was mostly kept amongst each other, however, Bolvar, Jes-Tereth and Sylvanas all were quite proud of their own success.Just a few weeks later, as the exceptionally dry and warm autumn was nearing its end, they got on the road. They had taken the kids to Stormwind Keep again, however, saying goodbye was somehow harder this time. Sylvanas had hugged them for so long that Lireesa got bored and Arator was embarrassed. She didn’t care. She gave a promise of her own to them, that she would return, no matter what. Lireesa believed in her, no questions asked. Arator had clenched fists at the edges of his jacket as he promised to take care of his cousin in their absence.They boarded the ships commanded by Admiral Tarlen from Stormwind and embarked on their journey to the newly reconstructed Southshore Harbor. Field Marshal Teravaine had already gone to take charge of the troops across Andorhal while Highlord Bolvar had taken command over Hillsbrad. He had managed to convince the local militia and the few paladins they had there, to help the Alliance effort and act together. Apparently, the actual bulk of the paladins and priests had managed to establish some strongholds deep in the north already. That was good news, as they could use those to both travel faster and fight more effectively. Once they quickly landed and made their way to the command center of the Hillsbrad forces, they met those representatives as well. The decision was made that they would make their first ventures alone and only after those strongholds were reached, they would consider taking anyone else with them. After another day of final preparations and examinations, they left the command center.The Ranger Army marched up to and through Darrow Hill. As they passed the invisible border into Dalaran kingdom proper, a chill fell over them, along with the first snow of winter.