This is a new one I've been writing over the last couple of months. The story is finished, so it just needs to be posted. This one will explore Varian as a man and a father. Starts around the time of the novel Wolfheart. Enjoy.

A Wolf's Role

King Varian Wrynn was not happy about being in Darnassus. Not that he didn't like the night elves or their capital. On the contrary, he actually found the city relaxing, since it was considerably less congested and moved at a much slower pace than Stormwind. Or, at least, he used to find it relaxing. It seemed to help calm the more primitive half of his personality, Lo'Gosh, which had been expressing more dominantly, as of late. Unfortunately, Lo'Gosh didn't like to be calmed and was causing Varian to be in a foul mood.

The reason behind this visit was the source of most of his displeasure. He had no interest in admitting the gilneans back into the Alliance and had even less interest in listening to their king ramble on about their reasons for leaving in the first place and why they should be allowed back into the fold.

Gilneas had seceded from the Alliance and closed themselves off to the rest of the world, but now that they were seeing hard times, they wanted back in. They were fair weather friends at best and flat out traitors at worst, and Varian had decided before arriving at the summit that we would do whatever it took to block their reentry into his Alliance. It shouldn't be hard, since he knew his voice weighed much more than any of the other racial leaders, being the High King of the Alliance. With the exception of the night elves, who usually followed their own path, the other racial leaders tended to follow his lead.

Varian would have skipped the summit all together, if it hadn't been for his son's encouragement. Anduin insisted it would be considered rude to both Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage and High Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind, who had done a great deal of work setting up the summit, to simply not show up. Not to mention, it was his job as king to, at the very least, hear what King Genn Greymane had to say. Damned if Anduin, at only 13, was twice the diplomat Varian would ever be. He had no rebuttal for his son's arguments, so it was with great reluctance, that Varian set sail for Darnassus.

The trip had been uneventful. Varian thanked the Light for the smooth sailing, considering he was traveling with Anduin. He would have rather left his son in Stormwind, but the boy needed to learn about the role he'd someday fill. Anduin had a great deal to learn about being king and his lackluster skills with a sword didn't fill Varian with confidence. He loved his son more than his own life, but he still worried about what the future would hold once the crown was passed down.

Many Days Later...

The summit didn't go exactly as planned. Varian should have realized it wouldn't be as simple as he thought. Nothing ever was.

Some good did come out of the gathering, though. The attack from the Horde was a surprise, but since every racial leader had a small army with them when they traveled to the summit and they had the full strength of the night elves, the Alliance had the forces to deal a decisive blow to the Horde. The gilneans more than proved their loyalty to the Alliance during the battle.

Genn Greymane had also helped Varian through a ritual used to help new worgans gain some control of the animalistic half of their personalities. Lo'Gosh was still there, he always would be, but at least Varian felt more in control now. Unfortunately, that new found control was obtained after a confrontation with Anduin. A confrontation which may have cost him his son.

Anduin had left the summit with Prophet Velen, leader of the Draenei, and had said nothing about when he'd return to Stormwind. This angered Varian, at first, but with a clear, sober head, he realized that Anduin was justified in how he felt. Varian had been butting heads with his son for months, stubbornly refusing to listen to what the youth had to say. All the king could do now was wait and hope too much damage had not been done. He'd make it all up to Anduin or, at least, he'd try, if his son allowed him the opportunity.

Varian returned to Darnassus a few days after the end of the battle in Darkshore, once all Horde opposition had been killed, captured or driven away. Though a victory, the loss of life and destruction of the forest land made it feel like more of a defeat. Yes, they had beaten back Warchief Hellscream, but at what cost?

Varian was known for his skills in battle, but he was also a very observant man, on and off the battlefield. When they had first arrived in Darkshore before the fighting started, he had noticed something odd.

There had been several lines of night elf archers protecting the Alliance rallying point. This was a common enough sight when fighting alongside the species. All of the archers were highly skilled, female night elf sentinels. Well, all of them but one. There had been one smaller form among the archers. A single female human. She looked young, possibly still a teenager, with red hair sticking out of her helm. She was armed with a bow made of some purplish material, which she carried like she knew how to use it.

Varian had made the observation, but there had been no time to inquire and he had totally forgotten about her until he returned to Darnassus and saw Malfurion talking with one of his sentinels, holding a bow at her side.

He walked up to the Archdruid and the sentinel bowed to both of them before taking her leave.

"It's going to be a slow recovery for the area, but I think the Horde has been fully pushed out, at least for now. They won't make another attempt at your territory anytime soon. The summit was well timed."

Malfurion nodded in agreement. "Indeed it was. Our victory is very much thanks to the soldiers yourself and the other leaders were able to supply. The loss of life is tragic, but with the help of myself and the other druids, the forest will recover."

"I'll be departing today to return to Stormwind, but before I leave, I had a question. Before the battle, I noticed a human woman among your archers. It seemed odd to have a single human fight with a bow alongside your sentinels. Tell me, did she survive the battle?"

Malfurion smiled. "Ah, yes, Kenya. She did survive. She's a singularly unique young woman who's been in my charge since the cataclysm. Only eighteen years old and already a stunning archer, but also the only human I've discovered capable of sensing and using the power of nature."

Varian's eyes widened. "She's a druid? Is she worgen?"

"No, she's not even gilnean. She's simply a human."

"I was under the impression that humans were too young a race to have that type of magic, unless they're infected with the worgen virus."

Malfurion chuckled, placing his hands behind his back casually. "Humans are much too young for such power. Or, I suppose, were. Kenya is the first. I sensed her potential when she was still quite young, but she's only just starting her training."

"Remarkable." Varian replied, his mind running at full speed. He had been fascinated by this young woman the moment he'd seen her, but to find out she was to be the first human druid, only served to pique his interest even more. "If she's so special, why did you allow her to fight?" If Malfurion was responsible for the girl, he should have done what he could to keep her safe. If Anduin had been present before the fighting, Varian would have made sure he stayed in Darnassus during the battle. Part of him was thankful he had left the summit earlier with Velen.

"Kenya is an adult by human standards and has lived in or around Darkshore most of her life. She had every right to help protect her home. She's not a druid yet, but she has considerable skill with a bow. I had no right to force her to stay behind."

"May I speak with her?" Varian asked.

"Of course. She's most likely in the archive near the temple of the moon. She's fascinated with the history of Azeroth. When she's not practicing with her bow or training with her druidic magic, she's in the archive reading. I can escort you, if you'd like." Malfurion waved a hand towards the portal which lead to the heart of the city.

"That's alright, I know you have your hands full with recovery efforts. I think I can find the archive on my own." Varian said, turning to dismiss his guards. He didn't need them in Darnassus. When Anduin was with him, he insisted upon having the guards around at all times, but alone, he didn't need them tagging along. Only a fool would attack Varian Wrynn on friendly ground.

Varian stepped through the portal, and headed towards the temple. He had seen what looked like a library earlier in his visit, but hadn't thought much of it at the time. Though he could read well, he never read just for fun. It was another difference between the king and his son. Anduin was an avid reader.

When he got to the archive, the door was open, just as it had been the first time he passed. Sitting far to the back of the room, facing away from the entrance, was the red haired human woman he had seen before the battle. Her hair was now hanging loose, falling almost halfway down her back. Her head was bent in concentration.

Varian approached her quietly, looking at the tome she was reading. It was an old book, judging by it's withered pages and frayed cover. It had to have at least a thousand pages and the delicate writing on each page was in a slightly faded old elvish script.

"That's some heady reading for someone so young." He said, keeping his voice calm and quiet, so as not to startle her.

Kenya shrugged. "Age is just a number. It has no bearing on what a person is capable of."

She hadn't looked up at the person speaking to her, simply continued to read.

"I suppose you're right about that." Varian replied.

This time, Kenya did look up, slightly annoyed. Upon seeing the King of Stormwind, her eyes widened and she stood abruptly, almost slamming her legs on the table. "I'm sorry, your Majesty…"

Varian put up a hand. "It's alright. If I wanted formality, I would have announced myself properly and not snuck up on you. Please sit."

Kenya nodded, sitting back down. "What do I owe this honor?"

"I saw you on the battlefield. It was brave of you to step up and fight."

She shrugged again. "I may have been born in Stormwind, but my parents moved to this area before I was a year old. It's the only home I know. I was not going to just cower in Darnassus and let the Horde take my home."

"Where are your parents?" Varian asked, taking a seat at the table across from her. Malfurion had said Kenya was in his charge, but he hadn't alaberated as to how she got there.

Kenya sighed. "My father was a soldier for the Alliance. He died in Northrend during the fight against the Lich King. My mother was killed during one of the earthquakes caused by the cataclysm."

Varian gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. My dad died doing something he believed in and I guess you could say my mother did too, since she was shielding me when she was killed. She saved my life by giving up her own. I'll never be ashamed of their sacrifice."

"The Archdruid told me you have druidic power."

"I have the gift, yes, but it's not very powerful yet. I'm starting my training fairly late, by human standards. My parents didn't want me to train to be a druid. I already had talent with a bow and they figured that was enough. Malfurion tried to convince them when I was young, but they stood firm. After father was killed, I tried to convince mother to let me train, but she refused. After she was killed, I was reluctant to agree to the training when Malfurion offered to take me in. I think I had it beaten into my head enough that my powers should be ignored, that I started to believe it, too. It felt disrespectful to go against my parent's wishes, even in death."

She sighed and placed her hands on the table in front of the book, clasping them together. "I spent two months after mom's death with the draenei. Prophet Velen sensed my uniqueness, i think, and invited me to stay. It was there that I learned to forge bows. Once proficient, the draenei craftsmen who trained me gave me some of the metal their ships are crafted out of to build my own bow. It's incredibly light and durable."

Kenya took the bow, which had been leaning against her chair, and handed it to Varian. He admired the craftsmanship. It was expertly forged. "Exquisite craftsmanship. I can see why you do so well with it."

Kenya smiled, taking the bow back and putting it away. "The draenei say you fight best with weapons you build yourself. They believe you put a piece of your soul into the weapon as you craft it."

"Velen is the one who finally convinced me to train as a druid. He told me it was a waste to not at least try. He told me gifts should be explored and by not being my own person, I'd be disrespecting my parents more than if I follow their wishes. I returned here and started my training. The night elves have been very supportive. Malfurion and Tyrande in particular. They've taken me in with open arms. They adopted me, since to them, I'm still a child and they have no biological children of their own."

Varian sighed. "My son just left to study under Velen. He also has a parent who didn't want him to go explore his talents, but he left anyway, without my permission."

"He must be strong willed. I can't imagine going against my father's wishes, and my father wasn't a king."

Varian chuckled. "He is strong willed, indeed. It's just hard to protect him from so far away."

Kenya smiled up at the king. She saw beyond the recent battle wounds and the much less recent scars, to look into his intense, blue eyes. Something in those eyes prevented her from looking away.

"He'll be safe with Velen, your Majesty. I speak from experience."

Varian returned the smile. The king didn't smile often and when he did, it was usually not from genuine happiness. This smile was genuine. "He's my only heir. I worry. It's my job."

Kenya looked away, nodding her head. "I can understand that. Parent's worry about their children. I think it just goes with the territory of being one. Not that I have any experience in the matter."

They both looked towards the door as an Alliance soldier entered and stood patiently, waiting for the king to register his presence. His armor made considerable noise in the quiet room. Varian looked to the soldier. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, your Majesty, but the ship is ready to be underway at your command."

Varian nodded and dismissed the soldier. He stood from the table, noting that he was a little stiff in his legs and back. It had been a while since he had seen a full out battle, and though he was still only in his early thirties, he was already starting to feel his age and the stresses on his body from his less than peaceful life.

"I guess that's my que to depart. It was nice meeting you, Kenya." He reached out, taking her hand off the table and kissed it gently. "If you ever get a chance to visit Stormwind, you'd be more than welcome. I'd love to see you again."

Kenya's mouth dropped open for just a moment, before she recovered. "I'll remember that, your Majesty. Have a safe journey."

Varian nodded, turned and left the archive.

Kenya was left sitting alone, wondering why her heart was beating so fast.

To Be Continued...

Let me know what you think, if you get a moment. I do love hearing the thoughts of others. :)