Chapter1: Memories

A month passed since the mad former warchief Garrosh died.

Baine, the young and proud leader of the tauren tribes, returned to his hometown Thunder Bluff and now takes his time to reflect on the chaotic events in the past years. It is a warm and sunny day in Mulgore. A peaceful silence surrounds the land but something is not right. His advisors and guards noticed he does not feel well. Not physically but mentally. Memories and stories from the past came back to his mind and he has the strong desire to be alone and then talk to somebody who shares those thoughts. So he takes this day off and goes for a long walk around his home. Being engrossed in thoughts, Baine stops at a cliff and lets his eyes travel over the veldt. 'How beautiful this place is', he thinks as he observes the grassy fields at the bottom of the high bluffs. A breeze of fresh air touches his nose. He takes a deep breath and enjoys the peaceful moment. Then he quickly walks back to his command post.

"Have you reached out for him?" Baine asks his guard when arriving at the tent.

"Yes, Chieftain, he will arrive soon."

"Good. He knows where he can find me."

Baine leaves again to meet an old friend. Not only his friend but one who once called his father 'family'.

Some minutes later, he enters a hut at the outskirts of his hometown. A large carpet is placed on the wooden floor in the center of the main room. A table, some totems and a fireplace surround it. This is the place where he can be for himself. To calm down after exhausting battles, to regenerate, to clear his mind. A place where he can let his thoughts flow freely, where he can be emotional. To regain the strength, the calmness, the wisdom his people deserve in this troubled world.

Baine walks through a curtain which leads to a separated area. A long bed next to the curtain, some shelfs on the opposite side, a chest of drawers next to it and a small night table with a picture frame placed on it. A window enlightens the room and casts sunrays on the bed. When looking outside, one can see the mountains surrounding the green fields of Mulgore.

The tauren leans against the wall to look out of that window. Then he closes his eyes for a moment. Somebody knocks at the wooden door frame. His heartbeat gets faster.

"Are you here, my friend?" a deep but friendly voice calls from behind.

The big bull sighs and walks through the curtain again. A smiling Thrall stands in front of him, with his arms stretched out. Baine, however, ignores the hug and walks straight to the other side of the room where a big bucket full of water can be found on the floor.

"Fresh spring water?" he asks, grabs a cup next to the bucket and fills it.

Thrall, confused about Baine's unusual behavior, silently thanks him and takes it. After a large swig, he places the cup on the table next to him.

"So… What is wrong? Why did you summon me to your house?"

Baine turns around and looks serious.

"I need to talk to you about the past years… and Jaina."

"I thought as much," Thrall retorts and presses his lips together.

"Memories daze my mind currently. So I sent my scout to you. As those memories have a lot to do with you and the events that happened around you… or because of you."

"Well then. Share them with me. Let us talk about your concerns."

The tauren fills another cup but this time, he drinks the water himself. Feeling prepared for the conversation, he starts sorting his thoughts.

"About Garrosh…"

"Oh please," Thrall interrupts him and looks annoyed. "Can we skip that?"

"Not this time. He even haunts me after his death."

"I am very sorry for that."

"You should have rebuked him when he became a threat to our Horde. No matter if you were allowed to or not. It began shortly after you put him into that position and it was not only the drought that triggered his brutality. Every of your loyal advisors, besides the old Eitrigg, left because of his behaviour. I am certain that old orc was not satisfied with Garrosh as well."

Thrall is surprised by the young tauren's knowledge.

"How do you know about all this? You were not even there."

"My father told me everything in secret. And… when thinking about it now... Garrosh should have died right, after, Theramore," Baine says and underlines his last words in pointing to the ground.

"As I said before, I would act differently in retrospective. I still would not have killed him after that."

"Alright, alright. I see. Discussing this subject with you does not make any sense… Let's talk about Jaina and her suffering instead. Shall we?"

A moment of silence. Both do not know where to begin this part of their conversation. Too much has happened. While Baine walks over to the fireplace and rests his arm on the stony structure, his confused guest makes a step towards the center of the hut. The longer the bull stands there, the tighter his fist clenches. With a heavy punch to the chimney, he frowns, turns around and quickly closes the gap.

"You ruined everything!" Baine aggressively speaks up. "You… were such a wonderful team."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything after you decided to turn your back on her. She was your friend and you did not help her when she needed you. You would not even harm the one who ruined her life and your friendship."

"So…What do you expect me to do now? I may be able to control the elements but I cannot go back in time."

"Go and make up!" the tauren shouts and gives him an angry, demanding face.

Thrall shakes his head.

"How?!" he asks in a sharp tone but quickly calms down. "The last time she really looked into my eyes, she saw nothing but her personal enemy. Nothing but vengeance after Garrosh destroyed her home. She was about to blow me up. I would not even be here now if her new love, the blue dragon Kalecgos, only arrived a few seconds later. She hates me. So tell me, Baine… How?"

The big bull sadly looks down and thinks for a moment.

"… Maybe confess your failures at last… Apologize to her for everything… Maybe even… hug her."

Thrall narrows his eyes and waves aside.

"Pshaw!"

"What? You cried for my father… why did you never cry for Jaina? She once was important to you."

His guest remains silent. Baine asked a question the upset orc indeed cannot answer. In this speechless moment, Thrall realizes that the tauren has a point.

"Jaina was there for me when your successor, Garrosh, was not! She helped me when I needed her. She cared about me after my father was murdered. When, at the same time, Garrosh celebrated his victory because his poisoned axe cut my father's neck. I liked her very much, Go'el! I still do. And without her, I would have never met young Anduin. Whom I regard as a true friend. A friendship detached from his heritage as the future king."

"You still participated in the attack, Baine. If you really liked them, you should have stood your hand. You are not without guilt."

Baine starts walking back and forth to keep a clear head.

"You orcs made the rules. Never question the warchief, right?"

Thrall feels uncomfortable and looks down to the floor.

"Right."

"And I paid for my sins. The moment we took over Northwatch Hold, to make way for Theramore, I felt guilt. Anduin once gave me the Fearbreaker, a mace which helped me banish the betrayers of my father and recapture Thunder Bluff. It was the symbol of our friendship. I gave it back this day as I felt ashamed and unworthy."

"And then? You still attacked Theramore alongside Garrosh!"

"I had no choice. He would have killed me and my people. I do not have to remind you that he felt pleasure in slaughtering every human in his sight or any critic from within. I at least sent my scout to warn Jaina. That was the least I could do. I never wanted to see something like this happen to her. I voted against that military act. Weakening Theramore might have been justified… but destroying it for eternity, with a mana bomb? Attacking Lady Jaina personally? After all she did for you and me?"

Baine stops in front of Thrall and stares right at the blue eyes. He denies with his hand.

"No… No, Go'el. She did not deserve this madness. If I knew about the bomb, I would have done everything in my might to get them out of there save. To minimize the bloodshed at least. For little Anduin. For Jaina."

His view darkens. He pokes the orc's chest and continues.

"But you… you did nothing. You did not listen to your closest friends. You did not listen to the wise words of my father. You did not stop Garrosh from committing such crimes. You did NOT care for Jaina anymore when she needed you most. Before and, especially, after Theramore was in ruins. You did nothing to prevent the erstwhile peace and your friendship getting destroyed by a mad, bloodthirsty tyrant."

Baine makes one step backwards and runs his hand over his brow. Once again, the trenchant arguments leave Thrall speechless. The orc remains silent. He lowers his eyes and nods in acknowledgement.

"I never told you or the new warchief… but my people started questioning the Horde back then. Long before Theramore. They asked if it might be a better future for them to leave and become a neutral force or even join the Alliance. And they even were about to leave."

The young chieftain lifts his eyebrows.

"And you know what? I could understand them. I also questioned the Horde and my position. Only the respect for my father and his parental feelings for you prevented me or other tauren to consider taking further actions."

"Leave Cairne out of this!" Thrall sharply retorts.

The big bull shakes his head.

"No, Go'el. He was part of all this as well and he knew the Horde and you, Thrall, better than I could ever do."

"Thrall does not exist anymore. I got rid of this name and its shackles long ago."

"And that is part of the problem!" Baine counters. "The old Thrall personally cared about us. He cared for Jaina to ensure the peace between humans and orcs remains intact. Go'el does not."

Thrall sits down on the table next to him.

"I have a family now. Protecting and caring for them is my priority."

"So? Is forgetting about what you and Jaina had part of it?"

"What do you mean?"

The orc looks skeptical while the tauren gets angry.

"You were the symbol of peace on this planet! Do you remember? Ten years ago? And now… you became ignorant!" Baine shouts and makes wild gestures.

"Face it, Go'el. Half of Azeroth whispered about it back then. About you and Jaina. About the potential future. It was so obvious!"

"Even my advisor Eitrigg talked to me about that some years ago," a humble Thrall retorts and lowers his head again.

"See? Many people expected you to make the next step. They loved you, both! You were the heroes of Azeroth. You achieved peace for all of us. It is no surprise that many wanted to see you as a couple. Even my father secretly liked that idea. He liked Jaina just as much. By the Earth Mother, Go'el! This would have been an opportunity. She…"

Thrall frowns.

"She is not an orc!"

"That does not matter! You fought for peace between races and factions. Both of you. Why not show them that even love is possible? Jaina…," Baine suddenly sniffs and angrily raises his fist, "she was… so good to you. And you… YOU threw it all away! I should hate you for this!"

"Look," Thrall retorts and tries to calm the enraged bull down with his hands. "If you want to punch me now, fine. If you feel better afterwards…Then do so."

Baine hauls off with his palm and strikes the cheek. The walls echo the loud clap. Thrall groans with pain. The heavy impact causes him to lose balance over his upper body and to fall off the table. After he stands up straight again, he spots furious, red eyes. Baine's body trembles with anger as he stretches out his index finger.

"And that was only half my strength."

Thrall looks at him with big eyes. Shocked by the painful slap, the sudden outburst of fury, he holds the hurting side of his face. This is not the Baine he knows. The strong, calm and always forgiving leader is not in this room today. Baine, who always fights against his peoples' worries and despair, is desperate himself in this moment.

"Baine…"

"She sacrificed her father for you… FOR YOU! And now you ignore her! This is not right, Go'el!"

Thrall gently grabs his shoulders and looks at the saddest Baine he has ever seen.

"I know, my friend. And I wish everything went a different route."

"This permanent war… It has to end someday… And I… want us to fight for it together… To regain… the peace we had… after her father died. I…"

Thrall desperately hugs his snuffling friend.

"Oh Baine. I do not wish to leave in conflict. You know how much this broke my heart once and how much I regret it even to this day… Believe me, we both desire the same."

"Then do something. Think beyond the races again. Be the negotiator between the faction leaders once more. Like in the old days."

"I wish I could. But she will kill me if I try and you know that. Not even Anduin can help us."

"But I saw you after the chaos… at the end of Garrosh's trial... When she died of the wound in her chest. You were the first… who tried healing her. I looked into your face… when her heart stopped beating… You still have feelings for her."

Thrall rubs Baine's back. He attempts everything to comfort the devastated tauren.

"I have. You cannot imagine how I felt in this moment. The emptiness. The despair."

"She reached out for your hand… the moment she was resurrected. She is still our Jaina… deep inside… We have to bring her back."

"I know."

Baine releases the hug and sits down on the floor. His counterpart bends down with him and gently touches the tauren's chin.

"Go'el…"

"I know how you feel," Thrall soothes Baine and pats his upper arm, "if you want me to leave now, I can understand you and I will respect your decision… Do you want to be alone?"

He nods and sobs.

"I will do what I can when the time is right. Until then… Stay strong, young chieftain. For our Horde."

The orc stands up and prepares to leave.

"Do not fear. I am not angry with you. We need to allow our memories to emerge at times. To deal with the associated emotions. I needed this talk as much as you did. Thank you for this, my friend. And remember: If you ever need me, just call for me."

Thrall leaves the hut but before he disappears, he turns his head around once again.

"Goodbye," he adds and bows in respect. "You are a good man. Never forget."

The zeppelin to Orgrimmar already approaches on the horizon.

Chapter 2: Reflections

A guard comes into the house. He sees his troubled chieftain sitting on the floor in the center of the hut, blandly holding his thighs. The tauren comes closer and kneels in front of his sad leader.

"My chieftain. You look terrible. Can I do something for you?"

Baine does not move. Not even his eyes. He stares into space.

"Bring Jaina. As fast as you can. I need her once more."

"Where can we find her?"

"In Dalaran... She has my permission to enter Thunder Bluff."

The guard, although feeling uncertain, accepts this order, gives Baine a pat on his back and heads off.

The sun sets and gradually gives way to the twinkling stars. Baine lies on the bed, on his belly, facing the picture in the frame on the small table next to the bed. He hides his arms below a pillow and laid his head on top of it. Tears fill his eye sockets. The picture is full of bittersweet memories. And the memories become reflections.

Someone walks around the hut and stops at the entrance.

"I will not harm him, trust me. You can go back now," a female voice speaks.

The footsteps come closer and enter the main room. After some silence, a hand pushes the curtain aside. It is Jaina who stands in front of the bed now. In the moment she spots the deeply saddened Baine, her serious mien immediately becomes pitiful. She quickly pulls off shoes and cape and crawls on the bed, carefully approaching the huge bull.

"Baine," Jaina whispers and touches his soft mane. "I am here."

She lays her head on his strong shoulder. Tears run down Baine's face when he hears her soothing voice. Jaina wipes them away and pats his sorrowful brow.

"Do not hate us anymore," he whispers with his choked voice.

"How could I hate you, Baine?"

"No… I mean those who loved you."

Jaina leans over and takes a close look at the picture he stares at.

What a lovely painting. It shows the past heroes of Azeroth in front of Mount Hyjal. The place where they defeated the evil demon Archimonde together. The place where they discarded their ancient hatred and found mutual peace for the first time ever since the orcish Horde conquered the world of Azeroth. Baine's father Cairne, Thrall, Jaina and a night elf couple, Malfurion and Tyrande, stand in a row. The painting is executed so well, one can see the heroes look happy. Like an extraordinary family enjoying their unusual bond.

Jaina reaches out and turns the picture around.

"No," he begs and hastily pushes the frame into its former position.

"I am sorry," Jaina apologizes. "It is important for you, right?"

Baine nods and touches one very special person on the picture. Not Jaina. Not Thrall. Not the night elves. He silently calls for his missed father whose wisdom always guided him.

"Oh… you miss him."

"So much…"

"Yes… I also miss him," Jaina confirms and encouraged him to show his feelings with a very calm, almost singing voice.

"Have you ever mourned your father? Have you ever cried for him? I believe this is the moment. Do not suppress your pain. Do it for me."

Baine squints his eyes. His lips shake. And the silent sobbing becomes bitter crying. He weeps in the moment he realizes how much he misses his father and the good times.

"I am sorry, Jaina… I am so sorry," he cries. "Forgive me."

Jaina turns around to lay on her back. He also turns his shaking body and unexpectedly puts his head on her belly. Tears soak her fine dress.

"I never… wanted this to happen to you."

"It is alright."

"No… It is… my fault as well... I fought at the front… I knocked your guard to the ground… I killed your men…"

More and more tears run down Baine's face. Jaina tries to ease his pain. Patting his mane only makes it worse. She cannot hide her emotions as memories of her once beautiful city come to her mind.

"It is not your fault. I also made mistakes… Before and afterwards."

"I should have… protected you…. After all you did for me..."

"But you have. You sent your scout, remember?"

"That was not enough… not enough…"

"Quiet now," Jaina whispers in his ear as her eyes fill with tears as well. Then she looks out of the window to hide them from Baine. The beautiful mountains are enlightened by the moon. It draws shimmering contours around them. If only the living could be as calm as the land they share. And soon the crying eases, the wind fades…

Dawn has broken over the peaceful grasslands of Mulgore. The sun rises and fights its way through some clouds in the sky. The early sun wakes Baine up. He rubs away the dried tears from the night and looks around. His bed is empty. Jaina is not there. Was it a dream?

Baine sits up on the edge of his bed. The wood crackles below his heavy thighs and the window in front of him casts sunlight on his marked face. Noises come from the fireplace. A few seconds later, Jaina joins him and holds a cup. When she sits down next to him, he takes it. The smell of warm tea fills the air around them. Baine takes a sip. One can taste the fresh herbs.

"This is so nice of you but you did not need to…"

"But you need it. The tea will do you good."

Baine takes another sip. The tea is delicious and the whole body warms up. He puts the cup on the table. One moment later, he grabs the frame and stares at it again.

"Ten years," he adds and looks up to Jaina. "Look at what we have become."

"We all made a lot of mistakes. Things we deeply regret. And we were naïve back then."

"I can understand your position. But you have to know one more thing… I was shocked when I heard Garrosh broke Anduin's bones. My friend did not deserve this. I should have visited him. Or at least sent him a letter. To show him I did not forget about what we had and to make sure he will be fine. We, the Horde, disappointed you more than once. But…"

Baine gets very close as if he wants to whisper something important into her ear. Something nobody else should know.

"Jaina?" he asks.

Without saying anything else, Baine gives Jaina a soft, appreciating kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you for being there for me. This is for all the good you did. For me."

The surprised lady looks into his grateful face. She is overwhelmed by this sudden act of trust and forgiveness. Has a tauren ever kissed a human? Not being able to speak, she remembers the day they first met in Theramore. The despair in his eyes when he begged for help during the darkest days of his life. How could she forget about this? Jaina gave him shelter when his father was murdered and many of his people were killed in a riot afterwards. When a hostile tauren tribe forcefully took over his home. She was the only one who was there for him. It also was the time he first met the young Anduin, the son of King Varian. Images of the first scared boy come back to her mind… and how he quickly began to like Baine. It was such a lovely moment when they talked to each other and Anduin gave him his mace, Fearbreaker, to demonstrate their friendship. And when they looked at each other, they were happy. It was true friendship. How could she forget this?

Jaina flings her arms around Baine's neck.

"No… I do not hate you. How could I?" she whispers.

The tauren returns this hug in folding his arms around her waist.

"You have to overcome your hatred. Fight against it. If not for me, do it for Anduin."

"I guess I defeated my personal hate after Garrosh's trial… but I never might be able to trust the Horde again. You have to understand."

Baine releases the hug and looks in her sceptical eyes.

"As long as you forgive those who still know the old Jaina. Those who really like you. Vol'jin, Go'el, me… Especially Go'el. He still has feelings for you. So promise me."

Jaina grabs his hands and gives him a confident smile.

"I try."

"Never give up. Never despair. I know the old Jaina is still in there," he requests and leads her small hand to her chest. Then he lets go.

"It is time," Jaina says and stands up.

While she prepares to leave for Dalaran, Baine takes the cup back to the main room. He spots the jug full of tea on the still flickering fireplace and decides to refill his cup. Jaina follows him and now stands in the center of the room, just like Thrall the other day. She touches his empty hand one last time.

"Thank you, Baine."

"What for?" he asks surprised.

"For everything. For sharing your emotions. For reminding me of the good times... I forgot there were any."

Then she leaves the hut and pulls a stone out of her pocket. As she holds it, a glow surrounds her hand. It is a Hearthstone, used to teleport the owner to a certain place. Jaina raises her hand.

"I will hug Anduin for you when I see him."

In the moment she disappears, the young tauren feels joy and confidence again.

He quickly washes away the sadness in his face and prepares for the day. With the filled cup of tea in his hand, he leaves his private hut to return to his working place in the center of Thunder Bluff. Everyone crossing his way wishes him a good day or asks him about his condition. Baine nods all the worries away. He feels good after his day of memories. The closer he gets to his official tent, the more power he regains to be the valued leader his people deserve.

As he arrives the central tent, his guards greet him and bow in respect. Everyone feels better when they realize their chieftain recovered from his bad day. In the next moment, Baine notices how his two personal guards stare at the cup in his hand.

"The tea!" he gushes over the taste. And when he smells the flavorsome herbs, he remembers how wonderful this world can be.