Cynefrid jerked on the reigns of his warhorse, Vercin, making it turn back to that which he had been running from. The knight growled and gritted his teeth, kicking spurs into the beast's sides. The enemy was closing in; Brill had fallen to the Plague; Lordaeron was at the beginning of its end.
The commander yelled after Cynefrid as the stallion galloped past him. "Where in the seven hells are you going?!" Cynefrid's voice carried one name over the roar of war, and the commander understood well:
"Lucreciana!"
Shaking his head, the commander sighed. "Light bless you, warrior." His attentions turned quickly back to the chaos at hand, barking out orders. He made no attempt to follow Cynefrid, much as he wanted to force him back…
Cynefrid plowed through the mass of people attempting to escape. Chaos had a name, and currently, it was Lordaeron. The Scourge had broken through the gates, no thanks to Arthas, and his heart clenched at the thought of the warriors and paladins he'd trained with under Uther… they were gone. His one thought turned to his betrothed, the one woman he would gladly die for without thought. Lucreciana Cariadus.
He found her hiding where he knew she'd be—in a little hovel near the doors to the palace. They had met there in secret when she, still a lady-in-waiting for the Lady Menethil, and he still a squire. He was sure his courting her was known (mainly because of the grief some of the knights gave him about how 'good' she must be, regardless of the fact that it had never occurred), but they had never made it public until after he had been knighted.
He leapt from Vercin and was running to her before his feet ever touched the ground. She sat in a darkened corner with her legs pulled to her chest, her face buried against her knees and crying. "Crecia…" he said softly, her appearance paining him immensely. She didn't seem to hear him, so when he knelt by her and grabbed her shoulder, she flung out and screamed in fear, pushing at Cynefrid's person frantically.
"Get away from me!!" Cynefrid pulled her closer and tried to speak, but was met with a "NO!!" and her small fists beating against his chest. He grabbed a hold of her shoulders tightly and shook her once.
"Lucreciana, it's Cynefrid! Look at me!" His piercing blue eyes searched Lucrecia's tear-streaked face as she finally calmed herself enough to look up at him. Her emerald eyes were filled with a mix of utter fear, recognition and hope.
"Oh…! Cynefrid…I'm so sorry!" She clung to him as he scooped her up, kissing her forehead.
"I know, my love… It's all right. I know you're scared, and you did well to come here. Where's—"
"They're dead." Lucreciana's voice was flat. The few children and women in the place she had found were already dead, be it plague or by the sword. She was white as a sheet. "I… found a babe… alive. His mother was plagued. He would have been gone soon…" Her voice trailed into the air.
Cynefrid had no words, and only nodded. What words could one possibly have for this insanity? "Let us go…" As he turned out of the hovel, he was met with an undead warrior… who, despite the fact that was literally patched together in places, Cynefrid recognized from roughly two years before. There had been no embalming for him, the plague having ravaged him senseless during the 'testing' of the disease. "Leofric! Brother!" Lucreciana turned her head in curiosity and gasped, remembering well Leofric's advances upon her before he had been sent off to fight…
The undead warrior grinned, his voice rasped as he spoke. "I knew I would find you both here… this shall be your grave!" The saber he was holding swung as though it had a mind of its own. Cynefrid jumped backwards, turning Lucreciana away from the blade. Leofric laughed as he swung again, though it was aimed for the girl. "Witch! Demons…" This time, the saber was met with a longsword.
"Go!" yelled Cynefrid. He was using his own body to shield Lucreciana. "Take my horse and go!"
"But…" Lucreciana pleaded everything in that small word. Cynefrid shook his head and forced his blade at Leofric's midsection, for all the good it would do.
"GO!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her out from behind him, shoving her out and around Leofric, causing her to stumble slightly. Lucreciana did as he'd said, and ran for all she was worth. She grabbed Vercin's reigns and hauled herself up on the massive saddle. She wasn't about to leave her beloved, however.
"HA!" She kicked at the chestnut's sides, and he took off at a skittering run on the cobblestones of the massive building. Just as she turned the corner, she called out for Cynefrid, who'd managed to lop off his brother's arm. With a grunt and a shove, Leofric ended up on the floor, and it gave the knight enough time to meet Lucreciana and lift himself up on the saddle behind her. He took the reigns and headed for the gates…
The warhorse served his purpose well, plowing through the Scourge that flowed through. Lucreciana ducked and held on as best she could as the two of them rode off…
The army had already retreated, being too few against that which came to oppose them.
The once mighty Lordaeron had fallen.
They rode for several miles, finally catching up to Cynefrid's men outside of Brill, which was presumed to have been abandoned, and he found far less than had started. Most were seemingly well, but highly shaken. A soldier told his story of a paladin's grief upon finding his wife and child, who he'd not seen in five years, dead among the carnage… who laughed in his tears as he realized how much his son had grown to look like him. And who'd killed the last of his attacked men, not realizing who he was…
Most of the night was quiet. In the morning, they would ride to Ironforge.
In the hour right before dawn, Lucreciana heard men screaming, yelling. Cynefrid was already on his feet and pulling Lucreciana to hers. He pulled her further into the woods and choked on his words. "My love, go. Leave this place… Remember that I shall always love you—AAGH!!" His back arched as a saber plunged into his midsection. His eyes remained fixed on Lucreciana's as he slumped to his knees…
"Noo!! NO!" cried Lucreciana as she went to her knees, holding him. Above the two stood Leofric, grinning, such as it was. In a curious gesture, he took his blade, slicing it across whatever skin remained, staining it with the stilled blood of his veins.
"I may grant my brother true death, but you…You shall rise again… and join …me."
Lucreciana didn't blink, feeling the blade slice across her neck, hitting her jugular. She looked down at Cynefrid, who was still alive, and felt her face etch with sadness and fear. She fell backwards to the ground, her ash blonde hair splaying across the forest floor like a fan. Somewhere inside the warrior, adrenaline kicked in, and he grabbed his sword and stood slowly before a mocking Leofric.
"You really do know how to beat a dead horse, don't you, brother?" He laughed wickedly… and was still laughing as the upper half of his body slid from the bottom part, the legs falling to the ground.
Cynefrid gathered up Lucreciana in his arms and wept, holding onto her. The men had somehow managed to hold off the few undead from their little group, and found the two of them together, still as death had crept in.
They were interred together in the crypt known as the Deathknell some time later. The mortician was amazed at the state of Lucreciana, as though she'd never been touched…
The banging on the coffin lid alerted one of the Forsaken guards, who pushed it open to reveal an extremely frantic, newly awakened undead woman. The remains of the warrior that laid beside her were mere bones and dust. The poor guard pitied the girl, and helped Lucreciana out of the sarcophagus, explaining to her (after she finally brought herself to her senses) what had happened. "We were beginning to worry… You've been dead long. We knew you would come about, given the state of your corpse, my dear…"
The memories were fragmented. She knew her name. She remembered the man that had been next to her for two years…
Lucreciana Cariadus looked at the world with her new 'eyes' and set off, hoping for some semblance of a life in this undeath.