In Splintertree post stood the gathering of the Horde leaders as there was also probably one in Astraanar of those from the Alliance for Ravenwood retreat would host the meeting between the Grand Alliance and the Barbaric Horde. The meeting had been called as a peace treaty between the two Azerothian factions so they could work together against the Burning Legion and the Scourge.
It had been along time since the portal to Outland had been opened and even past the time of Northrend being re-discovered and both the Blood Elves and the Draenei had settled in to life with their factions. Prince Sunstrider had long since returned from Outland and had cut away from Illidan. His coronation had been extravagant and perfect in the newly rebuilt Silvermoon city. So much time since then had past that most of the leaders of the Azerothian people found themselves with children and most of those children were in their early teens.
The morning after the arrival of the last of the Horde leaders, naturally being Lady Windrunner and King Sunstrider whom had travelled from Lordaeron, they received word that the Alliance had also welcomed Kings Bronzebeard and Anduin Wrynn from the south of the Eastern Kingdoms and so would be ready to proceed with the meeting scheduled for the next day.
That meant that a day was left for wandering the forests of Ashenvale and watching the way that the children of the great leaders got away from their parents at every opportunity. The Orc Durotan, had been out for a few days now and he knew the land well. Thrall was proud of his son▓s progress with the Dairne Bloodhoof and Ven▓jin, who were the young Tauren and Troll.
Arabelle Windrunner and Azreal Sunstrider had an instant disliking of the young Kalimdor princes. Arabelle was the only girl of the group bar her own mother. The undead girl disliked most people and didn▓t socialise but instead went up to the room they were staying in and locked the door.
Azreal had very much the looks of his father. He had long blonde hair and the same glowing green eyes that were a trait of the Sin▓dorei. That morning he decided to wander the forests alone and perhaps to practice his pyroblasts for his exam when he headed back to Dalaran.
He realised how far he had come when he reached the river. He looked across to the other side of what should be considered a stream and saw a strange pool of glowing water with steam coming off it. From what he▓d heard of such things he assumed this was a moonwell. He crossed the river and saw a young kal▓dorei sat by the pool. Azreal moved around to the side of the pool and stayed down low to get a closer look at the Night Elf as he had never seen one before.
Azreal stumbled and crashed onto the floor behind the moonwell. The Night Elf jumped up and drew out a mace glancing round. The Blood Elf flattened himself against the wall of the moonwell hoping not to be seen.
⌠Fandu-dath-belore?■ The Kal▓dorei called out.
Damn, Azreal thought. Darnassian. He knew from the similarities between their languages that the Night Elf had asked something along the lines of who. Azreal decided he should show himself and he was fairly sure that this kal▓dorei was a priest.
Azreal stood up. The Kal▓dorei gave him a strange look and then his eyes narrowed but he put his mace away. Due to the recent idea of a horde-alliance joining the Horde had attempted to learn Common, the language of the Humans just as the Alliance had tried to master Orcish.
Orcish being the harder language the Horde had had considerably more luck than the Alliance in this.
⌠Sin▓dorei,■ Azreal said knowing the Night Elf would understand this and pointing at himself. He then added speaking in Common, ⌠You understand me now?■
⌠Yes,■ the Night Elf stated, ⌠What are you doing sneaking up on me like that?■
⌠Oh! It▓s just I▓d never seen a Kal▓dorei before now.■
⌠Curiosity killed the saber▓■ Azreal smiled at the Night Elf▓s repetition of and age old saying.
⌠My name is Azreal, yours?■ The Sin▓dorei Prince asked.
⌠Toreth, Toreth Whisperwind.■
Azreal was amazed that he was actually talking to a member of the alliance and a fight hadn▓t broken out yet, let alone a member of the race which had exiled his people in ages past.
⌠So you are the latest Sunstrider then? Training to be a mage and use magic to corrupt the Earth like your family always has?■ Toreth asked with a cheeky grin on his face.
⌠Yes, I▓m a Sunstrider, Yes I▓m training to be a mage, no I don▓t want to corrupt the Earth. What about you training as a priest of Elune?■ Azreal asked.
⌠Yes although Druidry did tempt me for a while.■ Toreth answered.
The two Elves spent the rest of the day discussing the differences between their people and the utter hatred most Blood elves had for the bloody ways of the Orcs and the Forsaken which surprised Toreth quite a lot. When the sun began to set the Elves decided they must part and head home less their parents worry.
⌠When do you leave for Teldrassil?■ Azreal asked.
⌠Two days from now,■ The Kal▓dorei stated.
⌠Well then can we meet up again, the day after tomorrow, here again?■ The Blood Elf wondered.
⌠Yeah, I had fun today,■ Toreth replied.
They hugged each other before they departed. As Azreal headed for Splintertree he heard a shout form behind him that sounded like a cry for help. He ran back to find Toreth surrounded by Sharptalons, trying to heal himself. Azreal knew that neither of the boys were strong enough to defeat the creatures yet and so ran in and cast Frost Nova, freezing the beasts in place. He grabbed Toreth▓s hand and they both ran for the nearby Alliance outpost.
When they got their they found it deserted but they had lost the Sharptalons when they ran. Toreth hugged Azreal tightly and they both stepped back and looked at each other.
⌠Thank you for coming back,■ Toreth whispered.
⌠You▓re a friend, I wouldn▓t have just left you there even if you weren▓t,■ Azreal said under his breath, so it was barely audible.
The pair of them realised that they were staring into each others eyes and turned away.
⌠My dad is gonna kill me,■ Azreal laughed.
⌠Yep, I▓m defiantly grounded,■ Toreth giggled.
They started staring at each other again. Toreth stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the shorter blonde-haired boy as Azreal wrapped his arms around Toreth▓s waist. Azreal rested his head on the Night Elf▓s chest and they just stood there for a while. Toreth looked out of the outpost and saw that the Sharptalons were waiting outside for the Elves to emerge. Azreal tried to see what the taller Elf was looking at and noticed them too, gasping.
⌠Well, we▓re not going anywhere for a while,■ The blonde boy said.
Toreth looked down at Azreal and put his fingers beneath the Sin▓dorei▓s chin to lift up his head and placed his own lips on those of the Blood Elf. Azreal kissed him back and afterwards they just stood there again holding each other and hoping someone would notice they were gone.
An hour or so later and the Sharptalons had become restless and were bashing the outpost door along with a gathering of Ghostpaws and Oozes. The two Elves had given up most hope of rescue when a bright yellow glow descended from the sky amid a herald of arrows showing that a priest and probably some hunters had arrived. The next thing seen was an explosion of arcane magic which wiped out the remaining creatures.
The door to the outpost opened and two Elves strode in beside each other. Priestess Tyrande Whisperwind had been distraught when her son had not returned to Astraanar before nightfall as had King Kael▓Thas when Azreal had been more than an hour late, he▓d accepted that his son was never perfectly on time. Tyrande ran up and embraced Toreth just as Kael▓Thas did to Azreal.
⌠You are so grounded forever Toreth! What happened?■ The priestess cried hugging her son.
⌠Yes an explanation would be nice,■ King Sunstrider added.
⌠I was on my way home mum, I promise, and I ran into a Sharptalon nest by accident and they attacked me. I shouted for help and Azreal came and froze the Sharptalons in place and we ran here. You saw them all outside we couldn▓t get out!■ Toreth hurriedly spat out.
Tyrande walked over to Kael▓Thas and Azreal.
⌠You saved my son Sin▓dorei, thank you.■ She said.
⌠It was nothing really,■ Azreal replied.
The two adult Elves went back outside the outpost to talk about what they would do with the bodies of the corrupted creatures. Toreth walked over and embraced Azreal again. He checked that there was no sign of their parents and kissed the Blood Elf.
⌠My mother couldn▓t of said it any better. Thank you■ He whispered into Azreal▓s ear.