Days flew by in a whirl at the Forsaken command camp, word had spread all the way down to the first assault base that the Dark Lady had shown a surprising amount of mercy and had taken a human in her charge. Wren tried to ignore the forsaken all around her, but the curios and sometimes hateful stares the undead gave her were becoming almost unbearable. Couldn't they understand, just like they, she was making the best of a bad situation. The dark lady could be spontaneous and dangerous at times to put it mildly, always lashing out in outrage or suggesting subtle threats, making Wren often wonder why she didn't just get it over with and let them kill her, it would have to happen sometime. Would it be better to be dead than always teetering on the edge of death? But she couldn't simply let them kill her, as much as she could grow wings and fly. Survival was her creed now, just get from day to day alive, and although she would never admit it a part of her relished the challenge before her.

Wren accompanied Sylvanas everywhere she went, always on hand for some task but that never bothered the human in the least, knowing that the more uses Sylvanas found for her, the greater the chance of not getting killed. The human's days were filled with running errands, and delivering messages often leading to rather frustrating encounters being that her rudimentary orcish didn't help much in her tasks. But on the other hand if Sylvanas was actually letting her get a better grasp on the guttural language then there was even more hope, Wren prayed, that she could survive this ordeal still breathing.

A light rain fell over the haunted realm of Silver Pine, incredibly transforming a detestable forest even more miserable than usual. Wren struggled to wipe rain from her vision, as she stumbled into Sylvanas' private tent, arms laden with silver scroll cases that threatened to tumble away at any given moment. The banshee queen barely acknowledged the dripping wet and shivering human, scribbling something on a piece of parchment. "What's all that?" She asked casually.

"From what I could gather from the scout it's news from the front, mistress." Wren replied tentatively having precariously found the perfect balance for the many scrolls in her arms.

Sylvanas perched her head up then, looking at the human with something of an amused twinkle in her eye. Cruelly she took a scrolls right from the middle of the stack, nearly making them all tumble to the ground. Wren cursed the Banshee Queen inwardly though didn't dare loose her concentration for the balancing act she was currently engaged. She wouldn't put the scrolls down even if they were on fire, first painful lesson learned about the banshee queen: She hated clutter. Everything was kept neat and orderly with a consequence tacked on if it was not.

By the time Sylvanas finished reading them all Wren's arm ached, but the ecstatic look on the leaders face she ignored the stinging. She stood up from the chair, smiling. "It is good news, my little Wren, run out to tell the portal master we need a portal to the forsaken front. And after see my quarter master about finding a cloak in your size, I can't have you dying on me just yet."

The human nodded zipping out of the tent, and shivered against the cold wet, wondering what exactly was the 'good news'.

~8~8~

"Prepare for the dark ladies arrival!" A commander yelled out as the portal at the Forsaken front began to appear.

Both sides of the portal were lined with troops yellow eyes forward, saluting with both arms crossed around there chest. An undead horse pawed the ground as it cantered out, the dark lady striding atop looking regal in her own post-humus way. Another undead horse came out this time bearing a human, the cowl of a dark blue cloak covering her features with a few wisps of hair flowing out. More then a few eyes glanced Wren's way, she could feel there cold yellow eyes upon her as if they desired the command from Sylvanas at any moment to rip her limb from limb. Behind her Sylvanas' private retinue along with troops followed through in precision ranks, Muller, her captor, among them.

The commander in charge of the assault base near the Gilnean line saluted Sylvanas sharply. The Dark Lady saluted back flippantly her voice impatient. "I have no time for pomp and formality, Commander Stills, tell me what you have found that will so damn Gilneas."

He smiled, bowing. "It is best if you see for yourself, milady, so that you can judge the best way to utilize its potential. It's not far, follow me."

They began riding again, a fair distance away, but parallel to the broken Gilnean wall. Wren stared at the crumbling gray walls of Gilneas, even from a distance she could see the Worgen on the walls some in their human form, a ragged pennant of the Alliance floating high above the city. The Gilnean's looked back as well and knew she was riding with Sylvanas unfettered and seemingly in no hurry to escape.

The ride, contrary to Commander Still's first estimation, was long; the only sounds were those of the bleak forest and the crunch of dead grass giving break to the monotony.

"Wren." Sylvanas called without looking back.

The human suppressed a sigh moving her animal to walk steadily beside that of the dark lady's. "Yes, mistress?"

The banshee queen was silent for a moment then turned her head to face Wren. "So close to the walls of Gilneas, a heavily defended Alliance city. Have you even thought of trying to escape?"

Wren swallowed hard, she had just entered a fatal discussion and knew it. "I have, mistress, but the chances of my getting their at all are slim and none."

"How do you figure?" She asked intrigued.

"Well, the guards have already seen me riding with you. If I did manage to reach the walls they'd probably think I was under your mind control or a spy at the very least. And even before then I'd have to outrun arrows, bullets, soldiers, and more than likely you, mistress. And furthermore why would I escape to a city that is fast loosing a siege."

Sylvanas chuckled. "So very clever, my little Wren. You are nothing if not a survivalist and tactician." She sobered again. "But despite all that, I know the yearn for freedom is very powerful. How close were you to running off?"

Wren took a deep breath bracing herself for whatever came next. "I was still considering it; I was waiting to see how far we came to the walls."

"Enough to gauge your chance of survival." The dark lady concluded.

Wren nodded, heart pounding Sylvanas rarely gave any hint of emotion before she was about to do something. She held the animal reigns looser preparing to jump off in case the banshee queen whipped out a dagger. When she smiled it was all Wren could do not to give a loud sigh of relief.

"You're smart, Wren, perhaps even smarter than I'd like."

The human's stomach clenched, she now saw the smile for what it was, a ploy to gauge Wren's own emotions on the matter. She now knew Wren would do anything to stay alive. To the girl's horror, she didn't know if the banshee queen disliked or approved it.

They remained silent for a ways roving deeper in the forest. Wren could only help but feel the weight of dread stacked on her, one for not knowing what Sylvanas would do to her when they reached where ever they were going. And two, an inward survival instinct reared up in the back of Wren's head, telling her something was amiss. The forest even for all it's macabre was still a forest, animal life of some sort should have been stirring yet it had suddenly gone eerily quiet. Wren looked around at the guards and Sylvanas if they felt it as well they certainly weren't showing it.

"How far off are we?" Sylvanas growled impatiently.

"A mile, no more." Stills replied.

Alarm bells went off in Wren's head. She had heard no one; especially commanders speak with anything but reverence to their queen. The statement the Forsaken commander had made had been all but polite at best. Something was defiantly wrong here. Sylvanas wasn't in the best of moods either, she desired to be back at command center, plotting or torturing or whatever it was the Dark Lady did for a past-time.

Swallowing hard, Wren sought the courage to initiate the conversation. "Mistress." She whispered lowly. Sylvanas ignored her although she knew Wren rarely ever started a talk. "Mistress." She began again. This time however the dark lady turned on her slapping Wren so hard the human almost toppled out of her saddle.

Stars filled Wren's vision, the sharp taste of blood erupting in her mouth, and from the corner of her eye the flash of a silver arrow head caught her attention.

"You will speak when spoken to." Sylvanas' tone was colder than usual, glowering at the human.

Suddenly Wren jerked in her saddle lunging at the dark lady. "Get down!" Wren yelled. Grabbing the clasp of the banshee queen's cloak causing both human and forsaken to topple from their saddles landing on the ground hard. It took Sylvanas off guard to say the least which was extremely hard to accomplish and did not usually end well for those who had surprised her. In an instant Sylvanas had a dagger to Wrens throat, glaring fury at her. "Are you crazy! I will kill you where you lay, human!"

The next moment an arrow zoomed out of the forest brush landing in the side of a tree Sylvanas was just about to ride past. Sylvanas saw the trap then, right before the forest came alive with Worgen. More arrows flew, whizzing through her forsaken ranks, the banshee queen saw them take down two of her guards. Muller was barking out orders, to the confused soldiers, trying to regain some sense of command to the troops. Stills had turned paler than even that of a regular undead, his body jerked and cringed, mouth open wide till a ectoblastic spirit departed his body and he fell limp, truly dead. Sylvanas screeched in fury, Mind control. The enemy had used mind control on one of her best commanders to lead her into a trap! There was no telling how much work she would have to backtrack from this disaster.

Wren looked up at the banshee queen not daring to move she knew the blade was poisoned and did not want to risk it nicking her. Sylvanas sprang up, forgetting the human, her own bow drawn. Wren put a hand to her neck coughing and praising her survival instincts. Now would be an excellent time to escape she knew, with all the chaos surely Sylvanas would never see her again. An arrow landed close to her and she knew it was meant to kill, Worgen were looking at her, filled with fury they thought her a traitor which summarily meant she had a death warrant upon her head.

"Guess not." Wren grumbled. The Worgen were going to kill everyone, that wasn't in their little failed attack, her included. It seemed she and Sylvanas were on the same side again. Wren scrambled on her belly attempting to find something to defend herself with as arrows and bullets flew above her wondering how this was going to turn out for her.

The Worgen commander cursed loudly from his hiding spot claws clenching and unclenching in fury, their one chance to be rid of the dark lady, all his planning and scheming, and that little human had ruined it! He wanted to rip the girl limb from limb but he had bigger problems right now, Sylvanas was on a killing spree with his men. Every arrow she let fly hit its mark. The forsaken soldiers were regrouping and formulating an offensive strike, the hit and run was a wash.

"Retreat, back to Gilneas!" He yelled.

His orders were cut short as Wren bashed him over the head with a heavy limb. The beast man gave a funny sort of yip, slashed out at her, then fell limp. Wren smiled victoriously spitting down at the unconscious Worgen. "That's for shooting at me, bastard."

She took his dagger and thrust it into her boot, perhaps if she delivered him alive, she could get back in Sylvanas' good graces. Again the thought of just running off into the forest entered her mind briefly, now that the attack was over, surely through all the chaos Sylvanas would never find her.

As she was considering her options, she never heard the last of the Worgen stop its retreat, having spotted the traitor and was now charging in a rage. The growling and the snarling turned Wren's attention back to the present just in time to turn and see the leaping Worgen. Before she even knew what she was doing, the dagger she'd taken was in her hand and pointed at the Worgen's heart just as he leapt atop her effectively skewering him. A flash of pain hit Wren's side as a claw thrashed into her. Even dying the Worgen's fury could not be halted. Eventually it stop thrashing and Wren managed to get free of the furry bulk, grateful it had not bitten her. Wren felt a stinging pain by her side and touched it, blood coming back with her hand. She cursed aloud she would never be able to strike it out on her own with such a wound, but if she went back to Sylvanas their was a chance the dark lady would see her well again.

The battle was over faster than it had begun, those not dead had long since retreated back to Gilneas leaving the Forsaken victors of the day. Wren came stumbling through the brush towards the dark lady who was chatting with Muller. Sylvanas arched an eyebrow to the girl, surprised she had come back.

She bowed to the banshee queen. "Mistress the commander of this hit and run lies unconscious in the brush awhile away."

The makeshift poultice of fern leaves and mud she had placed on her wound had begun to seep, her eyes grew foggy she fell to her knees and knew no more.

~8~8~

Wren woke groggily to murmurs in gutter speak, a low fire sparkled in her peripheral vision, two Forsaken sat beside it. The human tried to sit up, wondering what was going on. She gasped laying back down as her side exploded with pain. The two Forsaken jumped at the noise turning to face her. One gave sharp orders to the other who raced out of the tent. The one left walked over to Wren placing a bony hand on her shoulder. "Lay…rest." Were all the words he managed to get out in his clumsy grasp of common.

The tent flap opened, and Sylvanas walked in. She gave a sharp command in gutter speak and the other Forsaken scurried out. Leaving she and Wren alone. The girl watched as Sylvanas pulled up a chair beside the sick bed, her eyes studying her intently. "How are you feeling?"

Wren grunted shifting her position slightly. "Better mistress, thank you."

"Don't thank me yet." Sylvanas chuckled. "It was my curiosity that made me decide to bring you along."

"Curiosity of what, may I ask."

The dark lady cocked her head to the side. "Why did you save me? I have made you my slave, and yet you still pulled me down. Plus, if you had let me go, you would have done a great service for the Alliance."

Wren looked down her voice low. "Ironically the only reason I'm alive here and now is because of your good graces. If you die, I die to put it simply, mistress. And I don't care about the Alliance, I care about me living."

Sylvanas nodded. "Ah, that indefatigable survival instinct again."

The dark lady leaned over to the girl laying the dagger she had taken from the Worgen commander on her chest, her voice amused. "And what pray tell had you designed to do with that?"

Despite the warmth of the tent, Wren felt cold all over, if Sylvanas got wind of any murder attempt it would be her head! Oddly enough she had taken the blade for no other reason than that of survival, she had not meant to use it on anyone.

"You would deny me a way to protect myself, mistress?" She asked shakily.

Sylvanas paused for a moment considering the words. She chuckled, leaving the blade on her chest. "Clever, clever, my little Wren. You are very lucky you didn't try to use it on me, or attempt to run, because that little curse I put on you would have definitely kicked in, painfully so."

The confusion on Wren's face was priceless to the dark lady as the girl blanched at the implication, "You mean…"

Sylvanas nodded trying hard to contain a smile, " That's right, Wren, as you so well put it, if I die, you die."

The phrase left Wren speechless as the dark lady got up, heading for the door, she turned back to Wren. "If it wasn't for you I'd probably be dead. As a reward I will keep you alive, and see to it you have proper training in the use of daggers. You've the makings of an assassin, Wren, which will come in very useful to me." With that she left, leaving Wren alone to her thoughts.

It was some sort of an apology, for not to listing and Wren got the feeling the banshee queen didn't apologize often. Although Wren knew her freedom wasn't to come any time soon, her heart soared, she was alive! And it seemed for a time, she was once again safe.