Chapter 3
Alyna was miserable as they rode through the well-travelled paths of Eversong Woods. The sun had yet to rise high enough in the sky to penetrate through the trees, and she tugged her cloak closer for warmth. They rode in pairs, all with their hoods pulled down over their faces to keep warm. They had no need to hide who they were; all those they passed recognised a ranger unit when they saw one and greeted them kindly.
She rode just behind Halduron, who led the way beside Sylvanas. Unlike her, Halduron was wearing heavier plate armour. He had a long sword sheathed at his side and a long-bladed spear strapped to his back along with his oblong shield. All archers had swords to use when their arrows ran out, but they preferred to fight at range. To maintain that range they sometimes needed some heavier equipped fighters to hide behind, and Halduron's unit was specialised in melee combat. They were still able to move very quickly and quietly though, using their cloaks and ranger talents to blend into the forest. They weren't as widely known as the archer units, but were a vital component to how the Farstriders operated.
Sylvanas had been right about wanting to curse her name, but if she was pressed on the subject she was glad for the cause of it. It had taken some time, but Sylvanas had eventually found a composite bow that was suitable for Alyna. She had then made a new bowstring that was slightly longer than the standard used by the rangers. This reduced the power of the bow as a whole, but meant Alyna could more easily draw it to fire. Despite this, it had still taken considerable effort. Sylvanas had made her shoot arrow after arrow until she was satisfied with the power to pull weight ratio, and had left Alyna with orders to keep practising.
Her aim improved drastically over the next couple of hours, and she was now quite pleased with it considering the circumstances. Halduron had helped provide some moving targets and she quickly fell back into a familiar rhythm.
She had been relieved when Sylvanas had left. While having the general help her shoot had brought back fond memories, it was always intimidating to practice in front of her. Sylvanas was the best archer in Quel'Thalas, some would say the best her people had ever known, and she had always felt deficient when practising beside her. She had been repeatedly told by Sylvanas she shouldn't feel that way. She had been a talented archer in her own right, as proven by Sylvanas taking her on as a protégé, but how could anyone feel any different around Sylvanas' effortless ease with a bow?
The pain of practice had woken her up early. Her right arm was in enough pain to want it amputated, her shoulders were so weak that just holding her mount's reins was a strain, and her chest hurt with such small movements it made breathing a laborious chore. The palm of her left hand was bruised from holding the bow, and the skin on the tips of her right fingers were rubbed raw, and also bruised. The rocking of the horse made sure she was reminded of all of it every possible moment.
To make matters worse, everyone knew of her misery. They had mostly tried to ignore it out of politeness, but her horse would occasionally stumble or move unexpectedly enough to cause her great discomfort, and she had groaned a few times. After one particular stumble that had almost dismounted her, she had let loose such a string of swear words that even Sylvanas turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow as the others chuckled. Rangers walked and rode around the forests most of their lives, and generally did so in comfortable silence. They did have conversations as they travelled, but there was only so much that could be said throughout the endless days spent with the same people. There wasn't much a unit didn't know about each other. It was also hard to talk with anyone who wasn't immediately around you when they rode in pairs.
Halduron quietly asked Sylvanas, "Have you heard anything from Alleria yet?"
"Not exactly." Her response was clipped, catching Alyna's attention. "She sent word to say they had joined up with the Alliance, but nothing since."
Alyna knew this was none of her business, but Alleria had been family to her, once, and the situation sounded serious.
"Who are the Alliance? Is Alleria ok?"
Sylvanas glanced back at Alyna, appearing to weigh the pros and cons of explaining the situation to someone who was essentially an outsider. She met Halduron's eyes and he understood the request. He pulled his horse out of formation and dropped back to ride beside Alyna. Without conscious thought, Alyna kicked her mount on and drew level with Sylvanas so they could talk without her twisting back in her saddle. Halduron took her vacated spot behind.
Sylvanas briefly told her about a horde of conquering orcs that were threatening the humans, and how the commonly known about blood-debt had been called in. Alleria had disagreed with the level of their response and had taken her unit to go fight with the new alliance.
Alyna stared at the path ahead. "Wow. She must really think the Horde is a threat."
"She can think what she likes. She was still out of line to do what she did."
Alyna did not reply. She had known Sylvanas before she had become general, and knew the woman herself had done a few things that had stretched her former general's patience more than once. Being a ranger required various levels of improvisation, and those who rose through the ranks were the most creative when they needed to be to get the necessary results. Alleria was no different in this. Alyna felt that Sylvanas was not angry that one of her best rangers had followed their gut feeling. She was angry her own sister had defied her orders, which will now put her in the unenviable position of having to reprimand her when she returned. If she couldn't keep her own family in line it didn't reflect well on her ability to lead the nine hundred men and women she had been entrusted with.
"Do you think the fires are related?"
Sylvanas dropped her forehead into the palm of her hand before slowly replying, "I don't know, and it's part of the reason you're here – to find out."
Alyna winced. "Not the first time you've been asked that question, is it?"
She received a wan smile in response, "You could say that."
"Sorry."
Sylvanas waved it off. They rode in silence for a while before Sylvanas spoke again, almost thinking out loud. "The fire is not natural, so if it is them they're not setting them using standard means." Anticipating Alyna's need for clarification, she continued, "The locals have not been able to put the fires out normally, with water. The only method that has worked so far is to create a fire break and isolate the fire from spreading. It then eventually burns itself out."
Alyna thought on that for a moment. "So you're cutting trees down to create a large enough gap that can't be jumped by the flames?"
"Yes."
Alyna felt her heart ache. "That's awful." Sylvanas nodded. The forests were sacred to the elves, and intentionally harming them, even to save them, was deeply personal.
Sylvanas hesitated in her next words, "There's … something else. But that is more difficult to describe. If I'm honest, I don't quite understand it." Their eyes met for a moment. "It's best you see that particular detail for yourself."
Alyna wondered what could stump the ranger general. She was going to have to wait a few days before finding out, including an extra day's detour through the main trading village in the region. She had heard Sylvanas objecting to the detour, but the local magistrix had been wanting to bring something to her personal attention since she had heard that Sylvanas was in the capital nearby. There was no sneaking by with a full ranger unit. Indeed, Sylvanas had not managed to sneak by with just her personal escort on the way to Silvermoon in the first place. A courtesy visit was now required, despite the relative priority of their mission.
She smothered a grin. Sylvanas hated politics. Her impatience and bluntness usually resulted in some comical situations and she wondered if this would be one of those.
They camped that night in a well-used but tidy clearing. The forest was dotted with them and they were used by rangers and travellers alike. After performing some basic maintenance on the fire pit in the middle, they set about hunting for, and cooking their dinner. The rangers began to take turns guarding their established perimeter, though Alyna was excused from all of these chores. Sylvanas had ordered her to more bow practice as they went about their duties. She was now sat on the ground, her back against a log. She chewed on a piece of cooked rabbit as she tried to ignore the waves of pain coursing through her as her muscles spasmed sporadically. The occasional word was audible around the fire as rangers conversed quietly in twos and threes. A group to her right laughed at something, and she felt a pang of loneliness.
She missed this life. It had occasionally been dangerous, but the comradery and friendship she had found had more than made up for it. The mages on Quel'Danas were not like this. They were highly competitive and sometimes vindictive. Their priority was how to further themselves and their social standing, whereas a ranger's priority was how they could contribute to their unit as a whole and improve everyone's lot, not just their own.
She thought back to the last day she could readily recall being happy. It had been a beautiful summer's day thirty-five years ago. She and Sylvanas had returned to where Sylvanas had grown up in Windrunner Village. Her mother, Ya'dana, was in labour with Sylvanas' little brother, and they had gone to celebrate the latest addition to the Windrunner legacy. Alleria had been there, as had their younger sister Vereesa. Shortly after the birth, Halduron had arrived. While he was a close friend of the family, he and Vereesa had become particularly close the previous few years. Rumours about a possible relationship between the two persisted, but they swore to everyone that they were just friends.
The group had been rambunctious, and Ya'dana had finally banished them all to the beach for the day so she could rest with her new born. She had sent a feast with them, which they consumed heartily in between playing in the surf and on the sand, eventually collapsing from happy exhaustion. Alyna and Sylvanas had then become so wrapped up in each other they had not noticed when the others went home. When they had eventually realised, instead of following, they had made love where they lay on the beach. The teasing they had received when they did get home had been merciless for days, but they weathered it good-naturedly. It had been well worth it.
Alyna finished her meal and threw the bone into the fire. As she looked up, she saw the tall agile form of Sylvanas watching her from the treeline. Having been caught in the act, she closed the distance between them. She plucked a stick from where it had rested against a rock and pulled off the meat that had been roasting on it. She settled beside Alyna and took a tentative bite, starting to chew once she was satisfied that it was cooked.
Once she had swallowed the mouthful, she broke the silence. "I couldn't help but notice you were smiling. I was wondering what caused it."
Alyna watched the nonchalant woman sitting next to her. "You came and sat here because I was smiling?"
Sylvanas licked some juice from her finger. Alyna tried to ignore her feelings about the innocent movement. "I haven't seen you smile this whole time."
Alyna looked into the fire. Smiling was not something she did often anymore. It came as no surprise it was unusual enough to get noticed.
"Oh." Could she have sounded dumber? She tried to sound dismissive, "I was just remembering something." She glanced at Sylvanas, who made it clear she was not going to let Alyna leave it at that. She sighed. "Do you remember that day on the beach just after Lirath was born?"
Sylvanas paused mid-chew and allowed a small smile to appear on her face as she gazed into the fire. She finished her mouthful slowly, taking her time to enjoy the memory. "Why that day?"
Her voice sounded distant even to her own ears. "It was the last day I remember making any sense to me. I had my place in the world." She attempted a shrug but winced at the pain. "I was happy." She sighed and closed her eyes at the memories that had followed. "My magic started manifesting not long after."
Sylvanas blinked. "I knew you coped alone with it for a while but I didn't realise it was for that long. Five years, Alyna?" When she didn't reply, Sylvanas looked down at the floor and her shoulders slumped slightly. "I'm sorry. I should have noticed."
She looked at the general closely. The apology was unexpected, and surprisingly genuine. Sylvanas was not one to apologise lightly. She was rarely wrong, and was loath to admit it even when she was.
She found herself wondering why the other woman was feeling guilty after all this time of them being apart. Hasn't she moved on by now? Sylvanas had been the one to walk away from what they'd had. Didn't that mean she had been ready to move on even back then?
Movement nearby caused Alyna to look around to see what was going on. A pair of rangers had stood and gone into the trees. She frowned as she gazed around the fire to see that it was just her, Sylvanas and three others remaining. It was not time for the perimeter shift change yet. Her eyes widened as she realised why the couple had snuck off into the trees, and where the others were, and her head whirled to look back at Sylvanas.
For her part, Sylvanas had patiently watched Alyna's deduction and was ready for the reaction. She shrugged offhandedly, "They may die tomorrow."
Alyna knew she was gawking and made a conscious effort to rein her jaw in. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly. The closeness of a ranger unit commonly went beyond platonic friendship and into realms that were more physical. They were all still friends, and they still respected the boundaries of established relationships, but outside of that they only had each other for companionship. They lived each day like it was their last, and if getting laid helped them fight without regret, the ranger leadership was content to let it happen. Any related disputes resulted in transfers, though these were surprisingly rare.
"I know. I … recall … the tradition." She threaded her fingers through her hair. "I had just not expected … I forgot about it, okay?" She blew a calming stream of air from her lungs. Sylvanas had leant back casually, her strong legs stretched out before her. She was clearly enjoying Alyna's prudish reaction and it made Alyna very self-conscious. "Are you expecting trouble?"
Sylvanas raised a golden eyebrow at the same question Lor'themar had asked her at the Retreat. "We always expect trouble, you know that."
Alyna looked away as images of moments with Sylvanas within the trees flashed through her mind, making it difficult to breathe. "Have you … since we …?" She nodded into the trees for clarification as to what she was asking. She had no right to ask, but she had to know.
Sylvanas considered her answer for a few moments before replying. "No." She raised both eyebrows at Alyna. "You?"
Alyna shook her head. There had only ever been one person for her, and she was now unattainable. She had no interest in others, even just for physical gratification.
Sylvanas stared at her for a long while, though her features gave nothing away as to what she was thinking. Alyna was quite sure that while she was looking at her, she wasn't seeing her. She was deep in thought about something.
Eventually, Sylvanas blinked and glanced up at the cloudless sky. She sighed and threw her unfinished meal into the fire and stood up. She collected her bow and stood near Alyna. One of the reasons Sylvanas was revered by the rangers was her willingness to do everything they did, including taking her turn on watch. That turn had apparently come.
"Get some sleep, okay? It'll help your muscles recover."
Without waiting for an answer, she moved silently into the trees.
She watched as Alyna rolled out her bedroll a safe distance from the fire and lay down on her side. She had kept her sword sheathed across her back, and Sylvanas suspected it was a runeblade, particularly as Alyna did not carry a magi staff. She was curious as to how Alyna had come into possession of one but had not found the right moment to ask. While she had taken her quiver off, she had kept her bow in her hand with a couple of arrows.
Sylvanas smiled. Good girl. Whether Alyna had done that consciously or not, it would appear she had not forgotten her training.
She was leaning around the trunk of the tree she was in, a few meters up from the forest floor. She should be further away from the camp, but from here she could keep an eye on Alyna while not being seen in return. A twig snapped somewhere in the forest and she turned, immediately cursing herself when she realised she was night blind. By staring into the bright camp she had made a novice mistake. Her ears had already identified the intruder as a small rodent, but she scolded herself for her lapse.
She remained looking away from the camp and settled onto the bough she occupied, her back against the trunk; her bow ready on her lap with an arrow notched. Again she realised she should move deeper into the forest to remove the remaining light, but she was unwilling to leave Alyna alone. The other downside to being so close to camp was she could also just about hear one of the couples who were making use of the trees. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back to thump lightly onto the bark. The irony was not lost on her.
She was having difficulty reading the younger woman, which she found frustrating. She had been intimately familiar with every small twitch and quirk of Alyna's before they split. Before you broke her heart. She scowled at her conscience. It was the reason she had done this to them both in the first place so she could do without it piping up now. It was going to be a long watch if it didn't leave her alone. She'd had more than a few of those over the years.
She sighed inwardly, thinking back to when Alyna had found her making arrows. Sylvanas had quickly grown weary of the gossiping rangers and was too tired not to snap at them, so she had sought solitude amongst the trees. She could not believe her dire luck when Alyna had stumbled across her. It would appear that Fate had willed she be held accountable for the misery she had caused Alyna by making her face it head on. She had raced back to the forests after breaking up with her lover, and the distance had made it easier to cope with what she had done. Avoiding the Council sessions was as much about avoiding Alyna as it had been politics. She was also avoiding her blackmailer, but that was strangely a fair way down the list of reasons she avoided Quel'Danas. Alyna had been at the top.
When Alyna had turned her back on her, she had almost come undone. She had wanted to break down and tell her everything. Tell her she loved her, still needed her, and had made a terrible, terrible mistake. When Alyna had turned her cheek, she had wanted to press into her back, wrap her arms around her, and never let go.
But she hadn't. Alyna had shuddered when she realised Sylvanas was well within her personal space, and had then closed her eyes to cope with the unwelcome invasion of someone she was incapable of pushing away.
Sylvanas had never felt so wretched and bereft as she did in that moment.
She now felt tears leak slowly from her eyes and edge down her cheeks. She deserved to feel this way, and more. It was time for Sylvanas to face the consequences of what she had set in motion twenty years ago, and she could do that by helping Alyna find the closure she so obviously still needed, no matter how painful it would be for Sylvanas herself.
Alyna deserved better. Sylvanas vowed to help her find it.
