Had she been alive, Faith was certain that she would have been sick to her stomach at the thought of testifying against Garrosh. It wasn't that she was afraid. She had a shrewd idea of what was coming, but the thought of reliving what she'd been through was one that filled her with dread.
They had heard two witnesses that morning, neither of which had been easy to listen to. Prince Anduin had tried to advocate for peace, but even he hadn't been able to gloss over the facts. He had been physically uncomfortable, and it had been visible only in his eyes.
As for Vol'jin, his testimony had been brutal. The vision Tyrande had shown them had been far too vivid for Faith's liking. Seeing what had happened to her friend had made her feel like strangling the former warchief of the Horde, and she hadn't been alone.
"Faith."
She turned her head at the sound of Sylvanas' voice but said nothing.
"Are you ready?"
Ready. Ready to tell the world just how much she had been affected by her death? Relive everything that had happened to her? She wasn't sure she would ever be ready for that.
Instead of answering, she looked out at the landscape before her. The temple, sporadically illuminated by a sun that played hide-and-seek with the clouds, was still beautiful to her, but she feared that the trial would taint its loveliness.
Sylvanas put a hand on her back, "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, you know. People will understand."
"I doubt that. I'm in a unique position: Garrosh had me assassinated. I died, Sylvanas, I actually died, and now everyone's going to hear me talk about what it was like."
"It's going to be okay." Sylvanas turned her around to face her, "Hey. I'm here for you."
Faith nodded, "I know you are," she whispered.
"Just keep your eyes on me the entire time."
A small smile, "Are you ready?"
"No. But I'll be there regardless."
Faith bit her lip, "I wish you didn't have to go through this… I know it's going to be hard on you."
"Hard on me, you say." She paused and looked at her girlfriend. The woman who had been through so much and still managed to stand tall beside her. "A long while ago, I wondered what it would be like for us if we just ran away from everything. I wanted to take you out of your room and put you on Prince's back to get away from everyone around us."
"You did?" asked Faith, her voice small.
"Oh yes. I remember how much I wanted to just start my life with you. I wanted us to build a house from the ground up, because I knew that even if we made a mess of it, we would be in love and we'd be together, and everything would be okay."
Faith cleared her throat. Her voice was shaky when she next spoke, "Why didn't you?"
"I guess I was a coward. I was afraid to let myself feel everything I felt for you."
Blinking twice to keep tears from falling, Faith kissed her, "I wish you didn't have to feel what you're about to, Sylvanas. The last thing I want to do is hurt you."
"I think that we're both going to be hurt by what's going to happen in the next hour. But we're together. Nothing's going to change that. I… I love you."
"I love you."
They kissed.
It was a while before they made their way back into the temple. People were waiting for them, some of them looking at them with pity, while others sneered at them. "It's almost as though they're looking forward to seeing me on the stand," said Faith quietly.
"It'll be okay. Just look at me, and you'll be great." Sylvanas stepped closer to her, "Remember, no matter what, you are strong, and you are mine."
A nod, "I'm yours. Are you mine?"
Sylvanas smiled, squeezing her hand once without answering. A moment later, she made her way towards where most of the other Horde leaders were sitting. Her smile disappeared as she took a seat, watching as spectators filed back into the temple. She wanted this to be over with quickly, but part of her felt that it would drag on and on, forcing her to relive what she felt was the worst moment of her life and undeath.
"Are you okay?" asked Lor'themar, leaning close to her.
"Why wouldn't I be okay?" she snapped more forcefully than she meant to.
Lor'themar leaned back, surprised by her tone of voice, "This will be hard on a lot of us. We love her too."
Making a supreme effort not to laugh derisively, Sylvanas merely kept her eyes on Faith. "I'm sorry for your loss, Lor'themar."
The regent-lord of Quel'Thalas sighed, "That's not what I meant, Sylvanas. You don't have to do this on your own. You can lean on us, you know."
The idea of doing that was ridiculous. She had barely allowed herself to lean on anybody when she'd been alive, always needing to project an image of confidence. She'd let her guard down only slightly around the people closest to her, her sisters and some of the friends she'd had in her unit. She hadn't even leaned on Faith…
Saying nothing, she glanced at her lover, finding her with her eyes closed, trying to collect herself. It was almost as though she were trying to take a deep breath.
Baine and Tyrande walked back into the temple, along with the August Celestials and Taran Zhu. A few moments later, Garrosh was led in. Sylvanas glared at him, wanting to slowly end his life. She didn't care suddenly whether she would be executed for doing such a thing, didn't care about anything but the fact that this monster had killed her beloved.
Sylvanas, came Faith's voice in her mind.
She turned her eyes to Faith, raising an eyebrow.
You look like you're about to pounce, love.
Not caring in the slightest about what she looked like, Sylvanas kept looking at her.
I love you.
Sylvanas' eyes fluttered closed briefly at the admission. How many times were they going to say it to each other before it got annoying? Long ago, she had thought that people who said that to each other all day long were ridiculous and insecure. Now, she craved hearing those three words out of Faith's mouth.
"I would like to call Commander Faith Everstone to the stand," said Tyrande suddenly, making Sylvanas jump in her chair.
Faith stood gracefully, her cloak seeming to float behind her. Her hood was down, and her white hair somehow appeared to shine in the room. Many people started to murmur, some of them stunned by her appearance as she walked to the witness stand and sat down.
"She certainly knows how to dress to impress," whispered Thrall, who was sitting behind Sylvanas. "She looks amazing in that armor. One of your gifts, Sylvanas?"
"No, but I wish it were," she responded quietly. Faith really did look amazing. Strong. Like a queen.
"Do you pledge, Commander, to tell the whole truth before the Celestial Court?" Tyrande asked Faith.
Faith gave a nod, "I do."
Tyrande nodded as well, "You have been called as a witness today because you are in an interesting position, commander." She cleared her throat and looked at everyone in attendance, her eyes skirting over Sylvanas, "You were murdered, on Garrosh's orders, and yet here you still stand, raised into undeath by Sylvanas Windrunner."
"With respect, I protest!" cried Baine, standing up. "There is no evidence that the witness was murdered on Garrosh's orders."
Tyrande bowed to Taran Zhu, "With respect to my esteemed colleague, this is what we are here to prove. I do have evidence to implicate Garrosh in the murder of Faith Everstone."
"But Faith is alive," said Baine, looking as though he'd swallowed a lemon. "So Garrosh cannot technically be accused of her murder."
Members of the audience audibly gasped, some of them slapping hands over their mouths. People began to whisper harshly, and Taran Zhu slammed a small mallet on his tale to restore order.
"Sylvanas, do not move!" said Faith suddenly, trying not to betray how pained she was by Baine's statement.
Sylvanas, who had been on the point of launching herself at Baine, squared her shoulders and cracked her knuckles. She seemed absolutely furious, her eyes blazing so red it was like looking at lava.
Tyrande had obviously been expecting Baine's comment, but it had shaken her. "If we follow your reasoning," she said in a low voice, "then you are stating that every single person who was killed and subsequently raised by the Scourge was not murdered."
"I agree with the Accuser," said Taran Zhu, holding up a paw. "Lady Sylvanas, control yourself."
Sylvanas nodded once, slowly, her gaze directed towards Baine now. She was so angry she was shaking.
Tyrande inclined her head towards Taran Zhu before addressing Faith again, "You believe that it was Garrosh Hellscream who had you murdered, is that correct?"
"Yes," said Faith.
"Why do you think that is?"
"Assuming that what most of us believe is correct, his actions stem directly from what happened in Theramore."
Tyrande made a small noise in the back of her throat, "You were opposed to going there, were you not?"
"I didn't think it was a good idea, no."
"How come, if I may ask?"
"I didn't think that attacking Theramore made any sense."
"But Theramore was a military city."
Faith shook her head, "It wasn't purely a military target. Civilians also lived there."
Tyrande merely smiled. "Is that what Garrosh thought?"
"I don't pretend to know what was going through Garrosh's mind when he decided to attack Theramore. All I understood from his plan was that he wanted to control all of Kalimdor."
"All of Kalimdor? That's certainly a statement to make. Did he give a reason for it?"
Faith thought back for a second, "Unless I remember wrong, he said that he wanted more control of the forests. I assume he was talking about Ashenvale."
"What else did he say?"
Faith was tempted to tell her to look at a vision, but suspected she'd already done so. "He said he wanted Theramore off the map. He… he wanted to purge all of Kalimdor of the Alliance."
"Did you voice any concerns about what he was planning?"
A nod, "I did. Most of us did, but he wouldn't listen to us."
"What did you say to him, exactly?"
"Just that he wouldn't be able to do it. Teldrassil alone would have been impossible to get to because it had been blessed again." She glanced at Sylvanas, "Sylvanas mentioned that the Alliance would be sure to retaliate against Undercity, because we were the closest enemy on the Eastern Kingdoms, and Garrosh stated that he would cripple the Alliance too well for it to make a difference."
Tyrande made a thoughtful sound, "You spoke out against it?"
"Yes."
"Why? You must have known how dangerous it was."
"I sometimes have trouble keeping my mouth shut when I should."
Sylvanas chuckled, and she wasn't alone. Lor'themar and Baine chuckled as well, as did Vereesa.
Tyrande smiled a little, though it didn't reach her eyes, "You wanted to keep the Alliance safe."
"I didn't feel like going through a battle that we didn't have to go through. If he wanted more control of the forests, there were other ways to have done it. At least, that was my opinion, and in the end, it really didn't matter."
"Because the attack still went on," said Tyrande. "Tell me, did someone accuse you of betraying the Horde then? After you voiced your opinions?"
Faith nodded again, "Malkorok came to talk to me. He asked me why I opposed Garrosh and that my actions could be interpreted as traitorous." She shrugged, "I didn't agree with what he was doing, but I knew that I had no choice but to obey him. Besides, Sylvanas had agreed to it and she later appointed me as commander of both the Forsaken and Sin'dorei forces."
"But Sylvanas herself didn't join in the attack, did she?"
"No, she didn't. Neither did Lor'themar."
"Why do you think that was?"
"You'd have to ask them that."
"So, you went back to Orgrimmar with a fleet of Forsaken and Blood Elves. What did you do then?"
Faith closed her eyes for a second, wishing she could hold Sylvanas' hand. "We began our march towards Theramore. There were a few Alliance outposts in the Southern Barrens, and we got rid of them so quickly they didn't realize what had hit them. There were attacks on Honor's Stand as well, to distract the troops in the area. We pressed on, attacking Northwatch Hold before dawn. They weren't ready for us at all."
"And you had no problem killing soldiers, despite your misgivings?"
"I had plenty of misgivings, but there was nothing I could do. I would have been executed for treason otherwise."
Tyrande nodded, "Someone warned Theramore of what was happening. Who was it?"
Faith glanced at Baine, who simply inclined his head. "Baine sent a runner to Jaina. He didn't want them to be caught completely unawares. I wish I could say that it made it easier to do what we had to do."
"What happened once you got to Theramore?"
"We attacked. I ordered the Forsaken and Sin'dorei to only attack armed soldiers and to give civilians a chance to escape if they could. We didn't realize until after we'd arrived that the Kirin Tor and Vereesa had arrived to help defend the city."
Tyrande nodded, "You knew Rhonin Redhair, didn't you?"
"I did, yes… he was my mentor, not to mention a friend." She glanced at Vereesa, then went on, "The defensive barrier around Theramore fell faster than I would have thought possible. I hadn't realized that the Kirin Tor had been betrayed from within by Thalen Songweaver until that moment. Garrosh was jubilant."
Tyrande looked at her notes, "Is that when he called for you?"
Faith looked at her squarely, "Yes. He told me to go after Vereesa Windrunner and Shandris Feathermoon and kill them, because they were after Thalen."
There was a ringing silence. Not everyone had been aware of what Garrosh had ordered her to do.
"Knowing that you are Sylvanas Windrunner's lover, he told you to kill her sister?"
Nodding slowly, Faith turned her glance towards the Alliance. "I thought he was kidding at first, but he was really expecting me to kill them. Or at least, he was serious when he gave me the order. But I think he knew that I'd never be able to do something like that. Maybe I would have attempted to kill Shandris, had she been alone but… I couldn't have killed Vereesa."
"May it please the court," said Tyrande, "I would like to show the first Vision for this witness."
Taran Zhu nodded, and Chromie immediately stepped onto the table that held the hourglass. Using her magic, she awoke one of the dragons there, who sprung to life. A vision unfolded, filling most of the room. It wasn't a vision of Theramore, but one of Orgrimmar, with Garrosh and Malkorok in Grommash Hold.
"That girl thinks that she can say whatever she wants just because she's Sylvanas' little whore," spat Malkorok.
Garrosh chuckled, "Don't worry, she'll certainly get what's coming to her."
"She has no business in the Horde. Helping the Alliance all the time… is it really true that she helped them in Northrend?"
"She said at the time that it was because she didn't want to see them fall to the Scourge. But she could have killed them and burned their corpses to keep them from being raised, it would have been better for everyone." Garrosh shook his head. "I have something planned for her. She won't leave Theramore alive. If she's so keen on helping the Alliance, she can die with them. And once I'm done with her, I'll deal with Sylvanas and her sewer rats."
"You're going to kill Faith? How?"
Garrosh tapped one of his tusks thoughtfully, "Even I can't just have her killed out of the blue. We could make it look like an accident, of course. Have her trapped in Theramore while everything happens or… maybe force her to betray us."
An evil smile lit Malkorok's face, "Oh, I like the way you think, Warchief. Everybody will discredit her if she betrays us."
The vision faded to black, and Faith stared at the spot where it had been, stunned. Garrosh had planned to kill her even before they had marched on Theramore? There was complete silence in the temple as people thought about what they had seen. Glancing around, Faith saw that Vereesa looked nauseated. Sylvanas was once again shaking with fury, and next to her, Lor'themar's face was pale, clenching his hands so hard that his knuckles were white.
Tyrande, obviously relishing the shock her vision had caused, stood up again, "Garrosh Hellscream planned to have Faith killed weeks before Faith did anything against the Horde. He did not know that Vereesa Windrunner would be in Theramore, but as soon as he realized she was there, he had his plan. I have another vision to show you."
Chromie got to work again, and this time, they were all faced with the Battle of Theramore, as seen from Garrosh's point of view. He looked very happy with the turn of events. Gore splattered his hands and his axe, and a large grin was on his face.
"I see that our friend was able to lend us a hand," said Garrosh to Malkorok. "Were you able to see who the additional defenders were?"
Malkorok nodded, "Indeed I was. Vereesa Windrunner is here, Warchief. She's helping the Alliance."
Garrosh began to laugh, "Is she now? Good. That's exactly what I need to take care of the Everstone girl."
The vision ended, but it had had the desired effect.
"'Exactly what I need to take care of the Everstone girl,'" repeated Tyrande. "There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Garrosh Hellscream knew he was going to have Faith Everstone murdered, and when he found out that Ranger-General Vereesa Windrunner was in Theramore, he came up with his plan. Commander, you stated that you thought Garrosh knew that you wouldn't be able to kill her. We have just seen that all of it was a ruse to have you killed. What have you to say about that?"
"I knew that my actions, or my inactions, could get me killed," said Faith in a voice that seemed to come from another body. "Garrosh… he and I fought the Scourge together in Northrend, but he didn't like me then either. He thought I was weak."
"But you killed Arthas."
"I guess that doesn't matter. I'm a woman, and I'm not an orc. To him, I was an inferior being."
"Do you think that he hated the fact that you're in a relationship with a woman?"
Faith blinked once, not having expected that question. "That particular topic never came up, so I really couldn't say."
Tyrande nodded, "What happened after you saw Vereesa and Shandris in Dustwallow Marsh?"
"We saw the mana bomb hit Theramore. We knew that…" Faith's voice shook, and she cleared her throat once. "We knew that Rhonin was gone. That everyone who had remained in Theramore had been killed. I made a portal for Vereesa and Shandris so that they could go to Dalaran, and I went back to Garrosh."
"What did you tell him?"
"That I hadn't found them. He seemed to believe me, and we all went back to Orgrimmar. I just wanted to teleport back to Undercity, but he wouldn't let me. When we got to Orgrimmar, we saw that there was a huge celebration going on. It was bigger than our homecoming after the Northrend campaign, as if we had done something amazing. I wasn't the only one just wanting to leave."
"There were others who felt as you did?"
"What we did in Theramore was without honor. The Horde was founded with honorable principles after the orcs broke free from the Burning Legion. Razing a city to the ground just because we can doesn't make any sense. Doing so with a mana bomb… Like Vol'jin said earlier, that's not what the Horde is about."
Tyrande smiled at her, but it looked more like a sneer, "Did you remain in Orgrimmar for the celebrations?"
Faith shook her head, "No. I really wasn't in the mood to celebrate, so I went to Razor Hill, where my Forsaken and Sin'dorei troops had gone. Baine and Vol'jin were there as well. I didn't really remain there long, but Malkorok found us."
"May it please the court, I have a final vision to show for this witness," said Tyrande. She motioned to Chromie, who looked at Faith sadly, activating the Vision of Time again.
Author's Note:
I can't tell you how many times I thought about writing this section of the story. And for some reason, it's not coming out the way I envisioned it, which is why it took me so long to post it. I hope that it met your expectations!
Lunarelle
