Chapter 4

"The lynx population has become unacceptable, General. Light knows what they're eating to make them breed so damn fast but it has got to stop. They're killing livestock and damaging property, and I demand you do something about it!" shrilled Magistrix Landra Dawnstrider.

"Do you now," responded Sylvanas, flatly. She tried to channel her frustration into the hand that was tightly gripping her gauntlets. She could hear the leather strain against her ire.

While Sylvanas was used to getting her own way, the fiery mage-ruler of Fairbreeze Village had made an art form of it. She was dressed in a form-fitting crimson and black dress that flared extravagantly at the cuffs. Her light red hair hung loosely past her shoulder blades, held back from her face by an elaborately weaved black headband.

The magistrix failed to notice Sylvanas' lack of enthusiasm for her plight.

"We are the central market for the entire region! Premium goods for miles around are bartered here and can even end up before the High King himself. I cannot allow these beasts to scare off those providing my people with their livelihoods!"

Sylvanas stared at her, carefully schooling her features from the disbelief she felt. Several replies went through her head and she dismissed each one in turn. As much as she wanted to slap this stuck up quel'dorei down it would do Sylvanas no good in the end, and she was sure the magistrix would just bounce right back up and be as self-centred as ever. She wondered how much she made from the taxes on the barters she spoke of.

"What of your hunters, Magistrix? It's their task to protect the village as well as source food."

The mage threw her hands up in their air dramatically. "They're useless cowards!"

That got Sylvanas' attention. "Cowards?" She frowned. She knew some of the local hunters as they were led by a retired ranger. The last thing she would call them was cowards.

"They babble on about how they're more vicious than usual. Two of them were mauled a week ago and now they refuse to take care of the problem. Can you believe it? It's a disgrace!"

"I am just passing through, Magistrix, but I will go see them before I leave. Perhaps I can convince them to get back to their patrols."

She blinked at Sylvanas. "That's … it? That's not going to solve anything! The beasts need to be culled immediately, General."

Sylvanas clenched her teeth and made her own displeasure clear, "If you insist on bringing me into something you could have easily taken to any of my lieutenants, Magistrix, you will abide by how I see fit to deal with the situation." The general stood aside and gestured towards the door. "I happen to have one of my best officers outside, if you wish to try your luck with him instead of me?"

Landra glared at her with such heat she was not entirely convinced she hadn't been set on fire by the mage. "We are … grateful … for whatever aid you can provide us in this matter, General." She inclined her head stiffly in what Sylvanas knew was out of politeness than actual thanks. She was also being subtly told that she had outstayed her welcome in the magistrix's official residence.

Sylvanas returned the small bow, and then retreated outside. She moved a few steps away from the large white marbled home before coming to a halt. She tugged her gauntlets back on angrily as a presence moved up behind her to pause at her shoulder.

"I suppose you heard all of that?" she asked offhandedly.

"Every word!" replied Halduron, his tone obnoxiously cheerful.

"You could try not to sound so amused."

"Oh, this is trying. If I weren't, you'd be hearing my laughter bounce off the walls of Silvermoon."

She turned to glare at him over her shoulder and growled, "You're incorrigible."

He gave her a wide grin, "I'm one of your best, remember? You shouldn't want to change me."

She made a sound of disgust in her throat and testily pulled her hood up to cover her head. "Don't tempt me, Brightwing."

He ignored the threat and sobered quickly as the moment between them passed. "So, next stop, the hunters?"

She nodded and began to lead the way to where she knew they gathered before their hunts and patrols. If they weren't actually hunting, it made sense they may be hanging out there too.

He spoke what was on both of their minds. "Lynxes don't just come into villages. They're people-shy. Even if they're over populated, which I don't believe they are, this should be the last place they come." She could almost hear him thinking. "There's no shortage of food for them at the moment so it can't be competition. What could drive them into the largest settlement they could possibly find in the area?"

"Perhaps they can help answer that." She indicated the loose gathering of men and women they were approaching. One of them looked up at their approach and slapped a tired looking woman across the arm. They exchanged words and she turned to meet Sylvanas' eyes, and smiled.

Sylvanas returned the smile and clasped forearms with the woman who had first trained her as a fresh recruit before retiring. She chuckled softly when she was pulled into a half-hug.

"Welcome back to Fairbreeze, General." The woman also exchanged nods with Halduron.

"How are you, Dandra? And you know it'll always be 'Sylvanas' to you."

"You earned that title and I'm going to damn well use it if I want to. What do I keep telling you about arguing with me?"

Sylvanas held up her hands in surrender.

The older woman sighed. Streaks of white were starting to take over her jet black hair. Sylvanas would have thought it quite fetching if it weren't for the obvious stress on the former ranger's face.

"I take it Landra sent you." Sylvanas raised an eyebrow causing Dandra to smile ruefully. Very few had the power to send Sylvanas anywhere and the local magistrix was not one of them, much to her regret she was sure. "Let me rephrase: I take it Landra had a good bitch at our expense and now you're here of your own volition to get the truth of it."

She nodded her affirmation. "You always did have a way with words."

She heard a strained intake of breath and turned to look at Halduron who was clearly struggling to contain his laughter. Somehow, he succeeded, though his face had turned pink with the effort.

Dandra looked at him and then back at Sylvanas. "Well, at least someone sees the funny side to all this."

Sylvanas replied dryly, "He's being particularly special today."

Dandra smiled softly. "I can't say I don't miss being a ranger, but it was time to leave. I'm glad you've got some good people around you."

Sylvanas shifted her weight uncomfortably, the conversation having grown too personal for her liking. While rangers were notoriously close, Sylvanas was the rare exception. She was content to take part in their antics and join in on their gossip, but she tried to preserve her own privacy. Her sisters, Alleria and Vereesa, had respected this barrier and helped her maintain it by not answering questions about her to other rangers, as did those privileged few who she had let into her personal life. Dandra had been one of the trusted few, but that did not mean she enjoyed talking about herself. She was also bad at accepting compliments.

"So, lynxes."

Dandra nodded, understanding Sylvanas' need to talk business. "I wish I could tell you what's going on with them, but I haven't a clue. I've hunted these woods for hundreds of years and never seen them this aggressive, or this brazen."

"Has anything changed here that could be attracting them?"

Dandra shook her head. "Nothing from what I can tell." She pressed her fingers back through her hair in frustration. "We only ever hunt the weak and infirm when it comes to lynxes. Going up against numerous healthy adults is beyond us, and if I'm honest, we don't really want to hurt them. We don't need them for food or fur. It would be such a waste. We're lucky no one's been killed, though Bandar will be off his feet for weeks." She shook her head. "It's not just the lynxes behaving oddly either, though they're the ones causing us problems. Most of the wildlife is out of sorts, and have been for just over a week."

Sylvanas put her hand on her former mentor's shoulder to show her sympathy before turning to address her lieutenant. "Do we have anyone in the area who could come investigate this?"

Halduron took a few moments to go through what he knew of his company's movements. "This is normally Areiel's patch so she should be nearby with her unit on patrol. By now, I believe she should be a few miles north of here. She won't circle back for several days though."

Sylvanas nodded. "Please send a scout to redirect them here. They're to investigate and see what they can do to remedy the situation. Something has the wildlife riled up and it's too much to hope it'll sort itself."

"Right away, General." He trotted off to fulfil his orders.

Dandra gave her a tired smile, "Thank you." She looked at her hunters sadly. "They're not cowards, General. They're good people just in over their heads. We're not exactly used to our food fighting back so savagely." She looked back at Sylvanas, "And I'm not as spry as I once was."

Sylvanas gave her a warm smile, "They're lucky to have you. I certainly was."

Dandra gave her a wistful look. "It seems only yesterday you were a young cadet hanging on my every word. Now, here you are. You could probably teach me a thing or two."

"I'm sure you'll always have something to teach me, Dandra," she said gently.

The older woman snorted her amusement. "'bout the only thing I can teach you now is how to grow old, and I won't start you on that for a very long time to come."

"Oh, didn't I tell you? I plan on staying young forever."

"Knowing you, you'd find a way." They chuckled before Dandra drew Sylvanas into a friendly embrace. They said their farewells and Sylvanas made her way back into the centre of the village to look for the rest of her unit.

Just as she thought her day could not get any more complicated she heard an all too familiar male voice call out, "Sylvanas! By the Sunwell! I didn't realise this was your unit lounging around the village!"

She stopped in her tracks, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As he approached her, she turned to address him. His hair was a lighter shade of blonde than hers, but they had almost identical eyes. They shared other facial features, but that was where the similarities ended. He wore a simple dark brown tunic and leggings with knee-high boots and gauntlets up to his elbows. A brown cloak and hood were also visible under the simple magi staff slung across his back.

She replied as politely as she could manage, "Hello, cousin."

Zendarin was one of the few mages in the Windrunner family, and was a magister like their shared grandfather, Ra'thanar Windrunner. He was also considered to be an aloof character, preferring his own company for the most part. He didn't play by society's rules, the most visual evidence of this being his decidedly unmage-like attire. She couldn't blame him on that last part; their family were predominantly rangers and hunters, and they dressed as such. Their grandfather had no such quirks though, and was usually derogatory about Zendarin's dress sense.

"Zendarin!" Another voice joined in, saving Sylvanas from exchanging what she knew would be forced pleasantries. He had never done anything specifically to get on her bad side, but he had a knack for putting her in a bad mood. She turned to see Alyna smiling. Not at her though, at her cousin.

He opened his arms, embracing Alyna warmly. Sylvanas looked between two. She noticed that even once their embrace broke apart, they remained close together.

She knew her surprise crept into her voice as she said, "I wasn't aware you two were acquainted." She was about to say something else as they were clearly more than just acquaintances, but stopped herself. She had lost that right twenty years ago.

It was Zendarin who replied, "Oh, we're very good friends. It's been, what? Twenty years?" He looked at Alyna for clarification.

Alyna glanced at Sylvanas before nodding, "About that." Sylvanas clenched her teeth, but said nothing. Alyna smiled back at Zendarin, "What brings you out here?"

"Mother required a few things so I'm here haggling for them. They've a bit of a shortage of goods though so it's been deeply aggravating. Something about ferocious lynxes?" He turned to Sylvanas. "You will sort that, right? That's why you're here I presume?"

"It may surprise you to learn I have other things to attend to." The hope on his face became downcast and she sighed inwardly. "Yes, it will be looked into. Just, not by me."

He was smiling again. "Wonderful! Thank you, cousin!" Sylvanas wanted to slap him. This wasn't a personal favour, and he knew it. "And what of you, Alyna? What brings you so far from Quel'Danas?"

Alyna glanced at Sylvanas again, "I'm here with General Windrunner."

The formality was not lost on any of them and obviously thrilled Zendarin. "Oh! Doing those 'other things' I bet? How exciting for you! Can I come?"

"What?" The question caught Sylvanas completely off guard.

"Quel'Danas is so dull, and Silvermoon hasn't had a decent party in weeks. It's the perfect time for a forest adventure!"

Alyna gave him one of her genuine smiles and Sylvanas felt it like a punch to her stomach. Her cousin? Really? She was about to decline his offer when Alyna looked at her with pleading eyes.

"I would really appreciate his help, General." She bit her lip. "I know why the Council chose me for this, but Zendarin is a magister and far more experienced than I am. His help could be invaluable. He's no ranger, but he is a Windrunner and raised in the forest like you."

Sylvanas realised just how insecure Alyna was in her magical talents, despite the backing of her grandfather and the Council. She looked at the pair before her. Their familiarity was obvious, and while it galled her to think Alyna found comfort in her cousin, she needed Alyna to be at her best and not distracted around Sylvanas. She was right that Zendarin was no amateur amongst the trees. If having him along boosted Alyna's morale and the eventual outcome of their mission, she would be negligent to turn him away.

Her objection died in her throat. She shook her head in disbelief at herself. She directed her reply deliberately at Zendarin, "Don't make me regret this."

He beamed at Sylvanas as Alyna hugged him. "I'll be on my best behaviour."

She raised an eyebrow at his choice of words. The last thing her cousin was known for was socially acceptable behaviour. She turned to make her way back to her rangers, indicating they should follow.

She felt Zendarin's smile on her back the whole way back to the horses.

The next couple days of travel passed without incident, which Sylvanas was grateful for. The wildlife was noticeably out of sorts though, and she had made the decision to stick to the public pathways instead of cutting across the forest. Alyna and Zendarin had ridden side by side the whole time, pursuing some topic of conversation or other seemingly without pause. Sylvanas had kept to herself. Halduron and his unit had left her alone to her thoughts, astute enough to realise more about the situation than she was comfortable with. She ignored it. The sooner this was over the better.

She knew she was jealous but a part of her was also pleased Alyna was laughing with someone, even if it wasn't her. In the end, she figured it made sense. Zendarin had always been a bit of an odd entity for a quel'dorei, not quite fitting in with his peers, though also not wanting to. Alyna was certainly that as well. She did not fit in with the magi through her own choice, and she no longer fit in with the rangers. She was also of an age where her family would be looking to her to settle down with a suitable mate. Sylvanas' own family were generally more relaxed about marital traditions than most, though there were a few notable exceptions, like her grandfather. As patriarch of their family, he took a keen interest in such matters.

Most quel'dorei would be fortunate to see their thousandth year of life, most averaging around seven to nine hundred years. Those who had a close relationship with the Sunwell could live more than three times longer, the magic infusing every part of their being to lead to longer lives. Rangers cultivated a magic of their own, and thus lived slightly longer than typical, but not by much.

Regardless of life expectancy, quel'dorei generally settled down to raise families sometime in their second or third century of life. Sylvanas was two hundred and ten, and had experienced her own pressures, mainly due to her position as ranger general as she was expected to pass on her talent. She scowled. Her relationship with Alyna had been seen as a barrier to this, so more than a few had been happy when she had ended it. Relationships with those of the same gender were fine, as long as they didn't interfere with the propagation of the race. It was not unusual for married couples to also have same sex lovers, but the important part was they were doing their bit for society. Sylvanas' relationship with Alyna would have superseded this, and everyone knew it.

Alyna had just celebrated her hundred and fiftieth birthday, and was part of a far more traditional family than Sylvanas. She could only imagine what pressures she was getting. Perhaps, Zendarin was her answer. He was nearly four hundred and still unmarried. Sylvanas suspected that highly irritated their grandfather. He was also a magister of admirable talent, which would be acceptable to Alyna's own grandfather, her own family's patriarch. Sylvanas hated politics and, unfortunately, marriage was commonly a matter of politics for those born to the more powerful families.

She heard Alyna laugh at something Zendarin had said and lowered her head to cover her reaction. She wanted Alyna to be happy, but for the next few minutes she decided to indulge in the pettiness of her jealousy. She kicked her horse into a trot, forcing the others to do the same. It killed all the conversation behind her, which secretly pleased the ranger general.