Chapter 6

Sylvanas sighed at the severed troll's head Alleria had brought with her.

"Was that necessary?"

Alleria was resolute. "I'm not sure the Council will accept what I have to say, but they'll take this seriously enough."

"You're going to walk into the council chamber and throw a troll's bloody head down in front of them to prove a point?"

"Yes."

Sylvanas chuckled her amusement. "That's one meeting I actually wouldn't mind attending." She gave her sister a rough sack to put the head in. She was not squeamish, but she had no desire to gaze upon the object longer than required. The unit were setting up camp a few minutes into the trees while Sylvanas waited for her sisters to cross the river.

As Alleria secured the head and washed the gore from herself in the river, Sylvanas turned to their youngest sister. "Are you okay?" The incident with the trolls would have been Vereesa's first tussle with them since her recent graduation into the Farstriders.

Vereesa nodded, having regained some of the colour in her cheeks. "It was not quite what I'd expected."

"I'm glad you're alright."

"Thanks to Alleria." Her relief was clear in her voice. "I was trying to get back to Tranquillien and she ran into me just before the trolls attacked."

Sylvanas frowned. "What were you doing alone?" Rangers rarely worked alone, and when they did it was because of their experience and skill. A fresh graduate should always have a more experienced partner with them.

"I was on patrol with three others from my unit, and we got separated. Or, well, they just disappeared one by one. I tried to signal the rest of the unit but no one responded. Now I … I think the trolls were picking us off." Her voice cracked and she looked dejected. Sylvanas didn't blame her as it meant her three friends were dead, possibly her entire unit.

She pulled her sister into a hug, feeling trembling arms wrap around her waist. She stroked her silvery hair gently until she was sure her sister felt calmer. "I'm sorry about your friends, Vereesa. I promise we'll try to bring them home so they can be laid to rest properly." Sylvanas was angry at what the trolls had done, but needed to maintain her even temper for her sister.

Vereesa nodded and unwrapped herself from the embrace just as Alleria joined them, freshly washed. She sent Vereesa on ahead towards the camp as she walked beside Alleria.

"The trolls don't normally come this far into our territory, Alleria. I want to think this pack was just being reckless, but you're going to tell me otherwise, aren't you?"

Alleria bit her lip as she contemplated her answer. "You're not going to like what I have to say."

Sylvanas sighed. She hated being wrong, particularly admitting to it. "You were right, I take it? About the Horde?"

"It's worse than that. They're already nearly here, and the trolls have joined them."

Sylvanas stopped and grabbed Alleria's arm, pulling her around to face her. "They're coming here? To Quel'Thalas?" The only viable entrance into Quel'Thalas from the human lands was via the closed Elfgate that guarded the Thalassian Pass. If an army were to approach the gate, Sylvanas would have been notified. Any half-decent ranger would have been able to track their movements to locate her.

Alleria winced and Sylvanas let go of her arm with an apologetic look. "The orcs have bypassed the Elfgate by climbing over the mountains to the south west. The forest trolls are showing them the way." A flicker of fear crossed the older sister's face. "They've been united, Sylvanas. The troll tribes are no longer fighting amongst themselves, and they're all coming for us."

Sylvanas was rooted to the floor. The Horde had numbered over five thousand the last she knew, and the trolls could muster at least half that number if they had united. Part of their strategy in combatting them had been to keep the tribes fighting each other as it made them more manageable. Sylvanas had less than a thousand rangers. She could bolster that with mages, priests, and civilian volunteers, but she'd get nowhere near the numbers required. The figures were staggering. The capital city would be safe behind the second Elfgate known as Ban'dinoriel, or 'Gatekeeper', but the rest of their lands looked set to fall.

Her mouth was dry as she asked, "You said you brought possible salvation?" She'd had no idea what Alleria had meant by the statement at the time, but now she knew they would need it.

"The human Alliance is a few days behind them and closing. Turalyon has a couple thousand soldiers at his command, and he is coming to help us. I passed through the Elfgate and had it opened for them."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow at the familiar use of the man's name. "Turalyon?"

Alleria started and then flustered for a moment. Sylvanas was instantly curious about the human. "Uhm, Sir Turalyon is the second-in-command of the Alliance forces. The Horde split their forces around the Hinterlands so the Alliance were forced to do the same. Lord Anduin Lothar commands the section that remained to clear up the orcs there, and Sir Turalyon has chased the remaining Horde north towards Quel'Thalas."

They continued their walk towards the camp. "Well, at least we don't have to face the whole Horde at once," Sylvanas added dryly. It was no real consolation with the addition of the trolls but she would take whatever good news there was to be had. "I've a couple of mages with me. I'll ask them to make a portal to Silvermoon for you once you've eaten something."

"I saw, and thank you. Do I want to know how our cousin ended up with you? And was that Alyna I saw?" she asked in disbelief.

"No. Yes. And it's too long a story for the time we have." As far as she was concerned, she was happy to not have to answer her sister's questions on the subject at all, so she kept it professional. "After you've told the Council we're being invaded I need you to get to Lor'themar as quickly as possible. I want his company guarding the capital, but I need him to bring a couple of units to rendezvous with the rest of us. If he can find volunteers along the way, all the better. Then you're to get your own company and bring them to Tranquillien as quickly as you can. I'll send word to everyone else tonight."

They reached the camp at that point and Sylvanas looked around, assessing her rangers. She would allow them time to eat, and then send them on their various messenger missions. The rest would leave for Tranquillien and keep riding until they got there. There would be time to sleep later. She called for everyone to come close so she could brief them. They ate their food in relative silence, each keeping their concerns about the near future to themselves as they absorbed the situation. After opening a portal for Alleria, they packed up the camp and mounted their horses, Vereesa sitting behind another ranger. After sending the messengers off in all directions, there were only a few of them left. Sylvanas, Alyna, Zendarin, Halduron, Vereesa and three rangers turned south to cross the river again towards Tranquillien.

They rode through the night and would need to keep riding through the day and into that night as well. Sylvanas felt her body sag at the punishment. This was her second endurance test in two weeks. It was mid-afternoon and they were moving at a slow walk to let the horses recover a little. Quel'dorei Steeds were predominantly very light dapple greys, with dark grey manes and tails, though darker greys and almost black colours were possible in their coat. The males had a line of long dark fur that ran from the front of their neck down between their front legs, and a large jagged horn protruding from their forehead, while the females had a smaller horn. Both genders had thick long white hair from the back of their knees to their hooves that was a nightmare to keep groomed. They were solidly built animals trained for stamina over speed, so the long trek south was well within their abilities.

They rounded a corner in the main dirt road they were following, and Sylvanas was shocked out of her near-unconscious state. A trader's cart had been destroyed and the horse pulling it slaughtered. Amongst the scattered goods were the bloody bodies of five elves, one barely having reached her teens. They all immediately dismounted and armed themselves, Sylvanas preferring her bow over her swords. She inched forward with an arrow nocked, looking around carefully. The trees were thick and dense here, blotting out the sky and making it a perfect place for an ambush.

She moved around to the child, her heart aching at the sight. None of them had been armed. They were a trading family travelling down what should have been a safe road. None of their goods appeared to have been taken.

Vereesa gasped beside her and pointed at one of the adults, "His ears are gone!"

Halduron was staring into the trees, his spear and shield in his hands. "Trolls. They take them as souvenirs," he said grimly.

Sylvanas noted a partial footprint in the blood. Trolls had very large two-toed feet and didn't wear shoes. She followed it cautiously towards a tree. Some drops of red elven blood were dotted beside the prints, most likely having run off a weapon.

Even Zendarin was visibly moved by the scene, his voice shaking, "We can't just leave them like this."

Sylvanas agreed. "I don't intend to." She froze, having heard the faintest of sounds that did not belong with the background noise of the forest. Halduron had noticed the change in her body language and she made eye contact with him to confirm his unasked question. She looked around, trying to appear casual. There was an extra drop of blood on the ground. She was sure of it.

They were still in the trees!

Keeping her voice calm, she continued what she had been saying to Zendarin, though she raised her eyebrows at Halduron and jutted her elbow slightly at the nearest tree, hoping he would understand. With a troll in the tree above her she couldn't risk freeing a hand from her loaded bow to use their ranger sign language. "We can remove the rest of their goods and place them into the cart. One of our horses can be hooked up and we'll take them to Tranquillien."

As she spoke, Halduron used a hand to warn the others of the danger above, using his shield to disguise the movement from the trolls. Just as she finished her last word she pulled the bowstring of her bow and aimed up into the tree roundabout where she thought the troll might be, and fired. A surprised grunt was followed by a large green body falling to the floor with a sickening crunch.

The elves quickly arranged themselves in a defensive circle and readied themselves. No one moved save for Sylvanas reloading her bow.

An axe came flying from high up in the trees towards Sylvanas and Halduron pulled to the side to catch it with his shield. She didn't have time to thank him as the trolls dropped down to the ground with ease and converged on them. They were all male and heavily muscled. Their bodies were gangly and slouched over, though when they stretched to their full height they were over eight feet tall. Large tusks protruded from their upper lips, and they had long swept back ears that twitched at every sound. Their hair styles varied from braids to a wild mohawk in colours from reds and yellows to greens and blues. Each held axes, daggers or spears in their large three-fingered hands. They were sneering and hurling taunts in their guttural language. All rangers learnt at least the basics of the troll language, and the trolls were aware of this. They were evenly numbered, but the trolls had size on their side.

They attacked.

Sylvanas loosed her arrow and caught her target in the throat before he had taken more than a step towards her. Unable to reload, she swung her bow at the troll bearing down on the ranger beside her, managing to catch him on the side of his head. It didn't bring him down, but it gave the male ranger time to thrust his sword into the troll's chest. She could hear the sounds of battle around her, her senses heightened by the flood of adrenaline coursing through her body.

Alyna cried out and Sylvanas felt her heart leap into her throat. She whirled around to see Alyna on the ground, a troll with his hand around her throat and a dagger raised above her chest.

Time slowed for Sylvanas. Her hand moved to her quiver and she felt the faint tickle of a feather against her forefinger. She grabbed the tip with her fingers and straightened her arm to withdraw the arrow. The troll's hand was moving downwards, the point of the dagger gleaming as it made for Alyna's throat. Sylvanas pressed the nock of the arrow onto the bowstring and began drawing it back, using the forefinger of her other hand to steady the shaft. As she drew the string, she held her breath. Ordinarily, she would breathe in with the draw but she was moving too quickly and it would throw off her aim. As she reached the fullest extent of the draw, she held her position for a split second so she could aim at the troll, not wanting to hit Alyna.

The troll cried out in agony, his scream splitting the air and causing time to rush back in for Sylvanas, who had not yet released her arrow despite barely a second having passed since Alyna's cry. The dagger dropped from his hand and he fell to the side and away from Alyna, his hands slapping frantically at his stomach.

He was on fire.

The flames quickly spread through his clothing and he rolled around screaming, to no avail. He crawled a couple of feet and collapsed, his body twitching violently a few times before going still.

Everyone looked at Alyna, the other trolls already dead. She had covered her cheek with one hand, having been scratched by the falling dagger, and was gazing in shock at the troll. Sylvanas quickly placed her arrow back in her quiver and made to move to her side, but Zendarin beat her to it. He helped her sit up and coaxed her to remove her hand from her cheek.

"It's okay," he said softly. "It's just a scratch. It won't even leave a scar." He smiled reassuringly.

Alyna threw her arms around his neck. She was shaking. He dropped to his knees and held her as she regained her senses. Alyna had been an experienced ranger, but coming so close to death could unnerve anyone.

Sylvanas swallowed the lump in her throat and forced herself to breathe properly again, having been scared witless by the impending harm to Alyna. She looked around and was surprised to see none of the rest of her people were hurt, including Vereesa who was being spoken to quietly by Halduron.

She walked slowly over to one of the rangers who was turning over the trolls to make sure they were dead. Sylvanas' eyes narrowed when she saw they all had threaded a fresh elven ear through a cord which was worn around their necks. Some had several ears threaded that had previous been dried. She closed her eyes briefly. This family had not been their only victims. She wondered how many packs were out there killing her people, and felt cold fury well up inside her core. She opened her eyes and bent down over the troll. She pulled out her dagger and cut the cord angrily from his neck. She gave the macabre necklace to the startled ranger.

She let her fury be heard in her words, "Collect them all. I will not leave these creatures with any part of our people."

The ranger nodded solemnly and went about her task. Sylvanas began the work of hanging the bodies from the trees along the road. As others realised what she was doing, they began to help. They would serve as a warning to other trolls of what would happen to them if they're caught, but also to travellers that there was troll activity in the area. The local wildlife would make quick work of them so there were no biological hazards to consider.

They next set about following her previous suggestion before the attack, and began to clear the cart of its items. After turning the cart around, they loaded the bodies of the slain family into the cart, as well as the trophy necklaces bearing their ears. In case there were surviving members of the family, Sylvanas had them reload the cart with the items they deemed most valuable, without crowding the bodies disrespectfully. She then pulled her own horse over to the cart and hitched him to it. With the load he was about to pull she couldn't ride him, and she decided against riding tandem with someone else. She didn't want to be that physically close to any one right now, so she walked. She reasoned it would help keep her awake if she wasn't rocking along in a saddle.

Nine and a half hours later, at over an hour past midnight, the exhausted group reached the outskirts of Tranquillien. A ranger from the village approached them and gasped when he saw Sylvanas. He tried to aid her by putting his arm around her waist for support, but she refused him. She had made it this far, she was damn well going to walk herself into a bed. The ranger looked at Halduron who shrugged. He summoned the rest of his unit and they were escorted into the village centre.

By the time the local mayor arrived, the whole village had been woken up and were trying to gather around the weary group. There were cries of dismay at the bodies, and a big burly elf hugged Sylvanas for bringing them home. She was too tired to avoid the gesture, though she managed to pull herself away as he began to cry on her shoulder, passing him over to a willing relative. Ranger Captain Menora came to their rescue and escorted them all to the ranger barracks. Sylvanas sent the rest to bed, and soon followed after briefing Menora on the new threat they faced, leaving the captain to make the necessary preparations needed for her company.

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity for Sylvanas and the rangers. Equipment was checked, and training was increased with all the intensity that came with preparing for war. Volunteers had come forward to help fight, and they needed to be given some basic training. The villagers helped them prepare by gathering materials for arrows and forging additional weapons for them. Food stuffs arrived from neighbouring villages to help feed the assembling army, and Sylvanas sent full units out on patrol to flush out the packs of trolls that had strayed from their main army.

The rangers began arriving from all corners of Quel'Thalas. Menora's company were the easiest to bring in. Next to arrive was Sylvanas' own company from Farstrider Enclave which was two days away by horse. Lor'themar would be another few days at best, having the furthest to travel and orders to recruit along the way. A week after they arrived in Tranquillien, and earlier than expected, Alleria rode into the centre of the village with her lieutenants just as the sun was beginning to set on another busy day.

Sylvanas hugged her sister in greeting.

"Have you slept at all? I can't believe you're already here."

A couple of her lieutenants were hiding smiles and she shrugged good naturedly. "Let's just say there were one or two incidents of me falling asleep in the saddle, and leave it at that, shall we?"

Sylvanas tried to contain her own smile. "My company has set up camp just south of the village, along with Menora's and a few volunteers. I want to keep us all together, so let's get you all settled in."

Alleria gave orders to her lieutenants, and they rode off to fetch their units. She turned to Sylvanas to ask, "If Menora's company are camping, does that mean the barracks are empty?"

"Of people, yes. We're using them as stores for what we'll need for when we march. Why?"

"I have brought more than just my company. The High King was not pleased to hear the trolls have massed against us, so he has given you full use of the magi and priesthood. I have a couple dozen with me, but the rest will be staying in Silvermoon to defend the capital, at the Council's request."

She pulled a tube from her saddle bag and handed it to Sylvanas. They both knew what was in it without opening it; a scroll bearing a Royal Decree from the High King and the Council giving the ranger general complete power to fight this war how she deemed fit.

Sylvanas shook her head in disbelief. "Ban'dinoriel has protected the city for thousands of years and is powered by the Sunwell. Those magi would have been far more useful here."

Alleria held her hands up defensively. "I know. I tried to convince them of that, but I had to leave without them. The ones I have are mostly volunteers who wished to fight instead of sit behind a shield, so they won't be too much trouble."

"But?"

"But, they're not used to camping and have moaned the entire way down. I figure a few nights in bunks should shut them up for a bit before we're on the move again."

Sylvanas feigned frustration towards her sibling. "First you bring me blood-thirsty trolls, and now you bring me pampered mages."

"Just wait 'til you see what I've got you for your birthday," Alleria deadpanned.

Sylvanas swatted her sister's arm, getting a chuckle in return. "Go get settled in. Tomorrow, we need to start planning. Since you know this Turalyon so well I'm going to need you at your best."

If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn she saw Alleria blush before she turned away.