Okay kiddies...and we're on to MoP...please don't hate me!


Aelwynn cringed in annoyance as she brushed herself off, looking around the foreign jungle. Loki snuffed next to her, growling at the large insect that ambled past. "I know, Loki...this place is ridiculous." She muttered, watching the group of Pandaren from a thick crop of bamboo. Loki growled in warning as a cricket hopped passed him, stopping to look up and chirp at him before bouncing on its way.

Everything here was far too bright, far too...cheerful for Aelwynn's taste. She headed back into the Valley of the Four Winds with what seemed like a permanent headache. She now realized why the Pandaren drank so much, if alcohol was the only escape from such a dull existence then inebriation was sure to liven things up a bit. She took the portal back to the Undercity, knowing she resembled her spirit beast in times of deep annoyance. She could feel her ears folded back toward her head and rolled her shoulders in an attempt to shove off the tension.

She and Loki reached Sylvanas' quarters and she hung her bow and quiver up, looking around the room for her lover. 'She must still be in the main hall.' She thought, turning distractedly to the desk and sitting down. She removed her gauntlets and laid them on the desk, scrubbing her face with her hands and jumped slightly when cool fingers stroked the back of her neck.

"Do yourself a favor and stay away from that infernal set of islands." She muttered.

Sylvanas chuckled softly. "Why is that?" She asked.

"I realized while I was there that the reason they're all intoxicated is because of how mundane it is there..." Aelwynn shook her head. "I would drown myself in alcohol if I had to live there. It's so bright, and...cheerful. Everyone there is always happy. It's sickening." She said, turning with a frown.

Her Banshee Queen laughed. "You, Surfal, have been spending far too much time with me. I've heard other adventurers say it's quite beautiful."

Aelwynn scoffed, curling her lip. "Sure...beautiful...between the goblin-sized crickets that infest the entire island, the fact that the jungle is so green it makes your eyes hurt, and an entire section of the island is crawling with Klaxxi, some strange humanoid race of insects that make the night elves look like humans in terms of height, then yes...its stunning."

Sylvanas shook her head, smiling slightly.

Aelwynn turned in her seat, noting for the first time the lack of armor her lover was wearing. She slid her hands up the back of the former Ranger General's leather-covered thighs.

"You want to know the worst part?" She asked.

Sylvanas raised a brow in amusement. "Absolutely."

"There are a group of children that constantly follow me around while I'm at the farms, wanting to know if they can play with Loki. I finally capitulated thinking that they would leave me be, but one, the smallest of the group, follows me to the farm and sits on the steps while I'm trading there. He doesn't say anything, just silently follows me. I'm half tempted to bring him here in hopes that seeing a place so shockingly different will teach him to avoid me." She said resignedly.

Sylvanas bit her lip in an effort to stifle her laugh.

"You mean to tell me, with all of the dangerous things that walk the grounds, you're afraid of a group of children?" She asked, chuckling.

Aelwynn glared. "I'm not afraid of them. It's annoying! Imagine a bunch of furry, large eyed puppies following you around, yipping constantly. I had to fly back to the Summit to use the facilities because I was afraid they were going to barge in! I can't move while I'm there without one of them on my heels!"

Sylvanas couldn't find it in herself to contain her laughter anymore. Aelwynn was a strong woman, with good values and always ready to follow orders, volunteering for rescue and aid missions, yet her patience was worn thin by a group of talking bears.

"I apologize, Dalah'surfal, but you have to see how absurd this is. You've done things that no one else would, gone places everyone else feared to tread. You're a strong woman, a talented hunter with a good heart. And your only complaint about this new land is that it's cheerful and there are children that want your attention."

Aelwynn frowned slightly. "Well, when you put it that way, it sounds a bit ridiculous, doesn't it..." She said, shaking her head.

Sylvanas stroked her thumb over the blood elf's lips. "Perhaps a bit. However, you've returned home, let's not waste time talking."


Aelwynn stood behind the Horde leaders, watching Thrall and Varian argue. She glanced to Sylvanas who stood still as a statue, her gaze locked on her sister. Vereesa looked similar to how Sylvanas had when alive, and Aelwynn could piece together more of her memory of the former Ranger General before Arthas' attack.

She saw Garrosh shift and stepped in front of the Banshee Queen, drawing her bow and readying an arrow. "Enough arguing! He's coming to! Get him chained and out of here or I will kill him." She demanded, looking to the Pandaren. She looked up at Varian who had readied his sword, his stance defensive as he looked at her. She sneered. "Relax, King Wrynn. I wouldn't shoot you. This monster, however, isn't important enough to be killed by someone notable." She said.

Varian raised his chin and relaxed his stance.

A staff came up and rested on top of the arrow nocked into place in Aelwynn's bow and she turned, glaring at the Pandaren holding it.

"You would do well to relax your bowstring and re-quiver that arrow." Taran Zhu said.

Aelwynn bared her canines, narrowing her eyes. "This dog does not deserve a fair trial. After everything he did, to you, to the Alliance, to the Horde. He released the Sha, destroyed Theramore with a manabomb and enslaved what he deemed 'lesser races' of the Horde, not to mention torturing them. After all that, you want to appoint someone to defend him?! I myself would stand as the accuser and hammer every nail in his coffin, and relish every moment of it. But no, you want to draw out every bit of unnecessary pain and suffering because your Celestials want a trial?"

Zhu stood unaffected by her hateful speech.

"Do you know what happens in other areas of our world if someone commits a crime? They are summarily punished. A thief...they lose their arm. A murderer? Their life. There is no trial. But no, you're going to prolong the life of a genocidal maniac to make sure it's fair... Allow me to let you in on a little fact... life isn't fair. Existence isn't fair. Its fairness is destroyed when someone like that-" She pointed to the orc in chains, "is allowed to breathe."

The Pandaren stared at her blankly, which angered her more. "You should spend time at the temple, meditation could help calm you." He said, turning. "Or perhaps you should stop spending so much time in the presence of the woman you stand in front of."

At that she snapped, throwing her bow on the ground and going for her dagger. She was grabbed by Sylvanas and Lor'themar before she had a chance to strike. "Let me go." She warned. Sylvanas stepped before her, her eyes widening at the glint of golden malice in her eyes.


Genn Greymane noticed the glint from across the room and stepped towards them. "You had best let her go. As much as I would enjoy seeing her tear you to shreds, if she does in fact lose control and finally snap she could injure the both of you as well as herself." He said.

Varian turned to him, a scowl on his scarred face.

"You think I wouldn't notice if someone had been bitten by one of my own, Varian?" Genn asked.


Aelwynn took a deep breath, closing her eyes and forcing herself to relax. "I'm fine." She said quietly, opening her eyes and watching them lead Hellscream out in chains.

She turned as Vereesa and Anduin came up to the Horde leaders, Vereesa meeting her gaze and walking past her, toward Sylvanas. Anduin stopped in front of her. "Do you really believe what you said?" He asked her.

She raised a brow, nodding. "I do. I have no need to explain, but I will." She said.

Anduin watched the hunter sheath her dagger and pick up her bow, stringing it over her shoulder.

"I was in Orgrimmar before being stationed in Northrend, going over my assignment. He began talking about the rest of the Horde 'trash', saying that they were going to do what they could to utilize the Forsaken and destroy Sylvanas. When he began speaking of slavery and how the rest of the boot-licking races would fall in line I had had enough. I argued with him, and he grabbed me. My pet, Fenris, came to my defense and bit him. That-" her mouth thinned into a line, glaring at the doorway, "that monster, killed my companion in front of me, and when I refused to back down he struck me and sent me to Dalaran, severely injured. I was gone for six months, with no rations, no gear, no orders, and the outposts all had wanted posters with my name and face on them." She said.

Anduin opened his mouth to speak.

"So, tell me, Prince Anduin. Do I not have the right to want him dead beneath my heel? Exactly where he placed the rest of the Horde for two years?" She asked him.

He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I would say that you do, hunter. However, if you continue to hold onto your hate for him, it will only harm you in the end." He said.

She sighed, shaking her head. "That hate is all I have left. It's fueled me for months. If I let that go, I have nothing left."

With that she turned, heading over to where Vol'jin and Baine stood, passing by Gallywix without a thought.

The new Warchief looked her over. "I admiah ya strength, Nightstrida. But ya be headin' down a dahk path if ya be vengeful like dat. Howevah, don't be thinkin' ya be da only one dat wants Hellscream's head on a pike. As ya new Wahchief, I be callin' on ya when I need ya. Howevah, if ya be needin' time ta get ya affaiahs in ordah, ya be lettin' me know, yah?" He asked.

Aelwynn nodded, bowing her head. " As you command, Warchief."

"Ya be goin' now, it seems Windrunnah be requirin' ya attention." Vol'jin said, looking to Sylvanas as she stepped up behind her.


Aelwynn bit back her annoyance as they landed at the Temple of the White Tiger. The more time she spent in Pandaria, the less she felt like herself. She turned to Sylvanas. "If you'd like, I'll head down to the training grounds and give you time with your sister." She said quietly.

Sylvanas shook her head. "There is nothing she and I will say that I won't speak to you about." The Banshee Queen replied, kissing her softly.

Aelwynn broke the kiss, turning as Vereesa walked up.

They stared awkwardly at one another for a moment before Vereesa spoke up.

"Sylvanas, would it be possible if we spoke alone?" She asked, looking between her undead sister and the elf at her side.

Sylvanas raised a brow, turning to Aelwynn. "There is nothing you can say that can't be said in front of Aelwynn."

Vereesa looked to her feet. "I realize that you probably don't wish to speak to me. But I needed to talk to you."

Sylvanas' features softened. "It isn't that, Little Moon."

Vereesa looked up, eyes wide. "You-you remembered..." She breathed.

Sylvanas smiled. "Of course I remembered, Little Moon. Now, I believe there are introductions to be made. Surfal, I'd like you to meet Vereesa, my younger sister. Vereesa, this is Aelwynn Nightstrider, my lover."

Aelwynn nodded at Vereesa, looking around unsteadily. She looked back to the Ranger General of the Silver Covenant. "I wanted to apologize for before, with Hellscream and the Pandaren, and offer my condolences on the loss of your husband. I met him once, he was a good man." She said.

Vereesa smiled sadly. "Thank you, and it's good to meet you. And as for before, I hadn't known what was happening on the Horde side of things." She looked at the hunter for a moment, realization in her eyes. "Wait, Nightstrider...I trained with your older brother. Ry was a good friend to me during our training. We were often partnered up."

Aelwynn smiled painfully. "Yeah, he talked about you whenever he was home. He was glad he got partnered with you. He used to tell me how he teased you about being the next Ranger General." She said quietly.

Vereesa chuckled, nodding and wiping away her tears. "Yes, he did." She looked to the younger elf, then to Sylvanas, hesitant to ask.

"I was the only survivor." Aelwynn confirmed. She shook her head. "I can only imagine what they would think of me today. Father would be angry that I followed Ryatherion's path. Mother would worry constantly. Caeledon and Kierilana would torment me about Sylvanas, and Ryatherion would strut around like a stallion, proud that 'his little sister wanted to be just like him when she grew up.'"

Sylvanas rested her hand on Aelwynn's lower back, hoping it would give her comfort. She met her sister's blue gaze. "Now that this...enlightening and emotional moment is over, what did you wish to speak of?" She asked her sister.

Vereesa looked between the two. "We need to kill Garrosh Hellscream."