Her charger made enough noise as she rode through camp, her battle cry rising any troops that still rested, organizing those confused by the fringe chaos. "To arms! For Lordaeron! For the Alliance!" The sight of their general in full gear, at full charge, moved the men in a way that no message or squire ever would. Her regal aura engulfing all, inciting all it touched, even as her tabard flapped in the wind with her rapid passing. "Today we fight undead! The Scourge! They rise! We must put them down!" Over and over again, her heralded call rang to her troops. A falcon landed on her shoulder, bring her ride to pause. "Moonraven."
Dropping to the side, the night elf shifted to full form. "General HIghweather. You are well?"
"As well as can be expected for the moment. The infection, it is plague of its own. Unclean. Our men, alive or dead, will rise against us." She cut him off in mid-question, "To the healery, dispatch any that you can spare to Tungsten and Smithhammer, they forge ahead to the pits. Otherwise, fill in the ranks here, do what you can, I give you charge!" And in that instant he was back to flight form and gone to organize his ranks.
The sounds of battle erupted from both the pit and hospital. With the confidence of a commander, she headed for the wounded. Shaeyln would not let her down, nor from the sound of pounding hooves, would Tungsten.
She heard Lysind before she saw her. The mage's fire balls drawing attention to the scourge that crawled from the ground in front of her. They didn't look the same as the evil vermin they'd fought many times in Azeroth, but they sure acted the same. Letting lose her battle cry, Sarenda charged in swinging her mighty axe in one hand to cleave the head of the undead. Trampling those that she caught in their ascent from the ground.
"Mage, I need a line. Paladins to send up their Holy buffs, you directly behind them letting everything lose that you have. I'll herald Oralin's paladins as well. These are not our kin today, these are the enemy." Rearing up with her intensity, her stallion lifted his forefeet, calling to his brethren pounding away towards battle. "We must push ahead them back to the pit." Thanking both the Light and Elune that their field hospital remained near the pit and pyre, she called ahead to her troops.
"To Death! The scourge have tricked us, we must move quickly."
Her priest lieutenant plowed through to her. "General, we must pause and regroup." Merilyn clung to her treads, "You must stop, these are our people!"
"Stand down priest, we do this to save this world and our own."
"NO! You are just like Arthas, burning Stratholme. Do not over react!"
If the priest had swung an epic two handed sword at her in a full hit, it couldn't have done more damage. Sarenda's confidence faltered. Oh gods? Could this be what Arthas faced? Could she be laying siege to her own people unwarranted. Just as he had. Just as he had been tainted with Frostmourne, was she tainted by—A gasp caught in her throat and as her pace slowed to a full stop with the priest's words, Meri begged her, "Please call off the warriors, I swear, this is how the paladins burned our home!" Sarenda studied the holy woman carefully.
The roar of an undead behind them stunned the priest, startling Sarenda's horse. As her charger shifted, she pulled Meri with her, until the priest landed on her knees. In the next instance, Deathmark swung down cleaving the head off of ghoul behind. Sarenda slid off her horse, lifting Meri, "This is not Stratholme and each moment we wait, is a moment of men lost. Are you with me?" She shook the priest slightly, "Please, you are my only family. Cousin, I must know. Are you with me?"
Shaking off the grime and fear, Meri stared at her feet. "I can't do this again, Sare, I can't. I couldn't stop him or his Paladins, they burned our town and our people, he burned what was left of our families." Chaos reigned around them. The mages of the Kirin Tor, lining up for battle, cries of valor and victory mixed with the roar of defeat and challenge.
"I must Meri. I love you. Please find somewhere safe, I cannot protect you in this melee. I believe. I believe I'm doing the right thing. You must find it in your heart to forgive me if I am right, or even if I am wrong." She embraced her in a one arm hug, kissing her cheek and then touching her face before turning with her battle cry. "FOR LORDAERON! FOR THE ALLIANCE!" Cheers went up around her, and Sarenda plowed through the ranks to reengage in battle, her stallion long gone to trample the enemy, leaving behind the wilting priest and calling once again for her charger.