Anduin
Anduin tried his hardest to stay awake, but eventually the cold, the dark, and the fear of being hunted down by faceless assassins became overwhelming, and he fell into a disturbed and restless sleep. His dreams were filled with terrifying visions of fire and blood, and each nightmare inevitably ended with his and Auriana's violent deaths.
Nevertheless, he somehow managed to sleep until morning, when he was finally awoken by a weak beam of sunlight streaming right into his eyes. The first thing he noticed as he stirred was aching cramp in his right thigh from being pressed up against a rock all night, but he forgot his pain almost immediately as he realised that Auriana was no longer resting up against his side.
"Auri?" he whispered.
Anduin blinked, and his lingering sleepiness rapidly turned to panic as he reached out and found her gone. Their small fire had died sometime during the night, and while it was morning, the Duskwood was still as dark as if it were twilight anywhere else. He blinked again as his eyes adjusted to the low light, and eventually sighed in relief as he caught sight of Auriana seated just inside the entrance to the cave.
She was sitting cross-legged on the dusty floor; both her position and Anduin's oversized coat making her look childlike and vulnerable. She was biting her lip, and seemed deep in thought. Every so often, she reached up to scribble something on the rock with a small piece of charcoal, muttering to herself under her breath as she did so. Thankfully, she looked much more alert then she had the previous evening, and Anduin prayed that the effects of Broll's concoction were finally wearing off.
"Er… Auri… what are you doing?" he asked, gingerly unfolding his long legs and clambering awkwardly to his feet.
He was stiff and sore from sleeping against the hard cave wall with Auriana in his lap, and his legs ached from having run across what felt like half the length of Duskwood.
"Drawing," she said simply.
As Anduin drew closer, he noticed that Auriana's left foot was twitching, and that she seemed somewhat manic. She had drawn what looked two rather lumpy potatoes, to which she had added a series of dark lines and crosses. A smattering of rune markings dotted the edges of her picture, though Anduin didn't know what they meant.
"I can see that…" he said slowly. "Drawing what?"
"A map of Duskwood and Elwynn. I think I know what went wrong with my teleport," she muttered distractedly, adding a vertical line that connected her two abstract shapes.
"That's a map?" Anduin asked skeptically, tilting his head to the side as he tried to find any landmark that he recognised.
"I've been drugged and shot, Anduin, give me a break. And I was hardly much of artist to begin with," Auriana growled witheringly. "Do you know how portals work?"
"Er… something to do with ley lines?" he said, recalling a conversation he'd once had with his Aunt Jaina.
"That's right," Auriana said, nodding. "Essentially we use ley lines to navigate, to position ourselves in the world. Similar to how a sailor would use latitude and longitude."
"Alright… then what went wrong?"
"In layman's terms, I think I got the longitude right, but not the latitude," she explained, thoughtfully drumming her fingers on her knees. "My power was draining, and I... well, it's a bit more complex than that, but that's essentially the problem."
"So… we're somewhere south of Stormwind?" Anduin reasoned.
"Yes, I believe so," Auriana agreed, her eyes lighting up eagerly. "Almost directly south, I'd wager, though I'm not sure how far."
She pointed to a large x at the top of the map that Anduin abruptly realised was supposed to represent Stormwind, and ran her finger in a straight line down the wall.
"I see," he mused. "Er… how did you figure this out?"
"The dragon told me," Auriana replied blithely, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Oh…" Anduin sighed worriedly. "Still seeing things, then?"
"Apparently," she admitted, "Though at least my hallucinations have decided to be cooperative."
Anduin wasn't sure he trusted the word of an imaginary dragon, but he supposed there was little to be gained from arguing the point. Auriana seemed on edge, but she was still far more lucid than he had expected. There was also something about seeing her active and thinking that gave him great comfort, and he was careful not to interrupt her theorising as he took a seat at her side.
"May I look at your wound?" he asked.
"Mmm," she agreed, though she didn't take her eyes off her drawing.
Anduin leaned in close, gingerly slipping the top button of Auriana's borrowed coat, and swallowed a gasp as he slid the fabric from her shoulder. While the arrow wound was clean, Auriana's entire upper back was blackened from the effects of the magebane. The contrasting pallor of her uninfected skin made the inky lines of poison look even darker, and Anduin was uncomfortably reminded of rotting flesh.
"So… do we make for Darkshire?" he asked, more to distract himself from the horror of Auriana's back than anything else.
"I had another idea, actually…" she said slowly, flinching ever so slightly as Anduin pressed his fingers gingerly against her back and channelled the Light.
"Oh?"
"The Rebel Camp, in Stranglethorn," she explained, adding another small x at the very bottom of her map. "There's still an Alliance outpost there. If we are where I think we are, it's a lot closer than Darkshire, or Sentinel Hill."
"The assassins would hardly expect us to go there, either," Anduin agreed thoughtfully.
"Exactly. My teleport would have brought us time, failed as it was, but they've had a whole night to..."
Auriana was cut off by a harsh, rasping wail from somewhere outside, and she pulled away; nearly knocking Anduin over as she scrambled to her feet, pulled her coat tighter around her shoulders, and rushed to the cave entrance.
"Auri?"
"Did you hear that, too?" she demanded. "Or was that in my head?"
"I heard it, some sort of bird…" Anduin said, confused by her sudden alarm. "Auri, I don't…"
He dragged himself painfully upright, and moved to Auriana's side as she frantically scanned the dusky canopy for any sign of movement.
"There," she hissed, pointing. "What type of bird would you say that is?"
Faint sunlight streamed through the trees from above, though it still took Anduin some time to spot the large, cawing bird circling overhead. It looked too big to be a hawk or a raven, and its wingspan was far wider than even that of a great eagle.
"Er… a roc? A condor, maybe?" he guessed. "I don't really know all that much about birds…"
"Rocs aren't native to Duskwood," Auriana said grimly. "Nor are condors. That's a hunter's bird."
"Do you think it's Father's guards searching for us?" he suggested hopefully. "He would have sent help the moment he realised we were missing..."
"Unlikely… Stormwind Rangers favour hawks, or falcons…"
The bird cawed again, and this time was answered by the low, mournful bay of a hunting dog somewhere nearby.
"Hounds," Auriana breathed.
"Father keeps dogs…" Anduin said warily.
"So do assassins, it's not like dogs are difficult animals to come by," Auriana snapped, her lips drawing into a thin, unhappy line.
Anduin started at the harshness of her tone, and Auriana immediately winced in apology. She took a few deep breaths, but there was no disguising the concern in her eyes. Anduin had never really seen her in battle, but she had always been cool and confident combatant when they had trained together in the arena. Being hunted through a spooky forest was a far cry from the safety of a practice arena, of course, but from what he had heard, she he had faced down Archimonde on Draenor without batting an eye… and yet here she was, her eyes wild and her jaw tight with barely contained anxiety. The thought did not fill Anduin with confidence, and he wondered if the loss of her powers had broken her spirit - or whether she was afraid because she didn't trust him to keep her safe
"Anduin… I'm sorry about this… but you're going to have to go out there and find out what's happening," she murmured finally, clearly struggling to stay both calm and lucid. "Have you had much scouting experience?'
"Auri. Look who you're talking to," he muttered flatly. "Anduin, not Varian."
Anduin was painfully aware that he was out of his depth, though he had rarely felt the deficit so keenly. Auriana was injured and vulnerable, and right now she desperately needed someone like his father. She needed someone brave, and skilled, and deadly... and instead, she only had him.
You're not strong enough to protect her, whispered a dark, cruel voice in the back of Anduin's mind, and he shivered.
Strangely enough, however, Auriana did not seem to share his trepidation. She gave him an odd, inscrutable look, almost as if she were confused by his hesitation, and patted his arm reassuringly.
"I'm not hallucinating that badly, Anduin Wrynn," she said quietly, staring up at him with blazing blue eyes. "I know who you are. And I need you to help me."
"If you're sure…" he murmured doubtfully.
"I am," she assured him briskly, with a short nod of her head. "Now - you've essentially done this before… you evaded the Alliance forces in Pandaria for quite some time, correct?"
"Well… yes, though the Alliance weren't trying to kill me, and I had considerable help from the Pandaren," he reminded her flatly. "I was also captured by the Horde vanguard at one point."
"Avoiding capture would be preferable," Auriana said, frowning. "I'm fairly certain this lot do not intend to ransom you."
"You still think someone's trying to use us to start a war?" Anduin wondered.
"I don't know," she admitted, "And that worries me."
Auriana sighed, and thoughtfully bit her lip.
"Look, right now it doesn't matter what their endgame is, it only matters that they want us dead. But, as you pointed out, your father has most likely sent guards out after us by now. We need to know whether there's a rescue party out there, or not," she surmised. "I also need you take note of the position of the sun, if you can."
"Why?"
"The sun will allow us to approximate both our bearing and the time," she reminded him patiently. "Both of which could be very useful."
"Oh. Right. I knew that," Anduin mumbled, his ears burning red with embarrassment.
Auriana may have been suffering from some particularly vivid hallucinations, but of the two of them, it seemed that she was still the one planning and thinking ahead, while Anduin was simply trying to keep his own fear in check. In all fairness, she was vastly more experienced than he when it came to sneaking around the woods evading assassins, though he nevertheless felt a surge of the same gnawing inadequacy that he often felt around his father. He knew that he had his own talents, of course, but right then, he didn't see how they would be of any particular use in their current situation.
He sighed, only to be pulled from his brooding thoughts by the soft touch of Auriana's hand on his shoulder.
"Anduin. You can do this," she insisted firmly. "You're going to be fine."
"Of course you'd say that, Auri," he muttered, with a weak grin, "You get to stay in the cave…"
Stepping out into the cloying, perpetual twilight of the Duskwood took more courage than Anduin thought he had, but somehow he did it anyway; ignoring the nervous sweat that rose on his brow as he slipped into the cover of the trees. The bird circling above let out another rough caw, and Anduin felt the back of his neck prickle with paranoia.
The canopy was so thick that it blocked out almost all sunlight, though Anduin was at least able to approximate his bearings from the position of the sun. It was not yet midday, he figured, though it was far later in the morning than he had realised. He felt a faint pang of irritation at Auriana for having let him slept that long, though he knew she had most likely done so out of concern for his wellbeing.
Or because she was hallucinating and forgot I was there… he thought grimly.
The thought brought Anduin little comfort as he picked his way through the trees at a snail's pace, fearful as he was of cracking a single twig or a rustling a single leaf. He had tracked animals before, of course, but a hunt was an entirely different experience when one was the prey. He was completely unarmed, without his bow or even so as much as knife to defend himself, and he found his heart beating so painfully fast and loud that he thought the entire forest must have been able to hear. Nevertheless, he forced himself onwards through the forest, taking careful note of his path so that he could find his way back to the cave again once his mission was complete.
Alarmingly, the mysterious hunters were a lot closer than Anduin had reckoned, and he stumbled onto a small pack of them within a mere quarter of an hour. It was a minor miracle that he managed to prevent himself from crying out in surprise, and he hastily flattened himself against a nearby tree. He was also suddenly very aware of his body; from the slight tremor in his knees, to the rasp of air in his lungs and the pounding of blood in his ears.
Anduin stood frozen for several long minutes, terrified as he was of looking around the trunk of his tree to see an assassin staring right back at him. Eventually, however, his fierce desire to protect Auriana overrode his fear, and he peered out into the clearing as carefully and silently as he was able.
Anduin had never wanted to see the blue and gold livery of Stormwind more, but he knew within seconds that the hunters were not Alliance men loyal to his father. There were three of them standing in a group: a blonde woman with a viciously curved bow slung over her back; a rugged, bearded man who was almost as large as Varian; and a second, whip thin man with eyes like a snake. They were dressed in an assortment of mismatched leathers and armour, and all three possessed the cold, mercenary air of people who enjoyed killing.
"We've been out here all night, and your dogs seem to have lost the scent," the blonde woman was saying scornfully, putting her hands on her hips and glaring up at the big bearded man. "You should just call them back."
"It's this damn forest," he grumbled. "The whole place smells like death, it's making it hard for them to work."
"Are we sure they came this way?" she argued. "The mage got off a teleport. For all we know, they could be back in Stormwind as we speak."
"They aren't. My dogs picked up a good trail in northern Duskwood. They're around here somewhere, I promise you," the big man retorted. "And if you're so concerned about the mage escaping, maybe you should have shot her in the throat…"
He glared angrily down at his female companion, and she rolled her eyes.
"No need to get defensive…" she said dismissively, as she kicked a fallen log with her foot.
"Just remember the plan," the big man snarled. "Kill the woman first. Even without her powers, rumour has it she's a crafty little bitch."
"Not the boy?" the blonde asked. "He's twice her size, and I don't think he's injured."
"He's harmless," the bearded man scoffed. "Killing him will not be difficult. He's not at all like his father."
"You ain't wrong," snorted the thin man. "If I were Wrynn, I would have had a few questions for my wife..."
All three of them laughed cruelly, and their voices faded away into nothing as they walked off further into the forest to the west. For his part, Anduin remained frozen in his hiding spot behind the tree, fighting to control his suddenly frantic breathing. He knew he shouldn't care about the crude opinions of mercenaries, but given the current situation and his own nagging doubts, their words stung more than usual. He also hated that they would cast such nasty aspersions on his mother; though sadly, he had heard similar allegations before.
He tried not to brood as he waited for the assassins to be well gone, but it was a difficult thing. What they had said was true, of course, he wasn't like his father, and he was afraid that being who he was going to get Auriana killed.
You are not a hero like your father, his inner voice taunted him. You will never be a hero like your father...
Anduin's bitter introspection continued to plague him even after he finally left the safety of his tree and began to make the harrowing journey back to the cave. As he approached the cave entrance, however, his dark thoughts vanished in an instant as he heard what sounded like the scrape of boots on stone, followed by an unmistakeable gasp of fear and surprise.
"Auri?" he called uncertainly.
He immediately rushed into the cave, and his mouth fell open in shock as he saw Auriana backed into the wall by a tall, knife-wielding assassin. He was heavy, though not as large as the man Anduin had seen in the clearing before, and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy having Auriana at his mercy.
"Ain't so fierce without your magic, are you?" he growled.
He was advancing on her slowly, kicking aside the embers of the dying fire and fingering the point of his wickedly long knife in a deliberate attempt to increase her fear.
"You're lucky I don't have my powers," Auriana retorted angrily. "Or you'd already be a pile of ashes on the floor."
She was leaning heavily on the wall for balance, but her expression was so fierce and determined that Anduin was surprised she hadn't incinerated the assassin with the power of her stare alone. As she glared up at the assassin, however, her eyes met Anduin's over the hefty man's shoulder, and all the colour drained from her face.
"No…" she breathed, and she shook her head frantically.
Anduin could not have said what came over him in that moment, but it occurred to him that with the assassin's back turned, he had the tactical advantage. He charged forward without hesitation, ready to tackle the man to the ground, only to cry out in shock and pain as the assassin spun without warning, and punched him hard in the jaw. Anduin staggered, black spots dancing across his vision, and he put up barely any resistance as the assassin grabbed him by the throat.
"Wait your turn, whelp," the man hissed, before hefting Anduin easily and tossing him violently to one side.
"Anduin!"
The back of Anduin's head smacked hard into the cave wall, and he crumbled dazedly to his knees. He tried to stand, to protect Auriana as he had sworn to do, but he was so dizzy that he could barely even see her where she stood up against the cave wall.
"Not much of a fighter, this one," the assassin snorted, kicking Anduin's boot dismissively. "You sure you're your father's son?"
"Don't you dare touch him!" Auriana roared, her face contorting with rage. "Or I swear to the Light that I will skin you alive. Magic or no magic."
"Have it your way, then," the assassin said flatly.
He shrugged, and before either Anduin or Auriana could react, he dropped his knife and lunged forward to slap her hard across the face. Auriana crumpled and cried out in pain, and Anduin was suddenly struck by how incredibly small she really was; something he had never truly appreciated until that moment. With her magic, Auriana was more than a match for anyone alive; but injured, unarmed, and stripped of her powers, she didn't stand a chance against a man who outweighed her by perhaps a hundred pounds.
Anduin watched in dazed horror as the assassin slapped her down a second time, before the heavy man reached out and hoisted her up with the wall with a single enormous hand wrapped around her throat. Frantic, he fought to keep his eyes open, but dazed as he was, there was little he could do as the assassin tightened his grip and shook her violently. Evidently, he wanted the pleasure of killing her with his bare hands, while Anduin was forced to watch helplessly. Everything was happening too fast; he had no time to think, to plan, to negotiate...
"A-Anduin…" Auriana coughed desperately, using the last of her strength to reach a trembling hand towards him. "An…"
The assassin scoffed in triumph as her eyes rolled back in her head and her body stilled, and Anduin's entire body suddenly surged with a fury far beyond anything he had ever felt.
"No!"
The scream that tore from his throat was so loud that it hurt, and Anduin felt as he were watching himself from very far away as he raised his hand and called upon the Light. His mind was oddly blank, and he couldn't consciously bring a spell to mind. Somewhere deep inside, however, he felt something snap, and the cave suddenly burned impossibly white as he brought a smite of terrible power down upon the assassin.
Auriana's would-be murderer howled in agony as the power of the Light tore through his body like lightning, and he collapsed instantly beneath the power of Anduin's spell. Auriana fell will him, her hair spilling wildly over her shoulders as pitched forward and eventually came to rest face down on the cave floor. She was alarmingly still, and Anduin crawled brokenly to her side with his heart in his throat.
"Auri?"
He reached out for her with shaking hands, and gently rolled her on to her back. Her throat was red and tortured from where the assassin had strangled her, and her eyes remained firmly closed. Her head lolled limp and lifeless in Anduin's hands as he shook her gently; a rising sense of panic welling in his chest for every second that she failed to respond. His own wounds suddenly seemed like nothing, and he felt tears prick his eyes as he prayed for her to stir.
Check for a pulse, Anduin reminded himself firmly. You need to check for a pulse.
He anxiously brushed Auriana's hair back from her deathly pale throat, and pressed his fingers into the small hollow below the line of her jaw.
"Come on, Auri, please…"
Anduin had taken a pulse a hundred times, but try as he might, he couldn't seem to find Auriana's heartbeat. He was shaking, trembling violently, and every single lesson he had ever learned as a healer seemed to have vanished from his mind.
"You can't leave me alone out here," he begged. "I need you."
He switched his frantic grip to her pale wrists as tears began to roll freely down his cheeks, and the dingy darkness of the cave suddenly brightened as he subconsciously called upon his powers. There was no method to his spellcasting, only pure desperation, and he lost track of time as he fell into the bright, endless power of the Light. It filled him, sustained him, even as his heart was breaking, and he poured as much of that precious, life giving energy into Auriana as he could.
Eventually, the Light around Anduin faded, and his eyes flew open. Auriana remained impossibly still, but something deep inside of him whispered hope. He wiped his sweaty palms on his pants before trying one more time, and let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief as he finally found Auriana's slow, thready pulse. She was still far too pale, of course, but pale and unconscious was better than dead. In a way, she reminded Anduin uncomfortably of a broken, discarded doll, and he kept his hand resting gently on her neck until he was absolutely certain that her faint heartbeat would not simply fade away into nothing.
After what felt like hours, he finally sat back on his heels, and quickly dried his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. He took a few slow breaths to steady himself, only to recoil in shock and revulsion as he realised that he was sitting right next to the dead assassin. The man's skin was blackened and charred, as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning, and he reeked of burning hair and flesh. His face had been so distorted by the smite's righteous fire that he no longer looked remotely human, and Anduin could scarcely believe that he had been able to summon such fury. He had never been a soldier; had never been able to understand the confidence and joy with which people like his father and Auriana threw themselves into battle, and the thought of having killed a man made him sick to his stomach. He would never regret saving Auriana's life, of course, but the cost...
The soft whine of a hunting hound ripped Anduin from his troubled thoughts, and he instinctively reached out to grab Auriana's wrist. The mournful wail had sounded far too close, and he abruptly realised that they needed to move. If one assassin had found them, more were surely not far behind, and Anduin didn't think he had it in him to fight off an entire pack of deadly killers. Auriana was unlikely to wake up any time soon, and even if she had been conscious, there was very little she could contribute to a fight, given her condition. Anduin also had no doubt that his father was out there, somewhere, tearing apart the kingdom in an effort to find him, but for now, at least… he was completely alone.
His chest constricted with fear at the thought, and he scrambled anxiously to his feet, bending down painfully to pull Auriana off the floor. She was limp and boneless in her unconscious state, and it was only with a great deal of grunting and swearing that Anduin finally managed to get her up and over his shoulder. Her injuries worried him greatly, but he knew that an arrow wound or a bruised throat would be the least of her problems if they were caught. Still, he did his best to make sure that Auriana was not in a position that would cause her greater harm, and held her firmly against his body as he slipped out of the cave and out into the Duskwood.
As Auriana had suggested, Anduin immediately turned towards the south, and prayed that he would reach the Rebel Camp sooner rather than later. It was fortunate that he had been able to orient himself earlier, as what little sunlight there was had now been swallowed up by the arrival of several angry black storm clouds that stretched as far as the eye could see. It also didn't seem possible, but somehow the thunderheads made the forest seem even more ominous, and Anduin ran as if the hounds of Sargeras himself were nipping at his heels. Every noise and shadow made him jump, and he had nearly dropped Auriana more than once as he swerved away from an imagined attack.
Eventually, however, the panicked adrenaline that had sustained Anduin ever since he had left the cave wore out, and his legs unexpectedly collapsed from sheer exhaustion. He crashed painfully to his knees, and it was only by a minor miracle that he stopped himself from crying out and alerting anyone to his position. He nevertheless lost his grip on Auriana, and she went tumbling wildly down a small hill, before coming to rest at the base of a nearby tree like a pale, limp ragdoll.
Anduin groaned in misery, and he could not bring himself to even attempt to stand. He wanted to close his eyes and go to sleep, to simply forget the assassins and lose himself in the sweet blackness of unconsciousness. It had also started to drizzle, and he could already feel the unpleasant squelch of mud pooling in his boots as he lay facedown on the ground.
The urge to give up was overwhelming, and Anduin's eyes had actually begun to droop when a small, determined voice inside him whispered.
You have to get up. You made a promise. She needs you.
Oddly enough, the new voice in his head sounded like his father, though of course Varian was likely miles away. Still, the familiar, deep thrum of his father's voice brought Anduin great comfort, even if it were imagined, and with a supreme effort, he dragged himself to his knees and crawled to Auriana's side.
She was still breathing, thankfully, but she remained frighteningly still as Anduin brushed the wet hair back from her face.
"Wake up, Auri, please," he urged. "I can't… I can't do this alone."
Anduin didn't truly expect his words to have any effect, but to his immense surprise and gratitude, her eyes weakly fluttered open.
"Auri!" he gasped, reaching forward to gently cradle her head between his hands. "You're alive!"
"Mostly…" she choked, "Though it doesn't… help… that your knee… is pressing into… my gut…"
Anduin looked down, and his ears burned as he realised he was resting most of his weight on her stomach. He quickly scrambled backwards, and offered her a hand to help her sit up.
"Where are we?" she groaned, her voice raspy and quiet from the damage to her throat.
"I don't know," Anduin admitted. "South of where we were, or as best as I could figure."
Auriana rubbed her throat painfully, and her eyes widened in alarm as she slowly took stock of their surroundings.
"There was an assassin…"
"Dead," Anduin said quietly.
Auriana raised her eyebrows in surprise, and Anduin could see that she was struggling to wrap her head around the idea.
"You… you… did you... kill him?"
Anduin nodded shortly, but he was unable to look her in the eye.
"Um… we should find somewhere out of the rain, if we can. Last thing I need is to catch a chill," she suggested quietly. "Help me up?"
Anduin dragged himself to his feet, trying to ignore the trembling in his knees as he leant heavily on the tree for balance. He felt as if he couldn't take another step, but somehow he managed to help Auriana stand, and together they limped awkwardly to the shelter of a nearby rocky overhang.
"Do you think we're safe here?" Anduin asked, as he collapsed heavily to the ground.
"Probably not, though the storm should confuse the dogs," Auriana said murmured.
"I overhead some of the assassins talking when I was scouting earlier," Anduin recalled vaguely, though it seemed it had been a lifetime ago. "They said the smells in Duskwood made it hard for the dogs to work."
"That gives us a bit of time, then," she said slowly. "I think you need to sit for a bit."
"Me?" Anduin exclaimed, though deep down he was grateful for the suggestion. "I'm not the one who was nearly choked to death."
He was still trembling, though whether from the rain or the shock of killing the assassin, he couldn't tell. He could also feel Auriana watching him like a hawk, and he tucked his shaking hands beneath his legs lest she see. A long, uncomfortable silence stretched between them, before Auriana finally sighed, and spoke.
"Anduin… um… was that... was that assassin the first man that you ever...?"
She trailed off before she finished the question, and she folded her hands nervously in her lap. In the dim light of the forest, her ashen face looked otherworldly; almost as if she were one of the restless spirits that roamed the deeper woods, with the damage to her throat only serving to add to her bedraggled appearance. Her blue eyes were surprisingly sharp, however, and she stared at Anduin with the kind of burning intensity that he felt in his very soul.
"W-when… when the Scourge assaulted Stormwind when I was a boy, I fought in the defense. I hated every second of it…" he said slowly. "I saved my Father from assassins, once... I have shielded Alliance soldiers, protected them, healed them, but..."
"It's different when it's a person," Auriana finished sagely, nodding slightly to herself as she stared out into the rain. "Not a demon, or a ghoul, or a monster. Just a man."
Anduin did not reply, instead following Auriana's line of sight and staring straight ahead into the blackened forest. He hadn't realised in the moment, but he had actually felt the assassin die; felt the bright spark of the man's soul extinguished by his own blinding power… and he hated himself for it.
He shivered.
"Er… do you... do you want to talk about it…?" Auriana asked awkwardly.
To Anduin's surprise, she reached out to take his hand, and tentatively knotted her fingers with his. He had only seen her look so soft one before, when she had come to him after their narrow escape from the bomb in his rooms. Emotion did not come easily to her, he knew, but there was no denying the shy kindness in her eyes, nor the strength with which she gripped his hand. She may have been throttled to with an inch of her life, but it seemed her concern lay only with Anduin, and not herself.
"How do you do it, Auri?" he asked finally, running his free hand anxiously through his hair. "You've been a soldier for so long, you must have killed hundreds of people..."
He immediately fell silent at the stricken look on her face, and found himself wishing that he had said literally anything else.
"Sorry," he said quickly, "I didn't mean to..."
"It's alright," she reassured him, though her brow was heavily furrowed. "I know what you meant."
She sighed.
"I guess... I don't like having to kill," she started slowly, choosing each word with great care, "But... if I have to, if I have no choice... I will. Every life has value, but if there is a greater good to be gained by taking a life..."
Auriana winced at her turn of phrase, and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure how to put this into words," she murmured. "I don't want you to think I'm... cold. It's never a small thing to me, Anduin, to take a life. It should never be a small thing. But when it's unavoidable, sometimes the best you can do is just... pray that you've done the right thing."
"He was going to kill you…" Anduin whispered desperately, more to himself than to her. "I couldn't… I couldn't let him hurt you, I just couldn't…"
He glanced across at her, stricken, and her slender fingers tightened around his.
"I'm inclined to agree, though I may be a little biased," she rasped, with a weak attempt at a grin.
Anduin did not have it in him to return Auriana's smile, but he kept a firm grip on her hand nonetheless. He didn't even want to think about what would happen to his father if the assassin had succeeded in throttling her, nor what her death would cost him. Anduin had initially supported Auriana's relationship with Varian out of a desire to see his brooding and stoic father happy, but had over time come to care for her as a person in her own right. No-one could ever replace his mother, of course, and nor did he believe that Auriana wanted to, but ever since she had returned from Draenor, her presence had given Anduin a glimpse of the kind of warm and comfortable family life that he had never thought he might know.
"Auri…"
"Come here," she said quietly, painfully lifting her injured arm and beckoning him closer.
"What?" Anduin exclaimed, genuinely surprised that she would make such a gesture.
"I'm trying to comfort you," Auriana explained hesitantly, with a small half-smile. "It would be a lot less awkward if you went along with it…"
Her expression was unusually earnest, and Anduin found himself unable to resist the invitation to tuck his head against her chest as her arm encircled his shoulders. Auriana was incredibly small, and he was terribly afraid of breaking her somehow, but he was surprised at how comforting it was to feel her heartbeat thrum softly against his cheek.
"I-is this alright?" she asked shyly.
"It's… it's very nice," Anduin said honestly. "I've never really been… held. Father is not exactly the… er... cuddling type, and Mother…"
He trailed off sadly, and vaguely wondered what it would have been like to sleep safe and warm in Tiffin's arms. It was properly storming now, making the already miserable situation somehow much worse, and Anduin had rarely felt the lost of his mother more than he did in that moment.
"I saw her, in one of my visions," Auriana murmured, her voice so soft beneath the driving rain that Anduin had to strain to hear.
"What was she like?" he wondered, trying not to sound overeager.
Auriana had been reluctant to talk about her experiences during the course of Broll's ritual, but Anduin knew that if he did not ask now, he might very well go to his grave having never known the answer. He also knew that whatever Auriana had seen had been less than a ghost, less than a memory, even, but right then he was desperate for any semblance of distraction from the crushing reality of their situation.
"She was… kind," Auriana said slowly, shifting her weight slightly beneath Anduin as she spoke. "Kinder than I deserve, actually. I thought she might… hate me. For being with Varian, I mean."
"I don't think she was that sort of person," Anduin said confidently, though he could understand Auriana's concern.
As much as she had been loved by Varian, TIffin had been just as popular with the peoples of Stormwind, and he supposed he had never really considered how that might have made Auriana feel. It must have been daunting to follow in the footsteps of someone so universally beloved, he realised, and Auriana's reluctance to accept Varian's proposal suddenly made a great deal more sense. Anduin also found it strange that he had never considered such a thing before, given the parallels between Auriana's fears and his own struggle to live up to his father's legacy, and his stomach twisted guiltily.
"She would only ever want him to be happy, I am certain of it," he added quickly. "You make him happy."
"It's alright, Anduin. After some initial difficulties, we… ah… talked it out," Auriana said gently. "She's proud of you, you know."
"Do you really think so?" Anduin said hesitantly. "I mean… how would you know? She's dead, Auri."
"Well, I know how proud I am of you," Auriana argued, her voice cracking strangely, "And I can only imagine that as your mother she would be just as proud… if not a hundred times more. You saved my life today, Anduin, even though I know you were afraid… and if we don't… well, you should know I'm just… so grateful. For you. For being exactly who you are."
She pulled him against her body with a sudden urgency, and buried her face in the wet tangles of his hair. For a second, Anduin stiffened in shock, having never heard Auriana express her feelings so openly, before he regained his senses and responded in kind. His heart beat almost painfully fast as he was overcome by a wave of emotion, and he clung to Auriana for what seemed like hours as the storm raged violently all around them.
Anduin knew their brief moment of peace was unlikely to last, however, and he was proven right far too soon as another horn sounded, followed by the answering bark of a hound.
"Dammit," Auriana muttered, her brow creasing worriedly as she gently pushed Anduin off her chest. "They've found us."
She looked down at their joined hands, and something in her expression hardened.
"Come on."
She dragged Anduin upright and out into the rain, keeping a surprisingly tight grip on his hand, and she peered out anxiously through the surrounding darkness. Her already damp clothes and hair were soaked through within minutes, which gave her the unfortunate appearance of very sad and very small drowned animal, and her skin felt cold and clammy to the touch. Of course, Anduin knew he probably looked little better, and he brushed his dripping hair out of his eyes in irritation.
"Auri… I don't think I can run much further," he warned her grimly. "Certainly not with you on my back."
"You won't have to," she replied firmly, her eyes igniting with sudden hope. "You see that big ridge over there?"
"Yes…"
"You said you ran straight south from where we were this morning, right? Then Stranglethorn Vale should be just on the other side," she explained, the roar of the pouring rain making her almost impossible to hear. "I'd guess we're two, maybe three miles from the Rebel Camp."
"You're sure?" Anduin asked skeptically.
"More or less…" she said, shrugging weakly. "At a fast run, it shouldn't take you more than half an hour, even with the difficult terrain."
"I told you, I don't think I can carry you and move that fast," Anduin repeated slowly, wondering why she didn't seem to be listening to him. "If I can carry you at all. My legs are shot, Auri..."
Auriana had seemed to be less affected by Broll's hallucinogen than she had earlier that morning, but she had also been badly injured, and had not eaten anything in over a day. If Anduin himself was thirsty, sore, and starving, he could only imagine that it was far worse for her, and her sudden, strange inattention made him worry.
"I'm sorry," he added painfully.
"You don't need to carry me," she assured him.
"Respectfully, Auri, I'm not sure you're in any shape to run," he said confusedly, thinking both of the spreading magebane and her tortured throat.
"That's not what I meant," she said quietly, and she suddenly seemed unable to meet his eyes as she released his hand and stepped away. "You're going to run for the Rebel Camp. I'm going to distract the assassins and lead them away."
For a brief moment, Anduin simply blinked at her, unable to believe what he was hearing. It sounded as if she were planning to sacrifice herself so that he could escape, but surely she would not suggest anything so desperate. They had come this far together, and Anduin could not believe that she would be willing to give up when they were supposedly so close to help.
"No…" he murmured. "You… you're hurt. You have no magic, you can barely walk…"
"I can move well enough… and certainly well enough to buy you time. You're the heir to the throne of Stormwind, Anduin, and you need to start acting like it," she growled. "You have to survive. I don't. Now go."
"No!" Anduin exclaimed. "Auri, please. You are not… dispensable. I won't… I won't leave you."
"I know you're worried about what your father might think…"
"This isn't just about my father!" Anduin argued fiercely, lunging forward so they were once again standing only inches apart. "You think he's the only person on Azeroth who cares about you?"
"Anduin…"
"I never knew my mother. My father was taken away from me and torn in half when I was just a boy," he beseeched her. "I've never had a… a normal family… and I didn't realise how much I wanted one until… you showed up, and everything changed."
Anduin tasted salt on his lips, and he realised that he was crying; his tears mingling with the rain pouring down his face. Everything about the last day suddenly came crashing down on his shoulders, and hearing Auriana offer to to trade her life for his was the last straw.
"He smiles when you're around, Auri!" he choked. "He really, honestly smiles. Do you have any idea what what that means to me?"
Auriana's face fell, and she let out a faint sound that was somewhere between a gasp and a sob.
"Well?! Do you?"
"Y-you… you need to go," she insisted, her voice wavering. "They'll be on us any moment, and unless you're prepared to fight off a dozen assassins on your own..."
Anduin wasn't prepared to fight off even one assassin, much less be forced to kill a man for the second time that day, but he couldn't admit without conceding the argument to Auriana. Still, he refused to allow her to give up her life for him so easily, and he furiously wracked his brain for any alternative.
"Are you even listening to me?" he pleaded, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her slightly. "Enough of the good soldier act! This isn't a matter of duty, do you understand? Auri..."
She abruptly stood up on her tiptoes and cupped his face in her hands, and he knew then that she really was seeing him, Anduin, and not only her charge. She stared at him with the same protective intensity that he had seen so often on his father's face, but had never thought to see on hers. Her eyes burned with a fierce, primal instinct, clear to Anduin even in the darkness; and it occurred to him then that perhaps he was not looking at a soldier protecting a prince - but rather a mother protecting a child.
"Anduin. I know," she whispered hoarsely. "I understand. And I'm being selfish here, alright? I'm not asking you to run for yourself. I'm asking you to run for me. Can you do that? Please?"
Of course, even Anduin knew that spitting up was a far better tactical decision than staying together. In their current state, he was fitter and faster, and he had a far better chance of making it to the Rebel Camp without being caught. To do so, however, would be tantamount to signing Auriana's death warrant, and Anduin didn't think he had it in him to leave her vulnerable and alone, no matter how objectively 'right' or strategic a decision it may have been. In his heart, he had always struggled to understand why it wasn't possible to save everyone, even though his head knew such a feat was next to impossible.
There has to be another way, he thought frantically. There has to be something else...
A hound barked again, closer this time, and Auriana reflexively tightened her white-knuckled grip on Anduin's face.
"Please," she repeated urgently. "Don't make me beg."
Anduin had never seen such real, raw fear in Auriana's eyes before, and he was horribly torn. He wanted to stay with her, but he couldn't deny her when she looked at him like that; couldn't deny what might be her very last request on this earth. He groaned painfully, his heart breaking, but he finally assented with a slow, reluctant nod.
"Thank you," she breathed, undisguised relief written across every line of face.
To Anduin's utter shock, she then leaned in to press a soft, sad kiss against his cheek, before she finally stepped back out of his reach.
"If you can get to the Rebel Camp and get a gryphon to Stormwind, you might just save us both," she instructed. "Move fast, and don't look back, no matter what you might hear."
"Auri…"
"You're going to be alright, Anduin, I promise," she insisted, with a not-entirely-reassuring smile. "You're going to run as fast as you can, you're going to get back to your father, and then you're going to bring the fury of the whole damn Alliance down on these traitorous bastards."
"I will come back for you, Auri, I swear," he promised earnestly.
"I believe you," she said, nodding slightly. "I believe in you."
Auriana took a deep breath to steady herself, and squared her shoulders with a pride that belied her beaten and battered body. Her magic may have been gone, but not her bravery or her fierce fighting spirit, and in that moment Anduin truly understood why his father had fallen in love with her.
"What about you?" he asked, his voice breaking as he called on the Light and bolstered her with whatever power he could. "What are you going to do?"
Anduin's legs felt wooden, and although he had promised to run, he couldn't bring himself to take that first step. Auriana clearly sensed his reluctance to leave, however, and she gave his shoulder a gentle, encouraging push.
"I'm going to do what has to be done," she declared, her eyes narrowing with icy determination, and her voice ringing with challenge. "I'm going to protect my family."