"Knight-Lieutenant," grieved Archerus, "What a promotion."
"Why not be satisfied with it? You are a man of great acclaim now." Chortled Astraeah.
"I wish I could agree."
The homely crackle and warmth of the fire stemming from the brick hearth of the temporary, but spacious, living quarters in Valiance Keep helped settle Archerus' nerves. Though it could have easily been said that there was very little in the world that could indeed settle the paladins nerves. He was a very nervous and touchy man, and for long he had been on his own in the Plaguelands with nobody to rely on but himself and his instincts. But the sudden and abrupt changes of scenery and company also started to change him as well.
Around the hearth sat the two paladins, the self-exiled and the disgraced, wallowing in silent pity for themselves and one another. They did however find solace in one another's embrace, but that was soon to change as the cold and sorrowful looks of Gwenhyfar began to attack at their cores. However, in this moment, she was 'out of commission' at the moment. Seasickness persisted past their departure from the shoddy charter boat, and she now slept through her malady on the bed intended for Archerus.
After his doubtful words, the room had fallen silent. There was a grandfather clock standing tall on the other side of the room, and the under-furnished room was filled with its noise. Tick, tock, it went, its sound accented by the crackling of the fire.
"Tell me, Archerus, what is it that you want to find here in Northrend?" Astraeah asked, her voice slicing through the palpable tension in the air like a hot knife through butter.
"Well," Archerus reached up to comb through his beard. Signs of it growing back out had already appeared since Astraeah cut and trimmed it for him in Ironforge. "I sought purpose in my life. I have already told you my tale... how the Scarlet Crusade destroyed the happy, stable life I lived with my father and mother."
"I was never even given a chance to say goodbye before my mother pushed a bag into my hands and ordered me to leave Hearthglen. To escape, to run as far as I could into the Plaguelands and survive. She said that she and father would follow closely behind me, and that I didn't need to worry. Everything was going to be okay. But when two days had passed and I still walked the river alone, hope began to dwindle." Archerus, with a blank expression, kept his eyes to the floor and held his hands in front of him. He was afraid of his past in an abstract and disturbing way that not even he could understand.
However, at his side, Astraeah was having an adverse reaction to his words. There was something very, very wrong, and it showed on her face. Her whole torso shook, and her eyes were closed. She struggled with her emotions. Her hands had taken fistfuls of her trousers, and her auburn hair did little to hide the subtle movement of her body. Soon, tears squeezed out from the corner of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and dripping onto her hands as she struggled to take the deep, controlled breaths she sought.
A hand would rest upon her shoulder, and in surprise she would spring to attention. Her head jerked up to look at him, expression confused and eyes pained.
"What's wrong?" He whispered, "I'm sorry if I said anything that upset you, I just started to ramble on..."
"It's not that... I thought that when I awoke from the Crusade's madness, then my memories would return, and they did, but not as many as there were before. As we have journeyed, they have started to return to me." Astraeah closed her eyes again, fresh tears falling to hydrate the trails left by the previous set. "The clarity of my memories... I hate it all. I have seen what I have done, the crimes that I have committed, and yet here I am being forgiven by a man we hunted for years... but never found. I know too much, and there is little redemption remaining for me. The only redemption that remains for a criminal like myself is death."
Despite Astraeah's sorrowful tangent, she would soon find the man she once sought to kill reaching across her shoulder to take a hold of her. Archerus moved his chair closer and both of his arms would wrap around her, holding her tightly.
"You're supposed to hate me... You were supposed to kill me." She murmured, leaning into his embrace while her hands reached to take a hold of his tunic.
"I learned long ago that hatred and unfathomable self-pity will earn you naught but suffering. To that end, I received a lesson in humility. As much as I hate it, that is not a lesson that can be taught from one human to another, but is instead earned." Archerus stroked over and through her auburn hair, her smooth tresses hiding her sorrowful expression. "Here in the frozen wastes we will embrace your lesson together. You will have the luxury of companionship and guidance... that which I did not have."
"But these dreams... they keep happening. They keep talking to me, and I don't know who they are, or what they want!" Astraeah replied, her voice muffled and strained slightly as she leaned into the shoulder of her companion.
"Who? Who is it that you hear?"
"She sounded like an inquisitor... her name is Gielas. She came to me on gilded wings, and just when I thought that the dream was little more than feverish exploration of childhood fairy tales, I could not escape it. Her gaze was empty, but I could feel it upon me. She took me through my past and revealed each and every injustice I had ever committed. The lives I took, families I destroyed and the demons who I served. Though I bawled, I could not close my eyes. I begged for mercy—for her to stop, but she would yield none." Astraeah drew a deep breath, "And she said... you... you knew about them."
Archerus closed his eyes and struggled to release a low, calming sigh. He wanted so badly to dismiss her words and merely claim it was a bad dream, but it was clear that there was something far greater at play than he had ever imagined, even after he had become so deeply involved with the 'High Heavens' and this game that they played.
"I do know of them." Archerus spoke solemnly, "They will not hurt you, so long as you remain close to me. I cannot be compromised in any way—they have made that much clear to me."
"How would my leaving compromise you in any way?" Astraeah asked, slowly putting herself back together and pressing herself back enough to look into his eyes.
"Gwenhyfar would be unhappy. I would be unhappy. That's how it would compromise us." Archerus answered, and a glimmer of hope appeared in the eyes of the woman. Following that glimmer's appearance, a thin layer of blush appeared on her cheeks, that which she had known few times in her many years.
"Then I suppose it's settled, Truesteel. I'll stay around, if long enough for you two to remain happy."
Two forceful knocks rang out through the room, and before Archerus could even turn around to answer the door, it opened. He had locked the door. He didn't know what was going on, but he was about to find out. Just as soon as it opened, he jumped up and reached for Amaren's sword which lay just besides him. However, a familiar voice rang out through the room, and damned if it wasn't just as fiery and filled with sass as he remembered.
"Sit back down, Archie." The cloaked, hooded figure spoke out. Slender legs appeared from beneath the long royal blue cloak and its boot knocked the door shut. The figure carried with her a stack of tabards and a sealed missive. "I told you that I'd meet you in Northrend. I never said when or exactly where."
The hood was pulled off and the bright, eerie green light of fel-green eyes could be seen. The same old lithe and taunting body with sun-kissed skin stressed across it and golden tresses falling perfectly to frame her pretty face. She was drop-dead gorgeous, sure, but it wasn't quite what he was looking for in a woman. He'd already found what he was looking for.
"You're kicking up a lot of dust as you move along, Archerus. I'll give you that much. And you've definitely not made it easy to catch up to you after you left Stromgarde. I had to go all the way back to Aerie Peak and report our success to Klaus, which he then relayed the requests of Amaren to King Varian, and King Varian from his big chair in Stormwind sent down Amaren her troops and mages. Everything works out though, I do suppose."
The leather sheath to Amaren's greatsword was in his left hand while the right rested on its hilt, and just before he intended to pull it from its sheath and bring the intruder low, he was stopped by the familiar sight. It didn't stop Astraeah from jumping from her seat and pulling a knife from her belt and brandishing it,
"Who's she?" Silvana asked, "I thought you knew better than to take in strangers."
"She's with us. That's all you need to know." Archerus replied, sliding the blade fully into its sheath and placing it on the ground. He reached over to wrap his fingers around Astraeah's wrist, holding it tight and keeping her from making any stupid decisions.
"Mm... Alright then." She approached the trunk at the foot of the bed, where Gwenhyfar still slept off her seasickness and nervousness. She placed down three tabards, each one embroidered with golden fabric and the lion of Stormwind centered on the royal blue fabric. "I pulled some strings and made sure that I was officially registered in the military. I'm here on legitimate grounds, regardless of my race. Nobody can take that from me, so it's safe for us to work together again..."
Silvana directed her strong, piercing gaze at Astraeah and tilted her head to the side. One of those long brows of hers was raised and with a mocking giggle she spoke, "I would advise you put your weapon down, Miss Scarlet. I would hate to have an ally's blood on my hands."
"How dare you!" Astraeah yelled back, raising her free hand to wipe aware the trails that were left by the tears she'd shed in Archerus' arms. However, before she could continue on into what would have been a fury-driven tirade, Archerus' free hand would have seized the dirk from her and tossed it to the ground.
"Both of you, settle down! Gwenhyfar is still asleep and sick. There is much that needs to be discussed, but not here and not right now. We just got off of a grueling week long journey aboard a miserable charter ship that could barely keep itself from capsizing on a daily basis."
"I know. I shacked up in a cargo container of rations until we got to Valiance."
"You did what? How long have you been following us?"
"Enough to know you've found yourself a real good friend."
Alright, perhaps this reunion wasn't as great as it was before. Undoubtedly, Silvana was an asset to their party, even if she wa still a cold, crude and precarious woman at her core. Very little had changed, and very little would change from the looks of it. Nonetheless, Archerus would stand between the two of them and keep a hand raised in both directions, trying to break the tension and aggression.
"I brought you some information and detailed orders from the Marshal. After you are done at Fordragon Hold, your squad is being given a more pertinent task that would appeal to your "current interests." I made sure you were recommended first and foremost." Silvana pointed to the missive at the foot of the bed. "I made sure every detail was put in writing for our reunion. I'll be accompanying you to Fordragon Hold, as well as to your next objective."
"Give it to me. You're all coming with me anyway, there's no harm in reading it aloud."
"Sir." Silvana stated, sass lining her voice like fur lined her cloak, plucking up the parchment and handing it to her new commanding officer.
Archerus seated himself, as did Astraeah, and Silvana found a place by the hearth. The seal would soon be broken and the missive was unraveled. Crossing one leg over the other and spreading out the parchment, Archerus would skim through the missive thoroughly before proceeding to what was relevant to their current situation.
"Upon completing your mission at Fordragon Hold, assisting Highlord Bolvar Fordragon and the coalition of Dranosh Saurfang and the Kor'kron, it has come to my attention recently that the threat we long considered destroyed is no longer inactive.
The bastard Abbendis landed her fleet on the shores of Dragonblight far before we, the Kor'kron or the Wyrmrest Accord had time to take action and keep them from taking a foothold. In failing to do so, they have established a fortress in the frozen wastes, and now go by the name of the Scarlet Onslaught. Their goal is clear and the odds are obviously against them, but this is a loose end that we cannot afford to leave fraying.
The Scarlet Onslaught is determined, and will stop at nothing until they have either destroyed Arthas and his Scourge, or have been exterminated themselves. High command has come to the conclusion that the only course of action is immediate and swift eradication of the Scarlet Onslaught. Reconnaissance reports that they are undermanned, undernourished and are working on tight watch shifts. They will be exhausted when you arrive, but knowing the brainwashing of the Inquisition, that will prove to concern them very little.
Once blood has been spilled, you will not stop. You have explicit orders to purify this settlement of theirs. 'New Hearthglen,' as they have called it. Tirion Fordring would be here himself to carry out the attack for ruining the good name of Hearthglen, but he has already secured a foothold in Icecrown and begun construction on a... tournament grounds, of some sort.
Summarily, Knight-Lieutenant Archerus Truesteel, you and your forces are to undertake a head-on attack into New Hearthglen. You will be allocated any resources necessary to resolve this mission. As proof, secure the locket or head of Bridget Abbendis. Let none survive."
Archerus cleared his throat and swallowed down the dry air of his quarters. Silence fell on all of them, and it was clear that all eyes were upon him in that moment. A lot was weighing on his success, on his ability to lead, and he was determined to live up to the 'hype,' as it were.
"You wanted retribution Astraeah, did you not?" Archerus spoke, beginning to roll up the parchment and push the wax seal down to keep it from coming unraveled.
"More than anything in this world, Sir." Astraeah pledged, her tears having long since left her eyes. Now all that filled them was hatred and determination.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving for my readers who do observe it. Things aren't going super hot around my house right now but I'm still going to find the time to write for you folks. In the worst case scenario, sometime after the Christmas holiday, my housing situation is going to get very complicated and I could be homeless for a little while. I'll do what I can before things get complicated.