Last Straw

Clea walked into the command tent after being told that's where she could find Athrodar, standing at the other end of the table to him. "What are you doing here?" She asked him, watching his unwavering attention remain on the map laid out before him.

"Thinking." He replied, staring down at the map of Loch Modan. "What are you doing here? I suspect you've come looking for me."

"I have. Lady Windrunner sent me to come find you." She began to walk around the long table, looking down at the map then up to his face. "What are you thinking about? If it's the plan, it's a good plan."

"If she wants to talk, tell her to come here." He looked up at her momentarily, the first time his eyes were drawn away from the map since he entered the tent. "I know the plan is good, but something about all of this doesn't seem right."

"What part?" She stood by his side, looking down at the map that was well detailed with their plan. "It looks fine to me."

"I know the plan looks fine." He repeated, shaking his head.

Clea frowned at him. "Then what's the problem?"

"Why are they letting us take this much land from them with next to no resistance?" He returned his attention to the map. "Something about it doesn't feel right."

"I see what you mean, but that kind of thinking can drive someone insane." Clea waved a hand in front of his face, grabbing his attention. "Don't think about it, just be happy we have a plan for when Viraleth returns."

"I guess we do. But I can't help but have that nagging feeling that we are looking at this all wrong." He felt Clea begin to pull him away, shaking her off his arm. "Like I said, I am busy."

Clea let out a long sigh. "I'll tell Sylvanas where to find you."

Being left alone for half an hour had helped Athrodar as it allowed him to think in peace. That was until he was interrupted by his Queen when she cleared her throat, standing directly next to him.

"I know I can be quiet when I want to be, but getting this close?" She kissed his cheek, holding onto his arm. "What's on your mind?"

"Clea didn't say?"

"Of course she did. But I want you to tell me." She pushed him a little so he was half facing her, seeing his eyes were concentrated on the map as if he were deep in thought. "If you can't think of a reason why they're giving up all this land, then there isn't much to think about."

His attention was drawn to Sylvanas when she moved his hand to her breast, grinning and shaking his head at her. "You sure know how to distract me."

"I'd be a bad Queen if I didn't know how to get the attention of my consort." She moved his hand up to her face, closing her eyes and smiling when his other hand moved to the opposite side of her face. "I need to talk to you."

"Did you bring my knife with you?" He saw her puzzled expression before she began to smile, handing him back his knife. "Thank you." As he put it back on his boot, he glanced up at her. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"This." She replied, taking out a vial from her pocket. "When you were recovering in Undercity after that Aerie Peak incident, you fell asleep at one point and was plagued with nightmares." She stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. "You also told me you suffer from said nightmares when you try to sleep to pass the time."

Athrodar looked down at the vial in her hand. "And that's going to help me sleep?" He asked, jumping to the obvious conclusion.

"It should. The apothecaries back in Undercity said it works." She handed the vial to him. "I want to see for myself if it works... Right now."

"But I need to be ready in case we have to move south." He lifted the vial to the same level as his eyes, curiously inspecting it. "And you say this will cure my nightmares?"

"It should." She said softly, placing a hand on his arm. "Please try it. It pained me to see you suffer like that and knowing I couldn't do anything to help."

"I'll do it for you." He replied, kissing her lightly on the lips. "Let me guess, I have to go to our tent?"

She grinned at him. "That would be best. I don't want people walking in on you sleeping over this table."

As he was being pushed out of the command tent and towards the tent they both share, Athrodar couldn't help but feel cautious around this vial. "What if it doesn't work? What if it makes it worse?"

"Then I kill them for lying to me." She saw his slightly surprised reaction to her answer, squeezing his hand as she spoke. "I am their Queen and Warchief of the Horde. If anything were to happen that would hurt you and Victoria, I would punish them tenfold."

Athrodar smirked at the idea of her punishing someone for hitting him with a stone. "Sort of like a lioness protecting her cub and lazy mate."

"Exactly." She said, poking his arm. "Now come on, I want you to sleep so I can see if this works."

"And if it does work?" He asked, already knowing what would happen if it didn't. "Are you going to force me to sleep more often?"

"Yes. Only because I want to hold you whilst you do sleep. Just to make sure you're safe."

Although he knew she meant it to be sweet and caring, he couldn't help but feel a little on edge all of a sudden. "Can't I just tell you I'm safe?"

"No!" He hissed, dragging him into the tent. "I planned on laying with you, perhaps even sleeping if I knew we wouldn't be disturbed for a while." She stopped in the middle of their tent, kissing his hand. "I want to try and live a normal-ish life with you."

"Nothing about what we do is normal." He joked, though he saw she didn't find it funny. "Okay, so say we do live like that... Will it make you happy in the long run?"

"It might." She whispered, circling a finger on his chest. "Just try it, see if it works and if you don't like waking up in my arms... Well first of all, fuck you.. But second of all I will understand if you don't want to do it again."

Athrodar studied the vial, popping off the cork lid and shrugging his shoulders. "Here goes nothing."

The moment he finished the vial, he began to feel weak in the knees, clambering over to the bed and laying down on it. Sylvanas helped him rest his head on the pillow and then watched him fall asleep the moment his head hit it.

Just like she wanted, she held and watched him sleep, keeping his hood down so she could stroke his hair whilst he slept peacefully for the first time in years.

Clea was coming in and out of the tent with reports ranging from troop movement, to food supplies as well as weapon and armour. She took note of Athrodar sleeping next to her Queen and thought nothing of it as Sylvanas didn't address it.

When she had no reports to look over, she laid down with him and held him close, resting his head on her chest whilst she stared off into space, thinking about a possible life after they take Stormwind and thus the Eastern Kingdoms.

Victoria had walked in on them after Athrodar had missed their training session. She had asked about him, to which Sylvanas simply said he hadn't slept in years and it finally caught up to him.

A quick kiss on the cheek and a hug later and Victoria had left the tent. "So what's the deal with you two now?" Athrodar asked, keeping his eyes closed.

"What do you mean?" Sylvanas looked down at him and noticed his closed eyes, sliding down the bed so they were face to face. "She wants us to get closer first before she makes a final decision."

"About becoming our...?"

"Yes." She poked him on the nose. "Which means you have to show her a reason to want this."

"And she said this?"

"She said she will only make a decision if both of us were on board with it." She sat up on the bed, looking down at him as he slowly opened his eyes. "That means you have to show her that you want to be her parent, otherwise she won't do it."

"But I hardly know her." He mumbled, squinting at his now glaring Queen. "Then again, I suppose I could get to know her."

"Good." She said, handing him his belt that he only just realised she had taken off him. "Because you missed your training session with her."

"Now? But I thought since we're both here, we could..." He slowly moved his hand up her inner thigh before gliding it ever so lightly up her exposed stomach. "It's been a while since the last."

It took all the strength she could muster to push his hand away. "No. You promised to train her."

Athrodar sighed and got out of the bed, putting on his belt and glancing back at her. "Not even a quick-"

"No!" She snapped, though it came out more menacing than she meant it. "Go, I am sure you can wait a little longer."

Athrodar sulked out of the tent. "Fine.. I'm sure Serathea will gladly take your place anyway." He heard a shocked gasp coming from his Queen, slowly turning around to face her fiery glare. "It was a joke!"

"It wasn't a very funny one."

"I'm sorry. I will find my recruit and go train her." He bowed his head, pulling up his hood. "For the next three days until you calm down." He whispered to himself, picking up his bow on the way out.

"They're still in Thelsamar, my Lady." Viraleth placed three spare Alliance flags on the table with the rest of the Alliance flags. "And they have reinforcements."

"What about Nazgrim?" Athrodar asked, sitting at the other end of the meeting table as usual. "He is still out there, right?"

"He is." Halduron said, moving a Horde flag to the Silver Stream Mines. "They've sent their own scouts to check nearby areas for Alliance scouts."

"And is there any?" Athrodar asked the Ranger-General, leaning back in his chair and propping up his feet.

"A few." Viraleth told him, looking up and over to the far seated Death Knight. "Though we took care of them."

Sylvanas sighed, shaking her head at the Death Knight lounging at the end of table. "One hour." She said, making all the Generals and Officers look over to her. "We leave in an hour and march south."

Everyone stood up and saluted their Warchief once she dismissed them all except Athrodar. The Death Knight watched them leave, looking directly at Victoria who stood by his side. "This is becoming a habit I would rather not keep." He said, looking over to Sylvanas.

"Last time I hold you two back, I swear." Standing up, Sylvanas made her way over to the two of them, standing behind Victoria as they both looked down at Athrodar. "You are taking this one with you."

"You mean with my group of quiet, fast movers?" He shook his head. "Oh no, I can't take that risk."

"I'll be fast." Victoria said, taking hold of his hand. "I can also be silent."

"See? She won't get in the way." Sylvanas squeezed her arms, smiling down at Athrodar. "It's also a great opportunity for her to learn."

Athrodar sighed, knowing he wasn't going to win this. "Yes, fine... You can join. Go get ready and meet me outside your tent in half an hour."

Sylvanas watched her hug him tightly, elated she could go on the mission with him. Athrodar however looked less than amused once Victoria left the tent. "What? She's excited about it."

"Stop forcing this."

"Forcing what?" She asked, sitting down on his lap and completely misreading the situation. "She really wanted to go."

"And that's the problem." Athrodar moved out from under his Queen, walking several steps around the table before stopping and turning to face her. "She's not ready for this type of mission. I know she's not ready for this, but because you love the idea of pleasing her and making her feel like you're her mother, you just couldn't say no."

"None of that is true." She stood up off the chair though didn't move from her spot. "I believe she is ready."

"And I'm saying she's not." He retorted, walking further down the table and away from her. "One slip up, one mistake..." He paused, tapping his finger on the table.

"Then what?"

"Then I take back everything I have offered to her. No more training, no more joining me on missions. I'll even go out of my way to avoid her if she gets a single person killed in my group."

"You would do all of that because of this one mission?" She asked with an incredulous stare, unable to believe he was going to this much of an extreme. "Think about it for a second. If you're avoiding her, you're going to be avoiding me. That is until she doesn't want to know me anymore. Then you will have to avoid both of us, because I would be on a war path if you ruin what I'm trying to build with her."

"I didn't think you had anything to worry about. After all, you're certain she is ready for this mission."

Sylvanas watched him begin to leave, taking hold of his arm to stop him once he walked past her. "Wait. Don't do this, please."

Athrodar looked down at her hand on his arm. "It's too late for that. This has been building since the day you chose her over any of your people." He pulled his arm out of her grip, walking out the tent.

Something inside Sylvanas snapped as he walked past her, following him out the tent. "Oh, so you're going to throw my love for her back in my face!? How dare you suggest that I put her above everyone else!"

Athrodar stopped in his tracks, looking around the camp and seeing several curious faces looking their way. He laughed lightly, shaking his head and turning to face her. "That's all you've done since we arrived in the Wetlands. It's never what we want, it's what you think she wants."

"And here I thought what we wanted is what she wants. I thought we wanted a family, something she said she wants."

Athrodar shook his head, looking up at the sky and sighing. "You've actually forgotten what I said to you that first month I joined. I only want to make you happy, because it made me happy."

Sylvanas narrowed her eyes at him, ignoring the growing crowd of onlookers to their argument. "What are you saying, that you didn't want a family?"

"No, I didn't! But I know you did, more than anything I know you would have loved to have had one. So as that's who I am, I'm trying to make you happy by providing that. Yet you're pushing all this responsibility that I don't want, onto my plate and it's becoming too much."

He looked around the camp, taking in the many different races staring at both him and their Warchief. "I have been stuck in this camp since we got here and all I've done is humour you and try to get this supposed daughter look-a-like to love you like you love her."

He unbuckled his belt, taking it off and holding it out as far as he could, watching it sway as the weight of his sword moved it back and forth. "If I am going to be doing that every time we take a new town or village, then I might as well retire my services."

Suddenly realising he was talking about leaving her, Sylvanas began to panic and took a few steps towards him. "Athrodar, baby, don't do this..." She said softly, extending a hand out to him. "Let's talk about this in private, please."

To those that didn't know her, Sylvanas sounded and looked calm and that she was trying to de-escalate the situation. But Athrodar knew what was going on in her head, she was about to break down into tears if he continued what he was doing.

That's why he let her take hold of his arm and drag him back into the tent, because although he was frustrated about everything he just mentioned, he loved her more than he thought possible and he didn't want to hurt her. Which is what he knew he was about to do if he continued.

Once they were inside the tent and Sylvanas was certain nobody could see them, she collapsed onto her knees and hugged his leg. "Please... don't leave me..." She choked as tears broke through before she could even stop them. "I'm sorry... About everything... We don't have to... Have a family... I just need you."

Athrodar picked her up off the floor, hearing her continued pleading of him to stay. Once she was on her feet, he stood forward and hugged her, feeling her arms hold on to him like a vice. "I'm not going anywhere... I just can't stand doing nothing all day."

"I love you, I love you, I love you." She nuzzled her head into his neck, feeling well and truly weak for the first time in a long time. "Stay with me..." She whispered in his ear, sounding just as weak as she felt.

"I will." He replied, believing she needed a lot more reassurance from him. "I didn't mean to scare you like that, I would take it back if I could."

She craned her head up and kissed him hard on the lips, parting her lips and slipping her tongue past his. The two of them became joined at the lips as she refused to break away from him.

"Stay with me, forever." She moaned during their kiss. "I'll give you anything, everything."

Athrodar deepened the kiss, moving his hands to her face. "Make me your highest ranking General."

"Done." She latched herself on to him once more, her hands roaming his chest in a desperate need to touch him.

"Promise me you'll give me the freedom I need to launch attacks on Alliance lands."

"It's yours." She whispered, being lifted up on the table and resuming their kiss.

"Then I am yours, forever." He pushed her down until her upper body was laying flat on the table, moving between her legs and making a long trail of kisses down her neck. Both of them knew he would now stay and Sylvanas hoped this scare was a one time thing. She now truly believed she would be lost without him.