The Tomb
"How does this feel?"
Athrodar winced a little, looking over to his daughter who sat opposite him whilst Liadrin began to touch his shoulder. "Stings a bit." He told the Paladin, watching Tanadia smile a little to try and calm him whilst also trying to distract him. "How does it look from your perspective?"
"It still sucks." Liadrin told him, smirking at the elf when he raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't know about the pain that you are feeling, but it should be fully healed in the next two days."
"Any updates on what we are doing next? I heard all the Lieutenants were dealt with and have retreated back into the Tomb of Sargeras. So I can only presume that's our next course of action."
Liadrin rolled her eyes and pressed her thumb into his wound, making his hiss and suck in air through his teeth at the pain. "You're not going anywhere. I hate to stress this, because your family never listen to me and I feel like this will be the same outcome, but you're not ready to fight yet."
"Not when you press your thumb into my wound." Athrodar told her, glaring at the Paladin who smirked in return, loving that she had the power to annoy him. "Don't look at me like that. If I was fit enough, I would hurt you back."
"Uhuh..." Liadrin said, unconvinced he could do anything. "Last I checked, you had threatened to beat me in a fight six times already." She looked back to Tanadia who had a grin on her face, trying not to look at her father because she knew it would annoy him. "I'm yet to see any of these fights."
Athrodar stared at the Paladin who seemed to have a permanent smirk on her face, knowing she was onto him and letting out a long sigh. "Fine... So maybe I won't fight you. But you could at least stop annoying me."
"Where is the fun in that?" Liadrin asked, looking back to Tanadia who shook her head at the Paladin, knowing she was going a bit too far for her liking. "Okay, fine. I'll tone it down a little."
"Thank you." Tanadia said, smiling at her mentor before looking back to Athrodar who looked bored out of his mind. "Just two more days, Papa. Then I'm certain Sylvanas will let you leave this tent."
"Unless they are all moving out to the Tomb of Sargeras tomorrow, then I am going to be stuck here." Athrodar looked back to Liadrin who was putting the final couple of holy water soaked bandages on his wound. "You'd know before me, wouldn't you?"
"I would." Liadrin said, placing the last bandage on his shoulder and looking up to him. "If you'd like, I can tell you the second I find out."
"I would like that, yes. If Sylvanas hasn't told me before." Athrodar watched the Paladin stand up from her kneeling position, being accompanied by Tanadia who helped him stand up. Although he didn't need it, he didn't push away her help. "Tell me, little one, have you had time to yourself or has Liadrin been attached to you the entire time?"
Tanadia began to smile and keep her attention off Liadrin who raised an eyebrow at the question, answering Athrodar without having to say a word. "I have been left alone..." She glanced over to Liadrin who was watching her closely. "Rarely."
Athrodar began to laugh at Liadrin's loud gasp. "Sounds about right."
"This is why I don't do things for your family." Liadrin told Athrodar, pushing her thumb against his wound again. "You're all ungrateful and have to make fun of me whenever possible." She looked away from both elves in front of her. "This is the last time I help you."
"Even me?" Tanadia asked, hugging Liadrin's arm and knowing she wouldn't stay mad at her for more than a minute. "I never said I didn't enjoy your company, Li Li."
Liadrin smiled and leaned against the young priestess. "Of course not you, my little student. I have never thought ill of you and I will protect you with my life." She moved an arm around Tanadia and then looked over to Athrodar. "Him however. If he fails to listen to my advice, I will stab his other arm."
"Then it looks like I am going to listen to your advice." Athrodar said, laying back down on the bed. "Nice to be untied though."
"Only for the next five or so minutes. I am tying you back up so I don't have Sylvanas down my back." Liadrin grinned at Athrodar when she heard him sigh. "It's for your own good."
"I know... It's so I don't try to get up and hurt my shoulder some more." Athrodar looked over to the entrance of the tent after hearing Victoria's voice, being greeted with the Queen's presence shortly after and watching her walk over to Liadrin. "Something important?" He asked, having his eldest glance over to him.
"Yeah, you're coming with me." Victoria said, taking hold of her father's hand and dragging him up onto his feet, being stopped by Liadrin who stood in front of them.
"He has to heal, he's not going anywhere yet. He has two more days." Liadrin continued to block their path, hearing Victoria's exasperated sigh. "It's just two more days."
"My mother's orders are for him to join us in the next meeting. It's ten minutes away and we have to get him up to date before hand." Victoria tried to walk passed Liadrin again, being stopped once more.
"He's staying here." Liadrin told her, folding her arms and standing her ground.
"Okay... Queen's orders. He's staying in my city until our home is rebuilt, so that makes him my subject." Victoria placed a hand over Athrodar's mouth before he could argue, not having to look at him to know he had some sort of comment brewing in his mind. "And as his Queen, I demand he attend this meeting."
Liadrin and Victoria had a stare off for a good minute, wasting precious time for the Queen but she wasn't backing down from this and eventually getting her way when Liadrin stepped aside. "Fine. But if he gets hurt, you're healing him. I'm tired of looking after this family when they never take my advice." She held up a hand to Tanadia, also knowing without looking at the priestess that she was about to say something. A trait she had clearly inherited from her father. "Not you, little one. You're the last ray of good in this family. Your younger siblings however, I'm yet to see how they turn out."
"Thank you." Victoria said, ignoring Liadrin's last comment and dragging Athrodar to the command tent where Sylvanas and a few other leaders were waiting.
"Still no Tyrande then?" Athrodar said when he entered the tent, being hugged by Sylvanas and failing to reciprocate the hug as his good arm was holding onto his bad one.
Sylvanas pulled back and shook her head, keeping her voice low. "Nor Malfurion. I think they know Illidan is leading this and want nothing to do with it." She leaned forward and kissed him, removing his hand from his shoulder and looking at the bandaged wound. "Liadrin done a good job here." She said, admiring the neat work. "How does it feel?"
"Stings, but that's probably the holy water in the bandages fighting the Fel tracings left in there." Athrodar look passed his wife and towards Victoria, Thal'ena, Baine, Illidan and Vol'jin who were all standing around the command table in the middle of the tent. "Eitrigg, Gallywix, those Pandaren delegates and the Nightborne aren't here." He said, after noticing their much smaller group. "I'm guessing they're busy?"
"Gallywix has gone back home to deal with business." She heard Athrodar's disgusted noise from the back of his throat and feeling the same way. Goblins were always more worried about money than anything else. "Eitrigg has returned to Orgrimmar to get more reinforcements. The Tauren and Trolls reinforcements should be meeting him there soon. I have no idea about the Pandaren, I haven't been keeping up to date. And Thalyssra... I think she is dealing with some thing in Suramar before coming back to help us in the push towards the Tomb."
Athrodar nodded his head slowly. "At least we can rely on our newest allies."
"And Moira, because you forgot about our Dark Iron Dwarf friends, is with her engineers. They are working on the siege machines, so you can only guess what we are going to discuss in a few minutes." Sylvanas took hold of Athrodar's hand and smiled at him. "I hope you don't hate me for keeping you tied to that bed until you've recovered."
"Not as much as I hate Liadrin for enforcing those rules." Athrodar grinned and raised her hand to his lips, kissing the back of it. "Of course I don't hate you."
"Good. Because otherwise I wouldn't do this."
Victoria looked over to her parents as she was about to tell them they were starting the meeting in the next couple of minutes, closing her eyes and shaking her head when she saw them hungrily kissing each other as if nobody else was around, averting her gaze entirely when Athrodar put his good hand on Sylvanas ass whilst she placed her hands under his tunic and tried to pull it up and over his head. "We're starting soon!" The Queen yelled, making everyone look over to her now but crucially getting her parents to stop what they were doing.
Sylvanas buried her head in Athrodar's neck for a few seconds just to be close to him. "I got a letter from Raven the other day." She told him, pulling back and cupping his face. "She said Alleria cried on Winter's Veil because we weren't there."
Athrodar brushed a thumb across her cheek when he saw sadness in her eyes. "Hey... Don't look like that. We will see our little ones again soon, okay? We are days away from assaulting the Tomb of Sargeras by the looks of it. Then we can go home."
Sylvanas nodded her head slowly. "I know..." She sniffed, hating that her daughter cried because she wasn't home and trying to keep her emotions at bay. "I want to hold them now. Make her feel safe in my arms... Even if she loves you more."
Athrodar hugged Sylvanas the best he could, holding up a hand to Victoria when she looked over to them again. "Again, we will go home soon. We just have to breach that tomb and kill whatever green skinned, big horned, fire loving, demonic asshole that runs this place."
Sylvanas smiled a little and melted into the half hug Athrodar was giving her. "I love you." She whispered, smiling a little wider when his heartbeat began to soothe her.
"I love you too." Athrodar whispered back, looking over to Victoria who was waiting for them. "Let's go, our daughter seems to be becoming impatient."
"So we're attacking the Tomb of Sargeras tomorrow?" Tanadia asked, sitting opposite her father who was eating outside of his tent for the first time since he was injured.
"Well, they all are. I don't think I am. Liadrin would kill me if I went." Athrodar looked over to the Paladin who was grabbing a bowl of food herself, standing beside Victoria and Sylvanas who were doing the same.
"I'd make a poor bodyguard if I let that happen." Hroki told him, sitting beside Athrodar. "Then again, you did get injured by the demon I was meant to distract."
Athrodar laughed and placed a hand on the Tauren's arm. "It's okay. I'm sure Sylvanas doesn't blame you."
"I know I don't." Tanadia said with a smile. "My father normally gets himself into trouble before anyone can help him."
"That is actually very true." Liadrin said, overhearing the sentence and sitting down beside the priestess. "Your father gets into trouble so often that it's actually uncommon for him to not be in trouble." She smirked at him when he shook his head. "Prove me wrong."
Sylvanas placed her and on Athrodar's arm. "She's right." She whispered to him, resting her head on his arm now when she heard him sigh. "You do get into trouble a lot, my love. No matter how hard I tried to get you out of that habit, it seems to be engrossed in your very being."
Victoria and Tanadia both laughed and nodded in agreement. "Mother has a point." The Queen said, bumping shoulders with her sister. "Even your little Priestess agrees and she sees the good in everyone."
"Okay, so maybe I do get into trouble a bit." Liadrin let out a laugh which made Athrodar grumble to himself. "Fine! So I make a lot of mistakes, but I do listen to orders if it means I get to live." He narrowed his eyes at Liadrin who laughed again. "Why?"
"Because you never listen to me." Liadrin told him, pointing at the elf with her fork. "I tell you to lay there and heal every time you get injured, all three of you to be honest." She pointed at Sylvanas and then Victoria. "But you all ignore me."
Hroki looked around at everyone sitting around the table with him. "Are all you elves like this? Arguing with each other whilst convincing yourself you're all friends and family?"
Everyone around the table looked at the Tauren with blank expressions before all answering at the same time with one word. "Yes."
Hroki shook his head and smiled, taking a gulp of his beer. "Just like my family then."
"Interesting family." Elaria said, standing behind the Tauren. "Who's this?" She asked, looking to Athrodar who looked behind him. "And how's your arm?"
"It stings, but I'm getting there." He nodded over to the Tauren sitting beside him. "This is Hroki, our new personal guard. Hroki, this is Elaria and the unfortunate soul that has to put up with her is Luna."
"That may be true, but she loves me." Elaria grinned at Luna who smiled back at her before turning her attention to Hroki. "And I see he is a good drinker by the looks of it." Elaria said, pushing her way between Athrodar and Hroki and sitting down with them. "Why have I not been introduced to you before, I'll never know."
Luna shook her head and made her way to the other side of the table, sitting on the end next to Liadrin. "Because you have a drinking problem and if you were introduced to him, you'd never leave the inn."
Hroki chuckled and downed more of his beer. "I do have a tendency to drink people under the table."
"I hear a bet coming on." Elaria said with a grin, placing down a small sack of coins. "What say you?"
"You know we are attacking the Tomb of Sargeras tomorrow, right?" Victoria asked, just needing to make sure they knew.
"It's fine... I get over my hangovers quickly." Elaria slapped the Tauren on the back. "So? What do you say?"
Hroki looked over to Athrodar who was now talking to Sylvanas, ignoring their conversation completely. "As much as I would love a good competition, I have a duty to uphold." He nodded over to Athrodar. "I already got him injured once already, I probably shouldn't do it twice in a row... Fighting wise."
"If he's coming tomorrow." Liadrin said, sipping her goblet of wine. "I still say he has another day of resting."
"He is." Sylvanas said, holding onto Athrodar's arm and resting her head on his shoulder. "I want him there, I refuse to go into that place without him." She looked at Athrodar, leaning forward and kissing him. "And I am going tomorrow, so he has to be there."
"To keep you sane more than anything I presume." Victoria said, remembering all the times he wasn't by her side during their wars in the past. "If that's the case, I agree with my mother." She looked over to Liadrin and saw her close her eyes in annoyance. "He has to be there."
Tanadia hugged Liadrin when she saw her mentor look annoyed, pressing her cheek against the Paladin's. "We'll keep him safe, Li Li." She said, smiling when her plan worked and got Liadrin to hug her back tightly. "I take that as a yes?"
"As long as I get to hold you like this, you can get anything." Liadrin said, ignoring the laughs from around the table and squeezing the priestess tightly. "The last thing Thal has left me." She muttered, kissing Tanadia hard on the cheek. "You're my little gem."
Athrodar cleared his throat, having Liadrin stick up her middle finger at him which made Sylvanas laugh before covering her mouth. "You encourage her to be rude to me, you know that?"
Sylvanas nodded her head, removing her hand from her mouth. "I know, I'm sorry. But our little ones do love her when she visits."
"That's because she's trying to steal them from me!" Athrodar glared at Liadrin who looked smug. "And you let her."
"Because she knows I am a much better role model than you for them." Liadrin poked her tongue out at him. "I am trying to save them from you."
"Woah, okay." Sylvanas placed her hand on Athrodar's face when she saw that comment actually hurt him. "Take that back, he's not a bad role model for them." She cupped his face and made him look at her. "You're the best person to be their father, okay?" She smiled at him and pressed her head against his. "Trust me, other than me there's nobody better for them."
Victoria heard both her parents laugh, looking over to Liadrin who felt guilty about what she said. "Apologise." She whispered, leaning towards the Paladin. "He may act tough, but he's a kitten. Trust me when I say, you actually hurt him."
"I'm sorry." Liadrin said out loud, making both Athrodar and Sylvanas look over to her. "I forget sometimes you are closer to your older self than the Death Knight you. I shouldn't have said what I did, please forgive me."
Sylvanas kissed Athrodar's cheek and whispered in his ear. "Forgive her." She smiled at him when he looked over to her. "She can be very useful as a babysitter if, when this is all over, we need time alone."
"Okay. I forgive you." He saw relief wash over Liadrin's face, not really wanting to upset Athrodar but just wanting to tease him and regretting she took it too far.
"Thank you." Liadrin said with a smile, turning back to face Tanadia. "So you've yet to tell me, how was it at the Netherlight Temple?"
The booming sound of rock hitting the Tomb for the hundredth time in their assault was all that echoed on the Broken Shore. With every hit there looked to be no damage done, only a loud booming sound, followed by a green wave of light that covered most of the entrance.
"It looks like we are going to have to use magic to get those doors open." Khadgar said, looking over to Rhonin who nodded his head at him. "Let's gather up some more mages, Archmage."
"I'll get Jaina to help." Rhonin said, leaving to get a group of mages together.
Whilst they were waiting, Victoria had told her Ranger-General Cyndia to check on her troops whilst Thal'ena offered her services to Rhonin and Khadgar to help get the barrier down around the Tomb.
Sylvanas stood in front of Athrodar, holding onto his arm wrapped around her whilst Tanadia was doing a quick practice with Liadrin, casting spells with the Paladin to both get herself ready and showing her what she had learnt.
"Stay close to me." Sylvanas whispered, squeezing his arm. "Especially now, with one arm."
"One working arm. For now, at least." Athrodar kissed behind her ear. "It sucks. I can't use a bow, so I have to use my sword, and only one at that."
Sylvanas leaned back against him, watching Rhonin return with Jaina and a handful of mages. "Then definitely stick beside me. I can and will keep you safe."
Athrodar chuckled and kissed the top of her head now. "I should be the one telling you that." He hugged her a little tighter with his one arm, pressing his cheek to the top of her head. "But thank you, I know I will need it in the current state I am in."
"Good." Sylvanas whispered, tilting her head up and kissing her husband. "I have a plan for Dael'Thaelas, though it is rather straightforward and took me five minutes."
Athrodar frowned and tilted his head a little. "What is it?"
Sylvanas placed a hand on Athrodar's belt, pulling out the knife he had and showing him the blade. "We go to him under false pretenses, then when his back is turned, you stab him." She shrugged her shoulders and looked down at the blade. "It's a cowardly plan, but I would rather it be a quick, clean and cowardly kill than a messy sword fight that could leave you injured or dead."
Athrodar nodded and looked over to his family army who were standing with the other armies, their Captain standing with them and away from both him and Sylvanas. "The problem is Leotheis. He will want to go with us if he even gets a hint of us going to see Dael'Thaelas."
"Then I deal with him." Sylvanas said, looking over to Leotheis. "I will force my own blade through his back. Cutting off the head of your Great Grandfather's lapdog."
"Then we have a 'sort of' plan." Athrodar said, placing his good hand on her face and leaning down to kiss her again. "Let's hope it works."
"It will, my love." She told him, closing her eyes and kissing him again. "We will make it work."
