Traveling to Hyjal

"How long are we going to wait here for?" Athrodar asked, sitting beside Sylvanas as they both rest in front of a tree and stroking her hair as she laid across him, her head resting on his lap. "We found them almost a week ago now, that's more than enough time for them to move on and begin raiding villages between them and us."

Sylvanas smiled at his concern and the pampering she was receiving from him. "Albeit true, they have scouts keeping an eye on them. They've not left the coast, but a handful of flying demons have been going back and forth between Azshara and Hyjal, so they're keeping an eye out for any nests or demon gatherings up there."

"So we're just waiting for...?"

"The all clear to start the assault. I have a feeling we'll get word soon on when it's happening. But where is another matter." Sylvanas looked up at the Lieutenant and smiled at him. "Who knew you'd be so good at giving me a head massage?"

"One of my many talents." Athrodar told her, getting a chuckle in response. "Besides, you seem to be enjoying it so I think I'll just continue doing what I'm doing and increase my reputation as the best head massager in the company."

"And I'm sleeping with him." Sylvanas said, sitting up to kiss him and grinning when she was held in place. "And he wants to keep my lips attached to his apparently."

"Of course." He told her, kissing the General again. "That way we can both have fun without having to take our clothes off."

Sylvanas laughed again and placed her hand on his cheek. "Even if the fun we have whilst the clothes are off is much better." She told him, kissing him for the third time before laying back down and resting her head on his lap once more. "I do enjoy this though. Being able to relax with you until we have to leave. Makes me forget about a lot of things and keeps me focused on being with you."

Athrodar began to grin when he saw her eyes were closed. "You're getting soft." He told her, grinning wider when her eyes opened. "What happened to this badass General I heard so much about from rumors and whispers? From what I can see she's nothing but a softie that loves to sit down and cuddle, kiss and be attached to the person she loves." His grin turned mischievous seconds before he pulled her in for a tight hug. "Especially if she's in his arms."

Sylvanas bit her bottom lip the moment she felt Athrodar begin to kiss her neck, placing a hand over one of hos and letting out a whimper when she felt him use his other hand to lightly stroke her long elven ears. "St-stop." She managed to say, trying to stop herself from letting out a moan. "You know how sensitive my ears are."

"Compared to humans, we do have sensitive ears... But yours are on another level." Athrodar said, blowing on one of them lightly and watching it twitch, laughing when Sylvanas covered the ear with her hand. "Really cute."

"Stop calling me cute!" She cried, punching him on the arm but not moving from her laying position. "I'm not cute, I'm a deadly ranger who can kill anyone who gets within fifty yards of me with one arrow."

"A deadly ranger who kills with her cuteness." Athrodar teased, laughing when Sylvanas glared at him and pushed him onto his back. "Now for the temper tantrum." He said, watching her sit on his lap and pin his arm above his head. "Either that, or the cute General is going to just sit on me and keep us together for longer."

"You're really pushing it today." Sylvanas told him, keeping the glare going. "One more cute and I'll make sure you're staying with the sabers they have at the stables."

"I'm sure they'll appreciate being called cute..." Athrodar muttered, feeling Sylvanas tighten her grip around his wrists and sucking air in quickly when it began to hurt. "Ow, okay! I'm sorry."

"You better be." Sylvanas told him, softening her glare and smirking at him when she felt something poke her. "Are you getting excited by this?"

"To be fair, over the last week we have been in very similar circumstances." Athrodar told her, laughing when he saw her face begin to go red. "All the time." He then said, watching her look away from him. "Deadly Ranger-General, made to go red with embarrassment the moment I mention anything sex related between us."

"I think it's more the fact that you have witnesses." Kael'thas said, smiling when he saw Sylvanas continue to look away from him. "You know, it's really cute that the Ranger-General is flustered so easily."

"Hah, see? I told you." Athrodar said, sitting up when Sylvanas let go of his wrists and moving his arms around her whilst she continued to sit on his lap. "Cute." He whispered, kissing her on the cheek.

"I hate you both." Sylvanas muttered, hating the situation she was in right now.

"Well you can hate me on your own." Kael'thas told her, looking over to Athrodar. "I need to speak with the Lieutenant."

"Is it important or anything scouting related?" Sylvanas asked, looking over to Kael'thas now.

The Prince shook his head. "Not at all. I just need to speak to him."

Sylvanas looked over to Athrodar and then to Kael'thas, slowly nodding her head. "Alright. Just if it has anything to do with scout missions or being a ranger, you need to inform me first."

"I will, don't worry." Kael'thas told her, waiting for Athrodar to stand up. "It will be no longer than five minutes." He said, looking over to the Lieutenant. "Maybe ten if he remains in the teasing mood that he seems to be in."

"I'm sure he'll behave." Sylvanas said, sitting up against the tree they were beside and looking up at Athrodar who stretched the moment he stood up. "If not, then I'll have to think of a punishment for the Lieutenant to do."

"Using your rank instead of your name." Kael'thas said to Athrodar, both of them looking down at Sylvanas who pulled her hood up. "I'd listen to her."

"Noted." Athrodar said, crouching down in front of Sylvanas and kissing her lightly. "I'll be five minutes, like he said." He whispered shortly after.

"You better be." She whispered to him in return, pressing her head against his for a few seconds before watching both the Prince and Lieutenant leave.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Athrodar asked when they were alone.

"It's about the orcs." Kael'thas told him. "I need you to keep an eye and ear out for them. They have recently killed a demon residing in these forests as we're all aware when they reported back a few days ago. Apparently the demon gave them a curse and was able to control them." The Prince looked over to the orcs on the outskirts of Astranaar. "I need you to make sure they stay in line and don't try to plot anything that could jeopardize this mission."

Athrodar nodded his head slowly and looked over to Sylvanas in the distance. "What do I tell the General? Because this goes against what she said a minute ago."

"She doesn't need to know." Kael'thas told him. "It's not technically a mission, just a Prince asking a Lieutenant and friend to keep an eye out for anything that could harm us."

Athrodar smiled a little and gave Kael'thas a pat on the arm. "I can do that, friend." He said, smirking at him now.

I'm going to regret calling you that, aren't I?" He asked, watching Athrodar laugh and nod his head.

Almost definitely." He told him.

"We're leaving for Hyjal." Sylvanas said, packing up her tent and looking over to Athrodar who began to help her pack. "You don't have to help, you know."

"I know." Athrodar told her. "But I was raised to help others out if ever they needed it."

Sylvanas smiled and shook her head, watching Athrodar continue to help her back without asking him to. "You know, I would have left you to do this on your own if the roles were reversed."

"And that's why you're the General and I'm a Lieutenant." He said. "You don't help anymore, you just boss people about."

Sylvanas gasped and threw her bedroll at him, listening to Athrodar laugh and glaring at the Lieutenant. "That's not true and you know it! I help out plenty, you just go out of your way to find something to do and a person to help so you remain busy."

"Very true." Athrodar agreed. "I don't like doing nothing. Until recently, that is." He looked over to the General who tilted her head a little. "I love doing nothing with you."

"You big softie." Sylvanas teased, getting a laugh from him in response. "We're a couple of big softies now."

"Yes we are." Athrodar agreed again. "So why Hyjal?"

"It's where the Kaldorei believe the Legion will launch their attack." Sylvanas told him. "They have a font of magical energy there, similar to the Sunwell. It's what they will need to create bigger portals for more demons, at least that's the theory."

"So we best get moving quickly to beat them to it." Athrodar said, getting a nod as a response. "We can beat them back, right?"

Sylvanas frowned and thought about her answer. "I.. Don't know. It's not like we've faced the demons before, only the Kaldorei have that experience. Plus with the numbers advantage they have, it's going to cost us a lot." She watched Athrodar look away and made her way over to him, placing a hand on his back and then leaning forward to press her head against his chest. "I hope we do make it through this though. If the army size is accurate, we'll have to kill at least five each. Maybe more to make up for those who don't kill that many."

"We'll be fine." Athrodar whispered to her., moving his arms around the General and feeling her lean her entire body into him. "We'll look after each other out there and return home safely. Then we can focus on spending the rest of our lives together in the comfort of Quel'Thalas and its forests."

"You make it sound so easy." Sylvanas told him. "I hate how calm you are too."

"You're just worried I'll be killed." Athrodar told her, getting nothing but silence from the General and knowing he was correct. "I'll be fine. I have the General and the Prince on my side, I'm sure they'll both look after me."

"I don't know about Kael, but I will keep you attached to my hip so I know where you are the entire time." Sylvanas told him, pressing her ear against his chest and listening to his heart, focusing on making her own heart beat at the same time. "You're mine and I protect what's mine with my life." She muttered, hugging him tightly and closing her eyes when she felt his arms wrap around her.

"General?" Clea called out, walking in on Sylvanas and Athrodar sharing a moment and clearing her throat to interrupt them. "Sorry, but everyone is leaving now and you're not ready yet."

"Sorry, I was distracted." Sylvanas said, pulling back from Athrodar and clearing her throat.

Clea began to smile when she saw them break apart, even more so when she saw the General begin to straighten out her uniform. "Can I be candid for a second?" She asked them, watching Sylvanas frown.

"Of course, you know I don't mind." Sylvanas told her.

"He's the best thing that has happened to you. If I was in your position, I would do everything I can to keep him."

Whilst Athrodar began to smirk, he saw Sylvanas look a little shocked and from what he could see, scared? Worried? He couldn't fully tell but it wasn't happiness, that he was certain about. "Well, she's the best thing to happen to me in a long time." He said to move the conversation along in hopes of making the General happy again.

Sylvanas smiled when she registered what Athrodar just said, taking hold of his hand and widening her smile when they looked into each other's eyes. "He's the best thing to happen to me too."

"Good." Clea said, placing her hands behind her back. "Now hurry up and get packed. Like I said, we're leaving."

"Clea..." Sylvanas said in a stern tone. "Remember your rank and then remember mine."

Clea widened her eyes and then bowed her head. "Y-yes.. Sorry, General."

Athrodar laughed when Clea began to leave, kissing Sylvanas on the temple. "Let's finish packing up then we join the back of the group."

"Tempting offer." Sylvanas said, looking back to him. "But as General I need to lead from the front. Otherwise I would sit at the back of the column and enjoy our time together with stories or just..." Sylvanas took hold of his hand and smiled. "Doing this."

"Sylvanas." Athrodar whispered, watching her smile as she looked at their hands.

"Yes?" She asked.

"You're getting distracted again." He told her, letting out a small laugh when she let go of his hand. "I'll meet you at the front, so you don't get distracted again packing up."

"Okay." Sylvanas said, agreeing to his plan. "I'll be quick."

Making his way to the front, Athrodar found himself walking beside Captain Elaria and her sister Sera'thea, trying to not listen in on their conversation but was ultimately dragged into it when he heard them say his name. "Huh?" He asked, looking over to them.

"We asked where your General was." Sera'thea asked him, smiling down at the Lieutenant. "I haven't had the chance to talk to her yet and with the way you and Melonara spoke about her, I became interested in talking to this legendary General."

"What did you hear?" Elaria asked her sister, glancing over to Athrodar when she heard him sigh.

"This one is smitten with her. That she's the youngest Ranger-General they've ever had and one of, if not their best ranger." Sera'thea smiled and looked over to her sister. "Melonara, the other scout we had with us, speaks about the General as if she's grand strategist who can win almost any fight."

Elaria laughed and nodded her head slowly at the description. "I've had the pleasure of speaking to her over these last two weeks and it's safe to say they're not entirely wrong. She knows what she is talking about and carries herself as the military lead of her people as well as General Feathermoone does."

Sera'thea looked impressed with her sister's assessment and looked down to Athrodar who continued to walk alongside them. "So how did you two get together anyway? I'm surprised a Lieutenant is even in a relationship with their General, aren't there rules or something against it?"

Athrodar shook his head. "Not that we're aware of." He told them. "And it's a long story I'd rather not get into today. Maybe some other time when we're not marching towards the location of a battle that will decide the fate of this world."

"Fine, keep your secrets." Sera'thea said, placing a hand on her sister's arm. "I'm going to check in on the rest of our company."

"Alright." Elaria replied, looking over to Athrodar and catching a glimpse of Sylvanas who was making her way to the front quickly. "Your General is on the move." She said, smirking when she saw Athrodar look back to her quickly. "Easy tiger, you've only been away from each other for five minutes. Turn your head any quicker and you might injure yourself."

Athrodar looked back to the front of the column the second Elaria spoke to him. "Okay, you're right." He muttered. "Being alone with her for almost a month now since we started this thing between us, I can't stop thinking about her and wanting to be by her side."

Elaria smiled brightly and moved an arm around him, pulling him in for a half hug and rubbing the top of his head with her fist. "You're so cute it's unbelievable. If only the men I had been with were the same, instead they're mostly focused on their druidism and the emerald dream... Which is why I have focused my relationship goals on the other sentinels!" She leaned down to whisper to him. "If things don't work out with you and your General, don't be surprised if I come sniffing around."

Athrodar shook his head and pushed the Captain off him. "She'll never accept you and that's a fact." He told her, getting a grin from the Captain.

"So defensive." She teased, looking over to Sylvanas who made her way to the front with them. "This one's a keeper. Don't lose him."

Sylvanas tilted her head and watched the Captain walk away from the front of the column. "What was that about?" She asked.

"Nothing, just a friendly conversation between two officers of their respective armies." Athrodar told her, smiling at the General. "I've heard the trip to Hyjal will take a day of constant marching. Two if we rest halfway through."

"That's a long time together." Sylvanas told him, getting a small laugh from the Lieutenant and watching him nod his head in agreement. "If we weren't surrounded by witnesses, I would spend most of that time with you holding me tightly, kissing me and sleeping beside me."

"And nothing else?" Athrodar hinted, chuckling when Sylvanas lightly hit him. "Okay, okay... So we would spend that time just being close together and nothing more, I got it."

"It's what I enjoy more." She told him quietly but honestly. "The sex is great, don't get me wrong, but I just love laying beside you, your arms wrapped around me protectively and knowing we'll be as close to each other as we can get."

"I do like cuddling you." Athrodar muttered, looking down at his arm when Sylvanas hugged it.

"Like this?" She asked, smirking at him when she saw his grin. "Or do you just like that your arm is between my breasts?"

"Bit of both." Athrodar replied, both of them laughing and not noticing the third member of their party when she made her way towards them.

"Can I get a cuddle?" Anya asked, looking to Sylvanas and then Athrodar. "I couldn't help but overhear, mostly because I was trying to, that you like cuddles. Well, I love them and I want one at some point." She looked over to Sylvanas and began to put on her puppy dog eyes. "Pwease can I cuddle him?"

"Sure." Sylvanas said, grinning when she saw an annoyed looking Athrodar. "She's been a good girl this trip, hardly been teasing you or annoying me. She deserves a reward."

"But does it have to be me?" Athrodar asked, sighing when he felt Anya pounce at him as he began walking for two as she attached herself to his back. "What about Clea or Melonara."

"But I want to cuddle my big brother..." Anya muttered, holding onto him tightly as she got an involuntary piggyback ride. "Big brothers are supposed to cuddle their little sisters when they're feeling down so they can get better!"

"Go on." Sylvanas said, loving every second of this. "Make your little sister feel better."

"Why humor her with the nicknames?" Athrodar asked, watching Sylvanas smile innocently at him. "Don't look at me like that, I know you know what you're doing."

"General." Tyrande called out, looking over to Sylvanas who was walking several steps behind her. "A word?"

"Of course." Sylvanas said, bowing her head to the High Priestess and making her way over to her. "What do you need?"

"Your scout." Tyrande told her. "Most of mine are keeping an eye out for the Burning Legion, so I have just enough for one party. Unfortunately, they're already scouting ahead by several hours." She looked over to the General and saw the frustration on her face. "I know he's your mate, but sometimes duty comes before love and right now we need him and his second to scout ahead." Tyrande looked forward as they continued to march towards Hyjal. "Something is off about this place and I fear we're walking into an ambush."

Sylvanas began to nod her head. "I'll send him and Melonara on their way." She told the High Priestess. "Thank you for coming to me first."

Tyrande smiled a little. "They're your scouts, it would be rude of me to send them forward without telling you." She told the General, looking over to Malfurion. "And before you go, tell them they'll have some help."

Malfurion bowed his head to Tyrande. "I'll set off now." He said, shapeshifting into a bird and taking off into the distance.

Athrodar watched Sylvanas walk back to him, looking as annoyed as ever as Anya remained on his back. "What was that about?" He asked, trying to ignore the elf clinging onto him.

"You and Melonara have to scout ahead. You'll have Malfurion watching from the skies in case you need it, but you're looking for an ambush." She placed a hand on his face and sighed a little. "I didn't want you to leave, but this is needed."

Anya climbed off Athrodar's back and pouted. "Boo."

"Sorry." Sylvanas told her, looking back to Athrodar. "Sorry." She told him now, kissing him when he stepped forward. "I'll make it up to you when we reach Hyjal and set up camp."

Athrodar laughed lightly and pressed his head against hers, closing his eyes and just living in that moment. "I'll hold you to that." He told her, getting a chuckle from Sylvanas who closed her eyes too.

"Go find Melonara." Sylvanas told him, kissing him once more and placing ah and over her heart when she watched him begin to walk away. "I hate this."

Anya tilted her head at the General. "What, having him leave to do his job?"

"Yes." Sylvanas told her. "I want to keep him here with me, not having him leave whenever someone needs to check something is safe."

"Why don't you keep him with you after we return home?" She asked, watching Sylvanas smile a little. "Unless you're going to do that anyway?"

"I was." Sylvanas told her, watching Athrodar and Melonara begin to make their way further into the forests they were marching through, losing him in the trees and knowing he was now in his element. "It was his suggestion anyway. To become just my Lieutenant and not my chief scout so he doesn't leave my side when we return home." She smiled at the plan. "I am actually looking forward to it."

"Then so am I, General." Anya said, smiling brightly at Sylvanas. "I get to have my big brother around a lot more."

Sylvanas laughed and nodded her head. "Yes you do."

"I hate snow." Melonara grumbled, wrapping her cloak around her tightly as the pair of them walked through Winterspring. "We w-w-went from walking in a f-f-f-forest to this place and have c-c-come across no B-Burning Legion ambush." She glanced over to Athrodar, shivering the entire time and watching him closely. "How a-are you not f-f-freezing?"

"I am seconds away from becoming an icicle." Athrodar told her, looking over to his second. "I am just trying my best to ignore it."

Melonara looked Athrodar up and down and kept her cloak as well as her arms, firmly around herself. "You're probably tiny down there now because of this snow, aren't you?"

"Can barely see it." Athrodar told her, getting a laugh from his second. "Thankfully it's not needed for a scouting mission."

"How l-long are w-we going to st-stay out here?" Melonara asked, looking up at Malfurion who continued to circle above them. "I b-bet he's nice and w-warm."

"I shouldn't think for much longer." Athrodar said, breathing into his cupped hands to try and heat them up. "There's something in the distance and we don't seem to be going anywhere else but there." He looked up to Malfurion who continued to fly in the same direction. "He seems to know where he's going, we're just following."

"Brilliant." Melonara muttered, exhaling into her cupped hands as well just to get some feeling in her fingers. "I hate snow." She said again, getting a small chuckle from Athrodar. "I am never leaving Quel'Thalas again after this. It's always summer there. Nice, warm, bright sunshine and absolutely zero snow."

"That makes two of us." Athrodar agreed, noticing the entrance to something I'm the distance. "I have a feeling we're going through that." He said, watching Malfurion fly towards it. "He's not slowing down, so we must be."

"Brilliant, hopefully it's warm." Melonara said, speeding up a little just to get there quickly.

By the time they arrived at the structure they were walking toward, Athrodar and Melonara were greeted by several Kaldorei scouts as well as Malfurion who shapeshifted back to his humanoid form, leading them towards what looked to be the main hall of the structure they were currently in. "Rest up." He told them. "Hyjal is on the other side and we won't be entering until everyone else has caught up."

"Finally, someplace warm!" Melonara cried, laying beside a fireplace with a smile on her face. "Perfect."

"I can only imagine how the others will feel, moving at a slower pace when they reach Winterspring because there's more of them." Athrodar began to chuckle at the thought. "Can't wait to hear it."