Repairing Bridges

"She looks so much like you." Sylvanas muttered, stroking the cheek of Viraleth's baby as her best friend held her in her arms. "I can only wish mine would look as cute as yours."

Viraleth smiled at the General. "You've still got three months, correct?" She asked, getting a nod from Sylvanas. "Yours will look so cute, that no other baby will compare, Sylvanas."

"You're just saying that." Sylvanas said, placing a hand on her bump and looking down at her belly. "Clea and Anya visited him recently, but haven't said anything hopeful about the trip. Other than the troubles they caused him with the help of Melonara." She smiled and let out a small laugh. "I can only imagine the suffering he had to endure on their trip last month."

Viraleth looked over to her husband and smiled, handing him their child and placing a hand on Sylvanas' belly. "It's been six months now, I'm sure he's not as angry as he once was. When the time comes, I'm sure he will show kindness to you as he once did."

"I hope so." Sylvanas said quietly, sitting down beside Viraleth and resting her head on her shoulder. "I won't see him until I give birth to this one. Even then it probably won't be for more than a day."

Viraleth kissed the top of Sylvanas' head and moved an arm around her. "He still loves you deep down, we both know that. When he sees you next with your son in your arms, he will forget about everything bad that has happened between you both and want to build your relationship back up once again."

"You make it sound so easy." Sylvanas told her. "But I know Athrodar and his family. They all hold grudges for years if not decades and he will be no different." She looked at her best friend and gave her a sad smile. "I have been distracting myself with my company ever since he left, but now that I have handed leadership over to Clea until I return, I am finding it difficult to do simple tasks without having my mind wander back to him." She closed her eyes when she felt Viraleth kiss her on the temple, trying to find comfort in her actions. "I spent three decades trying to be with him, only to ruin my chances at a life with him in a month." She felt a tear roll down her face and buried her head in Viraleth's neck. "I miss him so much and knowing that I can't visit him makes this all the more difficult."

"Listen." Viraleth said softly, rubbing Sylvanas' arm lightly in an attempt to comfort her. "I plan to visit him in a couple weeks, show him the baby and to just see how he's doing. If I find out anything that would bring you comfort, I will tell you, okay?"

"And if you tell me nothing, I will know he hates me still." Sylvanas told her, getting nothing but silence from Viraleth as a response. "But it's okay. I hope you do find something out, just so I know there's a chance I can be with him again. If not, then... I suppose I should move on." She placed a hand on her belly again and looked down at the bump there. "If not for me, then for this little one. I don't want them being brought up in a sad household. I want them to be happy like I was." She smiled and looked over to Viraleth who smiled back at her. "Well, happier than I was. Growing up without my mother being around most of the time didn't make me happy a lot."

"If your dedication to being the General is anything to go by, I believe this kid will be a lot happier than we were growing up." Viraleth told her. "Granted, my parents were around more, but we didn't exactly have a comfortable life like you."

"I wasn't that comfortable." Sylvanas told her. "Sure, maybe more than most, but that's because my family have been Ranger-General more than most, so a lot of things were just handed to me growing up. But we were nothing like the Sunblades, or Sunstriders or any of the other great families. They had so much money they practically owned the villages they ran, five times over and still had money left."

"That's also because, unlike most of the nobles today, they have actual noble blood in their veins. Sure it's been watered down over the centuries, but those families are from old money." Viraleth told her, getting a frown from the General and smiling at her. "I did my research whilst I was on leave. I wanted to know more about the Sunblades and Sunstriders as well as the other noble houses."

"That reminds me, have Clea and Anya visited you yet?" Sylvanas asked, grinning when she heard Viraleth sigh. "That's a yes."

"They're so loud and full of energy... Having so many months off made me forget about that." Viraleth told the General. "Whatever you do, don't ask to sleep in the spare room."

Sylvanas tilted her head at her friend. "Why not?"

"Anya bought out at least five shops and it's not full of toys, toys and oh yes, toys." Viraleth told her, getting a laugh from the General now and smiling herself. "Don't laugh at me, Windrunner. She is going to do the exact same thing to you when your son is born." She told her, watching Sylvanas' face drop. "What are you going to call him, by the way? I never asked."

"I'm thinking of naming him after the first Ranger-General." Sylvanas told her, placing a hand on her belly again. "Not just because he was an ancestor of mine, but also because I really like the name."

"Talanas Windrunner..." Viraleth muttered, smiling at the name. "I like it too. I'm sure Athrodar will, though I don't think you're going to ask him for his opinion on it."

"I'll ask him, but I know he won't argue." Sylvanas told her.

"Fair enough." Viraleth stretched and felt her stomach rumble. "I'm hungry." She said, looking over to Sylvanas who smiled a little at her. "Want some lunch?"

"I could go for some lunch right about now actually. I'm eating for two now." She told her, getting a laugh from Viraleth.

"An excuse to get whatever you want. Believe me, it works a lot." Viraleth told her, standing up and hooking her arm around Sylvanas'. "I forgot to tell you, I saw your cousin the other day."

"Zendarin?" Sylvanas asked, getting a nod from Viraleth. "What did he want?"

"Nothing. He was too busy doing experiments or something..." Viraleth frowned and looked down at the ground as they walked together. "He's always creeped me out, that cousin of yours."

Sylvanas laughed and nodded her head. "He has had a tough time fitting in with our people. Vereesa was the same, only she wasn't so... Odd. She found the humans who took her in and married one, so she's happy not really being here most of the time since she has her family. Zendarin however, I believe he has a hard time fitting in anywhere."

"Well he was alone in his experiments." Viraleth told her, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh well, let's go get lunch."

Sylvanas laughed again and held onto Viraleth arm tightly. "After you."

"You wanted to see me?" Anasterian asked, watching his son walk into the Convocation hall.

"It's just to tell you I'm off to Theramore for a few months, oversee things in the new human city and help Jaina should she need anything." Kael'thas told him, placing his hands behind his back and watching his father look less than happy about the news. "I gave Lady Proudmoore my word that I'd help her. It's a new city and a potential trade route for us once they get comfortable."

"I understand why you're leaving, but I need you to stay here for a few months." Anasterian told him, hearing Kael'thas sigh. "You still have a duty here, Kael'thas. You have a soft spot for the humans, I understand that, but your people still come first."

"You're always talking about our people coming first and that I should leave the humans to their own devices, but they welcome me more than my own people." Kael'thas told him. "I'm leaving for a few months, father. When I return, we can have this conversation about our people and my title as Prince forcing me to take charge of them when you're gone."

"Do not leave." Anasterian told him, standing up off his chair and stumbling forward at the swiftness of the movement, collapsing down onto one knee and coughing into his hand.

"Father?" Kael'thas asked, making his way over to the King and placing a hand on his back. "What's wrong?" When Anasterian continued to cough and choke, Kael'thas began to grow more and more concerned, looking around the hall and noticing it was just the two of them. "Help!" He yelled, looking back to his father and noticing the blood on his hands. "Calm down, father. Breathe and try to calm down." He told him, not sounding calm himself. "Help!" He yelled again, watching several guards charge into the hall and towards him. "Send for a healer." He said, looking back to his father who was calming down.

"I need you to stay here, Kael... So you can learn to lead." Anasterian told him, looking up at his son. "I'm dying. I thought I had more time, but the illness plaguing me seems to be speeding up."

"H-how long do you have?" Kael'thas asked his father, wiping the blood from the corner of his father's mouth.

"I thought I had another decade, but..." Anasterian looked at his hand and sighed. "I think it's only a few years now."

"What do you have?" Kael'thas asked him, helping his father stand back up and placing him back on the chair he was sat on. "Can it be cured?"

Anasterian shook his head and kept his hand on Kael'thas' arm. "I've had Vandellor look at me over the last half a year. He can't find a single cure for what I have."

"What is it?" Kael'thas asked him, wanting to find out so he can find a cure himself.

"Time, my son." Anasterian told him. "There are cures for many of the illnesses in this world, but time sadly is the big, incurable disease we all must face."

Kael'thas closed his eyes and rest his head on his father's lap. "Why are you getting philosophical with me now?"

"I'm just telling you the truth, my son." Anasterian told him, placing a hand on his head. "I need you to stay here so you can take over as King when I am too sick to do it." He removed his hand from his head when Kael'thas sat up and looked at him. "You can send an envoy or an ambassador to that new human city, but I was being serious when I said you are needed here." He coughed again, though it wasn't as severe as the last time. "There's no way of knowing when I will go, but our people will need you here to take over when I do go."

Kael'thas nodded his head and remained crouched down in front of Anasterian. "I will stay, father. I'll send a couple letters and an envoy to Theramore, then I will be back."

Anasterian nodded his head. "Go. I'll be fine now that Vandellor is here." He said, looking over to the priest who was making his way over to him. "I trust him to heal me more than anyone else. Or at least make me comfortable."

Vandellor smiled and bowed his head to the Prince. "I've got him, don't worry."

"I believe you." Kael'thas told him, turning back around and bowing to his father once more. "I'll be quick."

"You're leaving today, aren't you?" Melonara asked, turning the closed sign to open on the window of the tavern and looking back to Athrodar who threw his cloak around himself.

"I am." He told her, picking up a small backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. "Sylvanas should be giving birth to our child any day now and I wanted to be there when she did... Maybe not in the room at the same time, but nearby once she had.. Done the deed."

Illana laughed at her son, covering her mouth with her hand and shaking her head. "Sorry. But you are still a child yourself sometimes. You can't even describe the process of giving birth properly, instead you go for 'done the deed' like an embarrassed kid."

"Well... Okay, you're right. But I am nervous, okay? I don't know the first thing when it comes to being a father." Athrodar told them, looking down at his mother when she began to tie his cloak around him.

"Just do what your father did when you were born." Illana told him, smiling and placing a hand on his chest when his cloak was in place. "Just wing it and hope for the best."

"Sound parenting advise from the Sunblade family." Lana'thel said, poking her head inside the tavern. "I didn't miss you then." She said, smiling at Athrodar and Illana. "He's leaving today, right?" She asked, getting a nod from all three of them. "Fantastic. Say hello to the child from aunty Mel and Lana then, won't you?" She asked, getting a nod from Athrodar and a snort from Melonara.

"Like you can be classed as the aunt." Melonara told her. "Sylvanas probably doesn't even know you exist. Unlike me and my connections to that child, you'll be just some random nobody."

"I wouldn't say random." Lana'thel told her, placing a hand on Athrodar's cheek and smiling up at him. "I am his father's close friend."

"Fuck that." Melonara said bluntly. "You're sleeping with him at least once a week as a pallet cleanser before you have to go back out there and seduce more nobles." She said, hearing a gasp from Illana and waving away her reaction. "I'm allowed to swear, the kid's not here yet." She told her, watching Illana point to a jar and sighing to herself. "Fine.I'll put a gold coin in the jar. But just so you know, this was meant to come into action when his son was here, not before."

"Think of it as a trial run." Illana told her, smiling at Melonara. "Plus it will teach you not to swear in front of your nephew."

Athrodar laughed and took hold of Lana'thel's hand. "Make me a portal to Silvermoon?" He asked, getting a nod and a kiss from her as a response.

"Tell me everything about him when you return. I'll see if he can compare to my daughter, which if she was anything to go by, should be pretty easy to beat."

"Why, did she look like she was picked up off the street like her mother?" Melonara asked, getting a smirk from Lana'thel.

"No. She just looked like she was going to have the face for tavern work, nothing more." Lana'thel fired back, forcing Illana to stand in between both women.

"I hope you have fun, Athrodar." Illana said, trying to hold both women back. "Light knows I'm not with these two around and you not being here to extinguish the fires they start."

"Think of this as a trial run for when I have my son for a week or two." Athrodar told her, getting a laugh from Melonara. "I thought you'd enjoy that."

"I did." Melonara said, grinning at him. "Now go. I don't want you to see me kill this one."

"You'll have to actually be good at killing to do that." Lana'thel taunted, making Illana sigh and Athrodar leave even quicker.

"I'll find another mage." Athrodar said, closing the door to the tavern shortly after and practically sprinting away from the building just to get away from whatever was about to happen.

By the time he found a mage, convinced them to make a portal to Silvermoon and walking through it, he found himself in the High Elf Capital and making his way to Windrunner Village all the way to the south of Quel'thalas. Luckily he managed to avoid everyone he was worried he would run into, arriving at Windrunner Manor sometime late at night and knocking on the door.

"Better late than never." Sylvanas said, moving out the way when she opened the door and let Athrodar in.

"Shouldn't you be resting and letting someone else do things like open the door?" Athrodar asked, standing by the door and gesturing to the living room. "Sit down, I'll close the door and make myself something to eat." He told her, closing the door and looking over to Sylvanas who stood in the same place still. "If you'd allow me to make something to eat? I've had nothing since this morning."

"You can make something to eat, sure." Sylvanas said, making her way to a nearby chair and watching him walk into the kitchen. "Make me something too? I'm hungry."

Athrodar laughed and nodded his head to himself. "Sure." He looked around the kitchen and into the connecting hallway. "Are you alone here?" He asked her.

"I am." Sylvanas told him, watching Athrodar walk back into the living room and look at her. "What?"

"You're the Ranger-General with a company full of loyal rangers and none of them are staying here to look after you?" Athrodar asked, watching Sylvanas shake her head. "Luckily I am here then." Athrodar said, returning to the kitchen to finish making the food.

"For a week, then you're leaving again." Sylvanas told him, looking over to her hand when she began to tap her fingers on the arm of the chair. "Once I have given birth, you'll leave shortly after."

Athrodar handed Sylvanas the plate of food he made for her, pulling a chair beside her and sitting down. "If I do leave after a week, I will make sure you are well looked after when I do leave."

"At least I have you for a week." Sylvanas told him, looking over to Athrodar who smiled a little but didn't look at her. "How have you been?"

"I've been good." Athrodar told her. "Tavern is doing better than I ever expected it to, though that is mostly because they all love Mel. She was made for this life, the patrons and locals love her to bits. My mother, although doesn't have her tailoring shop yet, is just happy to be away from Lord Sunblade and with me. She has made a few robes, leggings, gloves and other pieces of clothing that the women of Stormwind seem to love." He looked over to Sylvanas who had a sad smile on her face. "What about you?"

"I've had my good days and bad days since you left. Mostly bad days and the occasional unbearable days as my rangers like to tell me." She placed her hand on her belly and sighed. "If I could go back in time, I would have told you the moment I found out." She told him. "I fucked up and I know it. Unfortunately I have to live with that knowledge now for the rest of my life." She began to tear up and ignored Athrodar's look of concern for her. "I had one chance with you and I messed it up big time." She said, sniffing and then crying some more.

"Hey, come on." Athrodar placed a hand on her back and pulled her in for a half hug, trying to comfort the General. "Don't cry, please? You'll upset me if you continue to cry."

Sylvanas shook her head and waved away his concern for her. "It's not me. This baby has messed up my ability to hold myself together. I cried because I didn't finish the dinner Viraleth made for me the other day. She was shocked but quickly understood why. Her husband however was confused."

Athrodar began to chuckle lightly at the story, making Sylvanas laugh two and pulling her head in slowly so she could rest it on his shoulder. "At least you're not crying for real. Otherwise I would start to get upset that I made the greatest General of our people cry." He kissed her on the temple and held her a little closer. "I don't want you to be upset, Sylvanas. We may not be together any more, but that doesn't mean I want you to suffer." Athrodar watched Sylvanas begin to tear up again and smiled a little at her. "Is that the baby again?" He asked, watching her shake her head and dropping the smile from his face.

"It's real." Sylvanas told him. "I still love you, Athrodar. I've never stopped loving you since that day and knowing you don't love me back just hurts me, especially when you say things like that." She wiped her eyes and felt Athrodar kiss her on the temple again. "If it weren't for our baby, I don't know where I would be." She told him, feeling him pull back from the half hug he was giving her. "There were times when I was alone in my office in Sunfury Spire and I had stopped myself from jumping two steps from the edge." She told him, glancing over to Athrodar who looked shocked at this news. "I stopped myself when I remembered I had a baby to look after."

"Y-you... You tried to kill yourself?" Athrodar asked, watching Sylvanas nod her head slowly. "Why?"

"Because the one person I wanted to be with left me and then he left the forests so I could never see him again." She sat up and made sure she wasn't leaning on Athrodar. "I didn't want anyone else when I told you I loved you that first time and I still don't. But if I can't have you, then I will spend the rest of my life focusing all my love on our son. That is the only reason I am still here, because I want to focus on taking care of this little one now."

Athrodar watched her stand up and stood up shortly after her. "Are you going to bed?" He asked, getting a nod from Sylvanas. "You've hardly touched the food I made you, just sit down and finish it. I don't want you to go hungry."

Sylvanas shook her head and continued to walk towards her bedroom. "I'm not hungry. The spare bedroom is free for whenever you want it." She made her way to the entrance of the living room and looked back to him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Athrodar said back to her, watching Sylvanas leave him alone in the living room and sighing just before he sat back down. "Damn it..." He muttered to himself, looking down at the ring on his hand. "You told yourself you wouldn't do this." He then said, not noticing the back of his foot was bouncing up and down. "Shit." He the said, standing up and making his way to Sylvanas' bedroom, knocking on the door twice and hearing Sylvanas ask him what he wanted. "Can I come in?" He asked her.

"Sure." Sylvanas said quietly, watching Athrodar walk into the room and watching him make his way over to her. "What are you..?"

"I'm staying here with you." He told her, placing his hands on either side of her face and kissing her lightly on the lips. "I don't want you to be alone, not whilst I'm here."

Sylvanas watched him walk to the other side of the bed and climb in, closing her eyes and smiling when he began to cuddle her. "What... What are you doing?" She asked him again, feeling him kiss her on the temple and quickly coming to her senses, pushing him away from her. "No, stop. I... I don't want your pity." She told him, sitting up and looking down at Athrodar. "All of this, you climbing into my bed, hugging and kissing me, it's sending mixed signals, Athrodar. You either love me or you don't. I don't have time for you to show me all of this attention, only to turn around after a week and say goodbye like nothing even happened." She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. "Well? What are you doing?"

Athrodar sighed and sat up. "I told myself last night that I wouldn't start to feel things for you when I came here. I told myself that you were the one who kept me from knowing about my father, missing his funeral and lying to me about it for weeks." He looked down at the ring on his finger and then over to Sylvanas, placing a hand on her leg. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about you every now and then. There were times where I would be on my own and would just think about you for an hour or two, what you would be doing at the time and if you were thinking about me." He let out a small laugh and shook his head. "I don't know why I was thinking about you, especially after everything that has happened, but there you go."

Sylvanas frowned and watched Athrodar look back to the ring on his finger. "Athrodar?" Sylvanas muttered, placing a hand on his cheek when he looked at her and kissing him lightly. "You were thinking about me because you still love me. Maybe not fully, but there is a small part of you that still loves me." She smiled and laid back down in her bed. "You can stay here if you want to, but don't be surprised if you wake up with me laying on you."

"I think a part of me does still love you." Athrodar told the General, moving an arm around her. "I haven't forgiven you, I don't know if I ever fully can, but I'm not entirely angry at you either. Having time away and a new place to call home has allowed me to clear my head and think about what has happened. I understand you wanting to keep it a secret so I can maintain my combat readiness, but you still shouldn't have done it."

"I know." Sylvanas agreed, closing her eyes and cuddling up to Athrodar when he began to move both arms around her. "Like I said, I wish I could go back and change that decision. I should have trusted you to keep your head about your father's death, or at the very least let you leave and you could return to us after the funeral."

"I would have come back." Athrodar told her, closing his eyes and keeping his arms around her. "Not that I was needed in the end. I never congratulated you for your victory."

Sylvanas smiled at both the congratulations and at being able to sleep beside Athrodar again. "It was tough, but we did win." Sylvanas told him, getting a kiss on the forehead from him. "I am tired however, so I think I am going to sleep."

"Of course." Athrodar muttered, placing a hand on her belly and smiling at their child growing inside her. "I can't wait for this little one to be born. Maybe our lives will change for the better with him in our lives."

"I hope so." Sylvanas agreed. "I hope so..." She then muttered before drifting off to sleep beside him.