Repairing Old Bridges

"Highlord?"

Alexandros looked over to a group of elves who had just entered the throne room. "Your Majesty." He said, bowing his head to Kael'thas who in return made his way over to the Paladin and placed a hand on his arm. "I thank you for your hospitality." He looked over to a giddy looking elf behind the King, smiling at her a little when she seemed to almost bounce with excitement. "Hello."

"Ah, h-hello!" Liadrin said, suddenly becoming really nervous. "S-sorry, I've just never met a paladin before. Especially not one as legendary as you."

"Okay, down girl." Vandellor said, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "It's a pleasure having you here, Highlord."

"This must make you happy." Dael'Thaelas whispered, glancing over to Athrodar who stood beside him. "More of your human friends surviving the attack from Arthas and coming to us for help."

"Well I'm not a monster, so it's only natural for me to see survivors of Arthas' attack and be happy." Athrodar told him, not looking at Lord Sunblade. "After all, they want to go back out there and fight the undead again, only we are going to give them reinforcements if talks go well." He now looked over to Lord Sunblade who was watching Alexandros talk to Kael'thas. "Then we can clear out one of the major threats to our home."

"If you say so." Lord Sunblade said, walking away from Athrodar who began to smirk.

"He seems like he's in a good mood." Lana'thel whispered, standing beside Athrodar and hugging his arm. "That human has an interesting sword." She whispered to him, eyeing the blade intently. "I can sense it has a strong magic about it, but it's foreign to me."

"It is something interesting." Athrodar agreed, kissing Lana'thel on the temple. "I wish I could join them in the fight to the south, the ranger part of me feels like it's missing out. But I made my bed, so I have to lay in it."

"Well I think it's a very comfortable bed." Lana'thel told him, kissing him on the cheek. "One that you'll get to share with your soon to be wife and their son or daughter."

Athrodar smiled and hugged the Magistrix against him. "It does sound like a very comfortable bed indeed."

Lana'thel chuckled and nodded her head. "Glad we can agree on that."

"That sword." Belo'vir said, looking at the blade on the Highlord's back. "It's very... Interesting."

Alexandros smiled and showed them the sword. "It was forged with the Light. Any undead that has touched the blade has disintegrated into ash, giving it the name: Ashbringer." He told them, offering the blade to Liadrin so she could hold it. "You'll feel its power the moment you hold it."

Liadrin's eyes widened the moment she took hold of blade, feeling the Light course through her veins ten times stronger than she had ever felt in her life. "Woah..." She gasped, knowing she could heal the entire room of any diseases they had at this very second. "I need one of these." She muttered, handing the blade back to the Highlord who chuckled at her reaction.

"Unfortunately, this is a one of a kind weapon." He told her, looking over to the King. "If it's not too forward, I would like to request the use of your paladins and maybe a ranger company or two when we launch the attack of Stratholme."

"That is rather forward." Lord Sunblade said, opening his mouth to speak more but being stopped by Kael'thas when he placed his hand up.

"I'll speak to the Ranger-General about the ranger companies, but I'm sure Vandellor and Liadrin would be more than happy to help." He said, glancing back to Liadrin and Vandellor who both nodded their heads in agreements. "Now they might be a new group, but our paladins are very experienced priests and only our best were picked for such an honorable role."

"No better way to break them in than fighting the undead then." Alexandros said, getting a chuckle from many of those around him, including the King.

"I couldn't agree more. Now, come with me and I will take you to the Ranger-General." Kael'thas said, placing a hand on his back and leading him towards Sylvanas' office in the spire.

Just as he was about to leave, Athrodar was stopped by Lord Sunblade who placed a hand on his shoulder to keep him in place. "A word." He didn't ask, he was telling the youngest Sunblade that they had to talk.

"I'll catch up to you." Athrodar said, kissing and pressing his head against Lana'thel's for a moment before she whispered her love to him and kissing him again. "I love you too." He whispered to her, watching the Magistrix leave him alone with Lord Sunblade. "What is it?" He asked once they were alone.

"You have a daughter." He told him, folding his arms and watching Athrodar sigh. "I hear you're also denying it, despite having the General, her Chief Scout and even Liadrin of all people telling you she is yours."

"The General is also trying her hardest to win me back and will do anything to put a wedge between Lana'thel and I without being the main reason why." Athrodar looked over to the entrance of the throne room. "And Lana'thel is the one denying it."

Dael'Thaelas tilted his head a little at his great grandson. "And you?"

"I... I don't know." Athrodar muttered. "Looking at her, this elf who may or may not be my daughter, it's easy to convince myself that she is mine when I see a few similarities between her and my mother." He looked over to Lord Sunblade who actually looked to be listening to him and interested in what he had to say, something that confused him a little. Normally Dael'Thaelas would have a smirk on his face, waiting to shoot down whatever it was he had to say just to show he still had power over him. But this looked and felt different. "She's incredibly cheerful and innocent. Too innocent to want to be a ranger, yet she looks to be trying harder than anyone to improve."

"Do you want her to be your daughter?" Lord Sunblade asked him, watching Athrodar looked down at his feet in thought.

"I don't know her." Athrodar told him. "I mean... A week or two ago, she was just a recruit like everyone else in that class. But now I hear she is my daughter and a big part of me wanted to tell her, hug her and hear her tell me she always knew I was. The other part of me, the small part of me that was against that idea, told me that she couldn't be my daughter because I would have been told by you, or dad or even Aerinan by now."

"Would it change your mind if I told you that she is your daughter?" Lord Sunblade asked him, watching Athrodar shake his head but not look at him. "Even if I spoke to her mother and she admitted to knowing all along that you were the father?"

That made Athrodar look over to him. "What?"

"I spoke to her yesterday." Lord Sunblade told him. "It took a while for her to calm down when her guilt over the whole thing made her cry, but she admitted everything and hasn't told her daughter because she wanted to keep her family together." He placed a hand into the Convocation robe he was wearing, pulling out a letter and handing it to his great grandson. "But she did give me this and said it's up to you whether or not you want to tell this recruit the truth. If you do decide to tell her, give her this and let her decide what she wants to do next."

Athrodar looked down at the letter in his hand and frowned at it. "Why are you doing this? What do you plan to get out of this whole thing?"

Lord Sunblade let out a quick laugh and shook his head. "Nothing other than wanting a truce between us. I have seen how the King listens and responds to both you and Lana'thel and I quickly realised I need to start repairing old bridges. Starting with you two."

"And I'm supposed to believe that?" Athrodar now asked him.

"Probably not, I wouldn't if I were in your shoes, but I am hoping you do. I plan to be the joint head of the Convocation for the rest of my days and if you're going to be there with me, we will need a good working relationship, even if our family one isn't even close to working out." Lord Sunblade looked down at the letter in his hand. "I hope you do tell her. It would be nice to have a daughter in this family. Even if she is a bastard."

Athrodar tapped his hand on the folded up letter, watching Lord Sunblade leave him on his own looking around the now empty room he stood in. "I have to tell her." He told himself, looking over to the entrance of the throne room and taking a deep breath. "I have to tell her." He repeated, making his way out of the throne room too.

"We would have to scout it out, seeing as nobody here can give us an accurate layout of the city, but I think that's something we can do when we all get there." Sylvanas said, looking over to Lor'themar and Halduron who nodded their heads in agreement before looking over to Alexandros. "And seeing as it's a city, I think this siege or whatever it is, will take days to complete. After all, we have to scout it out like I said and the undead are restless, so we might get tired but they certainly won't."

"How do you plan to tackle the fatigue?" Alexandros asked, getting a smile from the Ranger-General in return.

"I'm glad you asked." She said, placing a hand on Lor'themar's shoulder who began to frown at her, only to quickly sigh when he caught on to what she was about to say. "Lord Theron will be a standby unit whilst we attack Stratholme. When one of our groups get tired, his company will step up and take over so you or I can rest up. Then we will step in when someone else gets tired and so on and so forth. We'll always have a group on standby just in case one of us needs to rest." Sylvanas smiled at Lor'themar who smiled back at her, though less enthusiastically. "Glad you agree Theron."

"Not like I have much of a choice." Lor'themar grumbled, getting a chuckle from Sylvanas.

"Tease me again, and I'll make it worse next time." She whispered to him, glancing over to Halduron. "Don't worry, I have plans for him soon."

"You're no fun when you're being serious, Sylvie." Lor'themar teased, getting a fiery glare from her in response. "Please don't take Halduron away from me."

Before the General could respond, there was a knock at the door which caught her attention. "Continue without me." She said, going towards her desk and pulling out a small sack and hiding it in her cloak. Opening the door, she quickly slipped out and stood face to face with Lord Sunblade. "And?" She asked, getting a nod from him in response.

"He believed me." Lord Sunblade said, extending out a waiting hand towards the General.

Placing the small sack in his hand, she sighed when she watched him begin to weigh it. "It's all there, okay?"

"I should hope so." Lord Sunblade said, pocketing the sack of coins. "Next time, do your own dirty work. Making me talk to peasants just to confirm what you already know."

Sylvanas rubbed her temple and closed her eyes. "I would have done it myself, but he wouldn't believe me if I told him. So I needed someone outside of my immediate circle to talk to him."

"A wild shot in the dark to have you land at me." Lord Sunblade told the General. "You're lucky he believed me, otherwise it would have been a waste of coin."

"I'm just glad it worked out." She told him, glancing back at the door behind her. "I need to return."

"Fine." Lord Sunblade bowed his head a little at her. "Leave me out of this in the future. I don't want to be in between this weird, will they, won't they with you and my great grandson."

Catching a glimpse of Lord Sunblade, Kael'thas watched Sylvanas make her way back to the planning table and raising a curious eyebrow at her. "Interesting conversation?" He asked, standing beside the General and whispering to her.

"Nothing I couldn't handle." She told her King, glancing over and smiling at him. "Just a bit of ground work for my other plan."

"Well be advised. Lana'thel is on a war path when it comes to you and Athrodar, so expect her to counter whatever it is you're doing." Kael'thas looked back to the plan the rest of them were hatching. "Especially if it has anything to do with this recruit."

"She won't stop this from happening." Sylvanas told him, certainty in her eyes.

"Time will tell." Kael'thas responded.

"Yes it will." Sylvanas then said. "After we are done here, I am going to go find him and make sure he tells that recruit. There's no excuse not why he wouldn't tell her."

Athrodar slowly walked through the Ranger Academy, searching room by room until he found the recruit he was looking for, smiling to himself when he saw her through a window, training her archery all by herself in the courtyard. "She is determined not to be the worst recruit." He told himself, feeling the letter in his pocket and dropping the smile from his face when he remembered what he had to do. "Please don't hate me for what I'm about to do."

"Ugh!" Victoria groaned in frustration, missing the bullseye by several points and hitting one of the outer rings of the target. "Focus Victoria, you can do this!" She told herself, taking a deep breath and not noticing Athrodar standing behind her.

Watching her let loose an arrow into the target, Athrodar began to smile again when he heard her cheer the moment she noticed it hit one of the inner rings. "Congratulations." He said, making her scream at his sudden arrival. "Just next time, keep the talking to inside your head. The others might think you're losing your mind."

"M-Mr Sunblade." Victoria stuttered, bowing her head at him. "I was just practicing... I didn't hear you enter the courtyard."

Athrodar folded his arms across his chest and smiled at her. "How many times have I told you, Victoria? You can call me Athrodar."

Victoria smiled at him innocently. "I-I'm sorry. I'm not used to calling adults by their birth names. I promise I'll call you by your name from now on."

Knowing this would be a perfect time to test her, Athrodar began to smirk at the young recruit. "Do it."

"W-what?" Victoria asked a smirking Athrodar.

"Call me by my name." Athrodar said, watching the young recruit grow uncomfortable very quickly. "Come on." He said, laughing lightly.

"A... Athrodar." She forced out, going red in the cheeks when he laughed lightly and closing her eyes when he placed a hand on her head. "Stop laughing..." She pouted.

"Okay, I'm sorry." Athrodar said, placing a hand on his pocket and slowly pulling out the letter. "Look, the reason I am here."

Victoria looked at the letter in Athrodar's hand and frowned at it, feeling her heart begin to sink the longer she looked at the letter. "I'm being kicked out the Farstriders, aren't I?" She asked, eyeing the letter and slowly hugging herself. "Please don't kick me out. I am trying really hard and... And... I am learning as fast as I can and.."

"Hey, calm down." Athrodar said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder and watching her bottom lip wobble. "You're not being kicked out the Farstriders." He told her, crouching down to level out their heights. "Okay?" He asked, watching her nod slowly. "This is something completely different, but I need you to take this seriously as well, got it?"

Victoria wiped her eyes and nodded her head. "G-got it."

Athrodar took a deep breath and looked down at the letter in his hand. "There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it. I... Am... Your dad." Athrodar told her, watching Victoria continue to wipe her eyes and frown at him. "I know you have a thousand questions right now, but your mother wrote this letter that explains everything."

"Wait.." Victoria looked Athrodar in they eyes in confusion. "What do you mean you're my dad? I have a dad, I have always had a dad and you're not him."

"Like I said, this letter will explain everything." Athrodar told her, handing the recruit the letter. "I don't plan to take his place in your life, but I had to tell you the moment I found out."

Victoria looked down at the letter in her hands now. "How long have you known?" She asked him, not looking up at the youngest Sunblade.

"I was told about a week ago, but it was confirmed today." Athrodar told her, standing up and looking over to the entrance to the courtyard and noticing the Ranger-General was standing there, listening in on their conversation. "Take your time." He told her, looking back to the young recruit. "I will be in my office if you need me. If I'm not there, then try my home."

Sylvanas watched Athrodar make his way over to her, noticing the young recruit not move an inch until Athrodar was standing beside her. "You told her." She said, looking up at him and watching him nod his head. "It's a good thing that you did tell her. She has the right to know."

"I know she does." Athrodar muttered, looking over to the recruit who was now reading the letter in her hands. "I need to tell Lana'thel. She thinks you're paying people off to tell me she is mine, but after I spoke to Dael'Thaelas earlier today, I now know that she is mine."

Sylvanas took hold of Athrodar's hand which grabbed his attention the instant he felt her touch. "I have learnt the hard way to never lie to you, Athrodar." She told him, squeezing his hand. "I am nothing but an open book now. Especially if that's what it takes to keep you in my life."

"Can I ask you something?" Athrodar said, watching Victoria continue to read the letter but knowing Sylvanas was looking at him.

"Of course." She whispered, resting her head on his arm and looking at Victoria too.

Athrodar kissed the top of the General's head and closed his eyes when he felt her lean against him some more. "If we were still together, would you take her in and care for her as if she was your own?"

"I would." Sylvanas told him. "If we were together, I would treat her like she was my daughter because she is your family and that would make her my family too." She looked up at Athrodar when he moved back to look at her, placing a hand on his cheek when they both began to look into each other's eyes. "I would be the worst person for you if I didn't see her has my daughter too."

Athrodar continued to look into the General's eyes, slowly leaning down and kissing her on the lips lightly, only to deepen the kiss when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down a little more so she could hold him in place. Wanting to speak, Athrodar pulled away a little and pressed his head against Sylvanas' in the meantime. "I am afraid Lana'thel won't react the same way." He whispered, watching the General bite her bottom lip and gaze into his eyes some more. "She is adamant that you are planting fake evidence and paying people off to agree with you that she won't believe me if I tell her the truth."

"Then you need to ask yourself one question, Athrodar. Is she the best person for you?" She placed a hand over his mouth to stop him from speaking before she had finished. "This is not me saying this to break you up, this is me caring for the father of my son and his wellbeing. I don't want you to suffer, or be hurt or anything negative in this relationship with your fiancé because she continues to deny the existence of this girl." She removed her hand and gave him a peck on the lips, pressing her head against his chest now. "I just want what's best for you, Athrodar. If that means you stay with that Magistrix, then so be it. But if she is committed to denying this recruit's connection to you, I have to step in and ask what you're doing."

Athrodar hugged the General against him, kissing the top of her head again and pressing his cheek in the same spot shortly after. "I know." He whispered, looking over to Victoria who looked to have finished reading the letter and was now sitting on the floor, thinking over everything she thought she knew about her family. "Have you met her yet?"

Sylvanas moved her head a little so she could see the recruit, smiling to herself and shaking her head a little bit. "I have not. I read her file and have seen her through a window... Twice now actually, but I have yet to speak to her. She does look a little like you, even if I can only see the back of her head."

Athrodar chuckled and squeezed the General lightly. "I'd like you to meet her." He told her, looking down at the General when she tried to look up at him. "In a few minutes of course. I'm hoping you can talk to her about everything, me being her father and the possibility of getting to know the Ranger-General a little more because both of you will be in my life."

Sylvanas smiled up at him and stood on her tiptoes, kissing him lightly on the lips and feeling him kiss her back when she pulled away a little. "I can definitely do that." She told him, looking back to the young recruit and smiling a little wider. "Wait here."

Watching the General make her way into the courtyard, Athrodar watched Sylvanas sit down in front of Victoria who took a few seconds to realise she was there, smiling to himself when he saw the young recruit hug the General out of excitement and then having Sylvanas move her arms around her in return. He didn't know what they were talking about in detail, but he had good reason to believe it was about the letter in Victoria's hand and everything related to it.

It didn't take long for them to both stand up now and look over to Athrodar a few minutes later, confusing him when he saw them both begin to make their way towards him and being stunned into silence when Victoria hugged him tightly. "She says she doesn't blame you for anything." Sylvanas said when Victoria remained silent. "That was meant to be her line, but I think she has a lot going on right now so I am helping her out."

Athrodar tentatively placed a hand on her back, feeling Victoria hug him tighter and slowly moving his other arm around her shortly after, just to test the waters. "Like I said, I don't want to break up your family." He told her quietly, feeling the recruit hold onto the back of his tunic as tightly as she could. "And I fully understand if you don't want to be anything other than my student until you graduate. After that, I won't be hurt or blame you if you decide you want nothing to to with me since I have finished my small part in your life."

"I don't want that." Victoria muttered, not removing her face from his body after burying it there with her hug. "You're my dad. My birth dad. I can't turn my back on family, that's not how I was raised."

Sylvanas smiled when she saw relief wash over Athrodar's face, taking a couple steps towards them and placing a hand on Victoria's back. "Come on, let's return to the barracks so you can sort some things out before you return home." She looked over to Athrodar who frowned at the General. "Just for a couple of days, so she can talk to her mother and father." She told him, getting an understanding nod in return.

"Alright." He said, letting go of the recruit. "You know where I am if you need me, okay?"

Sylvanas smiled a little wider when Victoria nodded, pushing her along and stopping beside Athrodar for a few seconds. "And you know where I am if your Magistrix doesn't react how you think she will." She took hold of his hand and brought it up to her lips, kissing the back of it. "My doors are always open to you, Athrodar. I just hope, for your sake, that she reacts how you want her to."

Athrodar nodded his head in agreement. "So do I." He told her in return, pressing his head against hers for a few seconds before she began to leave with Victoria, leaving him to his thoughts for a few quiet minutes, deciding it was best to rip the bandage off with Lana'thel as soon as possible instead of having her find out from someone else.