Pushing The Undead Back

"Fire!" Lord Sunblade commanded, followed by Shandris who commanded her sentinels to let loose their arrows too, taking out most of the first row of undead whilst the druids the Night Elf General brought with her began to entangle several groups of undead in strong vines, squeezing and crushing them beneath each vine. Several Spellbreakers took to the front lines to hold back the undead, being empowered by the Priestesses of Elune as well as the mages of Silvermoon to fight the undead more effectively and having some of their wounds healed the second they occurred.

Finding a bridge further down the river, several nightsaber riders being led by Captain Elaria charged towards the left flank of the undead army, punching a big hole into one side and pulling back to charge again when the window of opportunity next opened. "Burn them to ashes before they can get across!" Kael'thas commanded, launching a fire spell at the undead in the shape of a phoenix.

"Are those vines?" Lor'themar asked, watching the undead army from afar and noticing giant plants in the distance that seemed to be attacking the undead. "We don't have druids, right?" He asked next, looking over to Halduron who shook his head. "No, I didn't think so."

"You know that means that the Kaldorei are here to help." Halduron said, getting a nod from Lor'themar. "And maybe a certain Kaldorei in particular." He teased, watching the Ranger-Lord suddenly go stiff. "Relax, I'm sure she's too busy to bother you."

"Titans I hope so." Lor'themar muttered, hearing Halduron chuckle beside him. "She has a sister you know. She might take a liking to you and you'll see how intimidating they are."

Halduron smirked and watched the fighting continue in the distance. "Intimidating? This must be the first woman that has taken the lead on whatever it is you have and isn't waiting hand and foot for you to talk to them."

Lor'themar remained quiet, hearing Halduron and a few rangers overhearing their conversation continue to laugh. "It is, okay? I'm used to being the forward one and having the woman be too love struck by my charming personality to string together a sentence or two."

"So you like them a bit... Slow." Halduron said, looking over to his friend. "I suppose next to them, you look smart."

Punching the Captain in the arm, Lor'themar glared at his friend whilst Halduron continued to laugh. "Enough of this, we need to help them."

"Fine, fine." Halduron said, laughing all the same. "But I'm not dropping this once the undead have been dealt with."

Hearing the sound of a Quel'dorei warhorn, Kael'thas caught a glimpse of several arrows hitting the back of the undead army and feeling a sense of relief wash over him as he knew the General had returned with the other half of their army. "Push forward!" He commanded, looking over to Dael'Thaelas who gave him a single nod. "The General has returned and she is attacking their rear flank."

"Understood." Lord Sunblade said, informing General Feathermoon who commanded her sentinels to push forward the moment she was told.

Lady Deathwhisper, Lich and commander of the undead army, watched as the elves surrounded her and the undead, growing more and more angry at their defiance and ability to keep on fighting, in her eyes, the inevitable. "Enough!" She yelled, sending out a pulse of frost magic that froze several elves and pushed back more. "I see that I have to take matters into my own hands!" She told them, raising up a boney hand to the sky and reanimated all the fallen elves in the area.

"Kael, we need to stop her." Jaina told the King who was watching his people be robbed of the afterlife. When she saw Kael'thas was just watching his people be risen into undeath before his eyes, Jaina placed a hand on his arm and tried to snap him out of whatever trance-like state he was in. "Kael." She shook him lightly as she called his name, not noticing his sword began to grow a dark red. "Kael!" She yelled to try and grab his attention.

"Interrupt her spell." Kael'thas said, looking down at his sword and placing his other hand on the blade, channeling the fire from his sword up his arm and letting it consume his body. "I plan to take her out in one spell, so when I'm ready, silence her so she can't cast spells."

Jaina watched Kael'thas' body be consumed by a dark red flame, nodding her head tentatively as it looked like the fire covering him would hurt, but not hearing him scream out in pain put her at ease a little. "Just tell me when."

Holding his spell, Kael'thas watched Lady Deathwhisper begin to cast her next spell, glancing over to Jaina who was waiting for his command. "Now." He told her, looking back to the Lich and launching his own spell at her the moment Jaina silenced the Lich, hitting the skeletal mage in the center of its body and quickly reducing the Lich to ash.

"Trap them!" Lord Sunblade yelled when he saw the undead army quickly begin to spread out the moment their connection to the Lich was severed. "Make sure they don't escape! Burn them to ash!"

Overhearing Dael'Thaelas, Lor'themar ordered the elves on his side of the undead army to do the same, finding it a little more difficult as they had less of an army on their side compared to the other half of their army and the Kaldorei. "We need to make sure they are either killed or pushed back into Eastern Lordaeron." The Ranger Lord told them, cutting down two fleeing undead and hitting a third in the back of the head with an arrow fired from his bow. "They must not be set loose towards the civilians."

Whilst all the elves currently fighting were trying to wipe out the undead army, Sylvanas stood beside Athrodar who was being looked after by Liadrin, keeping an eye out for the undead army in the meantime. "Something's happening out there and I don't think it's a bad thing." Viraleth whispered to her, looking into the distance towards Silvermoon. "I can't help but feel like they have won the fight."

"What makes you say that?" Sylvanas asked her, looking over to her Scout Captain.

"It sounds like the fighting is getting closer to us." Viraleth said. "We should be safe in the trees here, but I advise we look out for the undead army and make sure they don't come towards us."

"If they're coming this way, then I am not worried. Because like you said, we are winning that fight." Sylvanas told her, looking back to Athrodar. "And I am happy that he is a lot safer now that we're almost certain they've won that fight."

Viraleth looked over to the Ranger-General who kept her focus on Athrodar, smiling a little and nudging her arm a little. "Go to him, I can keep an eye out for the undead and keep you informed."

Sylvanas began to grow a wide smile on her face, nodding her head slowly. "He's a lot more aware now, so hopefully we can keep a conversation going for more than two sentences."

"From now on, I am the badass of our group, okay?" Liadrin smirked at Athrodar who sighed at her statement. "I fought and killed many undead and you were knocked off a wall by one that you had already killed." She began to chuckle at him, looking up at the Ranger-General who stood over the pair of them. "I've annoyed him enough, he's all yours."

Sitting down beside the injured elf, Sylvanas took hold of his hand that was rested on his chest and smiled warmly at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Besides Liadrin knowing how to push all of my buttons, I am feeling a little tired and sore." Athrodar told the General, noticing the sad smile on her face. "I've seen that look before. What's happened?"

Knowing she had to tell him the truth and keep nothing hidden from him, she sighed and squeezed his hand. "We found Victoria's parents. They didn't make it." She looked him in the eyes and saw the pain she was expecting to see. "I can tell her if you want. I don't want her to hate you, not now that her parents have fallen and I think she will find it difficult to hate you if I told her everything, including this."

"I'd offer to tell her myself, but I don't think I'm in any fit state to do that." Athrodar said, closing his eyes when Sylvanas leaned down and kissed him lightly. "Are we winning the fight at least?"

"We are." Sylvanas told him, looking over to Viraleth. "We have a strong suspicion that they are being pushed out of our lands as we speak." She looked back to Athrodar and began to smile at him. "So.. You want to marry me, huh?"

Athrodar widened his eyes at her. "Wh-what? Where did you hear that?"

"You told her, dummy." Liadrin said, overhearing their conversation. "You were out of it, but just conscious enough to tell her you want to marry her before you die."

"Oh..." Athrodar looked into the General's eyes and saw she was looking back into his, slowly growing a smile on his face the longer they looked at each other. "Yeah, I do want to marry you. I want to always be there for our son and with Victoria losing her parents, I think she will need us now more than ever."

Watching Athrodar try to sit up, Sylvanas helped him lean up against a nearby tree and sat down in front of him on her knees, taking hold of one of his hands. "Are you sure she will want to be around us after her parents were killed out here?"

"I don't know." Athrodar told her honestly. "But I know she isn't someone who holds a grudge, or at the very least, knows we couldn't have kept an eye out on her parents whilst doing our own duties." He closed his eyes and rest his head against the tree. "I can't wait until we're back home. I get a bed to rest in, a son who will be around me a lot more often than these last couple of years and a General who will do everything in her power to make sure I'm comfortable."

"I don't think you can get Shandris to make sure you're comfortable." Sylvanas said, grinning at a chuckling Athrodar. "Though I would like to see that. Veteran Sentinel who has been serving her country for many millennia, dropping everything to look after some Lieutenant Ranger who got injured."

"Ex-Lieutenant Ranger." Athrodar reminded her, frowning and tilting his head a little when he saw Sylvanas smile knowingly at him. "What have I missed?" He asked when he saw her continue to smile.

"I am going to reinstate you as a Lieutenant, though you won't have your own company until your class have graduated from the Academy." Sylvanas told him, placing up a hand when she saw he was about to speak. "I will run it by the King, but knowing how close you two have gotten since you returned to Silvermoon, I don't think he will argue."

"Wow..." Athrodar muttered, looking down at her hand that remained holding onto his. "I'm surprised you're not going to try to get me to join your company."

"If I could, you don't think I would?" Sylvanas asked him, moving to sit beside him now and resting her head on his shoulder. "I would have you in my company the moment we return to the city. Unfortunately, I'm not the Queen of Silvermoon and only the General so, despite being a total badass, I can't change the laws of our country." She looked Athrodar up and down, smirking at him when a thought crossed her mind. "Though... I am sitting next to someone who is on the Convocation."

"Nice try." Athrodar said, laughing lightly. "I am not going to do you favors to make your life easier." He told her, kissing the General on the temple. "Even if you beg me for it." He whispered.

"Bully." She muttered, looking over to Viraleth who made her way back to the General. "What's up?"

"They've pushed the undead back to Tranquillien." The Chief Scout told her. "We need to wait here until they've been pushed further south, then we can get him back to Silvermoon and resting up."

Sylvanas nodded her head slowly. "We'll wait here, that's fine." She said, feeling Athrodar lean up against her arm and smiling when she saw him close his eyes. "Then I can get him to safety, report in to the King and tell him what has happened in Stratholme.

Viraleth nodded her head in agreement. "Then we wait here." She said, remaining crouched down in front of the General and a now sleeping Athrodar. "Can I be there when you tell him about your plan for our kids?"

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow at the Chief Scout and then looking over to Athrodar. "My idea? We both agreed that we will do what we can to make our son and your daughter marry and join our families."

Viraleth rolled her eyes. "Fine, it was our idea."

"Good." Sylvanas smiled and looked back to Athrodar. "And yes, you can be there."

"I can't thank you enough, Shandris." Kael'thas said, watching the Kaldorei General bow her head to him. "We might have been lost if you didn't turn up with your sentinels."

"When you sent a runner to ask for our help, I knew it had to be serious. Otherwise I'm sure you would have handled it yourself." General Feathermoon said, looking around at her Kaldorei who were helping the wounded or dealing the final blow to the undead still moving around. "The High priestess will be happy to see that we were successful here and hopes it will strengthen our bond as kin."

"It almost certainly will." Kael'thas told her, looking south and noticing several of the General's rangers talking to a handful of mages. "Excuse me." He said to the Kaldorei General, making his way towards Anya and Clea who were in talks with Grand Magister Dawnstrider. "Where's the General?" He asked both rangers.

"Outside Tranquillien with Athrodar and a few of the injured we found still in the town." Clea told the King, looking back to the Grand Magister in front of her. "We need a portal back to the city so we can move the injured."

"Alright." The Grand Magister said, looking over to the King. "I'll need a couple mages."

"Take them." Kael'thas said. "After all, he is still joint head of the Convocation. We need him to return to the city as soon as possible. In the meantime, I will travel back with everyone who isn't a ranger. Lord Sunblade is leading the charge against the undead army and is pushing them back with Lord Theron and the other half of the rangers from Stratholme." He looked back to Shandris and her Kaldorei in the distance. "Perhaps we'll talk about our future with them in the meantime."

Before he could return to the Kaldorei General, Kael'thas was stopped by Jaina who looked guilty to the King. "None of this should have happened." She said, looking around at many of the undead as well as the fallen elves that were being taken away. "With Arthas and the undead..." She shook her head. "If I had just tried harder to stop him at Stratholme. Came up with a different solution. Maybe none of this business with the undead would have happened." Jaina said, closing her eyes now. "Antonidas would be still here."

"We can't change the past." Kael'thas told her, placing a gentle hand under her chin and tilting her head up when she opened her eyes. "We have to live in the present and hope our actions make a difference for the future. I we could go back, i would spend a lot more time here, with my father and even try to save my mother so she would still be here with us." He smiled at the human in front of him. "She would have loved you. How strong you are and how capable you are at leading."

Jaina smiled and looked away, a little embarrassed by the praise. "I would have loved to have met her. Hearing you talk about her over the many years I've known you, she sounded like a wonderful woman."

"She was." Kael'thas said, smiling and looking over to the civilian volunteers making their way towards Silvermoon. "I need to talk to Shandris and then check in on my people." He told her, looking back to the human. "I would like it if you stayed, just for a few more days so we can catch up in less hostile circumstances."

Jaina's smile widened at his offer. "Of course. I would be happy to stay here for a few more days."

"Good." Kael'thas said, having a warm feeling wash over him at the news of Jaina deciding to stay around for a few more days. "I am glad." He told her, bowing his head to the human and making his way towards Shandris in the distance.

"How long have they been in there?" Athrodar asked, waking up after a long nap back in Silvermoon. His attention was on a closed door but the voices he could hear coming from the room were two voices he recognised. Sylvanas and Victoria, though the latter sounded as upset as he thought she would if the conversation was going the way he thought it would go.

Liadrin looked over to Athrodar, smiling a little at him and then returning her attention back to the closed door she was staring at. "Almost an hour now." The Paladin told him. "Nice of you to finally wake up as well."

"I figured you could use the company, so I decided I had rested enough." Athrodar told her, sitting up and placing a hand on his abdomen when he felt a sharp pain. "I see I'm not fully healed."

"It takes time." Liadrin said, glancing over to him once more. "A lot longer than you seem to want to give it."

"How long exactly?" He asked, laying back down and looking up at the ceiling.

"A week or two more. I have done the hard part, now it's up to your body to heal the rest." Liadrin told him, folding one leg over the other and keeping her attention on the door. "You're lucky you were asleep about thirty minutes ago. I couldn't sit here for long when I heard the cries coming from that room. That poor girl lost both her parents in one attack and almost lost a third. How the General is still in there with her is beyond me, but clearly she is either a great negotiator or better at keeping kids company when they're grieving than I first thought." She frowned at her own sentence and glanced over to Athrodar. "Not that I'd expect anyone to be good at that now that I think about it, but it seems to be a handy skill right now."

Looking around the room, Athrodar noticed a lack of siblings. "Where are the chaotic brother and sister pairing that is the Dawnstriders?"

"The tall one is healing the wounded whilst the short one is helping burn the bodies of the undead." Liadrin began to grin and turned her attention to the window beside her overlooking the city. "It's great being the head of our Paladins. I get to order Vilandil around a lot more than I could before we formed this new section of our military."

"I'm sure he's loving that." Athrodar said with a chuckle, wincing when he began to feel pain and heard Liadrin tut and watched her shake her head.

"You can't do that." She told him. "Laughing, coughing or sneezing will make your stomach hurt. Talking is clearly fine, heavy lifting will probably cripple you and moving around will be uncomfortable at best and painful for the most part."

Athrodar let out a long sigh. "So I am truly stuck in bed then." He said, not noticing the nod from Liadrin but guessing she had done that action or something similar. "Who is taking over my classes whilst I'm in here?" He asked, not getting an answer from Liadrin. "Hello?"

"I don't think you want to know." Liadrin told him, watching Athrodar frown at the ceiling he was staring at.

"Who is it?" He asked again, sitting up a little to look at the Paladin.

"It's the two elves nobody would want running anything." Liadrin told him, hearing Athrodar sigh when he knew straight away who it was.

"Brilliant. I am going to have no class to return to when I'm better." He said, getting a laugh from Liadrin.

"At least you tried your best." She told him, looking over to the door in front of her and watching the Ranger-General walk out of it. "How is she?" The Paladin asked, getting the tiniest of smiles from the General.

"She's decided to sleep in the spare bedroom for tonight. Tomorrow I am taking her home and collecting a few things and bringing her back here so she can make herself comfortable with her new home." Sylvanas looked over to Athrodar who was looking at her. "She doesn't blame you, if that's what is going through your head right now. In fact, she's happy you're still alive even if it's clouded by how upset she is that she has lost both her parents."

"When's the mass funeral?" Athrodar asked them.

"The King has scheduled it to take place in two days time." Sylvanas told him, making her way towards her bed and sitting at the end of it, placing a hand on Athrodar's leg in the meantime. "He knows you won't be able to make it, so he sends his best and hopes you have a speedy recovery." She looked over to Liadrin who continued to sit on the windowsill, having her attention fixed on the city below them whilst they were in the General's Sunfury home. "Thank you again for keeping him alive."

Liadrin waved away the praise she got. "It was nothing. Any healer with a weeks worth of training would have been able to save him. The only threat on his life was himself at that moment, his injuries looked bad but were actually pretty minor. It's the recovery that is the hardest part and most of it relies on him staying put and barely moving."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow and looked over to Athrodar. "Is that so?" She asked, slowly grinning at him. "Well, I think I can make sure he never leaves this bed unless he has to." She said, looking back to Liadrin who had a grin on her face too. "If there's one thing I can guarantee, it's that he will be resting for those two weeks." She looked over to the spare bedroom door. "She will help me too once I tell her the plan."

"I suppose that's not too bad then." Athrodar said, smiling at the General. "My son, my daughter and my General making sure I stay in bed and recover."

Sylvanas smiled and laughed lightly. "Well, it will be mostly me and Victoria, but I am sure Talanas will try to help too."

"Right." Liadrin said, climbing off the windowsill and stretching her arms above her head. "I'm going to go, maybe find the King or see if I can help out with healing the wounded." She looked at both Athrodar and Sylvanas, bowing her head to them. "I'll leave you two alone now. Don't do anything that will injure him or at the very least, make me come back here to heal some more... Wounds."

"Nothing will happen." Athrodar told her, squeezing Sylvanas' hand in hopes that she would get the hint to keep silent.

Glancing down at their hands, Sylvanas smiled a little and nodded her head. "Nothing will happen." She repeated, looking over to the Paladin. "Victoria is nearby anyway. It would be inappropriate."

"Like that would stop you." Liadrin muttered under her breath, bowing her head to them again and leaving shortly after.

Once alone, Sylvanas moved to sit on Athrodar's lap and stroked his cheek lightly with her fingers. "I spoke to Lord Sunblade whilst you were asleep." She said, hearing him sigh and knowing all too well his disdain for his great grandfather. "There are going to be some uncomfortable conversations in the future regarding the King and his heir."

Athrodar sighed again, shaking his head and feeling Sylvanas press her head against his. "I should have seen this coming. I can't say I'm not surprised this conversation would happen, I was just expecting it to be sooner if I'm honest, but it's not going to be a fun one with the King."

"I know it will be a topic for the Convocation only, but I will try to be there if you would like?" Sylvanas offered.

"We'll see." Athrodar told her. "I'm not too confident in the conversation going well, but we won't know until we have them." He leaned forward a little and kissed the General lightly. "For now, I just want to rest and have you beside me the entire time."

Laying down beside Athrodar now, Sylvanas grinned at him and kissed him on the cheek when he closed his eyes. "I will be here."