Sorry it took so long. New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for readying.

Anduin sat quietly on his throne, alone and numb.

It had been the middle of the night when the portal from Darnassus had opened and refugees started pouring through. Anduin could barely believe the night elves were fleeing for their lives from a burning home. The Horde had attacked and, somehow, Sylvanas had managed to set the whole of Teldrassil on fire. Anduin had a fairly good theory as to how she managed it.

About an hour later, Tyrande had arrived with a seriously wounded Malfurion. Anduin, who had been helping to heal the night elf refugees who were suffering mainly from burns and smoke inhalation, had healed his father in law, himself. Unfortunately, no one knew what had happened to his queen, other than she had been in Darnassus helping with the evacuation.

Kia had stayed in Darnassus when the battle across the ocean started, having been convinced by her father and mother that the battlefield was no place for a newly crowned queen who was in the process of trying to get pregnant. If only they had known Sylvanas would actually use the azerite to burn down Teldrassil.

Anduin wanted to contact every Alliance city and base on Kalimdor, but he knew he needed to keep Kia's missing status a secret. If the Horde got wind that the high king's new queen was missing, possibly dead, they would only rally to attack while he was vulnerable. For the sake of the Alliance, he could not look vulnerable.

Anduin was only alone for a few minutes when the door opened and Tyrande walked in. The moon goddess still looked calm and regal, but something about the way she carried herself implied she was more troubled than she appeared.

"How is Malfurion?" Anduin asked, genuinely concerned for his father in law. Besides being family, the Archdruid was one of the most powerful being on the planet. Having him so close to death had left Anduin slightly shaken.

"Resting comfortably, thanks to you, your Majesty. He would be dead now, if Saurfang had done as Sylvanas commanded and finished him off. The orc considered Sylvanas's actions as cowardly and dishonorable. Their warchief could not have defeated Malfurion in a fair fight and she knew it."

Anduin could detect a tiny bit of anger in the normally calm night elf's voice, and rightfully so, considering she almost lost her husband.

"At least we have some good news." He replied. "Anything about Kia yet?"

Tyrande bowed her head. "Not yet. I've been quietly searching all the obvious places she might have fled to, but there is nothing." She looked up at Anduin with hope in her eyes. "Kia's smart and resourceful, Anduin. There is still hope."

Anduin nodded, but did not reply. He didn't trust his voice, at the moment, though he doubted Tyrande would blame him if his voice betrayed him.

It only took a few hours for the warchief to begin ordering the Horde armies to begin traveling to the Eastern Kingdom. Sylvanas wasn't stupid. She had just burned an entire capital city to the ground. She must have realized that most of the surviving night elves must have evacuated to Stormwind. Now, most of the Alliance's strength was in the Eastern Kingdom, which meant any retaliation from her actions would likely happen on the other continent. Lordaeron to be exact.

Baine and a small army of his braves were also heading to Lordaeron, but first, the chieftain needed to sort out another mess.

After ordering most of his braves to begin marching home, under the command of one of his officers, Baine slipped his red rune hearthstone from his belt and activated it, sending him to the mouth of a cave far from Darkshore. The cave was naturally hidden and had been in the Bloodhoof family for generations. This was a quiet, secure location used by his family when secrets were required and this was one hell of a secret.

Baine entered the cave to find things exactly as he remembered them from his last visit. The inside of the cave was decorated just like a comfortable home in Thunder Bluff. It was warm and well lit, with shadows from the fire bouncing off the walls. Torian was seated beside the fire, drinking from a mug and idly gazing into the fire.

"How's our guest?" Baine asked, putting up a hand to stop the younger tauren from standing and bowing. He began to remove his armor, placing out of the way by the far wall. It felt good to remove it.

"Resting comfortably. She had a few minor burns and smoke inhalation, but the reason she was unconscious was due to sheer exhaustion and the fact she crash landed while in stormcrow form. I've healed her up and she should be fine, with time. But, there's something else."

Baine eyed the shaman but nodded for him to continue.

"If my magic is correct, I think she's pregnant." He said quietly.

Baine's eyes widened. "Are you certain?"

The shaman nodded. "She's not very far along, yet. Maybe a week or two. I doubt she even knows, considering how we found her. If she knew she was pregnant, and considering who is most likely the father, she wouldn't have risked flying out of Teldrassil. There are safer options for a druid."

"Did the baby survive her injuries?"

Torian smiled. "I believe so. From what I could pick up, the fetus is healthy."

"Good. Thank you Torian. Can I rely on you to keep this quiet?"

Torian nodded. "We just burned a capital and its surrounding cities to the ground. We are contributors to attempted genocide." He said with sadness in his voice. "We're saving a life in this cave. Two lives. I will take this secret to my grave, Chieftain."

"You've done well tonight. You may return to Thunder Bluff, if you wish."

Torian shook his head. "I'm a better healer than Vera. I'll stay until she wakes up, just in case something else goes wrong."

"I thank you again, Torian."

Torian returned his gaze to the fire and Baine headed further into the cave, finding Vera sitting quietly next to bed containing Kia. She looked to almost be in a meditative trance, only looking up when she heard Baine enter, relief in her eyes.

"You made it."

Baine took a seat at the small table in the room and sighed. He'd been on his feet for days and it felt good to sit, even for a few minutes. "Sylvanas is sending everyone to Lordaeron next."

Vera snorted. "She's insane, but not stupid. She knows retaliation from this attack will come from Stormwind and Lordaeron is closest. Not to mention, it's her capital."

"And, she's not happy right now, since neither of the night elf leaders died in the attack. That was her main goal. To her, this battle was a failure, simply because the night elves survived. Our actions will do nothing but escalate this war."

Vera nodded in agreement, but said nothing. Baine knew she agreed with him. They sat quietly, both absorbing the events of the last few days. Though tauren were large and could be savage warriors, they also were gentle by nature and most found war uncomfortable. Baine and Vera were no exception. They both had acquaintances and friends from the races they were technically at war with, which made events like this one all the more difficult.

"Baine, you're exhausted. Why don't you go get some sleep. I plan to rest here, so when Kia wakes up, she'll see a friendly face. I promise to wake you when she wakes up."

The cave had several rooms designated for sleeping, this room containing two beds. Baine stood with a grone, already feeling a post battle ache in his arms and legs. He was still very young and was in good shape, but intense battles made even the most seasoned athletes sore.

He placed a supportive hand on Veras shoulder. "You get some sleep, too. It's been a long day for all of us." He then headed further into the cave to get some very much needed rest, hoping the horrors of the day wouldn't haunt his dreams.

To Be Continued...