Chapter 5

Sylvanas

Word had arrived quickly about the attack in Ashenvale. Sylvanas listened to the reports, making sure not to show any outward sign of shock or surprise to the other horde members. She knew that a leader should only ever exude strength in front of her underlings. This was, however, one of those times that proved quite difficult for her to maintain. A certain human 'mage', had apparently joined up with a paltry night elf resistance company, that the horde had previously been toying with. When she was told that this mage was responsible for the massacre of nearly two hundred of her troops, she barely managed to keep her composure. It was him. She knew that it could only be the champion that she had been searching for, and he had finally reached Kalimdor.

Her instant reaction was one of seething anger. The alliance had already put him to work, had poisoned him and pit him against her. Her anger was only quelled by the realization that she was one step closer to finding him, and that his power had already grown exponentially. She now knew that he had probably left Ashenvale and the night elves could only be bringing him somewhere close to Darkshore. Darkshore was the area with the most night elf resistance, and there were reports that Tyrande Whisperwind herself had returned to lead an attack against the horde. These reports were difficult to discern if that was indeed fact or fiction, as the kaldorei attacks were becoming more frequent, and the horde had been pushed further and further back. But if it was true, then the champion must be on his way to meet the night elf leader. Sylvanas knew that she couldn't let that happen. She would have to get to him before Tyrande could. When the throne room finally emptied, she motioned for Nathanos to stay.

Nathanos waited until the retreating voices had disappeared, and turning his head back to the dark lady, he moved to face her. "What is it my queen?"

Was that a hint of discontent? Sylvanas surpressed her annoyance. Was it just her imagination, or had Nathanos become slightly...irritable lately. She brushed the thought aside. She had important matters to deal with. "I will be gone for a time and I will be counting on you to be my eyes and ears here, while I am away."

Nathanos raised an eybrow and was silent for a moment. Then, as if urging himself to speak, he answered her in a low, brusque tone. "May I ask where you are going?"

Sylvanas couldn't stop a hint of anger bubbling to the surface. "Since when have you begun to question me, Nathanos?"

Nathanos stood firm, his expression unchanged. "I serve you, and only you. You know this, but the more information I have, the better equipped I am to assist you."

"You can assist me by following my orders, not questioning them", she retorted.

"Is it him?", asked Nathanos.

"Who?", Sylvanas blurted angrily, not quite sure how Nathanos had made her so irate, so quickly.

"This...so called champion", he replied, unable to hide his displeasure.

Sylvanas looked at him, and for a moment, felt a trickle of guilt. Suddenly understanding, her lips curled in a wry smile. "Ah...so that's what this is about", she exclaimed in a soothing voice. She walked closer to him, slowly, her hips swaying seductively. "You are my champion Nathanos. I will always have use for you, do not fret about that. This other man, he is...different."

Nathanos, now clearly satisfied, at least in part, with his dark lady's acknowledgement, asked another question. "Different. How so, my queen?"

"He comes from another world, and yet no one really seems to know why he is here, or how he came to be here. His power has proven to be quite formidable, and his limits are as yet, unknown. Add to this, the fact that I sensed a...connection with him, before Anduin Wrynn took him. It was as if a part of his magic, his power, was drawn to mine", she paused momentarily, as if thinking, "Even I cannot fully explain it yet. All I know is that I need to claim him and figure that out. Also, I don't have to remind you what an asset he would be to the horde, do I?"

Nathanos had to agree with this last point. "Indeed, if he could be turned against the alliance, it would be a huge boon."

"I will be leaving immediately. You are one of very few that know the reason. Keep it that way for now", Sylvanas said, returning to a serious tone.

"Of course, my queen", he replied in a short bow.

Sylvanas left quickly, knowing that haste was of the utmost importance. She still didn't know why she had kept certain things from Nathanos, the only one whom she had told almost everything. For an instant, her mind brought her back to the hell that she had once endured. The cold, prickly fear threatened to engulf her, but she gritted her teeth and shook the terrible images out of her head. This man she needed to find, had immense power, a power that not only resonated with hers, but could even possibly help her with her own personal plans. She smiled to herself now. She would know...very soon.

Stormwind

"You did what?", Genn Greymane shouted, his voice echoing through the war room.

"Genn...a calm mind is what is needed. If you would just listen to what I have to say", Anduin sighed, doing his best not to roll his eyes.

"I have listened your majesty", Genn blustered, "And I have learned a great deal that disturbs me. Not only was I not told about this champion, but when I'm finally privy to the truth, I learn that he has been sent away to Kalimdor. Of all places...Anduin... why?"

"I understand your immediate reaction Genn, but Velen was the one who brought his vision to our attention, and he was adamant that the champion needed to..."

"To what?", Genn replied, cutting Anduin off. "To send him into enemy territory? The man is not from this world. He needs OUR guidance, and we have sent him into the arms of the banshee queen. The alliance needs all the help we can get. If what you say is true, then he could turn out to be a weapon that WE could use...NOW. But instead, you took a massive risk by sending him to Tyrande, who, let's be honest, is not exactly her old stable self right now. And If the horde gets to him..."

"GENN!", Anduin interjected with a shout of his own. "First of all, he's not a weapon, he's a person. Secondly, he's with Valeera and the night elves. There are more and more returning to Kalimdor now. Tyrande is preparing for war, regardless of whether the alliance can send troops to her or not. Right now we're spread too thin. Personally, I am hoping that the champion can dissuade her attack for now. She seemed very interested in him, and requested the meeting herself."

Genn ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Anduin, of course she was very interested in him. She probably wants to use him for herself. I am indebted to both Tyrande and Malfurion, but the way she is now, vengeance is all that is on her mind. She doesn't see clearly, something that I truly understand, but in her present state of mind, she could make bad decisions. Maybe, even dangerous ones."

"Even with the grief and the anger that she is dealing with, Tyrande wouldn't betray me or the alliance", Anduin replied.

"She wouldn't see it as a betrayal. She would see it as putting an end to Sylvanas Windrunner, and in doing so, helping all of Azeroth to be rid of her", Genn retorted.

"Tyrande will undoubtedly sense his power, and I am hoping that she'll see some sense. Even with the champion on her side, she'll know that waiting for the alliance is the right move. Sense will prevail Genn", said Anduin. "Besides, I gave Matt a hearthstone. If there is any trouble, he'll use it. It will send him right back to Stormwind."

Genn took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I hope you're right Anduin, because if by any chance Sylvanas gets a second shot to abduct him,...Tyrande could be the least of our worries."

The Journey (Day 5)

The hippogryphs needed to rest, and when they had found a secure area to land, Valeera, Matt, and the night elves made up a camp for the night. Valeera was glad that Visstra had finally got Matt talking again, and he seemed in far better spirits. They had passed more and more pockets of night elf resistance and the sentinels assured both Matt and Valeera that the area would be safe.

The morning was another bright one, and Valeera woke to rays of sun warming her skin. Rising, she found that everyone was already up. Thelenia and Esora were preparing food, and she could see Visstra and Matt hunkered down about a hundred yards away, chatting vigorously about something, and then laughing.

Valeera stifled a yawn and turned to Thelenia. "Well, as the humans say, they are suddenly as thick as thieves, aren't they?"

Thelenia looked at the night elf and human and turned back, smiling. "Yes, It's good to see tension turn to friendship. I think Visstra was probably surprised to find out how similar they are in personality."

Esora joined the conversation, "Visstra was teaching him how to use a bow. They have been at it for over two hours."

"Two hours?", Valeera asked. "He was up early, so how did he do?"

"He almost shot himself in the leg on his first try", Esora replied, po-faced.

Valeera nearly spat out her drink, as she tried to stop her laughter. Swallowing quickly, she continued, "How did he do that?"

"He held the bow downwards in some sort of pose, and was saying something about how awesome he would look to his friends back on his home world. He wasn't paying attention and the arrow slipped from his grasp. It shot an inch past his thigh and landed in the forest floor", Esora finished.

Valeera looked at Thelenia, who was trying to stifle a chuckle, and turned back to Esora. "And Visstra didn't take the bow back straight away?"

"She scolded him immediately and he got a long lecture on safety..."

Valeera couldn't help herself from bursting out laughing now.

"...and for the next hour, he hit every target without fail", Esora continued.

Valeera's laughter stopped abruptly, and she raised her eyebrows in astonishment, "Why does that not surprise me."

Thelenia, still smiling, nodded. "He listened to every word she said, and followed it to the letter. Visstra maintains that he is a natural. As you can imagine, it pleased her very much."

"Hmmmm...", Valeera turned her head back to watch them both again. Visstra gave Matt a friendly shove with her shoulder, continuing whatever conversation they were having. She immediately swallowed the small pang of jealousy, knowing that it was good that Matt had made a friend. He had suffered a shock to his system, dealing with a power he still didn't fully understand, in a world that he still didn't fully understand. She knew that whatever it was that they had together, it was different than just friendship. She wouldn't let childish jealousy taint that.

After a while, Visstra and Matt joined the others for breakfast. Valeera couldn't help herself, "So I hear Visstra's been teaching you how to use a bow. It can be tricky to use one for the first time. Any problems?"

She noticed that he tensed up for a moment, but quickly recovered. "No...no, not really", he replied glancing at Visstra, who nodded back as if to keep his embarrassing secret. "It's really just a matter of concentrating and listening to good advice", he continued. Visstra patted him on the back with a satisfied grin, as a teacher would to a promising student.

They really are thick as thieves, Valeera thought. "Oh, is that so? You figured it out straight away then. That's amazing", Valeera said, in a feigned, dramatic tone.

Matt replied in a comically, pompous voice, "You can't be messing around Valeera, a bow and arrow isn't a toy. Maybe some people wouldn't understand th..."

"You nearly shot yourself in the leg by messing around, you idiot", Valeera interrupted, snorting laughter.

"Esora, you said you wouldn't say anything to her", Matt glared at Esora, his cheeks slightly reddening. They were all laughing at him now.

Esora shrugged her shoulders and said, "I may not look it, but I'm quite a gossip. I couldn't help it"

Hearing her answer, Matt couldn't stop a laugh from escaping. "Noted!"

"All joking aside,yes, he made a silly beginners mistake, but he really is a natural with a bow. I don't know if it's a part of his power, or if it's just innate talent, but...I would trust his aim completely if we fought side by side as rangers", said Visstra, pride in her new student, clearly evident.

Esora's eyes widened, "High praise indeed. Visstra rarely compliments others."

Matt turned to Visstra, "Thank's V, I really appreciate that."

"I'm just telling the truth, but you're welcome", she replied, as they both began eating and conversing energetically again, about the ins and outs of trajectory lines and wind resistance.

Valeera and the other two night elves finalized their day's itinerary, and when they had finished eating, they all packed up to leave. After about an hour of flying, they came across another group of night elf sentinels and preceded to land. There were about thirty or forty of them and Matt noticed that they looked pretty weary. He stayed behind with Valeera, as the others went ahead to greet them.

"They don't look very happy, do they", Matt said, concerned.

Valeera shook her head, "From what we have witnessed so far, the kaldorei still don't have enough warriors to make a serious attempt at forcing the horde back. They are more like a guerilla force than an army. They need the rest of the alliance forces to take back territory."

Matt looked at her confused, "Why doesn't Anduin send all the alliance troops here? The night elves surely need them NOW. They're part of the alliance too."

Valeera sighed, "Indeed, Tyrande thought the same thing, but Anduin's hands are tied right now. Of course he plans to send troops eventually, but the alliance has taken hit after hit recently. Their forces are depleted and spread too thin. It takes time to gather them and ready them for yet another battle." Valeera inhaled deeply and sighed again, "The problem is that Tyrande doesn't want to wait. She's driven by anger and grief, understandably. I think it was only Anduin's promise that he would send you to meet with her, that stayed her hand so far, from a full frontal assault on the horde."

"No pressure then!", Matt exhaled with effort.

Valeera took his hand and gently squeezed, her face and tone turned serious. "Tyrande was always a gentle, kind soul. She is the high priestess of Elune and is also a great warrior in her own right. She is over ten thousand years old. She may look young, but she's incredibly wise."

Matt squeezed her hand back, "They all sound like good things, what's the problem?"

"The problem is that she is wise and powerful, but she has also shown signs that she may be unstable. Her need for vengeance is overiding her ability for calm, rational thought", she replied. "If she tries to talk you into fighting for her, you must tell me immediately."

"Don't worry, I'll stall as much as I can. I can talk shit for days", he joked

"I'm serious. Don't let her drag you into her madness. Hopefully I'm wrong, and she may have regained some of her former clarity, but...

"Valeera", Matt said, holding her waist and pulling her closer, "I won't do anything stupid, I promise."

"You better not", she whispered, and leaned in to kiss him. Their passionate embrace was short lived as the others came back to join them. They released each other reluctantly and stood to face the trio.

"So, what's the story V?", Matt asked.

"The sentinels are finding it hard to gain any ground the closer we get to Darkshore. Our journey is almost at an end Matt", Visstra replied with a hint of sadness.

"What do you mean, Is Lady Tyrande here?", he inquired, looking around.

Thelenia answered him first. "We have just been informed that the high priestess is in an encampment less than a day away. Unfortunately the sentinels here have been cut off from them."

Esora joined in, "Horde troops have pushed back against us and have retaken the area that leads to the encampment. They have shot our hippogryphs out of the sky, when we attempted to fly over them. The only way through is to fight"

"The only way through is to fight...again", Matt sighed, "I'm beginning to think that Anduin should have ignored Velen"

Valeera looked angry and shook her head. "You can't ask this of him again."

Visstra put her slender hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to do this, I would never force you to fight, my friend. But...", she looked around at all of them, "We all know that you could destroy these horde soldiers with barely a thought."

"No!", cried Valeera, "We have put him in harms way, too much already. You saw what it did to him the last time."

"Valeera", Matt said, a calmness entering his tone. "V's right. This journey only ends when I meet Tyrande. We'll fight our way through. The more I think about it, the more I realize that these fuckers don't deserve any mercy. They tried to commit genocide, and still do everything they can to harass and kill any night elves that are left. Fuck them!"

A short silence fell over them. Visstra and Esora's faces were filled with both pride and exuberance. Valeera looked worried, and he noticed that Thelenia looked slightly flustered.

"Sorry for the language, Thelenia", Matt said, nodding apologetically.

Thelenia smiled gently, "Even I understand that youthful energy can lead to such displays", which made Visstra laugh.

"Okay everyone, lets go and mutilate these horde scumbags...", Matt cried dramatically, and looked at a shocked Thelenia, "...Joking...I'm just joking Thelenia"

Even Valeera barely supressed her laughter, when she saw Thelenia's face. They gathered what they needed and set off at a swift pace, once again into the gaping jaws of the enemy.

Matt

Not two hours had passed, when the the far away sounds of soldiers could be heard. Esora told them to stay put, as she scouted the situation ahead. The rising tension among the waiting quartet was palpable. Esora had disappeared for at least thirty minutes and Matt was just beginning to wonder if she had been spotted, when she finally returned.

"What's the situation?", Visstra asked

"There's a few hundred horde troops in all. Most of them have gathered in one area and have set up camp, but I scouted further along the line at a safe distance. There are a few passages that we could slip through, possibly even undetected", said Esora.

"Possibly?", Matt asked.

"Well, at least undetected by the main horde troops. They have small platoons of soldiers spread out from the main camp. They're patrolling the line, but we can hit them quickly and move on, before we're noticed", she replied.

Valeera looked visibly relieved, as did Thelenia, albeit for different reasons. Matt felt guilty that he made Valeera worry about him. He made a decision there and then, to harden his resolve, and fight with as much distinction as he possibly could. He wasn't going to question his decisions or use of his abilities again.

Visstra looked at him, "That means that you're going to have to hold off on your magic for now. Too much noise will alert the main unit, we need to do this as quietly as possible." A glimmer appeared in her eyes, "Looks like you'll get to put your bow skills to the test in actual combat."

This would usually be the point were he would worry or complain, he thought to himself, but his resolve was steadfast. He nodded to her, "I'll make you proud sensei." He still couldn't help but break the tension with humour.

Visstra looked confused.

"It means, teacher", Matt explained

A wide grin appeared on her face and she ruffled his hair. "I know you will."

Valeera put her hand over her mouth to supress laughter, with Matt quietly muttering to himself that he wasn't a child.

He gripped his new bow, given to him by the group of sentinels they had met a couple of hours ago, in his right hand. He didn't think he'd get to use it so quickly. He gave his guitar to Thelenia, with her promising to guard it with her life, when she noticed his reluctance to part with it, and strapped his new quiver to his back.

They all pulled their hoods up over their heads and soon they were following, with Esora leading the way. After about twenty minutes, the sound of the main army unit lessened, and they entered a quieter area. Esora made a halting signal behind a small group of trees. They all hunkered down, as voices could be heard. There were a small group of horde troops guarding the way, just as Esora had said.

Visstra disappeared, and reappeared a moment later. They were low, in a huddle now, and she whispered, "Six. Two orcs, one troll. two blood elves, and a tauren. On the signal, Valeera, take out the tauren in the front with your blades, make it quick."

Valeera nodded.

"Esora will take out the elves and I'll take out the orcs. Matt, take out the troll on the right, one target is enough for your first try", she finished.

Matt nodded.

They took up their positions. He could see the two sentinels drawing their bowstrings back and he did the same. Valeera quietly withdrew her blades and waited until the tauren moved closer to their position. Matt took a deep breath and steadied his bow hand. He put the troll in his sights. He was still amazed at all the fantastical races that made Azeroth their home, and the troll was no exception. The troll turned his face in Matt's direction. It's large tusks and bright blue skin, an unknowing target. He wondered for just a second, what family or friends did this guy have. The signal was given, and Matt released his arrow.

The shot was true. It pierced the troll right between the eyes, He was sure he heard the skull crack, as blood spurted from the wound, and he fell to the ground instantly. When he took his eyes off his target, he was amazed at the efficiency of the others. Valeera had almost severed the tauren's head, and the orcs and trolls had an arrow each, either in the neck or head. The enemy had been neutralized in an instant, before they even knew what had happened.

Valeera put her hand on his shoulder, "Visstra wasn't lying then. Sylvanas herself, would be proud of that shot"

"A perfect shot. You are indeed a natural, as expected of my most promising student", Visstra agreed.

"Say the women who took down multiple targets in a heartbeat, but...thanks", he replied.

Thelenia, who had stayed back, arrived. "We should move quickly, there will be more patrols."

"Agreed", said Esora, and they set off again, quickly and quietly.

Aware of their surroundings, they proceeded at a brisk pace, but it looked like they might have gotten extremely lucky, as they hadn't come across any more patrols.

Esora was the first to speak, keeping her voice low. "We should be about half way there. When we reach the plain, beyond this treeline, we'll rest for a..."

Two forsaken dark rangers and a blood elf appeared from behind a group of trees and almost ran into Matt, who ended up at the front. Everyone, in both parties, were momentarily stunned. Both groups were taken unawares. It was like time had stopped, and in a period of seconds, startled horde eyes met with equally startled alliance eyes. All of a sudden, everyone moved at once. Matt could hear the sentinels draw their bows, and Valeera drawing her blades. The dark rangers drew their bows at the same time, and the blood elf threw his dagger directly at him. In a split second, Matt slashed a horizontal line with his weaponless hand. Arrows and blades flew in both directions. Both dark rangers and the blood elf, fell to the floor, their torso's seperated from their lower halves. He also noticed that they were pierced with arrows, and the blood elf had one of Valeera's blades lodged in his neck, before he noticed the searing pain.

Matt could feel his balance falter. He tried to take a breath normally, but he couldn't seem to inhale properly. Instead, when he breathed out, blood spattered onto his chest and he fell to his knees. With his head bowed now, he realized that the blood elf's blade was lodged deep in his chest. The shock momentarily halted the pain, and he could hear screams form behind him, as if he was underwater. Then the pain hit him like a tornado, all at once. Blood began to stream down his tunic and drip onto the green grass, resulting in appalling crimson patterns. When the pain hit, so did the clarity, and he now realized that the four women in his party were huddled around him. They all wore the same terrifed look on their faces, but he was glad that they were all safe. That was the last thing that he remembered thinking, still on his knees, before he passed out.

Matt's Death

The unprecedented melee began and ended in seconds, although it felt like much longer for everyone involved. By the time the enemy had fallen to the ground, Thelenia was quickly scanning their small party, in case anyone was hurt and her healing skills may be needed. The four women looked at each other, silent relief clearly apparant in each of their expressions. They could see that Matt, who was a few yards ahead with his back to them, looked okay too. They uttered a sigh of relief.

"That was too close for comfort", Esora said, her long eyebrows furrowed, "We'll have to be extra vigilant"

Visstra called out to Matt in a humorous tone, "That means that you'll have to stop stomping around the forest like a bear."

Valeera smiled, walking up to him, "Matthew, she was only joking..."

Matt fell to his knees, his head snapping forward.

Valeera's face instantly morphed into one of abject terror. The night elves shared a similar look, and for a split second, the shock rendered them all mute, and in a state of paralysis. Valeera sprinted the short distance and fell to her knees beside him, holding him by the shoulders. The night elves arrived a second later, also dropping to their knees.

Valeera immediately noticed the blood on the grass, and as they all moved to hold him, they could see the culprit. The horde blood elf had managed to throw his dagger, just before his own demise, and it had stabbed Matt through the chest. "No,no,no,no,no,no", Valeera cried out, no longer thinking about the enemy.

Visstra, visibly shaken, gently moved Matt's head up in her hands. He recognised them and smiled, with distant, glassy eyes. "You're going to be okay...it's...going to be", Visstra stopped, as he passed out.

Valeera turned frantically to Thelenia and screamed at her, "What are you doing? Heal him, NOW."

Esora and Visstra gently lay him on his back. The latter turned her head from them, unable to look.

Esora spoke quietly to Valeera, "The blade has pierced his heart. Thelenia can't heal him unless we take it out."

"Well, fucking take it out then", Valeera spat in anger and fear.

"If we take it out, he'll bleed to death within seconds. There won't be enough time to heal him properly", Visstra turned back to face them, pain etched into her beautiful features.

Thelenia's voice wavered with emotion, "The only one here who could probably heal it instantly is Matthew himself, but..."

Valeera looked at them all increduously. Her face, full of anger, quickly turned to sorrow, as tears began to fall down her cheeks. She lay her head lightly on his torso, and holding him in her arms, she began to sob. Her cries, so intense, so overflowing with emotion, were painful to hear. Thelenia was heartbroken as tears streamed down her face. The man who saved her life, who saved them all multiple times, was going to die, and there was nothing that she could do about it. He was cast into a world he didn't understand and without his permission. It was just too cruel. The two sentinels were unfortunately used to seeing friends and loved ones die around them, but this didn't mean that it didn't affect them. Esora clenched her jaw in anger and frustration, pushing the emotion deep down. It was something that she would have to deal with later. She glanced at Visstra. It pained her to see her older friend so crushed. Anyone that didn't know Visstra, would have thought that she was holding herself together quite well. But Esora knew her better than anyone, and Visstra was clearly in pain. Subtle cracks in her outward facade were visible. Her new friend was going to die, and her grief, barely visible, was only rivaled by her guilt at not stopping his killer in time.

Valeera rose back to her knees. "We have to try, we can't just give up", she pleaded with the others, through her sobs.

Visstra put her ear to his mouth and then touched his neck, feeling for a pulse. "He's barely breathing and his pulse is incredibly weak." She looked to Thelenia, who could only give a small nod in return. Visstra put her hand on Valeera's arm, "We will try."

Valeera moved back, a mixture of hope and fear evident in her demeanour. When Thelenia moved forward, Valeera put her hands together in her lap, as if she were praying.

Visstra, kneeling down again beside Matt, wrapped her hands around the hilt of the dagger. She glanced at Thelenia, who was already beginning to enact her healing powers, as she called to Elune, and in one swift motion, pulled the blade from her human friend's heart.

Blood ejected from the grisly wound in dark red spurts, as Elune's light flooded onto Matt. Thelenia moved her hands closer now, as his blood covered her long, delicate fingers. Valeera's eyes opened wide with renewed hope, when the blood began to stop flowing. She moved quickly to his face, and her own heart nearly stopped. His face was a disturbingly pale shade of white. It was clear that his life had left him. It didn't work. She froze, paralyzed.

Visstra checked his heartbeat, then in a pointless, hopeful endeavour, checked for a pulse. She remained silent for a long time, then raised her head to the sky and took a deep breath to calm herself. "He's dead", her voice cracked.

Valeera threw herself onto his chest and bawled, "No,no,no...this ...can't...be happening, not when I finally found someone." She took his head in her hands, and with her tears falling onto his face, she softly kissed his lifeless lips.

Thelenia whispered through choked tears, "I'm sorry Valeera, I'm so sorry."

Loud voices began to shout, somewhere in amongst the trees. Esora's eyes widened, "Horde!"

The night elves stood up. "Valeera, we have to go NOW!", Visstra grabbed her arm.

Valeera remained on her knees, head down. "Go without me, I'm not leaving him."

Visstra got down on one knee and shook her firmly. "Listen Valeera, I understand how you feel, but don't be stupid. Look me in the eyes and tell me honestly, would Matt want you to get caught, tortured, killed...or worse, protecting his dead body?"

Valeera looked at her and slowly shook her head, tears still falling from her glowing green eyes.

Visstra continued, "How could I live with myself, knowing that the last thing I did for him, was leaving you to die too. Now, COME ON!"

Valeera looked back at him, kissed him one last time, and took his satchel with her. She held it to her breast, and a painful whimper escaped her lips when she turned from him and began to depart with the night elves. They ran for their lives, but Valeera was still in a daze. She ran as if she could outrun the pain. For one horrible moment, she wished that she had never met Matthew Dawson, and instantly hated herself for it. How could he make her go through this pain, when she had already had so much of it in her life. Had she not suffered enough? Thinking about being together with him, filled her heart with joy, but then drove a stake through it, when the realization hit her that she would never see him again. Valeera ran, and her grief never allowed her to look back.

Sylvanas

A dark, violet, plume of smoke landed in the middle of the horde encampment, somewhere near Darkshore. Most of the horde troops, taken by surprise, stepped back, as the smoke coalesced into a darkly beautiful, elven woman. A large orc in full battle gear stepped forward immediately, "Warchief! We were not expecting your arrival. I'll have a private tent set up immediately."

Sylvanas raised a hand, stopping the orc. "There's no need, I won't be staying. Report! Were do we stand here?"

"The night elves are increasing in numbers from Ashenvale to Darkshore, but they are too spread out, Warchief. It's more of a resistance movement than an organised army. We have cut them off here, seperating the ones that have reached Darkshore from the rest", the orc replied.

"Hmm...what is your name, warrior", Sylvanas asked.

"Derthag, Warchief!", he answered, his voice tense.

"Derthag, this is important. Have there been any attempts by the enemy to break through, and reach Darkshore?", Sylvanas said, her red eyes glowing like hot coals.

Derthag stood tall, trying to remain as respectful as possible to his Warchief. "There have been multiple attempts, but we shot down every hippogryph that attempted a flyover."

"What about any attempts on foot, have there been any attacks on the line of patrols?", she pushed for an answer.

Derthag visibly swallowed. "There...there was an attack on a small patrol not long ago. Six of ours were killed and there was no sign of the enemy. We sent out a platoon to follow their trail, We will find them War..."

"Where was this, tell me now!", Sylvanas almost growled, her voice causing some of the surrounding warriors to place their hands over their ears in pain.

Derthag did not fear much, but even a portion of her banshee voice filtering through, caused him to wince. "I'll give you the location right away, Warchief", he blurted, as he fumbled for a map.

Sylvanas had the location within seconds, and changing back to her banshee form, she flew with haste over the treetops and grasslands. It didn't take long before she came across the dead patrol. She barely gave them a thought, and continued in the direction that they were clearly heading. Not long after, she could see more of her warriors huddled around a body, that was on it's back. She flew closer, descending, and could see the face more clearly. Undead or not, a pang of horror hit her. It couldn't be!

She landed, turning back into her corporeal form, taking the horde warriors by surprise. The leader of the platoon, a blood elf began to explain in haste, "Warchief! This is the body of one of the alliance scum that broke through our ranks and..."

Sylvanas didn't even look at him when she cut him off, "Leave, now!" She barely registered the surprised platoon walking away, back towards the treeline, as she slowly approached the body. She knelt down beside him, her head tilted to the side. Human. He was dressed differently than the man she remembered and his facial hair had grown, but it was the same man. It was the champion that she had coveted. She moved her head slowly to the left and could see his killers, or what was left of them. Her crimson eyes smoldered in anger. It was lucky for them that they were already dead. She punched the ground in anger.

Then a thought entered her mind. It wasn't what she had wanted, but she would raise him from the dead. As a forsaken, he would follow her without question. She didn't know if his power would be impacted by his new state of undeath, or maybe they wouldn't be intact at all, but she had nothing to lose now. She could even use her Val'kyr to keep his body from rotting, like her own. One of her Val'kyr appeared before her. Sylvanas turned to her, her lips curving in a sly smile, "Raise him."

The Val'kyr began to use her powers, but after a while stopped. She looked at Sylvanas ,confused, "It cannot be done, It is beyond my powers."

She stared at the Val'kyr, "What do you mean? Bring him back, NOW!"

"Something is blocking my powers of ressurection, I don't understand", the Val'kyr replied.

Sylvanas clenched her fists tightly and screamed her banshee wail in fury. The leaves of the surrounding trees quivered, as if in fear. "How could this be? He is human, is he not?"

The Valk'kyr stayed silent, but her face betrayed her own disturbed state. Sylvanas gritted her teeth in frustration, "His body will be taken back to Orgrimmar, I refuse to believe that ...", she stopped mid sentence. She felt something. Placing her hand lightly on his lifeless body, she could feel a surge of unidentifiable energy. She quickly snapped her hand back, surprised. Black tendrils, like whisps of smoke began to exit the wound in his chest, as it started to close up by itself. Sylvanas whipped her head around to face the Val'kyr.

The Val'kyr shook her head in disbelief, "It was not me."

"What's happening?", the banshee queen whispered to herself. His eyes flipped open. Had she not already jumped back in surprise, she would have done so again. One eye was a glassy black and the other streamed a pure bright light. He took a long, deep breath and his eyes closed again. For all intents and purposes, he looked like he was fast asleep. Sylvanas moved slowly, leaning over his body, with a slight trepidation. She placed a hand on his chest again. His heart was beating, and his breathing was shallow, but...he was alive. Her lips curled into a genuine smile this time, something she didn't often have cause for these days. She didn't know for sure what had happened, but she had time to contemplate it later. He was unconscious, but alive, and he was hers, that was the important thing. "We're going back to Orgrimmar immediately", she called for one of the warriors beyond the treeline, "Get me a mage, now."

Within the hour, Sylvanas had transported the still unconscious human to Orgrimmar, via portal, in the utmost secrecy. Powers beyond her knowledge were infused within the man, and nobody besides a select few could know about him...yet. She ordered a bed to be set up in her own private quarters, away from prying eyes. She didn't know when he would eventually wake, but she would wait patiently, knowing that he was finally in her clutches.

Orgrimmar (Two Weeks Later)

Matt awoke in agony. His eyes hurt when he tried to open them. His throat was dry, and when he tried to swallow, he ended up in fits of coughing, which in return made his body writhe in pain. He could almost taste a dryness in the air. His vision was hazy at best, but he could make out that he was in a room of some sort. It felt warm, even though the room wasn't very bright. He tried to sit up, but gave up soon after, when his muscles just wouldn't cooperate, causing him to groan in a mixture of anger and agony.

He felt a presence enter the room, and tried to move his head gently in their direction. His vision had slightly improved, but he still couldn't make out intricate details. "He...Hello?", he just about managed to speak, in a dry, painful rasp.

The person sat down at his bedside. "Hello. I'm glad to see that you have finally awakened. I was beginning to wonder if you ever would", she said

A woman, he thought. "Where...am...I? Who...are...you?", he managed, without coughing.

The woman held the back of his head, gently and with care, and brought a water flask to his lips. "Slow now, just take sips", she said in a melodious voice. She laid his head back down on the pillow, carefully, and softly brushed her hand across his cheek. Her skin was soft, but cool to the touch.

"You are safe here", she said, and he began to notice in his blurred vision, that there was a soft red glow in her eyes. "And as for your second question, It's a pleasure to meet you again, after being so rudely interrupted during our first encounter."

He tried to swallow again, and she gave him another sip of water.

She continued, "I am Sylvanas Windrunner." Her mesmerizing red eyes now fixed on his, "And you are?"