Chapter 4

Sylvanas stood silently with her back against a large tree, her bow in her hand. Anyone looking at the tree would have seen just the tree, her ranger magic not even causing the air to shimmer as she stood as still as death itself. There were fewer trees here now, the vale having fallen victim to the plague of undeath. She had not been back here since that night twenty years ago, but her memories of the past had brought her to the right spot – the tree Alyna had carved their initials into after making love.

The carving had indeed been a new beginning, in more ways than one. She stared at it now, a few meters in front of her. It had distorted slightly as the trunk had become thicker, but it was still recognisable for what it was. She had no idea how this meeting with Alyna would end, but then she hadn't been sure about the ending twenty years ago either. Quietly, she marvelled at how the tree was still alive despite the plagued soil all around it. Like those who had marred its bark, it was fighting against a world it no longer belonged in, and had simply adapted to the new circumstances.

Sylvanas caught movement out the corner of her eye, but she remained still so her ability remained intact. As the figure moved more fully into her field of vision, she could make out the slender form of a hooded female elf. She had a loaded bow ready to fire as she cautiously surveyed the area. Her eyes were black, and faint wisps of visible strands indicated the woman had white hair. She had a black mask drawn up around her nose and mouth. There was no doubt in Sylvanas' mind though that she was looking at Alyna. She had spent a lot of time watching her former lover, and the way she moved, as gracefully as she did when she had been alive, was unmistakable, and indelibly etched into the queen's mind. She was surprised at what death had done to the burgundy-haired woman she had known. She was also curious as to why she did not have the wings she had expected to see.

Alyna moved to the tree and stood in front of it, seemingly contemplating the carving for long moments before words split the air between them.

"If you want to kill me you best aim for my head. Nothing else will do."

The sudden Thalassian words made Sylvanas start. The intimately familiar voice sounded wrong to her, damaged by the sound of death. Her guilt at failing to defend Silvermoon and the Sunwell flashed through her.

Alyna had turned around and was staring right at her. While shocking, the queen knew Alyna could not actually see her. Her savvy ex-protégé was guessing as to where she would hide, and had been spot on. Sylvanas released the shadows she had held around her, materialising before the other woman. Her burning red eyes met the endless black ones of her former lover. Other than a faint widening of Alyna's eyes, she did not react.

Sylvanas replied bluntly, "If I had wished to kill you, you would already have fallen."

Alyna inclined her head slightly to acknowledge the truth of the comment. They slowly looked over each other, noticing all the changes since they had last been together. After a few minutes, Alyna broke the silence.

"You were never one for sentimentality." Sylvanas knew she was referring to the tree.

"I couldn't have you come to Undercity." Her eyes flashed. "Scourge generals don't tend to last long there."

"If you thought me still Scourge, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Sylvanas paused. "No." She slung her bow over her shoulder. "Some of your former death knights have sought sanctuary with my people. They told me what you did in Acherus after you broke free." She gestured towards the east. "And you've left quite the trail of dead Scourge in your wake." She raised a silvery-blonde eyebrow. "And a few humans."

They stared at each other again. Again, it was Alyna who spoke first, "You look …"

"Dead?" Sylvanas finished bluntly.

"I was going to say 'corporeal'." Alyna tilted her head to the side as she recalled a memory. "The last time I saw you, you were a banshee spirit."

"I still am. I reclaimed my body once I was free." Sylvanas hesitated before continuing, "What happened to you, after they took you?"

Alyna's eyes darkened somehow despite being black. She turned her head and looked off into the distance.

"The short version is they took me to Northrend, to a necropolis called Naxxramas that was stationed in Icecrown, where the Lich King's throne is." She paused to gather her thoughts. Her voice, when it came, was detached as if reciting a list of chores. "They experimented on me. They knew I was to be killed; it was just a minor matter of what to do with my corpse. When Arthas was on his way back to you from Kalimdor, he stopped by to kill me, and make me into what I am." She frowned. "It then gets hazy, for a while. I was not quite … sane."

Sylvanas understood. The agony of being forcefully raised from the dead left many with precarious mental states. Factor in the suffering she had endured prior to the final abhorrent act, and the fact she regained her sanity at all was a testament to the strength Alyna carried. Still, it would seem it was still a difficult subject for Alyna, so she decided not to press. She did want to sate her curiosity though.

"I heard you had wings."

It was Alyna's turn to raise a white eyebrow. "I did. I had them … removed … once I was free." She shrugged passively. "They were not conducive to blending in and would have just slowed me down."

"Quite a drastic thing to do to yourself," the queen observed.

Alyna snarled behind her mask before she closed her eyes to aid in composing herself. Sylvanas watched patiently. She did not know what Alyna had been through, but she did know that a new set of problems were now starting for the freshly freed Scourge. The Lich King's suffocating presence helped contain and control a myriad of emotion, and that was now gone. Alyna would regain some of these over time, and would have to learn to control them or lose herself to them. Sylvanas could see she was struggling to control her temper.

When Alyna opened her eyes, she simply replied, "Sometimes drastic measures are required to free yourself. There were a lot of things done to me I never asked for or wanted. I rid myself of what I could, as soon as I could."

Sylvanas was equally appalled and impressed. She was appalled that her former love had been twisted to such an extent that she'd had wings. The fact she had taken the first opportunity to shed them told her that some part of Alyna had still resisted, even after all this time. She still had her own mind. That was not just impressive, but miraculous.

"Were you unable to break free from his control when the rest of us did five years ago?"

Alyna looked directly at Sylvanas again. Her face showed no emotion, but her stance was noticeably stiff. Her voice was soft and distant again as she recalled what had happened.

"You were all very far away, where his influence was weakest. I don't remember much, but Prince Kael'thas had brought some of his 'blood elves' to attack, along with the kaldorei demon hunter, Illidan. The Lich King had me help defend him until Arthas returned." Alyna looked down. "I knew they were losing power, but I was still too weak to break free. My proximity to them meant they were still too strong. Once Arthas became the Lich King, that was it. His power returned, stronger than before, and none of us were going anywhere."

Sylvanas suddenly blurted out, "I looked for you. I … tried." She instantly scolded herself for her lapse, knowing her guilt had driven the outburst.

Alyna made eye contact again. "I know."

Her words were slow and deliberate, and conveyed more pain than the speaker probably intended. Sylvanas must have looked surprised, because Alyna gave her a sardonic chuckle before her bitter words flowed freely.

"I knew you were free. Who do you think he took his rage at your rebellion out on?" Sylvanas flinched. It had never crossed her mind that he would do that. "He would tell me of your search to taunt me further. Particularly the moment you gave up." Sylvanas started to say something but Alyna interrupted her, holding her hand up and softening her tone. "I don't blame you." She tilted her head before amending her statement. "Not anymore. I did, for a while, until I realised I was just blaming you because blaming him made him even more intolerable than he already was."

"So, you're not angry with me?" Sylvanas asked slowly. Alyna seemed to understand the question. Sylvanas wanted to know if she had to watch her back.

Alyna relaxed her posture, her expression one of obvious relief.

"No."

Sylvanas acknowledged that she believed her with a tilt of her head. Alyna then offered, "I do have a confession to make though."

"Oh?"

"I know you have traitors still loyal to him in your midst."

The Banshee Queen's voice carried a dangerous tone, "And how would you know about that?"

"I put them there," Alyna replied honestly.

Sylvanas' eyes blazed with rage but she managed to control it enough to ask, "Under his instructions, I assume?"

"Yes." Alyna didn't hide her anger at how she was used. "He found it entertaining to have me report to him on what you were doing." She looked down at the floor as her body shook with emotion. "He had me spy on you for years, from a distance. He was amused by it." She raised her head and Sylvanas could see a slow smile appear. "I did get some satisfaction that you resisted and thrived though, even if it meant I was punished for failing to bring you back into the Scourge."

Sylvanas growled her frustration. "How? I know the Horde and Alliance have their spies within the Forsaken. That is to be expected; we all spy on each other, and they are embarrassingly transparent. But how could any of my people be Scourge?"

"I had volunteers from the Cult of the Damned killed using the plague of undeath. They were placed into graves I knew you would eventually move on to for your … recruits." She closed her eyes briefly. "Each had certain skill sets we … I … knew would be useful to you."

Sylvanas was dumbfounded. Her necromancers moved from crypt to graveyard looking for undead victims of the plague Kel'Thuzad had unleashed before Arthas had even become a death knight. She had no means to raise the dead herself as their knowledge of necromancy was currently too weak, so she had focused on those corpses still freshly rising from their graves. The Third War was over, but the plague had endured, and still killed any human it infected only for them to rise as Scourge, sometimes months later. If they were caught early enough, the Lich King's grasp could be easily broken, and if their minds were intact, they were usually grateful to be offered a home amongst the Forsaken. They could have purpose again.

Sylvanas felt sick. She had freed his spies from his own grip and invited them right into her ranks.

It was also ingenious, and she took a moment to appreciate the plan her former lover had devised, despite her revulsion. If a random sentient undead had just appeared on her doorstep it would have been treated with suspicion. She would have allowed it to stay, but it would not access key areas for many years until trust had been proven several times over. But, any new Forsaken they created themselves were commonly trusted very quickly. As far as Forsaken generally trusted anyone, that is.

She allowed her revulsion to evolve into a familiar fury.

Sylvanas spoke through gritted teeth, "I assume you know their names?"

Alyna reached into her jerkin slowly and pulled out the note Cyndia had passed to her. She held it out to Sylvanas, who approached and took it from her outstretched hand. She considered backing away again, but decided to remain close as a show of initial trust. And she was starting to trust this woman again, she realised.

She looked at the list. Eleven names were scrawled in Alyna's scratchy hand writing in what appeared to be black Scourge blood, most likely her own. She almost laughed at that minor detail but the list of names sobered her. They were mostly mid-ranking officials in key positions throughout her military, reconnaissance and research divisions. There was one low ranking agent in the Apothecary Society, but the name was familiar. He had recently been put forward for a promotion, though she had not had time to approve it yet.

The last name on the list made her scream with rage. Alyna had been prepared for a reaction and managed not to recoil. Sylvanas crunched the parchment in her fist.

Her voice shook with anger. "I need to deal with this without delay."

Alyna nodded her understanding.

Sylvanas tilted her head and gave Alyna a thoughtful look. "We can discuss the particulars later, and I cannot make any promises, but … if you are willing to submit to my rule, you could forge a new home with my people." With me. She had no idea where that thought had suddenly come from, but she had just managed to stop from saying it.

She was pleased when there was no hesitation in Alyna's response. The other woman pulled her hood back to reveal her loose shoulder-length white hair, and tugged her mask down to expose the rest of her face. Two white points jutted down from under her upper lip, and Sylvanas realised with surprise they were fangs. What else has he done to her, she wondered.

The gesture was not necessary, but Sylvanas understood. Alyna was showing her she had nothing to hide and was purposefully making herself feel vulnerable by removing the trappings she found comfort in. Alyna unslung her bow, unsheathed her swords and dropped her quiver before she knelt before Sylvanas in a show of fealty, head bowed. In a surprising move, she then spoke words the Forsaken frequently used to show their loyalty to their queen.

"Victory for Sylvanas."

Sylvanas was pleased.

She pressed her knuckle under Alyna's chin and raised the still graceful elven head so she could gaze into her black eyes.

"Come, my subject. We have revenge to mete out."

"With pleasure, my Queen."

A small smile tugged at the corner of the Banshee Queen's lips.

My Alyna is back where she belongs.

Sylvanas watched her grand executor enter the throne room. She was sitting on her throne, with a hooded female elf at her side. She watched as Dillard looked at the woman she knew looked like a ranger just by her stance alone. Her armour was different to normal and that appeared to make him uneasy. Or, it could have been the fact the unusual ranger was holding a sword slowly oozing with the black ichor of undead blood.

He looked around until he saw the pile of Forsaken bodies to the side of her dais. Without needing to issue any orders, the doors to the throne room closed behind him just as he began to recognise some of the faces. His glowing yellow eye sockets flashed in shock and he turned, to find three royal dreadguards blocking his way. He was disarmed swiftly and pushed towards the queen. Finally, he was pressed onto his knees.

His body shook with fear as his gaze fixed on the ten bodies. His shoulders slumped, and she knew he was not going to fight her or deny his involvement in their treachery.

"How did you know?" he stammered. He was obviously stunned and in complete disbelief that not just one of his cohort was discovered, but all of them.

"I made a new friend." Sylvanas chuckled humourlessly. "Actually, I found an old one."

He looked at Sylvanas, and then at the ranger. On cue, the ranger raised her head. Above the black mask he could plainly see a pair of endless, and very angry, black eyes. Both women knew by the look on his face that he had never expected to see those particular eyes ever again.

He gasped, falling backwards off his knees with the shock. "Y-your Highness! B-but, but how?"

Sylvanas had raised an eyebrow when the first traitor had used a royal address towards Alyna, and she had made a note to ask her about it at some point. They had all uttered something similar to what Dillard was babbling now, and their confusion and surprise had thrilled her every time.

'Victory for Sylvanas' indeed, she thought.

She smiled cruelly at him.

"Your fellow traitors told me everything I wanted to know before they met their true deaths. You could say it was very … enlightening." Sylvanas spread her hands benignly. "I am ruthless when I have to be, but I am not without mercy. I allowed Alyna here to give them a relatively quick end as a reward for their … cooperation."

He blanched. They could all see the tell-tale signs of torture on some of the bodies. Some had died quickly, but it was clear that not all had been so willing to talk. Undead were highly resistant to conventional pain, but if you knew what you were doing, it was possible to cause great agony to an undead creature. Sylvanas knew Dillard was well aware of the particular talents both women before him had with such matters.

"What do you wish to know, Dark Lady?" His voice was resigned.

Her cold laugh echoed off the walls of the throne room.

When she spoke, her anger was unmistakeable. "Nothing, my former Grand Executor. I need nothing from you, other than your enduring agony and suffering."

Two of the guards grabbed him under his fleshless armpits and began to drag him away. His realisation was clear on his face. He was not going to get a quick true death. His fate would be far more protracted; his Dark Lady would make sure of that.

"No, NO! Wait! I know things! I can help you. P-please!" He had been pulled from the throne room, though they could still hear him screaming down the corridor. "I can be of use to you!"

Sylvanas rose from her throne. She signalled to one of the remaining guards and gestured to the messy pile. "I want them staked along the main entrance to the ruins."

"Yes, my Queen." He saluted and went about his task.

All those entering and leaving Undercity through the main elevators had to traverse through a particular part of the ruined city above. The bodies would line this route; the price of treason visible to all. She would keep them there long after their rotting bodies were picked clean by the carrion birds that made the ruins their home. She would then have them burnt so they could not be raised again, and finally find something ridiculously petty, but satisfying, to do with their ashes.

Sylvanas hated traitors.

She moved around the throne towards her office. She gestured for Alyna to follow, and she was pleased when she did so obediently.

It was time for a little career chat.