Chapter 22

Sylvanas felt Alyna's powerful magic surround her. The keep and the corpses strewn around the floor disappeared, and an unexpected sight filled her vision. She looked around at her office in Undercity, her surprise mirrored on the faces of everyone else she had taken to the keep. A moment later she heard a pained grunt. She turned to see Alyna collapse onto her knees, her runeblade dropping from her hand.

Immediately, she moved to kneel next to the woman, carefully avoiding the slumped wings.

"Alyna?" she asked with some urgency.

The queen's query was not answered as she watched the woman struggle with whatever it was she was dealing with. After a few moments, Alyna eventually looked up at Sylvanas to give her a slight nod. The queen noted her eyes were back to normal, as were her fangs. She couldn't help but feel some relief. While Alyna had got them out of a desperate situation, she had been terrifying as she did so. Liadrin and her paladins were giving Alyna very wary looks.

She rose and moved to the people who had risked themselves to save Alyna. Not one for speeches, she looked at each of them before giving them a very slight nod of her head. "Thank you."

Her rangers smiled and bowed at their queen. Liadrin stepped forward and returned the nod. "We are glad we could help, Lady Sylvanas." She gestured at her two exhausted-looking paladins. "With your permission, we should return to Silvermoon to recover."

The queen gave her consent. "Agreed. There is a portal to Dalaran in the magic quarter. Be there in two days, and we shall all return to Vengeance Landing together."

The three paladins took their leave, and Sylvanas then dismissed her rangers. Kyala gave the queen a questioning look, hesitating. Sylvanas understood her ranger's instincts. Alyna was dangerous, and had barely been in control just a few short minutes ago. She acknowledged Kyala's loyalty, and then gestured for her to leave as well.

She turned to Alyna just as the darkfallen was rising to her feet across the room. She looked weakened, but that was only to be expected. She had just teleported them all an unfathomable distance. Magi teleported themselves regularly, but mostly to points they had magically bound themselves to. Those points acted as a beacon of sorts, guiding the mage. Only the most powerful archmages could teleport to theoretically any point. She had not heard of one who could teleport so many people such a large distance though. The queen's eyes focused on the runeblade. She knew from experience that Alyna's runeblade was the reason she could teleport to any point. Without it, Alyna was a weaker mage.

Or was she? Sylvanas wondered. The energy to teleport them all to Undercity had not been something Felo'alaan had done alone. Most of that had been the power Alyna had absorbed.

Absorbed through the consumption of souls.

She frowned at Alyna. "You lied to me."

To her own surprise, she did not sound angry. She felt disappointed, and hurt.

While Alyna looked uncomfortable, she did not back down. "You were not ready to know the extent of my abilities."

The words stung as the queen walked to her desk. She found she could not deny the accusation. While she did not know the details of Alyna's reluctance to feed on souls, she knew it would be rooted in the same reasons she did not want to feed on blood. Had she known what Alyna could do when the woman had arrived on her doorstep, she would have certainly pressured her to use such a skill or face undesirable consequences.

She also knew it would have destroyed whatever chance they had at a future.

Was that what she wanted now, she pondered. A future with Alyna?

Sylvanas looked at the nervous darkfallen. "Why did you take their souls?"

Alyna tiredly walked towards the map table and carefully placed Felo'alaan on it. She gave it a long look before she turned and tried to lean back against the table, but her wings got in the way. She scowled, and eventually stood away from the table, unsure what to do with herself.

Sylvanas wasn't entirely sure if her question had been heard until Alyna finally looked up at her and said, "I denied them their desire to serve their 'death god' by taking their souls, and I permanently denied Arthas part of his army. I thought you'd be pleased."

"So, you compromised the one rule I am guessing you have enforced upon yourself whilst feeding to screw them over because you were … what? Pissed off?" The queen's voice was deliberately void of emotion and matter-of-fact.

Alyna laughed emptily, drawing a brief narrowing of the eyes from Sylvanas. "Are you seriously about to lecture me on how the ends don't justify the means? You're hardly a beacon of morality, Sylvanas."

Sylvanas held Alyna's challenging gaze before she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't give a damn that you took their souls. I want to know why you felt the need to disregard your own rules. What changed?"

"You changed," Alyna immediately replied. She slowly walked towards the office desk as she spoke, "And you came for me." She gave the queen a surprised look. "I had not expected that. I figured I would be treated as a resource that was too costly to reobtain." Sylvanas felt a pang of guilt at the truth of the words. Alyna continued, "I knew I would only get one chance to escape, and I waited. But when I heard your scream something … else … just took over. I knew I could never let him have you." She stopped a couple of feet away from the rooted queen. "If that meant killing everything in that keep and destroying myself with the power I absorbed in the process, then it would have been worth it to save you."

Something inside Sylvanas shifted slightly at the words. She ignored it. "And now you have tasted such power, and retrieved Felo'alaan, what happens, Alyna?"

The darkfallen shook her head slightly. "I did what I had to. I won't deny the thrill, but as I told you when we first arrived in the fjord, the hunger fuels itself." She looked away. "You had to stop me from attacking Liadrin and her followers. I will do what I have to, but perhaps now you understand why I have to be careful."

The queen moved around the desk to stand next to Alyna. "You should know that it was Liadrin who convinced me to attempt the rescue. I … well. You were right in your initial assessment of me."

Alyna turned to look at her with a raised white eyebrow. "She must have been very convincing."

Sylvanas felt a curious lump in her throat. The emotion she had felt through her ring had kept flashing through her occasionally, and she had found it difficult to process. "You are more to me than just a resource. She reminded me of that." Alyna's black eyes widened slightly, and the queen changed the subject. "Will you be keeping the wings? You made good use of them."

It took a moment for Alyna to process the sudden question. "The wings? No." She glanced over her shoulder at the large appendages. "He made me into this, and while I have no choice but to feed I can decide what other of his 'gifts' I use." She gave the queen a lop-sided smile. "You know my desire, Sylvanas. I want to serve you as a ranger, and while flight can be useful, the wings would incumber me more than give me an advantage."

"I see." She looked at the determined Alyna before her. She then pulled a small disc from a pouch on her belt and held it out to her. "Then you'll be needing this."

Alyna took the disc and frowned at it. "You're … promoting me?"

"Some may think it too soon, but Areiel will not be needing it." Sylvanas shrugged nonchalantly. "When I asked for volunteers to come with me to rescue you, your entire company stepped forward. Since you have their support, you might as well lead them." She reached up to gently brush the woman's cheek with the back of her fingers. "I wanted to make you a captain as soon as your training finished, but I needed to know I could trust you first. You also needed time to trust me."

Alyna took hold of the fingers but did not move them away from her face. "I do trust you, Sylvanas. I will not let you down."

Sylvanas smiled. "I know you won't." Her eyes fell to Alyna's lips and she again found herself trying to process what Liadrin had forced her to experience through her wedding ring. It was not the right time though, so she shifted her red eyes to Alyna's back. "Now, shall we get those wings removed?"

Alyna did not let go of her fingers. "Would you do it?"

Slightly surprised at the request, Sylvanas gave her an agreeing nod. Untangling their fingers, she signalled for Alyna to wait as she left her office down the corridor to her throne room. She was not surprised to see Kyala there waiting for her, and she despatched the ranger to find a shadow healer. When she returned to her office she discovered Alyna on her knees before the queen's desk.

Realising there was nothing left to say, Sylvanas drew one of her swords and moved to stand off to Alyna's side. Alyna had told her some time ago that she did not feel pain in the loss of her wings, but the act of removing them was such a violent process she wondered if that was true. She lined up her blow, and brought the blade down as hard as she dared. While she scored a deep cut, it would take several more before the wing would fall free. Alyna kept her head bowed as Sylvanas shifted her position to remove the second wing.

With both on the floor, the queen discarded the sword in favour of a sharp knife. She found herself kneeling with Alyna, her arm braced across the woman's body, so she could finish the work she had started. Hacking off the wings had left uneven stumps, and she used the knife to cut them back as flat to Alyna's back as she could manage. The black blood oozing from the open wounds made things a little more slippery than she had thought, but by the time the healer arrived she had mostly finished the task.

As the forsaken healer went about sealing the bleeding stumps, Sylvanas remained on her knees, holding Alyna. She knew she should have stood and distanced herself in the presence of the healer, but she realised she couldn't. She needed the closeness and took comfort from it. The reality of nearly being at the mercy of Arthas was starting to sink into her, and the fear she had felt was still there.

Even now, Alyna was still saving her in many different ways.

The healer left as soon as he was done, and they remained on their knees. Sylvanas rested her cheek on Alyna's shoulder, gazing at the woman as best she could from that position.

"Thank you for rescuing us. For rescuing me," she said softly.

Alyna turned her head to look at her, before raising her hand to pull back the queen's hood. "Thank you for coming for me."

Sylvanas smiled. She had always felt exposed without her hood on, but somehow when Alyna removed it, she never felt vulnerable. If anything, she felt as if she became something more, even when they had been alive. With her hood on, she was a ranger, and a general. When Alyna tugged it down and off her ears, she would always be the ranger and general, but now she was also a woman. One who was loved, and desired, and needed by her soulmate.

She still felt similar sensations as the dark crimson material slumped down her back. She had not been made the lesser for its removal, but she was now more than just a queen. She enjoyed the strong fingers brushing her pale-straw hair back from her face and neck. She felt comfort in the solidness of Alyna's body. And for the first time in a very long time, she felt something more than just hate and anguish. It made her feel better, and it gave her a different kind of hope. She didn't quite know what it would mean for her in the future, but she did know it was something she wanted to welcome back into her existence.

When Alyna kissed her, she returned it with her own kind of hunger. It was no longer an emotionally empty gesture for her, and she clung on with the kind of fear one knew at the near loss of someone who was deeply … cherished. Sylvanas almost laughed at herself. Even in her thoughts she was avoiding admitting what she believed she could now feel for the woman, but she was not denying the essence of it.

She felt fevered as she clawed at the little clothing Alyna wore. She was seeing and feeling through a new emotional lens, as small as it was, and she wanted more. She could see Alyna's amusement at her apparent desperation, but it did not stop the darkfallen from flipping her queen on to her back on the stone floor. From the teasing touches to the talented fingers, everything felt different to Sylvanas. Even the orgasm that tore through her felt new, and she laughed in delight.

"I should rescue you more often," quipped Alyna.

Sylvanas chuckled huskily. "Do you enjoy being my … what is the human metaphor? My knight in shining armour?"

Strong arms slid under her knees and behind her back as Alyna prepared to lift her. "I look better in leather." She gave the queen a flash of a smile. "It's also easier to remove."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow as she herself was raised from the floor to be carried into her own bedroom. She definitely couldn't argue with Alyna's self-assessment. As she was laid down on the bed, she made sure Alyna followed, enjoying the weight of the woman on top of her.

She smiled ferally at Alyna.

Her Alyna.

Two days later …

Sylvanas tightened the final strap on Alyna's armour and then stood back to admire her handiwork. She'd had new leathers made for the woman after most of hers had been left in Utgarde Keep. They fit her well.

She also had something else.

The queen turned and moved to her extensive weapon collection hung on the backwall of her bedroom. One such weapon was wrapped in dark cloth, and she picked it up and held it out to Alyna. The curious darkfallen closed the gap between them and unwrapped it. Her black eyes widened slightly, and she looked up at Sylvanas.

"You made me a bow?"

The queen nodded. "While you slept. Yours was left in the keep, and I wanted to furnish my ranger-captain with something worthy of her talents."

Alyna picked up the bow and examined it with a practised eye. The wood was strong, but flexible, and reinforced by bands of gleaming metal. The tips were bladed, and various decorative spikes stuck out along the limbs. Should she ever find herself in melee combat, the bow would be a useful weapon. Impressively, both the metal and wood bore delicate carvings. Elven script elegantly graced the metal with traditional ranger blessings, though she realised they had been slightly adjusted for the dark ranger crafts. The wood bore the iconography of the Forsaken. She smiled as she saw a particular carving of a stylised broken mask just above the arrow rest on the back of the upper limb. It was Sylvanas' personal crest, and she had placed it where Alyna would always see it as she used the bow.

The darkfallen pulled back on the bowstring, realising it had been perfectly weighted for her. "Do you always make bows for your ranger-captains?" she teased.

Sylvanas gave her a slight smile in return. "Only the special ones." Before Alyna could have any doubt as to whether there were other special ones, the queen stepped forward and drew the darkfallen into a slow kiss. When they broke apart, she added huskily, "Use it well, my Captain."

Alyna carefully unhooked the bowstring and stowed the bow across her back, careful not to dislodge Felo'alaan. "Always, and in the service of my Queen." She smiled at Sylvanas and gave her a playful bow. "I will cherish it, thank you." When she raised her eyes again, she was more serious. "Which leads to the question, were will you have me use it first?"

Sylvanas gestured for Alyna to follow, and she led the woman out of the bedroom and into her office. She stood at the map table and indicated a particular point in the east of Dragonblight.

"There is a ship leaving for the fjord today with more soldiers and supplies. That will bring Vengeance Landing up to garrison strength, and will allow you to take most of your company further inland, to Venomspite." She tapped her finger just north of where she had first indicated. "The Alliance have set up fortifications here. I want to know what they're up to." The queen then gestured at a sizable area further west. "There are also some old friends of yours nearby I want you to investigate. Once you have the information I require, you'll be free to wipe them from existence."

Alyna was clearly curious. "I have friends?"

Sylvanas allowed a small smile to creep across her face. "The Scarlet Crusade army that escaped your clutches at the Scourge enclave you formerly led have made landfall in a place they're calling New Hearthglen. They call themselves the Scarlet Onslaught now, but it's them, and they have built quite a fortress."

Alyna mirrored her slow smile. "I see. You want to know what they're up to and if we can use it to our advantage somehow."

The queen's smile broadened. "Exactly. Once you're done, do as you wish to them. Just make sure they are not able to interfere with our offensive against the Lich King."

"Yes, my Lady." Alyna appeared very eager to hunt the scarlets, and Sylvanas couldn't really blame her. They would also provide her with easy meals for quite some time.

"Once the scarlets are dealt with, and you make sure the Alliance are not up to something they shouldn't be doing, we'll be able to push through the zone," Sylvanas continued.

"To Angrathar the Wrathgate?" finished Alyna.

Sylvanas inclined her head to confirm the guess. "Yes. Thanks to you, we know that is the primary gate into Icecrown Citadel. Both the Horde and Alliance want to secure the entrance, and at the very least make sure Arthas cannot use it to launch a counter attack."

"At the least? You're not thinking of launching a direct assault on the citadel through the front door?" Alyna sounded slightly horrified at the idea.

The queen held up her hand to forestall any further comment from Alyna. "If you weren't here? Yes, the thought had crossed my mind. It has also crossed the mind of the other leaders. I have given them your warnings, but right now they are convinced a direct assault has the best chance of flushing him out."

"Flushing him out?" The darkfallen was still recovering from her surprise. "They think the Lich King himself would appear at such a battle and they can, what? Cut off the head of the snake without setting foot in its lair?"

Sylvanas gave her astute lover a nod. "That is their thinking."

Alyna shook her head. "They'll fail. The Frozen Throne is not near the gate, but the entire citadel helps to empower him as the whole thing is built around the pillar of the throne. You can't just kill him on his doorstep! It won't ever be that simple."

"That is why I will not be joining you in Venomspite," Sylvanas pinched the bridge of her nose. "Not soon, at any rate. I have to convince Thrall that we'll be wasting our time with a frontal assault. We cannot brute-force our way into defeating Arthas; we need to out-think him. Somehow." She gestured back at the map which had a sizable number of troops arranged before the gate. "I do agree we need to make sure he cannot use it. We're finally making ground, and if the Scourge began pouring through the gate it could stop all of our progress very quickly."

The darkfallen took in all of the troop placements across the south of the continent, and eventually she nodded. "Agreed. We need to keep attacking him on many fronts, and prevent him from counter-attacking."

Sylvanas grinned at the eagerness Alyna displayed. "Then, let's get to it. I'll take the portal to Dalaran with you, and then you'll fly to Vengeance Landing to gather your company for the trip to Venomspite." She gave her ranger-captain a slightly sad smile as she realised she was going to miss Alyna more than a queen should miss a subject. "I'll look forward to your reports."

Alyna's grin was one of excitement at being back in the field. Sylvanas knew how she felt, and was jealous of her for it. Being queen had its perks, but it also had great drawbacks.

She sighed internally as she led the way out of her office. She was definitely going to miss Alyna.