Chapter 24

A week later …

"It has been one hundred days since this invasion began, Warchief, and we are still no closer to defeating the Lich King! We must be bolder with our strikes!"

Sylvanas flicked an ear in irritation. No one could accuse Garrosh of being a coward, but his desire for needless battle was a constant drain on her patience.

"The Overlord is incorrect in his assessment of our progress, Warchief," came a quiet female voice. Sylvanas turned her head to regard the blonde human with concealed amusement. "We have learnt a great deal in that time and both our peoples are slowly pushing forward on all fronts."

A deep, weathered male voice next spoke. "I agree with Jaina."

Garrosh sneered at the speaker, a powerfully built human, and took a step forward. "Of course, you agree with the mage. You would both prefer to cower in your holes than to gain honour on the battlefield!"

That was enough for Thrall. He took hold of Garrosh's upper arm and dragged him back a step. "These tactics differ to our usual way of doing things, Garrosh. It does not make them wrong."

The young orc shook off Thrall's grasp, nostrils flaring as he squared up to his own warchief. When Thrall did not back down, Garrosh looked past him to where Sylvanas stood.

"And you, banshee? Do you agree with the humans too?"

Sylvanas' red eyes flashed angrily at the orc's tone. She had listened quietly as Thrall and High King Varian Wrynn of the Alliance had exchanged information and discussed how to best continue the war effort. At the back of her mind had been Alyna's advice on not being too direct with their attacks and she had been pleased when Wrynn had preferred to maintain the status quo for the time being.

"I do," she replied simply.

Garrosh growled his frustration and slammed a heavy fist into a table strewn with maps. Despite being made from hard wood, it cracked.

"You … do?" Lady Jaina Proudmoore was apparently as surprised as Garrosh was disappointed. "I'd have just thought that … you …" She trailed off.

The Banshee Queen turned to fully address the human archmage. "Make no mistake, Lady Proudmoore, I have no intention of trying to 'save' Arthas Menethil. I want him dead." She wanted a lot more than just 'dead' but that was her personal business. "But he is cunning, and his forces greatly outnumber ours. Drawing his armies into open battle would make us fools. Continuing as we are is the tactically superior choice."

Everyone ignored Garrosh's grunt of disgust in response to her words. Jaina sighed, her shoulders slumping very slightly. "If only we knew if we could somehow reach the humanity in Arthas and stop this madness…"

The queen's cutting reply was on the tip of her tongue, but Varian stepped in first, and far more gently. "Jaina, we cannot risk it. I'm sorry, but Prince Arthas is gone."

Sylvanas bristled quietly. Not a meeting went by between the Horde and Alliance leadership without the archmage raising the possibility of trying to save the former Prince Arthas instead of punishing him for all that he had done. She knew the reason why, of course; they had been lovers prior to Arthas making the choices that led to his becoming the Lich King, and the bleeding heart that was Jaina Proudmoore wanted to try and save the man who chose power over their relationship.

It was sickening.

Would you have tried to save Alyna had she not broken free?

It was not the first time her mind had thrown up the question. As always, she ignored it.

An insistent cough drew everyone's attention to the host of the meeting, the Kirin Tor's representative and Sylvanas' own brother-in-law, Archmage Rhonin Redhair. He smiled tiredly at those present. "Perhaps, a break is in order. I suggest we reconvene in two hours?"

The warchief and high king looked at each other and nodded in agreement. As discussion moved on towards refreshments, Sylvanas slipped out of the room. She had no need for nourishment, but she was craving information. She particularly wanted to see if a certain captain of hers had reported in yet. Alyna had been quiet since she had been sent on her way to Venomspite and the queen's patience was running thin.

She wound her way through the maze that was the Violet Citadel, the towering spire that dominated a section of Dalaran, towards a room that had been designated for her use during breaks. As she approached, she noticed the door was open, which could only mean one thing. She pushed through the door, her eyes immediately settling on the decomposing form of her champion.

Nathanos bowed slightly at the waist. "My Lady, I have news." She moved past him to a window, gesturing for him to continue as she did so. "Venomspite has been secured, as expected, and plans are underway to remove the Scarlet menace from the vicinity."

The queen looked down into the streets of Dalaran, careful to stay far enough back from the window so she remained relatively unseen. "How long?"

"Wroth estimates it will take five weeks to have the necessary forces in place for the attack."

Sylvanas frowned slightly. "What of the Alliance? The Onslaught are as much a threat to them as they are to us. Has Wroth reached out to them for troops?"

Nathanos moved to within the queen's peripheral vision and shook his head. "No, my Lady. This latest report states they are currently under attack by the Scourge. A necropolis appeared in the sky and the dead began rising from a mausoleum under their fort."

The queen turned at this new information. She held out her hand for the aforementioned report, and it was handed to her.

It was from Alyna.

As she scanned the familiar penmanship a frown slowly made itself evident on her fine features. Her captain had identified the necropolis as Naxxramas, the same vessel that had occupied the skies near the city of Stratholme for the past couple of years. She had thought the necropolis unoccupied as the denizens had been killed by a small army, but it appeared the Lich King had salvaged his property. And it was keeping the Alliance very busy. They were slowly pushing back the Scourge on the ground, but they were clearly in no position to offer any forces until the necropolis was once again rendered inert.

Wrynn had not mentioned their main fort in Dragonblight was under attack, but since they were holding their ground, she assumed their pride explained their silence. Why ask for help if you did not need it? That, and they would have to admit they were foolish enough to build a fort on a mausoleum.

The decision annoyed her though as it affected the overall view of the battlefield in Northrend. There was a force in play the Alliance had not declared, and she couldn't help but wonder what else was out there she was unaware of. Thankfully, Alyna had been thorough in her scouting. She and Wroth both agreed they did not want to move on New Hearthglen until the situation with Naxxramas was clearer to ensure they were not having to suddenly deal with Scourge as well. They were also assembling a larger force than initially planned to counter the threat and ensure total victory with minimal casualties.

By the time she put the report down, the frown had been replaced by a small smile. Rarely did she trust even her most proven officers, but she trusted Alyna. It was a surprising weight off her mind to know the job would be done without her needing to interfere in some manner.

Nathanos saw the smile and somehow managed to guess the reason for it correctly. "You put too much trust in her, my Lady."

"Oh?" she asked, slowly. Anyone else would have taken heed of the deadly tone Sylvanas gave the simple sound and not said anymore. But not Nathanos.

"She was one of them, my Lady. She still could be. We don't know what was done to her in Utgarde Keep. Did she escape, or was she allowed to leave?"

Sylvanas narrowed her eyes at her champion. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, but she knew he would find that strange … because he was right. She had been distracted after they escaped from Utgarde Keep and had not questioned Alyna as thoroughly as any other would have been in her position. While her instincts told her Alyna was not a willing spy for the Lich King, he didn't need her compliance. He could just force her to obey.

The queen moved away from the window towards the desk in the room. As she did so, she cursed herself for being so careless. It was not like her to make such a mistake.

Is it a mistake to trust Alyna?

The weight returned. She hated the self-doubt. She put down the report and tapped the clawed index finger of her gauntlet on the edge of the desk, closing her eyes for a moment to focus her thoughts.

The blight was too important to risk. She knew it. So did Nathanos.

"I want regular updates on the progress of the new blight," she ordered. She partially turned to fix her gaze on her subject. "And I want them verified. Personally."

A look of surprise passed over her champion's face which she found curious. Had he not expected her to take his concern seriously? Or did he not anticipate being given the task of checking Alyna's loyalty in this regard? The latter was understandable; he was accustomed to dispensing information, not retrieving it. The former would be a cause for concern. If Nathanos thought his queen unable to choose between what must be done and Alyna, then she was being too obvious in her feelings for her captain.

And you do have feelings.

"Yes, my Lady." He bowed. "Do you require anything else?"

"No," she said almost softly, her last thought still echoing in her mind. She waved him away and to her relief he left without any of his usual prattle.

She looked down at her desk and the updates that awaited her. She could not afford to be distracted, she told herself. The only thing that mattered was making Arthas pay for what he had done to her and the Forsaken, by any means possible. If that meant she had to use the blight and keep Alyna at a distance, then so be it.

Ten days later …

Alyna slowly walked away from the writhing, sobbing wreck of a human. A rag was held out for her and she took it without stopping. She used it to clean the dark crimson blood from her hands as she ascended the stone steps from the cells into the main barracks in Venomspite.

She was close to getting what she wanted, she could feel it. The cultist's body had been broken, by her, not long after she had captured him, and most of his mind had followed soon after. The cultists were not ordinary humans though, but agents, nay worshipers, of the Lich King. Their minds were twisted and partly bolstered by the magics the cult used, enabling some of their more experienced members to avoid passing on information they would rather remain secret. It also made them irritatingly resistant to her curse, so she could not just make him a vassal and rip what she wanted from his mind.

Thankfully, she was intimately familiar with the magics used by the Scourge. It was just a matter of time.

She pushed against the door to the barracks with her shoulder and continued on through the building towards the main entrance. Some of her dark rangers were out on missions. Others nodded at her as she passed them while they tended to their gear. As she passed an open door an eager voice called to her.

"Captain? Ooo, Captain!" She heard heavy plate boots thudding to catch up to her.

At that moment, Alyna stopped abruptly at what she saw through the main entrance in front her and felt the weight of Molder slam into her back. She took a step forward to balance herself, but the dreadguard was not as fortunate. As Alyna turned she saw him fall against the wall, then slide down it and away from her, towards the open door. She knew what would happen a moment before he half-fell back into the room he came out of in a loud clash of metal, wood and bone.

Alyna briefly glanced back at the main entrance. A figure was standing just beyond, watching her. She inwardly sighed before looking down at Molder. He sat up and beamed at her, his fall not having dampened his seemingly endless good spirits. "I have news!"

"Lady Liadrin is here," she replied bluntly.

Molder blinked in surprise, which quickly became amazement. "Why, yes! How did you know?"

The captain just shook her head in mild frustration at him. She then dropped the bloody rag into his lap and turned on her heel to greet the blood knight matriarch.

Alyna blinked as she stepped outside into the sun. She then fixed her gaze on Liadrin. "Welcome to Venomspite."

The matriarch was resplendent in her full plate armour. She had taken her helm off, so Alyna watched as green eyes looked her up and down with undisguised disdain. She belatedly realised she must still have more than a little blood left on her leathers.

"Thank you. We are just passing through and needed to resupply and rest the horses."

Alyna nodded. Liadrin was not alone and would not be staying long. Good, she thought. "I'm sure High Executor Wroth will make sure you get what you require." She stepped to the side to move around the paladin.

"I thought we could talk." The words were calm. Neutral.

Alyna stopped, but she did not turn to face Liadrin as she replied, devoid of emotion. "What could we possibly have to talk about?"

She heard heavy boots shuffling in the packed snow as the paladin repositioned. "We were best friends, once."

"Once, when we were very different people."

"Are we so different now?" Liadrin asked softly. "I have rediscovered the Light and found purpose again. You are now free and back at Sylvanas' side. As always."

Rediscovered?

Alyna turned to face her former friend, lips raised in a sneer. "As always? I am not her faithful pet, Liadrin. I serve as all Forsaken do, and I earnt my place here. Nothing has been given to me!"

The paladin sighed. "I never said you were her pet!" She then took a step forward and dropped her voice to keep her next words private. "But what you two had … it's still there. I saw it."

The ranger closed the final distance into Liadrin's personal space and leant forward to hiss quietly into her ear. "You saw what you wanted to see." She then stepped back and started walking away.

Infuriatingly, Liadrin followed.

"Seems to me like you're the one seeing what you want to see, Alyna. Here you are, making her blight for her, and you say you're not her pet?"

The ranger captain spun around; arms held out wide to signify the town, her words clipped. "For research, Liadrin. We cannot fight something we don't understand." It was only partially true, but her queen's trust was not to be broken. Even to a former friend.

The paladin narrowed her eyes, unconvinced.

Alyna dropped her arms. "I thought that was clear. We are performing research into the blight, with the warchief's blessing, to be able to protect the Horde against it. The last strain the Lich King used was particularly effective, as you well know."

Whatever Liadrin was going to say was interrupted by the sound of glass shattering. Both women turned to see a green cloud forming at the feet of a terrified Forsaken male. Alyna cursed and raised her hand, snap casting a spell she had used too frequently of late. The gas immediately froze to ice, forming a knee-high mound in front of the careless apothecary.

Several figures appeared from various directions in response to the situation. Once they realised the incident was under control, most began the process of cleaning up the mess. One individual hung slightly back from the throng. Nathanos fixed his gaze on Alyna and the two exchanged an unfriendly stare. The champion was the first to look away, choosing the moment to start berating the apothecary for being so careless.

Liadrin's voice was steely at having witnessed the accident with the blight. "I see you two are getting on."

"We don't need to like each other to get our work done," replied Alyna coolly.

She got a small snort in response. "No, but it helps if you get along with those you work with." Liadrin turned to look at her again. "Or are such things beneath you now?"

Alyna snarled. "You're trying to bait me into having this 'talk' of yours."

The paladin tilted her head slightly. "Is it working?"

"You're infuriating!" Alyna turned her back on the woman once more and started walking towards the edge of town.

Liadrin trailed after her, again. "See? I told you I haven't really changed!"

The ranger growled quietly and kept moving. Liadrin had always been stubborn and there was only one way Alyna was going to be rid of her. She led the woman down a gap between two buildings. This particular area was rarely trodden, and the snow began to get higher. It reached her knees by the time Alyna stopped near the edge of the ridge that Venomspite had been constructed upon.

The matriarch puffed hot streams of air from her lungs as she caught up, the effort of moving through deep snow in plate armour showing on her flushed cheeks. She did not complain though, and the captain found herself feeling a modicum of respect for her as a result.

She did not show it. "Talk."

Liadrin blinked, and then half-laughed. "Talk … right. Because you make it so easy to have a natural conversation." She held a hand up to forestall any reply Alyna had to the observation. "This is not your idea, I know." She then gestured at Alyna. "Would you mind at least cleaning up a little first?"

Alyna looked down at herself. She did indeed still have the cultist's blood on her. She bent down and took a handful of snow which she then used to start washing herself with.

The matriarch sighed deeply once her request was granted, gathering her thoughts. She then broke out into a lop-sided smile. "I supposed I should at least thank you first for not looking at me like I'm your next meal."

Alyna tilted her head in confusion before her memories reasserted themselves. "I was not in full control of myself in Utgarde Keep. I am now. You have nothing to fear." She collected a fresh handful of snow to continue her improvised bath.

"Nothing to fear? I'll have to disagree with you there, Alyna. What I saw was terrifying. If Sylvanas had not thrown herself bodily at you … which is a darkly amusing memory I shall keep fondly … I wouldn't be standing here right now."

The ranger closed her eyes briefly. "Those were exceptional circumstances." She levelled her gaze at the paladin. "You're welcome, by the way."

Liadrin laughed. "For not eating me? Or for rescuing me? I was only there to rescue you, you know. Sylvanas was an absolute wreck without you and dead elves crying just doesn't work for me." She ignored the confused stare she received with the disclosure. "And let's face it, Alyna, you weren't rescuing me, or my paladins, or even your rangers. You were rescuing Sylvanas. The rest of us just happened to get swept up in your whirlwind."

Is this what Liadrin had wanted to talk about? Whether she wanted to or not, Alyna now knew she could not just brush the paladin away now. Silence reigned as the stunned ranger struggled to process what Liadrin had just revealed, the snow before Alyna a pale red with the blood she had washed off herself.

Why would Sylvanas shed tears for me?

The answer was immediate, if vague.

Sylvanas is different.

Alyna turned away from Liadrin to direct her stare into the forest surrounding the town. "Why?" she eventually asked, her tone soft in her distraction.

The question caught the paladin off guard. "Why? Why, what?"

The clarification was so quiet the matriarch almost missed it. "Why did she cry?"

Alyna could not see the puzzled look Liadrin gave the back of her head. "Did the Scourge knock you on the head a few times?" When it was clear there was to be no reply, the matriarch sighed in exasperation. "Because she still loves you, Alyna. Sunwell only knows how with the way this universe works, but the woman still loves you. Why else would she charge into a keep of Scourge on a suicide mission to rescue one ranger? You're not just a ranger. Not to her."

The revelation hit Alyna with the force of a runaway kodo.

Sylvanas loves me!

It certainly explained the tenderness her queen had shown her during their time together after the rescue. She bowed her head slightly as she heard Liadrin moving to stand beside her.

"I am incapable of returning her feelings. She knows that." Even to her own ears, her words sounded sad, surprising herself. Was it truly sadness she felt at such a reality now she knew she was actually missing out on something?

Liadrin appeared to accept the statement, which told her she already knew. "Perhaps not as one would traditionally feel in these circumstances, no. But you do feel … something, Alyna. Or you wouldn't still wear your wedding ring."

Alyna automatically raised her left hand. She wore a lightly armoured gauntlet, but she could still see where the ring had raised the leather slightly on her finger. "Did Sylvanas tell you that?"

"No. I made the rings, and I can just about sense the Light within them. It's how I know she still wears hers too."

The ranger lowered her hand. "I feel a familiarity. That's as much as I can put into words."

"Her presence comforts you," Liadrin stated matter-of-factly.

Alyna turned to regard the paladin cautiously. "I … suppose it does." She shifted her weight, unused to talking about her feelings. "I only spent a few years in the Scourge, but it felt like much longer. It was a long time to not have anyone to truly confide in. And my thoughts were never just my own; the Lich King was always there to taunt or punish me for what went through my mind. As he does with all his sentient undead." She shrugged slightly. "Sylvanas understands at least some of that in ways just telling you about it can ever convey."

Liadrin looked horrified. She slowly reached out and rested her hand on Alyna's shoulder. "I'm sorry. And, you're right. I can never truly grasp what those who are forced to serve the Lich King go through. But," she inhaled slowly, "we are here to put an end to that."

They shared a moment of determined silence before Liadrin gave Alyna her personal space back.

The normally stoic captain almost threw out a sarcastic question on whether Liadrin was happy with how their 'talk' was going, but she stopped herself. If she was going to be completely honest with herself, it felt good to let someone she knew who had no ulterior motive get a little closer again. Even if it did leave her feeling exposed and uncomfortable.

Suddenly keen to deflect the focus of the personal conversation, Alyna asked, "What of you? Do you wear a ring now?"

The ranger jumped in surprise as the paladin threw her head back and laughed loudly for several seconds. Once she composed herself, she managed her reply. "Of course not. I have far too many responsibilities, and who has time for such a thing?"

Alyna raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Indeed."

Liadrin continued her train of thought. "I really could do with this war being over soon. I have blood knights to train, a regent lord to advise, and I don't like being away from Salandria for too long."

"Salandria?"

"My daughter."

It was Alyna's turn to laugh, albeit in a shorter, quieter, burst. "You? You procreated?"

"Well, she's not quite my dau— wait." Green eyes narrowed suspiciously at Alyna. "What do you mean by that? Procreated? Why do you have to make it sound so sordid? I could have a child. If I wanted to."

Alyna chuckled. "But you have one. Apparently."

Liadrin's features immediately softened, her affection for the child winning over her mood. "She's an orphan, one of our own from Quel'Thalas. I saw her at the orphanage in Orgrimmar and, well. She's special. The Light shines from her and I know she can become a great woman if given the chance."

"With the right guidance," Alyna deadpanned.

The matriarch nodded with excitement. "Exactly! So, I now have custody of her. She lives at my home in Silvermoon and has everything she needs to thrive."

Alyna watched the woman as she spoke. She realised the child brought a genuine happiness to Liadrin, and she thought she understood why. Liadrin had been an orphan, and she had been taken on by a benefactor who had done the same for her as she was doing for Salandria. The matriarch was completing the cycle by giving back her own good fortune. More importantly, it likely gave the woman a sense of place and peace after losing her adopted father to Arthas' attack on Silvermoon. Alyna had not been there to see the aftermath of that loss, but she knew Liadrin well enough to know it would have devastated her.

In her own way of telling Liadrin that she understood, she simply said, "We will both find justice in these frozen lands, Liadrin."

The matriarch nodded solemnly in agreement. Her tone now serious, she said, "I don't know if we can be friends again, Alyna, though I would like to try. But, whatever happens, you can be sure we are in this," she gestured at the snow-covered trees before them, "together. You can count on my support." She then held out her forearm to the dark ranger. "For justice."

Alyna clasped Liadrin's forearm with her hand, completing the oath. She smiled slightly.

"For justice."