Chapter 34

Three weeks later …

Sylvanas watched silently as the canon ball flew towards her, confident in the knowledge that it would miss, as most of them had. Still, just in case, she watched the projectile as it reached the peak of its arc. It then dropped away to crash into hapless Scourge somewhere far below in what was aptly called 'The Bombardment'. The Alliance gunship slowly flew away as it always did after the now customary exchange of canon fire that took place between the two gunships every day or so. The ridiculous part was she was somehow at least partly to blame for this rise in hostilities, or so she had heard.

Not long after she had returned to the Undercity with Alyna had the floor of the coliseum collapsed under the competitors into an ancient nerubian crypt. The nerubians were an archaic race of intelligent arachnoids native to Northrend who lived underground and had been mostly turned into undead by the Lich King. The tournament grounds had been built right above part of their domain and was inhabited by the crypt lord Anub'arak, the last living king of the nerubians. She heard many champions had died in the fall, but those that survived went on to defeat the former king. As Sylvanas had left the area sometime before, the only leader to have done so, she was promptly accused of betrayal by the human king.

All of which she was ignorant of until Thrall had walked into her throne room in the Undercity with an armed guard demanding to know why she had excused herself. She had been forced to lie to protect Alyna. Thankfully, she had not yet inked a letter to the highlord, so she incorporated the cultists into her own excuse. She had investigated the reports personally and had deemed them an unacceptable threat to be eliminated without delay. Alyna had been wounded and she had brought her home to recuperate due to her particular biology requiring special attention.

Amazingly, the warchief bought all of it.

King Wrynn had not believed a word.

So now the Alliance gunship was taking pot shots at the Horde gunship she was on every time they passed. The grizzled orc captain, Korm Blackscar, had told her it was normal, but her elven ears had heard the sailors talking – the rate of fire had increased drastically since she came aboard a few days ago.

Heavy boots approached, stopping behind her shoulder at a respectful distance. She kept her eyes on the retreating gunship. "What is it?"

"Lady Sylvanas," greeted the death knight, Koltira Deathweaver. She heard his plate armour shift on his body as he no doubt bowed despite her keeping her back to him. "I have news regarding your request to meet Highlord Mograine at the Shadow Vault." He paused, and then wisely continued without her having to prompt him. "The Highlord has extended an invitation to you. He will also permit Ranger Captain Alyna, and a small personal bodyguard that he recommends you bring. The Vault is frequently under attack by the Scourge and he would prefer that you remain safe as you travel."

"How considerate of him," she drawled in response. The queen turned her head so she could see the death knight out of the corner of her eye. "Your efforts in bringing about this meeting have not gone unnoticed, Koltira. If you have no pressing matters to attend to, I will have you join me on this visit."

They both knew it was not a request he could turn down. "I would be honoured, Dark Lady," the undead elf crooned.

"Inform Blackscar he needs to move us further north for our departure. Then go to the flightmaster and have the bats prepared," she ordered. "We leave as soon as the gunship is within suitable range."

"Yes, my Lady." He bowed once more and left her alone.

Sylvanas turned her gaze towards the black spires in the far distance, the skies currently clear enough to see the Shadow Vault. They were too far away for her to see if they were currently under attack or not, but it hardly mattered. They were going no matter the circumstances.

She turned away from the edge of the gunship and made her way down into it. The wood creaked with the constant vibration of the giant air balloons that kept the sizable zeppelin aloft. Chains were always rattling above the roar of the furnace that provided the heat to propel the gunship forward. Everything felt and sounded heavy, yet they were a few thousand feet up in the air. The queen ordinarily did not trust such goblin constructs, but they had actually out done themselves with this design.

The cabin she had been given was located near the front of the vessel, two levels below the main deck. It was small and spartan, the orcs viewing comfort as a weakness in any military environment. As she approached the door, Kyala acknowledged her approach with a nod, having been on guard outside.

"She's still asleep, my Lady," she reported.

"Good." The queen grasped the door handle as she said, "Prepare an escort to fly to the Shadow Vault. We leave soon." She opened the door and entered her cabin. "I'll wake Alyna up."

"Yes, my Queen."

The lieutenant saluted and left. Sylvanas closed the door and then turned to observe the prone body in the lone cot. A fine smoke drifted up from a sleeping stick the queen herself had placed on the floor beside her. She picked it up and stabbed it down into a glass of water on a small table that was waiting for the task, before she crossed the room to open a small porthole. She knew Alyna was not in the kind of sleep that the living experienced but airing the room would help her come around faster. A stool was placed near Alyna's head, and she walked over to it now and sat down.

The queen removed her armoured gauntlet and slowly pressed her fingers through Alyna's white hair, brushing it off her face. She had missed her company during the voyage, but they had both agreed it would be best if Alyna spent it asleep, particularly through Dalaran. Sylvanas had not been overly concerned about Alyna losing control again, but it would have distressed her needlessly. During their couple of weeks in the Undercity she had fluctuated between her usual confidence, to self-loathing, fear and deep uncertainty. The tremors had come often, and severely, though they had started to subside by the time they left.

Feeding had been the main issue. There was nothing anyone could do to stop Alyna from taking a soul as she ate, and the first attempts had resulted in exactly that. Sylvanas had then coaxed her lover into using the energy gained and so they could start again. It had been a difficult process for both of them to get her to finally just drain her victims of blood and leave their souls alone at the first time of asking.

Coming to Icecrown had been Alyna's idea. The Undercity had an unusually high number of the living with the orcs now patrolling the city, which the captain had found difficult to ignore. Sitting around in the dark ranger barracks did nothing to help her focus on other things, and the queen had agreed. Since working around significant numbers of the living was a problem, the captain had suggested she work around other undead. The Knights of the Ebon Blade had just captured the Shadow Vault from the Scourge, and Sylvanas saw an opportunity to lend Forsaken support to their effort to keep it.

Now all that was needed was for Mograine to accept her proposal, which was far from a guaranteed outcome. The knights were very slow to trust and viewed most as unwilling to do the things they were in order to succeed. She was hoping that Alyna's actions in Zul'Drak would go a long way to alleviating such obstacles, along with their mutual approach to tactics.

The queen was nervous. If she failed to secure an agreement, she currently had no real alternative to help Alyna be useful. The other option was to send her to the front lines down below the gunship, a prospect she did not relish. The casualty rate was extreme, and she worried the dangerous conditions would result in a relapse just for survival.

"Is it bad news?" came the low question, and Sylvanas looked down to see clear black eyes looking up at her.

She gave her lover one of the small smiles she apparently enjoyed. "No. It took a few days, but Mograine has agreed to meet us."

Alyna gingerly sat up and brushed her fingers back through her hair, combing it without thinking. "You looked worried."

Sylvanas knew she did not telegraph her emotions as readily as most people did, and she preferred it that way. The fact that Alyna could read her so easily was something she had grown to appreciate deeply. It let them work together in ways others could not perceive or understand.

"I just hope this works," she replied.

The captain rolled her shoulders as even undead could still stiffen if they spent a significant time motionless, as Alyna had. "Mograine has always been practical, and he knows I had a significant role in this part of Icecrown for a few years. He has likely assumed I have knowledge that might help him, and he's right. We can use that."

"I know." Sylvanas was pleased to see her lover was in a more positive mood, for now. "I will do everything I can to make sure this happens for you." She watched as Alyna shivered and wrapped her arms around her abdomen self-consciously to control it. The queen automatically moved to sit next to her on the cot, sliding her arm around the woman's waist protectively. "How are you feeling?"

Alyna welcomed the touch by turning towards Sylvanas, leaning into her shoulder and looking up into her eyes. "Calm. I can hear their hearts beating, but for now it's no louder than any of the other noises on the ship."

"Do you need to eat?" she asked softly. This was their routine now; Sylvanas always asking about her condition, Alyna being trusted to answer honestly, and then working together to figure out the next appropriate step. It helped the queen to understand, and it was invaluable for the captain to know she was not alone in what she had to endure.

Alyna shook her head once. "No. I ate before we left, and the sleep hasn't drained me of anything." She reached up to touch the queen's face with the tips of her fingers. "I'm in control. If I start to feel otherwise, I will let you know."

Their lips met to reseal the conditions of their established routine and Sylvanas felt some of her tension release a little. Alyna turned her body more fully towards the queen, the kiss becoming more sensual as the two lovers reconnected. Time had not moved for the captain, but she was attuned to her queen and knew she had been missed during her slumber. Sylvanas accepted the affection freely offered, allowing pieces of her armour to be removed to make her body more accessible. The pair then lay together, enjoying the peace, light touches and long, slow kisses. Sylvanas knew they did not have long before they had to leave, but she was going to enjoy this rare quiet moment with her lover.

Built entirely of saronite into one of the mountains of northern Icecrown, the Shadow Vault had been an important bastion for the Scourge in the area. Alyna had told Sylvanas that during her time with them it had been a focal point of activity, mostly as a processing centre for new vrykul Scourge. It had also provided labour for the nearby saronite quarry. Now, it was a fortress for the Knights of the Ebon Blade, their black and purple banners lining the path up to the entrance.

Alyna kept close to her queen as they entered the grand hall of the Vault with Kyala, five other wary dark rangers, and a seemingly bored Koltira. Numerous metal pillars stretched up to the carefully designed high ceiling, every detail formulated with the sheer weight of the saronite construction in mind. Countless runes were carved into the ceiling, walls and columns in an almost decorative design. They would have immediately given the queen cause for concern if Alyna had not already told her to expect them; they were spells based on the vrykul language to further strengthen the structure. At the far end of the hall stood a large skull-like structure, its eyes and mouth burning with a blue flame. It was a runeforge, a vital tool used by all death knights to create their bonded runic weapons. Standing in front of it was the highlord, talking to another death knight. Their conversation quickly stopped when their entrance was announced.

For the most part, the majority of the death knights were too busy to give the party more than a glance, but those who had the time inevitably focused on Alyna. Sylvanas kept her gaze centred on the highlord, who watched her in return, only his glowing cerulean eyes visible through his helm.

When the party came to a stop a respectful distance from the death knights, Mograine was the first to speak.

"Lady Sylvanas, welcome to the Shadow Vault." He bowed his head in a show of respect but not deference. He nodded at her captain. "Welcome back, Alyna."

Alyna inclined her head to acknowledge his words, but let her queen do the talking.

"I was pleased to receive your invitation, Highlord." Sylvanas made a show of looking around. "I must congratulate you on your conquest of the Vault. Alyna tells me it would have been no small feat."

"It wasn't. Many knights fell, but their sacrifice was not in vain." He looked between the two women for a moment. "Why are you here?"

The queen's red eyes narrowed slightly. "To ensure the Lich King's reign comes to a swift end." She took a step forward and opened her arms slightly to appear more benign. "You and I have certain things in common the living races lack – the ability to do what must be done, and the unrelenting will to see it through." She gestured back at her captain. "Alyna has detailed knowledge of the local area, and you and your death knights have useful wider information on the Scourge, and impressive combat capabilities. I wish to pool our resources to achieve our mutual goal."

"And would your resources include Forsaken forces?" Mograine sounded a little dubious.

"Of course," the queen replied immediately. "Alyna's dark ranger company would be at your disposal, as will as many troops as I can reassign without leaving other fronts vulnerable."

He looked at Alyna, seemingly trying to gauge her queen's words through her expression. She kept it blank. He then addressed Sylvanas once more. "What does your Warchief think of this?"

"He doesn't know … yet." She waved a hand dismissively. "I will handle Thrall as and when I need to."

That drew a laugh from the highlord. "Going behind the back of the Horde? Yes, I suppose you would do that to kill Arthas."

Sylvanas gave him a tight smile that did not reach her eyes. "There is no deceit here, Highlord. All Horde leaders have orders to further the war effort, particularly by gaining footholds deeper into Icecrown."

Mograine raised an armoured finger in her direction. "I have no interest in your Horde, or the Alliance, Lady Sylvanas." He was noticeably angry. "Your petty squabbles are doing Arthas' work for him. You fight each other, even when the enemy is present. Just a week ago my knights witnessed an attack from soldiers based on your gunship into the rear of an Alliance unit that were engaged with the Scourge. The Alliance were decimated, and then your Horde took just as many casualties by the routing Scourge they had ignored in their bloodlust."

The queen raised an eyebrow in surprise. She had not known of the attack, which would have happened shortly before she had boarded the gunship. It gave her a new perspective on why the Alliance had been more aggressive of late, and she resolved to make sure Thrall knew of it. She had no love for the Alliance, but Mograine was right. Only Arthas won if they wasted time on each other.

Mograine then added as he shook his head slowly. "I already have numerous individuals from both of your factions assisting us in various areas of operation. They have all sworn to forget their differences to work together. I cannot have the Horde here in number upsetting that balance."

Sylvanas knew she now had to be careful in how she phrased her argument.

"I was unaware of such activities, Highlord, and I shall ensure the Warchief hears of this." She tried to instil her determination into her next words. "I can assure you my people will follow their orders should you accept them here. They will not attack the Alliance and they will focus on our mutual goals." A thought then occurred to the queen. "If you desire, you could make it a stipulation that this deal is between you and the Forsaken, and not the Horde, if you doubt the bloodlust of the others."

Blue eyes narrowed at her, seemingly considering the idea. "And if I were to strike a similar bargain with an Alliance race?"

She shrugged mildly. "I would have no objection. I want Arthas dead, Highlord. If having my people play nice with the Alliance gets me that, it will be the cheapest price I pay this war."

"Indeed." He sounded amused.

It occurred to Sylvanas that it was highly likely he would make an offer to the Alliance if he accepted her help. He would not want to appear to be favouring the Horde, even unofficially, and inviting them in would display his neutrality, and also boost his war effort. If they accepted. She had no idea how Wrynn would respond to allying with more undead.

Mograine's eyes settled on Alyna. "Before I make my decision, I want to talk to you. In private."

She turned to her queen to silently ask for permission. It had not been an unexpected request, and they were ready for it. Sylvanas gave her a single nod and she agreed to go with the highlord. As the pair moved away, the queen hoped Alyna could seal the bargain, for her own sake.

Alyna followed Mograine into another section of the Vault. The ceilings were lower here, more oppressive as they weaved through the corridors designed to disorientate the living and discourage escape. They climbed a long set of stairs and she realised she was likely being taken to one of the balconies.

She was proven correct as they stepped out onto one of the low balconies facing the front entryway to the Vault. Weapons were arranged neatly along the wall, ready for the next attack, but the wielders were somewhere else for now.

Mograine reached up to his chinstrap and removed his helm before he turned to her. "Why are you really here, Alyna?" He gestured below them towards the hall. "I believe your queen's motives regarding Arthas are genuine, but to only now approach us to fight him instead of a year ago? What has changed?"

"Me," she said simply. She almost laughed at his clear surprise. "And a few other factors, but my condition has triggered this approach."

As they had lain together on their cot in the gunship, the pair had talked about how to handle the meeting. They knew that Mograine would trust Alyna more than he would Sylvanas, due to their prior time together. It also became clear that their approach would appear suspicious, and that only the truth had the potential to win the highlord over. A truth that had to come from Alyna, and not Sylvanas.

"I see," he mused, scratching his beard subconsciously. "I believe I can assume the other factors involve your factions losing so many at the Wrathgate, the subsequent fighting between you, and the Ebon Blade gaining a strong footing in Icecrown at last." She nodded her agreement, so he asked, "So, what of you?"

She had no idea just how much detail he knew about her feeding, so she answered with a question.

"How do you manage your … urges?" As a death knight, she knew he was just as driven as she was. In order to not be consumed by immeasurable agony, he had to inflict suffering on another, or death, on a regular basis. Back on Acherus, she had watched as newly raised death knights trying to ignore their compulsion were driven into murderous frenzies, much like she was when she resisted her own needs.

He tilted his head slightly. "The eternal hunger?" He chuckled darkly. "I have no shortage of things to kill, and neither do my death knights." He then looked at her directly as he said slowly, appearing to understand. "I can imagine the solution is not so simple for you. You feed on the blood of the living, or take an undead soul, if what I hear is true." He paused, thinking something through. "Is that what this is about? You need undead souls?"

"No," she started. "I need to avoid that, in fact." She moved to the edge of the balcony, feeling uncomfortable. "Only a handful of san'layn can eat souls, Darion. Those who can have to be careful as it becomes an addiction. One that is eventually fatal when we are driven to take too many too quickly."

"I've heard the stories," he added. "They're true? You can … explode?"

"Yes." She glanced at him. "Too much power creates a magical chain reaction that results in detonation. The more resilience a san'layn has built up in their feeding habits, the more power is required to cause the reaction."

"The bigger the boom," he finished. She nodded. "And you say eating souls is addictive?"

"It is."

He gestured at her. "You're … addicted."

It was not a question. She turned her face away. She couldn't blush, but she failed to hide her embarrassment.

"Yes," she admitted, softly.

Neither of them spoke for a full minute. The highlord eventually broke the silence.

"Now that I know, I can't say I'm surprised. I heard what you did in Zul'Drak to help us, and also about what you did to those cultists near the tournament grounds." He smiled slightly. She got the feeling he didn't do it much. "Impressive on both accounts. But how will being here help?"

"Being around the living is difficult for me right now, Darion. I can hear them, smell them. All the time; it's relentless." She leant against the edge of the balcony wall. "There are too many orcs in the Undercity after the attempted coup. Anywhere I get posted to with the Horde will have many of the living also present. I'm dwelling amongst my prey and with my recent problems … let's just say, it's quieter here."

"Undead souls don't make any noise?" he asked bluntly.

She smiled slightly at the phrasing of the question. "They don't, no. And I can contend with a few heartbeats. Just not the hundreds and thousands I've been surrounded by of late." She let her words sink in before adding, "I need time to recover. But I also need to be useful. I can do both here."

The highlord went silent again as he mulled through the new information and his options.

"I won't deny your usefulness here, Alyna. There is much to be done, and your knowledge alone would make all this easier." His brow furrowed. "I just don't trust the Horde."

"We're not asking you to trust the Horde, Darion," she pointed out. "You can trust Sylvanas. If not her directly, then in her desire to seek revenge on Arthas." She shrugged lightly. "And you can trust me. I have always been direct with you when I could have done otherwise."

"Yes," he conceded. "Even now you could have lied to save face, but you didn't." He sighed. "Fine, Alyna. The Ebon Blade will welcome Forsaken help so long as you allow us to determine how it is used, and when."

Alyna stood upright and away from the edge. "Thank you, Darion. I won't forget this."

"Neither will I," he intoned, letting her know it was a favour he will one day call on to be returned. "I will finalise the details of this with your queen. And, if I come across anything that may aid you personally, I will let you know."

She blinked in surprise. "Why would you help me in such a way?"

The grin he gave her was cruel. "It is far simpler to help you now, than to kill you later. As much as I would enjoy the challenge, from what I've seen you'll take a lot of us with you should we have to put you down. I'd rather point you at the Scourge."

She chuckled at the logic. "Good plan."

Sylvanas entered the quarters she had been assigned in the Vault to see Alyna sitting on a stiff cot checking an arrow. What beds there were in the Vault had been hastily appropriated for the living volunteers helping the knights as they themselves never slept. The Scourge had been strict about sleeping. While some had the ability to do so, the Lich King abhorred the act as a waste of time and forbade it. The queen idly wondered if that was why Alyna had taken to using the sleep sticks, as a final insult to her former master.

Alyna looked up as she strode over. "How did the negotiations go?"

"Very well." The queen started removing her armour, arranging it neatly on a stand placed in the room for it. "You're to meet with Mograine and his senior officers tomorrow to answer their questions while I arrange for our people to arrive. Once the knights have what they need, we'll all discuss the next moves together." She moved over to the cot in her undershirt and leggings and sat next to Alyna. "How are you?"

The captain gave her a small nod. "Better. It's easier here." Her brow furrowed slightly. "Will you be staying?"

The queen's ears twitched just slightly, but she knew Alyna had caught the involuntary movement. She knew the captain was not going to like her reply.

"For a week. Then I'll have to return to the Undercity, and likely visit Orgrimmar to update Thrall in person." Alyna's shoulders visibly sagged and Sylvanas moved closer, taking the woman into her arms. "I'll be back for visits, and any major actions. I'm not leaving you alone in this."

Her words hung in the air for several minutes as she held her lover, unsure of what was going through her head.

"I hope a week is enough," Alyna said eventually, and Sylvanas' heart sank a little at the change in tone. The doubt was back.

"For?"

Alyna pulled away and out of the embrace to look at the queen, her eyes wide before she turned away. "What if I can't handle this without you, Sylvanas? I trust you to have my best interests at heart, but what of the others here? Will they? Even Kyala …" She trailed off.

Sylvanas took hold of her lover's chin and pulled her face around to make eye contact. "Kyala will do as I order. And, when I'm not around to complicate matters, she is still your friend, Alyna. Hold onto that."

"And if I lose myself again?" came the quiet, scared question.

The queen took hold of Alyna's face with both hands, her thumbs brushing her cheeks lightly as she leant closer. "Then I will find you again and bring you home." She pressed her lips softly against Alyna's before murmuring, "I will always bring you home, my love."

Suddenly, strong fingers were threading through her own hair, Alyna holding her head in place as she growled lowly, "I need you."

Sylvanas felt a familiar burn rapidly build inside her at the desperate plea. She smiled slowly, dropping her voice to a low husk that she knew would unleash her lover.

"Take me."