This chapter is a bit longer! I hope you enjoy it! 3 Thanks for reading!

So, this was death. She liked it. Nothing hurt anymore. She felt completely at ease. In the background, the sounds of birds singing and chirping away were washing her body with a sense of calm. She felt herself smile. At least being dead, she would finally be able to see her mother after so many years apart.

Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, which she immediately regretted. Bright white light filled her eyes with a sharp sting. She had heard people talking of death and bright lights. Soon, she would be with her mother, so she could handle it. As soon as her eyes began adjusting, the white light blended in with gold and pink hues. She realized she was laying on top of the most heavenly bed she'd ever seen. The room was massive, much bigger than her bedroom in Stormwind. To the right from her was a window, if one could even call it that. Basically, the entire wall was missing, and instead, thin, beautiful arches were in place shaping it into a window. So far, death was beautiful and treated her like a princess. She lifted her arms from under the blanket and realized that she had been changed. Her arms were covered to her wrists in tight sleeves of the purest white silk she has ever seen. Lifting the blanket up more revealed that the silk continued down the length of her thin body into an elegant nightgown. The bottom was trimmed with delicate lace, and there was a thin triangular cut revealing a bit of her chest.

She turned her head to the right, towards the window, and noticed on the adjoining wall where her headboard was, stood a tall mirror. Of course, she would not want to look like the mess she was back in the Ghostlands when she would meet her mother after so many years. Slowly, she rose from the bed and walked over to the mirror, gasping in shock. Her skin was cleaned thoroughly, and has returned to its natural pale, creamy tint. Her bright, dark turquoise eyes were wide, with no black circles under from all her days crying the previous week. Her long, pale white blonde hair had been washed, combed through and elegantly braided into a thick braid which fell over her shoulder. She was definitely presentable. Well, minus the nightgown. Though her problem was immediately solved, as in front of the mirror stood a chair with a beautiful cover. She grabbed it and could barely hold in her excitement. With a massive smile on her face, she turned to the opposite wall where she assumed the door was, and her face instantly fell. Yes, sure enough there was a doorway. It had no door, just a thin purple vale hanging. But in front of it stood two blood elf guards, looking similar to the two who, she thought, had killed her, only these two had long dark hair. They made no move and said nothing; they were just standing tall and majestic, looking straight ahead, still as stones, grasping their beautiful blades and shields.

She made a move for the doorway. As soon as she approached it, the guards took as step to block her way.

"Where am I?" She asked in a small voice, only to get no reply from the guards. "Who are you?" Again, no response. She took this moment to inspect their uniform. It was red and gold with more detail than she had ever seen in an outfit. She looked closely and saw a symbol that she's been taught to fear her entire life. It made her blood go cold.

After a few moments, realization has finally hit her. Those two guards in the Ghostlands, they didn't kill her. She was not finally at peace. She was not about to see her mother. Her problems were not gone. She now had an even bigger problem. She was a captive of the Horde.

Any sort of bravery or courage she had went out her wall-sized window. First, tears rolled down her cheeks, then she was crying, until she was sobbing uncontrollably, and screaming. She sat down on her bed with her face in her hands and continued wailing.

The guard to the left of the door spoke up in a firm, commanding voice, "Calm yourself, woman. Lord Lor'themar Theron will arrive shortly. Compose yourself! You have a lot of questions to answer!" But this did not help her. If anything, it made things worse. She continued sobbing for what felt like hours. She did not even notice a new presence in the room, and a quiet exchange of conversation taking place in an unfamiliar language. That is, until she noticed a shadow loom over her, standing tall and majestic. Still shaking, with uncontrollable tears pouring out, she slowly lifted her head and looked at the elf standing over her. He had a hard, fierce aura about him, and his expression was one that she could not decipher. With mighty armour covering every inch of his body, he leaned his head slightly forward, his eyes scanning her. For what felt like hours, there was silence in the room, only her hitched breathing. Until at last, he spoke.

"What is your name, child?"

She hesitated. Frightened out of her mind, does she give him her real name? Would that make her situation even worse? Being honest with herself, having been kidnapped by the Horde, there could possibly be nothing worse. She would tell him.

"R-Raylianna," her broken voice squeaked out. "Raylianna Stromshield."

"Raylianna. I am Lor'themar Theron, Regent Lord of Silvermoon,"

"Is that where I am, then? Silvermoon? Why? Why have you brought me here? Please, I asked you to kill me. I do not wish to be your captive! Please do not torture me! I am of no value to you. Please, I know nothing!" Raylianna was hysterical again, finding it difficult to breathe. To say that Lor'themar was confused was an understatement. The Horde was not known to spare a lot of Alliance intruders. But those intruders were not typically begging for death.

"The sooner you answer my questions, the sooner we decide your fate. I do not see anyone torturing you. In fact, you are getting far better treatment than any Horde in the grasp of your Alliance. Now, explain to me what you were doing trespassing on our lands?" His voice was now full of frustration, that much was evident. He turned to one of the guards and said something in Thalassian to one of the guards, who bowed his head and left. The only word Raylianna was able to understand was her last name "Stromshield,"

"Now then," Lor'themar stated, turning his attention back to her. "Talk, child. And spare me any lies you have. If you are an Alliance spy, I would have you tell me."

Spy?! Seriously? They thought she was a spy? "Wh-why would they send m-me? I do not know how to fight. Y-you think they would send an 18-year-old g-girl who couldn't even m-make it to y-your city to s-spy on you? You must k-know that I-I am no spy," Raylianna could have smacked herself for sounding so pathetic, but her little defense seemed to amuse both, Lor'themar and the remaining guard. They both cracked smiles and exchanged a little giggle. She was glad she was amusing them so. If it were not for her situation, she may have told them to shut it.

"In my years of battling the Alliance, I have seen them use some… questionable war methods, so not much would surprise me at this point."

"Sir, I am no warrior. I am not about to discuss politics and races with you. As I said to you before, I am of no value. I know you wish for me to reveal all of Stormwind's secrets to you, but I stress that I know nothing! So please, just let me go!" Raylianna was surprised at the bravery that suddenly possessed her. Not a single trip of the word, but a loud and strong expression.

Lor'themar looked surprised once again, but in the frustratingly annoying sort of way to Raylianna. He then spoke with a lightness in his tone "Well, look at that. You have some fire in you, do you not?" He then sat down on the bed next to her and continued, "So you come from Stormwind then? What is it you do there?"

"I-I… I have just begun to study the art of healing. I'm no good. I-it was better than becoming a f-fighter,"

Lor'themar started noticing a pattern. The young woman shot herself down repeatedly, which showed to him that she was most likely lacking confidence. It was common for noble families to put pressure on their children. This made him hope that she was in some manner a noble. It would prove to be a benefit.

"And how did you come to be in the Ghostlands then, child?"

"I'm not a child…" she murmured so softly, it almost went unnoticed. However, Lor'themar rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly. Raylianna was stalling. She was thinking of what to tell him. She was not about to reveal what it was that was haunting her back at Light's Hope Chapel. So, she bent the truth just a bit.

"I was being chased,"

"By what?"

"A-a giant grub! They were all over the place! I-I was s-simply taking a stroll down the road from Light's Hope Chapel, w-when I encountered one on the road. I ran north but it was pursuing me. I did not realize that I ended up in the Ghostlands. I ran so fast and far that I lost my energy and saw the spire. So, I headed for it and saw the two guards."

There was silence for several seconds, before Lor'themar burst out laughing. He was laughing so hard that he got tears in his eyes. When he finally began to calm down, he spoke out of breath with the biggest amusement still evident in his voice, "Wow, I must say, I thought I've heard it all. I mean, come on. But this… I can just picture it. A grub chasing a little human like you. How-how frightening!" And then he was overcome by another laughing fit.

"It's the truth!" Raylianna tried,

"Sweetheart," he tried again, more composed this time, "that maybe would have been even slightly believable, only…"

"I do not know what else to tell you, my lord." She whispered.

"Only the Carrion grubs found in the Eastern Plaguelands are known to be some of the most peaceful creatures. Not only do they not attack, they also do not 'chase' or 'pursue' anyone, unless they are attacked first. Looking at you, I'm quite certain that you did not attack a carrion grub."

Raylianna was red in the face, not only from embarrassment, but rage from the situation she was currently in.

"But for the sake of a laugh, let us assume that somehow, the grub found you appealing and chased you. It does not explain the deep cut on your cheek we found you with, or why the first thing you did when you found our guards was beg for death."

"Because of this!" Raylianna exclaimed, jumping off the bed and pacing. "Because I would have rather died than to be interrogated by you lot! You think I'm a spy and I am not! I made the mistake of wandering onto your property. I am so sorry for that. I regret it tremendously. Please, if I could take it back I would. Please, just let me go. Or kill me."

"Or send you home?" Lor'themar asked. At this, Raylianna went silent. "It is curious to me why you have not asked us to send you home. You just ask to be set free. For what, so that you can get yourself captured again? You have not asked us to take you to a neutral base. Or turn you over to the Alliance. Why is that? Why do you not want to go home?" Raylianna just looked ahead. Grief was evident on her face. "What were you running from, child?" Lor'themar asked gently.

At this, two figures entered the room. One was the guard Lor'themar had sent away. The second was a man she had not seen yet. He was one of the most beautiful creatures Raylianna has ever seen in her young life. Tall, black hair tied together in a ponytail behind him, his hypnotic bright green eyes. His face was mostly covered by his armor, which made him that much more mysterious to the young human girl.

The mysterious stranger cast his eyes on her, his gaze holding hers. She felt as if she could not look away from him, as if his eyes held hers locked in place. Lor'themar broke the trance they had going on, and spoke to the stranger in Thalassian. The stranger responded, and she once again managed to catch her last name being mentioned, along with "Stormwind".

"Can you please speak the common? I am in the room and you are clearly speaking about me. I would appreciate to know what it is you are saying."

Both men looked at Raylianna. Lor'themar spoke up. "Raylianna, this is Rommath, Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas. I asked him to investigate your background. It seems, my dear, you give yourself very little credit. We have just learned who your father is. It seems that he has quite some standing with your king, does he not? The reward for your return will be a substantial one. It seems your father, Lord Kenneth Stromshield is on formal business at Light's Hope Chapel. Let me make it clear to you. I do not find your grub story any more believable, but rest assured that you will not be in our company much longer. In the meantime, you are our guest-"

"Your guest or your captive for ransom money?" Raylianna was not an idiot. She understood full well of how business was conducted between the Horde and Alliance. But she could not help her frustration.

"If you behave yourself and do not cause any trouble, then you are our honoured guest. You are currently at our Inn. This shall be your room for your stay with us. Our Innkeeper, Jovia is downstairs. Should you require anything, ask her. You are free to wander the city. The two guards, Qui'hal and Allessor will accompany you at all times. But remember child, this is the city of Blood Elves. It is apparent you are not one of us. The citizens of this city may not like the idea of having you here. Tread carefully. You are a lady of the Alliance, in a place where that is not something to be proud of. Once we receive a response from your father in regards to your ransom, we will deliver you back to Light's Hope Chapel. Get some rest." With that, Lor'themar and Rommath made their way towards the exit. But before they could leave, Raylianna spoke up.

"And if he does not? If he does not pay the ransom?"

Rommath looked confused, but Lor'themar was the one to respond. "Child, do not give yourself so little credit. From the information we received, I am surprised your father has not yet launched an assault against our city to recover you. Now, if there is something that I ought to know, the guards will always know where to find me. If you decide to drop your ridiculous grub story and come clean, my door is open." And with that, the two men left.

Thanks so much for reading 3