Credit to poetry within chapter -

Shakespeare Sonnet 116

Chapter 26

Magic comes in so many other forms.

Varian watched Fox pacing the floor in her great hall. The wooden planks had been recently repaired and well oiled to reveal a warm glow. The glass panes in the arched windows had all been replaced with expertly beveled glass, to expertly refract light around the room. Several professionals from carpenters to woodworkers were now out mending other parts of the rapidly growing stronghold. Stromgrade would exceed its previous glory under the control of Lady Lothar.

Varian was going to keep his mouth shut as to where the funding to all of this was coming from. Fox had not thought to ask that yet. Lothar had amassed quite a fortune, and that was probably where she would consider first. It had been left to his only heir. Documents providing for her had been in the chest, along with the deed to this very Keep. Varian had been surprised she had taken to it so fast, even though she still had no idea that it legally did belong to her. All this and much more made her powerful in more then title. Varian was over seeing it's security and investment, but it was his personal finance that was paying for his wife's keep. She would have nothing but the very best, and he would see to it.

He had made orders for other items as well. Materials, mainly in the blue and gold of the Alliance, had been ordered. Varian watched her hands wring, and let a sigh escape. If only he could keep her from these sort of worries. But his Fox was determined to rule her own. The mention of handing over the reins of her new found kingdom would have had him clobbered. Unfortunately, he had learned this the hard way, by suggesting it the night before. A mistake he would not be repeating. "They will be fine, Fox. That is why we chose them."

"Sheylann chose them." Fox stopped and cast a longing look at the door. "I should have went with them."

"Like hell!" Varian never moved from his seat at the table. There were things he would allow to distress her, and there were things he would not. The idea of her rushing off to Silvermoon, which was in the middle of an arcane crisis was out of the question. Common sense had to step in at some point. "You have to get used to this, Queen Wyrnn. I send people out all the time that I care about. It's your job to weigh the options, and send the best candidates. It comes with ruling a Kingdom."

Fox nodded in agreement. She certainly didn't like that he was right, but who was she to question him? He had been ruling Stormwind since he was thirteen. Had taken his crown officially at eighteen. Twenty two years experience could not be argued with. "I am lucky to have your counsel, King Wyrnn."

"You can have much more then my counsel if you accept the terms we set forward, and officially joined with the Alliance." Varian reminded her.

"If I join the Alliance, I am taking your seat as High Queen. Don't forget that, should you decide to press the issue again." Fox snapped back. Then chuckled at the look on his face.

Varian reached out and turned the mug that was set on the table. Not liking this argument, and the possible threat she did represent to his position. "Good Luck wit that, I have it on good authority that Elune, approved of me leading the Alliance. You would never get the Night Elf vote."

"Elune hasn't met you in person. I am sure that would change her mind rather quickly. Besides, having Stromgarde neutral gives the Horde and the Alliance a place to meet."

"Like Theramore was? You remember what happened there."

"Light no! Horde will be most welcome in my Holdings. I already sent word out to find Boani and Zak'sora. I can only dream Rygen gracing me with his presence. That's one Tauren I would love to sway to my side." Fox walked over and sat down on his lap. "I intend to have a full scale arena installed for singular and group combat. I could never have imaged such a thing in Theramore."

"You are going to condone fighting?" Varian set a hand to the small of her back.

Fox leaned her head on his chest. "I will encourage honorable combat. The Horde openly needs it, and despite all our claims of peace loving, we still take to our arms very quickly. Do we not Lo'Gosh?"

"I never thought of it that way. Most of my time is spent trying to curb violence within my borders for the betterment of our people."

"And in doing so the rage and anger builds, in flowing undertones, until some one pops. Then the SI-7 has to find and kill them." Fox yawned. Then shook her head trying to stay awake "I hate being tired all the time. Could you please ask your daughter to not be so taxing on my energy reserves."

"I could see if our son will listen to me, but sadly he may have to much of his mother in him to adhere to my wishes." Varian rested his chin on the top of her head. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "I don't know if it would be worth the trouble. Since you have slowed down, I seem to benefit."

"You just like having me close at hand." Fox whispered. She was unable to fight off the exhaustion over taking her. "I think I need to go up to our rooms for a nap."

"Then let me escort you up and see you tucked in." Varian tried to lift her in his arms, but she slipped away finding her feet.

"I can walk. Will you be staying with me?"

"I have to do a patrol around the Keep and personally check it's defenses. Then I will come and watch you sleep, dear Queen." Varian moved a hand down her arm in a loving touch.

"You are so protective." Fox rose up and placed a kiss to his cheek.

Varian smiled, "It is only because I have so much I do not wish to loose."

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0

Rommath looked terrible as he came into the room. Looking around, until his gaze came to settle on Braelyn. No words were spoken as he moved to catch her up in his arms. "Braelyn, love, you are finally returned to me. It has been so long, I thought I would die!"

Braelyn remained completely stiff. Wondering if she could believe his words in light of past events. Although her heart soared at the idea that he had missed her. She wavered in her resolve looking up at his brightly glowing eyes.

"Yeah." Goldenleaf moved to take hold of Rommath's arm, and let Brealyn free. Setting her firmly behind him and away from the Mage. Then he looked down at the much smaller Elf. A look that was full of pure intimidation."That will be enough of that."

"What do you think you are doing?" Rommath looked from Brealyn peeking around behind Goldenleaf to direct his full attention to the interloper.

Goldenleaf shrugged, "Taking your hands off the woman whose heart you broke; when you sent her away." Goldenleaf looked back making sure Braelyn comprehended his words as well.

"I sent her away because I love her! She was in danger here, and it was all I could do to keep her safe." Rommath tried to explain. "Braelyn, you know I tried to send for you. I would have come personally if things had not gone so horribly wrong with the Arcane streams. The situation has forced me to stay until we find a solution."

Goldenleaf scoffed as a look of disbelief landed on his features. "You know, I found this interesting book in the Stormwind Library once, by someone of the name of Shakespeare. Let me quote a bit for you. Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved."

Rommath sputtered."What is that suppose to mean?"

"It means that if you really loved her, you would not have sent her away. You would have fought to protect Brealyn. Found a way to keep her safe at your side, like I do. You were distracted by your precious mana, Rommath. It means more to you then she does." Goldenleaf spat back, "Don't even try denying it."

Braelyn paled as the implication of what Goldenleaf had said sunk in. It was true. Horribly painfully true, and just the wake up call she needed to face down this chapter of her life.

"I will deny it!" Rommath shook his head. "Braelyn loves me. She has told me so, and now that she has returned I aim to keep her here. You, Night Elf, have no power to keep her from me."

"You are correct. I can not keep her from you." Goldenleaf turned to Brealyn, and took her hands in his, "I know how very much you loved him when we first met." He carefully kept out the fact that was only a few short hours ago. "I can not find it in my heart to condemn you for it, my love, even if he is a pink girly man as Learen pointed out before. I am sure his magical ability is somewhat close to Chelinka's might make up for it though. The very thought tears so painfully at my heart. Please, tell me what you would have me do? Should I step aside?"

"What?" Rommath shouted as he looked at the scene playing out before him, "Braelyn, are the two of you in a romantic relationship?"

"It's complicated." Braelyn looked up at Goldenleaf's face. Only a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth showing how much he was enjoying sticking it to Rommath. Devious man! She was so glad he was on her side.

Rommath moved around and pulled her hands way from Goldenleaf. Placing an arm around her shoulder, and tried to draw her away. "We must talk. Things are starting to go terribly wrong, and I don't have much time to deal with it at the moment."

"No time to save the love of your life from the random Druid in your midst?" Goldenleaf threw in. "Remember, Dearest, I am here for you, in an enemy city, currently beset by an unknown threat that could strike me down at any moment!"

"Could you shut up?" Rommath shouted back. Then to Braelyn, he snapped, "Where did you find him?"

Braelyn rolled her eyes and looked away from Rommath to Goldenleaf. The Druid shifted into his panther form and sat down. A slight heartrendingly cute "Mew!" tossed her way. Damn if he wasn't laying it on thick! She was a Hunter, and animals were her passion for as long as she could remember. She knew it was all a sham, and still she wanted to rush to his adorableness, and toss her arms around him. He was certainly the most beautiful cat she had ever seen.

"Braelyn! Are you paying any attention to me?" Rommath turned her to face him.

"Actually no. I was looking at the cat." Braelyn admitted.

Rommath sighed and looked so devastated. "I am sorry I failed you. Please just let me fix up the issue here. Then I can focus all my attention on you. We can go away on a trip somewhere nice."

"I would gladly teleport you to Stormwind." Chelinka broke in, "But I can't because someone broke all the Magic in Eastern Kingdoms."

"What? It has gone that far?" Rommath's attention was already redirected to the other Mage.

Brealyn sighed. How quickly she was forgotten in the face of a magical emergency. Goldenleaf, curse his manipulative hide, had a point when it came to that. Did she really want to spend her life playing second fiddle to an invisible force? "That is why I am here Rommath. Please explain what is going on?"

"It's Blood Elf business, and we will handle it." Rommath shook his head.

Lor'themar flopped out in his chair. The head falling back as far as it could go. The long white blonde hair actually touching the ground. "Just tell them what you told me! Maybe they will actually understand."

"Very well." Rommath scowled. "Maltrake and I were working on a way to siphon off the power of the Sunwell, and transport it through the canal right into Silvermoon."

"Wait, wait!" Learen threw up one hand. "Maltrake? The drink my spit Blood Elf near the Undercity?"

"He does tend to say things close to that." Rommath blinked at the little Gnome. Genuinely surprised that the fellow knew his servant.

"If you know him, Learen, why is he still alive?" Chelinka too wanted to know what mircale had occurred.

"Oh that fellow is quite mad. He portals people to Silvermoon and thinks being spit on my the rest of his race is a blessing of some sort. I found the whole interaction with the rest of the Horde vastly entertaining. Why would I kill him, when I am holding out for one of his own comrades to do it for me. There is this one Death Knight Tauren that is going to blow any day now. Gonna snap him like a twig." Learen giggled and held his feet. Almost rocking in delight.

"Learen, are you alright." Chelinka went to set a hand on his head.

The Gnome tried hard to keep a smile from his lips, "No. I think I'm having some sort of allergic reaction to this place. I am breaking out in Happy. It could be the cookie scented Lor'themar over there, or the fact Braelyn seems to care less about Rommath. I don't know, but it's giving me the warmest sensation just around here." He rubbed his hand over his heart.

"Okay enough playing around. I think we are losing Learen, and need to get our mission over, and him out of here fast!" Chelinka clapped her hands together. "Talk Archmage, chop chop!"

"I am not losing Braelyn!" Rommath cried out. Denying Learen's words.

"Focus Rommath!" Braelyn took his arms and forced him to face her "Tell us what happened?"

"Maltrake was always a master of portals. He came up with the idea of channeling a continuous stream that could outsource magic right to Silvermoon, alleviating the trips we Blood Elves need to get mana from the Sunwell."

"Oh by the Light of Elune! Are you saying you magic addicts literally put it on tap." Goldenleaf groaned.

"We need it!" Rommath argued.

"Like Dwarves need beer. Which is not really."

Chelinka rose and set a hand to her forehead. "When are your people going to learn? I know that we, Humans, meddle to much, but you Blood Elves have been on over kill for thousands of years now. What happened to break the streams?"

"The flow attracted some kind of monster. It was drawn by the flow of magic out of our dimension. Maltrack was trying to deal with it when the portals went down. We were using the flow here, and because of it I admit we failed to notice that anything was wrong out on the island until the arcane streams started drying up. We have sent several detachments of soldiers, but few have come back. Those that do have been drained so completely they are now Wretched."

"So you cant send any more of your people because you will turn Wretched." Chelinka face palmed, "I thought you said you had this well in hand."

"We do. That is why everyone in Silvermoon is on a mana fast. We are stocking up for a huge counter attack on the creature. I am hoping Maltrack is still alive out there and will give us enough information to destroy it."

"I have heard enough." Goldenleaf waved at the group, gaining the attention of the room. "We need to organize and get out the the Sunwell as soon as possible."

"But you could destroy the Sunwell, the portal channel, and our research on the Arcane streams!" Rommath pointed out in haste. "There are also uses for a beast that can contain so much power."

"It's dangerous Rommath. Are you really gong to try and control something that powerful?" Braelyn gasped.

"You don't understand, Brealyn. You are not a Blood Elf, so how could you understand our pain?"

"Clearly I cant." Brealyn turned to Goldenleaf. "I think the peace talks are over. We need to act."

"And Rommath will go with you." Lor'themar came to his feet. "Maltrake is still out on the island from our last reports. Wretched or not, Rommath must deal with his own problems personally."

"I want to go too!" Pryasong came forward. "I can't just stand back, and let the Alliance play hero to our people after all they have done to us."

"All we have done?" Chelinka choked out. "Honey, get yourself a history book. This battle goes both ways!"

"Are you sure you want to endanger yourself like this Pyrasong?" Lor'themar frowned over at the little Blood Elf. "You are not even finished your training as a Paladin."

"Yes, Regent Lord. It would be an honor to be of service to you and Silvermoon." Pyrasong blushed slightly at her leader's consideration for her well being.

"I will not stop you then. Listen to Goldenleaf, and watch over Rommath while you are out there."

"Listen to Goldenleaf? Lor'themar, what are you thinking to try and send me out under the command of a Night Elf?" Rommath shook his head hard. "I wont do it!"

Lor'themar pointed at Rommath and looked almost stormy as he said "Rommath, you know that I consider you a dear friend, but this is your mess and you have to clean it up. The sad truth is we are weak out there. You most of all. You are nothing without your magic. Allow Goldenleaf and his people to help you recover it. Then we will talk about what you can and can't do."

O0O0O0O0O0O0O0

Rommath led the way down to the docks. "Without the portals in used and the arcane power overloading the sky from time to time, these boats are the most reasonable way to get across the channel."

Learen walked over and knelt down near the makeshift craft. "This one is Gnomish in nature. Old but reliable. How did you get your hands on a motorized water skimmer?"

"I can only assume some Gnome brought it to us. Then realized that they no longer had a use for it." Rommath crossed his arms and glared down. There was more then a slight threat in his words toward Learen.

"Then this Gnome will be taking it back." Learen set to work on the engine.

"The other ships are ready to sail." Pyrasong moved to one of the other crafts. "They are far cleaner and safer for the environment then a smoke spewing lead weight of a boat."

"Take it then, but when I get to the island, don't expect me to wait on you and your fair winds." Learen never looked up from his work.

"You have already wasted all your time letting this situation get out of hand." Chelinka moved over and started studying Learen's tools. "I am siding with the Gnome on this one."

"Then that puts two Blood Elves in one craft, and Chelinka and Learen in the other." Braelyn nodded. "So want to split this up evenly?"

"Then I will go with them and make thiis a full Elven party." Goldenleaf made for the other boat, but Brealyn grabbed his hand.

"Golden, you know as well as I do that Learen is right. They will reach the island far before the others. I think you should be there. Considering you are without a doubt the most powerful member of this team." She looked at Rommath trying to get in the watercraft without soaking the hem of his robes. Pyrasong reaching out to help balance him. "Thanks to you I am seeing Rommath in an entirely new light."

"You still love him though." There was no question to the Night Elf's statement.

"Yes." Brealyn sighed wishing it wasn't true. "Feelings like the ones I share with him don't just die."

Goldenleaf narrowed his eyes on Rommath. "I could make him just die."

"Goldenleaf! Are you being jealous?" Brealyn punched his arm. Laughing hard at him.

"Why wouldn't I be. You are my everything. Without you I will be eternally lost." Goldenleaf reached down and cupped her chin.

Brealyn felt her eyes go wide at the seriousness in his tone. Why was he doing this?

Bringing her face to look up at him. Then dipping low, he whispered in her ear, "Your Mage is staring. If I am going to allow you on a ship with him, I want to make sure he knows where things stand."

Brealyn only had a moment to wonder what he meant before his mouth claimed hers. The long arms coming around to pull her forward. The fangs dragging slowly over her lower lip before letting go.

Breaking away, she stared at Goldenleaf in stunned silence. The Night Elf looking over to see Rommath almost molten with rage.

"So glad he doesn't have magic right now. I think he would be actively trying to roast me." Goldenleaf chuckled and turned his back to the boat. "I will see you on the other shore, Brealyn. Try not to get stupid on me, okay?"