Note: I have made a slight tweak to the preface.

From Aristina's Point of view.

Chapter 1

I have this dream. Ok, if I could tell someone about this reoccurring vision I have without them thinking I am crazy, it would be a miracle. I know it's not likely to mean anything special, I'm not the daughter of some wise arch mage of Dalaran after all, but its bizarre how after night after night it always repeats itself. After dreaming it for so long I almost now hope to myself that I will dream it again in order to meet him. How some random imaginary person caught my attraction I don't know but today I was wrong. Why today of all days did the dream decide to change?

Usually I'm standing in unfamiliar clothes that look like pulled them off of a dead troll in a leafy green jungle. The trees are not the common Elwynn oaks or the Lakeshire red chestnuts that I grew up around, but more like the tropical palms of a fantasy island I long to be whisked away to. Even in this warm, unfamiliar, humid place I am never alone, he will always arrive whether I like it or not. After I blink twice and squint through the dense undergrowth searching for a way out, a fierce beast with large fangs, glowing eyes and blazing white fur will rip through the ferns ahead of me and end up standing no less than a pace away from my face. Feeling its breath rush against my cheeks, the beast will let out a low growl and leap to begin its command to maul me and my tunic into fine leathery ribbons.

As I try my hardest to scream in terror, no sound ever passes my lips but yet he strides into view, majestically answering my cry. The tall, shadowy man with long shoulder length flowing hair and what can only be described like elongated still tentacles emerging from the sides of his head enters from the right, and calls the beast off of me.

"Anorduna, tori das dieb?" He always asks me in a cold tone, before looking away and taming the fiery beast to sit beside him. "Malnuri" He announces to it, patting gently on the top of its head like it was just a kitten.

This man is unlike any of the human or dwarven folk I have met in the forest before. Maybe it's his strange nature and mysterious abilities that draws me to him.

'Who are you?' I plead in silence, hoping he can somehow read my common human mind.

Acknowledging the newly formed tears that have begun to run down my face, he'll turn his head gently to one side, flick a long strand of fallen hair out of his eyes and raise the longbow that is resting over his shoulder into a combat position.

This is the part where the dream changed. Instead of the man's alarming cry of "Bandu Thoribus" and then the sudden feeling of pain from a close range arrow shot shooting from my shoulder upwards. He dropped his weapon, dashed towards me and knocked me to the damp ground. As a large bony vulture flew over our bodies I realised that I am only an inch away from his smooth unusually coloured face. With the threat of the bird now a past memory, he lifts his head and his perfect dark purple lips start to move as if he is about to tell me something deep and meaning ful..

"TINA"

Unable to contain my relief I threw my arms around him. After so long of wanting to hear him speak my name and acknowledge my presence, this was the moment I had waited for. Why did I have to question his distant, feminine and somewhat familiar voice?.

"ARISTINA, WE ARE GOING TO STORMWIND WITHOUT YOU..HURRY UP"

With one last stare into the stranger's dark eyes, the hunter, pet and the jungle quickly vanished leaving the thought of the Alliance capital on the forefront of my mind

"Stormwind?? Why would I be going to Stormwind??... Oh Hell.."

From that point on I knew today's supposedly good occasion vibe was doomed to head in downward spiral into a sea of dread and despair.

"Bye Ari, see you at the Cathedral" a quiet male voice called out from below only to be drowned out by the sound of a panicked horse neighing.

'Oh, no...I'm late'. There was no time to slowly prise open my eyelids this morning; I was now running late for one of the biggest days of my life. Cursing as I threw my duck feather pillow off of my bed creating a shower of feathers in my wake I leaped onto the solid wooden floor with a heavy thud.

"WAIT UP, I'LL BE DOWN IN A MINUTE" I screamed as loud as I could, throwing open the window and gasping a lung full of the morning crisp air.

"You better hurry, the Archbishop hates it when people are late and Lord Greyson won't be pleased either if one of his students can't be bothered to get out of bed for their own graduation" Anna replied as I watched her fondly wave to me.

Recoiling back into the warmth of my room I shuddered at the thought of Lord Greyson's punishment for lateness. Only five times in the last month did I have to jump into the freezing cold canal that ran through the city wearing nothing but my underwear and made to swim lengths at the amusement of his other four students. I didn't mind the three guys laughing at me, Alan, Rolphus and Benji knew what it was like in the water but that stuck up noble's daughter Allariel..No time to think about her now. It's already annoying me that she will be wearing her smug smile when she is handed her blessed weapon. I just pray Lord Greyson hands her the one handed mace and tells her 'sorry princess, you're too perfect to be in main combat'.

"Now where are my..."

Twenty minutes seemed to pass far too quickly for my liking and I swear I spent eighteen of them hunting down my left shoe.

"ARI!!" Titus called out again

"I'M COMING!!"

After an endless struggle I finally managed to have all my body covered with my leather training gear and with a quick brush of my extremely fluffy blonde hair, I made a bolt down the stairs.

"I'm leaving now dad" I called out to my father, who was usually sat in his chair by the fire reading the morning paper whilst eating his daily sand pear. Glancing at the empty chair in the main room of our house with the paper folded neatly on the arm. I could only assume that he must have already left for the city or headed into Goldshire. My father is a talented blacksmith and there is always a heavy demand from the town and the nearly city for weapons and armour so that they can keep defending our lands form the Horde and in more recent history the undead scourge.

'Oh well' I sighed, and made a dash for the door.

"Love you too mum, I hope you and Alanis will be watching me today" I called whilst turning to blow a kiss to the photograph of a woman and a young child in a dark Borean mahogany wooden frame that stood on the sideboard.

I loved that photograph, Dad did also. It was taken nine years ago now, three days before the tragic event that separated our family. I was ten years old at the time and I can remember it like yesterday. The house has never been the same since fire and dad rarely smiles anymore.

"Nearly forgot the tabard"

Making a final lunge at the coat peg for my family's crested tabard, I picked it up and slammed the front door behind me. The morning sun was radiant and warm on my face as I turned sharply to my right; noticing my familiar grey coloured horse making a commotion rearing and neighing whilst tied up the fence. I say grey, but technically he's colouring is classified as impure alabaster.

"Take it easy boy" I reassured the horse by running my hand up and down the short, fine hairs on its broad forehead before using the bottom runner of the fence as a ledge to lift myself up onto its back.

Father had bought the horse for me for my eighteenth birthday and now always tells the story to his friends that when he went to register the name of the horse as 'Hyndon' the clerk at the office miss read his handwriting for 'High Noon' and that's how it came to have such an odd name. Personally, I tend not to shout out the name to often but on occasions wish it was named something cool like 'Invincible' or 'Midnight'.

"Time to go" I whispered, untying the reins and patting him firmly on the side of the neck.

With the horse gently trotting away from the house, I pushed him into quick canter to catch up with the Runetouch's family goods wagon that Titus and his twin Anna were perched on the back of.

"Morning guys" I called to them waving, as I slowed High Noon down to walk alongside the horse drawn wagon that was just leaving Goldshire.

"Over sleep again did you Ari? Probably dreaming about your Kal'dori stranger again..hmm?" Anna questioned playfully as she always did first thing in the morning when I woke up late.

"Yeah, you got me" I smiled, pulling the tabard over my head with one hand still holding the reins.

I liked Anna, she was a kind girl. Only a year younger than me and probably the closest friend I had since the loss of my sister. Anna Runetouch had the neatest auburn hair that always stayed straight a bob to her shoulders and the brightest green eyes that glistened like emeralds. She was the brightest training priestess in her class and the Archbishop had allowed her to attend at today's ceremony under the guidance that she too may assist in it one day. Her twin brother Titus was very similar in features, tall and slender with olive skin and tiny freckles. Although being similar in looks the personalities of the Runetouch twins were very different and Titus had no interest in being part of the church but instead to help his father run the business in supplying goods to city.

"You know he's not real Ari, maybe you should find a nice guy in Elywnn and settle down?" Anna asked for the millionth time with the hint that I should be somehow attracted to her brother and create the happily ever after ending my father would probably agree with. It's not that Titus isn't a nice guy or anything, we just don't really know each other and I've never really spent much time around him due to my training.

"Anna, you always say that" I laughed, watching Titus blush and playfully hit Anna on the arm.

His comment of "I am here you know" only made me laugh harder and before I knew it we had arrived at the large carbonate block wall that was the front defence of the city.

Stormwind's majestic appearance always took my breath away. The wooden gateway framed by large white stone towers and the brilliant blue and gold of the banners waving in the wind. How could it not. This city made you proud to be a human, the very heart of the Alliance. Stormwind's grandeur continued to overwhelm me as we passed onto the Valley of Heroes. I was always fascinated by the history that the five statues the lined the bridge represented. On my left a bearded dwarf , Kurdran Wildhammer Commander of the gryphon riders of Aerie Peak and the even longer bearded statute of the human Arch mage Khadgar of the Kirin Tor. On my right the nephew of the Lord of Stromguard Danath Trollbane and the slender Alleria Windrunner with her beautifully sculpted eagle being raised to the heavens.

"Good morning" Mr Runetouch gestured to the guards as he passed, causing the twins to wave to the city's defenders. Every day I watched these guards patrol and every time they made me more determined to complete my training. I want to be a defender to protect my city and my King, I want to shine in glory with the Alliance's golden lion blazed across my tabard. I want to..

"Ari, watch out!" Anna yelled desperately trying to get my attention

If it hadn't have been for her I would have walked the horse straight through the crowd of children on their daily walk around the town.

"Sorry" I quickly apologised to Madame Howlett who had thrown me a nasty glare as she hurried to round up the young ones.

"Away with the Faerie Dragon's again" Titus smiled as he shook his head in disbelief at me.

It was hard not for me to dream. Standing at the foot of the giant statue of General Taralyon one of the most well known paladins in Stormwind's history I couldn't help but salute him on this memorable day. Today was my day to follow in the great paladins of the past's footsteps and if it wasn't for the large bell chiming the hour I might have made it on time.

"Ari, now we are late!" Anna cried out again jumping down from the back of her father's wagon. "Gimme, a hand up"

Lending my arm down to Anna, I pulled her up onto the back of my horse and reassured her to hold on tight.

"See you later, Titus" we both called down to him waiting on the back of the wagon.

My mind was a blur from there onwards, I never heard him wish me good luck or announce he would meet us later. My mind was running as fast as my horse through the crowded streets of the Trade district and in my heart I hoped that the ceremony hadn't started without me.