A Hint of Doubt

She felt blind as the tears poured down her small round face. Rough hands that felt like sandpaper brushed them away and helped her to clearly see the man in front of her. He had long brown hair that trailed down into his enormously overgrown bushy beard. His bright blue eyes seemed like tiny beads among the mass, but she could see the heartfelt sorrow that was deep within them. "Jaina, my sweet baby, don't cry. I'll be back before you know it," he spoke to her.

Slowly he leaned forward and pushed aside her golden locks, and kissed her cheek. His whiskers tickled her nose and instantly made the tears become those of laughter and not sorrow. "Daddy, I just don't understand why you and Derek have to go away," she sighed rubbing her eyes.

He stood up and brushed off his uniform. Jaina always admired his Admiral uniform. It consisted of a sea green overcoat with the Kul'Tiran insignia engraved on the left pocket, and with it he wore white breeches and stockings. The stockings led down to his shoes which matched the color of the rest of his uniform and were completed by an oversized buckle. He also wore a half-circle shaped hat planted firmly on his head.

"Daelin, I'm so happy that they made you Grand Admiral, but must you really take our son with you?" a woman asked, her voice concerned. The woman walked up to Daelin and placed her hand on his cheek. She simply wore a yellow sundress that hung loosely around her body except around her stomach where it pulled taut. Her long blonde hair shined brightly in the sun and seemed to illuminate the space around the two of them.

"Katherine," Daelin smiled, "my light, my life, my love. I didn't tell him he had to come. He simply heeds the call when the time comes. You have my word, though, I will bring our son home safely. While I'm gone, I need you to take care of this one," he leaned down and placed both hands on either side of her belly and kissed it. "My dear sweet boy, Tandred, you be good for your mother."

Katherine reached down and pulled her husband up to her and kissed him. She poured her heart into it, memorizing how he felt, how he tasted. Daelin's hands reached around the nape of her neck and pulled her closer. Jaina beamed. She loved her parents when they showed each other affection. She had two people that loved her just as much as they loved each other, and she hoped one day she could find someone as well. Maybe a prince, she thought to herself.

The little girl turned to her older brother. He stood leaning up against a light pole, his dirty blonde hair tousled all about his head. He wore a uniform similar to their father's only there were less medals of honor, and it was tighter. Her brother had been gifted with the stockier body of most of Kul'Tiras. The man smiled when he noticed his sister eyeing him. "What's on your mind?"

"Derek, why do you have to go?" Jaina asked.

Her brother sauntered forward and kneeled down to be eye level with her. "Because, Jaina, Lordaeron needs us Kul'Tirans to help fight the orcish horde. I want to answer that call," Derek answered.

Jaina's face became quizzical. She had heard talk in town of the greenish brutes known as orcs that were ransacking and razzing towns all over Lordaeron. She hadn't seen one in person as they hadn't made their way to the seas yet, but she couldn't help but wonder if maybe they weren't all bad. "What is the Horde?" she asked.

"A giant band of brutish bastard monsters!" Her father strolled up and sat his hand upon his son's shoulder. "They are to be cut down where they stand! For Lordaeron!"

Derek stood tall and raised his fist in the air and shouted, "For Lordaeron!"

"Are they all bad, Daddy?" Jaina questioned.

He scoffed, "Of course! Every single one of them!"

She shook her head, and then smiled up at him. "Maybe not all!"

Daelin laughed a wholehearted laugh causing all of the crewman to start laughing as well. He ruffled his daughter's hair and continued laughing all the way to his ship. Before Jaina could react the ships began to pull away from the harbor, and she started to run down the docks after them.

Despite being pregnant, Katherine kept up and scooped her daughter up in her arms and hugged her. "He'll be back, my sweet girl; they both will," she whispered patting Jaina's head as they both watched as the Kul'Tiran fleet pulled out of the harbor headed towards the Horde.

A loud screaming ripped Jaina from her deep sleep. Quickly she sprinted out of bed and ripped open her bedroom door. It was very early morning, but the pitch blackness was dulled by a minute light at the end of the hallway. She followed the sound of weeping towards the light until she arrived at the end of the hall.

There seated at their old oak table sat her aging mother. The only light in the room came from the gas lantern sitting next to her. Jaina slowly crept forward. It had been almost a year since her father and brother had left and many nights she had come out to find her mother sobbing. This was different, though. The scream Jaina had heard could have awoken spirits in Drustvar Forest.

As she inched closer, the girl noticed her mother's hair seemed to gray almost overnight, and then she noticed what had caused the grief. Next to Katherine sat an opened letter, and Jaina could have recognized the seal anywhere. Daddy.

Like a mouse she reached for the letter and as she grasped it, Katherine jumped and noticed she was in the room. "Oh! Sweetheart, you startled me. Here give me that back, there's nothing to worry yourself about," she soothed reaching for the piece of paper.

Jaina, intelligent beyond her years, had already began to read it and stepped back just out of the reach of her mother:

My Dearest Katherine,

Words cannot even begin to describe the sorrow I feel. Many months ago I thought I would have returned home to you and our children, together, with Derek.

She noted a teardrop had clearly fallen and smudged the ink that had written the name Derek. Had something happened?

Today I must tell you I still will not be headed home. The war has became even more dire. Trolls, ogres, and sorcerers have all decided to place their allegiance in the Horde. What is even worse than all of that, is that I won't be bringing our boy home. He was attacked by an orc war party and before I could get to him, they had incinerated him.

Kat, I am so sorry. I failed you. I promised to protect Derek, and I didn't. I seek your forgiveness and guidance in this time, but until I can see your beautiful face again I will hunt down each and every one of those bloodsucking mongrels and cleave their head from their necks!

Give all of my love to Jaina and Tandred. I can't believe he's almost one, and I haven't met him yet.

Love,

Daelin

As she finished reading the letter, Katherine began to uncontrollably sob again. Jaina threw the letter down and wrapped her arms around her mother, her own eyes watering. "Sh, Mommy, we can't wake Tandred."

"I know. I'm sorry," she sniffed. "I'm so angry with the Horde! These beasts must be slaughtered."

Jaina hugged her mother tighter. "Maybe the good ones will help daddy get home sooner," the girl said hopefully.

"My sweet girl," Katherine laughed a little bit; she grasped her daughter's face in her hands and met her sapphire blue eyes. "You must realize the orcs and all of their kind are monsters. There is absolutely no good in any of them. The sooner you accept that, the sooner you can accept reality."

Maybe not all. Jaina scoffed at herself. How stupid was I to think there was any good in those brutes? Her eyes focused on the lich floating in front of her. He seemed so collected and all-knowing, but why would she trust an undead. They were as vile as the Horde.

"Now, now, Lady Proudmoore, must we call each other names?" Kel'Thuzad asked.

She retorted, "Stay the hell out of my head! What are you doing here? Why do you want the Horde gone so badly?"

The lich's skeletal hands clasped together, and he bowed. "You see, dear, my new master would benefit greatly from the mass killing of an entire faction," he explained.

Jaina queried, "New master? Who commands you now?"

"All in due time. The only thing you need to worry yourself about is whether or not you want our help. We can grant you what you need to eradicate the Horde once and for all. You can stop this from happening to someone else," Kel'Thuzad stated motioning towards the ruined city.

They had taken so much from her over her lifetime, and yet each time she sided with them. What they needed now was justice, and just like that she could be the one to deliver it to them. What would she have to give up, though? There was always a cost, this she knew. What would that make her? Slaughtering innocent women and children would make her no better than Garrosh.

On top of that, slaughtering them on behalf of Kel'Thuzad and his master. Had she stooped so low for revenge as to ask the Scourge for help? The thought dropped on her like another mana bomb. If she did all this, she would be no better than he had. To help the Scourge would make her no more of a person than the Lich King. She would end up like...

Arthas.