A/N: Please note that this is of course Fan Fiction, therefore the events described would be slightly deviated from the orginal telling.

And nope, I in fact do not own Warcraft or anything else I write about.

Chapter 3 Decisions

Sylvanas Windrunner slammed her fist onto the tabletop hard enough for the legs to splinter. The typically composed general was beginning to have a very difficult time keeping control over herself. Several aides moved quickly to put the maps and important documents back onto the table. Arlandria and several other captains, senior mages and other high ranking officals stood nearby, waiting for more to arrive before the conference could begin. Arlandria sat by the window and watched the sky slowly darken as the sun began to sink.

The whole room remained tense and silent. Even though many were long time friends and joyous to see one another alive, the situation was far too grave for anything but stony silence. It was now over two hours since Arlandria had arrived, and in that time only four units had been received, none of them fully intact. There was still over a dozen commanders and captains who had not yet arrived.

Lady Sylvanas cleared her throat and signaled the start of the conference, no longer able to wait for more to come. All moved quickly to crowd around the table, all trying to get as close to the front as possible. Arlandria was quick to wrestle her way to the table and kept her feet steady so not to be pushed back. It had been many years since she had seen Lady Sylvanas, and she was shocked to see how weary she looked.

Lady Sylvanas spoke slowly, her voice losing its angelic tone that was so common to her. "The first magical gate was broken nearly four hours ago, losses were extremely heavy. It was not possible to return any of the fallen. Nearly all of the survivors are here at this post, many other units were scattered and there has been no contact."

She put her hand onto the surface of the map and scrolled her fingers down. "These are the routes they will be forced to take, in our retreat, all of the bridges that spanned the river were destroyed. I have se-"

"Forgive me, My Lady," a tall male captain interrupted, and bowed lowly. "This bridge here," he pointed down onto the map, "It was still intact, undead were streaming across when I last saw it," he finished humbly.

Sylvanas paled and pursed her lips together tightly. Due to the survival of this one bridge, her entire plan of forcing the Scourge through this pass would fail. She did not have to speak what this new revelation would mean, as a high commander began to speak.

"We will be surrounded here, this position is no longer secure!" he said.

Another commander spoke, "We heard what the fiend Arthas said," he looked directly into the eyes of Lady Sylvanas, and continued. "He wishes to defile the mystic sunwell and is only looking for the quickest way there, he will bypass us completely if he can."

Sylvanas spoke again, "That butcher will pound on the second gate with all the instruments of death he can muster, and he will never force it open."

"But we must not stay here," someone pleaded.

There were many nods and murmurs of agreement. Moments passed with nobody putting forth any suggestions or plans. Sylvanas's mind was racing for the best option. It was now pointless to remain here, she thought, but there was no position better that was ahead of the second gate. It is a great amount of territory to yield undefended. More units were still due to arrive here, but it was becoming darker outside by the minute.

Lady Sylvanas spoke the words that her heart spoke to her. "Prepare everyone, we make for the safety of the second gate at once."

End of Chapter 3