I'm still working on this story. I'm unable to begin my Mists of Pandaria story until this one is finished, so it will be done! I apologize for how long this is taking.

"A ship."

His arms wrapped tighter around her waist, his laugh felt as much in the chest pressed against her back as it was in the breath that swept past her ear. "A ship, my heart? I ask what I can give you as a husband, and of all the things you pick, you choose a boat?"

"I have little need for money, and we already began building a home." Her hand lifted, raising plated fingers to touch on his cheek as she watched the sun set over the sea, sending veins of gold and honey yellow mixed with crimson over a glittering blanket of blue.

"What of a family? A child?"

Her laugh was sweet, head tipping back to brush her cheek against his own as her eyes closed. "We are young, my knight. We have so many years to consider the possibility of a child. Why can I not dream now, before I am burdened with the dreams that others would have me dream?" The golden sea met her eyes when they opened again, and she sighed a mournful sigh as the blue and black above the sun became more prevalent than the sunset hues.

His chin moved, topping her head as his grunt of agreement was felt against her, and she was glad she wore her plate, for how he squeezed her. "Always sensible, my love. A child we will have in time, this is true. A boy, I would hope. I've no wish to be beating suitors off my doorstep with how lovely a daughter of your blood would be." He laughed and pressed his face to her neck as she jabbed him with her elbow, breathing deep of her skin and scent. "Where would you go, with this ship? Would I ever see you, once your foot had touched the deck, or would I be a widower, my wife lost to the sea?"

"We are not wed yet," she laughed and spun in his arms to wrap her own around his neck. "I would sail, Tiroth. I would leave the land behind me, to see nothing but the sun dance across the waves. To see the lights that rise from the depths in the dark of night, and to hear the song of sirens in the lull and swell of the water. I would breathe freely, as the city has never let me do, and I would dream more dreams than there are stars in the sky."

His smile was sad, but still one of mirth. "You'll talk to me of children and a future without a word about our relationship, but if I dare mention that we might be widow or widower... I am a man of the land, 'Dae." He used the name he only spoke when it was them together, one that no one else would ever know or hear, his lips pressed to her forehead. "I would never last long on a boat. I would sink it with the weight of my worries. Alas, I have fallen for a siren, myself."

"I am a child of Blood, my heart. It flows in me, and calls to the sea. I am bound forever, I am sorry. It will forever claim my heart... - Tiroth!" She laughed as his hands slid beneath her plate, tickling along her sides as she fought to remain still.

"Never! I will win the siren back from the waves, and she will know me as her love and master." He turned them both, pressing her back to the tree he had leaned against, and captured her lips in his own to silence her laughter and the sharp intake of breath that left her when his cold gauntlet touched over her breast. Though his hand went no further, he did not relinquish her mouth, nor did she complain until he drew away to give them both their breath.

"Your hand is cold," she quipped, her cheeks rosy and breath shallow, "you should find a way to warm it."

"I have plenty of ways to warm myself," he growled, coursing his fingers over her side until she squirmed and begged him to cease, and he did, with his arm wrapped around the small of her back, pulling her close while his other hand braced against the tree. "Yet, this siren lures with no promise of recompense, and this land-dweller is left to have cold hands."

"My maidenhead for a ship," she laughed, cupping his face in her hands as she rose to her toes, "but my love for naught but a kiss."

"A heavy price for your love," he whispered and pressed his lips to her own, making no sound of complaint as her hands left his cheeks to tangle in his hair and pull gently. She would be a fierce lover, he knew... the pulls were only the taste, and he loved it even so. "A ship you will have, my siren. A galleon that will be known the world 'round, and you will be it's captain. A captain so lovely and enchanting, that the waters will always be smooth." He touched his thumb to her lips, and watched her lips part and wrap around the end, her eyes closed in a dreamlike state. "A captain..."

"Captain!"

Triadae roused from her memory, and turned her head to view the one who called her. The male stood in armor that made her heart jump; the steel and silver of the Argent Crusade, their colors worn over the armor. He was the only dressed like that on the floating ship, and the only who could commandeer her attention so quickly. As she always did before speaking to him, her eyes roamed his face and saw the same features of another there; his elder brother, who had been sworn to her service, and died in it.

"I'm sorry, but the others wish to speak in the front hold. I was sent... -"

"I know why you were sent, Razolus." She smiled a rare smile and left the side of the boat, though her fingers trailed the gold-trimmed darkwood for a moment before finally breaking from it. "You are not looking so green, now. Has your stomach finally settled to the movements?" Idle chatter annoyed her, but she managed it regardless.

Razolus shrugged at her question, his green eyes peering briefly at the railing she had left before he settled in step beside her. "It's no ship I've ever been on. Even the goblin zepplins might make me feel a bit more safe than this. Truth be told," his ears twitched as a pale mage in flowing blue robes passed by them, "I'm a fair bit surprised that we've not brought the Legion down upon our heads for how much we must channel for this to stay afloat."

Her lips quirked in a grin, and she nodded agreement. Tiroth had gifted her a ship, but it was not one made for waters. The Elven Sunset reminded her strongly of Dalaran, if the city had been made far smaller and been combined just so with Tempest Keep. Wood and gold framed latticework of arcane crystals, the constant pulsing making the fine hair on the back of her neck stand. Each night, the mages that were required to power the airborne behemoth traded places with those that had worked the day, and neither shift looked any better when they came back to work. Refinement would have to happen, but she was thankful for the gift, and for the memory. "The Light will keep us safe, Razolus. That, and Gavron's great big head."

The younger male stifled his laugh behind a cough as the named man stalked past. The cook laughed, and vanished down into the galley as the two continued onward. "The elven moon goddess, as well?" He tipped his head, gesturing to the coin sized pendant that she wore.

Triadae followed his eyes, a shake of her head given as a hand cupped the piece. "No, but I will not lie. It may be that we need her guiding light as much as our moon-touched brethren." The full moon relief on the surface glimmered with an ethereal silver, and she briefly thought of the blonde rogue that had given her the gift. As expected, a sliver of light appeared on the flat silver rim, remaining in place no matter how she turned the pendant. "So you will always know where there walks a friend," Ashadel had told her.

"They say you no longer believe in the Light," Razolus ventured, his eyes on her though he did not turn his head.

She frowned, the pendant clinking against her breastplate when she dropped it. "I believe in the Light as much as you do. It is the Light that does not believe in me. I will not beg for forgiveness that I do not feel is required, and you would do better to seal your ears against those who would whisper and set a seed of doubt in your heart." Her tone softened as they approached the door that locked the front hold from the rest of the airship.

"Even his?" Razolus' question was innocent, but she sensed the curiosity within even so.

"Yes. Especially his." She pushed the door open and left the man to stand guard as it closed behind her. Light spilled through the stained glass, spilling over the wood-planked room, coloring the skin of those who waited for her at the large circular table that took up the majority of the room.

Her eyes fell on each of them briefly, though it took her more will to keep a fair glance on Kalthor, more strength to meet his eyes before she looked to Leybright, and the three others who had joined them; Silva, a sneak-thief with quick fingers and a docile temper, raven hair pinned back in a high ponytail; Rorus, a hunter who bore no allegiance further than his people and the wilds, shaggy blonde hair matching that of the wildcat that curled behind him on the wooden couch, and the one that they simply called Epsilon, a mage that seemed keener on using technology, his right arm swathed in a contraption that moved with him as he pointed out various points of interest on the map.

They seemed content to talk among themselves, her only welcome the gentle growl as Tenyl left the couch he had sprawled on to pad to her and accept the rubbing of an ear beneath her plate-covered fingers. She let them talk, finding the lion's company more soothing to her than the idea of joining those that she did not know well, and those that she felt estranged from. For his part, the lion seemed more than happy to remain right by her side, but comfort was something that she knew never lasted long. Nor did she exactly expect it to, any longer.

"If we land here, Silva and I can use our own skills to get in close to them."

"So glad you volunteer me for your insanity, Epsilon."

"Of course. Who else would I rather have with me?"

The group laughed, and with a final pat against the lion's side, Triadae made her approach. "What else would you need with you, Epsilon?" Her eyes scoured the map of the Highlands, noting the pins that marked fleets and squads, bases of both Horde and Alliance.

"Eh, not much. Handful of the best you have that can stick to the shadows, maybe another mage or two. The plan is to get the explosives beneath the Bastion. If we can manage that, then we can bring the building down. We'd cut their numbers by an enormous amount, and flatten their base - ..."

Leybright shook her head. "We have men and women in there. We'd be risking them if we did that, we'd be risking everything if we warned them first." Triadae was not blind to the sidelong glance that the priestess tossed her, but she did not acknowledge it. "What if we focused smaller, just to the camps?"

"It would be the same issue. We have them infiltrated as well. There's no way to stop a loss of life. I don't like being the one to make the cruel point here," the techno-mage pushed grey hair from his eyes and shook his head, "but the ones who made it in? They knew that there was a chance this would be it. That they'd go in, and they wouldn't be coming back."

There was silence, an uncomfortable choking feeling touching on each of them. "Go through with it." Her voice was quiet, but there was no uncertainty to it. She avoided the shocked eyes of Kalthor and Leybright, tapping the map in front of her. "Make as small of a fuss about it as you can; find a cave, go underwater if you must. I don't want anyone to be alerted to this, not even those we sent into the Twilight." The tension was oppressive, and she knew that she had just crossed a threshold that she would not have previously touched.

"There's a cave to the south that we can use, or the mines themselves. Either would work, though the mines would likely give us our best shot." Silva leaned to tap the respective places on the map, the silver tips of her gloves thunking on the wood beneath. "Either way, we're walking right into danger. There is no guarantee that this is going to work, or that we'll even get close to either target. The cave is a known breeding ground for one of the last brood-mothers of the black flight. The mines are Twilight territory."

Their eyes went to her, expectation and repulsion all mixed into one potent package that she wanted to cast away. Anything to stop them from looking at her like that, as if they were considering the best way to restrain her if needed. "I want you two working on the needed arrangements for this. We'll go through the mines, and we'll need a distraction that will make it easier. Rorus, I want you spending the next week finding every nook and cranny that we can use to our advantage. You," she gestured to Kalthor, "will remain with me. Leybright will infiltrate the camps as she can within the minds of the weakest."

"I -" Leybright snapped her mouth shut as Kalthor's hand fell on her shoulder, the smallest shake of his head visible before she stilled and quieted.

"We'll arrive at midnight. Best get rest before the work begins." Triadae stepped away from the table and passed by the lion again, offering only the briefest rest of her hand between the beast's ears before she left through the way she had come. Her steps struggled to remain even, forcing herself to walk as easily as she had when she had entered the room. It was not until she closed the door of her room behind her that she allowed the trembling to start.

She was sending them to die. Foreboding hit like a relentless wave, grabbing at her and pulling her deeper into waters she had sworn to leave untouched. Smothered by her uncertainty and fear, she lay on her bed and let sleep take her.