Trails of troubles,
Roads of battles,
Paths of victory,
We shall walk.

~Paths of Victory-Bob Dylan~

General Blackhand was waiting for them. "So the alliance sends its very best...an aging Draenei and an elfling. How pitiful. I will not kill you right away. Instead, you will get to watch as Shattrath is razed to the ground."

Cordana looked around. There were several iron stars lying about the deck. They were not the small cannon style, but larger ones with a detonation device. She could not see any method of catapulting them. There was no cannon large enough to send them anywhere. Where was the prime weapon?

"It is over, Blackhand. The Iron Horde will no longer terrorize my people," said Maraad.

Blackhand laughed then raised his massive axe. "I grow bored looking at you already," he said. "I change my mind. I will kill you after all."

He swung and Maraad leaped out of the way.

Cordana vanished, and threw her umbral crescent. He deflected it easily enough, but she caught it and tried again. This time it managed to cut him slightly before he could react. She threw the magical blades at the same time, and they sliced into him.

"Stupid elfling!" he raged and swung the axe in a wide arc. Cordana leaped backwards into the air, then pushed off a pole, flying at him. She spun, the blades on her cloak raking into his flesh making him howl in pain. Maraad's axe hit Blackhand in the leg but the angle was not correct and it simply glanced off him. Blackhand snarled and lashed out at the Draenei with his fist, sending him sprawling to the deck, dazed.

Cordana sliced the towering orc with the crescent across the back of his leg where his armor did not reach. Blood poured from the wound. Her invisibility was frustrating the Orc, so he turned his attention to Vindicator Maraad instead. This left Cordana with many opportunities to attack him, but even her strongest attack did not slow him down. Full of adrenaline, he walked menacingly towards the dazed Draenei and raised his axe. As he brought the massive weapon down, Maraad rolled out of the way and recovered his own axe. He swung at the Orc's hand, slicing his wrist, making him drop the axe.

"I will kill you!" roared Blackhand.

"Keep trying!" cried Maraad, running behind him.

Cordana looked at the boxes of ordinance on the deck. One of them contained small iron stars. She picked one up and threw it at Blackhand. It exploded, burning him. She tossed another and another, giving Maraad a chance to get away and regain his energy. Blackhand swung his axe at the boxes as she dashed out of the way.

On the other ship, Jaraal and Khadgar watched. They could not see the battle in detail, but when the iron stars Cordana threw began exploding, they certainly saw that. The larger explosion of Blackhand's axe on the boxes was far more intimidating.

"Light, Cordana," said Khadgar, his voice edged with anxiety. "What are you doing over there?"

Jaaral lay a hand on his shoulder. "Both Cordana and Maraad are great warriors," he said. "The Light will protect them. We must have faith."

"I cannot lose her," said Khadgar softly. "She is everything to me. Without her..." he could not finish the thought and went silent.

"I know that feeling, my friend," answered Jaaral. "But we must be strong and believe."

Cordana and Maraad were knocked back by the exploding boxes of ordinance.

"Didn't anyone tell you not to play with fire?" yelled Blackhand.

Maraad slashed, dodged and ran. He was trying to reach a tendon or ligament that would slow the Orc down but the beast was a juggernaut. The more they injured him the more enraged and filled with adrenaline he became. While he could not see Cordana, one of his attacks on Maraad rebounded, hitting and throwing her. Her stealth was broken momentarily and the Orc laughed as he leaped towards her. She moved out of the way and avoided a direct hit, but shrapnel from the barrels he hit pummeled her. She was grateful for the plate she wore beneath her cloak.

Blackhand picked up a long piece of wood and threw it in her direction. Cordana flattened herself out against a wall as it whizzed past. Returning to stealth, she got behind him and slashed the space behind his knee. He spun suddenly and made contact, injuring her arm. But she had the adrenaline rush also and ignored it. Maraad advanced and circled the Orc who watched him, waiting. Blackhand lunged at the Draenei and caught him with the axe, cracking his chest piece. Maraad stumbled back but caught himself before he fell. The blow had nearly knocked the wind out of him and he struggled to regain his footing and his energy. As Blackhand surged towards Maraad once more, Cordana threw her crescent and landed a glancing blow on the back of his neck. While not enough to truly wound him, it made him turn momentarily. Cordana thought that she had bought Maraad enough time to try for a fatal head wound.

As Maraad jumped forward to attack, the Orc turned around suddenly and backhanded him, sending Maraad flying through the air, his axe spinning from his hand and landing near Cordana. The Draenei himself landed near a large iron star. He knew he would not be leaving this battlefield. He had spent his life fighting for his people against all manner of enemies, and he was tired. This would be his last battle, and he had to make it count. This fight had to make a difference for the war and for his people.

"Cordana!" he called out weakly. "Get to safety!"

He set the detonation device as Blackhand approached him menacingly.

Khadgar watched as a massive explosion erupted from the deck of the ship.

"Oh Light..." breathed Jaaral in horror.

"CORDANA!" cried the Archmage. "No! NO!"

The explosion threw Blackhand and lit part of him on fire, but mortally wounded Maraad. The wards Khadgar had placed on Cordana had shielded her, but now they were gone. She ran to the Draenei's side.

"Maraad," she whispered. "I am sorry..I will get you out."

"No..." he responded weakly, the glow from his eyes slowly fading. "It was my choice, knowing this would be my last battle. If Blackhand dies, the tide will turn. There is a chance for my people. Kill him, Cordana..."

His eyes went dark, and as they did, Cordana felt a ripple of energy go through her.

The explosion had greatly weakened Blackhand. He struggled to his feet, trying to slap out the fires on his body, and as he did so, something struck him in the back of his head. Maraad's axe lay at his feet where Cordana had thrown it at him.

The Warden stood, unstealthed, facing him, anger in her eyes that glowed brightly through her helmet.

"What do you want, little elfling?" he laughed. "Such arrogance to think that you could defeat me!"

He reached her in three quick strides and picked her up by the throat. Cordana reached out a hand, and the umbral crescent flew into it. With a cry of rage, she slammed it hard into the side of Blackhand's neck. The orc screamed in pain and dropped her to the deck as blood spurted from the wound. He raised his axe and moved to bring it down, but the fall had dazed her and she could not move out of the way.

Through the tears in his eyes, Khadgar saw the huge explosion rip through the ship. No one could have survived that inforno! He was preparing to sink the damnable thing using the cannon with the iron stars, when Jaaral suddenly yelled.

"Archmage, wait! I think they are alive!"

He watched as a strange blue light on the deck grew brighter and larger, then vanished. He began to channel a teleportation spell. There is only one life force I can sense, he thought. Light forgive me that I hope it is my beloved Cordana.

"I've got them!" he said.

Blackhand staggered to his feet from where he had landed. His axe blow had been deflected by a dome of light which had thrown and unarmed him. No matter, he would kill the elfling with his bare hands if need be.

"You will die!" he screamed as he approached her.

"No," said Cordana, as she felt the warm and familiar magic surrounding her, as though Khadgar himself were holding her in an embrace.

"Just you!"

She vanished from the ship in a flash of light, as the iron stars fired from the cannon that Khadgar fired hit the side of the ship and set off a series of explosions. Blackhand was tossed from the deck and utterly obliterated as the ship disintegrated in a ball of fire.

Not caring about the bladed cloak, Khadgar swept Cordana up in his arms, pulling her helmet from her head and pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that echoed every emotion in both their hearts.

"My love," he breathed. "I thought I had lost you!"

She held tightly to him for a moment with her uninjured arm, then looked at Jaaral. "I am sorry my friend," she said. "Maraad was killed by Blackhand, but he sacrificed himself to save me and give me a chance to kill that monster."

Khadgar's eyes saddened. " He was a good friend and a great warrior. We must not let his sacrifice be in vain. The Draenei people must be freed from the grip of the Iron Horde."

"He will be greatly missed, " said Jaaral. "But he told me before you went to the ship that he would not be returning. He always knew that he would die for his people, and he was tired and he felt that this was his time. I am glad he did what he came to do, and we will be victorious for his sacrifice."

They were quietly reflective for a few minutes.

"I have to ask you both something," said Cordana, leaning heavily on Khadgar as her adrenaline was wearing off and the pain of her injuries were asserting themselves. "I believe Maraad did something to me. When he died, I felt...something...a ripple of energy go through me. Blackhand had me in a compromising position, but when he attacked, a dome of light appeared over me and deflected the blow. I would have died if not for that. What did he do? It was not a magical ward."

Jaaral nodded sadly. "He gave his essence to protect you. The essence of all of us is made of the Light from whence we came, and to where we return. It was his final gift to us."

Cordana looked up into Khadgar's eyes, her throat feeling tight. He turned and drew her close and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Did we manage to find and destroy the weapon?" asked Jaaral.

"I am not sure," replied Cordana. "While we were there, I saw large iron stars with detonation devices, one of which Maraad activated, causing the explosion you may have seen. However, there were no cannons I could see that were large enough to fire them. "

Khadgar thought about it. "They could have had something hidden in the bowels of the ship. There is nothing we can do other than hope it now rests on the sea bottom. Without their General, the Iron Horde will be in chaos, and at least we can say they will not trouble Shattrath any longer."

"Khadgar, I think I need to find an infirmary, or a healer," she said presently as the pain in her arm was growing unbearable.

He looked at her in surprise. "Why didn't you say so poor Cordana! I will teleport the two of you back and join you after I detonate this ship. This entire fleet can rest on the bottom of the sea!"

Cordana and Jaaral returned to Yrel and the army amidst cheers and cries of victory.

"Yrel," said Jaaral. "Please see to Cordana. She has been injured and requires your healing gifts."

Cordana was grateful for the relief from the pain as Yrel lay her hand on her arm gently. "The bone has been broken," she said. "I can fix this, but you will be weak for a few days."

Just then Khadgar appeared beside her in a flash of light.

"Did you detonate the ship?" she asked him.

He grinned. "Wait for it...in 3...2...1..."

An explosion lit up the sky. "And there it goes. Good riddance," he said.

"Khadgar, could we go home now?" she asked. "I have had enough of Orcs for one day."

The Archmage nodded, waited for Yrel to complete her healing ritual, then picked up Cordana in his arms.

"Jaaral, are you ready to reunite with your Lady wife?" he asked.

The Draenei smiled widely. "I was hoping you would ask that. Let us go!"

They vanished with a flash of light.