AN: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OF WORLD OF WARCRAFT! IT BELONGS TO BLIZZARD!
Swallowing the thick poison of sadness gathering in her throat, Creed directed her attention ahead of her and Rommath as the Violet Citadel came into perfect view.
There in front of them as they entered the Citadel was the Council of Six: Jaina Proudmoore, Archmage Khadgar, Karlain, Modera, Ansirem Runeweaver, and Aethas Sunreaver, and the Horde Ambassador. The Horde Ambassador was a tall, battle worn, and graying Tauren. A Druid Tauren from his robes, Creed noted.
Creed's brow rose at Aethas Sunreaver and Jaina Proudmoore glaring at one another, well more like Jaina glaring at a nervous Aethas... she relaxed letting her old anger leave her body an mind... it was a new day.
"Greeting, Ambassador Creed. Grand Magister Rommath." Khadgar nodded to Creed and her companion.
"Can we please just get this meeting over?" Creed demanded as a cold exterior came over her voice. Khadgar seemed surprised at the attitude change but wisely didn't show it.
"Yes, Ambassador. But first, Ambassador Creed please meet the Horde's Ambassador, Cairin Whitefeather." Creed bowed at the Horde Ambassador which he surprisingly met her with.
"Ambassador Whitefeather, a pleasure." Creed greeted the aged Tauren Druid with a firm shake of her hand.
"A pleasure indeed, Ambassador Creed." The gruff and sagely voice of the Tauren made her smile lightly.
"Let this meeting begin. Jaina, you have ten minutes with the Ambassadors and that is we are going to permit you till the final decision is made by the Ambassadors and we call the meeting." Khadgar told Jaina sternly as they reached the center of the room and the other Council members stood facing them but closing off the opening to the Violet Citadel.
"Yes, thank you. That is all I need." Jaina quickly told the members of the Council with Aethas and Rommath watching closely.
Jaina and the two Ambassadors walked up the stairs away from most of the ears of the Council.
The long white hair with a stripe of gold around Jaina's shoulders were sure an interesting change than Creed remembered from the golden blonde all those years ago. The loss of Theramore really affected her.
"Why have we been summoned, Jaina Proudmoore?" Ambassador Whitefeather seemed as tired as Creed was about this situation. Jaina nodded.
"I understand that you both are nearly done compiling a decision on the Kirin Tor and the Sunreavers, but there is something you must see before you make a final decision; a witness who saw the event," Both Ambassadors looked surprised at Jaina's words.
Down below from Jaina and the two Ambassadors, Rommath's and Aethas's eyes widened at her words from their extraordinary elven hearing; both stiffened. This was the first time hearing of a witness after so many years after the event. Where did she find a witness!?
Creed felt a migraine as Jaina was about to continue on.
"You have proof? A witness who saw the abduction of the Bell and it was Sunreaver? Exact words." Creed's strong and suspicious words seemed to even surprise her.
Jaina nodded.
"He is being held in Violet Hold, for safe keepings." Jaina's voice seemed to smile at Creed, but Creed did not return it.
"Then please, let us hear his testimony before anything else happens," Whitefeather nodded at Jaina as she directed both Ambassadors down the stairs.
"You were given ten minutes, it's up." Khadgar looked at Jaina, but was silenced by the emotionless voice of Creed.
"This witness you have found, Jaina... bring me to him, now. Your ten minutes may be up with us, but this meeting just got longer. This is a fair trial after all and I will not stand by and witness another massacre like the Purge of Dalaran again if I give a decision without every piece of evidence..." The words were cold and terse.
Khadgar's sharp blue eyes darted to Creed as she took down her helm to rest around her neck. Jaina's own blue eyes widened at the fully exposed face of Creed... she knew that face from all those years again, it was more mature and cold, but she still recognized it. How could she forget that same young face begging her and her mentor to help her Blood Elf friend from her mana addiction.
The room was full of nearly tangible tension and silent... very, very silent.
"Yes, Ambassador Creed." All figures followed of the Council and the two Ambassador walked silently through Dalaran to the doors of the Violet Hold.
The silence was unbearably awkward and distant.
"I am to talk to this prisoner alone unless you wish to join me Ambassador Whitefeather?" The Elderly Tauren nodded his head at Creed.
"Every council member is to stay out here while we talk to him. It will make this job easier if he is not pressured or watched into saying anything by any Council or Kirin Tor member."
"B-But-" Jaina was about to argue with Whitefeather but he held up a large hand.
"This is apart of the fairness of trail, Miss Proudmoore, but you all must stay out here so the evidence is not tampered." Whitefeather's words were final.
"Yes, Ambassador Whitefeather. He is inside the very center of the Hold." Khadgar and Jaina opened the Doors, both the Tauren and Human walked inside directly to the prisoner.
The taps of both sets of feet seemed to echo in the large prison. Creed looked at the hardened guards inside and shook her head.
Sooner than they thought, the large purple arcane prison wall came into view with a single male High Elf.
"So you are the one who saw the theft of the Divine Bell?" The Elf looked up at the odd couple in front of him, the human addressed him in Orcish.
"Where is Archmage Jaina? Are none of the members of the Council in here listening?" The elf was frightened and cautious.
"No." Short and simple.
He nodded softly as his emotionless mask dissolved and a saddened look morphed over his face. He looked exhausted and in poor health.
"Yes."
"Did you specifically see the Sunreavers take it?" The elf looked hesitant. Creed immediately caught that tactic... hesitation either meant unknowing or he was withholding impromptu information.
"I-It was a little hard to be clear if it was directly a Sunreaver, but I knew some were elves... but not all elves." Creed looked directly at the Elf as she came up to the prison's arcane shield.
"Not all elves?" He gently shook his head.
"When I was patrolling around Dalaran all those years ago, I had seen the portal there hidden behind the building and watched multiple people run through it with something... during the time I didn't know it was the Divine Bell!" His voice was horse and rough, he had no right to be looked up in here. He looked half starved, tortured, and half dead from lack of sun.
"Calm yourself, small elf. We believe you." Whitefeather put his hand down to calm the elf. The pale elf had tears in his dully glowing azure eyes. Creed's gaze softened.
"Had you told Jaina Proudmoore this?" He nodded.
"I did, but she did not seem too interested in the others. She said that the other contributors of the theft were not important... it was the elves present in the heist that were." Creed glared at the ground in thought.
"Well, Jaina is not here. You will tell me every thing you saw, please. Everyone involved is accountable, not just the elves," Creed spoke to the Elf calmly and rationally.
"Did you specifically see the Sunreaver tabard on any of them?"
"Yes! Yes, I did see some Sunreaver elves, but I also saw both humans and orcs running through the portal as well... but, only a few wore the Sunreavers tabard, I caught a glimpse of some wearing the Kirin Tor symbol."
Creed looked at Whitefeather curiously.
"So if it was not just the Sunreavers, but Kirin Tor members... why was this information ignored?" Creed asked Whitefeather.
"I agree, Ambassador Creed. Both parties are at fault with this dispute, both Kirin Tor and Sunreavers are at fault, together, for the loss of the Divine Bell," Whitefeather concluded.
Creed looked back at the glum elf and smiled.
"You are going to come with us now." The High Elf's blue eyes widened.
"You have done nothing wrong nor were you involved, Proudmoore had no right to lock you away. You are to be set free. Guards!?" Creed called over one of the standing guards.
"Release this Elf, now. He has told his story and I have my decision." The guard looked hesitant,
"Release him or I shall lock you away in his cell instead, Guard." Creed hissed causing the Guard, High Elf, and Tauren to look surprised. Whitefeather then smirked and looked at the guard as well. The anger from both the large Tauren and sizzling glare from the human made him drop the arcade shield.
"Come young Elf." Whitefeather helped the High Elf up and all three walked out the doors of the Violet hold.
"W-What is he doing out of-!" Creed stopped Jaina's words with her own bark.
"You had no right to imprison this Elf in the Violet Hold, Jaina." Creed seethed out with venom in her words.
"He has given us the information he had. Now, he goes free." Both Creed and Whitefeather looked firmly at the Council.
"Yes. He shall. I agree, Jaina. He had no involvement and should not have been imprisoned." Khadgar agreed with the two Ambassadors and looked firmly at Jaina who looked like she was about to blow.
"I have made my decision. I believe it is finally time to call the meeting, Archmage Khadgar." The deep rumbling of Whitefeather stopped all the commotion of the Council.
The Council and Rommath then looked at the silent figure of Creed. She was staring at the ground in thought.
"Ambassador Creed? Have you made a decision?" Asked Karlain.
"Yes. Set the meeting." All of the Council nodded in a grim silence.
Rommath tried to peer into the eyes of Creed with a deep viridian gaze, but she turned her head at the ground with a hurt and angered wrath flaming in her eyes.
She just couldn't.