Chapter 16

I cracked my neck and grinned menacingly at the orc, and he charged.

I side stepped, and neatly leapt onto his back as he raced past, wrapping my legs around his neck and squeezing while bringing my fists down on his head.

His air was cut off, and he was disoriented by the force, and he fell to his knees, throwing me off. He hacked for breath while I neatly rolled and turned around, not slowing down as I took advantage of his new anger.

He came at me again, and I crouched, going for his middle as he charged me, and I got in a solid three shots his ribs with unnatural force before sliding between his legs and popping up behind him, kicking him in the ass to send him forward, off balance.

Sylvanas chuckled, and I grinned at her-a genuine smile this time-and neatly ducked Garrosh's fist, grabbing onto his arm and using the momentum to swing myself around, my foot driving hard into his sternum.

He reeled, stepping backwards a few feet, and I landed neatly in a crouch on the ground, like a cat.

"Warchief, you might want to yield-she's merely toying with you, amused." Sylvanas jeered, and I prowled forward.

Garrosh was bleeding, and he growled.

I pounced, but he caught me in the waist with the sheer size of his forearm, and I crashed into the ground, my head cracking on the stone.

The screaming was jarred to life, and I struggled for a moment, teeth bared and eyes flashing as he stood over me.

"Not so nimble, hm?"

Kill the bastard.

"Warchief-." I was faster than my lady.

I leapt up, growling low in my throat, and I dug my nails into his neck, slamming my head into his three times-the force causing his nose to break and a neat crack to form in my forehead.

He stumbled, and I forced him done with a shot to the groin, before I sent my fists into his chest with unnatural speed, and I think my own screaming joined the cacophony in my head.

I was ripped away suddenly, and braced by-seven guards.

I snarled and snapped my teeth at whatever was closest, and then ice cold water got dumped on me, and the screaming stopped.

Cold, cold comprehension swept over me, and I froze in the arms of the guard, shaking.

Sylvanas and a priest knelt on either side of Garrosh, who looked half dead.

I felt...oh god.

"Warchief, that was unwise of you-." Sylvanas tried, but Garrosh reared up, face covered in his own blood.

"That thing, is unstable!" He roared, and I flinched hard, sagging into the guard, who flanked me, some still tense, but some of the guards-like Morris-knew what was going on, and merely supported my weight.

"Garrosh you provoked her!" Sylvanas was standing between him and me now, and I shook.

"I got one hit in, and it went beserk!" Garrosh went for his axe, but two of the guard stepped in front of him, twin looks of 'fuck no' on their boned faces.

Garrosh howled, and glowered at me, expression one of utmost hatred.

"Put it down, Windrunner,"

I shook like a leaf.

"Leave my hall, Hellscream." Sylvanas wasn't backing down.

He charged her, and she fell-

No.

I went from in the middle of the guard to in front of Garrosh, old blades up and crossed over myself, a bulwark between him and my lady.

"Teir-."

"She said to leave, Hellscream." Something in my voice reminded me of him, but it wasn't...horrifying.

Those loyalties had switched.

Garrosh glared down at me, and I glared right back.

"Call your attack dog off, Sylvanas." He said finally, and I noted that I had graduated from 'pup' to 'dog'. Soon I might even be a 'she'.

"Come on lynx, stand down."

Sylvanas' voice, soft and comforting, and I relaxed, the blades disappearing and standing aside, fatigue once again plaguing me.

"Warchief, we are all extremely tired, and have had a very stressful day, and night." Sylvanas' tone was flat, "If you truly wish for an audience, reconvene on a different day, preferably while the sun is up. Good night."

I was led from the room by Sylvanas, and I sagged into her as soon as we hit the hall, and was scooped up.

I felt my body sag into my bed, and fell asleep to the sound of Sylvanas humming.

I sat in my chair numbly, as Sylvanas, Lor'Themar, and an Orcish envoy screamed at each other, their voices echoing around the Forsaken war room.

Jadearra looked a fresh level of fucked, with a nasty gash going across the majority of her face, and her arm in bandages-apparently she got in a scuffle with a black dragon.

Her mother looked ready to eat the rest of the room, but merely sat there, lips pursed and eyebrows drawn together.

I read the envoy from Hellscream again;

The Forsaken and Thalassian Courts are to send three units each, along with champions Teir Windrunner and Jadearra Theron to spearhead the Horde assault on Darnassus.

Non-negotiable.

I knew, somewhere in my gut, that going would be bring me closer to Kenlora-who I had spent nearly every night watching in that window-but I didn't want to be brought to her as an enemy.

Sylvanas' voice broke through the white noise of my thoughts, "I refuse to send her!"

"Do you have a choice?"

Elynae's voice was quiet, but it silenced the room so fast that my ears were ringing.

I thought her anger had been directed towards those that were shouting, but she looked at Jadearra, and I knew.

She didn't want her child anywhere but right beside her.

"Mother-."

"Do we, Lor'Themar? Will Hellscream not march on our front doors, if we do not provide?" Elynae stood, her hair shaking loose from her rage.

"Elynae-." Lor'Themar tried.

"I do not want to send my daughter to die, again. But do I ever get a say?" A single tear fell down her cheek, and I knew that this was never to leave the room.

I stood, and eyes moved to me.

"I'll protect her," I didn't look at Sylvanas, or Jadearra. I kept my eyes on the terrified mother in front of me-the likes of which I've killed so many times, but I will repent by protecting their child.

"Who will protect you then? If you go off? Teir they will kill you if you lose it." Sylvanas looked scandalized.

"I will."

Jadearra had stood, shrugging the bandages from her arm with a nearly concealed wince, and I noted that the burn was pretty ugly.

Neither woman liked this, and they looked ready for a fight, but Lor'Themar settled it.

"They have made their choice. The least we can do is send three units loyal to our daughters, and make sure we get them home in one piece."

So it was decided-we would take portals to Orgrimmar, and I would have to march on the home of the love of my life-as an enemy.

My throat constricted, and I left the room.

My bag was packed when I reached the common, and I went to the window, whispering her name.

She rippled into view, going over reports with a worried air-the attacks had begun on Ashenvale the day before.

She looked tired, her face pale, and it hurt.

"Traitor."

I slammed my fist through the window, whipping around with a pounding heart and burning eyes to see-

Oh fuck, Elynae.

She bristled, "You lied, didn't you? You're going to sell them all out!" the woman hissed.

"Elynae no-no I am not." My voice quavered, and Sylvanas ran in.

"Elynae-."

"She's a sympathizer!" Elynae snarled, and a blade came from her hand-

I caught it between my palms, an inch from my nose, and went cross eyed staring at it for a moment.

"Elynae, please-." I fell to my knees, "I promise that my loyalties have nothing to do with faction."

She growled, but Sylvanas had swept up and covered her mouth, to force her to listen.

"That woman-I met her before...she is the only cure."

Elynae softened immediately-she knew that the cure I spoke of was to the insanity.

"The only cure?" Sylvanas' hand had fallen away.

Longing swept through me, "She took care of me for six hundred and fifty days, while he was in the ice. She...she didn't shun me, for what I am, and she...she let me believe." I was whispering now, oil pouring down my face, "I will warn her that we're coming, but I promised I would protect your daughter. If that means hiding her in a cave until the fight blows over then smuggling her home, I'll do so."

Elynae was quiet for a long, hard moment, before she nodded.

"You're either brave, or suicidal, Teir." Elynae left the common, and I slid down the wall until I was sitting, a larger fragment of the broken window in my hand.

I whispered her name, and she appeared, and I held the glass close.

"How are you going to warn her?" Sylvanas inquired.

I held up a hand to quiet my lady, before holding the glass close to my lips and whispering, in Darnassian.

"They're coming. Six units from the east. They're coming. Find me. Hide me and one other. They're coming."

I pulled the glass away, lips cut from the sharp edges, and looked down into the picture.

Kenlora had stood, papers scattered, and was whipping around, looking panicked.

"Teir?" It was so quiet, but I held the glass to my ear.

"Teir? Is that you?"

"They're coming. Warn your men. They're coming."

Then I stomped on the glass, effectively destroying the connection.

Sylvanas was looking at me, "How did you know that would work?"

I shrugged, looking up at her and speaking honestly, "I didn't."

We sat for a while, in the common, silent, until I remembered that it was time to go.

I stood, taking my bag, and donning the forsaken tabard, looking Sylvanas in the eye.

"Come home, do you understand me?" Sylvanas seemed to be trying hard to not betray emotion.

"I promise, my lady." I bowed my head, and left the common.

I reached the surface in relatively little time, where forsaken soldiers were going through portals, held open by the mages.

"Lady Teir, are you ready?" The mage nearest me asked, and I nodded, not really registering her words.

When the portal opened, reflecting a watery image of hot air, I stepped through.

I walked through nothing, the air around me a thousand different colours, and flickers of different places whipping past as I continued to move-I followed the watery image, which grew steadily closer.

I kept my face forward, not daring to look away from my goal, lest I be pulled off course.

I made it to the image, and pushed through.

Hot, brilliant sunlight burned my eyes, and I held my hand up, hissing as it felt like scorching wind wrapped around my body.

It's fucking hot.

"Teir."

I squinted, the air around me so distorted that I couldn't really see.

"Too much sun," I grumbled, and I felt a cool hand on my arm, leading me forward, and a chuckle belonging to Jadearra accompanied it.

It grew cooler and dark again, and I sighed, opening my eyes fully to see that I had been led into the shade of a monstrously sized wall, which was littered with scaffolding.

"We're being sent ahead of the units, we leave tonight." Jadearra informed me, and my gut clenched.

"We take the trees."

"The trees?"

I looked at her, "Follow or get killed, kid. Night Elves fight low to the ground, if we're in the trees we can waltz right through Ashenvale."

Jadearra nodded, the burns on her arm seeming to simmer in the heat.

"And get some Lavender paste for that arm."

I don't know where that had come from, but I suddenly knew for fact that Lavender paste would help with her arm.

She went off to find it without a word, and I found myself a shady perch to hide from the blistering heat in.

I revealed from my pocket a small fragment of the window, and her name revealed the tired elf, pacing her rooms, in full armor.

"In Orgrimmar. Find me tonight. Southern Slopes. Find me Tonight."

She looked around frantically, nodding.

I crushed the glass, and sighed-Jadearra will never forgive me for this.

I had already constructed the lie, and the hearthstone in my bag would return me to Sylvanas when they called for retreat.

Now, I simply have to make sure we don't kill anyone between here and Southern Hyjal.

The moon glowed high in the sky as we traipsed through the trees, and I kept an ear out-I would know when.

"How much farther to the coast?" poor kid had no sense of direction-she thought we were moving entirely west.

I listened, and listened-

There.

I faked a falling, crying out as I hit the ground, and as expected, Jadearra dropped down beside me, all worry and panic-

Until she went cross eyed and fell forward, unconscious.