Honor Hold
Viraleth signaled for her scouts to stop, crouching down behind the ruins of a watchtower and poking her head around the burnt wooden structure to look at what looked like a fortress at the top of a hill. "Are those the banners of Lordaeron on the side of their walls?" She asked, looking back to her group of scouts.
"It looks like it." One of them said, making Viraleth slowly smile at the fortress.
"The Ranger-General will want to see this." She said out loud. "It could be the first clue to finding Alleria. We may not be friends with the humans any more, but I'm sure if we can talk to them, they may help us and our Ranger-General."
"We should scout it out some more though, right?" A different scout suggested.
"We should." Viraleth agreed, looking over to her second. "Vel, take a group and swing around to the other side of this fortress. We'll continue to scout from here and let's hope we can find something that will help us."
"On it." Velonara said, bowing her head to the Chief Scout and making her way to the other side of the fortress with half of their group.
Whilst they scouted out the fortress, Sylvanas, Athrodar and the rangers accompanying them helped the Alliance and Horde fighting the demons at the foot of the Dark Portal, being joined by the mages who came along with them. "They're thinning out." Athrodar told the Ranger-General, hitting a felguard in the chest with an arrow along with a handful of other rangers. "We have an opening."
"Let's go." Sylvanas commanded, being the first through the gap along with a group of rangers, having Anya and Clea follow them through shortly after and killing more demons when they began to pursue them. "Hold here until we're all through."
Killing a few more demons that tried to reach them, Sylvanas, Athrodar and the rest of their group began to make their way further in land and away from the demons fighting at the Dark Portal. "I saw them head north-west." Athrodar told the General, looking back to the Grand Magister and his mages as well as the General's unit of rangers. "We should start making our way over there."
"Hopefully Viraleth has found something." Sylvanas told him, signalling for Anya and Clea to make their way over to her. "Scout ahead. Go north-west and try to find Viraleth." She watched them both nod, taking hold of Clea's arm to stop her and add a final piece to their mission. "Come back when you do and take us back to them."
"What will you be doing, General?" Clea asked her.
"Following you, just at a slower pace and hoping to make finding us easier than just waiting here." Sylvanas told her, pushing Clea forward a little. "Go, we'll be fine."
Athrodar watched Anya and Clea leave, standing beside the General who watched them too. "Ready when you are, General."
Sylvanas smiled a little, looking over to Athrodar and noticing he stood right beside her. "And here I thought you were the lead."
"Only when it doesn't involve leading fighters. Everyday stuff and deciding what missions we go on, that's on me." He kissed her on the temple, looking over to the Dark Portal and the fighting that was still going on between the demons and the Horde and Alliance soldiers. "Let's get going before they turn around and target us."
"I hope my dad is okay." Victoria said, sitting in Athrodar's office whilst Thalina looked after her for the day. "And the General."
Thalina smiled at the young elf. "They'll be fine." She told her. "Especially Athrodar. He has the Ranger-General and her entire company as well as my father and his mages surrounding him. He will be as protected as the King would be if he went instead."
Victoria smiled a little but it was quickly wiped from her face when she looked around her father's office and saw it was still empty. "I don't think I'm ready to lose anyone else." She muttered. "Not after my parents were killed."
Thalina crouched down in front of the little elf and took hold of her hands. "Look at me." She said softly, smiling at Victoria when she looked at her. "You still have a brother and a grandmother who are here with you. Illana is the sweetest person I know and she is excited to have you here with her."
"I suppose I could spend some time with her and Tahnir..." Victoria said, slowly smiling at the mage in front of her. "I did always want to have a brother."
"As someone who has a brother, just be happy you're the older one." Thalina told her, laughing lightly and pushing Victoria along. "My brother is older than me and teased me constantly growing up and sometimes he still does. So make sure he knows you're the one in charge out of the two of you and maybe you can avoid what I had to go through."
"He still loves you though, right?" Victoria asked, getting a warm smile from the mage.
"He does." Thalina said, nodding her head at the young elf. "He just liked to tease me more than show that love sometimes."
Victoria held onto Thalina's hand a little tighter. "I'll make sure my brother knows to show his love to his family more than teasing them."
Thalina let out a small laugh and walked with the young elf towards her home. "That's a good plan."
Catching up to their scouts, Sylvanas made her way towards Viraleth the moment she could see her Chief Scout. "What did you find?" The General asked her, looking towards a fortress in the distance.
"I believe we have found the human soldiers who walked through the Dark Portal with your sister." Viraleth told her, placing a hand on her General's arm when she saw her take a step forward. "We haven't seen any elves, at least none that are on guard. We don't know if that's because they are scouting for a mission, or because they are somewhere else."
"We should find out." Athrodar said, making both Chief Scout and Ranger-General look over to him. "They don't know what's happened over the last decade or two since they left. We may be welcomed with open arms if we get there before the Alliance get there."
"He makes a good point." Grand Magister Telremar said. "Hopefully they have mages there too who can help with our studies in the future by giving us some information."
Athrodar nodded his head slowly, looking over to the General and taking hold of her hand. "Let's check it out before the Alliance get there."
Sylvanas smiled at her husband and kissed him lightly. "Let's go then."
Making their way towards the fortress, Sylvanas led the way and was the first one to be greeted by the humans on guard. "You're the first set of reinforcements we've had since that portal closed." The guard said, bowing their head to the General. "Danath Trollbane is in the Keep on the top of that hill." He then said, pointing towards it. "He will want to see you all."
Athrodar stood beside the General and took hold of her hand. "I see my role as the King's right hand has decided to show its head." He told her, kissing the top of her hand when he brought it to his lips. "Join me when you find a place for our rangers to rest?"
Sylvanas nodded her head once at her husband. "I'll be quick. In the meantime, I'm sure the Grand Magister will accompany you." She hinted, looking over to Telremar.
"I'll talk to him." Athrodar said, kissing the General on the lips this time and pressing his head against hers. "Go." He whispered to her and watching the General lead their army into the fortress. "Grand Magister." He said, placing a hand out when he walked up to him. "Come with me. Danath Trollbane is here and we should introduce ourselves on behalf of the King." He stepped forward and lowered his voice to a whisper, switching to Thalassian too so the human nearby couldn't understand them. "Let's do this before the Alliance arrive. Perhaps we can have this place as a loose ally for future missions."
Telremar nodded his head in agreement. "Let's go talk to him then." He said, placing a hand on the shoulder of his best friend's son. "Your father would be proud of you. I don't think I've ever told you that he could see you being one of the best rangers we have ever had."
"My mother has said something similar." Athrodar told him, making their way towards the Keep on the hill.
Arriving at the entrance to the keep, both Athrodar and Telremar were escorted to the command room where they were met by Danath Trollbane, a dwarf, two humans and what looked to be one of the Draenei they had heard about back home. "When I got word the portal had opened up again, I didn't want to believe it." Danath said, making his way around a large table full of books and scrolls. "I am glad it was true."
"We got here as quick as we could when we heard the portal had opened from our side." Athrodar said, looking over to Telremar and nodding at him. "This is Grand Magister Telremar and I am Athrodar Sunblade, right hand to King Kael'thas Sunstrider of Quel'Thalas."
"Kael'thas is King now?" Danath asked, getting a nod from the two elves in front of him and realising what that meant. "Then I would like to say I am sorry for the loss of Anasterian."
Athrodar and Telremar both bowed their heads to him. "I don't mean to push this along quickly, but is there somewhere nearby we could have a look at?" The Grand Magister asked, looking over to Athrodar briefly then back over to Danath. "Somewhere with magical properties?"
Danath nodded his head slowly, looking over to a human beside him who looked like a mage. "Filinthus will show you. We've conducted tests on an area full of demon blood and fel magic. I'm sure it will be of use to you if you can find anything."
Telremar bowed his head to Danath and then Athrodar. "I'll gather some mages."
Athrodar watched Telremar leave with the human, frowning and tilting his head when he walked passed what looked to be an elf in plate armour. "Arator?"
"I thought it was you." Arator said, smiling at him. "Where's Sylvanas?" He asked him shaking hands with his uncle.
"She should be here soon." He said, looking over to Danath who made his way towards the two of them and hugging the younger elf.
"It's good to see you again, boy." Danath said, pulling back from the hug and inspecting this elf. "You have grown so much since I last saw you."
"And you look so much older than when I last saw you." Arator said back, getting a laugh from the human.
"You have your father's wit, I see." Danath said, still laughing lightly. "Either that, or its your mothers sarcasm."
Arator smiled and looked over to Athrodar, having a good idea of why he and Sylvanas, along with their rangers and mages were here. "Are my parents nearby?" He asked, looking back to Danath and watching his face drop a little. "Danath?"
"Do you know where they are?" Athrodar now asked, looking over to Sylvanas just as she walked in and locking eyes with her nephew.
"Arator?" Sylvanas began to smile at the young elf and made her way over to him, hugging him tightly. "Titans, it's good to see you." She pulled back from the hug and frowned at her nephew. "Where have you been these last few years? You missed our wedding."
"Granted, everyone who was invited to our wedding were in the city the day I proposed and you dragged me to Liadrin..." Athrodar muttered, looking over to his wife who rolled her eyes at him.
"Even still, my point stands." She looked at her nephew again. "Where have you been?"
Arator smiled at his aunt, looking over to Athrodar who made his way to Sylvanas and stood beside her, being joined by Danath who also wanted to know about the young Paladin's life. "I was at Light's Hope chapel for a while, spent some time in Lordaeron before the plague and traveled to and from Dalaran every now and then to see auntie Vereesa."
Sylvanas smiled at the story for a few seconds before she began to look down at the ring on her finger. "Couldn't give your other auntie a visit?" She asked him, trying to make him feel guilty.
"I wanted to, but spending time with the humans had given me a less than ideal look on Quel'Thalas." Arator told them, looking over to Danath. "So my parents."
"Right." Danath said, looking over to Athrodar and Sylvanas and then returning his attention to Arator. "I think I know why you're also here, General. Which is to find Alleria and Turalyon." He sighed and dropped his shoulders a little. "I'm afraid I don't know where they are. We've sent out scouts for years trying to find them, but nothing has come up. The last person to see them was Khadgar and he is in the city of Shattrath to the south-west of here."
"Are we so sure that Khadgar is alive?" Athrodar now asked, placing his hand on Sylvanas' back when he both saw and felt her mood drop at the crushing news that her sister wasn't anywhere to be found. "And will he be our best option at finding her?"
"He is alive." Danath told him. "And I suppose he would be your best option, but I will be surprised if he has any new information for you."
Arator looked over to the human and frowned at him. "I don't mean to offend you, but you've not really given us any information."
Danath let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck and nodded his head slowly. "I suppose you're right there. Come with me."
Standing around the table Danath first stood around, all four of them, including the dwarf, draenei and human still left in the room, looked down at a map. "I take it this was everything you have gathered in however many years you've been here?" Athrodar asked, looking over to the old human warrior and getting a nod in return.
"This is everything we have found and, to be honest, everything left of this place." Danath rubbed the back of his neck. "Barely any water here except for Nagrand and Zangarmarsh." He pointed to the two locations. "No oceans at all and if you go near the edges, it's just a pit of endless darkness."
"That doesn't sound too scary..." Sylvanas muttered sarcastically, leaning up against Athrodar whilst keeping her attention on the map. "Where was my sister last seen?"
"Over here." Danath told her, pointing to what looked like a fortress to the south of them. "A place known as the Black Temple. Filled with demons, orcs and everything that's evil left in this world."
"It wasn't always like that." The Draenei amongst them said, his voice laced with sadness. "It was a holy place. A temple for priests, acolytes and paladins to talk, train and study."
"Now it's a fortress that belongs to the demons that infest this world." Danath reminded them, looking up at Sylvanas. "We fought to stop the orc Ner'zhul from opening any more portals, which had worked, if only briefly. We then had to travel back to the Dark portal to escape this place as the world was crumbling around us, but the orcs still on Azeroth had different ideas as they tried to return home." He sighed and shook his head. "Between dying to orcs or having that slight chance of surviving on this world, we decided to close the portal from our side. An explosion occurred and when I woke up, your sister and Turalyon were gone." He looked back over to Sylvanas, Athrodar and Arator. "Khadgar was gone too, if only briefly. A portal appeared and he walked through it some days later, but he said he had lost Alleria and Turalyon in the meantime."
Sylvanas held onto her husband's hand tightly. "And you say he's to the south-west of here?"
"He is." Danath confirmed.
"Then that's where we'll go next." Sylvanas said, looking up at Athrodar for his agreement in the plan and noticing him keep his attention on the map. "How long until we get there?" She then asked, looking back to Danath.
"By foot, maybe two or three days." Danath told her.
"That's good enough for me." She said, looking over to Arator. "Are you coming with us?"
Arator smiled and bowed his head at the General. "I will accompany you to Shattrath. Depending on the news we get there will determine if I will stay or not."
Sylvanas looked up to her husband who looked to be concentrating on the map below. "My love?" She whispered, pulling on his arm to get his attention. "Ready to leave?"
"I am. I just have one final question." Athrodar looked over to Danath. "Where are the other elves who came with Alleria? We didn't noticed any as we walked through this place, so I can only assume they're either dead, with Alleria or they have an outpost out there." His attention returned to the General. "They will be our first mission before anything else if they are out there. The King will want to know they are alive."
Sylvanas knew he was right and it was a good first mission, but she couldn't help but be hurt by his choice to not go after Alleria when they both know it would mean the world to her. "Hopefully they know where Alleria is." The General muttered, keeping hold of Athrodar's hand. "So should we get going?" She asked him again.
Athrodar nodded his head and smiled at her. "Let's go." His attention returned to Danath for the final time. "Thank you for this. Perhaps we will return with news if we should find her or not."
Danath nodded his head at him. "I look forward to your return, be it with good or bad news."
"I wished I had gone with them now..." Liadrin muttered, watching Thalina practice her spells today as she had nothing better to do. "The first paladin from Silvermoon to step on a new world. Songs would have been sung about me."
Thalina rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I highly doubt they would sing songs about Liadrin, the first high elf paladin on Outland."
"Rude." Liadrin muttered, looking down to Talanas who was sleeping on her arm. "Then again... I suppose having this cute little guy sleeping on me whilst I do nothing all day is a great alternative."
"So whilst I have to train, Victoria has to train and probably most of the people in Silvermoon have to train, you're sitting there complaining that you have a day off and your only highlight is that a child that's not even yours, is sleeping on your arm?"
"Yes." Liadrin told her, smiling and watching the mage continue her training. "Now come on. Shoot some fireballs or something."
"Because that's all we do..." Thalina muttered under her breath, trying to keep herself from launching one of her fireballs at the Paladin as she risked hitting the small elf beside her. "If Illana wasn't busy visiting my parents, who would you have to keep you company, hmm? You'd just have me or my brother and I know how much you dislike being around him for extending periods of time."
"That's because your brother is a murloc in disguise. He's slimy, stinks of rotten fish and can barely speak without slurring his words. And that's all without having a drink." Liadrin told her, making the mage laugh. "How is can be classed as a highborn, I'll have no idea."
"We're barely highborn. My family just about scrape into the rank of highborn because my father is a Grand Magister." Thalina reminded her. "If anything, you're closer to highborn than I am."
Liadrin snorted at the idea of her being highborn. "Please.. My father might be highborn, but I'm adopted. I'm just a sewer rat who got lucky. A very pretty, confident and strong sewer rat who passes as highborn to those who don't know my past because, unlike your brother, I know how to speak properly and wash more than once a year."
"No comment." Thalina said, practicing her spells once more. "They should be setting up camp soon if everything has gone to plan. Then they will set up a guard rotation, followed by opening up a portal to Silvermoon and then, once it's set up, we can visit this new world if it's not too much trouble for those over there to have visitors."
Liadrin looked down at the elf sleeping on her arm and smiling a little at him. "Knowing what they plan to do, I think Sylvanas and Athrodar won't have much of a choice when their kids learn that the portal is open. They will visit as soon as possible and often too."
"I do not envy them, considering they have to lead the forces on that planet as well as whatever mission the council and King come up with back here at home." Liadrin said, leaning down to kiss the top of the young Windrunner's head that was still resting on her arm. "Though I will join them once the portal is open. Just to do something."
Thalina chuckled and shook her head. "As long as you're fine with Athrodar commanding you, then be my guest."
"He'll hate me before the campaign is over." Liadrin said, laughing with the mage. "I'll make his life hell."
"Here will be perfect."
Athrodar looked over to the Grand Magister who had placed his staff on the spot he stood on, casting a spell in his hands shortly after. "Are you sure?" Athrodar asked him.
"Positive. I can see a lot from atop this hill and once we get a spire or two built, we will have a greater visibility range and higher point to look out from." Telramar closed his eyes and concentrated on the spell. "Now, let me try to connect a portal to Silvermoon and then we can begin setting up a base of operations."
"We should be making our way to Shattrath." Sylvanas whispered to her husband. "Khadgar can help us find my sister."
"He can." Athrodar agreed, watching several mages help Telramar with setting up a permanent portal to their home. "But that's not the plan for now. We've not really had a rest since we left Silvermoon, our rangers are tired, the mages we have with us are tired and it would be better to get our bearings before we go marching into the unknown."
Sylvanas sighed a little. "I suppose that's reason enough to rest."
"Hey." Athrodar whispered, placing his hands on her face and smiling at his wife. "We'll look for her soon, okay? I promise." He kissed her on the lips, feeling the General move her arms around his neck and holding him against her to keep the kiss going.
Hearing Athrodar chuckle, Sylvanas pulled back from the kiss and smiled at him. "It feels like an age since I last kissed you."
"Less than a day does feel like an age." Athrodar agreed, pulling his wife in for a hug and having turn her head to the side, pressing her ear against his chest. "Once we are all set here, I will send scouts out to find Shattrath, okay? It will take a few days, but I will make that one of our main missions."
"Just not our main one." Sylvanas said, feeling her husband squeeze her a little tighter.
"No." Athrodar confirmed. "But we will look for her." He told the General reassuringly. "Right now however, I just want our tent to be set up so I can sleep and hopefully have my beautiful wife sleep beside me, in my arms and held as close as possible."
Sylvanas chuckled and squeezed Athrodar tightly. "I would like nothing more."
Camp was set up within the hour, though most of the rangers quickly retired to their tents the second they had set it up, not bothering to help their brothers or sisters in arms as exhaustion quickly took over. Not that anyone could blame those who did try to get some sleep the second they had set up their tents as they would do the same thing shortly after. "General." Viraleth said when she saw Sylvanas was about to retire to her tent for the night. "A quick word?"
Sylvanas looked at her tent, knowing Athrodar was inside and not waiting for her as he too was tired, closing her eyes briefly and looking back to her Chief Scout. "This better be quick." She told her.
"There are creatures surrounding this hill we are camped on. They don't seem to be bothered by our presence just yet, but I want to set up a guard for the night to make sure they don't decide to attack whilst we're all asleep." She looked down the side of the hill they were camped on top of and noticed a few of the creatures she was referring to, minding their own business for now. "They don't look too friendly either should they decide to attack. Some of them have giant scythe like arms."
Sylvanas looked down to where Viraleth was looking, nodding her head slowly and turning her attention back to her Chief Scout. "Get a group of ten guards. Tell them they can rest when morning hits. We're going to be here for a few days before moving out anyway."
Viraleth bowed her head to Sylvanas. "General." She said, leaving shortly after to gather the group of ten rangers.
Entering her tent, Sylvanas smiled when she saw her husband had already fallen asleep, wanting nothing more than to stand there and watch him sleep the entire time, but her body had different ideas as she too was tired. "I'm coming in." She whispered when she crouched down in front of him, smiling a little wider when he opened his eyes and opening up his body so she could sleep in his arms. "Thank you, my love."
"Like I said, I want my wife to sleep beside me, in my arms and held as close as possible." Athrodar told her, kissing the General on the forehead and closing his eyes once she cuddled up to him. "I love you."
"I love you too." She whispered back to him. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
