Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my OC Lyanna and any alterations to the original storyline plot her presence creates to various readers amusement everywhere across the globe.
The Forgotten Chieftain's Wife Epilogue
Days pass with no sign of any defectors from the Horde scattered in other corners of Azeroth. Word was spread to the other kingdoms that while the Orcs bearing green skin are enemies the ones that haven't been tainted with the Fel's corrupting magical influence are friendlies. That part is a bit hard to sell given how much devastation Gul'dan's followers have done to Azeroth already.
But what survivors in the army have reported from the assault on the Horde word got around that the Frostwolves had been executed, made an example of, because they had tried to help them.
This firsthand eyewitness accounts at least did something to alter some perspectives though not by much.
Lyanna has certainly garnered some questioning looks from Courtiers and the servants in the palace and even more when Draka and Garona are with her. It makes Draka especially uncomfortable. She's not used to this change in environment at all and Garona has had a lot more time to adjust than her.
Lyanna has promised she'd find a spot in the forest outside the city walls where her friend would be safe and more at ease.
Hearing of their plight Llane is even on board with this despite his initial wish of wanting to keep Lyanna close from now on.
It's while discussions are in the works of where they can settle are up in the air that a major development occurs.
Alarms are sounded on the city border walls from scouts that a number of Orcs are approaching the city limits.
Before any counterattacks can be launched Lyanna desperately inquires on the Orc's skin color.
The scouts report the skin color on these Orc's is a tannish brown instead of emerald green from the Fel.
Which means only one thing.
Frostwolves.
Lyanna, Garona, and Draka all rush to the main gates where a crowd has already begun to gather behind a line of soldiers prepared to defend.
The three women are allowed outside, but only them, hope flaring deep inside, staring at the path and woods in front of them.
The group soon manifests from the trees.
Kagra, Zarka, Dekgruel, Shaksa, and her younger siblings, the ebullient Nizka and the toddler Kelgur. Precious little ones like Go'el are the future of the Frostwolf Clan. So many more step out of the forest into the light. Not even close to being all of them, but at least these managed to break free from the massacre. So few yet so many at the same time.
More than Lyanna could've imagined in making it this far.
A blessing.
None more so than the last ones that step out of the woods into the open. Someone who Lyanna had been sure perished in the carnage.
The loyal shaman Drek'Thar with his fellow shaman and dutiful attendant Palkar guiding him.
The moment she saw those two, if Draka and Garona hadn't been already holding her up then Lyanna would've collapsed in a dead faint.
Lyanna could restrain herself no longer. Breaking free from her friends and the growing crowd near the front gates observing this reunion Lyanna runs for her clan. Draka follows with Garona keeping back. She is Orc, but this is not her clan. Garona doesn't share the bonds with the people here that these two already do.
It's as Lyanna is in the midst of greeting the survivors and sharing her joy with them that she spots who was remaining in the back.
The one that led them here.
Orgrim.
In the race for redemption Orgrim had retrieved and kept safe those he'd been able to reach in the massacre. Without his interference, they would've been added to the already insurmountable numbers that have perished. Still he thinks he doesn't have the right to be here.
Orgrim fully intended to depart, living as a loner and never once setting foot near the Frostwolves and eating in front of a fire with any of them again.
There's just one thing he has left to do before he goes off into permanent exile.
As the rest are conversing with Draka and Garona, Lyanna slips through them to speak with Orgrim when he subtly beckons her closer.
Holding out a clenched fist Orgrim unfurls his fingers, offering what sits in his palm to her.
Lyanna's heart clenches, tears building in her eyes.
There, in the center of Orgrim's massive palm, is Durotan's tusk.
Proof that her beloved Durotan is truly dead, joined with his own father and ancestors in the afterlife.
Lyanna knows what Orgrim means by this gesture. The tusk is for Go'el to carry with him always. So he can carry Durotan's spirit with him and so the soul can pass on its wisdom in teaching him. Go'el will wear it around his neck as Durotan did with Go'el.
The ultimate gesture of asking for forgiveness.
Although the pained expression covering Orgrim's face shows he doesn't think he deserves it, lost in his own judgment.
No sooner does Orgrim pass it to Lyanna that he attempts to leave.
Like she's going to let that happen.
With a strength that surprised Orgrim, Lyanna pulls him around at the elbow and wraps her arm around Orgrim's neck, Go'el carefully held in the other.
Rendered speechless Orgrim stands there stunned and then wraps his arms around Lyanna, holding her close as they share in the grief of losing the one person, they both loved above all.
Orgrim is reaccepted into the fold, but he will constantly be seeking to make up for his mistake for the rest of his life.
Lyanna brought up her Clan's plight to her brother about the Frostwolves being without a place to call their own. They can't stay in Stormwind. With the exception being Garona it's too foreign to them. They won't be happy.
After much pondering and consultation, a parcel of land is chosen for the Frostwolves to make their own.
A large section of land with ample forest and meadow space for the Frostwolves to create a brand new settlement, make their home, hunt, grow crops, forage, gather water, and have all their needs suitably met. Lyanna does recollect hunting herself in this space and is more than happy with the selection. So are the Frostwolves with everything there is to offer.
Also, it's nearby mountains where there is snow year-round. A familiar site that does ease their burden frilled load a tad somewhat.
The wolves certainly find it preferable to the stables or the kennels. They feel more at home this way and joined with the other mounts that survived.
So everyone didn't waste time and got straight to work. Building lone hots for themselves and slightly larger ones for the families that managed to break free.
One is erected for Lyanna and Go'el. Against objections from her human friends and family members, Lyanna had no reservations about moving outside to be with the Frostwolf Clan. This is her life now and has been for some time. Truth is Lyanna had been finding it difficult to revert into that setting again once more.
Conditions continue to improve instead of stagnating lower.
By the time everything is finished the makeshift village doesn't look half bad. It's really looking like a home now.
But there's still one last thing that needs to be done.
Go'el's initiation as the new Frostwolf Chieftain.
Normally this doesn't happen until the heir is much older. Various Frostwolf Chieftains recorded in their history came to leadership when they are much older than this, but Durotan perished far too prematurely.
The full ritual can't be done. Go'el is too young, and his body can't handle it all in one go. He will go through the full ceremony when he officially comes of age. For now, they will just have to improvise and reach out to the spirits in a less dangerous way for their approval.
The ritual is commenced in the evening when the moon is high in the sky and the stars are vibrantly twinkling in their brightness above them.
For this sacred ceremony, the Frostwolves aren't alone. Llane, Taria, and their children, Lothar, Garona, and Khadgar are bearing witness to this. They observe the preparations with awe and intrigued eyes yet not interfering in anything. Khadgar in particular mentally takes notes to record for putting into the written word later on.
Drek'Thar and the very few younger shamans among them had placed stones in a close circular ring. Candles that were offered by Khadgar are placed inside the circle, their flames flickering in the darkness.
Lyanna is holding Go'el in a blanket to her chest. The blanket is one she used as a baby and Llane had offered it to her once learning the significance behind this important ceremony.
Drek'Thar motions Lyanna to come forward closer to the circle.
"Go'el, son of Durotan, son of Garad. Come forward into the circle. Be judged by the Spirits our people have honored since time began and which will be, even when we are forgotten and no mouths sing our names."
As Lyanna carries Go'el one Orc, young and old, after another salutes Go'el by putting a fist to their chest and lift a chin in a show of respect.
Lyanna places Go'el in a basket in the circle's center and steps away.
Drek'Thar holds a bundle of smokeleaf, burning slowly at one end. He waves the smoke over Go'el in a soft drift.
Go'el giggles, waving and clenching tiny fists as the swirls and shapes of the smoke makes hovering over him.
More is to come.
The flames on the candles flare, light raindrops fall from the sky despite there being no clouds, and a breeze flows carrying specks of dirt in the circle.
The Spirits of earth, fire, air, and water had come and given their blessing of approval on this little one.
The ritual is a success.
"The Spirits have accepted Go'el, son of Durotan, son of Garad," proclaimed Drek'Thar, strongly. "Do you, Frostwolves?"
The resounding cheers are deafening. Orgrim, Draka, and Garona's are the loudest of all.
Lyanna enters the circle, picks up her son, and holds him high in the air aloft over her head.
The unbroken line of Chieftain's in the Frostwolves lives on.
Lyanna has the iron will to bring the Frostwolves back into resurgence with Go'el one day at the head and in Durotan's name she will make sure this becomes reality.
Authors Note:
Surprise! Bet you didn't expect there to be any survivors!
And so we've reached the end of the line for this part of the tale. It's been a long and difficult road, but after a good deal of time and plenty of hard work we finally got there. I don't know about you but to me it is definitely worth it. But don't lose heart. Remember there's still the prequel to enjoy. ;)
Heads up everyone there's someone on fanfiction you need to seriously watch out for. Early a couple of months ago after I woke up I was checking my email and I saw I had a new guest review on my A Dog's Purpose Is Strange Magic 2 sequel. I took a look at it and got a very big shock. Some random person I've never spoken to before on here or anywhere else in my life was basically threatening me. Intimidating and practically ordering me to write a threatening letter to someone on their behalf, telling to stay off of for life or else they and everyone else close to them would be killed, disgustingly telling them to kill themselves. And at the bottom of the message this crazy person wasn't done. Warning me that if I don't send the letter then they would kill me and for confirmation to email them to make absolutely sure I complied with their demands. Of course I did nothing of the sort. Instead of doing what they wanted I reported them to the website, sent copies of this deplorable guest review message to police officer cousins of mine so they could have it on file, and I went to a nearby police station and reported it.
When I spoke to the police officers and they checked everything on the message they saw, that while the address and names of business were accurate the people and their names were not. They agree it was more than likely a scam because of the email address on the bottom in order to perhaps get access to personal information or potentially hack my computer. Despite that I'm still very happy they took it seriously as I showed and told them everything. All the same I'm still very happy that I brought this to the attention of law enforcement. Even though the entire thing might be fake I'm still very happy to have brought this to the attention of those who can do something about it if it was legit in some way. This may have been a scam, but it's obvious these people are beyond irresponsible if they try to goad people into sending death threats to random strangers just to get access to info.
Be that as it may if this does unfortunately happen to you do not send any messages to the email addresses they put down and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you bring the message to the authorities immediately whether it is legit or not.
Because it's a guest review it might not be visible for a couple of days as it loads if it is sent to you. But when it does you should definitely pressing the report abuse button and send it to the email that leads to the support staff that is available.
Just a heads up to those of you who aren't aware of this yet, Email alerts for this website are now only active if Email opts is enabled in account settings.
I hope you all like this one! I certainly did while writing it for your vast enjoyment! ;D
For those of you just starting out with my stuff there are other works on my profile that may catch your interest. I highly recommend you take a look as soon as the opportunity presents itself to you. Who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.
Stay safe everyone. Especially with all of these crazy natural disasters occurring a lot lately due to global warming and climate change everywhere for sure. I swear it's like they're getting worse and worse all the time and it's like officials are simply just ignoring it or pretending it doesn't exist entirely just to go on with their daily lives. Especially those in multi-million dollar companies that rely on certain elements of our planet that we rely on to naturally keep us safe instead of adapting and finding new safer ways to keep in business. There are so many options out there where they can adapt, but they just refuse to see it because all they care about is money. Climate change is altering so much faster than anyone can really keep track of.
So, in light of all this, it is important to live life to the fullest as much as anyone can.
I know I am. ;) See you guys next time.