Disclaimer: The characters and settings created by Blizzard Entertainment Inc in this story are owned by their creators. I do not claim them as mine in any way, shape or form. I am not receiving monetary profit from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

Notes: Technically, in this alternate universe, both Saturna and Liadrin consider Bloodknights to be separate from Alliance paladins, just like they were during the Burning Crusade. But that's a long, long story… If you want more info, see Liadrin's speech during "MLMFP 2: Son of Kael'thas", Chapter 7: Seven Meetings, part 2.

Also, if you want to know how the first Greatfather Winter kidnapping went down at Tempest Keep, 'tis the season! Go right ahead. See, "MLFMP 2: Son of Kael'thas", Chapter 12: Kael'thas' Winter's Veil Party for Naughty Boys and Girls Who Can't Act Good.

Yep, this has become that big. I got cliffnotes.


Chapter 3: My Husband Is Innocent

Baine covered his mouth. I wasn't sure if he was getting ready to laugh or freak out that I'd ruined his short career as chieftan. I wished he'd settle down. Come on, man, this is how Tauren are supposed to handle things, straight up! That's the look I sneaked him.

Saturna let out a resigned breath, "Please, hear me out. More than a decade ago, my son was only four years old. He was very ill, we didn't know whether or not he would see another Winter's Veil. And I suppose… it was left to Kael'thas to make the decision about how to spend our son's first and possibly last… holiday. As far as Kael'thas or anyone knew, I was a dead." She looked down, "What Kael'thas decided to do then, for Belorim, he did out of great compassion and desperation. And, because Greatfather Winter would have never come to Tempest Keep of his own volition."

I let out a low whistle, "Greatfather Winter? In the lion's den?"

And then I thought back. This did seem familiar. Snatches of images, no pictures, depictions I'd seen in Goblin Gentleman's Magazine… Two pretty Bloodknights, one succubus, and in these trashy red and green Winter's Veil costumes, with candy-striped whips and a net? Them strutting through Shatthrath City to steal the Dwarf and his holiday party from A'dal's poor little orphans…

My brow raised, I gave Saturna a hard look. It was not the picture she had painted at all, and she knew it.

"Any… Bloodknight is taught to make good use of all the tools in his or her arsenal. Sex, lust, love, are only a part of life. A part of nature. Whatever it takes to complete a task necessary to save Quel'thalas. These things can be as effective as a sword. I, myself, was a great success." She sat up straight, looking a little more dignified, "Surely, no one can deny that now."

No kidding. It was all coming back to me, the many rumors about her were starting to line up and organize themselves in my mind. I had been serving in Lordaeron at the time and helping the Forsaken, but I'd read the Outland gossip here and there. Mainly in Goblin Gentleman's Magazine. Hey, it is, in fact, a reputable, and very useful publication, as I'm about to prove… Soon after Saturna arrived at the Black Temple all those years ago, the then Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider suddenly got over his arcane crystal addiction, beat up his crooked Sunfury General (that was also somehow for Saturna's benefit), and had thrown a startlingly civilized ball at the Black Temple for Saturna's birthday. All of that could have been him courting her. Kael'thas' terrifying version of courtship, anyway… Then sometime after, she died protecting him. But that still wasn't enough for Kael'thas. After about three years, Kael'thas finally hauled ass back to Quel'thalas to raise his ex-girlfriend Saturna back from the dead (incidentally, that was his real motivation for restoring the Sunwell on Quel'danas Isle, pretty pathetic if you ask me), then Kael'thas married Saturna and retook the throne to make her his queen—and to probably keep her from running off with any more handsome princes. I'll admit, she made for a cute ghost.

How funny. If I was Saturna and I'd died serving that rat bastard before he could seal the deal, I would have haunted Kael'thas and dangled that over his head for anywhere between three years and three eons, too, however long it took. 'Success' is a pretty good word for it. As my female cousins would say, with a snap, 'Girlfriend cleaned up!'

Those hot-blooded heifers. It would've been fun to take the so-called Queen Saturna to visit them over in Bloodhoof and see how fast they offended her with painful cold slaps of reality. Or, Saturna might sit them all down and teach them how to wear a war harness cinched up just right and marry up with Chief Baine…

Now it was less funny.

Actually, to be fair, Kael'thas would have retaken the throne in Silvermoon for other reasons as well. Kael'thas is no dummy, he would have realized that his survival on Azeroth was at stake and he needed an army and a faction to prop him up in order to manage that. So on the whole, it might have been a matter of realizing that his new Bloodknight wife had good ideas all along. Yep, that sounded like a bonafide marriage alright.

Well, one thing and another and we finally, at long last, have a King of Quel'thalas who's off arcane crystals and clean, by the grace of the all the gods above, and with viable heirs lined up. (No doubt through the aid of ridiculously expensive magical treatments, and possibly the Sunwell itself.) Now, if I was Lady Liadrin, I would have patted Saturna on the back, retired immediately and ignored the details, too.

First, I had been impressed by Saturna. Or, the better word was charmed by her. That was precisely what she intended for me. Now, I saw she could be just as naughty as the rest of us. So much for my fantasy. I frowned.

Saturna was busy getting the conversation back to civilized, though I had kind of made up my mind by then that underneath all this, though Saturna could make an impression, something truly silly was afoot. It would be dangerous for Thunderbluff to get involved in Silvermoon's evident mess. I curled my lip in the start of a sneer. I leaned in and looked at her the way only a mean, old, gruff Tauren Pathfinder can look at you. Like he wants his porridge!

Saturna managed to look hurt by it, "…There was only one child living in that fortress at the time. And that little boy stuck in Tempest Keep with his bereft father had no hope of fully experiencing the spirit of the season. Belorim asked his father Kael'thas to see the jolly red-clad dwarf. That's all our son wanted, what any child would want that time of year. And Kael'thas, ever being my Kael'thas," Saturna tried not to let herself smile, perhaps because it was coming off a little wicked at the thought of her husband, "He forced Greatfather Winter to accept that even the son of the Prince of Quel'thalas, now the King of Quel'thalas, deserved to see him. And from what I think I remember of back then, and the family stories we shared over the years, it was magical. What Kael'thas took the risk to give our son, was hope. Who knows? Perhaps that hope gave Belorim a little more time, precious time before Kael'thas could discover and then undo the curse on our family… Perhaps it saved the three of us, and the kingdom. The magic of that one, stolen holiday."

Saturna was silent after that. Man, did I feel bad for trash-talking her in my head a little while ago. And Mu'sha above! Why couldn't I make up my freaking mind about her?!

She went on looking aggrieved, "The incident the other night was truly horrible and King Kael'thas and I do feel terrible about it. Though no one believes me when I say it. The Alliance, and the Night Elves, especially. Of course, they blame my husband now, they would! And, of course, Kael'thas is innocent. Kael'thas had a real reason back then for taking Greatfather Winter to Tempest Keep, to save our son's life. But there's no reason for Kael'thas or anyone in my kingdom to harm Greatfather Winter, now. Is there?"

Baine seemed to know better than try and answer that. I wasn't going to test the waters, either.

She turned to me, "Turaho Runestalker, I know that the Tauren will be asked to investigate this crime because it happened in your city—that is, I am sure that they should. I am asking you all to take charge of this and ensure that the whole of Azeroth knows the truth. In fact, I think both our kingdoms should handle this the right way, together."

"Wait, I don't think I understand. What incident are you talking about?"

Baine chose to speak up at this point, "Queen Saturna, I trust you can see, now, that I did select the right man for the job."

"We visited several today—"

"I saved the best for last. And, as I also promised, he's very able to operate well beneath the common ken," Well, Baine had put me being an anti-social lout who refuses to read newspapers quite nicely, there, "…and incorruptible in this matter. Turaho is not biased at all. He was right here the whole time, on this hilltop, not like the others we visited. Those other Tauren saw what happened on the middle rise with Greatfather Winter. They'd all made up their minds about it and I recall you didn't like that very much. But Turaho is totally ignorant."

Uh… that seemed unusually mean of him.

Saturna tapped her chin, as if she were choosing a wine, "I suppose…"

"And Turaho wasn't even in Outland during the Burning Crusade, which is a good thing! Turaho is a clean slate, practically."

Saturna then looked up at the thatched ceiling, shrugged a neat little shoulder of hers, "Well, there is that..." Or, she could have said, 'Have you got a different sauvignon? One that's not so cheap and scruffy?'

Her either over-acting or patronizing me in a particularly Elven way was getting on my nerves. Of course I'm more than good enough to take on your crap assignment, whatever it is! You want wine, lady? You're about to get a whole bottle, upside the head!

Baine insisted, "Turaho, honestly, didn't witness any of the things that would bias our enemies. Not back then, because he was assigned to work in Lordaeron, and not recently."

Well, dirty Goblin mags aside. But why did our chieftan keep taking these cheap shots at me?

Baine then leaned forward, because I was surely looking more and more confused and annoyed by the moment, "Turaho, Greatfather Winter was taken from Thunderbluff last night. Probably while you were up here busy with your own holiday tradition."

"Which is what?" I crossed my arms, tired of everyone making their assumptions.

"Brooding."

"…Oh."

Then, I tried to keep up, "Well, I thought I had heard the old Dwarf was over here. So Greatfather went on to Ogrimmar after Thunderbluff, then? Not surprised he only stayed here for one night. The clever little con-man. He'll hit up all the Horde cities while he's close to Darnassus."

Baine furrowed his brow, "It's too early yet for snow, in Mulgore. Or did you forget to read your almanac? That's why it snowed on the very night, a terrible storm! It was the magic of the season, Turaho."

"Hunh?" Why were they talking in friggin code again?

Saturna lay her head back, frustrated, "Chief Baine," she drawled and flicked her wrist, "I think I'd like to see another Tauren."

I bubbled over, "For crap's sake—we're not a wine and cheese selection! Does Mulgore look like a friggin stop at the Suramar Vineyard to you?"

Saturna gestured elegantly with her little wrist again, "It's called the Twilight Vineyards, and… hardly."

That was set to light laughter and even a 'huzzah' from one of her Bloodknights.

I set my teeth on edge, ready to lose it.

Baine growled, after a whole morning of this and certainly impatient with us both. The most painfully authentic, out-of-touch Tauren in the paddock and the haughtiest Elf on the continent of Kalimdor at the moment, "Listen, please! Turaho—Greatfather Winter was kidnapped! It snowstorms around him when something goes wrong. Don't you believe in Greatfather Winter? I thought everyone knew the stories."

"He's just a Dwarf in a suit. Ironforge pays him, probably. And him going around the world is no miracle. He'd have to be neutral like the Goblins to make the most money off of it."

Saturna shook her head, "Oh, he is very real. Greatfather Winter is a magical creature. He does have the power of blessing the good and cursing the… so-called evil during the festive season. My son learned first-hand. Kael'thas did, too. Though it took him a while." Interesting. This stuff was easier to believe, coming from another magical creature. Saturna looked totally convinced.

I glanced around again, to see if any of her Bloodknights were actually under the age of ten years old. You can hardly tell age with Elves. Better not break the news to them that the father of the holiday isn't real, right? That would be a bad move for mommy Bloodknight Matriarch, upsetting the kiddies.

I grumbled, "Uh, okay? Fine. Whatever."

Bain stood up, "Good. Then he's accepted. Good ole' Turaho, he'll find the real kidnapper for you. And please tell your husband the king not to worry. We will handle all expenses and will gladly make all the arrangements. I am ashamed to say that we Tauren should not have, erm, misplaced Greatfather Winter in the first, uh, place."

"Wait—"

"And trust me, however Turaho seemed earlier, I promise you he is perfect for the job. He just hasn't had his breakfast yet, right? Isn't that true, Turaho?"

I could not deny that my porridge was ice cold and also somehow burnt to a crisp for me not having savored it, yet.

"See? Turaho has even worked in Lordaeron before, tracking spirits, and he's very familiar with ancestral entities here in Mulgore. Greatfather Winter, an ancient magical being, falls in that category."

Saturna stood with Baine as well. "Yes, I guess you did mention…"

"His mother was a powerful shamaness!" Baine stamped his hoof and cheered. Now Baine was repeating himself. He couldn't stand the suspense anymore, I could tell. He wanted to pass me off on them so badly.

I complained, "But what mission have I accepted? I can't keep track here. And when will you guys need me? I'll all finished for this winter."

Baine went on selling me down the river, "And he did some work in Ashenvale as well! He's fresh from Ashenvale. I should have said that back on the bluff. Didn't I? He has expertise shuttling supplies behind the scenes and dealing with Night Elf smugglers. So he knows the proper etiquette for Silvermoon too, don't worry."

"I have etiquette?"

"For dealing with Elves, yes you do. That's what all that was, in Ashenvale. Right?"

Saturna winced, "I'm not quite sure if Night Elves and Blood Elves-"

Baine's eyes were almost wild, "But you said the Kal'dorei Rogue Network is probably behind all of this, correct, Queen Saturna? Turaho can use his connections in their vast underworld, to... to…ah, undo them in some way."

'Undo them'? Really, Baine? I'm a Pathfinder, not some puppetmaster. Could you stop lying out of your tail for one second!

I got to my feet, then, "Hold on! Kal'dorei smugglers who are about as good as the Venture Co., willing to look the other way over a few cut trees is one thing…"

Baine talked over me, "And, Queen Saturna, I'm afraid all the other great Pathfinders are away in Zuldazar, or the Broken Isles, as you know. The Horde is embattled nearly everywhere. He's the best choice and your only choice, in fact."

That, at last, seemed to settle it for her. The vanity and the doubt faded away when it was clear we would be working together. Saturna turned and looked at me like a cat who had finally caught her mouse. The bloodthirsty Bloodknight was back. She knew just want to do. Intimidate.

"Hrmph. Welcome aboard, then." And she managed to give an insulting curtsey, very unqueenlike.

"Wait a hot second here—it's my holiday break! I did say I was done for the year. I just came back from Ashenvale, like you said, and all the way through the Barrens…"

Baine huffed, "You flew here on a wyvern. I saw your big butt weighing the poor animal down from where I always stand on the high rise."

"Still, it's depressing seeing that place crawling with Quillboar and Alliance, looking down from a Wyvern. That was grueling mentally, and very hard on me, and…" I must have melted down, I ended with, "But my hooves hurt, and I'm tired…"

They went on talking and negotiating terms as if I was the help, or some stock animal. I did notice that Silvermoon was offering me a hefty prize if I finished things on their schedule. Sigh… Already bought and paid for, not really there.

Saturna put a fist on her hip, "…One last thing, Baine. He's not a paladin, yet. I did ask for a paladin, Chief Baine. A full Sunwalker."

"That's great! Turaho is all but initiated. He can take his last rites before he leaves for the Eastern Kingdoms. He's been putting them off, anyway. He could use a final push." And then Baine did push me, in Saturna's direction. To shake hands on it. I almost stampeded over that poor woman.

"Woah, woah… Chief Baine. Could I… we should discuss this. Please!"

Baine showed his age then, ready to argue back and forth with me and Saturna rather than just slam his hoof down and settle it, like his father Cairne would have. And actually, Cairne would have asked me first, by the way. He would have made Saturna wait in Thunderbluff, no matter how shiny or strange or demanding she was, no matter who she was married to. Cairne would have made her stand back and he would have given a fellow Tauren a chance to get well-centered in order to decide!

I got up and marched out of the hut, clomping my big hooves. It caused a few of the Blood Elves to reach for their swords. Baine came next and waved them off.

"All Paladins, all the same until we joined up… so suspicious of lesser races. This whole morning was a nightmare." And then louder, to his men, "We'll be right back! All of you, be more useful than than just staring! Make sure the queen has some cinnamon-milk or porridge while she waits."

Not my wonderful, middle-of-the-winter, old-man porridge. Even if it was burned to death…

I snarled, "BAINE!"

"Don't yell at me in front of them… Okay, now you can yell at me." We got as far down as the cave where the kodos and the Bloodknight chargers were milling about. It was a weird mix. A Tauren representative and his Blood Elf counterpart were lingering under a pine tree in the middle, chuckling about something. See? Baine had been right. They didn't even really need to watch the animals.

I didn't see Suba at all. Damn lucky beast. Couldn't blame him.

Baine waved me deep into the cave.

"Look, Turaho. We've only really spoken the one time, I know. But this is serious, and I know you can do it."

"Serious? This is rabid-mad!"

"She was really furious and upset when she got in yesterday." He lowered his voice, "Nobody wanted to jump up and help the wife of Kael'thas Sunstrider, obviously."

"No shit."

"Gods and ancestors, was she getting hysterical! I promised almost anything to calm her, when it was our fault, in the end. We didn't have enough braves watching Greatfather Winter before he disappeared. You know…" he looked embarrassed about it, "Since it's the holidays…"

How ironic.

"I bet she put up a good show. Saturna would have to, wouldn't she? But I wouldn't fall for it, though."

"What do you mean?"

I explained about all the women I'd ever dealt with who managed to find me at my log house in Bloodhoof, or at my hut, my tipi, my standard-issue Horde tent while out on a mission, begging me for help. Sometimes, it was fine. They were totally innocent and just looking for some aid. Or, a good time with a handsome, lonely bull… But other overly frantic people of the feminine variety, especially the ones who came storming in like the end of the world was on and they'd just faint away if they didn't get what they wanted, those were usually up to something.

Baine was horribly offended, "But she's the wife of King Kael'thas Sunstrider!"

"Right. You might want to repeat that to yourself. Do it slowly."

Baine looked up, thinking, "…Oh." He sighed, "So. She's lying to us, in some way? I just didn't think! With Sylvanas and everything else breathing down my neck—I just didn't want one more intense Elf woman freaking out at me, Turaho!"

"Saturna would be aware of that as well, and make good use of it. I almost fell for some of her sly tricks up on the hilltop, myself."

"Damn you, Sylvanas! As if my love life weren't screwed up enough right now…"

"Wait," I let out a laugh, "You and Sylvanas?"

"No! Me and—wait a second, here, we're talking about you! What you're about to do for your… herd." He had to go and say that word.

I made a face, "I don't know… Why would Saturna lie about Greatfather Winter, though? He's just a Dwarf in a red suit, even if Kael'thas crossed him a bajillion years ago in some other war, and some people think he's a magical Dwarf," I shot Baine a look, "And why didn't Kael'thas come, himself? Better yet, why would he send his queen at all? This is a job for an ambassador, a messenger from Silvermoon. Or a directive from him, through Sylvanas, if it's the Kal'dorei Rogue Network and the whole Alliance getting angry at us because Greatfather Winter disappeared from Thunderbluff. Not Kael'thas' queen and Bloodknight Matriarch! And whatever happened to Lady Liadrin? I'm still annoyed I missed that!"

"Retired. I hear she got married."

"To WHO?!" I really did not keep up with the news, did I? Some Tauren country bumpkin I was.

"It was some years ago. She was in love with Kael'thas' chief advisor, apparently."

I snuffed out of both nostrils, with disgust. "Right in time, too! Pushed out, I bet! By that glittering blue… I don't know, man-trap up there. It's what she is at the end of the day, queen or no queen."

Baine crossed his arms. "I did say that Liadrin officially stepped down a few years ago, though it took time to fully train Saturna in the role and transition her duties. Now you're the one not being rational, Turaho."

"It's too late, I've decided." I pointed, "Saturna is a liar, something stupid is going on, and whatever it is does, indeed, involve Kael'thas! Not back then, not because of some obscure sad family story Saturna told us, but Kael'thas is in it, he is right in it, today! That's what my Pathfinder instinct is telling me, and so, of course, I'm not going. And if you're smart, you'll try and keep all of Thunderbluff out of it, too."

"You're not just sore about the holiday, are you? Everyone warned me you'd be."

"Who?!"

"…All the other Pathfinders."

"What are 'all the other Pathfinders' saying about me, now? Bunch of suck-ups." Well, we aren't perfect.

"That you're a greench about Winter's Veil. That's why I kept you last on my list."

I shook my head at him. Then I also saw Saturna in my head again, flicking her little wrist dismissively and drawling on that she wanted to Baine to show her 'another Taaaauren.' Ugh.

"But Turaho, you really are Mulgore's only hope now. All the queen wants is for someone to look around Thunderbluff, escort her back home, then take some notes while in Silvermoon City. You'll probably just hand it all to me after that. I'll put it in a letter to King Anduin, send it over to the Alliance. Then they'll calm down once that's done. Everything will be tied up in a bow. Trust me. Maybe we can even get this fixed before Sylvanas gets involved."

"But I still have to find a stupid magical Dwarf in a suit. That's the worst part."

"It would be cruel not to help Greatfather Winter, Turaho! It's Winter's Veil!"

I looked into Baine's eyes, waiting for him to let out a laugh and show me he was joking. He was not.

I was very crotchety by then without my porridge and all this now wanting to fall down on my head so I took a final shot at him, "Does Sylvnas know you're still writing to King Anduin? Of Stormwind? It's my network I set up way back when, so I have all the proof, you know!"

"Shh!"

Footsteps getting closer. Not Tauren, not kodos, not horses. Elven ones.

Saturna entered the cave. She thrust a hand back, to make her gaggle of Bloodknights wait by the sunlit entrance. She looked intense at first, but then she dropped hands to her sides, softened.

"Well, Chief Baine? Turaho? What is it to be? My family really has suffered enough." Then, with a straight a face, "And I want some way to convince King Kael'thas not to blame Thunderbluff and demand hundreds of thousands in recompense for slander—"

"Good news, he's agreed!" Baine clapped me hard on the back.

Money? Ain't that always the thing.

"I have one last question before you both roast me on a spit over a Thalassian fire." I turned to Saturna, "Why is it so critical that you need a Sunwalker? Why wouldn't a Tauren Pathfinder do? We usually investigate matters that affect our homeland, not the Sunwalker Paladins. Surely, you're aware?" Then, I was cheeky, "Surely a great queen of the Blood Elves would have read up before storming over here."

Saturna Sunstrider took one step toward me in her black plate greaves. Her cape, and whatever ice-like essences she was made of, raised in an invisible rush of magic riling itself up. I knew she was just messing with me, but I might have hopped back anyway. I swiped my tail to cover that, a bit. You know, just resettling my hooves like most bovines, don't mind me…

"Tauren. Sunwalker. Competent." Then, she hissed, "Not an ass…Those are my requirements because this ultimately affects my family. Got it?"

Ah, so her sweet sugar was running out all of a sudden. I'd hit a nerve, a nerve that might end this whole thing before it started. So of course I went for it, "Is it because Sunwalkers are sworn to the Silver Hand? That takes precedent over any Horde laws, or the Alliance ones."

Saturna strolled all the way around me, into the shadows. Likely without fear of anything bigger and nastier than herself that might dwell there. Something she and sinister Sylvanas and a lot of tricksy Elves had in common in my opinion. Well, I'll admit here that I like Sylvanas. She's pretty damn terrifying, you know—In fact, I think I said that already. But a woman who can make a big Tauren's knees shake? Coming from me, that's a compliment. It's the best part about Elf women, of course. You think it would have clued me in, big time, on my future problems…

Saturna kicked a pebble into the depths, probably to distract herself and get her tone of voice back down to 'not-a-villainess'. I've become very good at baiting people over the years. She tried again, and this time it was honeyed, elegant yet firm, "My Bloodknights belong to me, first and foremost. I've not strayed far from Lady Liadrin's original and true vision for us."

What? That the original Bloodknights were entitled to steal a Naaru, feed on it and abuse the Light like a bunch of vampires? So under Saturna, we're going back to that? I rolled my eyes and muttered, "…Good job."

Saturna hadn't heard me, "Bless her, but toward the end of my mentor's great work, Liadrin was weakening. And the Silver Hand was preying upon her weakness, from what I observed. I bolstered her resolve and, together, we never allowed the Silver Hand to take our Bloodknights."

Kael'thas Sunstrider's wife, indeed.

"Perhaps you would have known that detail about the structure of the Silver Hand, had you finished your initiation."

"Low blow, Saturna."

"You're mocking the Blood Elves and you're about to work for us, in the spirit of Horde unity. It can't get lower than that, on your end."

I kind of… liked her for pointing that out. But I wasn't going to let her win, exactly, "I'll be working with you, not for you."

"Nor will I have a Tauren walking through Silvermoon City looking into things if he believes we are merely abusers of the Light, as the Alliance paladins will certainly try to put it, again, now that it's convenient. The Light is a magic, like any magic. And we have mastered it."

"Have you? Then I want proof. Show me that the Light, the Sun, is not sacred and does not need to be treated with respect. When has An'she's life-giving Light ever been a mere tool?"

Baine said, "Shall I kick him for you, my queen?"

Wow. That was the most un-Tauren thing for him to say. Ever. Baine was capable, but he was still young. He was still learning. Perhaps Baine thought he was just being funny at my expense, but we'd definitely need to have a little chat about that remark before I left Thunderbluff.

Saturna folded hands politely in front of herself. She'd won for now, and she knew it. "Turaho, I want us to resolve this, together, and find Greatfather Winter first ourselves. No mess. No re-opening old wounds."

"You sound like you already know how you want the investigation, that is, the truth, to turn out. An investigation isn't something you can plan. I'm warning you, that's not how I'm going to work."

She allowed herself to look pained, then, "My husband is innocent."

I almost laughed.

Baine frowned when he saw my muzzle, edging there.

Saturna took another step near, a much softer one this time, so that I couldn't hop away. Then she felt up my bare fur arm. A strange sensation rose and fell in me. Not what you're thinking. Not much of that anyway… She truly was sad and frightened for what she believed was to come. She was letting me feel that. How many times had I felt spirits pass by me in an old house, or in an old abandoned field that was ruined by war, and felt the same? Trouble was coming.

Saturna swept white-blonde hair from her face, "Kael'thas has changed. He is not an evil man. But the Kal'dorei Rogue Network refuses to see that. They are going to drive this spear as deep into his side as they can, to get revenge for past wrongs. They want to cut Quel'thalas apart for its past crimes if they can't cut it out of the Horde. And the Alliance should not be allowed to do that, not to anyone one of our kingdoms. The Horde should ever allow it."

Eh, possible. Kael'thas had done some vile things in his past. People were sure to be sore today, still. Illidan Stormrage, especially, came to mind. Reformed, my butt. I really hoped that none of this mess led me into his massive, fel-green, smoking hoof prints. Odd, that Saturna had not mentioned him, either. Illidan was the more obvious culprit when it came to Kael'thas' old enemies. The more obvious stumbling block for Kael'thas, too.

"Together we stand, divided we fall, something like that?"

"What I want, what Kael'thas and I both want, Turajo, is to ask Greatfather Winter ourselves for the truth, in front of everyone. Greatfather Winter will back up everything that I have said today, that the Blood Elves are not responsible for the attack on Thunderbluff two nights ago, for taking him away from so many innocent children. I am sure of it. But in order to do that, we must find the good Dwarf. And we have to do it before the KRN does. They're all rogues, but a paladin, a Silver Hand paladin, could be seen as neutral. Then, we will succeed."

Another lie? Some convoluted game of her husband's… Saturna tried to feel up my arm one last time, get me to smile, anything. But then she dropped the act. She was so tired of fighting other people's perceptions of the Blood Elves, by now.

Saturna did not look like a queen right then. Not as she had in my sunny hut, standing out in her fine cloak, with her pretty blue spells. In the cave, by my side in the darkness, she was just a woman heartsick over her cause and clearly exhausted with her husband constantly being persecuted on all sides. Or, she was sick of having a husband that kept getting himself persecuted on all sides, which was different.

I was skilled at picking up on cold, heartless liars. I had enough experience with them on two continents and with 'shady dames' too, you know the type.

But Saturna Sunstrider, with her green doe eyes?

Let's just say the only thing I was sure of, by that point, was that Kael'thas had chosen her well.

"Turaho," she clasped hands together beneath her chin, "Please come to Silvermoon with me."

Baine waited for me to say anything that wasn't totally offensive at that point. He must have realized he'd crossed all kinds of lines with me that morning, pushed me to my limit. Past it.

"I might… see it. Once, before I die."

It was the best I could do for either of them.