Confessions

"Do you think they've found dad and Cedani?" Talanas asked, standing on guard beside his brother whilst their company rested up for the night.

"Knowing mother, she would have found him by now, yes. She probably had our sisters and auntie Liadrin marching for twenty hours a day with four hours rest time just to get to them sooner." Tahnir began to chuckle the more he thought about it. "Our sisters were probably plotting ways to restrain our mother so they could rest for more than two hours a night."

"Auntie Liadrin too if Tanadia was doing the plotting." Talanas said, getting another laugh from his brother.

"True, true." Tahnir agreed, watching his aunt and Captain talk to some locals. "Auntie Alleria has been as worried as we are, she is just doing a good job at hiding it."

"If she's hiding it, how can you tell?" Talanas asked, looking over to Alleria the Elder.

"I've been in her company for at least a decade. As her second too, I need to pick up on subtle quirks that the rest of you wouldn't notice. She's worried for dad and Cedani. She doesn't want to lose either of them and is praying, ironically, that mom finds them." Tahnir smiled and watched auntie Alleria some more. "The void inside her is keeping her calm, otherwise she would have let out an outburst or two by now."

"Do you think she would appreciate it if we talk to her about it?" Talanas asked, feeling concerned for his aunt.

Tahnir shook his head. "No. If there's one thing I've learnt about mom and her sisters it's that Vereesa is the one who will openly talk about her feelings and would appreciate it if people talk to her about what's going on. Alleria is chilled out compared to her sisters, choosing to talk about her feelings when she wants to and prefers it if people mind their own business unless she's ready to share."

"And mom?" Talanas asked, watching Tahnir's warm smile widen just a little more.

"She has dad. She will talk to him about her feelings, otherwise she will bottle them up until she explodes. Mostly in anger, but still. She won't talk to anyone but dad about her feelings. It's dad who then tells us how she is feeling." He shrugged his shoulders and looked over to his brother. "I think it has something to do with their undead past. She had to keep her emotions in check and bottled everything up, so maybe it's carried over into life and she can only tell dad."

"Well... I hope she's found them by now." Talanas muttered to himself.

Overhearing him, Tahnir nodded his head in agreement. "So do I."

"How are you feeling today?"

Little Alleria looked over to her father and sighed, slumping her shoulders and hugging herself. "Alone."

Athrodar made his way over to his daughter, hugging her tightly from behind and kissing the top of her head. "You're not alone. I'm here." He whispered to her, feeling her shoulders shake when she began to cry. "Shh... Please don't cry." He told her, holding onto her a little tighter. "I don't want you to be upset."

Moving a hand up from her stomach, Little Alleria began to hug one of the arms around her in a tight hug, holding onto it as if her life depended on it. "I don't want to hurt anymore, papa."

Athrodar kissed her on the temple, pressing his forehead against the same spot shortly after. "I know, honey. I'm trying my hardest to stop you from hurting, I just don't know what to do anymore."

Little Alleria closed her eyes, keeping her arms around her father's arm and trying to find some comfort in their closeness. "I don't want to feel like this, papa." She told him, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "I'm sorry for worrying you earlier... I lost control and wasn't thinking."

"It's okay." Athrodar told her calmly, looking down to his daughter. "I'm just happy both Tanadia and Liadrin managed to stop you. I didn't want to lose another daughter, not after Vic."

Widening her eyes at the mention of her sister, Little Alleria stared at her father who didn't look as upset as he usually did whenever she was mentioned. "You... You're not sad? You're always sad when you talk about her."

Athrodar smiled and shook his head at her. "I almost lost you, honey. I realised then that Victoria is gone and I'll always love her, but I need to focus my time on you and your siblings who are still with us instead of keeping my heart forever focused on her."

Alleria smiled back to him a little, leaning against him and closing her eyes again. "I miss her too, papa. But I think it's best for everyone that we move on together. Especially now that Cedani is excited to explore this place."

Athrodar cuddled his daughter whilst she leaned back against him, looking over to the entrance of the room they were in when he saw Sylvanas leaning against the door frame, smiling at the two of them. "But right now, you're here with me and I want to make sure you're happy and smiling when we leave this place." He whispered to her, kissing her on the cheek and watching Sylvanas make their way over to them quietly. "And your mother will help me."

Opening her eyes, Alleria looked up at her mother who quickly crouched down to equal out their heights. "I'm sorry, mom."

Sylvanas shook her head. "No, don't apologise." She told her softly, placing a hand on her face and rubbing her thumb across her cheek. "You have nothing to apologise for, baby. I'm just happy you are still here."

Alleria smiled when Sylvanas kissed her on the forehead, feeling happier and more loved in this moment than she had felt for years. Something that quickly dawned on her and made her face drop when she realised it was true. "Why did it take almost killing myself yesterday for you both to be like this to me?" She asked them quietly, though it was loud enough for them both to hear her.

Athrodar and Sylvanas both looked at each other, guilt showing on their faces as they knew she was right. "I..." Athrodar muttered, looking back down to their daughter in his arms. "I'm sorry, Alleria." He told her, holding onto her a little tighter. "You deserved better over the years."

"I promise, going forward, we will be here for you more often." Sylvanas told her, cupping her daughter's face in her hands. "Anything to make you feel loved, wanted and to make sure what happened yesterday, doesn't happen again." She leaned forward and pressed her head against her daughter's. "I'm going to keep you with me the entire time we're here. If ever you feel down or not yourself, just talk to me, Liadrin, Tanadia or your father, okay? We all love you and don't want you to feel like that again."

Alleria nodded her head, tearing up again and stretching out her hands towards her mother. "Mama..." She muttered, closing her eyes when Sylvanas hugged her tightly, wrapping her arms round her mother. "I love you, mama."

"I love you too, honey." Sylvanas whispered to her, kissing her on the cheek and holding onto her daughter a little tighter.

Watching his wife and daughter hug, Athrodar smiled and saw Little Alleria melt into the action, knowing she was feeling calm and happy in this moment in time. Even more so when she let go of her mother and hugged him tightly now, hugging her back and kissing her on the cheek again. "I love you too, baby." Athrodar whispered in her ear. "And your mother is right. Come to us whenever you feel down, okay? I promise we will try our hardest to make you feel better or help with whatever problems you may have."

"I will, papa." Alleria muttered, holding onto Athrodar a lot longer than she did her mother as she always felt more comfort in his arms due to her feelings towards him. "I promise."

Sylvanas smiled and looked over to the entrance of the room they were all in, spotting Tanadia, Cedani and Liadrin all waiting for them. "I'm going to go update your sisters and Liadrin, be right back."

Tanadia hugged Sylvanas the second she stood in front of them, being hugged back. "How is she?" The High Priestess asked.

"She's doing better. Calmer and happier, though both your father and I know something is bothering her. We'll just have to wait and see what happens in the near future." Sylvanas told her, pulling back from the hug and being hugged by Cedani almost instantly, making her smile and laugh lightly. "I know you're worried about her, but she should be the one getting these hugs, not me."

"If you can get her off Athrodar, sure." Liadrin said, smiling when she saw both Athrodar and Alleria hold onto each other. "I think they both need this though. Athrodar has been fragile ever since Victoria died and almost losing a second daughter would have shaken him."

Cedani began to make her way towards the two of them, hugging her sister from behind and resting her head on her back. "I'm here too, Alleria." Cedani told her. "You're my favourite out of all of our brothers and sisters. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't." Alleria told her, letting go of Athrodar and smiling at him. "I have mom and dad who will help me now. Along with you, Tana and Li Li." She looked back to Cedani and laughed lightly when her baby sister threw herself into a hug. "I love you, Cedani. I promise I won't scare you like that again." She smiled and looked over to Tanadia who looked a little hurt, realising she must have heard Cedani. "Especially since I'm your favourite."

"I don't need to hear it twice!" Tanadia cried, making everyone else laugh. "It's bad enough mom and dad love Cedani the most, why does she have to choose you as her favourite?"

"You're my favourite." Liadrin said, hugging Tanadia who rolled her eyes.

"You're my favourite too, Li Li." Tanadia told her, hugging her back.

"You're quiet today, auntie." Tahnir said, standing beside Alleria whilst they both marched towards their next destination. "If it's about mom, she has found him by now. I know it."

"I don't doubt that she's found him. It's just in what condition that worries me. Is he injured? Fine? Dead? Alive? I know I should be optimistic, but I can't help but think like that." Alleria looked over to her nephew and gave him a small, sad smile. "I know I tease him a lot, but he is still my brother and I love him like one. He makes Sylvie so happy that I don't want her to lose him." She sighed and looked forward. "On top of that, Cedani is out there with him. If she's also dead..."

Tahnir placed a hand on his aunt's arm. "Hey, don't think about that. Dad is hard to kill, if you ignore the two times the Lich King killed him and the arrow to the heart he took when defending Tana... Actually, he's still here and kicking. So that should prove my point even more." He smiled at his aunt who gave him a small smile back. "An explosion caused by a dragon breathing lightning onto the ship right next to him wouldn't kill him." As soon as he finished speaking, Tahnir frowned at his own sentence. "Granted, that sounds ridiculous out loud, but I believe he's okay. Maybe a few bumps and bruises."

Alleria continued to smile, even letting out a small laugh when she thought about all the times Athrodar had found himself in danger. "I'm sure he will be fine. Thank you for reassuring me."

Tahnir nodded his head at her. "Of course. What else am I supposed to do when my Captain is thinking negatively?"

"Tell me I'm being an idiot." Alleria told him, both of them laughing. "So how is your brother settling in? First mission and it's on a new land." She said, changing subject and looking back to Talanas.

"He's excited, but he also has big concerns about dad and Cedani. He was close to his sister growing up and unlike Little Alleria and me, he had our parents visit him often in the academy, so he grew up with them around all the time." Tahnir shrugged his shoulders. "I think being apart from them and knowing dad might be hurt or worse is distracting him from taking this place in completely."

"I'll talk to him when we next make camp." Alleria told him. "It's only right seeing as I'm his Captain and my responsibility out here."

"Just don't reinforce his thinking. We both know you already think dad might be dead, just don't make him think that." Tahnir told her, getting hit on the arm and laughing.

"I don't think like that anymore!" She told him, glaring at her nephew. "You made me change my thinking on it because it wasn't good to think like that." She continued to glare at him, slowly smirking at her nephew. "How's the wife?"

Tahnir sighed, hating that Thal'ena would always be a point of teasing for them. "Changing the subject to one that would make me the target for questioning... Great." He looked over to his aunt who continued to smirk at him. "She fine, okay? This is a place of ancient magics, so she's actually really excited and looking forward to advancing her knowledge on magic too."

"Cute." Alleria said, looking away from him and hearing him sigh.

"What now?" He asked her.

"Nothing. I think it's cute that you already know what she will be doing whilst we're here, despite talking to her for a few minutes before we had to leave." Alleria stretched a little, keeping her attention on the path ahead of them. "Perhaps we'll walk into her whilst we deal with these djaradin for the dragons."

"If they're anything like the vrykul in Northrend, it will take three or four of us per djaradin to down them. Giant, muscled humanoids who would brush off a handful of arrows like they're needles." He told his aunt, looking back to their company. "I think if we all fire a volley into them though, it should be enough for kill ten or so at a time. So long as we all hit our targets."

"Then you better be good with that bow." Alleria teased, knowing Tahnir was easily in the top ten best rangers in her company. Though her best ranger was with her mother, looking for her father as far as she knew.

"You know I am." Tahnir said, looking back to the company again. "It's the new blood I'm worried about, Talanas included."

"I'll make sure they aren't at the front, don't worry. only my most experienced will be anywhere near the melee. If their training is up to scratch, they shouldn't have any problem being in melee." Alleria told him, placing a hand on one of the hilts of her swords. "Every ranger should know how to fight in melee anyway, I just want the more experienced ones to deal with them in melee combat if it comes to it."

Tahnir nodded his head along with her plan. "I would have done the same. If we were just a melee unit, then there would be no excuse to keep them back."

"Exactly." Alleria told him, noticing the ground was changing from green grass, flowers and life to black and burnt lands where fire, lava and death was present. "Tell them to get ready for anything. Bows out and arrows nocked."

Tahnir bowed his head to his aunt. "Right away."

Alleria continued to scan the area whilst Tahnir instructed the company to go on high alert mode, glancing over to him when he returned to the front and looking at her for her next command. "Grab a few scouts and go ahead. Make sure we're not walking into an ambush. And if we are, try to trigger it and bring them back here so we can ambush their ambush."

Tahnir nodded his head again. "I'll get going." He told her now, gathering a few scouts and heading further into this new lands, leaving the rest of the company behind.

Alleria signaled for her company to slowly move forward, dropping back so she was beside Talanas, watching him scan the area like the rest of her company and smiling to herself. "Ready for your first fight in this new place?" She asked him, making Talanas look over to her.

"I am." He told her, nodding his head at her. "I've worked most of my life to be a ranger. I'm excited to finally show how good I can be."

Alleria smiled and continued to walk beside him, scanning the area too. "I look forward to seeing that, Talanas. Just make sure you protect yourself and your brothers and sisters in arms and remember your training and you'll be fine."

"Will do, Captain." Talanas said, making Alleria smile at his professionalism.

"Good." Alleria replied, staying beside him and waiting for Tahnir to return with the scouts.

"She doesn't look happy." Liadrin muttered, standing beside Tanadia and Athrodar as they all watched Sindragosa return from the vaults. "She looks upset more than anything."

"Whatever happened in there took its time, but also made her sad." Tanadia muttered, taking a few steps towards the simulacrum of Sindragosa, only to stop when she saw her fade away and appear somewhere much further away. "Oh..."

"I have a feeling she lost someone or something close to her down there." Athrodar told them, watching Sindragosa the entire time and noticing the familiar look on her face. "She was the mate of Malygos, the head of the Blue Dragonflight. I wouldn't be surprised if she came across her children in there, corrupted or fallen. That's the look of someone who has lost a child."

Both Tanadia and Liadrin looked over to Athrodar, knowing he was telling the truth as he had the same look on his face whenever the topic of Victoria came up. "I suppose we should leave her for the time being." Tanadia muttered, looking over to Cedani, Alleria and Sylvanas on the other side of the Archives. "Mom will want to leave soon though, now that Sindragosa is back."

"We will." Athrodar told her. "Just give it a couple of days. I'll talk to her about it too should your mother bring up leaving here again."

"Speaking of mom, how is she doing after the whole Alleria thing?" Tanadia asked, watching her two sisters and Sylvanas walk and talk in the distance. "We all know how you're doing, but nobody seems to be asking how she is doing."

Athrodar smiled and looked over to Tanadia. "I'll make sure to tell her that you're concerned. But to answer your question, she is just happy Alleria is still with us and she is trying her best to be in her life a lot more often."

"Well that's good." Tanadia commented, looking over to her father. "Maybe someone other than Cedani will get all of your attention."

Liadrin smiled and looked down to make sure Athrodar couldn't see it. Though his focus was on Tanadia and the words she had just said. "What? You all get our attention." He told her, hearing a small laugh coming from Liadrin. "What? They do."

"Not really though." Liadrin told him. "The last time you both visited the city properly was around the events of the Forsaken turning on us all. Between then and now, you only visited the city to check in on Talanas and Cedani. Rarely Tahnir, Alleria and Tana."

Athrodar looked over to Liadrin and then over to Tanadia, the High Priestess nodding her head in agreement to Liadrin's comments. "Fair enough." He said, looking back over to Cedani, Alleria and Sylvanas. "Perhaps we have been slacking on that part. There isn't really a good excuse either and I would like to apologise on behalf of the two of us." He reached a hand out towards his daughter, waiting for her to take it.

Tanadia looked down at his hand and began to smile, stepping towards him and taking hold of his hand, only to take a few more steps forward and hug her father. "Apology accepted, papa." She whispered to him, smiling when he hugged her back. "I was lucky to have you in my life the moment I moved to Stormwind up until you and Sylvanas gave up the throne. A good solid five or so years of you constantly being around. Then I still visited you when you moved into Windrunner Village until you went to Pandaria." She pulled back from the hug and smiled at him. "It's Tahnir and Alleria who missed out on having you both around."

"Something we are looking to rectify." Athrodar told her. "For the rest of this campaign if need be."

Tanadia pat him on the arm, smiling brightly at her father. "It's a good start."

"Getting your approval always helps." Athrodar told his daughter, smiling at his wife when she looked over to the three of them. "Now excuse me whilst I talk to your mother and tell her we will be leaving in the next couple of days, once Sindragosa is ready."

Sylvanas placed her hands on Athrodar's face the moment he made his way over to the three of them, giving him a warm smile. "How is our little Priestess?"

"She's fine." Athrodar told her, leaning his head a little against one of her hands. "Worried about Alleria, but then again we all are."

"You don't need to be." Alleria told him, overhearing their conversation. "I'm fine now. I just needed to tell someone." She then said, smiling at her parents. "And Cedani is always helpful with making me feel better."

"I try my best." Cedani said, her smile beaming up at all three of them.

"Well that's good." Athrodar said, placing a hand over the top of Sylvanas'. "We are leaving here soon. Sindragosa has returned from the Azure Vault and she looks upset. Whatever happened down there has her hurting, even if she is a simulacrum."

Sylvanas frowned and looked over to where Athrodar was gesturing with his eyes, taking hold of her husband's hand and squeezing it lightly. "Do we know what has her upset?"

"I think she found one of her children down there." Athrodar told her, making Sylvanas look back to him, eyes widened in shock. "She had the same look we both had shortly after Vic. One of great loss." He looked over to Cedani who hugged his arm, smiling down at her. "But we were lucky enough to have our family with us."

"I'm happy that you're happy now, papa." Cedani told him, watching Alleria hug the other side of him. "We know how much you were suffering over the years. You just couldn't let go and move on, but now you can."

"I can." Athrodar agreed, looking over to Sylvanas who just smiled at him. "Your mother helped a lot too."

"Well duh." Sylvanas told him, stepping forward and hugging the front of him now, pinning him in between the three of them. "I know how to make my heart happy."

"Being surrounded by my family makes me happy too." Athrodar told them, kissing the top of his wife's head. "But yes, you know how to make me happy the most, my love."

"Then me." Cedani said, making both Sylvanas and Alleria sigh.

"It wasn't a competition." Alleria told her sister, looking over to her and watching Cedani poke her tongue out at her. "Mature."

"Shut up." Cedani said, hugging Athrodar tightly again. "I'm just trying to make dad happy."

Sylvanas rolled her eyes and pulled back to look at her daughters hugging their father tightly. "Please tell me you're not falling for this?" She asked her husband in Thalassian, knowing their kids weren't as up to date on the language as they were.

"I know what they're doing. They're doing this to get something in the future. But let me enjoy this." Athrodar replied, using their native language too and laughing when he saw Cedani and Alleria try to figure out what they were saying. "We really need to teach you two Thalassian. It's embarrassing knowing you don't know your own home language."

"Well... Nobody else in our family knows it." Cedani said, pouting at her father.

"Tanadia does." Alleria said, smiling a little. "I think she is the only one out of the five of us who does."

"We have failed as parents." Sylvanas said, sighing when Athrodar laughed.

"The next one will be the one." Athrodar told her, making Sylvanas laugh now and feeling both Cedani and Alleria let go of him.

"What next one?" They both asked, having their parents laugh some more.

"There's no next one." Sylvanas told them, hugging Athrodar again. "At least not yet, my love. Not until we return home, or at the earliest. Find somewhere quiet for the two of us."

"Stop talking Thalassian!" Cedani cried, folding her arms and pouting. "It's rude."

"It wouldn't be rude if you all paid attention when we were teaching you it." Athrodar told her, kissing the top of his wife's head. "Now, make the most of this time here. We're leaving in a couple days."