Chapter 55: The End Of The War

Over.

It was over.

It was finally over.

The meaningless slaughter. The meaningless fights for honour and glory. The meaningless fights for territories and power.

The meaningless war.

It was over.

Finally.

As Sylvanas had hoped, the Alliance had won the final battle. They had won the final battle of Blackrock Spire. The armies of the Alliance had defeated the orcs but they had lost many soldiers to achieve that victory. Their sacrifices would never be forgotten.

Sylvanas looked up from the scroll in her hands and regarded Kelrian who was sitting not far away from her and gave her a curious look. "What does it say?" he asked impatiently.

"We won," she announced happily. Her voice was much higher than usual.

"We won? For real?"

"Our armies defeated the orcs."

Kelrian raised an eyebrow in surprise. He jumped up but didn't move. He just stood on the same spot and stared at her. Sylvanas had the impression that he couldn't believe what she had just said. She waited a few moments until Kelrian had snapped out of his thoughts and returned to reality.

He signalized her to hand him the scroll which she did. He started to read it slowly and carefully. The doubt and surprise that was reflected by his face vanished and was replaced by happiness. "Indeed, we won. Commander Turalyon and his soldiers captured the Warchief and the remaining orcs who didn't die in the battle."

His facial expression changed again as he continued to read. Sadness was suddenly reflected. Sylvanas knew pretty well which paragraph he had just read. She was still dismayed by this paragraph. An unfortunate outcome. But the Alliance had won, that was all that mattered. Numerous soldiers gave their lives for the Alliance.

Many fought for the Alliance and died for it. Thanks to them and all the other soldiers that survived, the Alliance had been victorious. Everyone had given their best to kill as many enemies as possible. Not even the strongest mortals were invincible and would live forever. People died. That was inevitable in wars. Even strong and fearless warriors could die.

"I can't believe that the Warchief killed him...," whispered Kelrian. His voice sounded sad and weak. His face clearly reflected how he was feeling at the moment. He was not happy at all.

Sylvanas wasn't happy either but her face didn't reflect how much she was affected by the death of the legendary and most famous member of the Alliance. "I can't believe it either but we have to accept how things are. Supreme Commander Anduin Lothar gave his life for the Alliance when he led his soldiers to victory. He will not be forgotten nor will every soldier who died fighting for the Alliance. Everyone will remember him. His name will be mentioned a lot in history books and poems. Many songs will be written about him. He was a legend and he died like a legend. He died fighting for his people."

"Why do the good guys always have to die while the bad guys survive?"

"Life is cruel, that's why."

Kelrian exhaled loudly and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. He didn't look very happy. "Anduin Lothar was such an awesome and fearless warrior who did everything for his people. It's unfair that he died while the Warchief still lives."

"Orgrim Doomhammer may still be alive but he is no longer free. His army has been decimated and he and the other survivors have been captured. He is our prisoner and he will be brought to Lordaeron where he will be punished for his crimes. He will answer for his crimes and pay for everything he did to the Alliance. He and the Horde committed numerous crimes and destroyed tens of thousands of lives. They will pay for everything and King Terenas Menethil will make sure their punishment is just."

"Do you have any idea how their punishment would look like?" Kelrian asked curiously.

Sylvanas shrugged. "I have no idea. I don't think they will be executed. They will probably be put in prison for the rest of their lives. Death is not the worst punishment for a warrior. The worst punishment is to be locked up in a cell and not be able to do anything. They will be locked up there until they die an honourless and non-glorious death."

"I rather have them dead than locked up in cells. If we kill them, we don't have to fear that they might break out and regroup one day."

"I get your point, Kel. But it's very unlikely that they will manage to break out."

Kelrian tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

The pregnant elf nodded. "If we separate them, put them in different prisons in different cities or build several camps where we lock them up, I'm sure they wouldn't be able to reorganise them. A lot of things must go wrong so that they have a chance to free themselves and reunite."

"A lot went wrong since the invasion of the orcs. I wouldn't be sure that everything will turn out as we hope for."

Sylvanas put her hand on his and the other on his cheek, caressing it. "Trust me, my love. Everything will become better from now on. The orcs are defeated and will never be a problem for the Alliance again. We won this unnecessary and bloody war and we will have peace from now on. Zul'jin might have escaped but we will find him one day and kill him this time. He will not be able to avoid his just punishment forever."

He nodded. "We lost too many soldiers. We lost people we loved. Seitor and Lirath are only two of tens of thousands of innocent people who died in the war. The Horde has been destroyed and the Alliance still exists. We won and we have to honour the fallen heroes."

Sylvanas agreed with him. "We will honour the fallen and mourn for the ones we lost, then we can celebrate this expensive victory."

"You want Lirath's funeral to be held soon, right?"

"I have to speak to my family first, as soon as Alleria and Vereesa return home, then we will decide when it will happen. I guess in about a week. We want to do it before the victory celebration. Will you bury or burn Seitor in that time?"

"We will bury him," Kelrian responded quickly.

"Funerals are very rare these days. People often burn the corpses of their deceased loved ones. My family burns the corpses of dead family members for thousands of years."

"My family is different. We bury the dead. Our family vault is a little outside of Suncrown Village."

"I didn't know that. Why didn't you tell me?"

Kelrian shrugged. "I saw no reason in telling you about that. I haven't visited it very often. The last time I was there was thirty years ago when my grandfather was buried."

Sylvanas didn't say anything in return. She just stared at her lover and gave him a small smile. Kelrian returned her smile and her stare, remaining silent as well. The pleasant silence was interrupted by loud knocks at the door of Sylvanas' bedroom. "Dinner is ready," announced Janette.

"We should go then," suggested Kelrian and stood up from the couch. He pulled Sylvanas up with his left arm and put the other around her waist. A month had passed since the end of the siege of Lordaeron. As the doctor had expected, his bones had been healed and he was able to move his arm again. He was not allowed to burden it too much but he was able to do everyday things with it. Carrying things, grabbing things, writing and other activities were no problem for him. The doctor had forbidden him to train, fight and lift heavy things but other than that he could do almost everything.

He was glad that his broken arm had healed so fast. His daily life had not always been easy with only one moveable arm. The past month had not been easy for him but with the help of Sylvanas, his friends and his family he had made it through this difficult time.

His mother, his brother and his sisters felt better since the day he told them about Seitor's death. They were still sad about his death but they had gotten used to it. Some of them may still need some time to move on but Kelrian was sure all of them would accept Seitor's death sooner or later and look forward.

The war was over so a bright future was waiting for them and every citizen of the Alliance. From now on things could only get better for everyone. Kelrian was sure of that and he was rarely wrong with his assumptions. The Alliance will recover from their heavy losses and become stronger and stronger while the Horde will never recover and will be forgotten one day. He assumed that, so did Sylvanas.

The couple left the room and followed the bordering corridor to the next staircase. They walked down the stairs until they reached the first floor, then they followed the corridor on the left and arrived at the dining room. Sylvanas' father was already sitting at the table, in the middle of the room, and was reading a newspaper.

He looked up as soon as he noticed their presence, his lips formed a smile once he saw his daughter and her lover. He stood up and walked over to them, hugging and greeting Sylvanas first. Then he shook Kelrian's hand and said hello to him.

"Take a seat," Zalien said and pointed at the chairs next to him. Kelrian pulled the chair out like a real gentleman and allowed Sylvanas to take a seat, then he pulled the other chair out and sat down on it. "How are my lovely daughter and my future grandchild doing?"

Sylvanas smiled. "We are fine, thanks for asking."

"How long do we have to wait for it?"

"Less than four months."

Zalien's gaze fell on her belly which had become much rounder over the past month. "I see. We lost so many beloved members of our family, so it doesn't hurt to get offspring. Our family has to grow and make up for the losses."

"I get your point, father. But we shouldn't rush things. We have plenty of time to extend our family."

Her father chuckled. "I know, my dear. I didn't say we have to make more Windrunners within the next few years. The war is over so we have plenty of time to expand our family."

"You know it already?" she asked surprised. Her father didn't respond verbally, he just gave her a page from his newspaper and pointed at an article. "Everyone knows it."

"I received a scroll today which said the same. Why did the press know it sooner than me? Why did the scroll arrive so late?"

Zalien shrugged. "I have no idea, my dear."

"Weird."

"It doesn't really matter, does it? What matters is that the Horde is defeated and we finally have the long-awaited peace we deserve. Now we have the time to bury or burn our loved ones and let everything behind us. We can burn Lirath and the other members of our family who died that day the orcs attacked our home and our village."

"And then we can celebrate the victory," added Sylvanas.

"Exactly." Zalien's gaze fell on Kelrian who hadn't said anything yet. "What about you?"

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"You told me that your brother died and that you have no idea when you and your family will bury him."

"I think we will bury him the day after you burned your loved ones" responded the ranger.

Zalien was silent for a few moments but then he asked the next question. "Does your family know about the baby?"

"Nobody knows about it but I will tell them soon. I will tell everyone except for my father. I don't want to tell him because I don't want to see him. His existence disgusts me. What he did to my mother is unforgivable. He manipulated her, abused her and hit her whenever she contradicted him. He is a monster and I'm glad he will never get out of his prison cell. He did horrible things. He is also responsible for Lirath's death. He made the love of my life very unhappy and I will never forgive him for that."

Zalien's eyes reflected sadness for a few moments but it vanished quickly. "He got what he deserved. He will become old and grey in this prison because he will never be able to leave it. He will die in it and never harm anyone again. He is lucky that they didn't sentence him to death because neither the king nor the judges were able to prove that he supported the Horde and told them to attack our village."

"A quick death is not always a punishment," Sylvanas threw in. "I rather want him to suffer in this prison for the rest of this life than him being gone. He should have enough time to think about his actions and regret what he did. He shall be locked in there and be unhappy while we are free and happy. We will be a family while he will be alone and has nobody who loves him and cares for him. That's the punishment he deserves."

"You are right, honey," responded Kelrian. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulled her closer and kissed her cheek softly. He nuzzled up against her and put his other hand on her belly, caressing it carefully. Sylvanas smiled so did her father as he regarded the happy couple.

"Now that the war is over, you will have more time for yourselves and our family," Sylvanas' father said.

"There are still tasks I have to do as Ranger-General but you are right. I don't have to work overtime which I always did during times of war. I will organise the return of the citizens to their homes. Prince Kael'thas already started with the rebuilding and restoration of the damaged and destroyed villages. Our people will be able to return to their homes soon and then I will have enough time for myself and the baby that will arrive in a few months. I will have enough time I can spend with Kelrian and my family," responded Sylvanas.

Zalien smiled but he didn't say anything in response. He just regarded his daughter and her boyfriend. Sylvanas' mother entered the room at this very moment. She carried a pot in her hands which she put on a round wooden cutting board in the middle of the table. She gave her husband a quick nod before she turned her head and looked at Sylvanas and Kelrian, giving them a wide smile.

She walked around the table and squatted down to hug her pregnant daughter. She put a hand on her belly and caressed it as she kissed her cheek. Then she hugged Kelrian quickly before she left the room and returned with a stack of bowls and several spoons.

She spread the bowls and the spoons and left the room once again, returning a few minutes later with Zendarin. Sylvanas' cousin greeted them and took a seat next to Sylvanas' father.

"Aren't your parents coming, Zen?" Sylvanas asked.

The mage shook his head. "They are helping Prince Sunstrider to organise the reconstruction of the destroyed military bases and outposts."

"They will draw up sketches and present the prince lots of ways the bases could look like, right?"

"Yes, they will but they are not doing this alone. They are working together with several other architects."

"I'm sure they will do a great job."

"I think the same," responded her cousin.

Lireesa removed the lid and put it next to the pot. She took the first bowls, dipped the ladle in the hot soup and poured enough of it in the bowl. She repeated that until everyone had a full bowl of soup in front of them. Kelrian regarded the content of his bowl curiously, finding out that it was a potato soup with pieces of sausage and vegetables. Lireesa was the first who wished a good appetite to everyone and the others did the same shortly after her.

Kelrian really liked the soup so he got another portion which he ate within a few minutes. The soup was well spiced and just tasted very good so everyone ate more than a few bowls of it. They had been silent as they had eaten but now where they were full, they started to talk about daily topics and the future. They were about to stand up from the table as they heard steps coming from the nearest corridor. They turned their heads and looked at the door, expecting that it would be opened soon.

Their expectations became true as a familiar person came in. It was Alleria who wore her green uniform but her hood was pulled down so her greasy blonde hair was uncovered. Her skin was dirty and she looked exhausted. Sylvanas could only guess that she had ridden for days without making long pauses. But she was not the only Windrunner who entered the dining room.

Vereesa entered the room a few seconds later. Her hood was also pulled down, her white hair was also greasy and her skin dirty. It was clearly visible that they had joined the battle and fought for the Alliance during the past weeks. Their uniforms were dirty and worn out, their skin could be seen through the several holes in the fabric. They would need new uniforms.

Lireesa approached them and wrapped both of her arms around her daughters' necks, pulling them closer to her. She didn't care that they were dirty and smelled bad. She was just glad that they made it and returned home in one piece. The siblings closed their eyes and returned the hug, rubbing the back of their mother with their hands. They opened their eyes and gave their mother tired smiles. "It's good to see you, mother," said Alleria.

"We missed you. All of you," added Vereesa.

"We missed you too, little moon," responded their mother and put her hands on their cheeks, rubbing them. "We are glad you returned uninjured."

"The battle was hard and we lost many soldiers but we won. We killed as many of these green bastards as possible."

"So, you avenged the fallen and our brother. I'm proud of you, dear sisters."

Alleria and Vereesa turned their heads to their middle sister. Sylvanas sat in front of the table so the back of her chair pointed in the direction of the door, meaning her sisters couldn't see her baby bump. They could only see her back. "You can say that but we still have to seal the Dark Portal to prevent that anyone enters our world. Who knows how many of these bastards are still on the other side of the portal? Just wait for twenty years and the orcs will have another army which will invade our world."

Sylvanas' face reflected worry. "How can we close it?"

Alleria shrugged. "I've no idea but I hope the mages in Dalaran will find a solution."

"I hope we can close it from Azeroth so we don't have to go to the portal to do it," said Lireesa.

"I hope the same," replied Alleria and hugged her father who had approached her in the meantime. They hugged each other for a few moments, then they pulled away so Zalien could hug his youngest daughter. Alleria walked over to Zendarin and greeted him properly before she shook Kelrian's hand. "I'm glad your arm is doing better, Kelrian. Turalyon told me he heard that an orc broke your arm."

"The orc was massive and broke it as if it is nothing but a toothpick but it's getting better. The doctors told me I have to wait one more month until I can really burden it again. I can train then and help wherever help is needed."

Alleria smiled. "Don't overdo it."

"Don't worry, I will take care of myself and listen to my doctor."

"I heard you did well during the battle. You killed many of these monstrosities. I assume Sylvanas is very proud of you."

Kelrian blushed a little and rubbed the back of his head. "I hope she is."

Alleria turned her head to look at her sister who was still sitting on the chair. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed that Sylvanas looked different. She blinked a few times to find out if she was hallucinating that Sylvanas had a baby bump. She didn't believe it at first but when her sister stood up and presented her belly, she was sure that what she saw was not a hallucination. It was real. Her little sister was actually pregnant.

Alleria was so surprised that she didn't know what to say but she didn't just stand there and did nothing. She approached her sister and put a hand on her belly, putting the other on her hip as she stared into Sylvanas' eyes. Sylvanas' lips formed a wide smile as she noticed the happy expression on her sister's face.

"To be honest, I didn't expect that outcome. So that was the reason why you returned to Silvermoon, right?"

Sylvanas nodded. Alleria leaned in and pressed her lips against her sister's forehead, returning her smile when she pulled away.

"Congratulations, sister," said Vereesa as she came to her older sister and put a hand on her belly. Together with Alleria, she caressed her belly carefully.

"The birth will be in less than three months, right?" asked the oldest of the Windrunner siblings.

Sylvanas shook her head. "In less than four."

Alleria's eyes reflected surprise. "Four? So, you are in the middle of your sixth month?"

Sylvanas nodded.

"But your belly is larger than it should be in the sixth month," Alleria said and looked at her mother. "What do you say, mother?"

"You are right, my dear. Now where you mentioned it, her belly actually looks bigger than it should."

"Is that a bad sign?" Sylvanas asked worriedly.

"Of course not," responded her mother and put a hand on her cheek, calming her down by caressing it. "It's not bad but it can be possible that you are expecting more than one child."

The amount of surprise that was reflected by Sylvanas' face was unmistakable. "Are you sure?"

"I'm not sure at all. I only guess but you should let someone check you. A friend of mine could use her magic to find out if you are expecting only one child or more than one."

Sylvanas was silent at first but then she gave her mother a nod.

"I will meet her today and ask her if she has time for you in the next few days."

"Do that, mother."

"More than one child? It can't get better, can it? What do you say, Sylvanas?" Alleria asked.

"I'm not sure yet but I don't think I will be unhappy. Raising two children at the same time will be a lot more difficult and stressful but I think I will handle it."

"We will" corrected Kelrian as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "I will support you and do everything you want from me. We will handle this together and be good parents."

"We know you can do it, Lady Moon," added Vereesa and smiled at Sylvanas. She hugged her and put her head on her sister's shoulder, caressing her back with her hand. They held the hug for nearly a minute.

"Why don't you take a seat and eat something? You must be really hungry," Lireesa offered to her oldest and youngest daughter.

"We would love to do that," responded Vereesa and sat down on the nearest empty chair.

Lireesa left the room and returned with two bowls and two spoons. She handed them to her daughters and told them to eat as much as they wanted. The two women thanked her and devoured the first portion. It seemed that they hadn't eaten for a while because they ate pretty fast. Their bowls were filled again but they ate much slower and fully enjoyed it this time.

"I will also run a bath for you. I'm sure you want to wash yourselves and put on new clothes."

"That would be nice, mother," responded Alleria.

Lireesa smiled. "Once you are done with everything you can tell us about the battle."

Vereesa nodded. "We would love to do that."

"Is Verena alright?" Sylvanas asked.

"She is."

"Good."

"What about Zetai?" asked Kelrian.

"He is fine too. He got wounded but the doctors have taken care of him," responded Alleria. "His wounds will heal sooner or later."

"I'm glad then."

Sylvanas and Kelrian talked to Alleria and Vereesa until the bath was ready. They waited until they had left the room and made themselves comfortable on the sofa. Sylvanas sat on Kelrian's lap who had his arms wrapped around her from behind and hugged her.

They were cuddling while Lireesa and Zalien were talking. Zendarin had returned to his room to study in his tomes about magic until someone would tell him that Alleria and Vereesa were ready to tell everyone about the final battle.