Chapter 50: The High Inquisitor

Dear Sylvanas,

Fifteen days passed since you returned to Undercity. Fifteen days in which my desire to see you became stronger and stronger. I miss you. I miss you so badly. I can't wait to see you again. As you know, I will come to Undercity as soon as I can.

Our people still need my help. We managed to retake Windrunner Village but Windrunner Spire is still possessed by the Scourge. There are so many banshees, shades and cultists there. We will take care of them first and then we will clear the ruins of Silvermoon. There is much we have to do and I hope we won't lose too many soldiers. I hope Quel'Thalas will be freed from the Scourge's influence soon.

I thought about taking Raesh to the ruins. The Scourge minions and wretched are scattered everywhere in the ruins, the groups are rather small, so they won't pose a big threat to us. We should be able to take care of them without losing anyone. I'm not sure what you think about it, but I have the impression that our son is ready to join the action. He is not ready to join small skirmishes but I think he can help us killing these scattered creatures. I will be always by his side and protect him. Nothing will happen to him. You have my word.

I have no doubt that he will be able to kill some ghouls or skeletons. I realized how strong his magic is when I trained him in the past week. It seems that his specialisation is frost magic. He is better at casting frost spells than fire or arcane spells. His fire is strong too, probably strong enough to burn weaker Scourge minions but not as strong as his frost spells. I think it's the right time to show him how to fight the Scourge. Getting some experience in fighting the Scourge won't hurt him. That way, he will know what we have to deal with in case the Scourge attacks Quel'Thalas.

If you have any objections, then tell me and I will go without him. We won't go to the ruins until we free Windrunner Spire, so you have enough time to send a reply. I will take him with me as long as you don't say anything against it. I promise that I will take care of him.

That's all I have to say for now. I wonder how you are doing and what is going on in Undercity and Tirisfal Glades. I'm sure you will deal with any problem. Let's hope that the Scarlet Crusade will stop being a pain in the ass.

I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Stay safe, my love.

Your Kelrian.

Dear Kelrian,

First of all, I'm really surprised that you sent me a letter. I have to admit that I have not expected that. We haven't written letters in years. The last time we did that was during the Second War when you went to Lordaeron to help in its defence. Writing this letter to you evokes nostalgic feelings. It reminds me of the past, of the good old times when you served under me as a ranger.

Do you remember the time when you were a recruit? I remember it clearly. You, Kelia, Zetai, Saith and Vendora were in my group and I gave my best to make good rangers out of you. I think I did a good job with that. All of you became excellent rangers and you and Zetai became the best recruits of your generation. I have always been proud of you, I hope you know that.

Do you remember when I gave the others two days off and went with you on a small excursion? We hunted a few deer and slept in a cave in the night. We came to a lake the following day and took a bath. I still remember that day as if it happened yesterday. We removed our clothes and took a bath and then... Well, I guess you remember what happened then. I remember it clearly. I didn't forget any of these special moments. You have covered my mouth with your hand to prevent my moans from escaping my lips. The way you made me feel that day... I swear no man or woman ever managed to make me feel that good. You are by far the best lover I ever had and I'm sure you are aware of that.

I can't wait to see you again. My body cries for your touch, my nether regions want to feel your big thing. Touching myself won't satisfy me in the long run. It only helps me temporarily. I need your big thing so badly and having to wait for it is worse than any form of torture... I hope that your plans will be successful so that I can see you soon.

About your idea that involves our son: I think it's not a bad idea. He is a very talented young man who not only has a lot of experience in close combat and shooting arrows but was also trained by one of the best archmages from Silvermoon. I wouldn't send him into a battle yet but taking out separated wretched and Scourge minions sounds like a good opportunity for him to prove his talent.

I'm worried nevertheless. I'm always worried when it comes to you and our family. I don't want to lose any of you. I doubt that this will ever change. Nonetheless, you should take him with you. Just keep an eye on him and make sure he returns unharmed. That's all I ask of you.

I wish you good luck in the upcoming battle for Windrunner Village but I have no doubt you will be victorious. The combat skills you showed in Deatholme impressed me. I doubt anyone can defeat you alone, anyone except for Arthas. But he will fall one day, we will make sure of that. We will kill him together. Anyway, the Scourge would have to gather their most dangerous minions to pose a threat to you. You are very powerful. Much stronger than I could have ever imagined.

Nevertheless, stay careful. Don't get cocky and always act carefully. I bet my words annoy you but I just want to make sure you don't think you are undefeatable. I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I'm worried but I trust you and your skills. Just do me a favour and stay safe. Don't take any unnecessary risk and return to me alive.

I love you with all my heart. You will always be the love of my life no matter what will happen.

Your beloved Sylvanas.

Dear Sylvanas,

The battle for Windrunner Spire endured much longer than we have expected. We fought for three days and three nights and lost more men than we have expected. But we were successful and that's all that matters. The Spire is free of any Scourge minions and none of them are near it. We claimed it as ours. We stationed a portion of the army there and sent out a messenger to inform Alleria. I wrote a letter to her in which I described the condition of our house.

It needs to be repaired and refurbished. The house was devastated by the Scourge. The wallpapers are torn off, the furniture is destroyed, the windows are broken and the doors are torn out of their hinges. The house looks much worse than it did when the orcs devastated it during the Second War. What the Scourge did to our house is an insolence. All we can do is to rebuild our house so that our family might live in it again.

I'm not sure if that will be the case. Alleria will remain in Silvermoon because she is always needed there. Vereesa, Rhonin and their twins live in Dalaran. I could ask them if they want to live there. Maybe Arator and Raesh would live there too. If the others would move in, then I would move in too. We will see.

Anyway. When you read this letter, it's very likely that I already returned to Silvermoon. Maybe we already set off to the ruins. As I said, I will take Raesh with me and make sure he won't be harmed. Not under my watch. We will get rid of the wretched and the remaining Scourge minions.

There is something else I want to inform you about. The Scarlet Crusade agreed to a meeting with Rhonin. They will come to Dalaran on the seventh of October. If I have returned until that day, I will go to Dalaran and attend the meeting. I will try everything to convince her to stop attacking your people. It's not unlikely that she demands to see you if she wants to cooperate. I have my doubts about that. I don't know her at all but I have a bad feeling that she will be very stubborn and refuse to accept the fact that your people don't belong to the Scourge. The meeting won't be easy, I'm sure of that.

I hope for the best.

If you have any news from your side then feel free to share them with me.

I love you.

Your beloved Kelrian.

Dear Sylvanas,

you didn't respond to my previous letter so I assume that nothing noteworthy happened in Undercity and Tirisfal Glades. Things were very eventful for us.

The Scourge minions and wretched were tougher than expected. We needed much longer to kill them. We didn't lose a single soldier and only a few were injured. Raesh was attacked by a wretched who had tried to drain the mana out of his body. I protected him and killed the miserable creature.

Apart from this incident, our son didn't have any problems. He kept a large distance from these creatures and bombarded them with spells. His fire and frost spells were very effective against the undead and the wretched. He froze many creatures so that we could kill them easily. He proved to be very useful. I'm proud of him. I told him that and he blushed and smiled at me. He is such an adorable young man. I'm sure that he will become a very powerful mage one day.

Something crossed my mind recently. Now that I refused to take the crown, Raesh is the rightful heir to the throne. I have no idea if he wants to be king or if he is ready to be king but it's his birthright. He has the right to decide if he wants to be king or not. I would have to make my refusal official and then nothing would stand in his way. Nothing but Raesh himself. It is up to him.

What do you think? Should I speak to him about that? Should I encourage him to become the king? He is a clever man but he has not much experience when it comes to leading people. I'm not sure if he can bear the burden of the crown. He would need more experience. He spent much time with Alleria so I have no doubt she taught him a thing or two about politics and stuff like that. Maybe he should wait a few decades before he becomes king. He needs to get more experience. What do you say? I'm curious to find out what you think about this.

Anyway. The meeting with Whitemane is in two days... This is going to be rough... Wish me luck. I will give my best so will Rhonin and Alleria. King Wrynn and Lady Proudmoore also agreed to join the meeting. Having the human kingdoms on our side might do the difference. I hope that at least. Let's hope that High Inquisitor Whitemane is a reasonable person... I have my doubts about that. She wouldn't attack anyone who has no intention to attack the Scarlet Crusade if she would be reasonable... I don't want to judge her prematurely. But...

Let's hope she realizes that the Forsaken are not her enemies. I hope we can convince her. Almost all kingdoms of the Alliance trust you and your people. Greymane is the only exception but I don't care about him. As long as the majority of the leaders of the Alliance trust you then I don't see a reason why the Scarlet Crusade shouldn't.

I hope they use their brains and be reasonable. I don't want to fight them but if they attack your people again, we will have no other choice to attack them too. Let's hope this won't happen. The Scourge is already causing enough problems for us so I don't want to deal with these fanatics too.

Let's hope for the best.

I will return to Undercity as soon as the meeting is over. I will tell you the results personally. I'm looking forward to seeing you again.

I love you, Sylvanas.

Your beloved Kelrian.

---

Thirteen o'clock.

Kelrian averted his gaze from the clock on the opposite wall and looked at Rhonin who stared at the door, worry was reflected by his face. Vereesa and Alleria had natural expressions on their faces and even King Varian didn't show how annoyed he was. He just sat on his seat and looked at the clock from time to time.

A quiet sigh escaped Kelrian's lips as he leaned back in his chair and caressed the back of his nose with his fingers. "It doesn't seem that she shows up."

Rhonin sighed as well. "It has only been two hours... Maybe she still shows up..."

"I wouldn't count on it."

"We have no other choice than waiting," responded the leader of the Kirin Tor.

"I hate waiting," said Kelrian.

"So do I but... The Scarlet Crusade agreed to come to this meeting so I'm sure they will. If we go now and they arrive later when no one of us is here, they will return to the Scarlet Monastery. I doubt they will ever come to a meeting again if we don't wait for them."

"What if you let one of your servants there to inform you if Whitemane arrives. I don't see the point in wasting our time here," Kelrian replied.

"I get your point, Kelrian. I understand that you hate waiting but it makes a better impression if we are already here when the High Inquisitor arrives."

"If she arrives," corrected Kelrian.

"If," repeated Rhonin and sighed loudly.

"Punctuality doesn't seem to belong to the traits of the Scarlet Crusade," Kelrian muttered.

Rhonin didn't respond nor did anyone else. They sat on their seats, looked at their hands or at random spots. None of them said anything. The silence was unpleasant and lasted for another half an hour. Quiet squeaking sounds were the only sounds which could be heard the moment the door was opened.

Three humans entered the room. Two men and a woman. The men wore red armour, the crest on their tabards was a red flame. The left man was tall and slim, had auburn hair and a full beard. The other man was shorter but broader. He was shaved and bald. Grim looks could be seen on their faces. The woman's facial expression was different. The look she gave the leaders of the Alliance was neutral, her crimson red eyes regarded them curiously.

Her outfit had the same colour as her eyes. Except for her upper thighs, her entire body was covered by armour. She wore a chapeau on her head, her hair was white and her fingers were decorated by golden metal claws. Her right hand held a large golden staff which end hit the ground whenever she made a step.

Kelrian's gaze rested on her thick upper thighs for a few moments before it wandered to her face. She had a beautiful face, he had to admit that. She wore make-up, her lips were covered by crimson red lipstick. The red marks under her eyes reminded him of the marks on Sylvanas' face. The only difference was that Whitemane's marks were part of her make-up while Sylvanas' marks were permanent.

Kelrian didn't say anything. He remained on his seat and regarded the newcomers curiously. Anything but sympathy went out from the men. Kelrian's first impression was that this meeting would be rough. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rhonin getting up from his chair. "I'm glad you made it, High Inquisitor. We were afraid you wouldn't show up. Feel free to take a seat."

Sally Whitemane didn't respond to him. She didn't even walk to the table Rhonin was pointing at. Instead, she let her gaze wander again. "I thought only the Kirin Tor and the King of Stormwind would show up. You didn't tell me in your letter that the long-ears also participate." Her voice was strict and cold. Neither her gaze nor her voice reflected any positive emotion. Her face reflected disgust as she looked at the blood elves.

Rhonin turned his head, noticing the frowns on the faces of the sin'dorei. They were confused, but said nothing and pretended not to have heard Whitemane's words. Rhonin looked back at the secondary leader of the Scarlet Crusade, wondering what Whitemane hoped to achieve with her comment. He hoped she wouldn't make more of these snide remarks.

"Are you giving me a response or shall I wait for hours before you explain to me what these creatures are doing here?" Whitemane asked, one of her white brows was raised.

"These creatures?" asked Alleria stunned. She was indignant about the human's inappropriate comment. The other sin'dorei looked confused and upset but they didn't say anything.

Whitemane looked at the Regent Lady, regarded her for a few moments and then looked back at Rhonin who was as stunned as his sister-in-law. He had no idea how to react to Whitemane's provoking remarks. He knew he couldn't allow the human to insult the sin'dorei. She also insulted his wife with her remarks and he couldn't allow that. On the other hand, he wanted to convince Whitemane to stop attacking the Forsaken.

He didn't have the time nor the patience to make Whitemane understand that her comments were inappropriate and wouldn't be tolerated by them. Nevertheless, he felt responsible to tell Whitemane that she couldn't behave like this. He couldn't believe that the High Inquisitor didn't want to show the sin'dorei the necessary respect. He had no other choice than making her understand how she should behave as a guest of the Kirin Tor.

Whitemane still stared at Rhonin, expecting him to say something but he didn't. Jaina was the one who spoke to her. "We would be grateful if you stop making such inappropriate comments. The sin'dorei deserve to be treated with respect."

Whitemane turned her head slowly, looking at the blonde archmage. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. She said nothing and looked back at Rhonin after nearly a minute. She had the same questioning look on her face that she had given Jaina. "What is Arthas Menethil's whore doing here and why does she dare to speak to me?"

Kelrian noticed that Jaina's eyes narrowed. Anger and hurt were reflected by them. Whitemane was not aware of how much her comment had hurt Jaina. Being insulted as a whore was already bad enough but the High Inquisitor had also expressed that she didn't regard her as an equal living being. In her eyes, Jaina was unworthy to speak to her just like the sin'dorei.

Jaina's knuckles were white as she clasped her magic wand firmly. Kelrian could see in her eyes that she was close to getting up and shooting a spell at the priestess. She was very upset but she managed to control herself due to Vereesa who put a hand on her upper thigh and stared into her eyes.

Kelrian averted his gaze and looked at Alleria, noticing that she looked more upset than before. She didn't say anything but it was obvious that she wouldn't hold back forever. It was very likely that Alleria would lose her patience soon and say a few harsh words to Whitemane. Kelrian put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to look at him. He gave her a comforting look and whispered soothing words to her. It worked a little at least. She was calmer than before but not calm enough. She was still upset.

Whitemane's gaze fell on Kelrian. "Does your banshee lover know that you are touching her sister? If I were you, I would forget about that filthy rotting corpse and start something with her whore of a sister. I would rather sleep with her than with the enemy."

Kelrian's eye narrowed, he greeted his teeth and gave the High Inquisitor an angry look but he didn't say anything. He was breathing through his nose and tried to calm down to prevent himself from doing something he would regret later. He didn't succeed at all. He was so angry at the moment that Exadius was able to feel his anger through their telepathic link.

"I'm going to cut this bitch in half," Kelrian muttered under his breath.

I would not do that if I were you. This bitch might deserve it but if you kill her, you will start a war with the Scarlet Crusade. The Alliance may have way more soldiers than them but going to war with the Scarlet Crusade will cost us many lives, resources and most importantly time. The more time we waste, the stronger the Lich King and his army get. We don't have the time to fight the Scarlet Crusade.

Kelrian was very upset but he knew that Exadius was right. Killing Whitemane in front of everyone would not only draw the wrath of the Scarlet Crusade upon the Alliance but also make the other present persons question him. It's not unlikely that they will start to mistrust him or step away from him. He couldn't risk losing them as allies. He didn't want to answer for murdering that bitch. She was the guest of the Kirin Tor which meant that she was under their protection. Killing her would only mean him getting imprisoned or worse.

Kelrian took a deep breath and opened his fist, dissolving the green knife he had conjured in his anger. He let his gaze wander, sighing out in relief as he noticed that neither Alleria nor anyone else had noticed anything.

Whitemane still looked at him, one of her brows was raised. "Did you say something, elf? She asked in a patronizing tone.

Kelrian took a deep breath. "I wanted to say that you won't achieve anything if you insult all of us. We are your allies and not your enemies. But if you keep acting like that..." Kelrian stopped speaking and shrugged.

The priestess tilted her head. "Was that a threat?" she asked irritated. Her narrowed eyes reflected confusion.

Kelrian didn't respond to her. He just stared into her eyes, wondering what she will do now.

Rhonin cleared his throat, trying to get Whitemane's attention and defuse the situation. "Could we all calm down and act like reasonable humanoid beings? This applies especially to you, High Inquisitor. Your comments and insults are inappropriate and unwelcome. We are here to discuss how to deal with the Scourge and not to insult others."

"It's not my fault that you didn't mention that these elves and the whore of the traitor prince join you. If I would have known that they attend the meeting too, I wouldn't have come. I cannot stand their presence. I have come to talk to you and the King of Stormwind and not with elven scum."

"Elven scum?" Alleria roared out as she leapt up from her chair. Her eyes were narrowed to slits, her fists were clenched. Vereesa got up and tried to calm her sister down but Alleria put her hand on Vereesa's chest and kept her at distance, signalizing her to not do anything.

Vereesa was not surprised by her reaction. Alleria had always been the most emotional of the Windrunner siblings. Sylvanas had always been the calmest. She had always managed to control her emotions while Alleria had often allowed her emotions to take over. Alleria didn't even try to calm herself down. She didn't care what her anger will let her do. She was so angry that she didn't care what would happen to the High Inquisitor.

Kelrian couldn't allow Alleria to do something she would regret later so he stepped in front of her, blocking her vision on Whitemane. Alleria's anger didn't diminish but at least she didn't throw anything at the priestess. Kelrian had put his hands on her shoulders, preventing her from running around him and pouncing on Whitemane.

With the help of Vereesa, he managed to convince her to sit back on her seat. Alleria tapped angrily on the armrests and often bumped her feet against the legs of her chair but she didn't attack or insult Whitemane. It was a real challenge for her to not do anything but she managed to keep control over herself. She didn't know how long she would be able to do that. One more comment could cause her to freak out. Everyone was aware of that. Even Whitemane who had a wide grin on her lips.

Once again, it was Rhonin's turn to speak. He wanted nothing more than preventing a brawl. "High Inquisitor...Please...Just like you, we want to defeat the Scourge..." Rhonin was not able to finish speaking because Whitemane interrupted him.

"Not only the scourge should be eradicated. I want to extinguish all undead creatures. Every undead creature shall be purged." She pointed a clawed finger at Kelrian. "I will begin with your whore of a wife and not stop until the lover of that bitch is dead too." She pointed her index finger at Jaina, who was only able to hold back with great effort.

The look on Kelrian's face was grim. He was anything but pleased with the High Inquisitor's last statement. He wished he could just kill her but he knew he wouldn't solve the problem with the Scarlet Crusade that way. Killing Whitemane will only give her fanatic followers a reason to attack the Alliance. She had total immunity as long as she didn't physically hurt anyone. They couldn't even take her captive. Kelrian would love to do that but he knew that King Varian and Rhonin wouldn't allow that. Their honour codex wouldn't allow them to lock up the High Inquisitor in a dark cell.

"I hope you are aware that we won't tolerate this. We will assist the Forsaken if your men attack them. You don't want us as your enemies, Whitemane. Trust me about this," Kelrian said in a low but strict voice.

"I'm not scared of you. You will soon realize how wrong you are. The Forsaken are not your allies. They claim to be free but in truth, they still work for the Lich King. They trick you and want to lure you into a trap. You are just too dumb to realize that. The Banshee Bitch charmed all of you with her pretty face and her sexy body. I have no doubts she offered her body to each of you in exchange for joining the Alliance. Remember my words. You will soon realize that I knew from the beginning that this bitch is planning something evil. You are fools if you think that the Forsaken are our allies." A provoking grin could be seen on Whitemane's lips.

"Anyway, I said all I wanted to say. Don't you dare to assist the Forsaken, otherwise, we will be forced to attack you too." With that, she turned around and left the room with her companions.

Just like everyone else, Kelrian was silent as he stared at the spot where Whitemane had previously stood. It was clearly visible that he was upset. Very upset. Not only had Whitemane not allowed them to try to convince her that her opinion about the Forsaken was wrong, but she also had insulted everyone except for Rhonin and Varian. Her behaviour had been more than just inappropriate and insulting. It had been inexcusable.

Kelrian let his gaze wander, noticing the similar expressions on the faces of the others. They were shocked, upset and angry at Whitemane. Alleria still clenched her fists and Vereesa spoke soothing words to her, trying to calm her down. Her attempts were not as effective as she had hoped. Alleria was still furious. Rhonin and Varian were the only ones who were not as upset as everyone else. They were still shocked and mad but they weren't furious.

Nobody said anything. The unpleasant silence had lasted for nearly ten minutes as Rhonin finally ended it by clearing his throat. "Well...This was not the outcome I have hoped for...This is a..."

"Catastrophe," completed his wife.

Rhonin looked at her, noticing that he felt a lot calmer suddenly. Looking at his wife, at the woman he loved more than anyone else, helped him to get his anger under control. "You are right about that."

"So...," began Varian. He paused for a few seconds before he continued. "What do we do now?"

"That's a good question," said Rhonin.

"We cannot allow the Scarlet Crusade to attack the Forsaken and conquer their territories," replied Kelrian strictly.

It was Alleria's turn to speak. "We agreed to help any kingdom that is getting attacked. We have to help the Forsaken and attack the Scarlet Crusade if necessary. Even if we have to burn the Scarlet Monastery to the ground to stop Whitemane, I wouldn't care. If she dares to attack my sister's people, I will end her. I will end her myself if I have to. No one who dares to attack my sister shall get away unpunished."

Alleria was still upset but Vereesa was a lot calmer than her. Her voice was not as loud and aggressive as Alleria's. "I agree with my sister but I wouldn't go so far and burn the bases of the Scarlet Crusade to stop Whitemane. The more soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade we kill, the fewer soldiers they will have to fight the Scourge. We have to find a way to prevent Whitemane from attacking Sylvanas' people without having to kill most of her followers. There must be a way..."

"I won't shrink back from attacking the Scarlet Crusade if they dare to set foot on Sylvanas' territory and attack her people," told Kelrian. "As long as Whitemane does nothing, I won't attack her. But if she does...Quel'Thalas will attack the Scarlet Monastery and we won't return without Whitemane and Grand Crusader Dathrohan. It doesn't matter if we get them dead or alive. We need to get rid of their corrupted leadership. I don't care what happens to this b...woman."

"I wish we could solve this problem the diplomatic way but we already tried and failed miserably. It's impossible to convince High Inquisitor Whitemane or Grand Crusader Dathrohan to not attack the Forsaken. She didn't even give us the chance to tell her all the arguments we gathered. I'm not a fan of violence but I fear we have no other choice than answering violence with violence," Jaina said quietly.

"I agree with Lady Proudmoore," said Kelrian. "We have to signalize the Scarlet Crusade that we won't tolerate any of their attacks against one of our members. We have to send soldiers to Tirisfal Glades. To Brill, to Agamand Mills and to the Bulwark. These are the most important places besides Undercity. We should also send soldiers to patrol the area and check the farmsteads and other smaller places were soldiers of the Scarlet Crusade could hide. I will discuss the deployment of the troops with Sylvanas. She knows Tirisfal Glades better than any of us. She knows of more places where lots of soldiers are needed."

Rhonin sighed loudly. "I can't believe that we have to fight the Scarlet Crusade... But it seems we have no other choice..."

"We don't have to kill all of them if we manage to capture their leadership. Without them, they are nothing," said Jaina.

"You might be right about that but something tells me that removing their leadership won't stop these fanatics," Alleria said worriedly.

"We shall see. I will go to Undercity and inform Sylvanas about everything. Maybe she has an idea of what we should do. I will report to you as soon as I have talked to her," Kelrian said.

"Do that," said Rhonin. "We will meet again soon."

Kelrian nodded. "We will," he said and left the room quickly.