Chapter 58: Funerals

You don't have to join us. I told you that you don't have to come with us. You barely knew Lirath."

Kelrian tilted his head a little as he stared at Sylvanas who was wearing a black dress. Normally she would have put her uniform on but it didn't fit her anymore so she had chosen a black dress for Lirath's funeral. She didn't like wearing black but it was normal to wear such colours for such an emotional event. In Kelrian's opinion, she looked good no matter what she wore. She looked stunning in this dress.

"I know," Kelrian replied eventually. "But I want to be by your side and be there for you when they burn Lirath's body."

Sylvanas walked over to him and put her hands on his upper body, leaning in until their noses almost touched. She didn't kiss him. She just stared into his eyes. "I appreciate that. I have already come to terms with his death but who knows what will happen when I see his corpse. My body is going crazy from time to time thanks to the overdose of hormones I have to deal with every day."

Kelrian wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer until her round belly came in contact with his upper body. He didn't say anything, he just stared at Sylvanas, the corners of his lips formed a small smile. Sylvanas stepped on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. Kelrian didn't dare to not return the kiss, he even allowed Sylvanas to slip her tongue in his mouth and explore it. She knew his mouth like the back of her hand because she kissed him very oftenand inserted her tongue in his mouth whenever they were spending time together. Nevertheless, she loved to explore his mouth as if she had never sneaked her tongue into it before.

The couple pulled away after some time, smiling at each other. Sylvanas' eyes wandered over Kelrian's form. "You look good in a black suit."

"Thank you, my dear. You look stunningly beautiful. The other guests will have problems taking their eyes off you."

"What shall I do in your opinion? No matter what I wear, people always stare at me."

Kelrian chuckled. "Today they will stare at you because of your round belly. They won't believe it at first and think what they are seeing is not real. I wonder how long they will need until they realize that what they are seeing is real."

"I hope you don't mind them staring in general."

Kelrian's lips formed a smile. "Of course not. No matter how much they stare, you will always be mine."

"Plus I will be less interesting for them with two babies in my belly."

"But that doesn't make you less interesting for me," he responded and put a hand on her cheek, caressing it.

"We should go," Sylvanas said after a few minutes.

Kelrian nodded to her and walked over to the door, opening it. He waited until Sylvanas had left the house, then he closed the door behind him and followed her. It was already dark outside and the only sources of lights were the dozens of torches that were placed along the path in front of them. Sylvanas took Kelrian's hand, intertwined their fingers and walked with him. They followed the course of the path until they came to a crowd of people that surrounded five constructions made out of wood. These constructions were about one and half a meter tall and wide enough that a body could lay on it.

Five bodies were covered with white blankets but Sylvanas didn't need to see the bodies to know which persons were lying knew the five persons but she didn't know who laid on which construction. One of these five bodies belonged to her brother. Zendarin's sister and father and two of Sylvanas' uncles laid on the other constructions that looked like wooden altars.

Sylvanas turned her head and checked her surroundings, noticing that some people were looking at her. There were enough torches that illuminated the area so that everyone could see her clearly. They saw every part of her body. Her round baby bump clearly irritated and surprised them. They hadn't expected her to be pregnant. Nobody had expected that but most people congratulated Sylvanas.

Sylvanas saw many of her rangers, a few of Lirath's friends and the friends of the other four members of her family. All her relatives were present and even Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider and King Terenas Menethil with his wife.

She spotted a few of her jealous admirers who regarded her with narrowed eyes. No, they weren't looking at her. They were looking at Kelrian who stood directly next to her and still held her hand.

Kelrian ignored them so did Sylvanas. She didn't care that the others were saying or thinking about them. She only cared about the opinions of her friends, her family and the father of her unborn children. She didn't care about any other opinion.

Kelrian wrapped his arm around her waist as he spotted the sad expression on her face. He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead and regarded her for a few moments before he looked back at the five covered corpses.

Sylvanas turned her head as she saw Alleria and Vereesa coming closer. Like her, they were wearing black dresses. They didn't say anything and just stepped to Sylvanas, hugging her. Sylvanas returned their hugs and did the same with her mother, her father and Verena. Nobody said a single word, they just stared at each other for a few moments before they averted their gazes and looked in different directions.

Sylvanas spotted a heavily pregnant woman not far away from her but she had vanished in the crowd before she could have taken a closer look at her. She had recognized nothing but the black dress she had worn. For a reason Sylvanas couldn't understand, that woman had made her curious. For some reason, she wanted to know more about this woman even though she had never seen her before. Sylvanas shook her head and blamed her hormones for her body acting so strangely. She turned her head and looked at Kelrian's mother who walked towards them. She looked at Kelrian, noticing that he was as surprised as her.

"What are you doing here, mom?" he asked as soon as she had approached them. "Now that we are going to be a family, I thought it would be a nice gesture to come to Lirath's funeral."

Sylvanas gave her an appreciating nod. "Are your other children coming too?"

Liana shook her head. "Tomorrow will be a very hard day for them so I thought it's better that they don't come to this funeral. I thought it's best to give them one more day before they are getting confronted with the loss of a beloved person. Two funerals in a row would be too much for them."

"I understand that," said Sylvanas quietly. "At least you are here even though we would have never expected that from you. Kelrian also came even though he didn't have to."

"Kelrian loves you that's why he doesn't want to leave you alone."

"I'm not alone," responded Sylvanas and pointed at her family and Verena.

Liana nodded. "I know, I didn't mean it that way."

"I get what you wanted to say. I'm glad Kelrian is here. I want nothing more than him holding me in his arms while we watch the bodies burning to ashes," Sylvanas replied. Kelrian wrapped his arm around her waist and put a kiss on her forehead. Sylvanas' gaze wandered from family member to family member until it landed on her mother who gave her a comforting look.

"Do you want to hold the speech or should I say a few words about Lirath?" her mother asked.

"I'm not sure if I would find the right words. It's better you do it."

"I will do it then, my dear," responded her mother and walked to the middle of the place, stepping between the constructions. She waited until everyone had become silent and looked at her, then she started to hold a speech but Sylvanas didn't hear any of her words because she was lost in thoughts. She stared at the covered bodies, thinking about her brother. Many good memories came in her mind. Memories in which she had spent time with her brother, trained him or helped him learning his text for the role he played in one of his stage plays.

She still remembered how his laughter had sounded and how he had looked like when he had smiled. She also remembered how childish he had been sometimes. She remembered much of him. Only good memories. Lirath had never done anything bad. He had been a good person. An innocent person who had died for no reason. The Horde murdered him for no reason. He hadn't murdered anyone. He had just tried to defend his home by any means. He had died to save his mother.

Sylvanas had accepted his death months ago, nevertheless, thinking about him still hurt. Sylvanas felt sad. She was not sobbing or crying, she just felt sad. She wished she could bring her brother back to life but she couldn't do that. She was just a mortal after all. She had no resurrection powers. Lirath was dead and would never return.

Sylvanas walked to the first construction as soon as she had realized her mother had finished her speech. She pulled the blanket down a little, revealing the corpse's head. She saw Lirath's face. His skin was pale, his eyes were closed and his hair had the same blond colour it usually had. His corpse had been well preserved. He looked exactly the same as the day he died.

Kelrian watched her walking from body to body and uncover their heads. Every member of the Windrunner family regarded their deceased loved ones one after one. They were not the only ones who took a closer look at the dead. There was a heavily pregnant woman who stood next to Lirath's body. Her belly was much rounder than Sylvanas' belly. Tears ran down her chocolate brown cheeks but she wiped them away quickly.

Kelrian regarded the woman curiously. She had short, light-brown hair, green eyes and a beautiful face. She was about five feet and five inches tall, meaning that she was a lot smaller than him with his height of six feet and six inches. The dress she wore accentuated her curves pretty well. Kelrian didn't need to look twice to know that this woman was a little chubby in her normal state. The pregnancy made her look more corpulent than she usually was.

Sadness was reflected in the woman's face. Kelrian didn't know her but it was unmistakable that she had known Lirath. He must have been very important to her, otherwise, she wouldn't mourn for him like this. Kelrian felt very bad for this woman. He couldn't avert his gaze no matter how hard he tried.

He saw the woman removing a bracelet from her wrist and putting it beneath the blanket. She put a hand on Lirath's cold cheek, caressing her belly with the other. She leaned over and put a kiss on his forehead, then she made a few steps away and looked at Alleria who was walking towards Lirath's corpse while holding a torch in her hand.

Alleria didn't look at the woman as she stopped in front of her dead brother and regarded him for three minutes. Tears ran down her cheeks but she didn't wipe them away. She turned her head and looked at Turalyon who stood not far away from her. The human came to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, whispering comforting words in her ear.

She gave him a weak smile then she looked at her sisters and her parents who nodded at her. A sad sigh escaped Alleria's lips as she turned back to Lirath's body. She muttered a few words and removed the blanket, exposing Lirath's entire corpse. He was wearing a ranger uniform. He had never been a ranger. He had not even been a recruit but he had wished to become a ranger like his sisters one day. That had been his greatest wish, so his family had decided to dress him like this.

Lirath would have made an excellent ranger, every single member of his family was sure about that. But things had turned out differently. He died eight months ago and all his family could do was to say goodbye to him before they would burn his corpse. They could only hope he would be in a better world where he could live in peace. A world without wars.

The mourners regarded Lirath's corpse for a few more minutes before Alleria stepped closer to the construction and set it on fire. They were silent as the flames consumed Lirath's body faster than they had expected.

Long forgotten memories came back in Sylvanas' mind.

*Flashback*

"Can I ask you something, Sylvanas?"

The addressed woman turned her head and looked at her little brother. Lirath stood not far away from her and regarded her curiously. He wore a blue vest and brown trousers. His magnificent blond hair was tied in a ponytail.

"Of course you can."

Lirath hesitated for a few moments but then he asked the question that had been on his mind for quite some time. "Do you think that one day I will be an outstanding ranger like you, Alleria and Vereesa?"

Sylvanas chuckled and put her hand on his head, caressing the top of his head softly. "If you train hard enough then there should be nothing that could stop you. You are a Windrunner, so it's in your blood to be a good ranger. But don't forget that you have to do something if you want to become as good as us. You have to train every day and never give up, no matter how hard your training is. All you have to do is remain patient and give your best."

Lirath gave her a wide smile. It was unmistakable that Sylvanas' response made him happy and gave him hope.

"You will be a great ranger, Lirath. You just have to wait until you grow older and have collected enough experiences. But remember, we will always be proud of you no matter if you become a ranger or an actor or any other profession. You will always be our brother and we will always love you no matter what will happen."

Lirath smiled at her and wrapped his arms around his sister, hugging her tightly. Sylvanas returned the hug and put a kiss on his forehead when she pulled away. She returned his smile.

"I'm glad you believe in me, sis."

"I will always believe in you and support you wherever I can, Lirath."

*End of Flashback*

Sylvanas' head rested on Kelrian's shoulder, her body was slightly pressed against his as they watched the spectacle in front of their eyes. A single tear ran down her cheek but she wiped it away.

She averted her gaze eventually, looking at the brown-skinned human who was still sobbing. She tilted her head as she regarded her closely. She assumed it was the woman she had seen before. She had never met her before but for some reason, she had the impression that this woman was familiar to her. She had the impression that something connected them. If only she would know what it was. She could only assume that this woman had been a close friend of Lirath, otherwise, she wouldn't stand near his remains and cry while staring into the flames.

Sylvanas looked at Kelrian, receiving a short nod from him. She turned her head and looked at Alleria who raised an eyebrow and gave her a curious look. Sylvanas didn't say anything as she grabbed Alleria's arm and dragged her to the strange woman. Alleria didn't protest because she also wanted to find out who this woman was.

"Hello," Alleria said once they stood in front of the pregnant human.

"Hello," responded the human with a weak and tearful voice. "You must be Lirath's sisters."

Alleria nodded. "We are."

"Lirath told me a lot about you. He told me a lot about your family. He was very proud of you and looked up to you."

"Were you a close friend of him?" Sylvanas asked and gave her a curious look.

The corners of the woman's lips formed a sad smile. "Friend... I was more than just a friend to him..."

Sylvanas raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything in response. She signalized the woman to continue speaking. The woman stared at her fingernails for a few moments before she lifted her gaze and looked at the sisters of the man, she had loved with all her heart. "Lirath loved me and I loved him."

Alleria's eyes widened so did Sylvanas'. "You are Camillia," Alleria concluded.

The brown-skinned woman nodded. "I am."

"Who?" asked Lireesa as she stepped to her daughters. Alleria and Sylvanas turned around and looked at her. "Lirath's girlfriend. He wrote often to me and gave me information about his girlfriend with the name Camillia. He wanted to introduce her to our family but he was too afraid of what you and father would say, so he wrote to us first. I wrote to him that he didn't need to be afraid that you wouldn't accept her because she is a human. You have accepted Turalyon so I have written to him that he had no reason to worry," explained Lireesa's oldest daughter.

Sylvanas and Alleria turned back to the woman as they heard a low sob. "Lirath wanted to introduce me to you on the day the attacks on Windrunner Spire and Windrunner Village happened... He told me to alarm the nearest village while he would run to his home. He promised me to meet me as soon as the attacks will be over but he never returned... I heard about his death a few days and...," she was unable to complete her sentence because sad noises and sobs escaped her lips. Alleria didn't hesitate to approach the woman and hug her. She pressed the woman's head against her chest and caressed the back of her head.

Camillia calmed down eventually and gave Alleria a thankful nod as she stepped away. "How long did you know Lirath?"

"We met over four years ago. It was love at first sight."

Lireesa's gaze fell on her belly. "And the child?" She already expected what the smaller woman would say in return.

Camillia took a deep breath. "It's Lirath's child. Normally, I would have taken the pill but then the attack happened and everything got out of hand." Camillia's eyes reflected sadness. "I should have gone with him, maybe he wouldn't have died then."

"Are you a warrior? Do you know how to fight?" Lireesa asked.

Camillia shook her head. "No. Unfortunately not."

"You would have died if you would have followed him. Lirath's decision was right. He cared for you so he wanted you to be safe. That's why he sent you to the nearest village."

"I know that but still... It feels for me as if I have abandoned him and left him to die."

Lireesa put a hand on her shoulder, patting it softly. "You didn't leave him to die. Xenarion Sunsinger did that and now he pays for it. He rots in a cell while we are free and allowed to enjoy our lives. I suggest you do the same and raise your child."

The sadness and doubt vanished from Camillia's face. "You are right."

Lireesa gave her a small smile.

"It's still unfair that innocent people like Lirath died while bad people like this Xenarion are allowed to live."

Sylvanas gave her an agreeing nod. "Life is not always fair. Lirath was taken away from us but you survived and you have a baby who is also a Windrunner. We can stay in the past and mourn until we will grow old and grey or we look forward and find out what the future holds for us. You may have lost Lirath but at least he gave you something which will motivate you to keep going. Something that gives you a purpose."

Camillia nodded at her. "You are right, Ranger-General."

Soft laughter escaped Sylvanas' lips. "You can call me Sylvanas. You can call anyone by their first names. Lirath loved you and you carry his child in you. I don't see a reason why you shouldn't call us by our first names. Basically, you belong to our family."

Camillia couldn't believe what Sylvanas had just said. She was too stunned to say anything but then she pulled herself together and smiled for the first time of the day. "Thank you. You don't know what this means to me. I felt so lonely when I heard about Lirath's death. And now that you accept me in your family, I'm not lonely anymore."

"Do you have any other relatives?"

Camillia shook her head, sadness was reflected by her eyes. "My parents died a few days after the attacks."

"What happened?"

"Orcs attacked our village."

"I'm sorry to hear that," whispered Sylvanas and pulled her in a comforting hug. She had to hug her from the side because their round bellies were in their way and didn't allow them to hug from the front.

"Fate hasn't always been on my side."

"You are in safe hands now," assured Alleria. "You are always welcome. You can visit us whenever you want."

Camillia smiled. "That would be great."

"If you move to Windrunner Village, you don't have to march long to reach our house."

"My parents are gone so there is nothing that holds me in my village. I will think about it."

Lireesa gave her a small smile. "Do that, Camillia."

Camillia didn't say anything in response nor did anyone else. Everyone just stared at the ashes that covered the ground. It was not windy at the moment so waiting until the wind would have carried the ashes away was not an option. Fortunately for them, there was a shaman that manipulated the wind so the ashes could be carried away. They didn't talk as they followed the enlightened path back to the house nor did they say anything as they entered the house and closed the door.

---

Kelrian ran his fingers over his eyes, keeping them closed for a few moments before he opened them. Another funeral. Lirath's funeral had not been easy for him and this one wouldn't be easier. They were about to bury his brother so everyone could finally come to terms with his death.

Kelrian turned his head and looked at his lover who was standing right next to him and was holding his hand. She gave him a comforting smile and signalized him to keep moving. He nodded at her and made one step after another, arriving with her at his family crypt after half an hour.

His family was already gathered so was Sylvanas'. Sindor was wearing a black suit which looked similar to Kelrian's. Cincia and Sydori wore black dresses that reached to their knees while their mother wore a dress that reached to her ankles.

Everyone was already there. There was even one person Kelrian wouldn't have expected to meet at Seitor's funeral. Three persons to be exact. Two guards and a man Kelrian unfortunately knew. A man he was not happy to have around.

"What is HE doing here," Kelrian asked his mother as soon as he came to her.

Liana didn't seem to be happy about the man's presence either. "The guards allowed him to leave his cell for today so he can attend the funeral."

Kelrian found no words he could say in return. Seeing this man made him very angry. He would love to walk over to him and hit him in the face but he had already done that when he had met him in the prison of Silvermoon.

Xenarion deserved to be hit more often but the guards wouldn't allow that. Kelrian didn't want to turn the funeral into a brawl, so he remained calm and looked at the love of his life instead. He came here to say goodbye to his brother forever and not to start a brawl with this bastard.

"He did horrible things and he deserves to rot in a cell but he also deserves to attend the funeral of his oldest son. He might be a monster but he is still a father so we should allow him to say goodbye to Seitor," said his older sister.

Kelrian nodded at Sydori and looked back at Sylvanas because he didn't want to pay attention to the man, he had thought to be his father for most of his life. He decided to ignore him as best as he could. He was glad that Xenarion was standing far away from them so he couldn't hear them. But they weren't talking much so it didn't matter anyway. They stood there for a few minutes until Liana pointed at the closed coffin that was standing next to the crypt.

Kelrian was the first one who walked over to it and made himself ready to lift it with the others. Sydori, Sindor and Cincia joined them. Even Liana came to the coffin. She could only lift it with one arm but that was better than nothing. She had lost her left arm during an ambush by the trolls and orcs at the beginning of the Second War. Since then she had gotten used to living with only one arm.

Liana had an artificial limb that made it look as if she had two arms but she couldn't use it. It was only for show. Nevertheless, she put her right hand on the side of the coffin, signalizing everyone that she was ready to lift it. But they didn't lift it yet. Kelrian didn't like it that Xenarion was so close to his family but he allowed him to lift the coffin with them. It was his son's funeral, so Kelrian showed leniency but only for this day.

They lifted up the coffin together and carried it in the crypt. The stonemasons had made a tall, wide and long hole in the wall where they could put the coffin in. But the mourners didn't put it in there yet. They put it on the floor and opened the lid.

Kelrian's mood turned sad as he saw the pale body of his brother. He was wearing his favourite robe. It was coloured in yellow and adorned by golden stripes. There were five blue gems that were sewed in each cuff of his sleeves. This outfit was very expensive and Seitor had only worn it on important occasions like birthdays, celebration or meeting with important persons like the Ranger-General, the prince or the king.

Seitor's hair was made, the bruises on his face had been covered by make-up and they had even added an artificial limb so his body looked symmetrical. Kelrian regarded the body closely and he was not the only one who did that. Seitor looked so peaceful. He could finally rest. He had lived for one hundred and twenty-eight years which was nothing for a high elf. He died too soon.

It was not easy for Kelrian to hold his tears back but he managed to control himself somehow. Other's weren't that strong but that was okay. Sydori and Cincia were crying and their mother wrapped her arms around them and comforted them as best as she could. Sindor didn't cry. He just stared at the body and said nothing. His eyes reflected grief. He hadn't come to terms with his death yet.

Xenarion was silent as well. He stood a few inches away from his family and stared at the body of his dead son. He didn't say anything, not even when every other member of his family said a few sentences about Seitor. He regarded his children and his ex-wife for a few moments, then he looked at Kelrian and his pregnant lover.

He didn't show that he begrudged Kelrian that he was together with this wonderful woman. He didn't show that he was jealous that this man, who was not his son, was allowed to live with his family while he had to return to prison at the end of the day.

He didn't show that he was jealous that Kelrian made the most beautiful woman on Azeroth pregnant. Xenarion was jealous at Kelrian. He had wanted Sylvanas since she became Ranger-General but he would never able to have her. She was already spoken for while Xenarion would have to spend the rest of his life in a prison cell.

Xenarion walked over to the still opened coffin and pulled an amulet out of his pocket. It was his favourite amulet which he would have given to his favourite son when he would have gotten married. That would never happen because Seitor was dead, so Xenarion decided to put it in his coffin. The amulet had belonged to his family since thousands of years and was the most valuable object Xenarion owned. It was round and represented the sun. He regarded his dead son for a few moments before he walked back to the corner where he had stood before.

Xenarion watched the funeral ceremony and waited until everyone else had left the crypt. The coffin had been pushed in the gap and sealed with a large stone and a magic spell. No person would be able to pull the coffin out and steal the corpse or do other things with it.

The priest muttered a few phrases, saying goodbye to his favourite son before he left the crypt that was sealed a minute later. The guards went to him and handcuffed him. He looked one last time at his ex-wife who gave him a cold look before he was taken away by the guards.