Chapter 26: Unexpected Visits

The land was dead. The soil was black and infertile, apart from dead trees no plants could be found in this area. The stench of the undead stung in the cold air. The stench was unbearable for any living creature but Sylvanas was not alive. She had gotten used to the smell of death and decay. She was no longer aware of her own stench and she was no longer disgusted by the stench of those who followed her.

Sylvanas stood in front of the new base she had ordered to be built. It was not a huge base but it was better than nothing. The base looked different from the bases she had visited before her death. There were no tents or accommodations because nobody needed to rest. Some of her followers still hadn't gotten used to their new life where they didn't have to sleep, so they just laid down on the floor and pretended to sleep. They did that because they didn't know what they should do instead. They were used to a daily routine in which they had to lie still for a few hours every day. Old habits die hard.

Sylvanas didn't like to see them lying there around and doing nothing at all. She didn't want to forbid them to do it, she just didn't like to see it. She knew that she would have to build some sort of a house where her loyal minions could rest and pretend to sleep. But first, her workers needed to build more turrets and make the base's walls thicker.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on one of these wooden constructs on which her dark rangers stood and looked out for enemies. Her gaze rested on one of her dark rangers for a few moments before she walked over to the small hut in the middle of the base. She opened the door and stepped inside, finding Verena and Nathanos standing around the table on which a map was spread out. It was a map of Lordaeron and Quel'Thalas. Like her and all dark rangers, Verena had gotten her body back. Her once blood-red dyed hair was grey and brittle, her skin was pale and she wore a dark version of her former uniform.

Nathanos' uniform hadn't changed at all. It was made out of leather and coloured in brown and green. He had lost his lower jaw when he had been forced to fight for the Scourge but he had found another. Unlike Nathanos, all of Verena's bones were covered by flesh. No splinters or pieces of bones stuck out. No bones could be seen. Her body was well preserved, unlike the body of Nathanos whose elbows and knees were not covered by flesh.

Sylvanas stepped to the table and looked at her advisors. "Have you heard anything from our scouts?"

Verena shook her head. "No, mistress. We haven't."

Sylvanas clenched her fist. "They should have returned days ago," she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Unfortunately, they didn't. We have no idea where they are."

Sylvanas was not amused. "What about the shades I sent to the west?"

"They returned."

"What did they see?" Sylvanas asked impatiently.

"Lots of Ogres and bandits," said Nathanos.

"Victims our sisters could possess," added the female dark ranger.

"That's a great idea. Our sisters will be more useful when they have control over these ogres and bandits. The power of our little army will increase if we bring their leaders on our side," said Sylvanas.

"When will we set off, mistress?" asked Verena.

"In two hours. Tell every dark ranger, who is not guarding the base, and every banshee to get ready."

Verena bowed to her. "As you wish, mistress." She left the room when Sylvanas gave her permission.

Sylvanas' gaze fell on Nathanos. "You will find out what happened to the scouts that travelled to the east. Don't you dare to return with empty hands, otherwise, you will end like the last ranger who dared to return with bad news."

Nathanos nodded immediately. The corners of Sylvanas' lips formed a barely recognizable smile as she noticed the fear in his eyes. He was afraid of her. He was afraid of what she would do to him if he would disappoint her. His life depended on whether he would find the scouts or not. He didn't want to end like the undead human who had been near Sylvanas when she had thrown a tantrum after Arthas had managed to survive her assault. There was nothing left of the poor guy who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Go now, Nathanos. Don't you dare to return without knowing what happened to my scouts."

"I won't fail you, Lady Sylvanas," the former human replied and left the room after Sylvanas had granted him permission.

Sylvanas regarded the map for a few moments, then she left the hut too.

She walked a little and then stopped. She let her gaze wander, hundreds of different thoughts came to her mind. Memories of the past, memories of the horrible things she had been forced to do when Arthas had controlled her and also memories of the fall of Quel'Thalas. The nightmares of the past were still haunting her.

She had lost so much when Arthas had invaded Quel'Thalas. Most high elves died, her mother died, her best friend Verena and many other people who had been very important to her. Her daughter died too and still had to serve that bastard. She had no idea where Sylvera was nor did she know what Arthas did to her. He could have done unspeakable things to her. Things she didn't want to imagine.

She had sworn on revenge. She had sworn to kill that bastard with her own hands. She had had that chance weeks ago but she had failed. She had gotten too cocky and hadn't expected that Kel'Thuzad would manage to save his master. She had made the mistake to underestimate the lich and she had paid a terribleprice. Arthas had survived her assault. He was free and alive. He was somewhere out there and planning his next step. She could have killed him but she had made the mistake to toy with him and make him suffer instead of finishing him quickly.

She hadn't wanted to grant him a quick death because he had denied her the quick death she had asked him for. That had been her mistake and she hated herself for having made this foolish mistake. She had failed to kill him and now she could only hope she would meet him again one day. She wanted nothing more than ramming her sword through his upper body, just like he had done with her. She wanted to cut his ugly head off his shoulders and end his life. Then she could finally find peace.

She knew that the road to her destination was long and full of stones but she was a patient woman. She would wait as long as necessary and strike when she would get the perfect chance. She would plan everything, but until then she had other things to do. She wouldn't be able to defeat Arthas and the Scourge alone. She needed allies. Followers who would fight and die for her. The undead who had broken free with her and had pledged their loyalty to her were not enough to defeat Arthas and his forces. She needed more men and more allies but she had no idea where she would find them.

A shrill voice brought her out of her thoughts. Sylvanas turned her head and looked at the spectral figure that was floating next to her. She recognized the facial features of the banshee. It was her former employee Janette. Her body had been destroyed after Arthas had torn her soul out and raised her as a banshee. She would never be able to reclaim her body like Sylvanas and Verena had done. She was forced to remain a banshee forever. At least, she was able to take over the body of any creature.

"You seem troubled, mistress," spoke Janette. Her voice was high-pitched and ghostly. Sylvanas even noticed a small amount of worry in it.

"Aren't you, sister? Only a month ago we were the Lich King's slaves. We existed only to slaughter in his name. And now we are...free."

"I don't understand, mistress. I thought you would be overjoyed," responded the banshee, confusion was reflected in her spectral eyes.

Sylvanas tilted her head, her red orbs rested on the banshee. "What joy is there in this curse? We are still undead, sister... We are still monstrosities...What are we if not slaves to this torment?"

"You're afraid Kelrian considers you as a monster, aren't you, mistress?"

Sylvanas' eyes narrowed, her facial features derailed. She had had an impassive expression on her face before Janette had mentioned him. Now her beautiful face reflected nothing but anger. Sylvanas was not amused that Janette had reminded her of her biggest loss. "He has every right to consider me as a monster because I am a monster. I don't want to him to see me like this nor do I want to see him. I don't have time to reminisce. I don't have time to wallow in the past or live in it. All I want is Arthas' death and I don't have the time for any distractions. Don't you ever dare to say that name in my presence again. Is that clear?"

The scared banshee nodded.

A satisfied smirk appeared on Sylvanas' lips. "Good."

Suddenly, a strange noise reached her ear. Sylvanas turned around, looking in the direction where the noise came from. Her crimson red eyes widened as she spotted the portal outside the base that was slowly opened. Sylvanas frowned and made a gesture. The nearest banshees and dark rangers nodded at her, telling her that they would follow her that way. Sylvanas walked with them to the portal, wondering who would come out. Her dark rangers had their bows drawn and would fire at her command.

A pair of horns that belonged to the head of a demon appeared through the portal. Broad shoulders, a muscular exposed upper body and thick red wings followed quickly, so did the rest of the creature's body. It was a dreadlord. A familiar dreadlord. Varimathras stood in front of the portal and checked his surroundings quickly. His green eyes fell on the Dark Lady eventually.

"Greetings, Lady Sylvanas. There is no need for your rangers to aim their little toothpicks at me. I don't want to do you any harm. My brothers and I appreciate the role you played in overthrowing Arthas. I've come to offer you a formal invitation to join our new order," he announced. A cocky smile could be seen on his lips. Sylvanas was sure that he expected her to join voluntarily.

Sylvanas tilted her head. "My only interest was to see Arthas dead. I have no time for your petty politics or power-mongering."

The dreadlord turned up his nose, his eyes narrowed and an annoyed expression appeared on his face. He built himself up in front of her but that didn't impress her. He was two feet taller than her, his claws were larger than her head but that didn't bother her. She remained calm.

His voice almost sounded threatening. "Careful, milady. It would be unwise to incur our wrath. We are the future of these... Plaguelands. You can either join us and rule or be cast aside."

Sylvanas signalized the dreadlord that she was not scared of him. She lifted her left hand a little, signalizing the rangers to shoot at her command. Sylvanas' voice was monotonous and sounded very serious. "I lived as a slave long enough, dreadlord. I won't relinquish my freedom by shackling myself to you fools."

Varimathras' gaze wandered over the gathered banshees and dark rangers. His face reflected pure anger. He spat at Sylvanas' feet. His salvia was corrosive and etched a hole in the ground. "So be it. Our reply will come soon, banshee."

He turned around and walked back through the portal which closed behind him. Sylvanas stared at the spot where the portal had been, considering if it had been the right choice to let him go. She didn't know how powerful he was. Many of her sisters would have died but she was sure she would have been able to kill the dreadlord if she would have prevented him from going through the portal. She could have gotten rid of him already.

But now it was too late but she didn't mind that he was still alive. Varimathras wouldn't be able to stop her from getting her revenge. She would slay him too if he would dare to stand in her way. She would find him sooner or later and defeat him.

She was sure of that.

---

Kelrian quietly closed the door behind him as he entered the room. He let his gaze wander through the room, spotting several pieces of furniture. There was a shelf filled with books on the left side of the room, a small table and two chairs on the other side. On the opposite side of the room stood a bed and a bedside table next to it.

Kelrian walked to the bed and regarded the person who was lying on it. She looked a lot better than the last time he had visited her. Bandages were wrapped around her torso but they were clean and not soaked in blood. Her wounds had been closed, so she was no longer losing blood.

Elena was so engrossed in her book that she hadn't noticed him entering the room. She didn't even notice him as he sat down on the edge of the hospital bed. Kelrian didn't clear his throat or did he do anything to get her attention. He just sat there and regarded her, wondering when she will notice him. She noticed him eventually, her blue eyes lit up and a surprised expression could be seen on her face. The surprise was quickly replaced by happiness. Her lips formed a smile as she regarded him from head to toe.

He wore a red tunic and a grey pair of trousers, his blonde hair was combed to the left side as usual. "You are finally here, Kel," she exclaimed happily. "I'm sorry I didn't notice you earlier."

Kelrian smiled at her. "You don't have to be sorry, Elena. Everything is alright."

Elena returned his smile.

"I bought flowers for you," Kelrian said and handed her the bouquet which consisted of her favourite flowers. Elena took them and held them in front of her face, inhaling their lovely smell. "You didn't have to buy me flowers but I still appreciate them They are wonderful."

"I'm glad you like them."

"How did you know that these are my favourite flowers?"

"During the first weeks of our training as ranger apprentices we talked about our favourite flowers," Kelrian replied.

Elena's eyes widened in surprise. "You still remember that?"

Kelrian nodded. "I have an extraordinarily good memory."

"I see. Bringing me these flowers is so sweet of you. Thank you, Kel."

Kelrian smiled. "You are welcome." His gaze fell on her bandages. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than a few days ago. The druid took care of my wounds but the doctors told me to stay in bed for a few more days."

"Don't overtax yourself. Rest until you feel strong enough."

"That was my plan, Kel."

"I was worried about you. I was afraid I would lose you," Kelrian admitted and put his hand on her right upper thigh. "I don't know what I would do if I would lose you. I already lost so many people I knew in the past year. Comrades, friends, family members... Even my wife... I can't lose you too."

Elena didn't say anything in return. She gave him a sad smile and regarded him. Kelrian stared at his fingers and said nothing. He lifted his head eventually and looked at the pink-haired woman who had put the flowers in the vase on the bedside table in the meantime.

"How are you feeling, Kel?" she asked.

"Better. I think I came to terms with the fact that the Sylvanas I loved is gone. I think I'm ready to move on. I promised her to move on."

A barely visible smile appeared on Elena's lips. "That's good. It's best for you to accept the past and look forward instead of living in the past. You won't do yourself a favour if you keep thinking about the past. The best you can do is to live your life and make sure you won't fall into a depression. We have to accept how things are and move on. We won't let the past get us down. We have unbreakable wills. Always remember my words."

"Don't worry, I will never forget what you told me. You were there for me when I needed comfort and now, I will be there for you. I want to return the favour and take care of you. Whenever you need something, just tell me and I see what I can do."

"Could you come a little closer to me? A shock wave exploded not far away from me during the battle and my hearing is still worse than it used to be. I hope it gets better soon."

"I hope the same," replied the ranger-mage and got closer to her. He sat next to her right hip,his hands rested on the mattress and almost touched her right side. "Better?" he asked.

Elena nodded and gave him a small smile. "Better." She straightened up and leaned her back against the headboard of the bed. Her hands rested on her lap, a small amount of nervousness was reflected by her blue eyes. Kelrian noticed it but didn't approach her about it. He was also nervous but he had no idea why. His heart was hammering in his chest for some reason. His skin was tingling and his throat was dry. He had no idea why his body was behaving that way nor did he know how to fix it.

He could only assume that it had something to do with Elena's presence. He hadn't felt that way before he had entered the hospital room. Before he had entered the room, he had been afraid that Elena's condition had gotten worse. He had been relieved when he had found out that she was fine. He realized that he felt different when being around Elena.

Before everything had gone down the tube, his body hadn't acted so strange in her presence. Even after the fall of Quel'Thalas, he hadn't felt different when she had been around. But since she had been wounded, his body was acting differently. He had never been so nervous in her presence. Not since the battle four days ago. Something had just didn't know if it was for the better or for the worse. He had no idea how he was feeling about her.

Was she still just a friend? Or was she more than that? Did he have feelings for her? Romantic feelings? Did she mean something for him? Were the feelings he had for her similar to those he had had for Sylvanas? Was he interested in her?

Kelrian found no answers to his questions. Not yet at least. He needed more time to answer these questions for himself. Kelrian was so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed that Elena had gotten closer to him. Only as he felt two arms around his shoulders he was brought back to the present.

Elena was hugging him, her head rested on his shoulder and her body was carefully pressed against his. She didn't want to hurt herself, so her hug was not tight. Kelrian had no idea why he was blushing. His skin tingled, he was more nervous than before and his throat was much drier than before. It took him a while to formulate a recognizable sentence which was not just a combination of stuttered words. "What are you doing?" he asked.

Elena had her eyes closed and smiled weakly as she gave him a reply. "You seemed troubled so I decided to comfort you. I hope it worked."

"Seems so," replied Kelrian and gave her a small smile.

Elena pulled away, keeping her gaze on his handsome face. She bit her bottom lip softly, thinking about something. She considered if she should do what she had in mind or if she shouldn't. She was not sure if she should take that risk or not. She could risk their friendship but she also knew she would never get a better chance. Her feelings for him were too strong. She could no longer hold back. She had to risk it. She could only hope that he would feel the same for her as she felt for him. She took a deep breath and decided to stake everything on one card.

She leaned in and pressed her lips against his, closing her eyes so that she wouldn't have to see his reaction. She prayed inwardlythat he would return the kiss and wouldn't pull back. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest, her stomach got cramped when she realized he was not kissing her back. She started to feel sad. She had risked their friendship once again and kissed him but he didn't return the kiss. She had ruined everything once again and made things awkward between them. She had the impression that destiny didn't want her to be happy.

These were her thoughts in the first few seconds but her thoughts changed quickly as something unexpected happened. Kelrian had not returned the kiss because her quick move had surprised and shocked him at the same time. His heart had skipped a beat and his mind had become blank when her lips had come in contact with his. Her lips had felt strange at first but now they no longer felt strange.

They were soft and felt good. Whenever Elena had kissed him in the past, these kisses had felt wrong. But this kiss didn't feel wrong. He couldn't explain to himself why feeling her soft lips on his no longer felt wrong. He couldn't explain what had changed. He only knew he enjoyed it for some reason.

The few seconds in which Kelrian had hesitated had felt like hours for Elena. She had been pretty sad while she had been convinced that he wouldn't return the kiss. But now that he returned the kiss, she no longer felt sad. She was happy. She was happy that he finally returned her kiss. All the other kisses they had shared in the past had always been one-sided. Except for the one they had shared during the Second War. The side effects of a love potion had influenced his actions and had made him return her kiss and do other things with her. That kiss didn't count either.

But this time, Kelrian returned her kiss voluntarily. His lips were pretty soft and tasted like moonberry. She had noticed the slight smell of alcohol in his breath when he had gotten close to her. He had drunk but not much. He still hadn't managed to stop drinking but at least his desire to consume alcohol had gotten smaller and smaller over the past weeks.

Elena's persistence was the main reason for that. She had talked to Kelrian a lot and convinced him that too much alcohol was bad for no longer consumed alcohol every day. He didn't drink much and only rarely. Elena assumed he had only drunk one glass of moonberry juice.

She didn't mind tasting the alcohol on his lips. She didn't stop kissing him but she didn't do the next step. She didn't use her tongue to lick his lips. She let her tongue inside her mouth and just kissed him, not wanting to go too far. The kiss endured as long as they were able to hold their breath. They pulled away after a few minutes, breathing heavily as they stared into each other's eyes.

Elena had been a little afraid that he would regret the kiss as soon as it had ended. She sighed out in relief as she realized that the kiss had not been uncomfortable for Kelrian. He was not distressed nor did he behave awkwardly. He just smiled at her, a slight blush could be seen on his cheeks as he regarded her.

"Say something," Elena whispered and grasped his left hand.

"I enjoyed the kiss."

Elena's eyes widened, her heart started to beat much faster. "You did?"

Kelrian nodded and smiled at her. "Yes. It was great." He put his hand on her left cheek, caressing it softly.

"Me too," the pink-haired woman replied. Kelrian didn't say anything in return. He just put a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling at her.

He cleared his throat after a while. "I need to tell you something."

Elena raised an eyebrow and gave him a look which was a mix of concern and curiosity. "What is it?"

"I will accompany the king and Lady Shadowsong on the hunt for Illidan Stormrage. I don't know how long we will be away but I assume you won't see me for a few weeks. Maybe even months."

"I wish I could join you," said Elena.

"I could ask the king if we could wait until you feel better but I doubt that Lady Shadowsong would allow that. She is not a very patient person. She wants to catch Illidan as soon as possible," told Kelrian.

Elena gave him an understanding nod. "Too bad. Just make sure you don't get hurt. Stay safe and return to me in one piece."

Kelrian put his hand on her shoulder. "I will. You don't need to worry about me."

"What if I do?"

Kelrian smirked and kissed her cheek softly. "I can take care of myself. You will stay in bed and get better, okay?"

Elena nodded.

Kelrian pressed a soft kiss on her lips before he got up from the bed. "I need to go now. Lady Shadowsong wants to set off in less than thirty minutes. I just came here to check on you and say goodbye to you before we set off."

Kelrian didn't miss the sadness that was reflected by her eyes. Elena was not very happy that Kelrian was already leaving her after she had finally found out that he was feeling something for her. She wished he would stay in the base and visit her every day but she knew this was not possible. Kelrian was one of the best men King Kael'thas had, so it only made sense that he would take Kelrian with him.

There was nothing she could do to make him stay. She wanted him to stay but she knew he was needed. The king needed his aid and the sin'dorei needed their king. The sooner they would catch Illidan, the sooner the king could return to Silvermoon City and do everything in his power to help his people. All she could do was to pray for Kelrian's safety. She assumed that the hunt for Illidan wouldn't be a child's play.

Kelrian noticed the single tear that ran down Elena's cheek but he didn't say anything about it. He pressed a kiss on her forehead, said goodbye to her and left the room quickly.