Chapter 39: After-effect

Almost two months earlier

"I'm afraid to tell you that we didn't find Ranger Kelrian Sunsinger anywhere," reported Mel'ron.

Sylvanas turned around, regarding the ranger from head to toe. His uniform was dirty and covered by troll blood, his black hair was messy and his left forearm was wrapped up in a plaster cast.

"You looked everywhere?" she asked. Her face was very pale, her eyes were widened and reflected shock. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest as the upcoming panic started to overwhelm her. So did fear. She didn't fear anyone. Not any enemy.

She feared that she would never see Kelrian again. A few hours had passed since she had brought the rest of her army back to the nearest base. A few hours had passed since she and her rangers had started looking for Kelrian and Nathanos. Nathanos had been found wounded in a forest. He had been brought back to the base and was currently treated by the doctors.

But Kelrian remained missing. Nobody had seen him. Even Verena didn't know where he was. She had told Sylvanas that she had last seen him before the dragons had appeared. Then she had lost him. Sylvanas had sent out groups to search the area for Kelrian. But nobody had found him so far.

"We did," he responded. "Either he is dead or the trolls got him which is even worse than being dead, in my opinion. I'm sorry, Ranger-General."

Sylvanas stared at the horizon where the outlines of Zul'Aman could be seen. She didn't say anything to Mel'ron, who interpreted her silence as an approval to his question if he was dismissed. He bowed to her but she didn't see it because her back was turned to him. He couldn't see the tears which were formed in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. He regarded her for a few moments, then he walked away, leaving the Ranger-General alone on the small hill.

Sylvanas' covered her face with her hands, sobbing quietly. She couldn't believe that Kelrian was either dead or had been captured by the trolls which meant that he was as good as dead. How could this happen?

She had hoped he would make it out. She had put him in the second-best group after hers but he had gotten separated. She had looked out for him when she had given the order to retreat. She had looked out for him when she had fled with the rest of the army. But she hadn't seen him in the mass of soldiers. She had hoped he was among the retreating soldiers but it turned out he wasn't. He was either dead or worse. He might have been captured by the trolls who could do unspeakable things to him at this very moment. If he wasn't already dead.

They could torture him. She knew he wouldn't reveal any information which would only mean they would torture him more and cause more pain to him. She imagined Kelrian crying out in pain as the trolls did unspeakable things to him. More tears ran down her cheeks

She blamed herself for what happened to Kelrian. If she wouldn't have been so paranoid, she would have allowed Kelrian to remain in her group so she would have fought by his side and made sure he would always be alright. Instead, she had put him in Verena's group where he had gotten lost as the dragons had arrived.

"It's not your fault that we lost. Nor is it your fault that Kelrian is not here, you know that, right?" asked a familiar voice. Sylvanas didn't turn around nor did she say anything. She remained on her spot and stared at the horizon. She didn't stop crying.

The person stepped to her and wrapped her arms around her, resting her head on her shoulder. "I still feel responsible," responded Sylvanas after a while.

"You knew the risk so did he. The only way to keep him safe would have been to not allow him to participate in the war. He wouldn't have liked that, you know. He was proud to fight for our people and he was good at killing these green bastards. He is not the only one who is missing. We don't even know if he is dead. He could be somewhere out there. Maybe he fled in a different direction. Just don't lose hope, my dear. Hope for the best."

Sylvanas turned her head, looking at Alleria who had pulled her hood down and ran her fingers through her hair, caressing her scalp carefully. Surprisingly, it had a comforting and calming effect on Sylvanas but it was not enough to brighten up her mood.

"Come, Sylvanas. I bring you to a room where we can talk about everything. I'm pretty sure Kelrian is alright and will return to you."

"I hope so," Sylvanas muttered quietly. "Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do."

A sad sigh escaped Alleria's lips. She turned Sylvanas around, wiped her tears away, dried her eyes with a handkerchief and guided her to the base.

---

Present

Kelrian and Elena followed the secret corridor, Sen'za had told them about. They were pushing the trolls forward as they walked, knives were pressed against their throats so they wouldn't try to get free. They spotted a few guards after they had walked around a corner.

The guards lifted their weapons as they saw them, shocked and surprised expressions appeared on their faces as they noticed that the elves had taken the wife of their leader captive. They didn't try anything because they knew the elves would kill So'mi if any of them would do a wrong step so they allowed Kelrian and Elena to pass them.

The former prisoners knew the guards would run away and alarm others as soon as they would walk around the next corner. Therefore, they walked faster so they could leave the fortress as soon as possible. They met more guards as they walked around the next corner. Like the first group of guards, none of them tried anything. Not even the dire troll in the room at the end of the corridor.

The dire troll's yellow eyes rested on them but he didn't move. He just turned his head and watched the four persons walking through the room he was guarding. The elves and the trolls hurried through the bordering corridor, passing four more guards as they came to the secret exit.

The exit was a door which was closed but the guards opened it as they realized their queen would be killed if they wouldn't let them go. To protect their queen and the future child of Zul'jin, they opened the door and let the group out. The troll's eyes were narrowed and hatred was reflected by their faces but they didn't do anything to stop the elves. They allowed them to escape.

Kelrian waited until the door was closed again, then he took the gag out of Sen'za's mouth. "Where are we going now?" he asked as he checked his surroundings. They were standing in front of the mountain's foot on the left side of the fortress. Grassland was in front of them, a huge forest was not far away from them. He could recognize pines and lime trees from the far.

Sen'za pointed in the northern direction. "De borders ta ya kingdom is in dis direction. Ya can go there if ya want."

"And what will you do?" asked Elena.

"I don't know. I can't return ta de Amani, not as long as dis bitch is alive. She will tell everyone the truth. Either we kill her or ya bring me ta ya nearest base so I can brew a potion dat deletes her memories."

"You know that our people will take Zul'jin's wife captive, right? They won't allow her to return to Zul'Aman. Only in exchange for Zul'jin's head," said Kelrian. He ignored the questioning look Elena was giving him.

"Ya are right. I can't give her to ya. I want ta return ta Zul'Aman after I have brewed a love potion dat works. I can't give ya de troll queen but I need ta delete her memories."

Elena looked at Kelrian, speaking to him in thalassian. Sen'za and So'mi were only able to speak zandali and common with a broken accent, so they couldn't understand what Elena said. "I know she has freed us but she is not our friend. She wants to return to Zul'jin and help him to be victorious. We have to bring her and Zul'jin's whore to our people."

"You are right but it feels kind of wrong. She could have killed or tortured us but she didn't," Kelrian responded as he looked at the alchemist.

"But she forced us to drink her potions, even though she didn't know what they will do to us. She could have killed us by accident. Remember the three days we have been in pain all the time. She is not a good person. We are nothing more than test subjects for her," responded Elena. She stared into Kelrian's eyes, wondering what was going on in his mind.

He was silent for a few moments but then he nodded to her and told her she was right. "It's our duty to bring the troll queen to our people. We would betray our people and our nation if we would let her free. The Alliance will have a huge advantage over the trolls if we bring her to Silvermoon. But Sen'za won't allow us to bring her to the nearest base."

"Only because you told her what would happen if she would bring her to the base. If you wouldn't have said anything, we could have brought them to our people"

Kelrian sighed. "You are right, I'm sorry."

"That doesn't help us now. We have to knock them out and run to the forest before the trolls shoot at us."

"But..."

Elena interrupted him. "We don't have the time to discuss everything. Do you trust me?"

Kelrian nodded. "I do."

"Good. Knock her out, I will do the same with the troll queen."

Kelrian hesitated for a moment. He looked at Sen'za who regarded him with a curious look on her face. "I'm sorry," he muttered in the common language before he took her head and bashed it against the rock. Sen'za was still conscious so he did it again. He felt sorry that he had to do it but Elena was right. They were at war and any advantage over the trolls could save numerous lives. They couldn't risk the lives of thousands just because it didn't feel right to betray the one who freed them."

Muffled sounds were hearable but they became silent as Elena knocked the troll queen out. Kelrian put Sen'za over his shoulder while Elena carried So'mi in her arms. They hurried away as fast as they could with the additional weight they had to carry. Kelrian had no problem carrying the blue-skinned troll. She was very light. So'mi was a bit taller and heavier but Elena was physically stronger than most female Farstriders so she managed to keep up with Kelrian.

They reached the forest before any troll could shoot arrows at them. They knew the trolls would search for them so they didn't pause as they reached the forest. They ran for hours, only making smaller pauses from time to time. Fortunately, nobody found them. At least no enemy. They were later found by a small patrol of six Farstriders.

Nathanos was among them so was Elonis. The female high elf rushed over to Elena once she realized it was her. She hugged her as soon as Elena had placed the troll queen on the wet ground. Elena returned the hug, caressing the back of her best friend. Kelrian regarded them for a few moments, then he greeted Nathanos and shook his hand.

"I'm glad to you're alive," spoke the human as he regarded Kelrian from head to toe. "We feared you died during the siege, or worse, got captured by the trolls. We didn't expect you are still alive. What happened and who are these trolls?"

"One after one. I can't answer every question at the same time."

Nathanos nodded. "Where were you all the time? Did they capture you?"

"They did."

"How did you escape?" Nathanos asked curiously.

"That's a long story."

Nathanos gaze fell on the two unconscious trolls. "So, who are they?"

Kelrian pointed at the blue-skinned troll. "This is Sen'za, the current right hand of Zul'jin," then he pointed at the troll on the ground. "This is So'mi. She is the wife of Zul'jin and the one who carries out his child." Kelrian looked at Elena, receiving a nod from her.

It didn't feel right to betray Sen'za but they were at war with the trolls. Sometimes, things which didn't feel right had to be done for the greater good. He was thankful that Sen'za didn't torture them or hurt them intentionally so he had decided to do his best to protect her and prevent that the Alliance will lure information out of her by torturing her.

He was not sure what he will do about the troll queen. He just wanted to make sure that she and her baby will be alright. She might be a troll but she was an expectant mother which meant no harm should be done to her and the baby in her belly.

He looked back at Nathanos and the other rangers, noticing the surprised expressions on their faces. They were at a loss of words, not knowing what to say. Nathanos was the first who caught himself and was able to speak again.

"You are not trying to tell us that you managed to escape and kidnap the troll queen, are you?" he asked. His voice reflected surprise and disbelief.

"We are not trying to fool any of you. What Kelrian told you is right," spoke Elena. She gave Elonis a kiss on the cheek before she pulled away and stepped closer to Nathanos.

"So, this is indeed the troll queen?"

Elonis nodded.

"How did you manage that?" asked Nathanos.

Elena looked at Kelrian, receiving a nod from him. Elena told them quickly everything they needed to know. She didn't tell them that the troll alchemist forced them to kiss each other whenever she had given them a new potion. She just told them that they were used as test subjects and what happened when the troll queen and her guard entered the room.

Nathanos nodded at them. "We should get out of here before the trolls find us."

"Is it right that we were held captive for almost two months?" asked Kelrian.

Elonis nodded her head.

"What happened in the meantime?"

"We will tell you everything while we walk to the nearest base," responded Elonis.

"I'm fine with that," replied Kelrian as he followed the others through the woods. He was carrying Sen'za over his shoulder while two rangers carried the troll queen.

Nathanos started to explain what had happened while Kelrian and Elena had been held captive. "The orcs pushed forward since they forced us to retreat. With the help of the dragons, they destroy more and more villages and set the forests on fire. They have been last seen in Fairbreeze Village."

"That's not far away from Silvermoon City," interrupted Kelrian.

"It is indeed. We try to defend Quel'Thalas and its citizens as best as we can but we cannot do much against these flying, fire breathing beasts. They are too many and one of them is enough to destroy an entire village. Most people had fled and taken shelter in Silvermoon City which is protected by a powerful barrier created by the best mages of the Alliance. The orcs and their dragons won't manage to break it that easily but it only buys us time."

"Is there any chance that we might handle the dragons?" asked Elena. Worry was reflected by her face and her voice.

"There is", responded her best friend. "The Ranger-General has sent her younger sister to accompany a human mage who received the task to free the dragons from the control of the orcs."

"The orcs control the dragons... I knew that it is the only explanation which makes sense. There is no justified explanation why these peaceful creatures would support these green murdering monsters voluntarily," said Kelrian more to himself than to the others who just nodded their heads.

"We don't know how they control them but we know they do. We can only hope that this human mage and Ranger-Lieutenant Vereesa Windrunner free the dragons. Until then, we have to hold out and deal with the dragons the old-fashioned way. We killed dozens of them within the past weeks but there are still too many out there. We also killed lots of dragon riders. Some of the dragons were freed while others still fought against us. I don't know why only some of them get free when we kill their riders but at least we don't have to kill every dragon. We would never be able to do that. It's already very difficult to hit a dragon with our arrows while they in the air. Hitting them with the bolts of the ballistae is much more difficult."

"How many soldiers and civilians did we lose?" asked Elena.

Sadness was reflected by Nathanos' face as he shook his head. "I don't have an exact number but I can say that we lost too many."

"Where is the Ranger-General and what is she doing? Is she alright?" asked Kelrian. He wanted to know if Sylvanas was alright. He was afraid that she had assumed that he was dead so she had gotten in another phase of depression which she wouldn't be able to overcome without help. He also feared that Sylvanas didn't make it like numerous other soldiers. He was afraid of losing her or having lost her already in this case. He didn't want to imagine what would happen if she would be gone forever. He needed to see her so badly and show her that he was still alive.

"She is on a mission," Nathanos replied shortly.

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "On a mission?" he questioned. His heart was beating fast because he had found out that she was still alive.

"She wants to discuss with the human kingdoms, the dwarves and the Council of the Six of Dalaran how to proceed in the war. I guess they are discussing a plan B if the mage doesn't manage to free the Red Dragonflight," explained Nathanos.

Kelrian regarded the young human with the brown hair for a few moments before he looked at the troll queen. "Can't we use her as a form of pressure to force the orcs and trolls to leave our lands?"

"I'm not sure if the orcs would care. More than half of the troll army was killed during the siege which could mean they are not as important for the Horde as they once were. It could be possible that the trolls stop attacking us but the orcs continue. It's not unlikely that the orcs would abandon the trolls and fight us on their own," responded Nathanos.

"We can still try it but nothing is guaranteed. It can work but maybe it doesn't," said Elonis. "You should speak to the Ranger-General about that. You can also talk to her sister or to Verena."

"That's not a bad idea. Where is your lover?"

"She is in Silvermoon. She has not fully recovered from her injuries so she didn't join the defence yet."

"She was injured?" asked Kelrian. Surprise was reflected by his face and voice. But also worry.

Elonis nodded her head, sadness was hearable in her voice. "She was but she is getting better. Some of the scars she got may never disappear but she will be able to fight again one day. She just needs more time to rest. She may not like it to remain in bed all the time but she has no other choice. I wish I could take care of her but I have my orders so I'm here and not at her side in Silvermoon." Elena put a hand on Elonis' shoulder and gave her a comforting look as she turned her head to glance at her.

"What are you doing here exactly?" Kelrian asked curiously.

"Most of the Farstriders and Alliance soldiers take shelter in Silvermoon or help to evacuate the last few villages. They are waiting for the Ranger-General's return. Until she comes back with a new strategy, they stay safe and don't risk anything. Only a few groups like us look over the trolls. Our task is to inform the High King if the trolls come out of the ruins of their capital city. He wants to know when the trolls strike back."

"Why are you not travelling by horse then? It would be much easier to escape when a group of trolls or orcs would spot you."

"The horses make noises when they move. But we don't. That's why."

Kelrian nodded to Nathanos. He was content with his explanation. It made sense that they didn't travel by horse because the enemy would spot them easier. Not to mention that they couldn't hide the horses if the enemy would come closer to them. The Farstriders were good at hiding in the forests. They were taking advantage of their surroundings whenever they could.

The horses would onlybe in their way. The enemy would know that someone must be in the near if they would spot the horses. Sometimes, running away was not an option. Sometimes, hiding was the only way to survive. They wouldn't be able to ride away if they would be surrounded by enemies. Nathanos was right. He was a very intelligent human.

"Is there anything else you want to know?" Nathanos asked eventually.

"You told me where our Ranger-General is but you didn't tell me how she is. I just wanted to know if the Ranger-General is okay."

"I haven't seen her often since the battle. I've heard that the defeatand your disappearance have really affected her, at least for the first weeks. I've heard she doing better now. Nevertheless, she didn't stop fighting like she did when her brother died. She didn't remain in her room this time and helped to evacuate the citizens instead," explained Nathanos.

Kelrian didn't say anything in return. He remained silent, a thoughtful expression appeared on his face as he walked. He was worried about Sylvanas but at the same time, he was glad that she had managed to overcome her grief. She didn't know that he was still alive but she will find out soon.

Kelrian followed Nathanos and his group to the next base. The base looked more like a half ruin than a real base. Half of the base had been destroyed by fire but the other half was still intact. Dozens of workers were rebuilding it but it was far from being finished. Kelrian assumed it would take weeks to rebuild the burnt buildings and the destroyed parts of the wall.

The keep was still intact. New tiles covered the roof, meaning it had been rebuilt as well. They walked to the keep, greeting the soldiers which were standing in front of it or where guarding the inside. Neither Kelrian nor Elena said anything as Nathanos' group handed the trolls over to Ranger-Captain Vara Sweetblossom who had decided to put them in prison cells as long as she didn't know what to do with them. She knew she had to inform the Ranger-General first bevor she could do anything. She had to inform the king too so she dismissed everyone and started to write a letter to High King Anasterian Sunstrider.

Only a few barracks had been destroyed by the dragons' flames, meaning that there enough barracks left in which Kelrian and Elena could rest. There was no separation of sexes in the elven military, meaning it could be possible that a man and a woman could share a room. That was the reason why Kelrian and Elena were assigned to the same room. There was a bed on the left side of the room and one on the opposite side.

It was already late and it had been an eventful day so Kelrian decided to go to bed and get some sleep after he had taken a shower. He didn't mind that Elena was watching him as he changed clothes. They had fought side-by-side. They had tried to flee together and they had been captured together. They had spent much time together in the cell of Sen'za's laboratory and they had suffered together. Both had been used as test subjects for the alchemist'spotions.

He couldn't explain to himself that he didn't mind that she ogled his exposed upper body before he put the top of his pyjama on. Elena didn't leave as she changed clothes. She had hoped that Kelrian would watch but she hadn't expected that he would actually do it.

But there he was, his blue eyes rested on her thoroughly fit shape. His gaze rested on the long scar beneath her right breast and later shifted to another scar which could be found on her left upper thigh. Kelrian ignored her red coloured underwear mostly. Unlike her, he didn't ogle his room-mate.

He wished Elena a good night as soon as she was fully dressed. He didn't comment on the slightly disappointed expression on her face as he covered himself with the thick and comfortable blanket. He closed his eyes, hoping he would stop thinking about things so he could fall asleep as soon as possible. But he didn't. He was tired but he couldn't fall asleep. Even an hour later, he was still awake.

Another hour passed. He rolled in his bed, hoping that lying in a different position would help him fall asleep. But it didn't. He couldn't fall asleep and he couldn't stop thinking about a certain person. To his surprise, it was not Sylvanas who came in his mind over and over again whenever he tried to fall asleep. The person was Elena. He couldn't stop imagining her beautiful face.

In his mind, she was smiling at him. Her turquoise coloured hair was combed and reached to her shoulders. He imagined her wearing a beautiful dress. She was dancing with a person. It really surprised him that the person was himself.

He was asking himself why he was thinking about her. He was in a happy relationship with the most beautiful woman in Quel'Thalas. He had no reason to think of another woman. But for a reason he couldn't explain to himself, he couldn't stop thinking of her. He shook his head, hoping to banish the thoughts of her out of his head but it didn't work.

The scene he was imagining changed. He was not seeing Elena in that beautiful dress anymore. Instead, he saw her next to him in the cell. She huddled in a corner, her hair was messy, her skin and her clothes were dirty. She was afraid. Afraid of someone who stood outside the cage and regarded her. It was a shadow. There were two red glowing eyes. No arms and legs. No face. Nothing. Nothing but these red dangerous-looking eyes.

Was he worried about her or why was he imagining this scene? He cared for her that was right but only as a friend. Why couldn't he stop imaging her? He found no answers to his questions. But more questions came to his mind.

Was she more important to him than he wanted to admit? Was she more than just a friend to him? But Sylvanas was the one he loved so there could be no one else he would have feelings for, right? Was it wrong to care for another woman? Was it wrong to think of another woman? Why was he imagining kissing her? Why did he like it? Did he really like it or was the Kelrian in his imagination liking it?

So many questions.

Kelrian opened his eyes and set up, shaking his head. No. It couldn't be true. There was no way he would have feelings for another woman. He had never felt anything but friendship for Elena. Why was he feeling so weird at this very moment? Did it have something to do with the various potions Elena and he had drunk while they had been held captive? Was it an aftereffect or a side effect with a long delay? There was no way that a potion would exist which could influence his feelings for Elena, right?

He had felt nothing when he had kissed her every day whenever he had drunk such a potion. He had always imagined Sylvanas when he had been forced to kiss Elena. He hadn't enjoyed kissing Elena. Even though she was a good kisser... Wait... His thoughts drifted off once again.

Kelrian shook his head, wondering what was going on. He noticed that his heartbeat was faster than usual and that his skin tingled nervously. He felt weird. He couldn't describe how he felt. Weird was the only fitting word which came in his mind.

He looked over to Elena, noticing that she was looking at him. She sat on her bed, her blue eyes stared into his. She was biting her bottom lip softly, her eyes reflected a little amount of lust.

She stood up slowly and pulled her top over her head and removed her bra, revealing her nude upper body to him. Last time, he had managed to not ogle her. This time he couldn't stop himself. He didn't want to ogle because it was wrong to ogle another woman. He wanted to avert his gaze but he couldn't. Something was forcing him to scrutinize her c-cup breasts and her flat and muscular stomach. It felt as if he had no control over his body.

He could only lay there and watch while Elena came closer and closer. He knew she had feelings for him since a long time so whatever she and he had consumed, only pushed her to do what she had wanted for a long time. She wanted him and there was nothing he could do against it.

Dammed be Sen'za and the last potion she had given them on the day she had freed them. Kelrian tried to regain control over his body but it didn't work. He couldn't stop Elena from pulling his blanket away nor could he stop her from sitting down on his lap. It felt wrong as their lips met, as their tongues danced in each other's mouth. It felt wrong on so many levels but he couldn't prevent it. It felt as if someone else was acting for him. He was forced to return Elena's kiss.

He stopped thinking about Sylvanas. The wrong feelings and the guilt vanished and was replaced by passion and joy. There was only Elena in his mind. The last thing he noticed was that she removed his clothes before everything around him became dark.