Chapter 2: Another Attempt

"What are you staring at?" a familiar voice asked. Sylvanas averted her gaze from the beautiful landscape and looked at her sister who was standing directly next to her.

"Nothing" she responded quietly.

"Nothing?" asked Alleria, raising an eyebrow. "You have been standing here for half an hour and stared at the road as if you are waiting for someone. Do not tell me that you are waiting for HIM"

Sylvanas turned her head, looking back at the plastered road in front of her. She was silent for a few moments before she responded "Well, he has promised that he would return and attend this examination"

"Why are you hoping that he will return? There are many others who have more talent than him. He is the son of a priest and not the son of a Farstrider. He should try to become a priest and not a ranger like us"

Sylvanas turned back to her sister, staring into her eyes. "He didn't pass the priest selections"

"And he didn't pass our examinations, two times to be exactly"

"Hey, be fair. He would have passed last time if we would have taken more recruits. He was better than most candidates and he was far better than at his first attempt"

"But he still wasn't good enough for the examination four years ago"

Sylvanas sighed. "I'm pretty sure that he will make it this time. Trust me, I have a good eye for whether someone has much hidden potential or not". She gave her sister a small smile, patting her shoulder softly.

"If you think so. I'm curious how the other candidates are doing. It seems that you have forgotten that we are not only looking for one recruit. We want at least eight recruits with enough potential out of this area so that we can get a total of two hundred recruits. That would be twenty recruits for each regiment. You should look out for other potential recruits and not only for this boy" spoke Alleria, regarding her sister. Worry was reflected by the eyes of the oldest Windrunner.

"I know. You don't need to explain to me how my position works. I know what I have to do as Ranger-General of Silvermoon"

"Then act like the Ranger-General all people admire and not like a fangirl"

Sylvanas tilted her head, regarding her sister with narrowed eyes and a frown on her forehead. "I'm not fangirling him"

Alleria laughed amused. "Oh, you definitely are, dear sister. I don't know why, but for some reason, you hope that especially this teenager will make it through the examination"

"I think he will become an excellent Farstrider one day, that's why I hope he will come to the examination and pass this time. Not because I like him or something like that" justified Sylvanas.

Alleria shrugged her shoulders "If you think so" she responded and turned her back on her sister, walking towards the tent where the candidates were waiting. "You can wait here and hope that your dear teeny will arrive eventually. Meanwhile, I will take a closer look at the other candidates"

"Do that" said Sylvanas but her sister was already too far away to hear that. She turned around, looking back at the street. She stayed there for ten minutes, hoping that the one she was hoping to see would arrive at every moment. But he didn't come. A loud, sad sigh escaped her lips when she realized that the examination was about to begin. She turned around and started to walk to the tent as she saw a figure out of the corners of her eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat and a small smile appeared on her lips when she recognized that the person was no other than Kelrian Sunsinger who had attended the last two examinations without success.

She noticed that he changed over the past four years. He looked more mature. He didn't look like a teenager, but more like a young adult. His facial features were more defined, letting him look a lot more attractive. His blond hair was longer than she remembered. It reached to his armpits, meaning that it was almost as long as Sylvanas' golden blonde hair. He was wearing casual ranger clothes - Leather leggings and a leather vest. An excellent looking, well-crafted bow hung over his left shoulder and a quiver full of arrows hung over the other.

He ran as fast as he could, wanting to arrive at the camp before the examination's start. He arrived at the last moment, panting heavily because the sprint had exhausted him.

"It's never good to be exhausted right before the examination starts. You should have arrived earlier so you could relax a little" scolded Sylvanas. She was happy that he made it but she didn't show it because she didn't want to show anyone that she was favouring him a bit. She couldn't see Alleria or anyone else but that didn't mean that she was unwatched. Because she didn't know if someone was watching her, she decided to behave like she normally did if a candidate would arrive almost too late to the examination.

"I'm sorry, Ranger-General. My stupid brother thought it would be fun to hide my equipment. I've needed a lot of time to find it. I would have arrived an hour earlier if he wouldn't have hidden my bow and quiver"

"Your family doesn't support you, do they?" Sylvanas asked curiously, one of her eyebrows was raised.

"Hmm, well my younger siblings and my older sister support me. Only my older brother and my parents do not support me. They don't want me to become a ranger and they regard me as a shame since I failed both priest selections"

"I'm sorry to hear that. You shouldn't get depressed because your parents don't want you to become a ranger. Nobody can force you to become a priest. I think you will make a fine ranger if you work hard for it. I hope you will pass the exam this time" spoke Sylvanas, smiling at him. She didn't just say that to cheer him up. She said it because she meant it really honest.

"Thank you, Ranger-General"

"You are welcome" responded Sylvanas, patting Kelrian's right shoulder. She pointed at the tent, signalizing him to go to the other candidates. He nodded and followed her to the large green tent.

The other candidates were already awaiting them. Alleria was standing opposite to the tent's entrance, arms crossed in front of her chest. Sylvanas ignored the scolding look her sister was giving her and started to scrutinize the other candidates. She counted nineteen in total, including Kelrian. Eleven males and eight females. She spotted two or three children of famous Farstriders among the candidates. She didn't know any of these candidates except for them and Kelrian.

"It seems that we are finally complete" announced Alleria and walked over to her sister. She passed her and stepped to the exit, signalizing everyone to follow her. They didn't hesitate to follow her, leaving the tent quickly until only Sylvanas and Kelrian were left. A barely recognizable smile appeared on Sylvanas' lips as she looked at the nervous young adult, signalizing him to follow the others. Kelrian gave her a nod and left the tent as well. Sylvanas regarded him for a short moment before she walked towards the training area.

She noticed, as she arrived, that the candidates had already split up in smaller groups of three to four people. There were two groups of three people and three groups of four people. Kelrian was the only one who didn't have a group. He looked around, trying to find a group which would accept him. Most of these candidates totally ignored him. They didn't even look at him. But there was this one group which didn't ignore him. It was one of the groups of three. A young woman with bluish dyed hair waved at him, signalizing him to come closer.

The woman wore simple green coloured ranger clothes. She carried a normal bow and a quiver with normal arrows. Kelrian assumed that she didn't come out of a rich family like him. She also assumed that she had grown up under average circumstances. But he knew better than to judge someone by the family a person had been born in. His own family was rich and influential but his parents didn't support him on his way to become a ranger. So, the fame of his family didn't help him at all nor did it guarantee that he would be better than her.

The young woman stretched out her hand as soon as Kelrian approached her. "Hi, I'm Elonis Silverwalker. It's nice to meet you. These are Zetai Lightspark and Elena Firevein" she said and pointed at the two elves behind her.

Zetai was a muscular man with blood red hair who was taller than most males Kelrian had seen so far. His clothes looked nobler and a lot more expensive than the clothes of the other candidates. The bow which hung over his shoulder looked very expensive and firm as well. It was unmistakable that he had lots of money, or at least his family had. Zetai didn't say anything. He just looked down at Kelrian as if he was not worth enough to waste any words at him.

Elena Firevein stood directly next to Elonis. Her natural hair colour was orange. Her outfit didn't look much different to Elonis'. Her bow and arrows looked a bit more expensive than the equipment Elonis carried but it wasn't as expensive as Zetai's. Like basically all female elves, these two were very beautiful. Not as beautiful as Sylvanas but still more beautiful than the average female high elf. Even Zetai's handsomeness was also above average.

"It's nice to meet all of you" said Kelrian, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "I'm Kelrian Sunsinger"

"Sunsinger? Doesn't your family belong to the most famous families of Quel'Thalas? I thought every member of your family become either a priest or a paladin" responded Elonis, giving Kelrian a curious look.

"Well, that's true but it seems that I'm the only exception. I'm not very suitable for a priest or a paladin that's why I want to become a Farstrider"

"I'm sorry to hear that. I don't want to imagine how your parents have reacted when they have found out that you didn't pass the priest selection" spoke Elonis.

"Well, they weren't happy back then. They are still not happy about this even after more than a decade. But I rarely see them because I'm living in the house of my cousin, so I don't have to see their disdainful faces very day" Kelrian responded, still rubbing the back of his head. He turned his head a little, looking at Zetai who was making an expressionless face. He looked back at the two females who expressed their sympathy for him.

Elonis was about to say something as a loud whistle echoed through the air. Everyone turned around immediately, looking at the one who had whistled. It was Sylvanas who was standing on a plateau, looking down at everyone. She didn't hesitate long to start her speech.

First of all, she greeted everyone and told them that she was happy that so many candidates came today. Then she explained that this examination was different than the previous examinations. She explained that she and her rangers had guided different animals through the Eversong Woods. She told that each group had to follow the tracks of a certain animal which would lead them to a certain place where their first test will take place.

The candidates began to mutter or speak quietly with their neighbours. Kelrian didn't hear much but the faces of the others told him that they weren't sure what to think about this. The quiet talking subsided when the candidates noticed the strict expression on Sylvanas' face.

The Ranger-General continued her explanation, telling everybody that they shouldn't be afraid of wild animals which could wander around in the woods because lots of rangers would hide in the trees and kill these beasts if they would dare to come too close to the candidates. She finished her speech by wishing everyone good luck.

To each group came an examiner, who told them which tracks they should follow. Sylvanas herself came to Kelrian's group, telling them that they should follow the tracks of a brown bear. Zetai just nodded his head without saying anything. Elonis and Elena made a small curtsey and gave the Ranger-General their brightest smiles. Kelrian blushed as he looked at Sylvanas, smiling nervously. Sylvanas returned the smile and wished his group good luck. She stayed with them longer than necessary, regarding Kelrian curiously. She didn't leave until her sister cleared her throat, walking over to her and pulling her back to the tent. Kelrian caught one last glimpse of her before she disappeared in the tent.

He turned around, looking at his group. Zetai was totally ignoring him and Elena was regarding the other groups which were slowly heading to the camp's exit. Only Elonis regarded him curiously. "We should start moving if we don't want to be the last group to pass the exam"

Zetai turned his head, looking down at her. "This isn't a race. We have enough time to pass the tests". This was the first time he had spoken since Kelrian had come to the group. He didn't expect that Zetai's voice was that deep. He had thought his voice would be a bit higher but instead, it was by far the deepest voice he had ever heard.

"I know" Elonis responded, looking up at him. "Still, we would leave a good impression if we would be faster than the other groups. I didn't say that we need to be the first group to finish the exam. I'm just saying that we shouldn't dawdle"

"I agree with her. We should start as soon as possible" said Kelrian, looking at the large male who didn't pay attention to him. Zetai only evinced interest in the two females. He didn't care about Kelrian.

"Fine, then let's go" announced Elonis and started to walk towards the camp's exit. Elena and Zetai didn't hesitate to follow her. Even Kelrian didn't dawdle and followed his group.

Their focus rested on the ground as soon as they left the camp. They walked towards the Eversong Woods, looking out for animal tracks on the ground. They didn't need long to find the tracks they were looking for. Following these tracks was easier than expected at least for the first hour. The longer they walked the more unclear the tracks became.

Sometimes, the group almost got lost or almost took the wrong way because of other, similar looking traces which were almost misleading them. But in the end, after almost an hour of wandering around, they found their track again and followed it. They left the largest part of Eversong Woods behind them, coming to a small road which looked more like a small trail than a real road. The tracks ran alongside the road, so the group followed it.

They found a few lonely springpaw lynxes after walking for ten minutes. They knew that these animals were swift and could be very deadly so they avoided them by walking around them. Of course, the group knew how to defend themselves if one of these tiger-like creatures would attack them because all of them knew how to use a bow. Still, they preferred not to cross with these creatures because they didn't know how many lynxes were in the near. They knew that the rangers in the trees would protect them. Still, they chose not to risk anything.

After another hour, they finally found their destination. It was a medium sized tent with a shooting range next to it. The group didn't hesitate to walk to the tent, wondering who was awaiting them. Kelrian's heart skipped a beat when Sylvanas Windrunner stepped out of the tent. He noticed that the two female members of his group were smiling at the Ranger-General as well, curiosity and excitement were written all over their faces. Zetai was the only one whose facial expression didn't change at all. He just stared at Sylvanas, not showing any feelings.

The Ranger-General stepped closer to the group, returning their smiles. "Ah, you made it. You were faster than I've expected. Congratulations"

"Thank you, Ranger-General" responded Elonis. She crossed her arms behind her back, giving the older woman her brightest smile. Sylvanas returned the smile, then her gaze shifted to Kelrian who was smiling as well but his smile was barely recognizable. He blushed and fumbled on the string of his bow nervously as he noticed that Sylvanas' eyes rested on him.

Sylvanas cleared her throat. "We should start with the first test. I don't want to hold you up any longer than necessary. Follow me". The group nodded and followed her to the aim targets. There were four aim targets in total so each group member had its own.

Sylvanas told them that they were allowed to practice for a few minutes before the test would start. Each candidate used the time effectively. Kelrian didn't pay a lot of attention to the others. He only saw out of the corner of his eye that Elonis was doing pretty well. Almost every one of her arrows hit in the bull's eye.

The few minutes, the Ranger-General had given them, were faster over than expected. Kelrian was able to shoot ten arrows. Seven of them hit directly in the bull's eye while the distances between the other three and the bull's eye were not that large. He walked to the aim target, took all of the arrows he had shot and put them back in his quiver. He returned to the spot from which he had shot the arrows and waited that Sylvanas would announce who will be the first one to show what he or she was capable of.

It really surprised him that the Ranger-General selected him to be the first one. He smiled nervously, looking at his group members one last time. Elonis gave him a comforting smile, even Elena signalized him that she believed that he could make it. Only Zetai didn't look at him. Instead, his gaze rested on the Ranger-General, who hid very well that she was praying that Kelrian would pass this test.

Kelrian shifted his gaze to Sylvanas who gave him a comforting nod. His eyes rested on the Ranger-General for a few moments before they shifted to the aim target. He lifted his bow, pulling an arrow out of his quiver. He knocked the arrow and aimed at the target.

He noticed that his arms were shaking and his chest rose and fell each time he took a breath and exhaled a short moment later. He frowned, wondering why his body was behaving like this. He hadn't been that nervous when he had practiced a few minutes ago. Maybe he was so nervous because everything was now on a stake. Or because his comrades were watching them. Maybe he was only nervous because Sylvanas Windrunner, THE Sylvanas Windrunner was watching HIM. Her focus rested on him alone and not on every candidate.

Kelrian closed his eyes for a few moments. He managed to slow down his breathing and stop his body from shaking. He opened his eyes eventually, regarding the target closely. He waited until his arms had stopped shaking completely, firing the first arrow. He heard the quiet cheer from Elonis as the arrow hit directly in the bull's eye. He didn't hesitate and pulled another arrow out of the quiver. He aimed and fired it without waiting for too long. The arrow hit the bull's eye again, this time a bit closer to the edge than in the middle.

He fired three more arrows, only one of them didn't hit the bull's eye. He was about to pull another arrow out of his quiver as Sylvanas approached him and told him that she had seen enough to be convinced that his aim was good enough. He bowed to her and walked to the target, picking up his arrows.

He walked back to his group, receiving a smile from Elonis. He turned the smile and stepped next to her. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Sylvanas was having a weird expression on her face. He had only seen it for a small moment so he couldn't tell which emotion the Ranger-General had felt at this very moment. He was not sure if it had something to do with Elonis and the smile, she had given him.

He stopped thinking about this. Instead, he paid attention to Elena whose turn it was to prove what she was capable of. Elena shot seven arrows in total. Five hit directly in the bull's eye while the two others hit the most inner circle around the bull's eye. Elena made a small curtsey to the Ranger-General before she picked up her arrows and returned to the group.

Zetai was the next who had to prove himself. All of his arrows hit the middle of the bull's eye, not even a single one landed in the near of the bull's eye's edge. It was unmistakable that everybody was more than impressed by Zetai's aim. Even Sylvanas was not able to hide that she was impressed by him. Zetai glanced at the Ranger-General for a short moment before he walked to the aim target and picked up his arrows. He walked back without saying anything else.

Then it was Elonis' turn. She wasn't able to hide that she was a bit nervous. She missed the middle of the aim target only by a hair's breadth with her first arrow. But the second and the third shot hit right in middle. She didn't miss her target with the fourth and fifth shot. The following three shots hit the bull's eye as well. Elonis turned to the examiner, bowing to her. Sylvanas chuckled, signalizing the female to pick up her arrows. Elonis did as she was told and returned to the group.

Sylvanas regarded the group for a few moments before she walked over to them. "Congratulations on successfully passing this test. All of you have convinced me that you know very well how to hit a target which cannot move. But of course, being able to hit non-moving targets is not enough to convince me that you would make fine rangers. We will hunt a few deers for the next test so you can show me how good you are at hitting moving targets"

Everyone was happy that they passed the test and also excited that they could finally hunt a moving target and prove the Ranger-General that they were also capable of this. Sylvanas pointed at the hill on the horizon, telling everyone to start moving to it. Zetai, Elena and Elonis didn't hesitate and started moving.

Kelrian was about to follow them as he felt a hand on his shoulder which stopped him from moving. He turned around, noticing that Sylvanas was standing right there, smiling at him. She was not a head taller than him anymore like she used to be eight years ago because he had grown over the years. He was as tall as her, meaning he didn't need to tilt his head back to be able to regard her beautiful face.

"You did very well. Your skills with the bow impressed me" she complimented, patting his shoulder softly.

"Thank you Ranger-General. I've trained even harder since the last exam. This time I will become a recruit"

"I hope so. You have become a lot better since the last time we met. I hope you will be just as good in the other disciplines. I think you have good chances of becoming a recruit this time"

"I hope you are right"

"I hope so as well" she said smiling.

Kelrian returned her smile, staring into her beautiful eyes. She returned the staring for a few moments before she cleared her throat and pointed at the others who were at least one hundred fifty feet away from them. "We should follow the others" suggested Sylvanas, smiling politely.

"Yes, we should do that" responded Kelrian, looking one last time into the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen before he turned around and walked with Sylvanas to his group.