Chapter 12: Rest and Care

"We are almost there" spoke Kelrian. Sylvanas turned her head, looking at the direction he had pointed at. She saw a large and very long building which was made out of wood. To its right stood a house which was a lot smaller and shorter than it. To its left was a large field on which wheat was cultivated. There was also a thick forest behind the smaller house.

This was the farm they were looking for. Sylvanas assumed that the left building was a barn in which the animals of the farm were living. The other, which was made out of stones, must be the farmer's house. Kelrian stopped out of sudden, regarding the farm for a few moments, then his gaze fell on the path in front of them.

There was no one who could stop them from getting closer to the farm, so they walked until they reached the fence gate. Sylvanas supported herself on one of the many fence posts so Kelrian could open the door. He didn't hesitate to return to Sylvanas, helping her to the other side. He sat her on the ground, then he walked back to the gate and closed it.

He helped her up as he returned to her, then they walked towards the smaller house as fast as Sylvanas' injured leg allowed it. The farm was so large that they needed almost half an hour to reach the house.

They arrived in front of the smaller house, looking around for someone. They didn't saw any person, they only spotted a large, dangerous-looking dog which was leashed to a post next to the barn's entrance. The dog, which fur had a light brown colour, was looking at them but he didn't bark. He observed Sylvanas and Kelrian curiously but it didn't seem that he was regarding them as a threat. Kelrian looked at the dog for a few more moments before he turned back to the house in front of them and knocked at the door.

Nothing happened within the first few moments but then shouts were hearable from the inside. They heard a female voice asking someone to open the door. Half a minute passed until the door was finally opened but only slightly. The head of a blonde young female elf poked out. Her face was freckled but looked very cute. The girl was a lot younger than Kelrian who was, even with his sixty-seven years, still a teenager. The girl didn't say anything for the first moments. Her blue eyes widened when she realized who was standing in front of her.

"Ranger-General, is it really you?" she asked nervously. "By the Sunwell, you are hurt" she shouted. Her nervous expression was replaced by shock when she noticed Sylvanas' injuries.

"Are your parents at home?" Sylvanas asked, comforting the girl by looking in her eyes.

"Yes, they are"

"Can we come in? The Ranger-General's wounds need to be treated" spoke Kelrian.

"Of course, you can" responded the young woman. She opened the door, allowing Sylvanas and Kelrian to get in. Kelrian didn't hesitate to enter the house and rush to the nearest chair. He pulled the chair out and helped Sylvanas to sit down. He saw the girl, who was wearing a simple green dress, leaving the room and walking up the stairs to the second floor.

Kelrian turned back to Sylvanas, his eyes roamed over her body and returned to her face eventually. "Are you okay?" he asked, giving her a worried look. She leaned back against the chair, signalizing him that he didn't need to be worried. "I'm fine, really. I have suffered worse wounds in the past. I have managed to return home with a broken leg and a sprained arm, so I will survive this as well"

"I'm not worried about the injuries. I'm worried that the trolls might have poisoned you"

"They didn't use poison" assured Sylvanas.

Kelrian raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure about that?"

"I know the effects of troll poisons. The symptoms would have occurred by now if I would have been poisoned"

"What if they have used a new, slower working poison?"

"Using slower working poison is not the style of Amani trolls. They only use poisons which effects set in within a few minutes. They want to get an advantage as fast as possible. They don't want to kill their victims later. They are trophy hunters. They want to steal things from the dead bodies of their victims. Killing their opponents later wouldn't help them at all because they wouldn't be able to loot anyone if they would flee and die somewhere. The trolls wouldn't get any trophies if they wouldn't find the corpses of their victims"

"Are you sure? What if they have changed their minds?"

"I find it really cute that you are so worried about me. This means that I am really important to you but believe me when I tell you that I'm not poisoned"

"Nevertheless, we should check you as soon as we find someone who can heal your wounds"

"I..." started Sylvanas but she stopped speaking as she realized that two persons had entered the room together with the young woman. There was a man with short red hair and a woman with long silver-dyed hair. The man was wearing average farmer clothes, in this case, a leather trouser and a green vest. The woman wore a blue dress which didn't look very expensive. Sylvanas assumed that they were the parents of the young woman.

The parents lowered their heads in respect, their faces showed worry. "You are hurt, Ranger-General" statemented the woman. She didn't hesitate to walk over to Sylvanas and kneel in front of her, observing the bandages closely.

"I'm fine, really. I just need a priest or a paladin who can heal my wounds"

"There are priests in Sunsail Anchorage but this is far away. They would need three hours to walk to this farm, maybe one and a half if they have horses" said the woman.

"I can hold out much longer. I have suffered worse injuries in the past" responded Sylvanas. Her gaze wandered from the mother, over the father to their daughter. "May I ask you who you are?"

"Of course, you can" said the man. "My name is Alois Summerbell. These are my wife Lynlia and my daughter Vasina"

Sylvanas smiled at them. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I wish we would have met under different circumstances. All I'm doing right now is sitting on your chair and bleed all over your floor"

"That's a bit exaggerated. Your ranger did a very good job at dressing the wound" Lynlia statemented.

"He is not a ranger, he is a recruit" told Sylvanas. "But that doesn't really matter right now"

"I can order one of my stable lads to ride to Sunsail Anchorage and look out for a priest if you want, Ranger-General" suggested Alois.

"That would be awesome" responded Sylvanas, nodding to him. He returned the nod, lowered his head in respect and rushed out of the house.

"What happened?" asked Lynlia.

"We bumped into trolls and bandits"

"Trolls AND bandits?" asked Lynlia, making a very worried face.

"Don't worry, the trolls are dead and the bandits will never return to Quel'Thalas" comforted Kelrian. The worry vanished out of their faces and was replaced by relieved expressions.

"Did the trolls or the bandits wounded you, Ranger-General?" asked Vasina.

"The trolls but we killed all of them" explained Sylvanas.

"How many came in our land?" asked the mother.

"We know about fifteen. We killed nine. The other six were killed by the bandits but that doesn't mean that all are gone. I will send teams to check the area as soon as I'm back in the Farstrider Enclave. Or wait, have you got another stable lad who could deliver a message for me?"

"We have five in total, so yeah, we have more than enough, Ranger-General"

"Good" responded Sylvanas, making a thoughtful face. "I could need paper and a quill. An inkpot would be also helpful"

"Of course we have such items" said Lynlia. She turned around and looked at her daughter. "Honey, would you get these items for the Ranger-General?"

Vasina nodded and rushed to the stairs, climbing them as fast as possible. "She doesn't need to rush. This is no emergency"

Lynlia nodded to her. Her eyes widened as if something had come in her mind.

"Is something wrong?" asked Kelrian.

"Well, not really. I just realized that I'm a terrible hostess. I have forgotten to offer you something to eat or drink"

Sylvanas gave her a comforting smile. "It's okay, really. But now that you mention it, I have to say that I'm really thirsty"

"What can I offer you?"

Sylvanas made a thoughtful face. "Water or milk would be fine. Some bread be fantastic, if that is okay for you"

"Of course it is" said Lynlia, smiling at Sylvanas. She regarded her for a few moments before she turned her head to look at Kelrian. She didn't say anything but her expression told him that she wanted to know if he wanted something.

"I take the same" Kelrian responded shortly. He was still standing, so Sylvanas ordered him to take a seat next to her and relax. He hadn't realized that his body was still tensed up even though there was no reason to.

He was still a bit uneasy even though Sylvanas was not in danger anymore. The Ranger-General had noticed that but she didn't say anything. She gave him a nod and a barely recognizable smile as soon he sat on the chair.

"I will return in a few minutes" announced Lynlia.

"You don't need to hurry" told Sylvanas. The farmer's wife nodded to her and walked through the door on the opposite side of the room. Sylvanas assumed that she was going to the kitchen to prepare something.

She smiled as she remembered how the farmer family had looked at her as soon as the worry had vanished out of their faces. It was unmistakable that it was an honour for them to help Sylvanas and entertain her. Sylvanas belonged to the most popular people of Quel'Thalas. After the queen, she was the most famous woman in the kingdom. She was loved and respected by everyone. There was no one whodidn't like her, except for a few men she had rejected. But other than them she was loved by all inhabitants of Quel'Thalas.

Vasina was no exception. It was clear that she admired Sylvanas. The way she looked at her at this very moment told the Ranger-General that she was the girl's role model. She was the role model of a lot of girls, women and even men. She was very friendly, resolute, sympathetic and much more. She was an excellent strategist and fighter and she was not arrogant. She tried to help wherever she could without demanding something in return. She had lots of positive qualities and no negative qualities. It was no surprise that so many people admired her.

Sylvanas smiled at Vasina who was standing in the door and regarded her curiously. She held the items, Sylvanas had asked her for, in her didn't move from her spot nor did she say something so Sylvanas assumed that she was lost in thoughts. She cleared her throat, the corners of her lips formed a small smile as she saw that the girl's cheeks became red. Vasina was too embarrassed to look at the Ranger-General, so she looked at her fingers as she walked over to her.

She didn't see the small stool on the ground, nor did Sylvanas or Kelrian see it because their gazes rested on the girl's head. Vasina stumbled over the stool, dropping the items as she fell to the floor. The inkpot shattered as it landed on the floor. The girl's eyes widened as she looked up and saw that some splashes of ink had landed on Sylvanas' uniform. Her facial features derailed, her mouth formed words but no sounds escaped her lips. She began to stutter, becoming very pale.

"I'm so sorry, Ranger-General. I didn't mean to..." she said eventually but stopped speaking as Sylvanas signalized her that everything was fine.

"It's okay, Vasina"

"Are you sure? I just ruined your uniform"

"I have several others which look exactly like this. Trust me, it's really fine" spoke Sylvanas, comforting the nervous girl. Vasina didn't respond to her verbally, she just looked at Sylvanas for a few moments. Then she picked up the sheets of paper and the quill and placed them right in front of Sylvanas.

"I might need a new inkpot" mentioned Sylvanas.

"Oh, yeah...Right. I will get you another one" responded Vasina and turned around, walking to the stairs slowly. She returned a few moments later, this time she made sure that nothing was in her way over which she could stumble. She handed the inkpot over to Sylvanas and blushed as she received a thankful smile. She stared at Sylvanas, watching her dipping the quill's tip in the ink.

Her mother returned the same moment Sylvanas started writing the letter. Lynlia looked at the puddle on the floor, then at her daughter who looked away ashamed. "What happened here?" she asked, sounding very strict. She also had a strict expression on her face which troubled Vasina. Lynlia regarded the floor once again, noticing that the ink stuck on the Ranger-General's uniform. "Did you drop the inkpot, Vasina?"

"I..." started her daughter but was cut off by Sylvanas. "It's okay, really. She didn't do it on purpose. I have so many other uniforms, that I can go without this. You don't need to be too strict with her. Everything is fine"

Lynlia's facial features softened."Okay but she needs to clean up the mess she made" she responded, looking at her daughter this time. Vasina nodded and rushed out of the room, returning later with a bucket full of water and a sponge. She kneeled down and began to scrub the floor. Her mother regarded her for a few moments before she looked at Sylvanas. "Do you want to eat now, Ranger-General? Or after you have written your letter?"

"You can put the food on the table if you want so Recruit Kelrian can eat something. I will eat later when I'm done with this letter"

"As you wish" responded Lynlia, walking out of the room. She returned a few moments later with a tray in her hands. She put the tray in the middle of the table, smiling when Sylvanas and Kelrian expressed their thanks. Kelrian looked at his mentor who signalized him that he could start eating if he wanted. Kelrian signalized her that he wanted to wait for her.

Sylvanas gave him a nod, regarded him for a few more moments before she turned her attention back to the letter in front of her. Kelrian was not the only one who regarded her while writing. Lynlia's eyes and Alois' eyes rested on her as well. Sylvanas looked up to him as soon as she noticed his presence.

"The stable lad is on the way. We don't know how long he will take nor do we know when the priest arrives. But you can stay here as long as you want, Ranger-General"

"Thank you for everything" said Sylvanas, smiling at the farmer family.

"It's nothing really. You and the Farstriders do your best to protect us from every threat. It's the least we can do to repay your services" responded Alois.

"It's our task to protect those who cannot protect themselves. You are not owing us anything but I appreciate your hospitality"

"It's an honour for us to take care of you. You can stay in one of our guest rooms if you want. My wife will exchange your bandage with a new one and make sure you get everything you need"

"That would be pretty helpful, thanks"

"You are welcome, Ranger-General"

Sylvanas returned his smile.

"Anyways, I will leave you alone now. You have an important letter to write" the father said and lowered his head in respect before he walked out of the room.

"We will be in your near, Ranger-General. You can call us if you need anything. My daughter will guide you to a guestroom as soon as you are ready" spoke Lynlia.

Sylvanas nodded to her, looking back at her letter as soon as Lynlia had left the room. She noticed Kelrian staring at her but she didn't mind didn't feel uncomfortable, especially not because he was the one who looked at her.

She wished she could hold Kelrian's hand while writing the letter but Vasina was still in the room, so she resisted the urge to touch Kelrian. They hadn't talked yet about a relationship but both knew for sure that only a secret relationship would be possible. Keeping it secret would be better for both of wouldn't get too much unwanted attention by others and Sylvanas wouldn't have to answer countless questions. There were lots of jealous men and women who admired and loved Sylvanas. She didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble for Kelrian.

She was done with the letter after half an hour. She read through it once again before she folded it and put in an envelope. She pulled a little wooden stamp out of her belt pocket, sealing the letter with a wax symbol which showed the letters S and W.

She turned her head, looking at Vasina who gave her a nod before she left the room quickly. She returned with her mother who took the letter. "Tell your stable lad to bring this letter to Ranger-Captain Sweetblossom. She is stationed in Sunsail Anchorage. If he doesn't find her then he should hand it to a ranger and tell him or her to bring it to Captain Sweetblossom"

Lynlia's nod told Sylvanas that she had understood. "I will tell him this"

"Good" said Sylvanas, giving her an appreciating nod. Lynlia told her daughter to guide Sylvanas to the guest room before she walked out of the room. Vasina, who had cleaned the floor in the meantime, walked over to Sylvanas and asked her to follow her. Sylvanas nodded to her, then she looked at Kelrian from who she received a nod.

He stood up and helped her to get up. He wrapped his arm around her waist, walking with her to the other side of the room. They followed Vasina to the stairs but they needed longer than expected to climb them. They reached the second floor eventually, following the young woman until she stopped in front of a door. Vasina opened the door and allowed them to get in. She rushed to the bed and pulled the blanket back.

Kelrian brought Sylvanas to the bed, helping her to lay down. It was unmistakable that Sylvanas was glad she could relax her injured leg. She rested her head on the pillow, stretching her legs out. Her injured leg still hurt but the pain was bearable. She had suffered worse wounds in the past, which had hurt much more. She was in no danger so she could relax here and wait that a priest would arrive and take care of her wounds.

The priest arrived after three hours. Sylvanas and Kelrian had remained in the room and had looked at the other as long as no one else had been in the room. Most of the time they had been alone. They had talked a lot and Kelrian had held her hand from time to time. He had also told her that everything will be fine. It wasn't required because Sylvanas knew she would make it. Still, she found it cute that he was worried about her so much.

This proved her that he was regarding her more than a friend or than his mentor. The looks he was giving her told her that he had feelings for her. She had already known this before because he had told her that he had similar feelings for her. Still, it made her happy to see that he wanted her as well.

They hadn't looked at the other or had hold hands whenever someone had come in their room. Fortunately for them, it hadn't happened often. Lynlia had come to exchange Sylvanas' bandage and Vasina had come to them from time to time and had asked them if they needed something. They had been able to spend the rest of the time alone in the guest room. They hadn't talked about their feelings for the other because Sylvanas had been afraid that one member of the family could hear them while being near the room.

Sylvanas knew that she had to be patient. She will talk to Kelrian about everything at the right moment. She will ask him out and find out how serious he meant things with her. She was hoping that she could convince himof a secret relationship. It wouldn't be easy, she knew that for sure but it was better than not having a relationship. Not to mention that a secret relationship would be better than a public relationship which could have consequences for both of them. Good and bad consequences, probably.

The door was opened and a priestess entered the room. She was wearing a blue dress and a beautiful necklace which was wrapped around her neck. She was beautiful and looked familiar to Sylvanas even though she had never seen her before.

Sylvanas tilted her head a little, regarding the priestess from head to toe. She looked so familiar to her but she couldn't remember who she was nor where she had seen her before. She turned her head to Kelrian, noticing that his face reflected surprise. She looked back at the priestess, noticing that she made a face of disgust as her gaze landed on Kelrian.

Sylvanas assumed that this woman was either a member of his family or a former lover. "Who is this?" she asked as she looked at her love interest.

Kelrian hesitated for a few moments. "This is my older sister Sydori" he said then he looked at his sister who was still signalizing him that she was not pleased to see him. Like her parents, she considered him a disgrace to their family. Her gaze rested on her little brother longer than necessary before it shifted to Sylvanas. Her disgusted facial expression was replaced by concern but also by admiration.

It was unmistakable that it was an honour for her to see Sylvanas. She was one of the many who admired Sylvanas and regarded her as their role model. She rushed over to Sylvanas, pushing Kelrian aside, causing that he nearly fell onto the floor. At least, he was able to catch himself at the last moment. He was giving her an annoyed look but Sydori had already turned away from him so she couldn't see it. She didn't hesitate and removed the bandages which covered the Ranger-General's upper thigh, then she started to heal the wound immediately.

Sylvanas knew that this will take a few minutes, so she made sure that she laid in a comfortable position. "What happened?" asked Sydori.

"We got surprised by trolls while we followed the tracks of bandits" explained Sylvanas.

"Did the trolls wounded you or was it my useless brother?"

Sylvanas didn't answer, instead, she frowned. Her eyes didn't leave Sydori who didn't seem to feel bad for having insulted Kelrian in the presence of his mentor.

"Knowing him well enough, it could be possible that h hit you instead of his targets. Kelrian was never good at anything. He always sucked no matter what he was doing" added Sydori.

Sylvanas was still frowning, giving the priestess a very confused look. She was asking herself if Sydori was serious about this but then she remembered that Kelrian had told her about his family from time to time. His older siblings and his parents weren't fond of him since he had decided to become a Farstrider against the will of his father.

It surprised Sylvanas that Sydori was brave enough to insult one of her recruits in front of her eyes. It seemed that she had inherited such behaviour from her father. Her father had insulted Sylvanas on their first meeting. He had offered her to have sex with him in exchange for his signature on Kelrian's agreement, which he had needed to join the Farstriders.

"Well, it seems that you are not informed at all. Kelrian is one of the best recruits I currently have" responded Sylvanas eventually.

"Are you sure about this?" Sydori asked.

Sylvanas was not sure if she was doing this to provoke her, to make fun of Kelrian and make him feel bad or if she did this because she really believed that her brother was a loser. But Sylvanas knew the truth. Kelrian was everything but a loser. He was very skilful, likeable and friendly. His sister on the other hand...seemed to be an arrogant bitch, who begrudged the success and the skill of her brother.

"I'm Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner, I'm very good at assessing if someone has talent or not. Kelrian is a very skilled and determined recruit. He will become a very successful and popular ranger one day. I would really appreciate if you would stop insulting him"

"Sorry, Ranger-General" she muttered. Sylvanas didn't need to look into her eyes to know that she was not really sorry about this. She had only said this to prevent that Sylvanas would get angry at her. Sylvanas had become angry but she didn't show it. She didn't say anything to Sydori but that didn't mean she wouldn't talk to her about this if she would catch her insulting him again. She didn't want to start an argument while being healed by her. She was just hoping that Sydori wouldn't insult Kelrian again, at least not in front of her or other rangers and recruits.

Sydori didn't make any negative comments about Kelrian during the few minutes she needed to heal the wounds in Sylvanas' left upper arm and left upper thigh. Sylvanas thanked her, getting up after she was done. "You shouldn't overtax yourself, Ranger-General. Your body needs time to rest"

"I know but thanks for reminding me"

"You are welcome" she said and lowered her head in respect.

Sydori remained in the room and looked at her longer than necessary. It didn't seem that she intended to leave the room. Sylvanas signalized her that she was dismissed, giving her a thankful nod. Sydori gave Sylvanas a barely recognizable smirk, then she looked at Kelrian. She regarded him with narrowed eyes for a few moments before she walked out of the room.

Sylvanas stared at the room's exit for a few moments before she turned around to look at Kelrian who was leaning against a wall.

"Your sister is a..."

"...complicated person" finished Kelrian before Sylvanas could say anything negative about her.

"Yeah, kind of"

"You wanted to use other words to describe her, right?" asked Kelrian curiously.

"Yes, I guess"

"I know she is a bitch but she is still my sister. I don't hate her"

"Even though she is regarding you like shit?" asked Sylvanas, regarding him with a slightly confused expression on her face.

"Well, she is not treating me like shit, she..." he started but he stopped speaking as he saw that Sylvanas was frowning. "Okay" he admitted after a few moments. "She treats me differently but she is still my sister. I don't hate her for this"

"Teasing and making fun of the other is okay between friends and siblings. I'm calling Alleria a lot of things but she knows that I only make fun of her. Your sister, on the other hand, is not joking. She doesn't like you at all"

"I know but what can I do about it?" he asked rhetorically.

"Well, I don't think talking would change anything" Sylvanas took a deep breath, making a thoughtful face. "I've no clue, to be honest"

"See" he said as he stood up and came closer to her. He sat down on the bed, looking at the guest room's exit to make sure that nobody was seeing them. He leaned in until his mouth was only a few inches away from her right ear. "I don't need my family's support. I became a recruit without their help. I don't need them to be happy. I'm happy as long as I have you"

He pulled away, giving her a shy smile which she returned. "I'm happy to have you too" she whispered, standing up a few seconds later. She moved her left leg and her left arm carefully, smiling as she noticed that she was able to move them without feeling pain. She looked at Kelrian, noticing that he was smiling as well.

"You should still take things easy. My sister might be an arrogant bitch but she is right about this. She belongs to the best priests of my family so she knows what she is talking about. You need at least one or two days of rest before you can start training and fighting again"

"Did I miss something? Did we swap roles or what? Are you the Ranger-General now and I am the recruit?" Sylvanas asked teasingly, a wide smirk was visible on her lips.

"I..."

"It was a joke, Kel. I know that you are just worried about me. I find it cute and I'm glad that I mean something to you. I'm glad that I'm more than a friend or a mentor to you" she said, her voice was barely louder than a whisper.

"You are, indeed. You told me that we will speak about this when we are alone" he whispered.

"We will talk later. Promised. She stared into his eyes, smiling at him. He returned her stare, noticing that he was about to get lost forever in her eyes. She cleared her throat after a while, bringing him back to the present. "We should go. I won't overtax my leg if I ride. Let's ask the farmer for two horses so we can return to Fairbreeze Village. I'm pretty sure the others are already waiting for us. I also think they are afraid that something happened to us"

"Probably" said Kelrian as he walked with Sylvanas through the room's exit and closed the door behind her.