Chapter 38: Reminder Of The Past

The sun was shining brightly, the temperature outside was warm. The twittering of birds could be heard in the far. It had been a while since Alleria had last heard these beautiful sounds. She hadn't heard them for about a year because the birds had left Quel'Thalas when the undead army had invaded it.

Now, almost one and a half year later, they had returned to Quel'Thalas. But not only them. Other animal races like boars, deer, rabbits and lynxes had returned too. A real miracle. Like all sin'dorei, Alleria loved nature. She loved the plants and most animals. Her connection to nature was getting stronger slowly. She was sure that one day it would be as strong as it used to be.

She had always loved to regard the animals that lived in the forests of Quel'Thalas. She still loved to do it but she rarely had the time to do that these days. She was always busy. She had to rule the sin'dorei while the king was still on Outland with the half-demon half-night elf Illidan Stormrage. The king was fighting with their newest allies against the demons that that possessed Outland. She hadn't heard of him since then. She had no idea if he was still alive nor did she know if they were still fighting the demons or if they had already defeated them.

Ruling over the sin'dorei was not an easy task. She not only had to make sure that all citizens had enough to eat but she also had to defend them from the Scourge that was attacking the villages from time to time. Five villages had been reconquered so far and all of them had been turned into small fortresses. They were surrounded by walls made of wood or stone and at least one tower stood in each of them. Lookout towers had been built near these villages and Farstriders were riding through the area all day and night. There were enough patrols who were keeping an eye out for any foe that might come too close to one of these villages.

She also had to organise the reconstruction of Silvermoon City and Quel'Danas. The workers were repairing and reconstructing houses and buildings that had been damaged or destroyed. They had been working on the eastern half of the Silvermoon City for a year and still, it was not even close to being completed. They will need at least a few more years to reconstruct the whole city. The walls were intact at least, making it impossible for any Scourge minion or any troll to get in the eastern half of the capital. The citizens were protected. Their safety was Alleria's number one priority.

Then came the reconstruction of Silvermoon and reconquest of their lost territories. Freeing Quel'Thalas from the Scourge was important too but not as important as the safety of the survivors. She wouldn't risk the lives of her people for anything. She would only send out the remains of the army if she was sure that they would be victorious without losing too many soldiers. Reclaiming all lost territories will be a slow process. But she was a patient person so she had no problems with that.

She leaned back in her chair and picked up the document that laid on her desk. She had read it three times already but she still couldn't believe what was written there. She read the last paragraphs again.

*I accept your offer. I'm looking forward to meeting you in person. We share a common interest and a common enemy. We want to free Azeroth from the Scourge and bring peace to our people. We are on the same side. I may have never met you before but I still trust you. I trust your king and he trusts me.

We have been working together successfully, so I believe our alliance will be successful as well. If you allow, I will come to Silvermoon City to see for myself how extensive the damage caused by the Scourge really is. I assume you need resources to rebuild your shattered kingdom. We have enough resources which we can give you for free. But we will discuss that as soon as we meet.

Yours sincerely Malfurion Stormrage, Archdruid of Moonglade and Co-ruler of the Kaldorei.*

Beneath his signature was his seal. The letter was real. It was not a fake. She had only exchanged a few letters with the co-leader of the night elves and he had already agreed to her idea of forming an alliance. She had never met him but from what Kael'thas had told her, she knew she could trust him. She was sure he was exactly as the king had described him. A brave, just man who wanted to protect Azeroth by every means. She will soon find out if what Kael'thas had told her in his letters was true when she would meet him. She liked the idea of him visiting Silvermoon City, so she didn't hesitate to write a response in which she told him that he could come whenever he wanted.

She put the letter in an envelope and sealed it, calling for one of her servants. A young blonde woman arrived and greeted her. Alleria greeted her in return and gave her the envelope, telling her to seek out a messenger who should take a portal and bring it to Malfurion. The servant nodded and hurried away.

Alleria closed the door and walked back to her desk. She sat down on her chair and took a document from the stacks of documents on the left side of the desk. She started reading it but stopped as she heard knocks at the door. She lifted her head and looked at the door. "Come in," she shouted.

The door was opened a moment later and a familiar person came in. She had long silver hair, beautiful blue glowing eyes and flawless pink skin. She wore a blue dress which accentuated her slim figure perfectly. Alleria got up and met her sister halfway, pulling her in a tight hug. She pulled away after nearly three minutes and stared into Vereesa's eyes, smiling at her. "You are finally here, Little Moon."

"I'm sorry that I didn't make it earlier. Rhonin returned later than I have expected, so I had to stay at home much longer because I had to look after Giramar and Galadin," said Vereesa.

"It's alright, Vereesa. Come take a seat," Alleria responded, pointing at one of the two chairs in front of her desk. Vereesa didn't hesitate to sit down and wrap one of her legs over the other. Alleria poured moonberry juice in two glasses and handed one of them to Vereesa before she sat down on her chair.

"How are the little ones doing?"

"They are doing fine. They just learned to walk on their own. They are not very fast but that's fine. They are making progress, I'm so proud of them."

Alleria smiled. "They are so cute. I have to visit them when I have the time but as you know, I'm very busy these days."

"It's not easy to be the Regent Lady of Quel'Thalas. You have lots of responsibilities and there is much you have to do that costs a lot of time."

Alleria nodded. "But I'm fine with that. There is not much I can do in my free time since Turalyon's disappearance..." Her voice became much quieter and sadder. "We haven't heard of him since the fall of Quel'Danas. It's not unlikely that he is one of them..."

Vereesa put a hand on one of Alleria's hands and gave her a comforting look as she caressed it. "I'm so sorry, Lady Sun."

Alleria gave her younger sister a weak smile. "You don't have to be sorry, Little Moon. You didn't do anything wrong. It was that bastard Arthas who left our homeland in ruins and split our family. Lyndia, uncle Zelastor and our dear sister have been killed and brought back by that sadist. But they broke free from the Scourge at least."

"They want to fight the Scourge, don't they? So Sylvanas is not our enemy, right? Vereesa asked. Her blue eyes were wide and reflected curiosity but also a small amount of worry.

"It seems she is not our enemy but we have to find out for ourselves. I thought about inviting her to Silvermoon but I'm afraid of the reaction of our people if the undead would enter Silvermoon. Only one and a half year passed since the fall of Quel'Thalas. Maybe it's too soon..."

A thoughtful look appeared on Vereesa's face. She toyed with her wedding ring while thinking about what her sister had said. "What if we meet her outside of Silvermoon? Just the two of us and a few rangers and mages as back up. What do you think?"

Alleria was silent for a few moments as she thought about her sister's suggestion. "That's not a bad idea. Where do we meet her?"

"If Windrunner Spire wouldn't be occupied by the Scourge I would meet her there. Windrunner Village also belongs to the Scourge so that's not an option either. What about Suncrown Village? It's Kelrian's home village. We've liberated it from the possession of the Scourge a few days ago and the citizens haven't occupied it yet. It's an empty village which makes it to the perfect location to meet Sylvanas."

Alleria took a sip from her moonberry juice. "Your idea is good, Vereesa. We should meet her there if she wants to see us."

"I hope she does."

Alleria nodded, putting a strand of golden hair behind her ear. "I hope the same. I want to meet her but at the same time, I'm afraid to meet her. I don't want to imagine how much she has changed. Everything that Arthas did to her must have left marks on her. We can't expect Sylvanas to still be the same. She has changed for sure. The question is: How much of the sister we loved still exists in the Banshee Queen? Can we still recognize her or has she completely changed? I'm scared to meet her, but at the same time I'm looking forward to meeting her."

Vereesa put her other hand on Alleria's and intertwined their fingers, staring into her older sister's eyes. "I feel the same, Alleria. I'm also afraid that Sylvanas changed too much. None of us can imagine what the torment Arthas put her through did to her. I don't have high hopes but I still pray for the best outcome."

"I doubt we can expect Sylvanas to hug us or make a similar gesture. It seems that we have to find out what she has become. We have to find out if we can trust her and if she and her Forsaken are suited to be our allies."

"Do you think our people want to work with the Forsaken? They are undead after all..."

Alleria took a deep breath, staring at her fingers for a few moments before she looked back at her sister. "I doubt everyone will be happy about an alliance with the undead but I'm sure most people will accept it with time. Our people loved Sylvanas in life and followed her to the bitter end so I hope they will accept an alliance with the Forsaken when they find out that their beloved Ranger-General, or what is left of her, is leading them. It won't be easy but I'm certain we can do it. Even the king believes that Sylvanas is on our side. He has accepted her as she is, we only have to tell that to our people. We have to convince them that Sylvanas is not evil but first we have to find out if that's true."

"I will support you whenever I can, sis," Vereesa said determinately.

Alleria gave her a small smile. "I'm glad you do."

"We must stick together in these dark times. I'm your sister so I have to support you, especially because our once big family is not so big anymore. Arator, Raesh, Giramar, Galadin, Rhonin, Zendarin, Kelrian, father, you and I are the only ones who are left. The rest is either dead or undead. Before the Second War, our family consisted of over one hundred and fifty members. Now only a small fraction of our family is left," told the silver-haired woman.

"You are right, Vereesa. Sticking together is more important than ever in these dark times."

Vereesa didn't respond. She just sat there and regarded her older sister who looked sadder than before. Alleria was silent for a few minutes but then she started to speak. "I accepted Kael'thas' offer to become the Regent Lady because our people needed an experienced leader in these dark times. He knew there was no one better suited for this position than me. I have by far the most experience in all important aspects. I could have refused it but I didn't. I accepted the position for the greater good but mostly because I had the assumption that mother would have wanted me to do that. I have already refused to become the Ranger-General so I couldn't refuse this position too. It didn't feel right to reject his request."

Alleria made a small pause and then continued. "I owe it to Sylvanas. If I wouldn't have turned down my mother's request to succeed her, Sylvanas would have never become Ranger-General. She would have never led the troops in battle against the undead. She wouldn't have refused to retreat, she wouldn't have tried to defend the Second Gate by very means. She would have gone to Windrunner Village and Windrunner Spire to evacuate the inhabitants there. She wouldn't have died if I would have been Ranger-General..."

Vereesa raised an eyebrow, a confused expression could be seen on her beautiful face. "Are you implying that you feel responsible for Sylvanas' death? If you really think that then you are wrong. Sylvanas didn't die because she was Ranger-General. She died because Arthas murdered her. He is the only one who is responsible for her death. It's not your fault, sister. Don't blame yourself for her death, please. We lost so many good rangers during the invasion. She could have died too if she wouldn't have been Ranger-General. Her position wouldn't have mattered. Even as a Ranger-Captain, she would have refused to retreat and would have stayed to buy our people as much time as possible."

Vereesa put her hands on Alleria's cheeks, forcing her to look at her. She could see tears in the corners of Alleria's eyes. They didn't leave her eyes but they were still there. Alleria was very emotional and all Vereesa could do was to look at her and say soothing words to her. She managed to calm down her sister and prevented her from crying.

She walked around the desk and pulled her sister from her chair, hugging her. Alleria put her head on Vereesa's shoulder, wrapping her arms around her sister's upper body. She hugged her tightly and inhaled her lovely perfume, relaxing in her arms. They stayed like this for a while, the silence between them was comfortable.

They pulled away eventually, looking at each other. The silence between them was anything but comfortable this time. Alleria cleared her throat, putting one of her hands on the back of her head. Her voice was still thin but it no longer sounded sad. "Anyway... I'm glad I accepted Kael'thas' request. He was right about me being suited for this position. I think I'm doing my job well."

Vereesa gave her an agreeing nod. "You are."

Alleria sat down on her chair and Vereesa sat on the edge of her desk, regarding her older sister curiously. "Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage wants to visit Silvermoon," Alleria said.

Vereesa's eyes widened in surprise. "For real?"

Alleria nodded. "He agreed to form an alliance with us. He wants to visit Silvermoon and so we can talk about the details of our alliance."

"What about the humans and the dwarves?" Vereesa asked curiously.

"I sent messengers to Stormwind and to Ironforge but I didn't receive a reply yet. We have to be patient."

"When will we meet with Sylvanas?"

Alleria shrugged. "I have no idea, to be honest. I will send word to Sylvanas that we are interested to meet her. We have to wait for her reply. We already know that she wants to work with us. At least if what Lyndia said is true."

"She slew the traitor who let our brother die so I see no reason why Lyndia should lie to us."

"I agree with you, Little Moon. I have no doubt she is on our side but I still remain careful. You have to question everything in these dark times. We can't trust anyone blindly. We trusted Lordaeron and see where it led us. To be fair, nobody would have ever imagined that Arthas would betray his people and his allies. Nevertheless, it doesn't hurt to be very careful."

"You are right, Alleria. You always are."

Alleria smiled but said nothing in return.

"Would you like to come to Rhonin's and my house? The little ones would be happy to see you."

Alleria nodded. "I think I worked enough for the day. Let's go."

---

As usual, Sylvanas sat on her throne and was talking to citizens of Undercity. They asked her numerous questions, questions to which she didn't always have an answer. She helped them as best as she could, comforted them, calmed them down and told them that they didn't need to be worried. She told them that she had everything under control and would do anything to defeat the Scourge and kill Arthas. Some people were still worried but she didn't have the time to comfort every single one of them.

She was the queen of Undercity and not a therapist. Even if she would have the time, she wouldn't listen to every single one of them. Fortunately for her, Varimathras was there. He was usually the one who listened to the citizens when Sylvanas was busy or was not in the mood to listen to them. At this very moment, he was talking to a female Forsaken that had been a human in life. Sylvanas had no idea what they were talking about but that didn't bother her.

Sylvanas heard footsteps near the entrance to the throne room. She turned her head, spotting Lyndia who had just entered the room. She was uninjured and her clothes were still intact, telling Sylvanas that no big incidents had occurred during her journey. A small smile appeared on Sylvanas' lips as she gestured her niece to come to her. Lyndia obeyed and walked over to her, lowering her head in respect when she arrived. "I'm back, aunt."

"I assume your mission was successful," said Sylvanas.

"It was."

"What did my sister say? How did she behave?"

"She was careful at first but then she opened herself a little. She didn't say it but I got the impression that she misses you. She told me that she wants to see you."

"So she agrees to a meeting?" Sylvanas asked curiously.

"Well, she said to me she wants to speak to aunt Vereesa first and then she will send a message to you," the half-elf explained.

Sylvanas nodded. Deep inside her, she hoped Alleria would agree on a meeting. She would never admit to anyone that she missed her sisters and the rest of her family. She missed her children and Kelrian. She missed every member of her family. She knew that they would never be the close family they had once been again, but she wanted to see them at least. She wanted to know how they were doing.

"Good," was everything Sylvanas said in return.

"Aunt Alleria told me to give you something that belongs to you."

Sylvanas tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Lyndia took her backpack from her back and opened it, fishing out a little black box. She handed it over to Sylvanas who took it and regarded it curiously. She looked back at Lyndia. "What is it?"

"Open it and see for yourself, aunt."

Sylvanas opened it a little, her eyes widened as she saw what it was. She closed it immediately and got up from her throne, walking away quickly without telling anyone what was going on. The gazes of several Forsaken rested on her as she left, confusion was reflected by their faces. Sylvanas left the throne room and went to her private chamber, ignoring the facial expressions of the guards in front of it. She pushed the door open and slammed it behind her. She went to her desk and sat down on a chair.

She unfolded her hands, looking at the small box. She didn't do anything for the first few minutes but then she opened it and regarded the object in it. It was a ring. A special ring. It was a silver ring with a blue crystal attached to it. Faithful Love Will Ever Last was engraved in the ring's inside.

It was a wedding ring. Kelrian's wedding ring which he had given to her before he went to Windrunner Spire to bring their family to safety. Arthas had pulled the ring from her wedding finger and had thrown it in the blood-soaked grass before he had ordered his servants to bring her body away. The ring was all that Sylvanas had left of Kelrian. She had no other items that had once belonged to him. No photos or paintings and no jewellery that he had once gifted her. The ring was the only personal item she had carried with her when she had been murdered.

Sylvanas stared at the object. She couldn't believe that she finally had it back. She had thought she had lost it forever. She had ordered Verena and her best dark rangers to search for it but none of them had found it. She had been furious when they had returned with empty hands. She had it back finally. The object she had wanted back so desperately. She had it. Finally.

A tear ran down Sylvanas' cheek as she regarded it. She didn't wipe it away. She didn't need to because it turned to dust before it reached her chin. She had no idea why she was so emotional at this very moment. She hated being emotional but there was nothing she could about it. Memories flooded her mind. Memories about her and Kelrian.

They day they met, the day he became her recruit, the day she visited him in the hospital, their first kiss, their first night, his proposal, their wedding, their wedding night and so many other memories, which meant a lot to Sylvanas, crossed her mind.

Sylvanas couldn't stop herself from breaking out in tears. She missed Kelrian. She missed him so much but she couldn't see him. She had no idea where he was. She didn't know if he was still alive nor did she know if he would ever return. She had no idea if she would ever see him again. Even if she would meet him, she had no idea what will happen.

She was afraid he would reject her. She was afraid he would see her as a monster and would choose someone else over her. She was afraid he would prefer being together with a living person than with an undead corpse like her. She was afraid that Elena had already seduced him and made him hers. She knew she had promised him to move on but she no longer wanted to see him with another woman. She wanted him all for herself. She didn't want to share him with a whore like Elena. She hated that woman more than anyone else.

She was sad. Jealous and sad. She hoped that Elena would just vanish so that she could have Kelrian for herself. She wouldn't mind if Elena would die in one of the battles she would attend in the future. Deeply inside her, she hoped something bad would happen to Elena. Even if she would have to kill Elena herself... It would be a necessary step to win Kelrian for herself. She wouldn't shrink back from doing extreme things to achieve her goals.

Sylvanas wiped the tears from her face and got up from her chair. She regarded the ring, debating if she should put it on her finger or not. She took it out of the box and put it on her palm. The ring was cold but not as cold as her skin. She regarded it for a few minutes and ran her fingers over the crystal. She put it back in the box and closed it. She opened one of the drawers of the desk and put the box in it. She hesitated for a short moment before she closed the drawer and locked it.

She walked to the door and left the room without hesitation.

---

They stood on top of the Black Temple and regarded their surroundings. Rocks were floating in the air, the sky was blood red but partly covered by clouds. It seemed that a storm was coming. Kelrian had never seen a storm on Outland before. At least not a natural storm. This storm didn't seem to be natural, the origin was definitely magical. Someone or something was creating it but he had no idea who or what was responsible for that. He felt a powerful aura. A very powerful aura that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Something terrible is drawing near," Kelrian muttered and turned his head to look at those standing near him. Illidan, Tyrande, Lady Vashj and his father were standing there and looking at the horizon. A bright light appeared out of nowhere and blinded him and the other. The bright light vanished eventually but the elves and the naga had to wait for a few more seconds until their vision was normal again.

Kelrian's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the tall creature standing in front of them. It was not standing on top of the Black Temple. It was standing on the ground behind it. It was double the size of the temple, its skin was dark red and its body was covered by black-golden armour. Huge horns came out of its head, four tendrils came out of its chin. It had huge wings, a tail and hooves instead of feet. It was a male and he didn't look pleasured.

"Kil'jaeden...," Illidan whispered quietly. Kelrian looked at his master, noticing that he looked scared. He had never seen Illidan scared before, he had always believed that he was fearless. It seems he had been wrong. Illidan was afraid of that demon.

Kil'jaeden stepped closer to the temple, putting one of his hands on the top. "Illidan...You failed to destroy the Frozen Throne as I commanded. And still, you thought to hide from me in this forsaken backwater. I thought you to be more cunning."

Illidan was shaking, his voice was trembling. "Lord Kil'jaeden... I was merely set back. I was attempting to bolster my forces. The Lich King will be destroyed, I promise you."

Kil'jaeden tilted his head a little. "Oh really?" He let his eyes wander over those who accompanied Illidan, taking a close look at them. "These servitors you've gathered show some promise. I will give you one last chance, Illidan. Destroy the Frozen Throne, or face my eternal wrath." His voice sounded dangerous and threatening.

He regarded Illidan for the last time before he disappeared suddenly. Illidan was silent so was everyone else. Tyrande stepped to him and regarded him, a worried expression could be seen on her face. "That was your former master, right?" she asked.

Illidan nodded. "I thought by closing all portals and taking control over Outland, I could hide from him but he found me nevertheless and even managed to set foot on Outland. I have no idea how he managed to do that..."

Tyrande put her hand on his left cheek. Her touch and her presence were enough to comfort him. "We are here for you and support you whenever we can," she said softly. Illidan nodded at her and put a hand on her cheek, caressing it. He didn't care that Lady Vashj, Kael'thas and Kelrian were seeing them. It was just a matter of time until someone would find out about his relationship with Tyrande. He couldn't hide it forever, so he didn't care that they were seeming him and Tyrande being so close.

"We have no other choice than obeying your former master, right?" asked Tyrande.

Illidan sighed. "We have to obey him but that shouldn't be a problem because all of us want to destroy the Lich King. We have to succeed if we don't want to face Kil'jaeden's wrath."

"Arthas has to pay for his crimes," said Kelrian. "He has to pay for destroying Quel'Thalas and killing ninety percent of its population. He has to pay for corrupting the Sunwell and taking away this essential source of power from us. He must pay for all that he has done".

Illidan nodded. "He will pay," he said determinedly. "Are you ready to follow me into the cold heart of death itself?"

Lady Vashj and Kael'thas came closer to Illidan. "The naga are yours to command, Lord Illidan. Where you go, we follow," said the serpent.

"The blood elves are yours, as well, master. We will drive the Scourge before us and shatter the Frozen Throne as you command."

A small smile appeared on Illidan's lips. "Then we shall prepare our forces and set off to Azeroth. To Northrend."