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Both Sides Now	By : Firefall_Varuna Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 4996 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft, races, characters, settings, or themes presented within. I do not make money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 15
- 16
- 17
Chapter 16 – Northrend

Una awoke suddenly; alarmed but yet unsure what had awakened her.
For the span of several heartbeats, she had been certain she had been in her old quarters in the barracks, the sea air wafting through her curtains as she awaited the chime of her alarm clock. It was the lack of the comforting, soft ticking that made her aware she was not there. The occasional whiffs of foul odor and the periodic muffled shouts from above were out of place too.
Deep, booming groans and staccato creaks, like that of stressed wood, came and went. She could swear there was breathing around her. No, there really was soft, steady breathing around her but the wood was still creaking. A communal room? No…
Una groggily pushed herself upright, somewhat exasperated by whatever she was sleeping in. The heavy, quilted thing prevented her from rising easily and curled firmly around her.
Wood paneling covered every inch around her, broken by darkened, shapeless forms hanging from the ceiling. A shaft of brilliant light illuminated one corner of the gloom, a set of steeply pitched stairs outlined amid the brightness. Shadows fell across it regularly, but never lingered. Regular too was the trickle of water that splattered the treads and brought the scents of seawater.
Her surroundings shuddered with a muffled roar. For a moment, she felt weightless. Then unnaturally pressed into the cocoon of canvas.
It was over as quickly as it began. Heart pounding furiously, she braced herself for what might happen next.
Anaru made a low whistle, “High seas this morning.” She couldn’t see her cousin, but he was somewhere nearby.
“Aye.”
Una tentatively released her death grip on the canvas. She sighed at herself in exasperation and buried her face in her cowl. After weeks at sea, she shouldn’t be surprised to find herself on The Providence every morning, startled by the movements and sounds of ship and ocean.
Una felt her pulse quicken as the ship moved beneath her once again. She knew it was virtually impossible to be thrown from a slung hammock, but it did nothing to stop that momentary, instinctive terror.
Anaru gave a short cry of warning and exclaimed incredulously, “That can wait!”
“Of course. How… foolish of me.” Ashal Orlinde replied in his typical, laconic manner. She knew that tone all too well. He’d been caught in the midst of something really dumb and was defending himself through sarcasm.
If Anaru responded, she couldn’t tell, though she could easily imagine her cousin rolling his eyes.
Her life seemed as though it had separated into distinct sections. Her childhood memories and even those of her life before joining the Argent Dawn all felt like they had happened to someone else. Those six months in the Argent Dawn, traveling the world in a mobile strike team were a lifetime ago. Then her injury and stay in Quel’thalas.
Indeed, moments like this were that made even her most recent memories seem unreal and ephemeral – as though she had indeed lay in her bed and imagined the whole thing.
A door slammed open. Una startled. The noises from above grew abruptly louder. Wind howled and seas roared. Bitter salt air rushed down the stairs. The boom and crash of waves against wood punctuating the latest rise and fall of the ship.
Then sudden quiet. A shadow fell across the light and this time it did linger, heavy steps of hooves against wooden treads, bobbing steadily, growing until a dark form eclipsed the light entirely.
“We’ll make landfall today.” Hakander’s voice announced breathlessly. Seawater splattered the treads and dripped from his massive oiled coat and from his muscular tail.
She could barely keep her footing below decks even on normal seas, but it didn’t seem to trouble the Draenei. He seemed to exult in the cold, the pulse of the ocean, and roar of the winds. Hakander never seemed to stumble, slip, or lose his footing. He was solid and poised.
Una blinked the remaining drowsiness from her eyes and strained to listen to the hushed conversation that would likely follow. Even the bald humanoid’s words sounded drenched! Why had he been above deck?
However, no conversation followed the Vindicator’s decree – at least any she heard. Hakander shrugged off his sodden coat and hung it beside the staircase. There were soft steps, rustles and sighs as the men brushed past sleeping troops, and then soft footfalls ascended the stairs to the upper deck.
Una cursed her luck, having woken up too late to hear anything of interest.
Hands grasped the bulkhead near her head with a smack. Anaru’s smiling face greeted her, “Private! You awake?”
“Yeah…” Una froze when she realized she’d forgotten to address her cousin properly.
“Come with me.” The elder paladin ordered before she could correct the gaffe.
“Yes, Sir.” Una nodded and her cousin slipped away, only to appear a moment later in the bright shaft of light that lead above deck, bounding up the steps without bothering a handhold. The young woman felt a pang of disgust at her cousin’s grace. She would have managed to fall on her face.
Though, that possibility was still very much present. Previously, Una had traveled on passenger and merchant ships. Those ships usually had berths at the very least. This was her first time on a troop transport vessel. The ceilings were low, perhaps only seven feet from deck to beams, and hammocks were often closely slung to fit the troops and sailors.
Ashal had taken great pleasure in informing all present that they had been six feet or less before the coming of Kal’dorei and Draenei.
The young elf had been upset, though she’d fought to restrain herself. Instead, she had confided in her cousin her fears that she would fall on someone at some point. To mollify her, Anaru had rearranged hammocks until her hammock hung somewhat apart. However, it still left her in a quandary every time she went to bed and arose.
Una took a deep breath and glanced around appraisingly, licking her lips. There was an order of operations she needed to perform to get into her hammock: Grasp the beam, pull herself up in a hanging pushup, swing her legs into the hammock while avoiding getting her feet caught, and lower herself into place. To get out, the process was reversed. It was something she had to think about each and every time.
First week at sea, Una had unwittingly found herself entertainment for troops and sailors alike. If she didn’t fall getting into her hammock, she’d fall getting out. If she didn’t fall, she couldn’t get her feet in or out without getting caught. Every night, to her embarrassment, she had gone to bed accompanied by laughter. Naturally, now that she could more or less perform the maneuver flawlessly, their voyage was at an end.
Una dropped lightly to the deck, staggered, and breathed an audible sigh of relief. Someone badly covered a loud snicker, only managing to lessen it to a few snorts. She made a rude gesture in the vague direction of the laugh and trudged her way to and up the stairs.
The high elf felt her stomach give an unhappy lurch as the ship rose and fell over another wave.
She reminded herself sternly that an experienced crew manned The Providence and the vessel itself was built for arctic waters. However, the mental command did nothing to dispel the disquiet she felt as the pre-dawn ocean came into view through the door.
There was nothing but their fleet and wind-whipped, white-capped, cobalt water that stretched on as far as the eye could see. In the distance rose and fell the unmistakable shapes of icebergs and pack ice, some easily larger than any ship in the fleet. There were no signs of life, glimpses of land, or even seabirds. Not even the distant twinkle of a lighthouse.
Seawater mercilessly pounded the door, turning the glass nearly opaque.
“You should see this!” Anaru said breathlessly, fascinated by the wind and waves, as he grasped the doorframe to steady himself. “By the Light! This is… incredible!” He was as anxious as she was, perhaps more, but couldn’t seem to tear himself from the vista.
She felt herself pale and shook her head fervently, “I’d rather not.” The younger paladin was acutely aware she was neither a sailor nor a fish.
Even in the south, ships had gone to the bottom in conditions less foul than this. Crews from the northern whaling fleet occasionally made port and took great delight in recounting their exploits at sea. They had said the arctic was especially bad in spring. The seas alone were cold enough that if someone went overboard their survival could be counted in mere minutes before hypothermia claimed them.
The ship rose and fell once more and with it her stomach. Anaru finally shook himself from the scene and held out his hand. Her hands ached from her white-knuckled grip on the rail but she had to force herself to let go. His hand was warm and dampened with sweat. With the next wave, she abandoned all pretext and clung to his entire arm.
She feared they were going to outside, onto the deck. Hakander had clearly been outside. However, Anaru confidently led her through a maze of narrow corridors to the aft war-room under the captain’s quarters. Hakander, Ash, and Captain Natalia Atkinson already stood before a table littered with charts. Una reluctantly released her cousin to come to attention.
“Good morning, Captain Whitebrook.” Captain Atkinson greeted, returning their salutes with a hand wrapped in thick, stained bandages.
“Good morning. Lieutenant Hakander tells me we’re expected to make landfall.” Anaru replied. “But first, Private Whitebrook will have a look at your hand.”
“Thank you.” Captain Atkinson said, beckoning her forward. The woman clearly disliked elves; though, the attitude Una had grown accustomed to was absent.
“What happened?” Una asked, gingerly taking the woman’s hand and pushing her sleeve up.
“Caught it in a door…” Atkinson remarked in an offhanded way, her voice tight as the High Elf woman peeled the bandages away. The Captain herself had set the bones, probably. Una felt sickened for the pain she must be experiencing.
“Light!” Una exclaimed, “That must have been some door!”
Atkinson’s nostrils flared at the remark. Una ignored the expression and set to work.
It was difficult not to spend time meticulously examining the wound, as she once would have done. Rune had told her that having medical expertise, while absolutely vital, was also a distraction for her. The what and why of the injury and how to treat it was taking her focus away from what she could do. Or rather: what the Light could do.
Rune had encouraged her to go back to basics. Not to the point of forsaking any of her training, but rather refocus and unify both sides of her skills. The Light knew what needed to be done. All she had to do was ask for its help.
Bowing her head, Una did just that. The Light rose within her readily, coming to her silent prayers to mend the wounded woman. The paladin allowed herself to sink into a trance, focusing her magic into the wounded flesh in her hands.
The holy energy filling her was beautiful, pure, full of grace, and indescribably right. She always felt so alive when she did this. So often, Una could describe herself as feeling empty and hollow. Filled with the Light, she was part of something so much larger.
Una opened her eyes with a sigh, only slightly surprised at how much time had passed. She had come to kneel upon the deck, probably sinking to her knees as the ship plowed through another mammoth wave. The hand that was pulled from her grasp was whole and strong, the woman’s skin fresh and unmarred.
“Good work… Private.” Captain Atkinson said briskly as Una climbed to her feet. It was a small but pleasant surprise to hear the word her title this time, rather than “elf.”
“Thank you, Captain.” As usual, her words were far more confident and composed than her thoughts. She was reveling and in awe of what she had done.
“Yes, good work.” Anaru echoed with a proud grin. “Return to the troop deck to await landfall.” Ashal was stoic as ever as he merely nodded, but Hakander was beaming.
“Yes, Sir.” She bowed slightly to the others, “Captain. Lieutenant Hakander; Lieutenant Orlinde.” The brown haired paladin saluted respectfully and slipped out the door.
As she shut the door behind her, Una suppressed the urge to giggle like a schoolgirl. It wasn’t the first time she had healed someone in the same manner, but it was the first time she’d have a chance to do it in front of her superiors. It wasn’t a huge change, just a different way of thinking. But, who would have thought such a minor change would yield such results? Anaru’s praise was bolstering enough, but to earn a smile like that from Hakander?
Feeling oddly flustered, she began making her way back to the troop deck.
The ship lurched over yet another wave. Una swallowed the cry that almost escaped. The high elf instinctively braced herself against the wall.
Forcing herself not to look anywhere that might contain porthole – or worse, a full window – Una opted to stare at the ceiling instead. Her heart was racing.
Her ears were pressed tight against the wood paneling, rubbing uncomfortably as the ship moved. Her hands and back ached ferociously from the act of bracing herself. For all the discomfort, she was afraid to pull away.
It was all too easy to let her imagination run wild, each scenario worse than the previous. The ship listing and sinking, the rush of water surging through the wood paneled passages… She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly from her nose. Una stared at a point near the ceiling, where the elegant honey-colored paneling and scrollwork met the equally ornate ceiling. The scrollwork was painted a vivid crimson, the stylized Lordaeron “L” appearing every few feet in a slightly deeper hue of scarlet…
There was a lot of red on this ship.
The observation came from nowhere and Una cringed at her foolishness. Of course there would be red everywhere… The Providence and her crew were formerly part of the Scarlet Crusade. Most of the ships in the fleet had been at some point.

Steeling herself, Una set off through the maze of corridors back to her end of the ship. It took several tries and wrong way turns before she found herself passing by the windows and then her staircase. Una held her hand up to her face in an effort to block her view of the ocean.
Rune was probably awake by now. If she didn’t come to him gushing cheer, he would tease her mercilessly. He still played the fool, though she knew him to be anything but one.

Una’s boot hit the first water-slick tread and the ship creaked ominously. A shudder. A muffled roar. She lurched forward and her boot skimmed the next board.
She clutched the rail. But the walls rushed past.
Rune’s surprised face.
His arms snapped around her. The Blood Elf staggered backwards a few paces and sat down hard.
“I just knew you’d fall for me eventually!” Rune laughed breathlessly. She clutched his brocade-clad arms, trembling. Her forehead started to sting and right hand burned. Boisterous laughter made her bow her head in shame.
“Lass, are ye alright?” One of the men called over the laughter.
“Are you hurt?” Rune echoed, his arms tightening around her.
“I’m fine.” She answered weakly. Rune didn’t look convinced or assured. One immaculately groomed, strawberry blond eyebrow lifted inquiringly.
“See, boys!” Ludger bellowed in laughter before Rune could ask, “Our Lucky Charm at work! She falls on ‘er face so the resta us dun fall down dead!”
“… I am going to kill him,” Una growled pithily in Thalassian.
A snort was the only reply from the blond healer as he released her. After rising, he paused to tug on the hem of his shirt to straighten it, his lips mashed together as he tried not to laugh.
The dwarf in question was sitting at a heavy, oaken table nearby with the other dwarves of her platoon. They had hardly spoken with each other in Menethil Harbor. Thus, it still boggled Una’s mind to see them together, acting as though they were the best of friends.
Ludger was known for his manic love of anything that exploded, as she’d noticed that first mission all those months ago. He was cheerful, eccentric, and perhaps a little touched in the head.
The demolitionist had taken to referring to her as their “lucky charm” the very night Ashal, Runean, and she had arrived in the Wetlands. She was lucky, the dwarf had insisted. It didn’t make sense to her. Her clumsy nature wasn’t any indication of inborn luck. Considering how disastrous her first mission had gone, she certainly hadn’t granted any luck to the team. Neither did it add up with the futile missions nor her near fatal encounter in the Plaguelands.
The men had suggested that logic frequently had no place in a conversation with Ludger. Una could believe it. Though she wished he wouldn’t make such a big deal when she did something clumsy.
By contrast, former Theramore Marine and company engineer, Lieutenant Domhnall Mountainhand, was dour, taciturn, and logical. Making things periodically explode was nothing terribly impressive and simply part of his job. He was also the youngest of the trio, though a siege tank and artillery expert. Dom, as he was often called, didn’t even react when she was clumsy.
By even further contrast, Sergeant Bergi Bronzebellows was gruff, but kindly and already shaping into the company confidant. Things that exploded made the silver-haired priest nervous and he wasn’t above admitting he half-expected to hear “medic” cried soon after. Whenever she was clumsy, Bergi always asked if she was okay and urged her to be more mindful.
“Do you need to sit down?” Rune asked, calmly holding his hand out to a chair. “Any seasickness this morning?”
She shook her head but accepted the offered chair, “None yet, but the day’s young.”
“That it is.” Bergi agreed, stroking his beard as Domhnall nodded sagely. “We’ve already had a few bouts this morning.” From behind her, someone made a loud and obviously fake retching noise. The racket nearly drowned the dwarf out as he continued, “Bound to happen on these seas.”
The retching noise was suddenly right in her ear. She glared as Cole Donovan rounded the table behind her, still pretending to be violently ill.
Cole Donovan had enlisted, not just with the Argent Crusade, but her platoon specifically. The same blithering idiot who had conspired to pull a prank on them in Darkshire was now a permanent member.
“Shut up, Donovan!” Una retorted sharply.
“Have you prepared for landfall, Private Donovan?” Rune interjected before anything else could erupt from her mouth. The blond paladin held his hand out to her as he spoke, silently signaling her to hold her tongue.
“No, Sir.” The reply was flippant. There wasn’t a single shred of discipline in his behavior – military or otherwise.
Runean nodded to the young human’s things piled carelessly near his hammock rather than hung as they were supposed to be. “I would suggest you do so.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Cole interrupted, swiftly walking to the stairs and bounding up.
Una watched him go, aghast. She looked to Rune as he shook his head. She might be able to get away with murder, but it would have had her hide if she’d sassed any of the officers like that!
“Light!” Una hissed, “Of all the people on Azeroth, why that little prick?”
Rune gave a little jerk of comical, mock surprise and shook his head with a chuckle, “Awaken on the wrong side of the hammock, milady?”
“I’m serious!” Una exclaimed stridently.
“Scourge got his father.” Bergi answered before Rune could. “Yer cousin accepted his enlistment himself. Have a wee bit o’ patience with the lad, he’s just actin’ out.”
Una hung her head, frustrated. Like him or not, Cole’s enlistment was almost exactly how Anaru had joined the Argent Dawn according to Dispatch Commander Metz. If Anaru pitied him that much, Cole was probably untouchable.
Una took a deep breath and stated as evenly as she could, “He should still be reprimanded for insubordination.”
“I agree. That was out of line.” A woman’s voice remarked casually, though still firm.
Cornelia Randall stepped from where she had been leaning and crossed her arms over her chest. The stout human woman had been an adventurer, fighting her way across Azeroth and beyond. Cornelia had seen things Una couldn’t even imagine.
It was a relief to no longer be the only female. In fact, she was now one of many. However, their presence was also somewhat intimidating. Unlike Una, all the other women were no strangers to the battlefield. Frankly, all of them were veterans of at least one war, if not several. Each was stronger than she was; and, all higher ranking and better suited to battle.
“Private Whitebrook is right.” Domhnall said from his spot beside Ludger. “We need to maintain discipline. This is an army, not Sunday school.”
“You have my assurances; I’ll speak with Captain Whitebrook.” Rune said earnestly, though not without a placating gesture.
Una mouthed her thanks to Cornelia and Domhnall and received a smile and nod in return.
Una prepared, checked and rechecked her gear and supplies, but rapidly that too was exhausted. Her troop mates occupied themselves as they had done all the weeks they had been at sea.
Eventually Hakander, Ashal, and Anaru returned from the war-room. There wasn’t much to report, other than landfall was expected today. After a short debriefing regarding the upcoming march to Icecrown Glacier, she once again found herself without much to do.
The hours ticked by as though each one were a day in itself. She was napping when the cries announcing land finally echoed throughout the vessel.
Una had known they would make landfall today. What she hadn’t been expecting was the sheer cliffs that rose unexpectedly from frigid, floe-covered sea. Even more unexpected was the narrow channel in the rock face they seemed to be aiming for.
She found herself holding her breath as the fleet began to maneuver into the cleft, barely restraining herself from throwing herself to the nearest handhold as the ship’s engines started. The fir trees that clung tenaciously to the rocks looked as though they would be close enough to touch.
The crew seemed blasé, perhaps even cheerful, as they went about their duties as though nothing at all was amiss. As if they weren’t navigating a tunnel that could easily wreak the ship, throwing them all to the icy waters.
“Awesome” was the only word Una could think of to describe it. Terrible, frightening, wild, and very beautiful. Their ship, the entire fleet, was inconsequential and she was but a speck.
Delicate wispy patches of sea smoke drifted and rose from the chilly, cobalt water and swept over the deck despite the warmth of the spring sun.
High above the channel and veiled somewhat by the rising fog, the endless blue sky shimmered periodically with vibrant ribbons green and golden aurora even in broad daylight.
Fir trees had taken hold even on the most diminutive outcroppings, their needles a healthy and vibrant blue-green. Majestic golden eagles and startlingly white osprey soared high above and roosted upon the rocks and trees high above.
As they rounded the final bend, the port city of Valgarde came into view.
The paladin had been told Northrend was an untamed wilderness gripped by eternal winter. It was a common saying that Northrend was what hell would be if it froze over. Rumors of entire towns vanishing were common even in Stormwind, allegedly swept from the mortal coil by plague and Scourge. Rune had spoken of trolls who made frequent raids on towns and villages, taking prisoners for sacrifice or slaves.
Thus, she had expected to find a tiny strand of a village with desperate holdouts maintaining a crumbling line at the edge of a desolate, frigid wasteland.
Instead, the young high elf found herself approaching a muddy, rugged, but bustling seaport at the edge of a verdant pine forest. The ruins of an ancient castle towered high above the trees in the distance.
It was a rough place, that much was certain, but no worse than Ratchet or Booty Bay. Burly humans and dwarves milled about, preparing for the incoming fleet. Thick sweaters and woolen breeches were the standard wardrobe of the dockworkers, all of a heavy, arctic weave. The citizens here appeared to be the resilient, hard drinking, hard living sort. Frankly, anyone who dared make a life on a frontier would have to be that way.
Anaru’s hand came to rest on her shoulder. Una smiled up at her cousin and offered, “You know… this isn’t near as bad as I was expecting.”
The elder paladin smiled at that, “Agreed.” He leaned in and asked in a low voice, “Want to go exploring later?”
The high elf woman nodded enthusiastically. The last time her cousin and she had gone exploring, it had been back during the Third War. He had been both her rock and the instigator in so many little adventures. It would be like old times.
She was giddy by the time their dingy bumped up against the docks; buoyed by the realization this wasn’t the frozen hell she thought it would be. At least not this specific corner of Northrend.
Well, actually, it was still cold. It wasn’t the cold that would penetrate down to her soul, as she had been warned. Her heavy cloak kept the spring breeze at bay, though it chilled her nose and ears and ruffled stray hairs that escaped the tight braids wound upon her head. The crisp air held the promise of snow, something she had seen little of in Stormwind. Even that was exciting.
“Welcome to Valgarde,” Anaru announced loudly once they were all assembled. “Largest seaport and military presence this side of Northrend. We’ll be staying here briefly to rest and supply.”
“Camp will be along the Northern wall. Be there no later than dusk for debriefing. Otherwise,” Anaru swept his arms out to either side as he drew out the word before finishing. “Enjoy yourselves. Dismissed.”
Una bounced and cheered with the rest of the troops. Or rather, tried to at any rate. She had been expecting it to feel better being on land again; instead, she felt odd. Dizzy, almost as bad as she’d felt on the ship, as though the dock were moving.
It didn’t take long for the troops to collect their things and begin to disperse. Ash and Rune were among the last to leave, preferring to linger until most of the troops had left.
Hakander shook his head with a chuckle at the two elves, muttering quietly to himself in his native tongue. With a bow and a salute, the Draenei departed in search of a hot cup of coffee.
Una grinned up at her cousin expectantly. Anaru returned the grin and ruffled her hair, just as they used to do. That too, made her feel strange.
Across the harbor, the first of the cargo vessels had docked and the first of the cargo was being hauled from the hold. One of them bore her beloved charger. She hadn’t seen her horse since she boarded back in Menethil.
“Come on, he’ll be waiting for you at camp this evening.” Anaru knew her all too well.
The docks looked like any other seaport she had visited. Smelled like them too. Everywhere she looked, the docks teemed with dockworkers, seagulls, and crates of all sizes. If it was like the other seaports, the dockworkers had to have something for lunch.

“Meat pies! Pasties!” A barker’s voice rose above the din, “Get your pipin’ hot pasties!” The high elf spotted the young dwarven barker and a dwarven woman a ways up the dock with a laden food cart. There were other food carts too, other barkers a bit further down.
Una cried out in delight and tugged her cousin’s arm to urge him to follow. Anaru grinned broadly and allowed her to practically drag him along.
Her mouth watered at the smells. No more dunking teeth-shattering hardtack in bitter coffee to soften the biscuit; no more pickled fish and salted beef – at least for a couple days.
After making their purchases, they made their way deeper into town and settled upon a sturdy brick wall to enjoy their meal.
Una couldn’t help but smile, relishing finally being on solid land again after weeks at sea. She took another bite of her dwarven potato pancake, pausing and shutting her eyes in ecstasy. Though cooling rapidly, each bite was heavenly.
“This is so good.” Anaru moaned, setting his meat pasty down upon the napkins in his lap.
Una nodded and took a bite from her own pasty, leaning back to look at the building behind them. It was a large home, probably belonging to a wealthy merchant.
The buildings in Valgarde were stout, with extremely pitched roofs that testified to the amount of snow they could receive. All had heavy, exposed beams and considerable foundations. The home behind them even sported intricate carvings and stained glass with motifs unlike any human architecture she had seen.
“So strange.” She mused, “Doesn’t even look like human homes.”
“It’s cultural.” Anaru remarked as she took another bite.
Una covered her mouth with her fingers as she chewed hurriedly. “I know, I know… I just didn’t expect anything so… exotic.”
“Exotic!” Anaru echoed with a laugh. The brown haired man cackled, “Cousin, if you think this is exotic –!”
“Oh, stop it!” Una laughed, punching him lightly on the arm.
Anaru cackled once more in response to that. “But you’re so fun to tease!”
“I’ve noticed!” Una retorted with a laugh.
When they finished, they ventured onward. Valgarde teemed with their fellow crusaders and long processions of horses, cargo, and supplies.
Mounds of snow littered the village, though determined grass and even more determined spring flowers had pushed through to greet the spring sun. In and around the harbor sprouted brilliant crimson flowers with golden throats and spotted with black in any place left undisturbed.
She could tell that at least some of the danger had not been overstated. There were significant fortifications along the edge of the forest and the abundance of vigilant guards suggested attack was not an unexpected event. Frankly, it reminded her of a more fortified Darkshire in a few ways.
Heavily rusted structures dotted the walls and tops of the bowl-like valley the town occupied, though Rune said they were abandoned. The entire company found them troubling, especially given the way they hovered over the harbor. Like defensive emplacements. It was extremely easy to imagine those structures sporting some manner of gun, trebuchet, or other ranged weaponry. It was undeniable that their positions gave each one a clear view of the harbor.
“Do you really think those are abandoned?” She asked. Anaru had more of a military background than she did and probably had information she didn’t.
He didn’t answer. He was brooding, completely lost in his thoughts. Her beloved cousin had been somewhat distant since Silvermoon and even more so since the disastrous Winterveil party. While Great Uncle Lorandil’s resurrection as one of the most Scourge’s most lethal weapons had been difficult on the entire family, the revelation hit Anaru especially hard.
Una whistled, attempting to put the same force he could behind the sound. It paled in comparison to his whistle, coming not at all close to the volume or tone.
The elder paladin paused mid-step. A small smile broke out across Anaru’s face, “Sorry, Una.”
“No problem.” She replied and then pointed at one of the emplacements, “I just asked about those…”
Anaru gazed appraisingly up the cliffs to the tops of the fjords. After a moment, he said, “… I don’t like them either, but we won’t have time before we disembark. The Alliance fleet is a week – maybe two – behind us. With any luck, they’ll secure the cliffs before they advance into the interior.”
“When do we disembark?” Una started to ask.
“Hey, Lucky!”
“Oh, blessed…” Una muttered and blushed at Lieutenant Ludger’s booming shout as they paused.
Anaru chuckled.
“I wish you wouldn’t call me that.” She told him when they neared.
“Captain. Private.” Ludger offered a jaunty salute in greeting, “Now, lass… no need t’be humble.”
“Would both of ye like to come for a wee drink?” Bergi interjected suddenly and with slight force.
“Thank you, Sergeant, but I’m not much for liquor.” Anaru replied graciously.
“I think I’ll pass too.” Una said quickly as Ludger’s enthusiastic gaze fell upon her. “Thanks, though.”
Ludger momentarily looked disgusted but it was gone as quickly as it came. “Suit yourself!” He exclaimed, “More fer us lads!”
And, with that, the dwarves were off in search of a tavern. Bergi glanced behind him once with an apologetic look upon his bearded face.
Anaru tugged lightly on her elbow, drawing her back into a walk. Una’s arm tingled from his touch and for a brief moment tears threatened. It felt wonderful to be back at his side. Chiding herself for being silly, she hurried until she fell back into step with him.
With the topic of drink, Una’s mind back towards the last few nights in Silvermoon. To Ash and his brother, drunk and fighting in the streets. To Ash suggesting she was some kind of… stupid little girl?
“Has Lieutenant Orlinde…” Una started to ask sarcastically and then fell silent awkwardly. By the Light, there was no delicate way to ask what she wanted.
She cared for the man that had helped her make it this far, but he couldn’t hold his liquor any better than Anaru could in her opinion. Perhaps worse. It didn’t help she knew he had developed an infatuation with her, despite being Rune’s lover.
Anaru chuckled, “We had a talk.”
Una snorted and said wryly, “Well, that sounds painful.”
Her cousin chuckled at that and there was an odd humor to that laugh. “He generally has two extremes when it comes to people he cares about and seldom anything between. I’m afraid you’ve fallen into the needs protection extreme. When he realizes you’ve changed or grown, he’ll lament that he’s not stronger than you.”
“Yeah, I noticed.” Una said. “The other is that you’re an ass and his bitter rival.”
Anaru laughed once more with that same dark humor, “Though get him on the battlefield and he’s my best friend.”
Una wanted to bring up Cole, but it didn’t feel right. Instead, she asked once more, “When were we going to disembark?”
Anaru grinned at the blatant change of subject, “Time enough to prepare as much as possible. I imagine I’ll find out soon.” He shrugged and added, “If we’re to succeed, we can’t afford losses early on.”
Una nodded her agreement. While Anaru had been assigned mostly experienced troops this time, it was imperative they reach Icecrown with as many troops as possible. Their small band of fighters had grown from what they simply and informally called a unit to a proper platoon.
The Argent Dawn had sat at the crux between proper military and a loose militia. While it needed a restructuring, it was still depressing. Many were brought in with their rank intact; others were offered a comparable rank as part of the terms of enlistment. She, however, was back at the very bottom.
Her platoon was still a highly mobile force, that much remained unchanged. Most of the troops were accustomed to operating far afield and with a large degree of autonomy, which fit Anaru’s style perfectly. That horrible mission in the Barrens not withstanding, they usually accomplished their objectives with little to no casualties. Highlord Fordring had stressed that he approved of the dynamic back during her interview.
While the team had grown, they were also still an eccentric mix of personalities and backgrounds, including marines, adventurers, cavalry, and even a few former Scarlet Crusaders. Despite what she had seen of the Scarlets in Stormwind, her new troop mates didn’t seem overly crazed or zealous; merely focused.
“Stop that.” Anaru commanded sternly after they had walked for some time.
It took her a few moments to pull herself back to the present and found she couldn’t quite recall what he had said, “I’m sorry, what?”
“Now you’re brooding.” Anaru grinned, “Stop that.”
“Oh, like you’re one to talk!” Una shot back, but her cousin’s finger found her ribs and she squeaked loudly in surprise.
“Don’t test me, cousin.” Anaru said with an ominously broad grin. “There are snowbanks deeper than you are tall.”
A quick, somewhat panicked glance told her he was telling the truth. The shadows cast by the buildings and lush fir trees sheltered some significant snowbanks. Some looked deep enough to swallow Hakander!
“Same goes for you!” Una giggled, though she hurriedly stepped away from Anaru as he put his pack down. However, she wasn’t quite fast enough. He snagged her wrist in one smooth, fluid movement. Una shrieked and giggled, twisting her arm free. She accidently dropped her pack as she tried to evade him.
Cackling, Anaru moved in to poke her in the stomach and ribs. She tried to bat his hands away but he caught her arms again. Soon enough, he had her over his shoulder. Una squealed and laughed as one of those mounds of snow rapidly approached.
There were hooves behind them. Hakander gazed at them with a grin, his battered tin cup steaming in his hand.
“Hakander! Help!” Una shrieked as Anaru unceremoniously dumped her in the snowbank. She hurriedly tried to escape. She impotently flailed and lunged forward, but she had sunk into the snow. Snowballs pelted her. Una shrieked, giggled, and tried to hold his arms at bay.
A snowball hit the back of Anaru’s head, showering Una with clumps of snow. Another followed it.
Anaru scooped up a handful of snow from the bank she was laying in and flung it at the cackling Draenei.
Hakander dodged and sent another snowball sailing at her cousin. Anaru turned away from her with a laugh, “You want a piece of this!?” Her cousin slipped on a patch of snow and nearly sat upon her.
Una collected a handful of snow, seized the waistband of Anaru’s pants, and dumped it in.
“Una!” Anaru squawked, ducking as Hakander launched another snowball. “Cease fire!” He cried as the Vindicator let fly another volley, “Hang on a moment!”
Hakander paused. Una wasn’t sure he realized what she’d done until Anaru began awkwardly trying to fish down the back of his pants for the snow. The bald paladin then bent over with hysterical laughter.
Una lunged forward once more, freeing herself from the snowbank. Once again, it was as though the solid ground was moving beneath her as though a ship on the sea. She stayed on her hands and knees momentarily until the sensation passed. That was annoying.
She got to her feet and laughed as Hakander advanced on her cousin. It looked as though he intended to dump Anaru in a snowbank. Her cousin squawked once again, dodging the towering Draenei.
Hakander frowned and pouted comically and then turned to her with a grin. Una squeaked and began frantically gathering up snow.
The three-way fight continued long after their hands became tender from the cold and their noses reddened. The remains of their snowballs covered the ground and clung to nearby structures.
The trio of paladins eventually tired of their manic game and made their way to the encampment. Along the base of the fortifications, a tent city had bloomed like spring flowers. Troops, horses, large steam tanks, and supplies crowded the already narrow lanes. The languages of the Alliance merged and flowed, tumbling over each other.
Debriefing was brief; they would soon begin their march across the continent through forest and across mountains until they reached their goal.
As the sun set in a brilliant wash of reds and golds, the temperature slowly dropped until it was downright cold. Her platoon was in high spirits, jovially proclaiming the campaign’s eventual success. Arthas, the mad prince and lord of the damned, would answer for his crimes.
Donovan, as usual, was being an idiot. He was tempting fate by clumsily attempting to flirt with Ruth Glasshammer. The conversation, such as it was, was cringe worthy.
Una settled near the fire, book in hand. It was one of her favorites, steamy and somewhat trashy. Fortunately, the book’s cover was plain enough to not arouse suspicion. How she loved these types of books! She could be anything, any race, tall or short, buxom or boyish, curvaceous or willowy – anything but the mousey little elf she was.
“So wanna, ah… join me in my bedroll?” Cole blurted, sauntering up to Josie like a child attempting to be suave.
Una covered her face with her palm for a long moment. She buried herself in the worn pages and toned out the more annoying members of her platoon.
Something heavy abruptly fell upon Una’s shoulder. The young High Elf shrieked in surprise and jerked her head up. Hakander’s head was even with her own.
“Sorry!” The bald paladin exclaimed with a chuckle, pulling one of his neck tentacles from her shoulder and clasping it to his chest.
It was dark. Above the cheerful, red-gold embers floating like sprites above the campfire was brilliant emerald and golden aurora that covered every inch of the sky. Even further beyond, the silvery stars silently traced their eternal paths.
“… this orc woman beloved by the elements…” He muttered and reached forward, pressing a finger to the page Una was reading. A blush rushed up her cheeks as she saw what line his finger lay beneath. By the Light, he had been reading over her shoulder!
“I don’t think the next position is possible even with support,” Said the Draenei. “Also, our tails don’t bend that way. I couldn’t put my tail up there even if I wanted to.”
Snickers erupted around the campfire. Beside her, Anaru chuckled as he set aside his maps and compass.
“The grammar is atrocious too,” Hakander commented with a diabolical grin. Una pressed her hands to her face to cover her reddened face as he continued, “And can they get any more florid?”
“She likes those kinds of books, lad.” Ludger took a deep drag on his cigar and blew a sizable cloud of smoke.
“Well, if you should ever desire a lesson in reality…” Rune announced, standing up and comically performing a couple pelvic thrusts, much to Cornelia’s and Josie’s glee. The two women shouted and cackled, encouraging Rune.
“Sit your skinny ass down, elf! Let a real man handle this!” Exclaimed Corporal Bernard Kline as he jumped to his feet. Ever since she’d met him in the Wetlands, Una had pondered if Kline had a bit of dwarven in him. The barrel-chested, olive-skinned human was certainly short and hairy enough.
“Only if she desires a gorilla!” Rune retorted.
Laughter, whistles, and catcalls erupted. Una covered her reddened face in her palms, but couldn’t stop herself from laughing too. Cole tipped his head back and gave a weak coyote impression.
As if in answer, a more sinister howl echoed through the trees.
It was an unearthly howl, far removed from the cry of an ordinary wolf. Everything about it carried a distinct sense of wrongness from the tone. The length of the howl was wrong and even the odd way it echoed through the trees was wrong. Almost the pitch of a human, but the depth of a wolf. It was much like the occasional cries Una had heard distantly on patrol in Elwynn, crossing the river from Duskwood like an unseen invader. Only this cry was much louder, much closer to the encampment than those had been.
Una jerked as she realized what it was, dropping her book and taking up her mace and shield. It was the cry of a worgen. Crouching low, she cast her gaze to the periphery of their camp. All she could see was the darkened outline of towering pine. Murmurs and cries of alarm swept across the encampment.
“Oh, you have to be shitting me.” Cole spoke each word mechanically. The distinct sound of him chambering a round in his rifle followed. Across the encampment, the rest of the army took up their arms – sleep, food, and leisure abruptly forgotten.
“Worgen? Here?” Anaru exclaimed incredulously. The worgen curse had a short incubation that made it spread like wildfire through populated areas, but slowly across great distances. Infected travelers usually turned feral long before they reached the next populated area. Once mindless, they generally didn’t travel far.
Another howl answered, followed by another. And another. And more until the forest echoed with the call of the worgen. A pack.
“They’re the most active at night.” Cole declared, “We should take them out before the pack grows.”
“Negative, Private Donovan.” Anaru said firmly, “Worgen aren’t our priority here.”
“Indeed.” Hakander agreed, rising to his feet. “Riding blindly through unfamiliar forest at night is folly.” The massive humanoid nudged her boot with his hoof and added, “Stay alert.”
Una obediently put her book away and sat back down before the fire, hugging her knees. Suddenly, she doubted anything about this was going to be easy.

Author's Note: Well, it's been a year since I last published a new chapter to my story. It's been a hectic year, including becoming a homeowner and the manager of my department at work. I'd like to thank WanderingAddict for their wonderful review. I'm sorry I didn't take time to thank you sooner. I love well thought out reviews like yours and I really should have thanked you sooner.

I'd also like to thank KooriRoninHeart for continuing to put up with me. ;-) Love you, Sis! Thanks so much for being there for me!
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