Morning Sickness

When she heard Thrall say he was going back to the orcish homeland to collect kills, Jaina pretended not to care.

"Oh, no wonder, so you've returned to your homeland. How's things going?" Jaina replied calmly, inwardly sneering. What do you mean, "pathetic orc"?

"They are on their way to Azeroth, but because of the Alliance's blockade of the Dark Portal, they need to carefully travel through a small Portal back to Azeroth. I only learned about what happened in Orgrimmar after returning from Outland, so I rushed back first," Thrall said slowly, choosing his words carefully.

Jaina, seemingly oblivious to Thrall's hesitation, casually replied, "Need any help, old friend?"

Thrall smiled wryly and said, "It's better not to trouble yourself. After all, Theramore is a neutral city, and that's already the best support we can give the Horde. Getting involved in the conflict between the Alliance and Horde would only put you in a difficult position."

Thrall still dared not reveal the progress of the Outland orc migration, especially the secret Portal connecting to Outland.

Jaina guessed that it was probably set up privately by goblins or other spellcasting organizations.

Jaina simply didn't have time to deal with these poor orcs. Anyway, now that she was in Azeroth, it would be easier to handle them later.

Deren had said that orcs should be disposed of "harmlessly." Jaina now strongly agrees with this stance.

"Alright, if you need anything from me, old friend, just say the word." Jaina raised her glass in a toast.

The conversation flowed like an elegant sword dance, each word a subtle probing. When Thrall "casually" brought up the guidance of the Ancestor's Spirit for the third time, Jaina skillfully displayed her curiosity about Shaman doctrines. By the end of the meeting, most of the doubt in Thrall's eyes had dissipated.

"To celebrate our reconciliation," Jaina announced, raising her glass, "Theramore will hold a three-day celebration! All wine cellars will be open, and the city's defenses will be lifted!"

Thrall left satisfied, trusting his judgment— Theramore was indeed completely unaware of the explosion in Orgrimmar.

As soon as Thrall left the Mage Tower, Jaina covered her mouth and rushed to the nearest restroom. Aegwynn immediately followed, gently patting her back.

"Well done," the former guardian said, handing over a damp towel, "But don't drink so much Mead next time. Acting with that orc wasn't worth the price you paid."

Jaina leaned weakly against the wall, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "I thought I could manage, but clearly morning sickness affects all women, Princess and mages alike."

Aegwynn looked at her lovingly. "This is a woman's destined fate. At least you still have Deren's love! That boy still has a conscience. He's full of love for you and for Theramore."

Jaina wanted to speak, but a wave of nausea followed, and then she dry-heaved, having already vomited everything in her stomach.

She gasped, "It's alright, for Theramore. This pain is nothing compared to the hardships I've endured before. As long as I give birth to this child, whether it's a boy or a girl, death cannot take it from me."

When they teleported to the Deren family's house, they learned that Jaina had vomited, and the scene immediately descended into chaos.

Deren hurriedly brought over various drinks that were supposedly effective in relieving morning sickness; Onyxia stood to the side, nibbling on an apple with a sour taste.

Chromie moved a small stool over and observed the human pregnant woman's reaction like a curious student; Anveena, on the other hand, stared wide-eyed, unable to believe that her usually dignified sister Jaina could be so vulnerable.

"Get out of the way!" Aegwynn finally lost her temper and shooed everyone away. "Pregnant women need quiet!"

Once everyone had backed off a safe distance, Jaina couldn't help but laugh out loud, then frowned as her stomach cramped. "Teacher, don't be nervous, they're just concerned about me."

Aegwynn wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed, "You'll understand what true 'tiredness' means once you give birth to this child. I raised Medivh alone, and the hardships were indescribable."

Jaina replied, "It's alright. I feel there's nothing happier than watching my children grow up with Theramore."

Aegwynn: Why do I feel a little envious of my students?

She has a city, a man who loves her, and a group of quirky but reliable friends. Compared to when she was all alone, she is incredibly lucky.

But now I'm one of these friends. Perhaps this is the home I've been searching for all these years.

When everything quieted down that evening, everyone finally sat around the fireplace in the Deren family's house. Jaina, wrapped in a blanket, sipped Aegwynn's special calming tea.

"Thrall mentioned ' Ancestor's Spirit ' at least five times today." She put down her teacup, her brow furrowing slightly. "Why does it feel like I'm giving a report to the Ancestor's Spirit?"

Deren added a piece of firewood to the fireplace, the firelight flickering on his face. "Don't you find it strange? A Shaman carries a spirit guide with him, someone he needs to report to at all times?"

Chromie suddenly jumped up from his chair. "Wait! I remember in the Timeline, when Medivh asked him to lead his people across the sea, Thrall didn't believe him at first."

That's not surprising. If a stranger suddenly appeared outside your room in the middle of the night, telling you to lead your people, abandon your original homeland, and sail to some other continent, no one would believe it. But Thrall added, "But the spirits told me I should believe him!"

And so he led the orcs across the ocean to Kalimdor.

Deren turned to Jaina: "Did Medivh also approach you back then?"

Jaina recalled the events of that time, "Yes, after the massacre in Stratholme, Arthas continued his pursuit of the Pit Lord. I met Medivh in Stratholme, and he advised me to take the survivors of Lordaeron to Kalimdor."

At that time, I had already established a base in Theramore that could accommodate refugees. Given the dire situation of the Northern Plague, I feared these Holocaust survivors would be accused of spreading the plague, so I brought them to Theramore.

A sharp glint flashed in Aegwynn's eyes. "After Medivh was resurrected, he gained Sargeras's abilities, allowing him to peer into the Twisting Nether and learn of their invasion plans. But Thrall has an ' Ancestor's Spirit ' by his side who can foresee the Burning Legion's invasion?"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop suddenly. Onyxia's fingernails unconsciously grew longer, leaving several scratch marks on the armchair. "Are you implying... some Bronze Body behemoth?"

Instead of answering directly, Deren turned to Jaina: "Do you remember when Thrall started mentioning this ' Ancestor's Spirit ' so frequently?"

Jaina pondered for a moment, then suddenly opened her eyes wide. "I led the remnants of Lordaeron to Theramore, and then Thrall led the Horde to establish Orgrimmar. On this unfamiliar land, we helped each other and negotiated many times."

He proactively sought out Theramore and established an alliance with me, with connections both by land and sea. He always mentioned the "Ancestor's Spirit" in our meetings.

The flames in the fireplace leaped high, illuminating the solemn faces of everyone. Deren's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible:

"It seems we've all been drawn into a game spanning time. Even Thrall is probably just a pawn. Everything is being orchestrated by those with Bronze Body."

The monthly pass count has reached 700, so there will be an extra chapter, and another one shortly.