Faerlina

The warhorses galloped along the main road beneath a gloomy sky. Snowflakes swirled in Lordaeron's cold winds, wrapping the coniferous forests of the Eastern Weald in a thick white cloak. A few reindeer darted through the woods now and then, though wolves and foxes were far more common. There were no deciduous trees like those found around the Lumber Mill, and it was clearly much colder here than in Hearthglen.

As Tirion Fordring reminded Captain of the Guard Alton to stay alert, he regaled his son with tales of the legendary Faol, his own teacher. Watching his young son on the verge of becoming a Paladin, he couldn't help but remember his fallen comrades and those days of relentless war.

War had brought him too many farewells, too much helplessness and sorrow. Life was so precious, and yet so fragile. Barthilas, Black... Why wasn't I the one who died?

A squirrel ventured out of its tree hollow through the snow, searching for food among the conifers. Watching it struggle to survive, Tirion suddenly recalled his son's words: "One man's hero is another man's enemy." They were all invaders of this world, come to Azeroth to fight for living space.

That was right! They were invaders, and invaders never came to a good end. Without them, Barthilas and Black wouldn't have had to die.

Then they could be here with me now, on their way to Light's Hope Chapel to witness my son's coming of age.

Among the original Paladins of the Silver Hand, Tirion Fordring had gotten the shortest end of the stick.

Uther had been a longtime follower of Alonsus Faol. He had founded the Order with Faol and become its leader. Turalyon had been a Priest, and Anduin Lothar had held him in high regard, making him the deputy commander of the Alliance forces. After Lothar's sacrifice, Turalyon had even become their marshal.

Ravenguard Doom, on the other hand, was a well-connected man. With Lothar's support, he had become the Order's second-in-command. Alexandros Mograine, meanwhile, was Saidan Dathrohan's direct superior. And Saidan Dathrohan, stationed in Stratholme, was Tirion's superior.

But when it came to battle honors and combat prowess, Tirion Fordring was second to none. In the end, though, he had only managed to become the lord of Hearthglen.

Still, Tirion Fordring had always been broad-minded. Now in middle age, he cared more about the next generation. And his son was the strongest of all the second-generation Paladins. The two sons of the stubborn, conceited Mograine wouldn't stand a chance against him, even together. That was what pleased Tirion most.

On a whim, father and son went wolf hunting in the forest during their midday break. To Tirion's delight, he discovered that his son's Occultism was already formidable. His unique Holy Spell, the Holy Bolt, could now change course at will. Taelan Fordring hadn't even swung his weapon, yet he had killed two wolves and left their pelts intact.

After skinning the wolves, Tirion caught two snow hares to give everyone a little extra for lunch.

They stopped to rest at Corin's Crossing in the afternoon. The next morning, they continued northeast and reached Light's Hope Chapel without incident that evening.

There, Taelan Fordring met Bridget, who had arrived ahead of them. She had come with High General Abbendis, who greeted Tirion Fordring with a warm embrace.

Karandra, meanwhile, was looking for little Jaina. She was told that Daelin had stayed an extra night in Dalaran, and Jaina would arrive promptly the next morning. She would certainly make it in time for the baptism ceremony before noon.

The next morning, every member of the Order of the Silver Hand was there, except for Turalyon, who had gone on an expedition to Draenor! Taelan Fordring also got a close look at the Scarlet Crusade's most beautiful woman, the Scarlet Sage Demitia. She was still a young girl, her hair pinned up beneath a veil that lent her an air of mystery.

Since Archbishop Faol was personally conducting the Baptism, many nobles and knights had come to take part, hoping their children might secure a place in the Silver Hand. Even if they couldn't awaken the Holy Light and become Paladins, making new friends and building connections was worthwhile. That was how Taelan Fordring spotted two unusual people: Noth and Faerlina.

Noth Abraham was an Archmage of Lordaeron and a spirit medium. Spirit mediums were different from Necromancers. Their profession involved summoning the spirits of the dead to investigate the lives they had led. Only those with pure souls could become spirit mediums, and Noth had always been among the best—until he met a woman named Faerlina.

Faerlina was considered the most beautiful woman in Lordaeron. Perhaps only a handful of mages in Dalaran could rival her looks.

She wore the fashionable long dress of a Lordaeron noblewoman. Morning sunlight from the high windows of the cathedral in the Eastern Weald fell across her lovely face, and her arched brows lifted ever so slightly. A mere smile or frown was enough to leave Lordaeron's potbellied nobles spellbound.

Noth was among them, of course. But Lady Faerlina was already married, and her sixth husband was still alive.

Taelan Fordring wasn't about to worry over Noth, who was already infatuated. Faerlina's current husband was twenty-six, and they had been married for a whole year! Noth would surely be taking his place before long.

Taelan Fordring glanced at her once, then looked away. Faerlina was already quite powerful, but she hadn't taken up magic to defend her country. She had done it to preserve her peerless beauty.

As for everything else, her first five kind-hearted husbands had left her a considerable fortune. In private, people throughout Lordaeron now called Faerlina the richest woman in the land. Her methods left everyone else in the dust.

She fluttered among a crowd of Lordaeron's nobles like a butterfly, perfectly at ease. Why was she here? Was it really appropriate for someone like her to attend an occasion like this?

On the surface, Taelan Fordring was still a child, and children were supposed to pay attention to other children! Renault was watching Taelan Fordring now. Just then, Bridget had already brought her new friend over to greet Taelan Fordring. In truth, Bridget Abbendis, the Scarlet Rose, was very beautiful. Though only a little over ten, she already had long legs and a tall, slender figure, with bright eyes and a delicate, lovely face.

When she saw Taelan Fordring enter in formal attire, she immediately felt the warmth radiating from the increasingly powerful Holy Light within him. As soon as he entered, everyone turned to look at him. She took a careful look around. The little girl from Kul Tiras wasn't there. Whitemane had already started to approach, but Renault stopped her.

He had seen his father staring intently at Taelan! Mograine suddenly said, "He's only first tier, yet he's as strong as someone of the third tier!" Renault asked curiously, "Only first tier?"

Alexandros Mograine glanced at his son. "Everyone has a natural profession. It might be a combat profession, such as Priest, Warrior, Hunter, or Mage. It might also be a support profession, like Farmer or Tailor. Of course, someone might also awaken a specialized profession of their own. Every ten levels in a profession make up one tier. The level cap varies by profession, and a Paladin is an advanced profession combining Warrior and Priest! Your primary profession level determines your own tier. The combined levels of all your professions determine the tier of opponents you can match!"

"Tirion's son was probably born a Priest, then awakened the power of the Holy Light on his own and became a Paladin! That gives him two primary combat professions. He's at least a level-ten Paladin and a level-ten Priest, and he may have mastered quite a few Warrior abilities as well."

"Even a squad of second-tier Lordaeron guards wouldn't be a match for him! That's without counting any powerful magical items he might have. I heard he rescued Princess Jaina of Kul Tiras in Dalaran and held out against a fifth-tier Dragonkin General until Tirion arrived. He must have a truly formidable family heirloom."

If Taelan Fordring had heard Mograine's words, he would have been astonished! Mograine truly was a powerful Warrior. He was the strongest member of the Order of the Silver Hand! With a single glance, he had seen through Taelan Fordring's true strength!