Eve of the Storm

Sylvanas became the focus of everyone's attention. Originally, all of this should have been none of her business. She could have chosen to leave and then return to Honor Hold to tell Danas that the accusations against Kael'thas were true.

Before becoming Ranger, her late mother often advised her to keep a cool head—and years ago, Sylvanas would certainly have been prone to acting impulsively. Now, however, she was far more composed than the representatives of the two most prestigious factions in Shattrath.

"How can you prove that she is the one we need?" Sylvanas shuddered when Adal spoke. The way this creature transmitted sound was as if it wasn't speaking, but rather directly stuffing what it wanted to say into the listener's mind.

"Let me introduce you, Adal." Vortar cleared his throat. "Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, she was the Ranger-General of Silvermoon City, with thousands of years of experience fighting Troll, and she also knows Kael'thas's army. I think there is no one more suitable than her."

"Come closer, child," Adal called.

The address sounded a little strange and unfamiliar to Sylvanas, but the familiarity made her take a step forward.

"It's an honor to meet you, Adal." She felt the Holy Light flowing through her body, making her feel refreshed and forgetting her fatigue.

"Welcome to Shattrath. Unfortunately, we welcome you not with delicious food, but with war. I've heard from Vortar that your race was wiped out, and your Prince came to this world seeking a cure for his Fel Addiction, but this obsession has led him astray."

"Kael'thas's actions have saddened me," Khadgar said to Sylvanas. "He was once a member of the Kirin Tor. From what I know of him, he must have been a Prince who loved his people..."

"Lordaeron also had a Prince who loved his people." Sylvanas interrupted Khadgar, her eyes burning with a fiery intensity that astonished the Archmage. By the Holy Light, this Female Elf looked remarkably like his sister, so much like Alleria had relentlessly sought revenge against the Orcs. "He not only destroyed his own kingdom but also invaded my homeland. If I had known everything sooner," Sylvanas choked back tears, "Many people wouldn't have died. Now, history is laid bare before me, and if I do nothing, I will have failed the victims, failed myself."

"We have all been overshadowed by the past," Adal said, "But few of us have had the opportunity... to change it."

Sylvanas managed a weak smile. "If there were even the slightest chance for me to change those horrific things that have happened, I would gladly give my life."

Adal shone even brighter, rising slightly as it proclaimed in the calmest yet most powerful voice. "Summon warriors, prepare for war. Outland needs heroes now more than ever."

"Regent!" It was Lor'themar's voice.

Alleria stopped writing the command she was about to write, looked up, and watched the Elf approach.

"What's wrong?" she asked. Lor'themar was her liaison for diplomacy with the Horde. Although he was a highly skilled Ranger, Alleria felt he was better suited to be a politician.

"There's news—news from the Horde."

"Is it an order?" Alleria disliked the word "order." Although she had joined the Horde, the Blood Elf had remained Horde the political center until now. This was something everyone could have predicted, and Alleria was actually willing to maintain this status quo. The Orcs, Troll, and Tauren's focus was always on Kalimdor. In the Eastern Kingdoms, the Horde's voice had always been in the hands of the Blood Elf. Thrall rarely inquired about Quel'Thalas unless something major was about to happen.

"No," Lor'themar said, looking exhausted. "It's news from Outland, about Prince Kael'thas."

Alleria instinctively stood up. She hadn't had time to give Lor'themar food or water; previously, because of Kael'thas, the Blood Elf were forbidden from sending troops to Outland. Now there was finally new progress, and Alleria hoped it was good news, but the Ranger-Lord's angry face told her that what he was about to say was definitely not good.

"What's wrong, Prince Highness?" she asked, trying to keep her voice gentle.

Lor'themar shook her head, then changed her tune and said in a hoarse voice, "It's all true!"

"What's true?" Alleria's face turned pale. A cold sweat broke out on her brow. Kael'thas would never be so cruel—or so foolish.

"The Prince has betrayed us, Horde has discovered him in the Netherstorm..." Lor'themar was holding his breath when he was stopped by the facts.

"What did you discover?" Alleria asked, puzzled. She and Lor'themar exchanged glances, letting the Ranger-Lord continue.

"Evidence has been found!" he said. "Warchief Thrall hired a group of Goblins to go to Netherstorm, where they discovered that His Highness the Prince was conducting Fel injection experiments on our people on a ship called the Nethergarde Keep."

Alleria gasped. "This is impossible! How could he dare..." Nethergarde Keep? Fel experiments? Kael'thas? The implications of this shocked her to her core, and she slowly sank into her chair.

How could she explain all this to the people? Alleria stared at the Sunstrider banners hanging on the walls of the throne room. She also thought of the statue of Kael'thas standing in the passageways inside the gates of Silvermoon City. These things that filled her with awe, that the people of the Sin'dorei worshipped, would soon bring fear and destruction.

Sunwell above, please bless us.

"Go," Alleria suddenly said to Lor'themar. In truth, she had already anticipated that the Blood Elf might face something even more terrifying. The Female Elf's stern voice made Lor'themar flinch slightly. "Go to Outland immediately, go to Thrallmar and find Commander Nazgrel of the Alliance Expedition, and tell him the Blood Elf's stance."

The Ranger-Lord hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What is it, the Regent?"

A look that Lor'themar found unfamiliar suddenly appeared on Alleria's face. She didn't answer, but simply stared at Lor'themar. She didn't need to say it aloud; any rational Blood Elf knew the answer, knew what stance the Sin'dorei should take.

"I understand." Lor'themar swallowed. He could understand Alleria's decision, but he was curious how the Windrunner would tell the people this news. Or rather, announcing the news was easy, but how would they get the Sin'dorei to accept it?

Someone's bound to go mad! Lor'themar thought to himself. Could this be considered a rebellion?

No, it was Kael'thas who betrayed them!

This is not Alleria's fault.

Someone's definitely going to go mad! Lor'themar affirmed again, then turned and left.