Together

Belorell had no idea what the food in his hand was; he simply thought it tasted delicious. He didn't care that exquisitely presented delicacies usually had some nonsensical, pretentious name, even though the white, sticky substance on the sides of his mouth was unbearable.

"This is a cream cake made by the Tuskarr of the Northrend Continent. The drink is a moonflower from Darnassus."

The food on the table was simple, but Belorell devoured it as if he hadn't eaten for days. Tarenna kept a close eye on their surroundings, Fiona watched Belorell with a smile, and as for Jidwen, he kept his eyes on the Elf boy, mentally calculating every penny the little guy was spending. Without a doubt, they would be paying for this not-so-expensive dinner.

"I'm full!" Belorell said with a sigh of relief.

"Go pay the bill, Jidwen," Fiona said. The Dwarf walked away reluctantly.

The middle-aged woman wasted no time. "Now tell us, what is the connection between your father and Marius Farm?" Fiona's husky voice carried a calm quality that Belorell was unconsciously trying to mimic.

"All I know is that he must have been there, that's all."

"He never contacted me again after that, right?" Tarenna's tone wasn't one of speculation, but rather a statement of fact. But Fiona immediately pointed out his mistake.

"No, Tarenna. Think about it carefully, the timeline doesn't add up," she said, then looked at Belorell with a hint of doubt in her eyes. Elf's age cannot be judged by his appearance.

How old are you this year, Alavi?

"I'm already twenty years old."

"That is indeed quite small," Tarenna said jokingly, making Belorell blush.

"Twenty years. That's exactly the year the Scourge invaded Quel'Thalas," Fiona frowned at the number. "The anomalies at Marius Farm appeared two or three years later. The timing seems a bit close."

"I said," Jidwen returned after paying the bill, having overheard their conversation. "Why are we forcing two completely unrelated things together? Maybe it's just a coincidence, maybe his father..."

Suddenly, Fiona stared intently at the Dwarf who had just finished speaking.

"Why are you staring at me like that? I didn't embezzle any money for the drinks."

"Who said the anomalies at Marius Farm happened sixteen or seventeen years ago?" Fiona said calmly, but her words had already stirred up a storm.

"What do you mean?" Belorell asked.

"I've only been with the Argent Crusade for two years, but in those two years I've learned how this force of faith in the Holy Light came to be. So..." Fiona took a deep breath, "The Argent Dawn was first established sixteen or seventeen years ago, so the records of Marius Farm are from that period."

The crowd's eyes began to fill with doubt, and Tarenna was the first to understand the meaning of Fiona's flower language.

"I understand," the Blood Elf said. "Fiona means that the problem with Marius Farm may have existed even before the Argent Dawn was established, and our historical records only cover sixteen years from the organization's inception, so we can subjectively judge that the problem with Marius Farm arose at that time. But don't forget that before that, the main force fighting against the Scourge Undead in the Eastern Plaguelands was the Crimson Crusade."

"So the Crimson Crusade might have even older records of that farm? This... is quite complicated." Jidwen began to feel fortunate that he wasn't drunk, otherwise his drowsy mind wouldn't have been able to process so much information.

"This is a bold guess. Although the probability is small, it is still possible."

Belorell's fingers traced the map hidden on his person. He'd actually suspected this when Fiona said, "The timing seems a bit close." But he also had something else weighing on his mind. Before leaving Quel'Thalas, he'd secretly used his position to peruse the early archives of Quel'Thalas. One document stated that in the year of his birth, Regent Alleria had gone to the Eastern Plaguelands on a secret mission. Combined with the markings on the map, his mother must have gone to Marius Farm.

"About that farm," Belorell interrupted the three who were still discussing it. "What's its history?"

Tarenna looked thoughtful and explained, "I've looked into it. I heard it's the hometown of an Alliance hero from Second War. I think it's called..."

"Nathanos Marius!" Jidwen said.

"Yes, yes! That's the name." The Elf scratched the back of his head and nodded.

"Anyone who knows Uther would know that besides Arthas, he has another student, and that student is a commoner."

"What happened to this person later?" Belorell asked.

Jidwen disappointed him. "I don't know. After Turalyon led the Alliance Expedition through the Dark Portal, there was no further news of him. Perhaps he just settled into a quiet life."

Did Mother go to Marius Farm to find this person?

Belorell grasped at a sliver of hope, one that was not quite certain. It was just a gut feeling that his father was connected to this man named Nathanos.

All that remained on the Elf boy's face was longing.

"I bet he's going to say he's going to Marius Farm again."

"I won't let any clue slip by." Belorell took a breath and prepared to say goodbye to the group.

"Then... we can go with you."

"What?" Tarenna and Jidwen exclaimed in unison.

"You're not kidding, are you, Fiona?"

"I have made myself very clear." The woman's words left the two Paladin and Belorell bewildered. "The Argent Crusade should help those in need, shouldn't they? Besides, this is an opportunity to eliminate a major threat to the Eastern Plaguelands."

"So many people have failed," Jidwen whispered to her.

"Those people are after money, but we are after the truth. The Holy Light will bless us," she repeated. "We'll go with Alavi."

"I agree to this decision." Fiona looked at Tarenna in surprise, but felt it was only natural. As Paladin, Tarena knew the power of the Holy Light very well, and the Elf boy was his kin. He had no reason not to lend a helping hand.

"Alright, two against one, you win." Jidwen turned and walked away. "I'll wait for you at the carriage."

Fiona turned around. "Alavi, let's go to Marius Farm together for our respective goals."

After a moment, Belorell nodded.