Chapter 16 Chapter 16 The Messenger's Determination

Malfurion hurried back to the temple, feeling that he had failed to negotiate with Varian, but at the same time he was thinking of the sentinel who spoke to Tyrande at the summit—then the high priestess left the meeting— She undoubtedly brought news of other disasters.He guessed it might have something to do with the Highborne, but at this moment he was ready for anything, too. To the archdruid's surprise, it was not one of the temple's priestesses who greeted him, but one of his own men.As Malfurion approached, the anxious druid bowed deeply to him. "Parsis!" This druid is well-trained and skilled, and is good at changing the form of a storm crow.With more training, he might be able to become a famous archdruid one day.Naturally, Malfurion would not tell the young druid these words to his face. "Aren't you sent to Ashvale? Why are you here?"

"It's not for me to answer, Master," Parsis replied respectfully.The young druid was clearly exhausted. "Another person is more qualified to answer than I am." Malfurion did not continue to ask, Persis led him to the inner room.After Jarod brought Sarah Hill back to Darnassus, her body was stored in this room. He heard the voices of priestesses praying from within.The archdruid glanced at Persis, noticing the worried look on the young night elf's face.It seems that since he left here, things have undergone some unsatisfactory changes. When they entered the room, Tyrande, who was leading four senior priestesses to pray together around the stone platform, turned around.The Light of Elune shone not only on her and the priestesses, but also on the figure lying on the stone dais.

is a Sentinel.Malfurion did not know her.Her violet skin looked bloodless, which was not a good sign. He came to his wife in silence.Tyrande leaned over and whispered to him, "Her name is Eladria Yunxiang, and she is a messenger from Ashenvale." "A wounded messenger?" Malfurion didn't like the implication behind that. The High Priestess was about to continue when the sentry groaned suddenly.She opened her eyes and looked at the two, finally focusing on Malfurion. "Ar-Arch Druid... so you know..." She made an effort to move to face him better, which revealed a long, deep scar that ran almost across her upper body.From what Malfurion had seen, it was a miracle that she was still alive.He could see other, smaller wounds on her body, but the massive wound was the worst.

"Ironically, that was caused by her own Moonblade," Persis whispered into his other ear. "She fell on it while fighting some orcs. She killed at least two orcs before that." "What is she doing in orc territory? Why have you brought her here?" "She wasn't in orc land. She was delivering an urgent letter from Commander Hadrissa." The archdruid looked to Tyrande for the dire news.And she nodded sadly. "They—they sneaked behind the lines..." Eladria said hoarsely.Apparently she could hear what they were saying despite the bad situation.

"You must rest," the High Priestess advised her. "With the blessing of the Mother of the Moon, your will and strength will aid in your recovery." Eladria coughed violently.Blood spattered Tyrande's robes, but she neither moved away nor reached out to wipe it away.All she cared about at the moment was the messenger himself. "As I lay there, dying... I prayed to her," the Sentinel continued. "I pray that if she will let me persist until I fulfill my duty, then I-I will die in peace. She granted this-this prayer." "I found her when I was communicating with the forest not far west of the outpost," Parsis explained. "The tree was disturbed by everything that was going on around here. So I went to check...and found her."

Druid quickly described the scene of his discovery of the body.Parsis saw at least four dead orcs, two of which could only have been killed by hippogryphs from the way their wounds were torn. "But-poor Storm," Eladria murmured. "He was a very loyal friend." She coughed again.Tyrande took a towel and wiped the sentry's lips. "I tried my best to help her, but she had already lost a lot of blood." Druid showed a shamed expression. Tyrande shook his head. "No one can do better, Parsis, not even a priest of the Sisterhood." "He-he brought me here..." said the sentinel.

"I healed her as much as I could, then transformed into a storm crow form," Parsis explained. "It's been a tough flight, but I know I can't stop and rest." "They took- took the letter," Eladria continued, gasping for air. "But I know-know what the Commander wants to say-say..." "Save your energy," Tyrande insisted. "I'll relay to them what you said." Eladria nodded, then closed her eyes.The High Priestess quickly recounted Commander Hadrissa's observations and concerns.The extent to which the Horde had invaded western Ashenvale surprised Malfurion.Even Persis, who had already heard about similar situations, was surprised.Meanwhile, the priestesses have been silently praying for the messenger.In order for the news to be delivered in time, she has experienced such great danger.

"I'm inclined to take seriously what the Commander says—and Elladria swears it's all true—at least it's a very professional guess, probably not far from the truth," the High Priestess concluded. "Does Shandris know Eladria is here?" "I've sent someone to tell her." Tyrande turned her attention back to the wounded sentry. "We can't thank you enough for everything you've done—" The messenger's chest no longer rose and fell. Tyrande bent down and brushed her hand over Eladria's body. "She's... gone. She's probably been dead for a minute or two."

"She looks like she's smiling," Persis said, choked up. "I wanted her to rest a little longer, but she insisted on..." The High Priestess straightened up. "She prayed to Elune, and the Mother of the Moon thought she deserved help. Honestly, I'm surprised she made it this far, let alone tell us what happened." "It's up to us now to make sure her sacrifice is not in vain," Shandris' voice came from the door.Eladria's death made her tone grim.Shandris has always regarded the Sentinels under her command as her own. "I tried my best, General." Persis blurted out, for some reason he was a little afraid of this famous warrior.

"I recognize you too, druid. I personally welcome your work in Ashenvale." She strode towards Eladria's body. "I remember her. An experienced rider . "Obviously we must send reinforcements at once." "What about the summit?" Tyrande asked her husband. "We're taking it in another direction. We're calling on everyone to strengthen the coalition; and that's the best reason." Shandris stroked Eladria's shoulder respectfully. "I have four of my best fighters waiting outside. With your permission, they will take her body. We will give her a proper farewell."

The High Priestess nodded. "Go ahead. We will proclaim her name in the temple." "I am very grateful for that." Shandris gave two short whistles, and the other sentries entered.The High Priestess and Malfurion stepped aside.The priestesses looked together at their leader, and Tyrande allowed them to back off. Parsis bowed to the Archdruid couple. "I'd like to go with General Shandris, if I'll allow it. I know quite a bit about what's going on in Ashenvale, and I think she'd like to hear about it." "Just what I want," said the general. "follow me." Before they left, Malfurion asked, "Parsis, there is another druid that you sent over—" "Kaladin, Arch Druid." "Have you had any contact with him?" The young druid looked increasingly tense. "I'm sorry I didn't get in touch with him right away. I—I was preoccupied with the courier. I tried during the flight, but I don't know why I can't sense his thoughts! Excuse me! I wanted to tell Yours, but—" Malfurion certainly couldn't blame Parsis, and despite his insistence on going with Shandris, the druid looked like he was about to break down. "Don't be sad. Tell the General everything you know, and then have a good rest. Got it?" "Yes... yes, Arch Druid." "I won't delay him any longer," Shandris promised. The sentries respectfully lifted Eladria's body onto a wooden stretcher and carefully carried him out.Shandris and the druid followed behind them. Tyrande murmured a prayer as the sentries disappeared from view along with the corpses.Then she frowned and said to Malfurion, "I've been told what Varian did. I'm shocked. What happened when he left? Did you follow him?" "I went to speak to him... the result was no better than a vote. We cannot expect him to be the leader we seek, Tyrande. There is no time now." "Now is more important than ever! My love, don't you understand? Elune has seen it! Varian must lead us in this darkest hour!" The archdruid grimaced. "He can't even lead himself as long as he's involved with his son. I hear there was a fight between the two before I ventured to their place. That kid has grown a lot. In human years He's young, but he's very mature mentally. I think Varian will have more and more issues with him." "Elune can't be wrong, my love!" He thought about it for a moment, then sighed. "Maybe there's hope. Maybe there's a way for him to accept what he's been through and learn to forgive others, especially Gene. Because they all made mistakes one after the other." "What are you going to do?" Malfurion took her in his arms and held her tightly. "First, continue to have faith in you. Second... I think I'll have to invite Varian to a hunt..." "Are you feeling better?" Jarod moved.He was still a little stiff, and his shoulder hurt when he moved his arm, but otherwise he was fine.The terrible ordeal he suffered is now but a memory.But even that was too uncomfortable. "Almost," he replied cautiously. "Where am I?" "Where I live," Maiev replied.She knelt down beside her brother and handed him a large glass of fruit wine.Jarod found himself lying on a reed mat, which he assumed was Maiev's bed. "Thank you." Jarod's eyes quickly swept across the room.As he imagined, Maiev's room contained almost no personal possessions, save for a row of weapons leaning against the opposite wall.Exudes a forbidding allure.Jarod recalled his sister's special interest in weapons before joining the Sorority, and he also noticed that in addition to a remarkable set of night elf weapons, she also had several items in her collection that were clearly from other races. "What's wrong with me." "You stepped on a trap. It was undoubtedly intended to be used against the Highborne. Anyone who stepped on it would have died." "I thought I was dead." This made her laugh. "It's just a skin injury." Jarod was aware of the pride in her voice, proud of his toughness. "Niva said you came to find me," Maiev reminded. He told her how he found out about the tragedy, and how Tyrande and Malfurion asked him to assist his sister in their investigation.Maiev accepted the suggestion with a snort. "I checked the corpse that tripped you," she replied, her voice now smiling again. "Same as the first one. Someone seems to be very focused on this. I don't blame them. Who wants the Highborne to join us again? Do you?" "The High Priestess and the Archdruid want that." Maiev chuckled lightly. "What about you? Do you forgive these Highborne? Honestly?" He couldn't lie to her. "I think they have a lot to atone for, but I advocated tolerance when the War of the Ancients ended, and I still do. I trust the judgment of Tyrande and Malfurion. Both have the best interests of our people at heart. people." "Naturally." Maiev stood up, then held out her hand to him. "Have you finished drinking?" Jarod didn't even notice that he had finished his drink.He handed her the glass back and tried to stand up. "Don't rush, brother." This made him even more determined to stand up.The former officer took a deep breath, then straightened up. "Very well," his sister remarked. "If you've recovered, I think we can start the mission again, huh?" He remembered about the dead body. "Have you examined the victim carefully?" "Within the little time they allowed. That Highborne Valdin—did you know him?—had had their dead companions quietly taken away, even faster than last time. I don't think they Satisfied with some of the examinations we have performed on the body." "Maev..." "Ha! Don't be upset, we didn't cut him open like the Assassins did! I think the Highborne are afraid I'll find some magical bauble and hide it away," she sneered. "As if I wanted their power. No, let's go back to where you died. Come on..." He didn't object to her proposal.They walked to the place where the guards were training, just in time to see Niva there again.She immediately joined them, clinging to Jarod's other side and nudging him from time to time, making Jarod nervous. "According to Niva, you were chasing something. Did you see it?" "No. Whoever it is, it moves too fast every time." "Whoever it is? A person? Are you sure it's not some random animal?" Jarod hesitated for a moment, then replied, "No. It was alone. He talked to me and even helped me out." The two women stopped in their tracks.Maiev leaned over. "Tell me why." Garrod described their exchange, and how apologetic the man he was chasing was. "So he saved you, then ran off. Probably realized you were not what he wanted: a Highborne." "He said he didn't know there was a trap here...and why? What would a Highborne do in this place?" Jarod said, pointing to the place in front of them when they finally came to the scene. Niva immediately knelt down at the place where he thought he had been lying down.She scrutinized the trunk of the nearest tree. "There's something here that we hadn't noticed before. Some fur." "Interesting." Maiev looked at it. "Um... fur. And someone who helped you here... Elder Fur?" He easily grasped the meaning of her words. "You think it's a werewolf?" "Possibly. Werewolves have been spying on us on the outskirts of the city," his sister offered. "They've been granted access to the city, and they've been in from time to time. But they also seem to have taken an interest in sneaking around." The ex-guard captain blurted out, "Do you think they were the ones who killed the Highborne?" "I don't know what reason they had—don't know for a while—but it's possible that they were being shot at by someone else. No one can rule it out. Those notes were written in the same archaic script." "Then there must be a night elf among them," he assured. "Someone who lost a loved one in war." "Well, it's much smaller now," his sister put in sarcastically. "I need to talk to that werewolf again." Jarod tried hard to recall any details, and the voice was the most important clue. "Find out why he's lurking around here in the first place. But it might as well have nothing to do with the Highborne—" Maiev snorted. "Oh, it must be! There is no other reasonable explanation." He couldn't think of any other reason. "Where do the werewolves live? I've heard it said, but I'm not sure..." "Oh, we know where they are. What do you think, Niva?" Another caretaker nudged Jarod with his arm, then brought his face closer to him. "Now is a good time, too." Jarod was puzzled. "do what?" Maiev laughed. "Of course I went to investigate the wolves." "'Wolfpack'..." He finally understood. "is this okay?" "The High Priestess and the Archdruid authorized me to investigate this case thoroughly. The werewolves must behave themselves." She leads the way.Niva held Jarod until he finally couldn't stand the watchman's movements, and quickened his pace to follow behind Maiev. At first their journey was so easy that it was almost like a walk, and Jarod couldn't help but wonder if his sister didn't really accept his assistance, so he went in circles with him.However, when Maiev came to the edge of a strangely shaped oak tree, she suddenly became serious again.Niva raised a finger to her lips, but Jarod didn't need her warning.He had already heard something far ahead... He immediately understood that if he could hear them, then the other party might also be aware of the three intruders. "Their main camp is still ahead," Maiev whispered to him. "But some wolf cubs have come into the area lately. I guess they like to hunt around here." She led the two of them across a stream and climbed towards a hill.Jarod was once again amazed by the landscape here.It's hard to imagine that the whole area sits on one gigantic tree. "Low down," Maiev ordered. "Now we're very close to them." He looks at her. "Will they be hostile? I thought we were just here to report—" "Quiet." His sister took a step forward. Jarod suddenly realized that neither he nor his two companions were carrying any weapons.It hadn't occurred to him before, and Jarod could only blame it on the fact that he was still groggy after his narrow escape.However, this thought did not ease his mind.After all, if these werewolves were this dangerous... "We have to go back," he whispered. "We shouldn't be doing it this way—" Niva's body stiffened suddenly.At the same time Maiev turned sharply to the right. A wild figure rushed out from behind a tree, panting.Another jumped out from the opposite side.They all threw themselves on all fours to come within a few feet of the night elves, then stood up.In a blink of an eye, more werewolves rushed out and surrounded the three of them.For the first time, Jarod was able to take a closer look at their long tusks and sharp claws.He also noticed that the werewolf was taller than the night elf, even when he was hunched over, and at least half as wide.They were all muscular, and they were probably much heavier than Garald. Garald remained motionless, silently and quickly analyzing the movements of the werewolves, trying to determine whether they were planning to attack.Maiev and Niva put on a fighting posture, which almost caused the werewolves to rush towards them.Jarod frowned at the two women's reaction, but he said nothing. There were almost a dozen werewolves surrounding them.Jarod was amazed at the level of their rage. A male werewolf approached Jarod.He fanned his nostrils carefully to smell Jarod's scent.The deep brown eyes - the most "human" feature on this beastly body - narrowed slightly. He walked towards Niva again.Her face was as motionless as if she was wearing a mask.The werewolf sniffed her too, albeit more perfunctorily.He turned and left Niva.It seemed to Jarod that the werewolves had already recognized her scent. The werewolf, apparently the leader, paused for a moment in front of Maiev.As with Niva, the werewolf seemed to recognize Jarod's sister, as if they had met before.He pursed his lips, showing his sharp teeth. Worried about Maiev, Jarod took a step forward.This turned the leader's attention to him.That's when Jarod realized that the werewolf, despite his appearance, was still wearing clothes.Most of these clothes are loose or open, and overall they are neat, in stark contrast to the pure power displayed by the werewolves. "Come to spy on us again..." the man roared, surprisingly his voice sounded normal. "Do you think we are having fun?" It took Jarod a moment to realize that the question was addressed to Maiev.She smiled challengingly at the werewolf leader. "We are here to complete the task assigned by the High Priestess. You know it." "You didn't find anything here last time." "Things are different." The leader moved his ears angrily. "The king will tell your high priestess and archdruid about this." "Please." The werewolves howled together.But there was more frustration in that voice than anger.Apparently they've had the same feud before. "You say the situation is different," snapped the leader. "what happened?" "This is my brother. He almost died in a trap set for the Highborne." Maiev did not explain to the werewolves what the Highborne were, which confirmed her previous statement that the werewolves did know the existence of those spellcasters. . "He was chasing a werewolf." The chief didn't even look at Jarod. "evidence?" "We found the fur hanging from the bark where my brother fell." The whole pack laughed mockingly. "There are many animals in the forest." He showed his paw. "Hunting is the right thing to do." "Provided you're only hunting deer or something like that, and not some other game," Maiev shot back. The leader turned to Jarod again, the long mouth not an inch away from the night elf's nose.Jarod could smell the strong breath of a carnivore, but he showed no distaste for the smell. "Tell me," the werewolf asked. "Have you seen our kind?" "No... I was in too much pain at the time." "Hmph. If he attacked you as you say, you won't feel any pain anymore." Jarod met his gaze calmly. "I never said he attacked me. He pulled me out of a trap. I don't know how he did it, but he did. He even felt sorry for me being in it." The leader of the werewolf thought for a moment, shaking his ears. He was still standing in front of Jarod, but he glanced at Maiev with his eyes. "That's nothing like what you said. A werewolf happened to be hunting nearby. Out of respect for the high priestess and archdruid, he turned away when he spotted night elves nearby. When a fool and He even saved that fool's life when he came up. We were treated like monsters because of that..." The other werewolves growled in agreement.Jarod tensed. Although they were outnumbered, it seemed that there was only one way to fight. "We're just investigating all possible scenarios," Maiev replied. "If you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear, right?" The werewolf leader bared his teeth again. "If you have a question, come straight to us. It's dangerous to sneak around. It's worse than a trap for a mage. Young werewolves may be addicted to the hunt; Not a deer pounced on it before." He pricked up his ears. "By then...it will be too late." He made a disbanding motion with one clawed hand.The other werewolves retreated before the night elves.Jarod watched them warily, and did not return to Maiev and Niva until they were far enough away. The werewolf leader let out a howl.Together the wolflike creatures disappeared into the woods, their movements as silent as any well-trained night elf. Garrod breathed a sigh of relief. "We're getting too close." "There isn't any real danger at all," his sister replied confidently. "No matter how bluffing they are, they are just a group of humans." He got a little annoyed. "Humans with fangs and claws—and you knew they were coming our way!" "It's easier than us going to them. Let's take this as a test. I want to see their reaction when I mention what happened to you. Now I've achieved my goal. What do they know. Than they think More." "I'd rather know your plans in advance." "You might not think so next time. I wish you were there. And"—Maeve hid her hand behind her back, and when she reached out again, Jarod saw she was now armed—"we didn't Not as helpless as you think." Niva did the same as Maiev did, and it turned out that both women were armed. Jarod snorted.This is the sister in his impression.Maiev will stop at nothing to complete her mission.This must be kept in mind as he assists in the investigation of the Highborne murders. "There may be a night elf in the background," he said, still annoyed. "Our folk want the lives of the Highborne for better reason than the werewolves." Maiev started walking back towards Darnassus. "Oh, maybe you're right. That leads back to the night elves. But speaking of werewolves...they need to be careful too, don't you think?" Niva smiled shyly at Jarod, and followed Maiev.A moment later, the ex-guard captain also followed.He was still angry at his sister's recklessness.Though looking back at her troubled history, it's not hard for Jarod to see how this trait has developed over thousands of years.He suspected that sometimes Maiev's recklessness was why she survived. But I won't stand by and watch you do this again, Jarod swore to himself.To work together, Maiev had to understand that his brother would never be fooled by anyone, not even her.Their success—and perhaps the stability of their people—depended on her understanding of him. He realized with sudden surprise that being angry with his sister had made him feel so alive for the first time since Sarah Hill's death.Sarah Hill knew about Jarod's relationship with Maiev, and she'd be amused by it. Ahead of him, Maiev whispered something to Niva, then laughed softly.It reminded him of another question, and he wondered if Maiev would find it as interesting.In the encounter with the werewolf just now, Jarod found something interesting-something his sister would be happy to know. He has gradually recognized the voice of the werewolf leader.He was the one who saved Jarod.Jarod couldn't connect them right away, because the werewolf was in human form when he rescued him, touching the night elves with fingers instead of claws.And his whispering voice was very different from the harsh and commanding voice of this encounter. But more importantly, the expression in the werewolf's almost human eyes revealed that he had realized that Jarod recognized him.But despite this, the werewolf gave them the order to let them go. Jarod wanted to find out why... and when he did, he had to keep his sister out of the way.Maiev could only wait for his brother to return from the werewolf camp. Assuming, of course, that they would let him go away alive again.