Warcraft Fic: Unity - Chapter 22
My busy weekend has concluded, allowing for this to be posted today, and the epilogue will be Wednesday, bringing Unity to a conclusion but WATCH THIS SPACE for my exciting Unity-related stuff. Enjoy!
Title: Unity
Part: 22 of 22+Epilogue
Word Count: 2988
Includes: The best way to end things off: sap and porn! Huzzah!
Pairings: Thrall/Jaina
Summary: Darkness threatens Azeroth once more, and Thrall and his Horde are prepared to meet it head on.
Previous Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sidestory: Linguistics
13 14 15 16 17 18
Sidestory: Defiance - 1 2 3 4 5 Epilogue
19 20 21
It was late evening by the time the attacks abated long enough for him to withdraw and rest. Sunset, raw and bleeding on the horizon, had brought another swarm of warriors, crazed and relentless. Kylian and Jaina, along with a handful of other mages, had battered the demons back with fire and ice, causing explosions clear across the Blasted Lands. When the battle had ended, the cracked and dusty soil had been carpeted with bodies.
Even now, Thrall knew, Garona was moving over the battlefield like a crow in her assassin's black, still searching for one familiar face. She doesn't even wholly know what the boy will look like, only what he might look like. The thought made Thrall pause at the entrance of Jaina's tent.
“Come in,” Jaina called softly, breaking him from his reverie. “I was just getting ready for bed.”
“Good, you need to sleep,” Thrall said as he crouched down, making his way inside. “You did hard work today.”
“Not as hard as Hyjal, I promise,” Jaina replied, and smiled at him. “It felt good to work with other mages, though.”
“Yes, you work well with Kylian.” Thrall gestured Jaina over, and she moved into his lap. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and kissed her neck softly. “Let me rub your back.”
“I'd be happy to submit to such,” Jaina murmured. “And yes, Kylian and I have worked together before.”
“Were you involved with him, in Dalaran?” he asked, and brought his hands up to rub at her shoulders, massaging lightly. “They way you argued with him... you must have been close.”
“We were good friends, I met him a few days after I met Kael.” Jaina relaxed under his touch, shifting her position so he could work his hands over her. “But never romantically or sexually. Kylian used to joke that I was twelve, mostly to annoy Kael, I think.”
“I can see why that would be annoying,” Thrall said with a frown. “Were he and Kael..?”
“On and off, mostly to distract each other, I think,” Jaina replied. “Before they left Quel'thalas for Dalaran, Kylian was very briefly involved with a girl he'd been friends with for some time. He said something very stupid and broke her heart. He spent years regretting it, and trying to drown his sorrows in steaks and men. Mostly human men, paladins when he could find them.”
“That's... very unfortunate,” Thrall noted, though he felt a shiver of relief. “So... wait, is the person he's looking for...?”
“The girl he screwed things up with completely? Yes, as far as I know.” Jaina made a soft noise as he dug his thumbs in. “I hope he intends to make things up with her. The resolution will do them both good, even at a time like this.”
“I hope so... does he love her? After hurting her so?”
“I believe he does. We all say stupid things we don't mean, Thrall.” Jaina touched his knee lightly, then braced against it as his touch became firmer. “She isn't obligated to forgive him for his stupidity, but it might help.”
“I see,” Thrall mused. “What do you think the elves will do now?”
“I'm offering them a home in Theramore,” Jaina said, and made an annoyed sound when he paused. He chuckled and continued. “If Kylian won't lead them, and Kael is missing... well, someone needs to help them. If I'd known before, I would have helped before. As it stands, I'll help them now. It won't be Quel'thalas, but it will be enough.”
“It will have to be.” Thrall worked his thumbs down, and felt himself stir at her moan. “I wanted to ask what your intentions are, once the attacks slow enough to make a push for the Dark Portal.”
“I intend to stay on Azeroth,” Jaina said, digging her fingers into his knee. “I would very much like to see Outland, or look for Kael, but I'm needed in Theramore. Aside from taking in the elves, I managed to extract a promise from Varian during the Autumn that he would come to visit Theramore. Since he insists upon sailing, it might take a full season to get to Kalimdor and it would be quite rude to miss him. You're still planning on going, aren't you?”
“I am,” Thrall said. “Even if this is a trap, even if we are being provoked, it doesn't change the fact that there are orcs on the other side, not to mention the Alliance expedition. If there's any sign of them, I'll send back word, and... I want to go. I want to see Draenor for myself, or whatever's left of it.”
“Then you should go,” Jaina said, and leaned back, looking up at him. “I'll miss you, but I won't stop you.”
“Then I want to spend the time with you that I can,” Thrall murmured, the words slipping out easily. “Because I'll miss you very much when we're on different worlds.”
“Come to bed with me, then,” Jaina said, reaching up to embrace him.Thrall bent down to kiss her, and slowly their positions changed, with Thrall kneeling over her, and Jaina reaching up, tugging at his tunic. He was acutely aware that his scent was strong from sweat and effort, that Jaina had dark smudges under her eyes.
"Have you not been sleeping well?" Thrall asked as Jaina scooted back towards her bedroll, his voice pitched with concern. "Is it magical strain?"
"I'm fine, just some uneasiness in the mornings. It might well be my proximity to the Portal." Jaina smiled at him, and he bent to kiss her, softly at first and mindful of his tusks. Jaina's hands ran along his arms and then to tug at his tunic, more insistent than before.
Thrall broke the kiss only to pull his tunic off and discard it, then kissed her again. Her mouth was eager and warm, and he felt another shiver of desire move through him. Whether we see each other one day out of a season or a dozen, I always want her more. I need Jaina in my life.
Jaina moaned softly into his mouth, and smiled against her lips. Carefully, he opened her robes, running his hands along her stomach and down to her underclothes. He slipped a finger under the waistband and tugged it down her long legs, admiring the length of them, their strength and their weakness. Once discarded, he ran his hands up between her legs again. Her hips bucked up, eager for his touch. With some haste, he fumbled one-handed at the fastenings of his trousers, growling softly as he finally managed to tug them open.
"I'm not in a complete hurry," Jaina murmured. "Take them off, I want to see all of you."
"You may not be, but I might," Thrall teased, a little breathless. "Very well." With some care, he shifted until he could take his trousers off and push them aside. Already he was hard, made more eager by every scent that wafted his way. He knelt down, resting on his heels, and made a slight noise. She nodded to him and he moved in, lifting her hips up and cupping the smooth, rounded curves of her behind.
Jaina propped herself up on one elbow, admiration shining in her eyes as she looked him over, and reached out to grasp him, stroking him slowly, her hand slick with lubrication. He groaned and thrust against her hand. "Did I ever tell you, Kylian's ancestor invented this spell, or so the Firesongs always claimed."
"Really," Thrall managed between thrusts. "I'll have to thank him. It's very helpful."
"Along with the vibrating wand, and half the spells banned for enabling criminal activity," Jaina said, thumbing along the slit of his cock. Thrall groaned again. "Adaraxiel was by all reports an incredibly colourful character."
"So it-- oh!" Thrall's hips bucked. "Jaina..."
"Let me activate..." Jaina murmured under her breath, and with a squeeze that caused his vision to briefly go white from pleasure, Thrall felt magic tingle along his arms and sparkle along the edges of the tent. "It will dampen sound and scent."
"Scent too, clever," Thrall managed. "Are you..?"
"I'm ready." Jaina's hand withdrew, and she laughed at the soft whine that escaped his lips unbidden. Thrall lifted her hips a little more, and lined himself up, nudging at her entrance. "Please."
"I should tease you too, but I couldn't last," Thrall grumbled, though without rancour. He pushed into her slowly, and was pleased by her soft groan. She lowered herself back down to her bedroll, and once in place, he began to thrust, smooth and easy, though as promised there was little that would allow him to be slow, only as gentle as possible.
At first, all he could do was move, and respond to the soft noises she made. When he could open his eyes again, he admired the way her golden hair fell against the grey-green material of her bedroll, and the way her cheeks were flushed pink. He admired the way her thighs squeezed his hips each time he plunged deeply into her, the way her hands grasped his wrists and held on tight.
His eyes drifted closed again, and he lost himself in the rising haze of pleasure. You are perfect and I love you, Jaina Proudmoore. There is no one I'd rather be with. If only we could...
Jaina's soft cry scattered his thoughts to the wind, and he let her guide him, thrusting deeply. Pleasure built up, rising like a wave that washed over him as he released, his hips pumping as they moved together. Thrall heard his name on Jaina's lips, and he smiled. When they were both sated, Thrall eased her down, stroking along her legs and thighs, and then bending over her to kiss her, and laughter bubbled on his lips at her fierce reply, and the way her hands tugged him down, though he balanced much of his weight on one arm, and not on her.
When Jaina broke the kiss, her eyes were sparkling. "Thrall, I..."
"Yes, Jaina?" he asked, smiling broadly. Jaina brought up a hand, her fingers trembling to trace over his lips. He kissed her fingers fondly.
"Stay with me," Jaina insisted. "Keep me warm tonight."
"Of course," Thrall replied, and moved to lay at her side. "Though we're going to be a bit cold if we just sleep on top of everything."
"Well, you will be," Jaina said, and with regret, indicated for him to move. "I will be quite toasty." Thrall did so, and the next few moments were devoted to rearranging the blankets and the bedroll. Thrall slipped into bed and held his arm out. Jaina crawled into the bedroll and curled up against his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close.
“Sleep well, Jaina,” Thrall murmured. My beloved.
“Thank you, sleep well.” Jaina’s eyes drifted closed. Thrall kissed her temple, and watched her features relax as slumber took her.
I should tell her, we should talk again about our relationship… I love her. Not at the height of passion, but at quiet times like this… I need her. I just don’t know what our future would hold, how many would accept a Warchief with a human mate. This is the wrong time to decide, if I’m going to Draenor and may not be back for weeks or months… Thrall sighed softly. I’ll tell her when I get back. That should be enough time to decide.
~ * ~
Three weeks after the Dark Portal exploded to life, the demonic attacks ceased, with only a handful of flying demons flapping lazily around the shimmering green expanse that floated above the crater.
Work had been done, in haste, to build a platform that would allow the Second Draenor Expeditionary Force, as they had decided to call themselves, to pass through the event horizon of the Portal.
Much of the Expedition consisted of orcs. Varok Saurfang and Garona Halforcen flanked Thrall, each in their finest armour, though the latter remained concealed behind the armour of the Kor'Kron elite. A dozen more Kor’kron accompanied Thrall, their worgs growling softly at the sight of the great Portal.
Jaina had been busy while the platform had been constructed, ferrying officers from Orgrimmar to Nethergarde Keep, and the elves who had chosen to swear loyalty to Theramore. A handful of officers from Nethergarde had chosen to accompany them, including Enohar Thunderbrew and Mahar Ba, though Vines, with great regret, did not join them, citing a need to keep the command structure roughly in place.
Cairne, Shandel'zare, and Vol'jin had come to see Thrall off, and Ak'Zeloth was anxiously passing on messages to Shandel'zare to explain to Sergra that he would be gone for some time. Gorgonna and Ariok were standing at attention, waiting until the Expedition had departed before making their way north. Kylian stood slightly apart from them, arms crossed over his chest, the slight smirk on his face not quite reaching his eyes as he watched the procession.
Jaina stood at the foot of the ramp leading up to the platform, her hands folded, her eyes bright as she watched him. The wind had picked up, tugging at Jaina's robes and the braids of Thrall's hair. Thrall found himself coated in a thin layer of red dust, while Jaina remained clean, the tainted cloud hovering around her, as though trying to determine how to strike.
Thrall approached her, offering his hand to her. Jaina smiled at him, and took it. Thrall went up the ramp and turned, looking over the assembled forces.
"People of the Expedition," Thrall began, his voice carrying on the wind. "We are venturing off to what remains of the world the orcs once came from. It is a world we believed destroyed, but thanks to chance and the will of the spirits, enough of it has survived that we might explore it.”
“There are survivors. Orcs. Humans. Elves. Ogres. Our goal is to find those survivors. We go there with hopeful hearts and steady hands. There will be demons. We have seen but a sample of them over these past few weeks, but I make you, all of you, this promise.” Thrall let his gaze move over the assembled warriors, but his eyes lingered on the human woman next to him, his next words as soft as they could be while still reaching all listeners. “We will return. We will find what we are looking for and return to Azeroth.”
“I know that you will,” Jaina murmured to him, and squeezed his hand. “I have no fear of that, though I--”
“Wait! Wait!”
Thrall and Jaina both turned, surprised and confused. A rumble came from the warriors as they shifted and moved as though a pebble had been thrown into a pond, creating ripples of movement. After a few moments, they saw a figure push its way out of the crowd. Thrall focused, and at first believed it was simply another elf, clad in a black, red, white, and gold breastplate and matching plated kilt. The elf tilted his face up towards them, and Jaina gasped softly.
“What is it?” Thrall murmured. “Someone else that you know?”
“Shano’dorei,” was Jaina’s sole reply.
“Warchief… Thrall, is it?” the elf said, his voice youthful but powerful, reaching them easily, his long gold hair fluttering in the wind as it escaped its tail, the wisps creating a halo around his head. “I’m sorry I’m late, my uncle got me here as soon as he could. My name is Arator. Arator Windrunner, and I’d like to go with your Expedition to Draenor.”
“That name sounds familiar,” Thrall said quietly, and then addressed the elf directly. “You are welcome, of course. Why are you so interested in going?”
“My parents were with the last Expedition,” Arator explains. “If they live… I want to find them.”
“Then you are most welcome,” Thrall said, and then realization hit him. Windrunner. He’s related to Sylvanas then, her… nephew? But, in that case, his parents are-- Thrall’s eyes widened, and he watched Arator step back into the crowd to be supplied with one of the spare mounts.
“Shano’dorei means ‘human elf’, essentially,” Jaina murmured to him. “Humans call them half-elves.”
“Do you think he knows about his aunt?” Thrall asked, equally quiet. Jaina shook her head, uncertain, and her expression was pained. “I’ve completely forgotten what I was saying.”
“You told me that you’d come back, and I believe you,” Jaina replied. “I won’t say goodbye. I’ll say that I’ll see you again. You have the rune?”
“I do.” Thrall used his free hand to touch over it. “I’ll see you again, Jaina.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it, as he’d read about courtly folk doing in his books, before releasing her. She descended the ramp, and stood aside as Snowsong hurried up to join him.
We’re going on a great adventure, he thought as he stroked his frost wolf’s neck. So I can return to my love. Snowsong made a sharp noise and licked him. He wrinkled his nose. My second love, because my first is obviously you, he amended, and then straightened. “Kor’kron! We march!”
His warriors raised their weapons and roared their approval, and Thrall looked them over. None were afraid or angry, all were eager and bright. He gave Jaina one final nod before turning towards the Portal, though his gaze caught on Garona. She nodded to him once, and led her mount through the Dark Portal.
Her form, mount and all, was swallowed by it as though she had immersed herself in water, and there was no sound, no cry from the spirits, and Thrall felt himself relax. Anti-climatic, Thrall thought. It’s just like being teleported by Jaina, but much bigger.
“Warchief,” Varok said, his voice quiet. “Do you want me to go next?”
“No, no,” Thrall replied. “Besides, if I take too long she’ll start to worry.”
“We can’t have that,” Varok agreed. “Go ahead.”
Thrall nodded and mounted up. Snowsong whined softly, but trotted towards the Portal. Thrall resisted the urge to touch its surface to test it. “Snowsong, go.”
Snowsong whined again, but walked into the Portal, and in twos and threes, the Second Expeditionary Force stepped across the Twisting Nether to Draenor.
[ Epilogue]
Title: Unity
Part: 22 of 22+Epilogue
Word Count: 2988
Includes: The best way to end things off: sap and porn! Huzzah!
Pairings: Thrall/Jaina
Summary: Darkness threatens Azeroth once more, and Thrall and his Horde are prepared to meet it head on.
Previous Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sidestory: Linguistics
13 14 15 16 17 18
Sidestory: Defiance - 1 2 3 4 5 Epilogue
19 20 21
It was late evening by the time the attacks abated long enough for him to withdraw and rest. Sunset, raw and bleeding on the horizon, had brought another swarm of warriors, crazed and relentless. Kylian and Jaina, along with a handful of other mages, had battered the demons back with fire and ice, causing explosions clear across the Blasted Lands. When the battle had ended, the cracked and dusty soil had been carpeted with bodies.
Even now, Thrall knew, Garona was moving over the battlefield like a crow in her assassin's black, still searching for one familiar face. She doesn't even wholly know what the boy will look like, only what he might look like. The thought made Thrall pause at the entrance of Jaina's tent.
“Come in,” Jaina called softly, breaking him from his reverie. “I was just getting ready for bed.”
“Good, you need to sleep,” Thrall said as he crouched down, making his way inside. “You did hard work today.”
“Not as hard as Hyjal, I promise,” Jaina replied, and smiled at him. “It felt good to work with other mages, though.”
“Yes, you work well with Kylian.” Thrall gestured Jaina over, and she moved into his lap. He wrapped one arm around her waist, and kissed her neck softly. “Let me rub your back.”
“I'd be happy to submit to such,” Jaina murmured. “And yes, Kylian and I have worked together before.”
“Were you involved with him, in Dalaran?” he asked, and brought his hands up to rub at her shoulders, massaging lightly. “They way you argued with him... you must have been close.”
“We were good friends, I met him a few days after I met Kael.” Jaina relaxed under his touch, shifting her position so he could work his hands over her. “But never romantically or sexually. Kylian used to joke that I was twelve, mostly to annoy Kael, I think.”
“I can see why that would be annoying,” Thrall said with a frown. “Were he and Kael..?”
“On and off, mostly to distract each other, I think,” Jaina replied. “Before they left Quel'thalas for Dalaran, Kylian was very briefly involved with a girl he'd been friends with for some time. He said something very stupid and broke her heart. He spent years regretting it, and trying to drown his sorrows in steaks and men. Mostly human men, paladins when he could find them.”
“That's... very unfortunate,” Thrall noted, though he felt a shiver of relief. “So... wait, is the person he's looking for...?”
“The girl he screwed things up with completely? Yes, as far as I know.” Jaina made a soft noise as he dug his thumbs in. “I hope he intends to make things up with her. The resolution will do them both good, even at a time like this.”
“I hope so... does he love her? After hurting her so?”
“I believe he does. We all say stupid things we don't mean, Thrall.” Jaina touched his knee lightly, then braced against it as his touch became firmer. “She isn't obligated to forgive him for his stupidity, but it might help.”
“I see,” Thrall mused. “What do you think the elves will do now?”
“I'm offering them a home in Theramore,” Jaina said, and made an annoyed sound when he paused. He chuckled and continued. “If Kylian won't lead them, and Kael is missing... well, someone needs to help them. If I'd known before, I would have helped before. As it stands, I'll help them now. It won't be Quel'thalas, but it will be enough.”
“It will have to be.” Thrall worked his thumbs down, and felt himself stir at her moan. “I wanted to ask what your intentions are, once the attacks slow enough to make a push for the Dark Portal.”
“I intend to stay on Azeroth,” Jaina said, digging her fingers into his knee. “I would very much like to see Outland, or look for Kael, but I'm needed in Theramore. Aside from taking in the elves, I managed to extract a promise from Varian during the Autumn that he would come to visit Theramore. Since he insists upon sailing, it might take a full season to get to Kalimdor and it would be quite rude to miss him. You're still planning on going, aren't you?”
“I am,” Thrall said. “Even if this is a trap, even if we are being provoked, it doesn't change the fact that there are orcs on the other side, not to mention the Alliance expedition. If there's any sign of them, I'll send back word, and... I want to go. I want to see Draenor for myself, or whatever's left of it.”
“Then you should go,” Jaina said, and leaned back, looking up at him. “I'll miss you, but I won't stop you.”
“Then I want to spend the time with you that I can,” Thrall murmured, the words slipping out easily. “Because I'll miss you very much when we're on different worlds.”
“Come to bed with me, then,” Jaina said, reaching up to embrace him.Thrall bent down to kiss her, and slowly their positions changed, with Thrall kneeling over her, and Jaina reaching up, tugging at his tunic. He was acutely aware that his scent was strong from sweat and effort, that Jaina had dark smudges under her eyes.
"Have you not been sleeping well?" Thrall asked as Jaina scooted back towards her bedroll, his voice pitched with concern. "Is it magical strain?"
"I'm fine, just some uneasiness in the mornings. It might well be my proximity to the Portal." Jaina smiled at him, and he bent to kiss her, softly at first and mindful of his tusks. Jaina's hands ran along his arms and then to tug at his tunic, more insistent than before.
Thrall broke the kiss only to pull his tunic off and discard it, then kissed her again. Her mouth was eager and warm, and he felt another shiver of desire move through him. Whether we see each other one day out of a season or a dozen, I always want her more. I need Jaina in my life.
Jaina moaned softly into his mouth, and smiled against her lips. Carefully, he opened her robes, running his hands along her stomach and down to her underclothes. He slipped a finger under the waistband and tugged it down her long legs, admiring the length of them, their strength and their weakness. Once discarded, he ran his hands up between her legs again. Her hips bucked up, eager for his touch. With some haste, he fumbled one-handed at the fastenings of his trousers, growling softly as he finally managed to tug them open.
"I'm not in a complete hurry," Jaina murmured. "Take them off, I want to see all of you."
"You may not be, but I might," Thrall teased, a little breathless. "Very well." With some care, he shifted until he could take his trousers off and push them aside. Already he was hard, made more eager by every scent that wafted his way. He knelt down, resting on his heels, and made a slight noise. She nodded to him and he moved in, lifting her hips up and cupping the smooth, rounded curves of her behind.
Jaina propped herself up on one elbow, admiration shining in her eyes as she looked him over, and reached out to grasp him, stroking him slowly, her hand slick with lubrication. He groaned and thrust against her hand. "Did I ever tell you, Kylian's ancestor invented this spell, or so the Firesongs always claimed."
"Really," Thrall managed between thrusts. "I'll have to thank him. It's very helpful."
"Along with the vibrating wand, and half the spells banned for enabling criminal activity," Jaina said, thumbing along the slit of his cock. Thrall groaned again. "Adaraxiel was by all reports an incredibly colourful character."
"So it-- oh!" Thrall's hips bucked. "Jaina..."
"Let me activate..." Jaina murmured under her breath, and with a squeeze that caused his vision to briefly go white from pleasure, Thrall felt magic tingle along his arms and sparkle along the edges of the tent. "It will dampen sound and scent."
"Scent too, clever," Thrall managed. "Are you..?"
"I'm ready." Jaina's hand withdrew, and she laughed at the soft whine that escaped his lips unbidden. Thrall lifted her hips a little more, and lined himself up, nudging at her entrance. "Please."
"I should tease you too, but I couldn't last," Thrall grumbled, though without rancour. He pushed into her slowly, and was pleased by her soft groan. She lowered herself back down to her bedroll, and once in place, he began to thrust, smooth and easy, though as promised there was little that would allow him to be slow, only as gentle as possible.
At first, all he could do was move, and respond to the soft noises she made. When he could open his eyes again, he admired the way her golden hair fell against the grey-green material of her bedroll, and the way her cheeks were flushed pink. He admired the way her thighs squeezed his hips each time he plunged deeply into her, the way her hands grasped his wrists and held on tight.
His eyes drifted closed again, and he lost himself in the rising haze of pleasure. You are perfect and I love you, Jaina Proudmoore. There is no one I'd rather be with. If only we could...
Jaina's soft cry scattered his thoughts to the wind, and he let her guide him, thrusting deeply. Pleasure built up, rising like a wave that washed over him as he released, his hips pumping as they moved together. Thrall heard his name on Jaina's lips, and he smiled. When they were both sated, Thrall eased her down, stroking along her legs and thighs, and then bending over her to kiss her, and laughter bubbled on his lips at her fierce reply, and the way her hands tugged him down, though he balanced much of his weight on one arm, and not on her.
When Jaina broke the kiss, her eyes were sparkling. "Thrall, I..."
"Yes, Jaina?" he asked, smiling broadly. Jaina brought up a hand, her fingers trembling to trace over his lips. He kissed her fingers fondly.
"Stay with me," Jaina insisted. "Keep me warm tonight."
"Of course," Thrall replied, and moved to lay at her side. "Though we're going to be a bit cold if we just sleep on top of everything."
"Well, you will be," Jaina said, and with regret, indicated for him to move. "I will be quite toasty." Thrall did so, and the next few moments were devoted to rearranging the blankets and the bedroll. Thrall slipped into bed and held his arm out. Jaina crawled into the bedroll and curled up against his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her, holding her close.
“Sleep well, Jaina,” Thrall murmured. My beloved.
“Thank you, sleep well.” Jaina’s eyes drifted closed. Thrall kissed her temple, and watched her features relax as slumber took her.
I should tell her, we should talk again about our relationship… I love her. Not at the height of passion, but at quiet times like this… I need her. I just don’t know what our future would hold, how many would accept a Warchief with a human mate. This is the wrong time to decide, if I’m going to Draenor and may not be back for weeks or months… Thrall sighed softly. I’ll tell her when I get back. That should be enough time to decide.
~ * ~
Three weeks after the Dark Portal exploded to life, the demonic attacks ceased, with only a handful of flying demons flapping lazily around the shimmering green expanse that floated above the crater.
Work had been done, in haste, to build a platform that would allow the Second Draenor Expeditionary Force, as they had decided to call themselves, to pass through the event horizon of the Portal.
Much of the Expedition consisted of orcs. Varok Saurfang and Garona Halforcen flanked Thrall, each in their finest armour, though the latter remained concealed behind the armour of the Kor'Kron elite. A dozen more Kor’kron accompanied Thrall, their worgs growling softly at the sight of the great Portal.
Jaina had been busy while the platform had been constructed, ferrying officers from Orgrimmar to Nethergarde Keep, and the elves who had chosen to swear loyalty to Theramore. A handful of officers from Nethergarde had chosen to accompany them, including Enohar Thunderbrew and Mahar Ba, though Vines, with great regret, did not join them, citing a need to keep the command structure roughly in place.
Cairne, Shandel'zare, and Vol'jin had come to see Thrall off, and Ak'Zeloth was anxiously passing on messages to Shandel'zare to explain to Sergra that he would be gone for some time. Gorgonna and Ariok were standing at attention, waiting until the Expedition had departed before making their way north. Kylian stood slightly apart from them, arms crossed over his chest, the slight smirk on his face not quite reaching his eyes as he watched the procession.
Jaina stood at the foot of the ramp leading up to the platform, her hands folded, her eyes bright as she watched him. The wind had picked up, tugging at Jaina's robes and the braids of Thrall's hair. Thrall found himself coated in a thin layer of red dust, while Jaina remained clean, the tainted cloud hovering around her, as though trying to determine how to strike.
Thrall approached her, offering his hand to her. Jaina smiled at him, and took it. Thrall went up the ramp and turned, looking over the assembled forces.
"People of the Expedition," Thrall began, his voice carrying on the wind. "We are venturing off to what remains of the world the orcs once came from. It is a world we believed destroyed, but thanks to chance and the will of the spirits, enough of it has survived that we might explore it.”
“There are survivors. Orcs. Humans. Elves. Ogres. Our goal is to find those survivors. We go there with hopeful hearts and steady hands. There will be demons. We have seen but a sample of them over these past few weeks, but I make you, all of you, this promise.” Thrall let his gaze move over the assembled warriors, but his eyes lingered on the human woman next to him, his next words as soft as they could be while still reaching all listeners. “We will return. We will find what we are looking for and return to Azeroth.”
“I know that you will,” Jaina murmured to him, and squeezed his hand. “I have no fear of that, though I--”
“Wait! Wait!”
Thrall and Jaina both turned, surprised and confused. A rumble came from the warriors as they shifted and moved as though a pebble had been thrown into a pond, creating ripples of movement. After a few moments, they saw a figure push its way out of the crowd. Thrall focused, and at first believed it was simply another elf, clad in a black, red, white, and gold breastplate and matching plated kilt. The elf tilted his face up towards them, and Jaina gasped softly.
“What is it?” Thrall murmured. “Someone else that you know?”
“Shano’dorei,” was Jaina’s sole reply.
“Warchief… Thrall, is it?” the elf said, his voice youthful but powerful, reaching them easily, his long gold hair fluttering in the wind as it escaped its tail, the wisps creating a halo around his head. “I’m sorry I’m late, my uncle got me here as soon as he could. My name is Arator. Arator Windrunner, and I’d like to go with your Expedition to Draenor.”
“That name sounds familiar,” Thrall said quietly, and then addressed the elf directly. “You are welcome, of course. Why are you so interested in going?”
“My parents were with the last Expedition,” Arator explains. “If they live… I want to find them.”
“Then you are most welcome,” Thrall said, and then realization hit him. Windrunner. He’s related to Sylvanas then, her… nephew? But, in that case, his parents are-- Thrall’s eyes widened, and he watched Arator step back into the crowd to be supplied with one of the spare mounts.
“Shano’dorei means ‘human elf’, essentially,” Jaina murmured to him. “Humans call them half-elves.”
“Do you think he knows about his aunt?” Thrall asked, equally quiet. Jaina shook her head, uncertain, and her expression was pained. “I’ve completely forgotten what I was saying.”
“You told me that you’d come back, and I believe you,” Jaina replied. “I won’t say goodbye. I’ll say that I’ll see you again. You have the rune?”
“I do.” Thrall used his free hand to touch over it. “I’ll see you again, Jaina.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it, as he’d read about courtly folk doing in his books, before releasing her. She descended the ramp, and stood aside as Snowsong hurried up to join him.
We’re going on a great adventure, he thought as he stroked his frost wolf’s neck. So I can return to my love. Snowsong made a sharp noise and licked him. He wrinkled his nose. My second love, because my first is obviously you, he amended, and then straightened. “Kor’kron! We march!”
His warriors raised their weapons and roared their approval, and Thrall looked them over. None were afraid or angry, all were eager and bright. He gave Jaina one final nod before turning towards the Portal, though his gaze caught on Garona. She nodded to him once, and led her mount through the Dark Portal.
Her form, mount and all, was swallowed by it as though she had immersed herself in water, and there was no sound, no cry from the spirits, and Thrall felt himself relax. Anti-climatic, Thrall thought. It’s just like being teleported by Jaina, but much bigger.
“Warchief,” Varok said, his voice quiet. “Do you want me to go next?”
“No, no,” Thrall replied. “Besides, if I take too long she’ll start to worry.”
“We can’t have that,” Varok agreed. “Go ahead.”
Thrall nodded and mounted up. Snowsong whined softly, but trotted towards the Portal. Thrall resisted the urge to touch its surface to test it. “Snowsong, go.”
Snowsong whined again, but walked into the Portal, and in twos and threes, the Second Expeditionary Force stepped across the Twisting Nether to Draenor.
[ Epilogue]