Operation Desert Rose

*Tinny voices crackle across a gnomish communication device on a channel secured for use by SI:7 personnel.*

"Status report."

"Signal source located. Package identified. Twenty hostiles and two suspected civilians with Package."

"Proceed with operation."

"Mission parameters?"

"Eliminate all hostiles."

"Acknowledged. Commencing operation desert rose."

***************************************************

*In the middle of the open desert in Uldum.*

The group of figures walked through the stiff, blowing sands of the desert, three miserable, hooded prisoners being herded along amidst the heavily robed travelers. Their race, allegiance, and even the size of their bodies was difficult to determine thanks to the swirling sands and flapping cloth that covered their head and faces as protection. Regardless, it was clear even from a distance that the three prisoners were being roughly handled and likely would not survive long without aid.

As the group crested the rise of a dune, one of the men near the prisoners stumbled and fell. The sound of distant thunder echoed across the sands, sounding like the rumble of distant dry lightning. The figure's companions turned, several swearing in crude common as they kicked their companion to urge him up. A second rumble of thunder sounded, and two more of the figures fell down. It was at this point that the realization that they were under attack slowly began to dawn on the group.

Rough voices shouted as swords leapt from sheaths, robed men running to and fro in an attempt to restore order to the group. Thunder rumbled again, and three more of the figures fell to the sands, the telltale sign of blood oozing from them indicating they'd been hit by a projectile. Two of the figures ran towards the prisoners who had stopped and sunk to the ground as they were no longer being prodded by their captives. Those two bandits fell as well, thunder rumbling once more over the distance. Any who approached the trio of slumped captives met a similar fate, the area around them being cleared intentionally.

One of the group shouted and pointed; he'd seen a flash of light from across the sands. Others took up the call, the remaining survivors dashing down the side of a dune and into the face of more light flashing from the sands, thunder rumbling again as three more assailants fell. With their numbers thinned dramatically, the group continued their charge, losing more and more men but closing in on the source of the light glinting from the sands. More men fell, their charge halted as they tumbled lifelessly to the sands and became motionless, the last of the attackers reaching the spot where he'd seen the spark flame from the sand.

As he neared it, the sands shifted and moved, a figure rising up from beneath them like nothing he expected. Raven black hair fell over a face masked with goggles and a sand-colored cloth barrier, the obviously human woman's body encased in light chain metal body armor wrapped in a stormcloak dyed the exact color of the surrounding landscape. All of this immediately faded from the robed man's mind though as the woman's rifle came up, the deadly end of the muzzle pointed at his chest and a small red dot playing across his robes from a gnomish sighting device on the weapon. It was, to say the least, an uncommon firearm clearly hand-crafted for enhanced range and accuracy, and it was wrapped in a desert colored cloth that protected it from the harsh sands. The man attempted to skid to a halt, attempted to turn and flee, but the rifle bucked in the woman's hands and he joined his companions, motionless on the sands.

"Clear," the woman said. Behind her the sands shifted and two more similarly cloaked and armed figures emerged from the ground. "Secure the perimeter and check the casualties. I'll see to the package."

"Yes, Ma'am," one of the men responded. The two snipers immediately began to trot up the dune's face at a brisk pace, pausing only to check each of the now still bandits that they'd ambushed.

The masked woman followed them, each of the snipers keeping their rifles ready for additional threats, the weapons sweeping across the fallen bandits as they moved, their footsteps silent amidst the howling desert winds. As she approached the three bound and hooded hostages, she reached down with one hand and pulled a small metal device from her pocket. A gemstone set on it began to pulse wildly as she held it over one of the three hooded prisoners, and she tucked the device away and quickly reached out to pull the hood from the prisoner.

A young, dark-skinned human woman emerged from beneath the hood, her mouth gagged and one of her eyes appearing as if she'd been roughed up a little. The sniper reached out and quickly removed the gag, her voice professional and curt as she spoke, "Agent Rosellina Cooke. Report."

Rosellina grimaced, her tongue moving to moisten her dry mouth before her voice croaked out a response, "I was able to confirm that orcs using Fel magic have created a portal and escaped to Azeroth before the assault on Hellfire. They likely are attempting to make contact with cultist elements here. They've established a magical communication network within their small group that will prevent us from eavesdropping." She paused, grinning for a moment, "Only bad thing for them is one of the civvies here saw them cast the spell and she swears up and down she can copy it exactly. Looks like the mission was a success. Except for the, you know, bad teleportation spell that brought us to Uldum and landed us in the middle of a slaver camp."

The masked sniper said nothing for a minute, a hand coming up to her ear. When she spoke, it was not to Rosellina but instead on her comm, "Operation complete. Package is secure. Operative reports that we have a civilian contact with vital intel. Heading to extraction point delta, eta fifteen minutes."

With that the sniper bent down, gently placing her rifle on the ground for a minute as she pulled out a combat knife and began to undo the rope binding Rosellina's hands behind her back. Once the SI:7 agent was free, she began to rub her wrists, wincing as the circulation returned, ""You haven't told me your name, operative."

"My name's not important, and I'm not an operative. I'm on loan from the 7th," the sniper replied, turning away from Rosellina and heading for the prisoners. She grabbed the hood on one and pulled it free, revealing a frighted looking human woman who appeared to have nothing magical about her. Shrugging, the sniper moved on, her hand coming out and yanking the hood off the third captive.

Two enormous cyan colored pigtails tumbled free from the hood as a night elf was revealed. Silver eyes blinked at the sudden sunlight and then looked up at the masked sniper a moment later. A smile crept across the elf's face and a high-pitched, energetic voice erupted with a greeting, "Hi there! Thank you sooooo much for taking that thing off my head! It was super stuffy in there and it was really messing up my hair too. Hey why are you wearing a mask? That's a really great idea for not getting sand in your eyes and oh my heavens why is everyone around us dead?!"

For a moment the sniper simply stood there, staring down at the elf who was blinking in shock at the remains of the slaver group. She seemed to tremble for just a second before her hands slowly came up and pushed the goggles off her face and into her hair. She pulled her mask down, a look of disbelief on her face as she spoke, "Malandrae Moonwhisper...."

"Oh my heavens! Miss Belleri! What are you doing here?" Malandrae exclaimed happily.

Belleri simply stared at the elf, shaking her head and mentally groaning. Of course the mission would take a turn like this. Nothing was that easy, and her punishment for thinking it would be was that she was going to have to somehow get the scatter-brained Highborne across miles of open desert in a speedy fashion. She exhaled slowly, calming herself, "I'm here to rescue Agent Cooke. I suppose it's too much to ask that you are not the one who saw the orcs casting their spell...?"

"Oh I totally saw it! They didn't even do a good job hiding it!" Malandrae said happily. "I was just picking some herbs and they came into this clearing and starting using their magic so I made myself invisible but then I tripped over this nice lady here and it made me visible and they got mad at us and-"

Belleri held up a hand, already feeling a headache coming on. Behind her, Rosellina approached, looking confused, "You...know this elf?"

"I do," Belleri replied with a long-suffering voice. "If she is the one who saw the spell, then we need to get her to safety because the information she holds is vital intel. I've...protected her before. This is going to be more difficult than I'd imagined."

Rosellina scoffed, "How hard could it be to protect one little..."

Her voice trailed off as Malandrae's hands burst into flame and burned away the ropes that had bound her. The fact that she probably could have done that the entire time they'd been captured started to dawn on Rosellina as the Highborne hurled herself at Belleri and wrapped her arms around her, "I'm so happy to see you, Miss Belleri! I'm glad you're doing good!"

Belleri sighed, gently patting the Highborne and then firmly putting her a few paces away. She freed the last prisoner and retrieved her rifle, signaling to the other snipers that were on-loan to SI:7 that it was time to move. She turned to Malandrae, her voice serious, "Miss Moonwhisper, I need you to very carefully follow my instructions okay? You have information that the Alliance needs very badly and I want to make sure you can get back to Stormwind to tell someone about it. Do you understand?"

Malandrae nodded, her eyes wide, "Oh I totally understand! Don't worry, Miss Belleri, you can count on me!"

"Good, thank you Miss Moonwhisper," Belleri said, not really believing it. She turned to Rosellina and nodded, "Agent Cooke, we're ready to proceed if you are, Ma'am. I have evac waiting two miles from here."

Rosellina nodded, "Let's get out of here. And thank you, Belleri was it?"

"Ranger Captain Belleri Giano," the sniper replied. "Let's move out. We need to get to the evac site quickly."

With that the two masked snipers with her began to trot off at a brisk pace, Belleri leading the freed prisoners behind them. As the howling winds blew sand at them and made travel miserable, a happy, excited voice echoed for long distances across the sands, "It is super hot out here did you know that? I feel kind of bad that I ended up getting us in a desert! It would have been better to land somewhere with snow I guess right? Hey! I can make snow if you guys want and-"

"No!" several voices shouted in unison. Malandrae's voice trailed off for a moment, the silence a blessing until she broke it again, "Miss Belleri? Did you ever end up going on that date with that pirate? You remember? Back in Stormwind...?"

The cursing that answered the question brought a smile to Rosellina's lips as she mentally began to write her report up. While her mission had taken an unexpected turn for the worse, all was well that ended well and it looked like SI:7 had made the right choice in linking up with a skilled team of snipers from the 7th. As she watched Belleri trot ahead of her and attempt to deflect the Highborne's peppering of questions, it became clear that the woman would be a valuable asset to the Alliance in the days to come, and there would be special mention of the Ranger's contributions to the mission in Rosellina's reports.

Who knew, in time perhaps the sniper would join SI:7 itself, or one of its affiliates. The King would be well served in any event.

Operation Totally Awkward!

The hot water came down in a soothing stream, splashing against her head and running through her raven black hair. It flowed down her tanned skin, warming her and relaxing every muscle. Belleri sighed, closing her eyes for a moment and just enjoying the feeling of the hot shower raining down on her.

The Knox residence had gnomish plumbing and magical heaters installed throughout the structure, and since Belleri needed to remain close by, she had opted to use the guest bathroom on the lower floor. When she first entered, she had been surprised to find the collection of brass pipes over the elegantly tiled floor; she'd heard of such devices but she'd never had such luxuries back home at the Giano family farm in Elwynn. After a moment's hesitation she had stripped down and stepped beneath the humming pipes, twisting some knobs until the almost heavenly flow of water had started.

Since reinforcements had arrived and she now had two additional rangers to station around the Knox residence, Belleri had given herself exactly six hours of off-duty time. This would allow her to bathe and perhaps catch a quick nap. She would follow-up with two hours of paperwork (she had so many reports to send in!) and then resume her guard duties. She could not stay up twenty-four hours a day after all, although if a spell existed to allow that she would surely try it!

She let the thoughts drift away as the hot, steamy water relaxed her. It glittered as it hung from the ends of her hair and her nose ring, and she found herself strangely bemused by the luxury of it all. After a time she began to hum softly to herself, an old tune that she'd been taught as a young girl. The moment was utter peace and relaxation; a stolen piece of time for the normally busy ranger.

It abruptly came to an end when she heard someone shuffling about in the room with her. Mortified and alarmed, she ceased her humming and reached out, grabbing the shower curtain and pulling it back forcefully, ready to confront the intruder. To her ever-lasting horror she beheld none other than Malandrae Moonwhisper, stripped down to her underwear, leaning over Belleri's pile of discarded armor.

As the shower curtain was jerked open Malandrae's gaze turned towards the source of the noise. Belleri had just enough time to bring an arm across her chest and shoot her free hand down to cover her nudity in a rather awkward fashion before the elf straightened and turned to face her.

"Oh my heavens, how much body jewelry do you HAVE?" Malandrae asked cheerfully. The ranger immediately flushed a bright crimson color; clearly she had not been nearly fast enough. The elf smiled pleasantly and turned back to Belleri's armor, speaking over her shoulder, "How in the heavens do you figure out all of the straps on these things? I totally asked Miss Kelliana once about her plate armor but I still just do not understand it!"

While used to showering in close proximity to others thanks to years of training, Belleri felt extremely off balance at the sudden conversation and presence of the elf. She managed to sputter out a short response, "Miss Moonwhisper, w-what are you d-doing in here Ma'am? A-and w-why aren't you wearing any clothes..."

Malandrae waved a dismissive hand at the human, still examining the armor. For a moment Belleri's heart leapt into her throat as she saw the elf reach out, thinking the woman was going to touch her rifle. Fortunately Malandrae simply picked up the chain top of Belleri's armor pieces while still speaking over her shoulder, "Oh Eldre'nor is using our main bathing room upstairs and she is singing offkey. I have a feeling she is doing it intentionally just so that I cannot take a bath. I thought I'd come down here and use this room. The ranger you assigned to me said you were down here so I figured you wouldn't mind since you'd know where I was and all."

Belleri blinked once and mentally made a note to assign a certain ranger to some rather extremely unpleasant duties later. After a moment she managed to speak again, "Ma'am, with all due respect, I'm nude."

Malandrae turned, dropping the chain armor and stepping closer to Belleri. Her eyes studied the human for a moment and then she smiled happily, "Oh yes! You poor thing, you must be freezing! Did you use the dryer yet?"

"D-dryer Ma'am?" Belleri asked, feeling completely lost now.

"Oh yes! Professor Knox put them in all the rooms!" Malandrae said with a smile. She walked closer, her almost nude body gliding across the room. She laid a hand on Belleri's shoulder and gently pushed her towards a wall. "Right here!"

Feeling utterly awkward, Belleri allowed the strange elf to guide her near a wall where Malandrae proceeded to rest a hand on a tile that was colored red instead of the white of the rest of the room. Immediately a small orb of flame appeared in the air over them, warming that small area of the room intensely. Belleri could feel the water drying from her skin almost immediately. She blinked in surprise, "O-oh. Dryer. Right. T-that's actually very nice Ma'am. Thank you Ma'am."

Malandrae nodded happily, and then paused, a hand running over Belleri's left shoulder. Her delicate elven fingers traced the line of a scar on the ranger's tanned flesh. "This is where the arrow was removed, isn't it?" she said softly.

Belleri nodded once, "Aye Ma'am. Please do not concern yourself with it. Such events are always a possibility when performing my duties Ma'am."

The elf nodded once, biting her lip and then slowly stepping away, her fingers sliding from the woman's shoulder as she moved back to the soft padded bench where Belleri's armor rested. She pushed a few pieces aside and sat, waiting for the woman to finish drying.

"Miss Belleri, do you ever take any time off?" she asked the ranger. For her part, Belleri had remained standing perfectly at attention, still covering herself.

"Ma'am?" she stammered. "I-I'm off right now Miss Moonwhisper. You have another Ranger assigned to you, as does Mixx Knox."

Malandrae shook her head and sighed, "That's not what I meant Miss Belleri! I mean time OFF. You're still thinking about your duty right now! There must be more for you to think about than that."

Belleri mentally groaned, not wanting to have such a conversation at all, let alone completely nude with mostly nude elf that was tens of thousands of years older than her. "Ma'am, I have duties to attend to. I s-should probably get dressed so you can use the shower."

Malandrae waved her hand again, "Oh don't worry, I'll use it in a moment! Really though, you should think about taking some time off! I have heard other people tell you this same thing! Maybe when you go on your date with Mister Karrsen!"

If possible, Belleri became yet a deeper shade of red, "Miss MOONWHISPER! I am NOT going on a DATE with Mister Karrsen. He is a PIRATE and I'm trying to make sure he is safe to be around YOU!"

Malandrae giggled at the woman and shook her head, "Don't be silly, of course he's safe! I'm a VERY good judge of character! Also I don't think going for a drink with him or going fishing is really a good way to check up on a person. It's definitely a date! Besides, he's SUPER cute isn't he? All those muscles, and those tattoos!"

Belleri audibly groaned aloud this time, shaking her head, "I-I'm sure Mister Karrsen is pleasing to the eye Ma'am. That is not what my intentions are tho-"

Malandrae cut her off with another giggle, "Miss Belleri, it's quite alright if those WERE your intentions. I think he's cute but it's alright if you do too! Besides, maybe relaxing would do you some good."

Belleri scowled at the elf; the situation had become too strange for her to handle any longer, "Miss Moonwhisper! I am NOT going on a date with Mister Karrsen! Now if you would PLEASE excuse me, I would like to get dressed!"

Completely not getting the hint, Malandrae gestured at the pile of Belleri's clothes beside her and nodded, "Oh sure! And by the way, it's alright you know."

Belleri rolled her eyes and stepped towards the elf. Having no other option, she quickly snatched up her undergarments and began slipping them on, ignoring the fact that the elf was staring at her. "What is alright Ma'am?"

"To like someone, or to want to like someone. Or even to love someone," Malandrae said happily. "It adds something to your life, enriches it you know? Even if you don't want to admit it, or if you CAN'T."

Belleri, now at least in her underwear and able to stop covering herself, frowned at the elf, "I have loved in the past Miss Moonwhisper. It was some time ago."

The elf bobbed her head, acknowledging the comment, "Oh that's super good then Miss Belleri! That means that you know that it can be good! I'm happy to hear this! Maybe there is hope for you yet! You don't have to admit things to me of course, but if you ever want to talk about such things...well I'm here!"

Belleri groaned again, "Thank you Ma'am. I'm sure that will not be necessary Ma'am."

Malandrae giggled, "Of course it is silly. I will tell you a secret so when you feel ready you can come to me. We'll be like secret friends! I TOTALLY love someone did you know that?"

Belleri shook her head, "No Ma'am, I did not. Do you want to tell me the person's name so I can give them security clearance?"

Malandrae shook her head, "Nope! I don't! Because she doesn't belong to me. That doesn't matter though you see? I love her anyway, and when she's happy I'M happy, even if someone else is making her happy. Do you know what I mean? Love itself adds something to us! She may never know how I feel, but I will always try to make her happy, and I'll be happy in return."

Belleri studied the elf carefully and then shook her head, "Ma'am, I don't think we should be discussing this. Such a topic has no bearing on my duties and they come first and foremost."

Malandrae studied the ranger silently for a moment before sighing, "You are a tough one Miss Belleri, but one day we will see a peek beneath your duties to the real you. Anyway, totally think about what I said okay? It's alright to feel things you know! It makes you stronger, not weaker silly!"

With that the elf rose and began stripping the rest of her clothing off, leaving it in a pile on the floor and stepping towards the shower. Belleri averted her gaze, steadfastly focusing on getting her armor on as quickly as humanly possible. Behind her, the water started going again and Malandrae's beautiful voice rose up in a song of her own. The ranger simply shook her head and snatched up her rifle once she had finished pulling her boots on. Holding the weapon seemed to steady her, giving her a moment to balance her thoughts.

**********************************

A moment later the door to the downstairs guest bathroom opened with a thump and Belleri stalked out. A small gnome woman in combat armor with pistols strapped all over her gave Belleri a salute, which the Ranger Captain returned. The smoldering look in her eyes promised the gnome that she would become quite familiar with potatoes in the near future. The ranger captain stalked away, even as the the faintest hint of a smirk crossed the gnome's lips and the sound of Malandrae's singing filled the lower floors of the house with a haunting melody.

The melody, and the words, would remain with Belleri for the rest of her day.

Operation Broken Blade

Dragonblight Sector
Venomspite Region
2200 Hours

The Deathguard paused on his patrol, his boots sinking deep in the freshly fallen snow. Moonlight reflected dimly off of the white around him, but he paid it little heed; he was not out to enjoy the beauty of the landscape after all, and he gave little thought to such sights in his undead state. The snow was more a nuisance that impaired movement than anything else, another trial in the unjust unlife that saw him stationed in the unforgiving North in the Forsaken outpost of Venomspite.

Above the Deathguard a bird cried out mournfully in the night. He tilted his head back, his dimly glowing yellow eyes seeking the source of the sound. Owls frequently hunted in the evening hours, their cries echoing off of the lonely frozen landscape. This one had sounded unusually close though, as the wildlife of the region generally preferred to avoid the Forsaken and their holdings.

The arrow made only the faintest whisper of sound as it cut through the air, embedding itself in the Forsaken's neck. He blinked once in surprise even as the magically enchanted arrowhead began to sear away the rotted flesh of his neck, traveling up into his skull. His vocal chords already burned away by the magic, the creature silently fell lifeless into the snow, dissolving slowly from the magic and venom on the tip of the weapon.

After the Deathguard had stopped moving, there was the slightest hushed sound of cloth moving, and a pair of silver eyes studied the fallen creature in the moonlight before gently brushing snow over it.

Moments later, there was nothing to be seen; only a lonely patch of snow that looked as if it had been undisturbed.

**************************

The three Deathguards trudged through the thick snow as they circled the outer wall of Venomspite. The snow had begun to fall heavily again, with almost no relief for those who were forced to live in Dragonblight. While immune to the chilling effects of the cold, the trio of undead grumbled loudly about being forced to march around the perimeter of the small Forsaken town. Since most of the Alliance and Horde forces in Dragonblight had been withdrawn back to their homes, it had become increasingly unnecessary to maintain any sort of watch around the place, and each of the Deathguard knew that they were wasting their time.

Snappish even with each other, the trio turned around a corner of Venomspite's wall, pausing as movement caught their attention. There, a little away from the edge of the compound, a green-hued owl flopped about in the snow with one of its wings extended outward, almost awkwardly. As the three watched, the creature jumped and flapped the wing, the other wing remaining tightly pressed against its body. The three looked at each other and grinned; clearly the owl had been wounded somehow and it gave them the perfect opportunity for a bit of fun.

"Let's pluck its feathers out one by one," the leader of the three said with a raspy voice. The other two chuckled and they advanced on the helpless bird.

As the trio approached, one of them moved ahead of the others, stepping towards the flapping, flopping owl, "There there little one," he cooed, "this will only hurt a little bit."

The sound of his voice covered the sound of an arrow in flight. The weapon embedded itself in the neck of the Forsaken furthest from the owl. He made not a sound as he toppled over dead in the snow, his companions unaware of his demise. The first of the Forsaken reached for the owl, clawed hand just about to grasp it when the bird suddenly unfurled its second wing and leaped into the air, claws extended.

The Deathguard didn't expect the owl to lurch at him, and claws tore deeply into his rotted face as the creature took flight. The second Deathguard turned to check the location of his companion and gasped as he saw him lying dead in the snow. He brought a shield up just as an arrow flashed through the air. The weapon struck the wooden shield and shattered it with magic, causing the Deathguard to curse and shake his injured arm.

In the meanwhile, the owl had blinded the first deathguard and snatched up his sword before flying off. The now disarmed Forsaken cursed and dashed after it even as his companion reached to his belt to pull out a horn; he knew that they were under attack and had to warn the town.

The undead creature never got a chance to use his horn. As he brought it to his lips a third arrow slashed through the air, severing his spine at heart level. The undead creature gasped once and fell into the snow face-first to lie unmoving. The third Deathguard, who had run some distance through the snow, turned to stare at the sight of his two dead companions. Even as he did so, the owl gave out a mournful cry in the air over his head, and another arrow cut through the cold northern air.

A moment later, there was only silence and the eerie wail of the blowing wind.

*************************************

She left not a single footprint in the snow as she ran. It was a skill that her lithe body and elven agility imparted to her, and even the other rangers were impressed when she did what they called 'snow walking'. She dashed quickly across the frozen terrain, using her momentum and experience to leap from one patch of snow to another, always choosing snow with a thick enough crust of ice on it to temporarily support her weight.

It made her fast; faster than the deathguards around Venomspite at least. It was an advantage that she had to use to its best potential as the patrols around the town were separated by only 15 minutes. That meant the elf had five minutes to get in, five to complete her objective, and five to exit before the next patrol found the three dead bodies. The thought flashed quickly through the Ranger's mind and made her smile as she ran.

Erawyn always did enjoy a challenge.

As she approached the outer wall of Venomspite, she didn't slow down. Instead, she actually increased her speed, her eyes on a wrought iron fence that lead up to the much higher stone wall around one of the buildings. The structure had a huge metal sphere on the roof with electrical discharges shooting into the sky now and then, along with several large tanks on the outside of the building. Erawyn knew that this structure housed the apothecaries of the town, and she knew that her target objective must be within it.

She dashed through the snow, reaching the waist high wrought iron fence in moments. She jumped into the air, a delicate foot coming down on one of the upright supports of the fence. Without slowly down, she jumped forward, her other foot landing on the next upright. Every third one was built to support the weight of the fence; the rest were capped with deadly sharp spikes.

Paying almost no heed to the danger, Erawyn focused and continued to dash along the deadly fence, increasing her momentum as it lead to the edge of the stone wall. As she approached, she used her speed and the height of the fence to leap higher than she would have been able to normally, her boots briefly touching the top of the higher stone wall and her hands outstretched to catch the lip of the structure's roof. Long elven fingers dug into the snow that covered the shingles, finding purchase at the edge. She hung there for a moment, then began to swing until she was able to do a backflip up onto the roof.

Erawyn paused for a moment, making not a single sound. Breathing heavily, she reached down and placed some of the snow from the roof in her mouth to prevent her breath from fogging and giving away her position. Her outfit was made of form fitting white leather, and with her silver eyes and short cropped silver hair combined with her almost white complexion, she was able to blend easily into the snowy background of the roof. She carefully began to make her way across the structure, peering into the center of the town once she reached the edge and confirming that the way was clear.

Seeing no one, Erawyn dropped off the edge of the roof, using one hand to hang herself in place. She pulled a knife with her other hand and pried open a window on the side of the building, using her hanging position to allow her access to the top of the window frame. After popping the locks, she slipped a bit of oil onto the outer edges and slide the glass open swinging and dropping down inside with almost no sound.

Her elven eyes adjusted to the darkness inside almost instantly, taking in the rows of chemical storage vats and alchemical equipment that the apothecaries used to perform their experiments. At this time of night, the place was mostly abandoned and silent except for the bubbling gurgle of an experiment on the floor below. Erawyn paused to get her bearings, her memory recalling all of her mission briefing and the layout of the structure. After a moment, she nodded to herself and unslung her bow from its place on her back, making her way stealthily down the hall.

At the end of the corridor she found two doors. Her mission briefing had told her that one lead deeper into the rooms that the apothecaries used for storage, while the other was to a holding cell that they used to hold experimental prisoners. She turned towards the prison and tried the handle, finding it locked as she had expected.

She looked around to ensure that no one was about to approach and set her bow down, pulling a vial out of a pouch. Within it was a bubbling green liquid; something she used to coat her special arrowheads. She took an arrow and dipped it in the liquid before scraping it across the lock on the door. The liquid was made from a mixture of animal venoms, and was a caustic acid. It immediately began to eat away at the door lock and Erawyn smiled as she watched the metal melt. She discarded her used arrow, picked up her bow and pulled the door open.

Within the unlit room her eyes detected the outline of a form slumped on the floor in the far corner of a dirty little cell. As the door opened, the figured moved slightly, the rattle of chains coming faintly to Erawyn's ears. She hurried forward, kneeling beside what appeared to be a very very mistreated human male.

"Agent Sarkov?" She murmured. The man looked at her with his one unruined eye, the rest of his face a mask of blood and diseased cuts.

He groaned once and then nodded before responding in a gurgling voice, "Y-yes. Forsaken caught me t-three days ago. Seen better days..."

Erawyn frowned, studying the man closely. He had wounds and bruises all over his body, and several of them looked badly infected with diseases that could only be related to the blight. The man had seen his last days of life, and might seen many more days of unlife. She shook her head, ignoring all of that for the moment, "I need your report."

The man grimaced and nodded, "Should have figured they wouldn't have sent ya to rescue me. Not how SI:7 works. I got it all here. Bastards didn't realize my jacket was double lined. Long story short though, they moved their experiments from here to Silverpine. Definitely working on new forms of Blight from what I could tell and what's been done to me since."

Erawyn nodded once and proceeded to open the man's jacket. Ignoring several infected and horrific looking wounds on his chest, she cut the lining of his clothing open with her knife, pulling out a detailed report on the apothecaries in the region and their activities. She tucked it into the top of her leather armor and nodded once. The man reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"I'm not going to make it," he stated flatly. "You know this."

She nodded once and without a word reached down and pulled a vial from her belt, holding it up in front of him. He studied it and then nodded, "Poison then. Go ahead and do it lass."

She shook her head, "Poison of a sort." She leaned forward and tilted the vile into his mouth. The man swallowed it and grimaced again, preparing to die. What he did not expect was for fur to begin to sprout on his body. Although his wounds didn't heal, his shaped began to change painfully.

"W-what...what's happening..." he croaked, his body shaking violently.

Erawyn pulled her combat knife out and sighed, "It was worgen blood. Now they won't be able to revive your corpse when they find you in the morning. I'm sorry."

Small growls escaping him, the man glared at her, "Yer a hard lass aren't ya? Just promised me you'll avenge me."

Erawyn nodded once and then leaned forward, slitting the half-turned worgen's throat. "I was forged from steel, yes. And no, I can't avenge you. I have orders to follow. Your vengeance will come in time. I WILL remember you."

And then she was up and moving, leaving the dead corpse behind her, the secret report tucked safely in her armor. Seconds later she had flipped back up onto the roof, replacing the glass of the window so as not to give her enemies an extra clue to follow her.

One minute later she was concealed in the woods surrounding Venomspite, just another wisp of wind in the cold northern air.

She'd completed her mission with four minutes to spare. She grinned to herself as she made her way back to the rendezvous point; it was always nice when things went exactly as planned. DOSO High Command would be pleased, and on top of that, the information gleaned tonight would give them some insight into the activities of the Forsaken and their apothecaries.

A time of reckoning was coming soon, much sooner than the Horde realized.

Duty and Sacrifice

Teldrassil Sector
1050 Hours
Escort Duty

The two mages chattered away as they walked through the forests of Teldrassil on their way to the moonwell. Beside and behind them, the elf and human rangers trailed along, ever alert to threats in the wooded area. The day had been uneventful thus far, and after some argument Malandrae and Ilhedith had managed to convince their guardians that a trip into the forest to visit the moonwell and collect some water samples would not be an issue. The magic might even come in handy when determining how to deal with the satyr threat.

The group was walking down a wide dirt path in the forest towards their destination when the attack began. It started as nothing more than a glimmer in the air, but was something that both of the rangers instantly noticed and that drew the attention of the two mages as well. Magic swirled in a pattern at chest height, the spell widening until a portal began to open in the space that it occupied. Instantly the rangers brought their weapons up, even as the portal began to disgorge enemies.

The first figure had barely stepped from the portal before Belleri's rifle roared and a shot threw them to the ground dead. The second attacker had only a split second to orient themselves before an arrow took them and they fell beside the first. After that, a wave of attackers poured out, a few more shots and arrows slaying some of the combatants before they were even fully aware of their surroundings.

The enemies were unusual in appearance. The group consisted mostly of kaldorei elves who were entirely naked. Upon their bodies they had either carved, painted, or inscribed a variety of demonic runes and symbols until they had entirely covered their flesh with the markings. They looked savage, and many held rusted weapons or bows in their hands and had wild expressions on their faces as they bellowed warcries. Behind them, the portal widened a bit more and one final figure emerged, shouting encouragement to them. Taller than even the elves, the creature had hooves and horns and hair over much of it's lower body and was instantly recognizable as a satyr; likely one of their foe's greater minions.

The two rangers continued to fire, their barrage taking a devastating toll on the charging elves. Ilhedith gasped as she saw the horde of creatures pouring towards where she and Malandrae were standing. She whispered a spell and surrounded herself in a protective shield of magic. Seeing that Malandrae was staring in shock at the bellowing tide of enemies, she reached out and touched her friend, placing a second shield around the elf. It was not a moment too soon as arrows and darts arced towards them, slamming into the barriers and falling harmlessly to the ground.

Four more of the elves died, two shot in the heart and two with arrows sticking from their chests as Belleri and Erawyn efficiently fired their weapons. The surging group of enemies withered under the fire, and the attackers were forced to turn and face the rangers or risk being completely obliterated. Arrows arced towards the elf and human as the savage demon-worshipers returned fire. Two more of them fell even as they attempted to slay the rangers, the accuracy of the guardians far superior to the untrained and wild attacks of the satyr's assault force.

Belleri sighted down the length of her rifle as one of the kaldorei aimed a bow at her. She squeezed the trigger on her weapon just as her enemy fired. The elf flew back, the lead shot penetrating her heart even as her own arrow soared through the air and struck Belleri in the chest. The tip slid against Belleri's mail armor, piercing it but deflected upwards. The shaft snapped from the pressure as the arrowhead was driven far up into the human's shoulder.

Belleri felt herself falling backwards as the weapon impacted against her. She landed in the dirt of the path, her rifle thudding into the soft soil nearby, the barrel smoking slightly from the extensive use it had just had. The corners of her vision began to dim even as she heard the steady thrum of Erawyn's bow and the cries of the elves that she was slaying. She saw the sky above her through the branches of the tree limbs and then a shadow loomed over her and a heavy weight pressed down on her as the Satyr sat on her mid-section.

The creature looked down on her, its demonically twisted elven features smirking as it pressed a large, clawed hand against Belleri's wound. Despite herself she cried out slightly and the sound only made the creature laugh as it moved it's head in close to her, a rancid smell of death surrounding it.

"So fragile. So hurt," it hissed. "I'm going to kill you and your friends. I'm going to save you for last though. When you wake up, you'll have no arms and legs, but you'll live as I eat you bit by bit. Yes, I think that will be fun, don't you? I'll eat you alive little human."

It emphasized its words by pressing harder on her wound, and Belleri fought against the blackness that threatened to overwhelm her vision. She couldn't move her left arm at all, and the pain was intense as she shifted her body, finding her right arm still fully functional. It slide against her side, her hand grasping desparately as she glared up at the satyr.

The creature leaned down further, pressing its weight against her wound and grinning. It's grin was cut short a second later as Belleri's still-working arm came up, the muzzle of her pistol pressed so hard against its chin that it was forced to tilt it's head back.

"Eat this you bastard," she said in a deadly calm voice as she squeezed the trigger.

The satyr's head exploded as the weapon discharged at point blank range, and the weight lifted from Belleri as its dead body was hurled away. On the path beyond her, what was left of the attacking elves cried out in terror as their leader was slain. Erawyn took full advantage of the moment, efficiently drawing and firing her bow over and over again. Three more attackers fell dead, arrows sticking from their corpses, before the entire group broke and began to run.

Erawyn didn't stop, her face totally focused as she drew more arrows and let them fly. Now she was hitting the elves in their backs as they fled, cutting them down before they could reach the safety of the forest beyond. One by one they died, their last cries carried into the undergrowth around them. The last elf paused, seeing her companions dead. She turned to face Erawyn, her hands raised in surrender. The ranger calmly brought her bow up and fired it again, her arrow taking the surrendering enemy in the heart. The forest fell silent as her body tumbled into the bushes, Malandrae's gasp the only sound.

"S-she was surrendering!" the Highborne cried out.

Erawyn completed a visual scan of the forest around them before turning to face Malandrae and Ilhedith. "Ranger Giano is a casualty. As such, I am in charge of this mission until she has been seen to. I cannot protect you, tend to Ranger Giano, AND control a prisoner at the same time. The elf was a demon-worshiper and she was well aware of the potential consequences of her actions."

Erawyn paused, placing her bow on her back and moving towards the pair, "I need you to follow my instructions precisely. Miss Knox, please face to the west and Miss Moonwhisper face to the east. Please keep your protective spells active and watch for signs of additional attackers while I tend to Ranger Giano."

After seeing the two nod numbly at her and move into position, Erawyn moved to where Belleri had fallen and kneeled beside her. She snapped her fingers a few times until the woman's glassy eyes focused on her. "Ranger Giano, can you hear me? Do you know where you are?"

She received no answer and began to frown. She reached to her belt and pulled out a canteen, using a bit of the cold water on Belleri's face. Her voice softened just slightly, more emotion than Ilhedith or Malandrae had heard her use before, "Damn it Bell, pay attention."

The cold water seemed to work as Belleri focused on Erawyn's face, "H-here. I'm here."

Erawyn nodded once, leaning forward to examine the wound. "Ranger Giano, you have an arrowhead lodged in your shoulder. The shaft snapped and I cannot push it through. I have to remove it in case its poisoned. Do you understand?"

Belleri nodded once before croaking out, "J-just do it."

Erawyn nodded again, immediately setting to work. She took out a combat knife, using it to cut away one side of the straps that held the halter of Belleri's armor in place. She carefully folded the leather strap several times before slipping it into Belleri's mouth. "Bite down."

The human did as she was instructed and Erawyn moved the knife up to her shoulder. With precise, careful movements she began to cut away the flesh that concealed the arrowhead. Belleri's entire body shuddered and her back arched as she clamped down on the excruciating pain, her tan flesh going pale and breaking out in sweat. She thought back to her training, using it to guide her.

In the north, we do not cry out, as it will call the undead upon us and they will feast on us while still alive. We do not cry out, as we will draw allies to us and place them in danger. When you fall in battle, when you fail in your mission, you do not cry out. You pass without a sound, the way a ranger aught to die.

The procedure was mercifully short under Erawyn's skilled hands, and soon enough flesh had been cut away to free the weapon. She pulled it out, checking the broken bit of shaft to ensure that no pieces had splintered off into the wound before taking bandages from her field kit and wrapping them tight to staunch the bloodflow. "The wound is clean. You are hereby ordered to receive medical treatment in the Temple of the Moon Ranger Giano."

Belleri nodded once, her free hand removing the tooth-mark ridden leather from her mouth. "Help me up. I'll walk."

Nearby, Malandrae (who had NOT been on watch as she was instructed!) gasped and shook her head, "N-no! We'll use magic to carry her, or get guards. She's been HURT!"

Erawyn turned and leveled what was almost a glare at the Highborne. Her voice was tinged with the slightest hint of anger and she used no formal form of address when replying, "She said she'll walk."

Behind Malandrae, Ilhedith placed a hand on her apprentice's shoulder and shook her head softly, "No Malandrae, it is between them I think. The wounded do not place a burden on their unwounded comrades. At the same time, you don't leave a wounded comrade behind for the undead to find. Isn't that right?"

Erawyn nodded again once, "Just so." She rose, walking around to Belleri's good side and extending a hand. The human grasped it, and with a gasp managed to drag herself to her feet, leaning heavily on her elven companion. Together the two began a slow walk back towards Darnassus and the help of the Temple of the Moon.

"Wait!" Malandrae cried out, running up behind them. "You forgot your thingees!"

To Ilhedith's horror, Malandrae was holding Belleri's rifle and pistol in each hand. Quickly she darted forward, snatching them from the elf's hands and forestalling a disaster, "I'll be taking those Malandrae. Thank you. We'll return them to her after she's been healed."

Shaking her head, Malandrae fell in behind Ilhedith as the two followed the rangers back to the relative safety of Darnassus. Behind them in the clearing, the bodies of elves who had dedicated themselves to fel powers were left to rot in a forest that would eventually reclaim its wayward children.

7th Legion Material

Several Years Ago, Northrend
Wintergarde
4 Hours Post Naxxramas Initial Assault

The steam tank rolled into the side of the pile of debris blocking the road, the weight bashing the obstruction aside and allowing the team to continue moving forward. Behind it, Belleri's squad-mates trotted along, dismounted from the vehicle in order to protect the line of civilian refugees trailing out behind them. The Argent Crusade 4th Company assault team had left a significant gap between themselves and the unarmed civilians; the undead in the ruins of the town of Wintergarde were mindless and would go for the first things they saw which would hopefully be the armed soldiers.

Their unit had been stationed in Wintergarde for several weeks after joining in the Alliance campaign in Dragonblight. Positioned on the outskirts of town, they had been taken by surprise when Naxxramas appeared over the town, disgorging endless tides of the dead upon the hapless civilian population. Cut off from Wintergarde Keep, Belleri's unit had moved out on foot, rounding up civilians on the way in order to escort them to the questionable safety of the keep's walls.

The town around them was devastated. Fires burned openly here and there, and in other places clouds of foul green plague-mist drifted from the vile weapons deployed by the Cult of the Damned. Survivors amongst the ruins were few and far between, and often the Argent Crusaders had encountered the walking dead rather than civilians in need of rescue. Now the keep was in sight, just up a rise about a mile away, and they had to push through the Scourge front in order to reach it.

Belleri's keen eyes were the first to spot the trouble ahead. Always on alert and assigned to the unit as a scout, she had been scanning the burned out ruins around them as the steam tank rolled cautiously forward. She detected movement amongst the debris, instantly bringing her rifle up, "Hostiles! West-Northwest!"

Her warning cry was followed by the roar of her rifle as she blew two shambling corpses away. The rest of the Crusaders quickly drew their weapons, forming a battleline even as the civilians behind them began to wail with fear. Ahead of the squad, dark magic began to swirl in the air, suddenly lashing out and striking the front of the steam tank. The tank's metal caved in, its steam chambers ruptured and causing it to detonate in a spectacular manner as the pent up pressure was released all at once. The ammo and supplies within it began to burn, cooking off in the fires of its destruction.

Belleri fired again and again, pausing to reload as necessary. The men in her squad, lead by a paladin, clashed with the dead as an endless tide of them surged from the destroyed homes around them. Weapons flashed in the air and men cried out in victory or defeat as casualties began to mount. Just as Belleri had reloaded her weapon, more magic flashed from the ruins and lashed out at the paladin leading the party. Dark magic plunged through his armor, leaving gaping and quite fatal wounds on the man. He was hurled backwards, his armored body colliding with Belleri and knocking her to the ground with his heavy weight on top of her. Her rifle landed in the dirt near her head and she felt something cold and metal land in the palm of her hand; it was the paladin's sacred symbol, which had slipped from his neck from the force of the blast.

Dazed, Belleri could only look up at the sky as chanting shouts rose up from the ruins. More magic flared and then washed over the beleaguered Crusaders. Around her, Belleri could hear men and women screaming as the foul power struck them, withering their bodies and chaining their spirits to the spell. In a heartbeat the cries turned to soulless moans as her comrades were converted to disgusting undead creatures. Belleri herself felt nothing but a slight warmth in her hand, and she turned her head, staring at her open palm where the holy symbol glowed with Light. By pure luck she had been spared the ravages of the spell, protected by the fallen paladins blessings.

Her heart sank as she heard shuffling around her, her limited vision showing her former companions moving as withered corpses. Dead eyes fixed on the civilians some distance back and Belleri knew a massacre was about to occur. They were all going to die. They were all going to become scourge. Despair fought with rising anger within her.

"No," she murmured, her voice gaining strength as she denied the situation. "Get up Bell. Get. Up."

She heaved with all her might, rolling the dead paladin off of her, her hand reaching out to snatch up her rifle. She rose from amongst the dead, not as a corpse but like an avenging spirit. Her hand went to her belt and she pulled her pistol, aiming and shooting one of her former, now undead companions in the back of the head. She cast the now spent weapon aside and brought her rifle up, the weapon roaring as another shambling horror fell, and then another.

All of the dead turned and began walking towards her, their will commanded by an external source. Belleri grimaced, putting two more of the creatures down, her eyes scanning her surroundings until they saw...

There. In the ruins to the north she saw magic glowing in the hands of the necromancers that had cast the spell and were still animating the dead crusaders. Instinctually  Belleri began to move, her rifle barrel coming up to block the downward arc of a sword held by dead hands. The weapon deflected most of the force of the blow, but the tip bit into her shoulder, blood running freely down her armor. It excited the undead, and they lurched towards her more quickly.

Her rifle roared again, putting the sword wielder to rest as she dashed past clawing hands. She had only one chance and she knew it; she had to reach higher ground. Evading the less agile undead, she darted up the side of the burning steam tank, the heat almost driving her off. She looked out over the ruins and saw what she was looking for. Her rifle came up.

The first necromancer died as the weapon roared, the shot piercing his heart. As he crumpled, the dead around her moved more slowly. The second necromancer, a woman, saw what Belleri was doing and turned to run. Her weapon tracked the fleeing enemy and the rifle spat out another round. The woman crumpled as she was hit in the base of the neck, dead before she struck the ground. The dead began to come to a standstill, unable to hear the commands of their controllers with two of them dead.

The final necromancer stood upon the porch of a burned house, his hands raised above him and foul magics coursing from him. Belleri sighted down the length of her rifle, her eyes meeting his across the distance. Without mercy she squeezed the trigger and the round struck him in the eye. As he crumpled, the dead around Belleri crumpled as well, the spell's power ended. A mournful sigh passed over them as their spirits were freed and then only the sound of the crackling flames could be heard issuing from the destroyed steam tank.

Belleri hopped down from the wreck, careful to step over the fallen Argent Crusaders. There was little she could do to bury them; she had a more important task to accomplish. She looked at the cowering civilians, her face emotionless as she spoke, "Let's move people."

*************************

Several hours later, a group of tattered and disheveled civilians made their way into the entrance to a 7th Legion forward base in the ruins of Wintergarde. Although frightened and in some cases wounded, none of the civilians had been bitten or infected by the plague of undeath. Leading them was a young woman with raven black hair and a rifle slung over one shoulder. Her other shoulder was a mess of dried blood.

The camp commander stepped forward, returning a salute as the woman stepped before him, "Report."

Belleri stood at attention as if on the parade grounds of a boot camp, "Sir. Private Belleri Giano, Argent Crusade 4th Company reporting in. My unit was assigned to rescue civilians from the ruins and return them to Wintergarde."

The commander nodded, looking the woman over carefully, "And your unit Private?"

"Sir, we have suffered 100% casualties sir." she responded, no hint of emotion on her face.

"Light blast it," the commander muttered. He nodded at Belleri and sighed, "Well, go get yourself cleaned up Private. We'll try to get you reunited with your company as soon as we've established clear battle lines here."

"Sir, with all due respect," Belleri began. "There are still civilians in the ruins sir."

The commander's eyes widened for a moment, studying her wounded shoulder, "You're wounded private. You need to get that looked after."

Belleri responded instantly, "Sir, I am still ninety percent combat effective. Request permission to complete my mission sir."

The man paused in surprise, looking Belleri in the eyes, "You realize that if you go back out there, you're likely going to die right? That's Naxxramas above the town soldier."

Belleri repeated her earlier request, "Sir. Request permission to complete my mission sir."

The commander smiled slightly, nodding once, "Private Giano, in five minutes a 7th Legion special operations team is going to go out to reunite with the steam tank company caught on the outskirts of the town. If you can patch your wound and re-supply yourself in that time I will grant you permission to accompany my squad. You can pick up civvies and assist them in getting to the tank depot."

Belleri's shoulders slumped a bit in relief as she was granted permission, she looked at the commander and snapped off a salute, "Sir, thank you sir. I will proceed with the 7th Legion spec ops force."

The commander returned the salute, watching as the woman walked away to go reequip herself. He smiled as he watched the young private preparing herself to go back out into horrors the likes of which most people would not ever willingly face more than once, for the sake of civilians she didn't even know. It was not often he encountered personnel that were so dedicated and motivated.

Less than ten minutes later, a small group of 7th Legion special operations rangers trotted from the camp, rifles slung over their shoulders. Amongst them was Private Belleri Giano of the Argent Crusade 4th Company.

Two weeks later, Knight-Captain Adyta Davette would receive a letter from the 7th Legion joint command group, requesting that one Private Belleri Giano be transferred to the 7th Legion Special Operations group for advanced sniper and warfare training. A request that would be granted.

To Take the Ship

Kalimdor Region
Northwatch Sector
2250 Hours

The gryphon dove down towards the deck of the ship, its wings snapping back to give it a final burst of speed as the Alliance vessel grew larger and closer. Wind howled around Belleri, blowing her dark hair out behind her as she clung tightly to the man holding the reins. Her brown eyes scanned the deck of the ship, taking in the details of the vessel with a professional detachment that had served her well in years of battle.

Men were dying below her.

Orc landing craft had surged towards the beaches of Northwatch Hold and several of them had veered off towards the Alliance vessels sitting at port. After a few cannon barrages had been exchanged and several ships had caught alight, boarding parties had hit the naval vessels of the Alliance and now the deck of the ship was a swirling melee of flashing swords and daggers as sailors fought to hurl the green-skinned foe off the deck.

Belleri pointed and shouted over the wind, her voice lost in the howling gale and the roar of distant cannons. The man guiding the bird seemed to get the point though, nodding once and letting his mount swoop down towards the deck. He brought the bird in as close as possible, it's claws only four feet above the forecastle of the ship. Belleri wasted no time, slipping from the saddle and landing lightly on the deck even as the gryphon released her trained hunting fox that it had been holding in a talon. The creature landed nimbly next to her and then the war was upon them.

Rifle up Belleri had only seconds to pick targets as orcs attempted to secure the ship's forecastle. With a roar her weapon unleashed a barrage of death, instantly hitting one, then two, and then three of the green-skinned combatants and hurling them off the ladders they were using to climb up. The fox with her jumped down into the swirling melee, tearing at legs in an effort to hamstring the attackers as Belleri walked to the edge of the raised platform and crouched down, using her more stable position to begin plastering the attackers on the deck below her with rapidly fired and extremely accurate shot from her rifle.

The sound of combat began to fade a little as Belleri cleared the lower deck closest to her of orcs. A few stragglers climbed up from the boarding ships below, and she put several well placed rounds into them before they could join in the fight, giving her allies some time and breathing space. At the other end of the ship, combat continued to rage.

Confident now that the Alliance would prevail, Belleri paused to reload her rifle when a shadow passed over her. Looking up, the wings of a dragon blotted out the sky for a moment before it passed over the ship. She began to hurry in her reloading as the dragon turned and swooped lower, a huge figure rising up on its back. As it passed over the deck, the figure leaped off, plummeting down to land hard on the wooden surface below, scattering combatants there. As it rose up, Belleri beheld one of the largest orcs she'd ever seen, an axe in each hand and a roar echoing out over the battle.

And then the killing started.

Fingers scrambling to close the breach of her weapon, Belleri could only watch in horror as the orc hued down several sailors as if they were simply trees to be chopped into firewood. More men rushed the armored figure, only to be cut down in turn with swift, accurate strokes of his massive weapons. The orc lurched forward, barreling over combatants and even some of the smaller orcs that had boarded the ship, using his weight and might to bash aside all opposition. Almost instantly the tide of battle began to turn as morale broke and sailors began to flee from the awe-inspiring figure.

Belleri brought her rifle up just as a huge axe descended and cut the trained fox she'd been using in half. The unfortunate creature was hurled from the deck, its gore mixing with the blood of fallen men and orcs as the combat became some of the bloodiest Belleri had ever seen.

Keen brown eyes sighted down the length of her rifle and her fingers squeezed the trigger, her shots striking out at the orc. Although she didn't miss, some sixth-sense or combat awareness caused the huge orc to bring an axe up as she unloaded her weapon on him. Bullets deflected from the blade, from his shoulder armor, and even from one of his thick metal bracers as he surged forward, cutting down more of the Alliance sailors.

Time seemed to slow for a moment as the orc titled his head up. The dim glowing red sockets of the faceless helmet he wore seemed to bore into Belleri's own eyes, an almost electrical contact between them that seemed to say that only one would walk away alive. They were dancers in a game of life or death, two professionals dedicated to doing what they did best; bringing war upon their foes.

The orc began to run, rifle shots chewing gaping holes in the deck around him as he built up speed until he had enough momentum to leap into the air. The huge figure hurtled forward and upwards, gaining purchase on the forecastle as Belleri desperately hit him with more shots, the rounds deflected by the thick metal the creature wore. In an instant his axes came up and then down, the keen edge of one barely missing Belleri as she leaped backwards. The second blade connected with her rifle, sheering the barrel off as if it were made of paper.

She knew she was doomed as the orc reared up over her, axes extended on either side of him. With a determined look on her face, Belleri straightened herself up and stood firm before him even as his weapons began to descend in an arc that would cut her in half. Without flinching, her gaze still firmly staring into the sockets of the helmet, she brought the sheered rifle up in one hand, pointed it as his chest, and pulled the trigger.

The weapon, now nothing more useful than a sawed-off shotgun, roared as the ammo within it burst out of a barrel that was warped and far too short. The projectile shattered the end of the barrel, sending splinters of metal in a spray in front of it. The splinters struck all over the orc's armor, sparks flying as the thick plates absorbed the impact. While the orc was unwounded, the impacts did slightly alter the course of his weapons as he was forced to retain his balance. Belleri found that, rather than being cut in half, she was body slammed with the flat of a blade that was approximately the length of half her body.

To say that it was painful would be an understatement.

Her vision began to blacken as her body was hurled through the air like a broken doll. Her last vision as the water beside the ship rushed up to meet her was of a huge, triumphant orc standing on the forecastle of a now-burning ship, orcs roaring in support below him as he bellowed out a cry of victory.

General Morgaath Bloodmoon had stolen the victory that day, but it mattered little to the woman as blackness took her and then cold water shocked her back to consciousness a moment later.

It would take several days for her to recover from what was essentially a full body bruise down her entire left side, and several more days for her to obtain a new set of gear after the destruction of her sniper rifle. She would mark the orc's form well though, for it would not be the last time they met. Far from it.

The Line in the Sand

Ironforge Region
Kharanos Sector, Divine Order Encampment
2050 Hours

The fire crackled in the cold night, throwing its flickering light and, more importantly, its heat a short distance around the small clearing between the trees. Two bedrolls were laid out beside it along with packs and excess equipment used for long-range hiking and camping. Nearby two figures sat on a log, the firelight illuminating the shapes of an elf and a human woman as they tended to their weapons.

Silver eyes glowing in the dim light, Erawyn was carefully checking the fletching on several of her arrows, ensuring that each was perfectly balanced and that they would fly true. Next to her, Belleri had her rifle laid out across her lap, a soft cloth in her hand rubbing oil along the firing mechanism to ensure that it would operate with a smooth motion. Now and then she would run the cloth down the barrel, polishing and cleaning it with a long-practiced motion.

The raven-haired woman and silver-haired elf sat in silence as they worked, no words necessary between them. Their mission against the leper gnomes in the valley below had been completed earlier that day, and they had returned to the Divine Order's encampment where the assault had been staged only an hour or so before.

The silence was broken by the cracking of branches as someone approached the little fire. Almost instantly both women subtly shifted, Erawyn's hand reaching down and pulling a dagger and Belleri's hand straying to the scatter-shot pistol she kept on her hip. The two relaxed a moment later when a figure trudged through the snow outside of the perimeter, the shape resolving itself in the fire's light to be one of the Order's warriors. The man smiled as he approached, his black tabard with golden bell emblazoned on the chest glittering in the firelight.

"Evening ladies!" he said happily. "Just heard you two came back so I thought I'd see if you wanted to share a meal or a tale!"

Neither woman responded, each resuming their tasks, checking and cleaning their weapons as the man sat on another nearby log. He grunted as he settled himself down, still grinning, "Aww come-on now! You've gotta have some downtime. We've got sentries out and you just returned from a mission!"

Erawyn shook her head as she placed another arrow in her quiver, "No, we need to be ready in case we're called on again. We didn't come here to enjoy a friendly fire and a campout."

As Belleri nodded, the man frowned and shook his head in turn, "Are you saying you don't think this camp is secure? I can assure you that the lads on watch will not falter while you rest."

Belleri sighed, her hand still polishing the rifle's barrel, "We will set our own watch here. We've seen enough casualties as the result of careless defenses to last us a lifetime."

The man looked at Belleri, his eyes boring into her own brown orbs as his frown deepened, "You should have more faith in the rest of us. Besides, the way I hear it, your last mission had quite a few casualties. Talk is that you drilled one of our own women with that rifle of yours there."

The hand running across the rifle's barrel stopped in mid-motion as Belleri met his gaze, "That would be correct sir." There was no emotion in her tone, no hint of regret or sorrow but also no anger. The man sat back a little, looking at her curiously.

"You're alright with that? It doesn't eat you up that you shot a companion?" he asked, his voice curious rather than hostile.

Belleri looked back down at her rifle, her dark hair partially obscuring her face as she went back to work polishing the weapon, "I do my duty for the Alliance. Sometimes that means people don't come back. The woman had been corrupted by an Old God's magic and presented a threat to the mission. There is no right or wrong to it, it just is. The mission must be completed. How I feel about that is irrelevant."

The man blinked, staring at the ranger with wide eyes, "Don't you ever turn off? You can't be on guard all of the time, nor on duty. Don't you have any downtime? You can't sacrifice your entire life for a cause."

Erawyn snorted, her mirth more sarcastic than amused, "You don't get it do you? This is who we are and what we do. The Alliance needs our skills, and we do our duty so that others don't have to make that choice."

The solider nodded as the elf spoke but then spoke out in disagreement, "That's all well and good for you to say, since you will have hundreds of years to live your life when your duty is done, but she's only got so many, and she's going to waste the bulk of them in war if she doesn't shut down now and then."

Belleri looked up, a serious expression on her face, "Erawyn's sacrifice is greater than my own. You make a mistake when you think otherwise. We will both die in war, serving our country, serving the Alliance. She will lose far more years than I when this happens. It is inevitable, like the rising sun at dawn. The question is only whether or not we can make enough of a difference and secure peace and strength for the Alliance before we do."

The man looked at Belleri critically now, shaking his head as if sad, "What a waste. You're a pretty lass. Could have a family, a home at some point in the years to come. You'll have nothing but a grave far too early if that's how you think."

Erawyn angrily shoved an arrow into her quiver, shooting the man a glare. "Understand this. We serve the Alliance because we believe in something greater than ourselves. We believe in hope for the future, in justice for our people, and in security for our loved ones and those who cannot defend themselves. The Alliance is not some notion to be cast off when it becomes inconvenient. It is not something that will remain alive without the blood and hearts of those whom it encompasses. It is who we are. It is what shelters us, what protects us from the darkness. It is the line in the sand that is drawn against those who would slay our families. The line where we say 'here is where there will be no more, where we will tolerate our foes no longer'. The Alliance is our mother and father, our family, friends, and loved ones, and we are PROUD to give our lives for it if need be."

The man rose, seemingly unsettled by the anger and strength in the elf's words, "I d-didn't mean to offend you. I s-see that I probably should be going. Sorry ladies. If you change your minds, me and the lads have a camp just down the hill to the east."

Belleri didn't bother to look up, still cleaning her weapon, "Just go."

The man offered a stiff bow and then turned and trudged away through the snow. Once he was gone, quiet fell over the camp again, the two women saying nothing to one another. After a time, they finished cleaning and preparing their weapons, brown eyes meeting silver eyes and all the communication needed passing through a simple glance and several short words."I'll take first watch," Erawyn said, ignoring the fact that the camp was surrounded by sentries.

Belleri nodded, her face expressionless, "Good hunting."

The elf grinned and snapped off a salute before trotting away, her last words drifting in the cold air, "Always is."

Belleri walked over to her bedroll, kicking off her boots and laying with her face towards the fire, letting the warmth soak into her beneath the fur covering. Although she knew she should sleep since she was on second watch, her eyes stared into the dancing flames for a long time, not seeing them. Instead she saw the face of the priestess she'd killed in blackfathom and the blood on the ground from her corpse. After a time, she managed to shrug off the nagging memory. Confident that Erawyn was properly guarding the camp, she drifted off into a fitful slumber.

Sometimes duty was a heavy burden to bear indeed.

Operation Deep Dive

Ashvenvale Region
Blackfathom Sector
1900 Hours

Moisture dripped from the ceiling of the cave here and there, the sound making an eerie echo up the stony corridors all around the party. The sandy floors of the tunnels combined with the strangely glowing phosphorescent plants clinging to the stones made walking difficult at best. Here and there ancient night elven Highborne ruins dotted the inside of the caverns, the smoother stones providing areas of relief from the difficult terrain with its hidden dangers. It was not clear what the original intent of the structures or the entire cave complex was, but the small group of Alliance soldiers gave it little thought as they neared their objective.

"Opening ahead. Target Alpha is likely within the chamber beyond," came Erawyn's voice over the comm system. The night elf had taken point and was currently guiding the party forward through the cavern. Belleri had rearguard, and between them a small line of warriors, magic users, and even a priestess walked cautiously behind the elven ranger.

Belleri nodded to herself as she heard Erawyn's voice through the tiny bell-shaped magic device she had attached to her ear. She responded, her voice being picked up and transmitted to the device via magic through the nose ring she wore, "I read you. No hostiles detected in the rear. Proceed with primary mission."

They had come to eliminate a cult leader that had been stirring trouble in the Ashenvale region. Although the Twilight's Hammer had mostly fallen, there were still pockets of their huge group all over Azeroth, and a few of these groups would need to be eliminated to ensure the security of Alliance territory as it began to focus on Horde aggression. Even as Belleri mentally reviewed their mission in her mind, Erawyn gave a hand signal and moved through the stone opening ahead into an ancient Highborne chamber beyond. The rest of the party walked slowly in behind her, with Belleri taking up a position near the doorway.

The chamber beyond was a large stone affair with four massive columns supporting the ceiling. In the center of the room a raised dais contained a statue of what was presumably Azshara in naga form, with several sacrificial plates laid out around it. Erawyn cautiously walked past the statue, her silver eyes darting around the room and checking for hostiles before nodding the all clear.

Never one to relax, even when in presumed safety, Belleri's eyes tracked the path of one of the men with them as the paladin approached the altar. Before she could shout a warning, the fool reached down and nudged one of the sacrificial plates. Immediately the object burst into unnatural flames as the wards on it flared into existence, and a rumbling sound filled the room as trap doors opened on either side of the chamber, spilling out dozens of raging sea creatures with cultist overseers behind them.

"Hostiles!" Belleri shouted, bringing her long rifle up. Even as she shouted, Erawyn sprang into action, her bow coming up and firing. The arrow made no sound as it buried itself in a charging turtle, even as the roar of Belleri's rifle filled the stone chamber. The rest of the party immediately scattered as the huge wave of creatures rushed over them.

In the center of the room, a vicious melee broke out as men and women attempted to battle creatures that outnumbered them more than three to one. Erawyn aided them as best she could, putting four of the things down before she was forced to nimbly retreat or risk being snapped in half by the claws and jaws of the swarming mass. Belleri provided covering fire from the doorway, each shot shattering the carapace or shell of one of the creatures as she attempted to clear space around the party.

Although their efforts were valiant, almost immediately a horrific cry rose up as one of the men was torn to shreds. A second cry followed soon after as the small Alliance force began to get devoured. In the middle of the melee, Belleri watched in disgust as one of her trained hunting foxes was picked up in massive claws and sheared in half. As the casualties began to mount, the morale of the party broke and a few of the combatants began to flee for the exit.

Belleri's rifle roared several more times, clearing the space around the fleeing men and women as best she could. Unfortunately, their pace was not fast enough and, aided by the cultists, the retreating alliance began to fall one by one. As Belleri looked on, the priestess in the party was struck in the back with a dart. She sank to the floor, her eyes glassy from some poison as one of the cultists dashed up to her, placing a glowing orb against her head. Magic flared and she began to twitch as her mind was overwhelmed by the spell. Belleri took aim down the barrel of her rifle and gently squeezed the trigger, sending a piece of lead through the cultist's eye. She was forced to repeat the action on the party's priestess as the woman rose up and charged one of her former comrades, shouting obscenities about the old gods as she stabbed a paladin in the back with her spellblade. Clearly the cult's power had grown in the black depths and the dwindling forces they had brought would be overwhelmed in moments.

"Fall back to rendezvous point beta!" came Erawyn's clipped comment through the comm. Although neither ranger was in charge of the group, both knew well enough when a situation was dire and how to extract themselves. They were trained in the art of self-preservation and guerrilla tactics.

Belleri grunted out a single word into her comm, pulling herself behind the doorframe as another dart slammed into the stone where she'd been standing, "Confirmed."

As the human withdrew, Erawyn dashed forward, her hunting cat alongside her. The creature sacrificed itself by throwing its body over a huge snapping turtle that had been about to bite the elf, and she somersaulted over the wrestling pair and up onto the statue of Azshara, firing her bow even as she moved. In the chamber below, a cultist cried out as an arrow buried itself in her heart, falling dead to the floor. Two more arrows rained down even as several of the cultists broke off to chase Belleri through the opening. Of the rest of the party, there was no sign as a mass of howling, clacking creatures covered the floor where they had been.

Understanding that the battle was lost, Erawyn blended naturally into the shadows, using her bow sparingly now and only when a killing shot was assured. With the bulk of the cultists dead and only a few left chasing Belleri, the creatures below were busy feeding on the fallen, and became easy targets for the skilled archer. She crouched down on Azshara's head, using it as a platform to blast more of the creatures with her arrows, beginning to make progress on clearing the room.

In the hallway beyond, Belleri dashed across the sand, a tide of creatures and two cultists swarming out behind her. She skidded to a halt, her leather boots digging into the sand as she braced herself, her face a mask of determination. The rifle came up and the hallway began to be filled with the echoing roars as she fired, flashes of bright light from the muzzle illuminating the darkness.

One by one the creatures began to fall, their hard shells split open by flying metal death from the end of Belleri's gun. The human grimly continued firing, racking the action on the end of her custom built, dwarven and gnomish designed firearm. She had only fifteen rounds before needing to reload, and was quickly reaching her limit as the last of the creatures fell dead.

Behind them, the cultists rushed up and Belleri dodged backwards as one of them struck at her with a sword, the weapon narrowly missing her. Belleri brought her rifle in line and squeezed the trigger, the blast throwing the now very dead human back down the hall with a smoking crater in his chest. She lined the rifle up with the second cultist and again squeezed the trigger, but this time the gun's hammer fell on an empty chamber, and the cultist grinned as he realized she was out of ammunition.

"Time to die girl!" he laughed, rushing towards her. Belleri looked at him with disdain, reaching to her belt and pulling out a small hand pistol. She brought it up at arm's length, squeezing the trigger. The weapon was a specially designed emergency device, with a single charge in it. As Belleri activated it, it gave off a loud roar and filled the air in front of her with hundreds of non-lethal pellets. The small projectiles impacted all over the cultist's face and upper torso, leaving dozens of bloody little welts and causing him to flail around in pain, covering his face.

As the man tried to clean the blood from his eyes, Belleri reached to a belt pouch and began to expertly reload her weapon as quickly as possible. As the man managed to clear his eyesight, he looked up in time to see the butt of Belleri's rifle come down on his nose, knocking him to the ground.

"You will never stop us! The world and everything on it will be consumed in flames! You will obey the will of the Masters, and die for them!" the madman yelled from where he lay on the sand of the tunnel.

Belleri looked down at him, bringing the muzzle of her rifle in line with his chest. Her face had no emotion on it, but in her eyes he saw his death as she spoke in a deadly calm voice, "The Alliance has seen enough darkness. As we say in the Order, welcome to the dawn."

The tunnel echoed one more time with the roar of Belleri's weapon before utter stillness replaced the noise of combat. Here and there water dripped, the echoes almost peaceful. The ranger brought her gun up, the smoking muzzle pointing this way and that as she confirmed that all of the creatures and cultists had perished.

A brief howl echoed back up the hallway. It was the sound of something dying painfully. As it faded out, Belleri heard her comm crackle again with Erawyn's voice, "The main chamber is clear."

"Confirmed. Hallway is clear," Belleri responded in a professional tone. "What of our forces."

Erawyn's voice was equally calm as it was carried through the comm, "100% casualties."

Belleri let out a grunted curse and began to trot back up the hallway, "We'll need to proceed on our own then."

"Confirmed. I've rigged the door in here with explosives. We'll detonate them and take the target then proceed to extraction point zeta," the elf replied.

Belleri grinned as another roar filled the tunnel; the sound of explosives blowing away a locked door. She shouldered her rifle and broke into a swift trot.

******************************

Hours later a human and an elf would emerge from one of the ruined highborne structures around the Zoram Strand, proceeding on foot towards a nearby clearing. The area would find itself troubled less by Twilight's Hammer leftovers in the months to come.

The Last Goodbye

Several Years Ago
Stormwind City, two days prior to the departure of the Northrend expeditionary force

Shoes clicking on the cobblestones of Old Town, Belleri bit her lip in frustration, once again smoothing down the layers of skirt and petticoat that made up the lower half of her dress as she hurried along towards her destination. Normally she would never wear such a garment, but in just under two days her love Jonathan Stoneworth would be shipping off to Northrend and it was worth the hassle and expense to make herself look nice since they would not see each other again for what was likely at least a year. If ever.

Belleri shook her head, banishing such thoughts from her mind; what would happen would happen, and Jonathan was doing what was right in fighting for the Alliance and Stormwind. She only wished she could go with him, but her friends, family, and Jonathan himself had all told her she couldn't; that she would be of no use with the military forces heading north.

And so she hurried along, eager to see him one last time. Jonathan had told her that he would not be able to see her this evening, that he had arrangements to make before he shipped out. He told her he'd be at the barracks preparing his things, and that tomorrow evening they would spend their last night together. Eager to see him as much as possible before their long separation, Belleri had snuck over to the barracks to see him, only to find him absent. When she inquired with some of the soldiers there where he might be, they had given her directions to the Pig & Whistle in Old Town.

She gave little thought to the fact that he was there as she finally reached the doorway, eager only to see him and spend just a little more time with him. As she pushed open the door, the noise and smell of the common room washed over her. The rough clientele was laughing and drinking in the early evening hours, making quite a ruckus as she squeezed between them, searching for Jonathan. After some difficulty she located him and paused in horror, her mouth hanging open in shock.

Jonathan was about neck deep in a buxom waitress that was sitting in his lap, the two enjoying each other and ignoring the crowd around them.

Anger immediately pounded through Belleri's mind, her pulse racing as she stepped closer, her hands set firmly on her hips, "Jonathan Stoneworth!"

The man's eyes snapped open and the bar-wench tumbled from his lap as he beheld his beloved standing in a rather elegant and full dress, an enraged expression her face. He sighed and rose from where he'd been sitting, "Bell. I'd hoped you would have had the sense to listen to me and stay home for the evening."

Incensed, Belleri scowled at the man, her tone waspish, "Is this how you intended to spend your second to last night in Stormwind? With some bar floozy instead of with me? I thought we had something special between us! I may never SEE you again!"

Jonathan shook his head, sighing and stepping closer to her, "Bell...it's not like that. I'm a soldier, and I live the life of a soldier. In two days I'm going to ship out and my life's going to be in danger every minute after that. I deserve a moment to relax and just have fun before I have to face that."

Belleri's face paled as she took in the meaning of the words. She stuttered out a response, "W-with ME. You should be spending that time with ME Jon. You and I are supposed to complete one another. You made me promise to wait for you while you are away on your campaign, you told me I couldn't sign up myself because I wasn't strong enough, and here you are not even GONE yet and your own will isn't strong enough to resist a pair of tits in a low cut shirt."

Jonathan's face darkened as he began to get angry. His voice rose in volume, and several of the patrons around them turned to watch the display with amusement, "You don't know a thing about a man's work Bell, or you wouldn't say things like that. I'm going to be fighting and maybe dying for our kingdom and you're coming here and giving me guff when I TOLD you to stay put at home tonight? This is your fault for coming out here in the first place!"

A little gasp of indignation escaped Belleri's lips as the words struck her. She glared at him, jaw set, "Maybe when I find a real man I can ask HIM to teach me about a 'man's work' then Jon! All of you have been telling me what I can and can't do, what I should and shouldn't do. I'm sick of it. And to think you knew how upset I was and you planned this anyway. I hope you enjoy your little floozy Jon."

She turned to leave, only to have his hand grab her shoulder and spin her around. His face was red now and he stepped even closer. As he spoke, he shook her a little in anger, "Don't you ever give me lip like that again Bell. I can't believe you'd think it was alright to talk to me like this when I'm going to war. What an ungrateful little bitch you are!"

She saw red. Every muscle in her body pounded with the rage that flowed through her with her pulse. Her hand came up and broke his grip on her shoulder almost of its own accord. Her other hand shot out and shoved a nearby barmaid that had been walking past with drinks. The woman windmilled, the tray she'd been holding flying into the air. Belleri snatched it up mid-flight. It was made of sheet metal with a cork layer on top so that glasses would not slip on it. The glasses that had been on it tumbled through the air and came crashing to the floor.

With one swift, efficient motion Belleri swung the tray metal-side first into Jonathan's face. It struck him and made a particularly unique metal gong-like sound as it crumpled from the rather significant force behind the blow. Even as the crowd collectively winced and went "Oooooooooooh!" his body tumbled backwards onto the hardwood floor. He slid a few feet before his skin and clothing created enough friction to give off a rather amusing squeaking noise and brought him to a stop near a table.

Belleri stood over him for a moment, looking down at the unconscious man and holding a serving tray in her hand that had a rather distinct face-print on it. She spat on the floor once and said, "Should have been grateful that lip was all I was giving you. How do you like the bitch now?"

With that she turned and tossed the damaged serving tray over her shoulder. It landed on its edge, spinning with a clattering noise before coming to a rest. As she stalked out of the tavern, skirts and petticoats held in up at her thighs to allow her faster movement, the crowd broke into raucous cheering, whistling, and yelling. A small smirk played over her face as she stormed out and onto the streets of Old Town.

******************************************

The next morning, Belleri Giano's family would wake to find her gone. In her bedroom they would find locks of her raven hair lying on the floor where she'd cut it. On her nightstand was a simple note.

To my friend and family,
I've decided to do something useful with my life, something that will bring honor to my people and Kingdom. I've come to realize what is and is not important. Country, duty, and the lives of those within Stormwind are what matter, not the things I 'should' be doing. I am done pretending that I can ignore the needs of my Kingdom and my King. I am going to fight for him not in spite of the advice you've all given me, but because I see now that it is what I was meant to do, and I understand how important it is.

Our lives are lived in peace only through the sacrifice of those who stand up for what is right and defend our Kingdom. It is my turn to do my duty. I hope that you can forgive me for this, but it is something I must do. I love you all.
With love always,
Bell

That same morning a drill sergeant at the local military training camp would find one new addition to his platoon; a raven-haired girl with a determined look on her face who would do nothing more than repeat her name and demand to be trained; a demand that would be gratefully accepted given the dire circumstances of the rise of the Scourge across the lands.

Fires of Determination

The orc scout made its way carefully through the tall grass along the outskirts of Northshire Valley. After having slipped past the Alliance guards posted along the roads in Elwynn Forest, he had made his way over the treacherous hillsides surrounding the Valley to proceed with his scouting mission. Undetected by human patrols, the green-skinned creature paused often to check his surroundings, intent on completing his mission and bringing intelligence back to the main raiding force waiting deeper in the forest. The creature smirked, his tusks jutting out slightly as he relished in the fact that he'd made it in unobserved.

Or so he thought.

Along a distant ridge-line to his east, a row of hedges stood beneath the treeline as the forest continued into the distance. There, amongst the hedges, a single eye watched the orc through the long tube of a rifle scope.

The owner of the brown-hued eye was a woman, dressed in tightly fitted studded leather that blended seamlessly into the colors of the forest around her. Her face was painted with a variety of different pigments, each color smeared in a haphazard fashion across her normally tan skin, causing even her flesh to disappear from sight when seen from more than a few feet away. Her jet black hair had leaves and twigs woven into it, making her entire head appear to be just another example of the flora of the region.

The woman, who was named Belleri Giano, studied the distant orc through her scope, her hands caressing the weapon with the practiced ease of years of experience. The stock of the rifle was set against her shoulder where her armor had been specially reinforced to take the recoil of a weapon without spoiling a second shot. Not that one would normally be needed.

Belleri inhaled deeply, and although she was perfectly still and silent, in her mind voices from her past spoke to her.

“Bell, why don't you do something that you would actually be good at, like farming or perhaps you could become a seamstress?” her mother seemed to say.

“No daughter of mine will be going off to join the Alliance forces!” Her father stated sternly. “You won't be of any use to them and you're not going to be some damned camp follower!”

“Bell, I know you want to come and help with the fighting up north, but that's not your place love,” her boyfriend said tenderly. “Wait here for me, and I'll come back for you when it's over. I promise.”

“You're way too small to fight Bell!” her friend's voice exclaimed. “You're wasting your time even thinking about it!”

The harsh voice of a drill sergeant barked at her, “You think you can just waltz in here and join us maggot? You don't have what it takes to even make it through basic training. Get out of my sight!”

“Private Belleri Giano. You have been assigned to the first scout company of the Alliance Expeditionary Force. Be at the docks at sunrise in two days time,” the lieutenant's voice echoed.

“Corporal Belleri, for bravery in the face of extreme danger you are hereby presented with this medal of valor. Since your company has had such high causalities, we have found a new assignment for you that should be suitable to your talents. Welcome to the 7th Legion, Ranger,” the commander's voice replied.

“Ranger Captain Belleri, it has been my pleasure and honor to serve beside you throughout the campaign. On behalf of the Alliance I hereby present you with this commendation for bravery, and your honorable discharge papers. May the Light guide you on whatever path you walk. You have honored your people and served your country well,” the commander said to her, the last words she would ever hear from him.

The memories continued until Belleri exhaled, her finger caressing the trigger on her rifle.

Over half a mile away, an orc dropped dead, killed so quickly that his body took one last stumbling step forward before it realized life had ended and dropped softly into the tall grass. The retort of the weapon's firing, though muffled by the modifications Belleri had made to it, still echoed through the valley.

Both eyes open now, Belleri gave no more thought to her target or to the memories that the action had stirred. She was already on the move; already relocating so that her position would not be compromised. There were other orc scouts making their way into the valley after all, and in her new role amongst the chapter of the Divine Order stationed in Stormwind, she wasn't about to let Alliance territory be violated by such creatures. It was what she was born to do, what she lived for, who she was.

By nightfall former Ranger Captain Belleri Giano of the 7th Legion would be the only scout moving through the valley. The orc raid would never again see any of their own reconnaissance team.