//------------------------------// // Sign Here // Story: Azeroth's Skies // by TerrabreakerX //------------------------------// The king wanted to see her! Twilight hurried along the canal streets, heading for the keep looming huge in the distance. She didn’t really need to rush, still had an hour till her appointment, but didn’t want to make a bad first impression. Not when the stakes riding on a good one were so important. A month had passed without her making any progress on the issue of getting home – not that she had been wasting that time, and there had been so much to study in the meantime… Her own magic, which was coming along in leaps and bounds according to Archmage Malin, the changes in Stormwind politics now that the king had returned, the scourge and their evil… Twilight smiled at one of the silver plate-wearing guards as she passed him. A month ago, she would’ve seen three for every one that now walked the streets, but their presence was now much reduced. The invasion had changed everything. That day still lingered in her mind – not so personally as VanCleef’s fall did, but because what they had seen in the harbour had been far more horrifying. They’d heard the echoes of a terrible voice on the wind, seen the throng of soldiers rushing towards the docks. Curious, and a little concerned, they had followed them down. The dead being raised to fight their former comrades. She’d joined the other mages in blasting down the flying structures and reducing the icy dragons to mere bones, while Pinkie assisted the other priests in keeping everyone alive and in the fight. It had also been her first opportunity to see the king, and while she’d been too far away to form a proper impression of him, he certainly lived up to his reputation as an imposing figurehead. He had led from the front, carving and cleaving the ghouls apart with the other warriors. The first few minutes had been the darkest. Confusion had reigned as the defenders fought in disarray, but cohesion returned as the officers, commissioned or otherwise, had begun to take control. The arrival of the king and Lord Fordragon had given the defenders those they could rally around like living banners, and they first focused down the necromancers sustaining the undead, then the dragons and plague towers – from there, it was simply a matter of mopping up. All told, the battle at the docks had taken barely twenty minutes but the clean-up had taken a lot longer. They were at least fortunate that the Scourge had not broken into the city itself. The raising of the dead into slavery. It was bad enough when it happened as a result of a vengeful being, cursed by disease, wandering in pain and torment – as her research had determined had happened to the poor lost soul in Westfall. Drifting dark magic found it easy to thrive in the horrors of old. But to do it to someone? To thousands of people? That was evil. The ultimate desecration. She pondered the nature of redemption often, these days. After VanCleef. After she’d been unable to convince him, if she had ever even stood a chance in the first place. Could this “Lich King” be redeemed? From what she’d read, Arthas Menethil had once been the crown prince of Lordaeron, the northernmost human kingdom on the continent, but after a disastrous expedition to Northrend had betrayed his people, killed his own father with a cursed blade, Frostmourne, and brought the undead to the realm. From there, he had returned to the north, to the frozen peak of Icecrown, and had taken up the mantle of the Lich King, lord of the Scourge. He had sat on the frozen throne for five years, which was where the books ended their tale… but was now awake and plotting ruin upon the Alliance, the Horde and all other living things across Azeroth. He’d been a hero once. Could he be convinced to atone for his sins? Would it even be possible for him to try to balance the scales anyway? She didn’t know, but was sure that this time she wanted herself and her friends to stay out of the problem. It wasn’t like going into a single dungeon – it was a war, across the entirety of a huge continent. Twilight had stood out on the docks, watching the first ships depart for the north, hoping that most of those on board would come back alive. She couldn’t even imagine how much worse she would have felt if her friends had been among them. But we aren’t soldiers. They won’t bring us in on something like this, something we’re not prepared for in the slightest. They’d be mad to. She was already imagining who they could ask to meet after Varian would offer to reward them for the Deadmines – for what else could he want to speak to her about? She had the perfect person that she wanted to talk to. Lady Jaina Proudmoore, ruler of the island nation of Theramore to the west. Gossip and the textbooks told of a moderate ruler, calm, kind and wise, who pushed for peaceful relations with the Horde and wielded powerful magic in her own right. She would be the perfect person to ask for help getting home – maybe even worthy enough for them to entrust their secret to. Things can only look up from here. “Pinkie, please calm down. You are going to work yourself into a frenzy.” “I know, but it’s been so long since we’ve seen them! I’m just so excited!” Pinkie hovered at the platform edge, desperately peering down where the tram was coming from in the hope that she would see it first. As much as she was looking forward to welcoming her friends back, Rarity had primarily decided to accompany the pink-haired woman to the tram station to ensure that she didn’t injure herself somehow. Not that she probably couldn’t just shrug off that kind of damage with a quick spell and/or a cheap laugh, but it was more about the principle of the thing – returning to find Pinkie underneath a tram probably wasn’t what Applejack and Rainbow wanted to come back to after so long away. Two weeks had turned into three, then four as the trams had been flooded by troops and equipment being redeployed from Ironforge for the war effort. Getting a civilian pass had proved impossible, so Applejack and Rainbow had simply decided to head north to Loch Modan and extend their explorations until things had calmed down. That had been the last the others had heard for a little while, and they had just been starting to get worried when another message had come through letting them know that the two were coming back the next day. “As am I, dear,” Rarity hummed, “But please be aware that you have been straying rather close to the platform edge in your exuberance. We would not want you to fall in as the carriages arrive, no matter how far the trams are raised above the ground.” “I guess. Wouldn’t want to put a damper on the party later!” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “How many bottles have you ordered this time?” The smile drooped a little. “None,” she replied, stretching the word over two syllables. “Twilight wouldn’t let me after last time.” The risk of trashing the Trias’s house this time – a feat which they had miraculously avoided previously – was too great to take the chance. “That would perhaps be for the best.” the fashionista consoled her. “Surely we can have the same amount of fun without any liquid assistance, hm?” “Of course! That’s what the food’s for! We— oh, look, look! Here they come!” The tram appeared in the distance, first only visible from the two headlights, which were followed by the rest of the ugly iron vehicle appearing out of the gloom. It slowed rather dramatically as it pulled in, coming to a neat halt parallel to the platform. Each tram made a one-way trip with no stops every fifteen minutes, and there were never that many civilians heading between Stormwind and Ironforge these days anyway, so while there were a few others disembarking it wasn’t surprising that Applejack and Rainbow had their carriage to themselves. “Rainbow Dash!! Applejack!!” Pinkie yelled, jumping up and down to attract their attention. They heard and saw her as they emerged. Neither looked much different from the last time the others had seen them, though both appeared more tanned compared to three weeks before, even if it was more noticeable on Rainbow than the blonde, who had already been quite tanned to begin with. Pinkie pounced on Rainbow as they made their way over, pulling her to the ground. “Youuuuu’re baaaaack,” she sang as they toppled over. “OW!” Rainbow as they hit the floor. “C’mon, Pinkie, I missed you too, but…” “Howdy Pinks, Rarity, good to see ya again.” Applejack smiled, pulling them both up and into a hug, uncaring of the odd looks they were getting from onlookers nearby. “The feeling is mutual, dear,” Rarity agreed, joining in. “It feels far longer than it has been. I trust you enjoyed yourselves?” “Yeah, we had a good time.” Applejack replied as they began to head out of the tram station to the smoky Dwarven district beyond. “Got in some trouble ‘round Dun Morogh way – stumbled through some caves we shouldn’ta. Then there were some troggs south of the loch…" “Yeah, trouble where I got to be awesome while fixing it! And so did AJ, I guess.” “Thanks, partner,” the warrior said sardonically. “Truth is, we got a bit worried ‘bout you being back here once we heard what happened. Couldn’t believe it at first.” “Indeed, it has been a trying few weeks.” Rarity agreed. “First we have an invasion of the docks by some undead warlord who wants to kill us all and make us his slaves – luckily none of us were hurt – and now it seems that everybody is rushing north to face him. I do hope that we do not get drawn into it.” “My connection to the light is getting stronger – I think I can even heal people now like you can,” Rainbow was saying to Pinkie. “Plus I’m getting even better with this new hammer they gave me up north!” She unhooked the weapon to show them. It had much the shape as her previous one, though it looked much more ornate, if also a bit heavier for all the silver and bronze decoration. “Lord Grayson gave me permission to take it, and leave the other with the dwarves so they can pass it on again. Nothing’s gonna stand in our way now that I have it!” “I would be careful how enthusiastically you say that.” Rarity warned her friend. “Twilight may not approve.” “Oh, yeah.” Rainbow pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Hey, where is our beloved bookworm anyway? She made some progress yet? And how’s Fluttershy, for that matter?” “Twilight’s got an audience with the king,” Pinkie piped back up. “He’s been super busy but finally has the time and wants to talk to her. She thinks that if she builds up the right links she can get us closer to people who might be able to get us home!” “Now that’s good news!” “And as for Fluttershy…” Rarity sighed and directed them to take a right at the district crossroads where they would normally turn left. “It’s probably best that you see for yourself.” THUNK The arrow split upon entering the target. It struck the inner edge of the second ring from the centre – still quite far from a bullseye, but still a clear improvement over her first efforts. She’d scored one bullseye so far, just the day before, but had yet to replicate the impact. No matter. She had progressed past being pleased with hitting the target at the moment, now that only a few of her arrows missed the mark entirely, but the fact that she was making steady progress kept her happy. A month of practice had built up her muscles, and she had gone from barely being able to draw the string on the practice bow to being able to handle it with ease. She no longer had to strain to pick up or move the practice rifles, either. She split her time between both as equally as possible, learning the techniques and drills so that she could use them safely. To stop someone she cared about from getting hurt. Oh, Wilder. The thought of his death still brought a tear to her eye sometimes. She’d gotten better at keeping it to herself, keeping it controlled. She’d never lost an animal companion this way before. Sure, some of the ones she’d been close to had died under her care, no matter how much she had tried to save them – the least she could do was ease their pain. Some had even become prey for animals bigger than themselves. Such was nature, even in Equestria. She’d shed tears for them, but it wasn’t the same this time. This felt much worse. She hadn’t lost any of them to sadistic pirates who cared not who they killed. She’d known the wolf for barely five days but that didn’t ease the sense of loss. He’d had so much potential, so much life ahead of him – fit, young and strong. Now he was dead, rotting in the ground far to the south. Looking after animals couldn’t just mean taking care of their most basic needs. She’d never take a companion into combat again, but if they were truly so threatened in a place like this, then she had to learn to protect them from the world, too. She wondered sometimes if she should feel remorse for Greenskin’s death. But then she remembered how he’d gloated as Wilder had bled out, how he’d threatened her and her friends… Was it unkind of her to feel nothing for his fate? She was sorry that his choices had led him to that moment, but there was nothing else she could have done. Nothing that would’ve stopped him from killing her friends. Time on the ranges kept her thoughts off both Wilder and the goblin. It required her to stay conscious of her position at all times, the state of the weapon she was using, how others were acting in the area too… She drew another arrow from the quiver, but paused before nocking it, then relaxed. She knew the dwarf was coming up behind her well before he announced himself. She could hear his footsteps, hear his mail armour clinking as he moved. She smiled as she realised a moment later that he wasn’t alone. Her situational awareness had improved quite significantly since she had started to make an effort at it. She didn’t want to be taken by surprise ever again. “Hey, lass,” he called over as she turned around. “How’s it goin’?” “Hello, Thorfin! Not too bad, thank you. I managed a few more on target today.” The bear let out a friendly roar and charged her down into a friendly hug. She play-wrestled with him for a moment, then held her hand out and he dropped to the floor submissively. “Still got tha’ magic touch, gal,” Thorfin observed as she got back to her feet and began petting Muzzle. “And aye, ye did. Summa the lads been commenting on how good yer gettin’. ‘s all that hard work. Think I’ve seen y’come down here near almost every day of th’last month.” “Yes, I’ve had a lot of free time. I’m still not great though – I haven’t hit the centre for a while. Thanks again for your help with the crystals though, in case I run out…” “Well, considerin’ yer progress’n’where you were, I think y’ve done the best y’could be expected to do,” he encouraged her. “And no worries. Always good to know how ta put ‘em together if yer low on supplies.” “Yes…” Fluttershy grimaced. “I don’t want to run out again.” The dwarf paused to stare out across the range, then carefully started to speak. “Listen, Flutters. We really ‘ppreciate you helpin’ out ‘round here with all our animals, an’ yer always welcome on the range when it’s open. But… y’sure yer okay?” She wouldn’t look at him as she replied, somewhat stiffly, “Perfectly fine.” He said nothing more on the subject. It wasn’t his first time asking the question in the last month but he never pressed her past the first ask each time. She’ll talk when she’s ready. It wasn’t the dwarven way to be nosy. Instead, he pointed down the range. “Aight then. Show me what you got.” High above the range on an overlooking hill, Rarity pointed the hunter out to her friends. “See? She’s down there.” “No way.” Rainbow stared down in disbelief as Fluttershy nocked an arrow, took aim and drew the string back. “Fluttershy? With a bow?” “I kinda thought the crossbow thing was just a one-off,” Applejack muttered. “But to draw back the string like that, you need a lot of strength. I never would’ve thought Fluttershy…” “She’s been here getting used to it every day for the past month! Either with her dwarf friends, or some of the guards, or sometimes just alone,” Pinkie informed them. The woman below let the tension go. The arrow whistled through the air. It wasn’t a bullseye, but it was a hit. A good hit, in fact, on the inner ring outside the centre red. “She’s not half bad…” “An’ you just let her come down here and do this all day?” “It’s not like we can stop her.” Rarity shrugged. “She isn’t hurting herself or anybody else here, and she hasn’t cut herself off completely – she still stays with us for meals. But she’s happier while she’s here, because every moment she’s focused…” “…she’s not thinking about Wilder,” Pinkie finished for her. “Guess it’s gonna take a while for her to heal, huh,” Applejack said sadly. “I can relate.” “Me too,” Rainbow agreed quietly. “Still, now that we’re back I want to get her involved in the group again. I mean, it’s great that she’s found a form of exercise she enjoys, but it can’t be healthy to be spending all her time here.” Pinkie grinned. “Sounds like a job for a party! Just leave it with me…” Twilight stood very still as the king of Stormwind paced around in front of her. Varian Wrynn seemed full of energy – ready to burst into action at the slightest provocation. She’d seen him move in battle from a distance, and she knew that even in his lion-etched cobalt plate he was incredibly fast, not weighed down by it or his massive two-handed sword in the slightest. He cut an intimidating figure in general, standing a good foot and a half taller than her. The throne room was imposing, too. The way it was built it seemed designed to throw people – and make it very clear who was in charge. “Westfall was once the breadbasket of Stormwind, and the Defias have been a thorn in our side for a very long time – and the cause of much wrongdoing. You have my personal gratitude, and that of the kingdom.” the king said, looking up from scanning over Gryan Stoutmantle’s report. She’d curtseyed to what she knew was the appropriate extent in Azeroth – she’d checked with Malin to make sure. She hoped that the king approved, but it was impossible to tell. True, he didn’t seem exactly satisfied with the leader of the “heroes of Westfall”. He’d swung his searching gaze over her the instant she’d entered his presence – she probably wasn’t what he’d expected - but she couldn’t even hazard a guess at the impression he’d formed. The scowl on his face certainly suggested that he was displeased. Or maybe it had nothing to do with her? Surely the lord of the land had more important matters on his mind… Or maybe it was just how he always looked. “Such heroism should not go unrewarded,” the king said, “And so I am offering you…” Yes! Never mind, I shouldn’t have worried! Her mouth opened just an inch, ready to ask her request. “…a commission as a Knight-Lieutenant in the Stormwind Army. … What? Her mouth snapped shut, then slowly reopened. She hadn’t been expecting that, and it showed clearly on her face – not that he gave any reaction to her surprise. “I am also prepared to offer the rest of your group good contracts for their mandatory service alongside you in the ranks – with good prospects for promotion, should you and they remain in the army once we kill the Lich King.” No uncertainty there. Wait, MANDATORY service?! “Y-your highness, forgive me but I’m not sure I understand—” she stuttered. “Our field units on the front line are finding it tough to make much progress.” he said bluntly. “I want to make use of those like you and your friends – those with specialist skills and powers, which I know from first-hand experience can be very effective. Trial units have shown good results and I want to expand them.” “I… see.” She could understand the value in such an idea. But the thought of her friends being pressed into combat against so horrible a foe as the Lich King… “But, your highness, we aren’t soldiers! We have no training! We won’t stand a chance against—” She stopped dead midsentence, her jaw clenching shut at the glare the king was giving her. “Do you think the level of your training matters to me? I need skills and bodies right now, not tempered steel.” he hissed. “Do you dare display cowardice on the level of some horde filth, when so many of your countryman are giving themselves upon the altar of sacrifice?” the king demanded, his hands perceptibly twitching towards the blade held on the back of his armor. “Do you dare?!” It was like being trapped in a cage with a wolf, his jaws inches from her throat. The explosion of rage had come out of nowhere… Twilight managed to shake her head with the slightest of motions… which, to her greatest relief, seemed to pacify the king. “Major Mattingly will provide you with all the details, and the contracts you’ll all need – if you would do my men the favour of delivering them to your friends.” he huffed, turning from her and gesturing to the approaching officer. “I expect all your signatures to be registered within the day.” Still stunned, still quivering, she nodded. She managed to curtsey again, and allowed herself to be led away. So much for things looking up… “Conscripted?!” “Yes,” Twilight replied. She’d come straight back from her audience to the house, finding most of the others gathered for dinner – only Fluttershy arrived after her, mumbling her apologies. The mage had held off dropping the bombshell until after they had all finished eating, but launched right into the issue as soon as they were done - and just before Pinkie had a chance to spring her welcome back party. “The compulsory drafting of civilian personnel into the military, most often during times of great national crisis. Those called up will serve until the end of said crisis, then have the option of leaving. “Upon signing these contracts you’ll all become members of the Stormwind Army… and I’ve been offered a commission as an officer. Some of you have also been awarded certain ranks in recognition of the role we played in the fall of the Defias Brotherhood. The papers are all here.” she distributed them around to each individual. “But… we’re not even soldiers!” “I…” “This is pretty underhanded of ‘em.” “The army’s desperate for bodies right now.” Elling Trias commented, nibbling on a piece of gorgonzola. He’d joined them in the dining room as soon as he’d seen how urgent Twilight had been in calling the others together, correctly surmising that she had important news to share. “And if they’re desperate for one thing even more, it’s specialist skills. Your skills have been picked up on – all of them.” “They’re forming specialist support units attached to the main infantry and armoured units.” Twilight explained. “Each of these will vary in composition, but will generally include a mix of healers, mages and so on in two squads, plus an escort. We’re going to provide a command element to one of them.” “How did they even get our details?” Applejack wondered, flicking through the paperwork. “Height, weight… They’ve got all our measurements! I don’t remember tellin’ anybody half this stuff.” “More pressingly,” Rarity cut in hurriedly. “What does this mean for us?” “We’ll be going up north.” Twilight sighed. There was a collective stillness, a silence as the others processed this information, so she elaborated. “We have a day to sort our affairs, then the day after that I report to the Darkshire Regiment headquarters in the Old Town to receive our assignment, and we’ll be given any equipment we’re going to need. The next morning, we’ll board a boat and set sail to the south coast of Northrend, and we’ll be given further taskings when we get there.” It was very much a case of information overload for the others. They sat back and tried to process the meaning of it all as the mage looked on nervously. “Ain’t there supposed to be some kind of training for this?” Applejack asked at last, still scrutinising the terms of her contract. Twilight shook her head. “Normally, yes, but they intend to make an exception and waive it for the outside elements of the support units, including us. We’ll be given a little during the journey at sea, but after Westfall…” “Don’t forget that you managed to make your way all the way into the Deadmines through a combination of skill, teamwork and luck.” Elling pointed out. “Any formal training they give you might work against that. You’ve proved you can survive under difficult circumstances – that’s enough for them.” “What if we say ‘no’? Refuse to sign?” Applejack asked. “I don’t know.” Twilight pursed her lips. “But I don’t think it’ll be looked on well." They all looked to Elling, who shrugged. “I don’t know either. Under Prestor, you’d be hanging from the rafters before dawn. King Wrynn might be more willing to show mercy and understanding, but his blood is still up at the moment after Stormwind was attacked. I’d expect some time in the Stockades, at least.” “He didn’t seem like he’d take ‘no’ for an answer to me,” Twilight added, wincing at the memory of the king’s anger. “There you go, then. Well, you may be conscripts, but you will still be paid.” the master of cheese added, having taken a glance over Applejack’s shoulder at her contract with her permission. “You’ll have a significant amount of back pay to play with when you get back, especially if it goes on for a while.” “If what goes on for a while?” Fluttershy asked quietly. “The war,” he replied. “…oh.” she managed, and buried her face back into the fine details of her paperwork. He gave her a sympathetic look and left the room to make a cup of tea. It meant an interminable period of living in terrible, freezing conditions, their fates dictated as much by the quality of the orders they were given as by their own actions – if not perhaps more. It meant having to fight again… though at least the foe this time would not be a living, breathing creature. And there was the very real possibility of death or harm, of course. It was one thing to be caught up in events while exploring – another entirely to be actively hunting for conflict. And that was the worst they could imagine. Surely the reality of the situation would be even more fearful? A few minutes passed in silence, then Applejack sighed and casually tossed her contract onto the table in front of her. “Well, guessin’ we don’t have much choice. An’ notwithstanding the danger’n’all, I would mind doing a bit more spelunking. Them two weeks in the hills did me an’ Dash a lotta good.” Pinkie added to the pile. “I betcha there’ll be lots of people who need cheering up out there. We could do a lot of good.” Rarity looked quite crestfallen, though it was easy to tell as she had always been the one to wear her heart on her sleeve. “As the others say, we do not appear to have any choice in the matter. I will greatly miss the opportunity to work practically on my designs, but such is the hand of fate at work…” “We could run away.” A voice said – so quietly, so hesitantly, that Twilight first looked to Fluttershy, but then realised that she hadn’t spoken, and turned instead to… “Rainbow?” she queried. "I said... we could run away," she repeated herself. The mage had assumed that her most athletic friend would have the least problem with their predicament. “I thought you wouldn’t be too upset about this – you’re always looking to get into the action, and you were a member of the—” “That wasn’t the same!” Rainbow spat with a viciousness that Twilight hadn’t expected. She was at least still careful enough not to mention the ‘Wonderbolts’ in a sensitive, insecure setting. She leapt to her feet, her face flushed red. “I chose to do that! I picked a goal and I worked for it! No-one made me!” “But… it’s not like you to talk about running away—” “NO! But against something like this, normally I’d just fight it instead! And I’m guessing you wouldn’t want me to do something like that!” Rainbow shouted at her friend, as much as a challenge as it was a statement. The mage looked away hurriedly. “And the rest of you!” she rounded on the others, her voice booming in the small room, making them all recoil and no doubt disturbing the neighbours – and their hosts. “We’ve barely had five minutes to think about this and you’re already raising positives?! “Can’t you see how wrong this is? Ever since we’ve got here we’ve been just doing what he had to survive. But since when back home did we ever just put up with ‘the way things were’? “UGH! I just—I can’t— I can’t deal with this tonight!” she cried, and burst into motion. “Rainbow—” Twilight tried again, but her friend was already gone – out into the closed front of the shop and out through the front door into the city evening. “Your friends have all been conscripted? I must say it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, my dear.” the archmage hummed as he dusted around the edges of the mantle, Twilight standing awkwardly by his desk. She had felt troubled enough to pay him an early evening visit – something he’d said she was welcome to do, but, with her friends in such close proximity, had never seemed necessary before. She had wanted to follow Rainbow immediately, as difficult as catching up to her would be, but Applejack had advised against it. “Let ‘er go,” she had urged. “Gal’s got some thinkin’ to do, is all.” Twilight had reluctantly agreed. Her friends had all gone to bed shortly thereafter, or at least split up to do their own thinking, but, filled with anxiety, she had gone to Malin for advice at a very late hour. “Really?” She raised an eyebrow. She’d expected him to at least be somewhat taken aback by her announcement. “I mean, Stormwind hasn’t operated the policy of conscription for a relatively long period of time, from what I’ve read...” “It hasn’t needed to, in recent times. Direct threats to Stormwind itself have been few since the First War, and there were always enough volunteers to meet the need.” The archmage replied. “In this case, it was really only a matter of time until they turned to the arcanists and the clergy – and those, like you and your friends, with a track record of heroics. Lady Prestor raised the idea once or twice before, actually - always in response to some slight or aggression from the Horde. Highlord Fordragon refused the suggestion each time.” “But the king’s word is another matter.” “Quite. Besides, the situation is different, this time. The scars of the third war run deep, even this far south – most lost members of their families in the conflict. The threat we face is much more… grave. If you’ll pardon the dark humour.” Twilight couldn’t help but stifle a giggle. The old mage was good at keeping her spirits up – good at keeping all of the tower’s mages inspired and enthused with their studies. “I’m sure this must be quite unsettling for you, but I’m afraid you don’t have much choice in the matter – to try to refuse the king’s terms, which do offer more generous contracts than would normally be expected, and for you to refuse the honour of an unconditional offer for an officer’s commission… these things would not be looked on well.” “Mr. Trias thought as much,” she said, unable to keep an element of glumness from her voice. “Hmm…” He examined her carefully. “Are you afraid, Miss Sparkle?” It was a rather direct question, not quite the one she had been expecting, and she had to take a second to compose a proper response. “I… know my duty,” she said, as neutrally as she could manage. “I understand the need and I understand the stakes. And so do… my friends.” A half-truth, at best – she could only hope that Rainbow would come around. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Malin. But she couldn’t risk Rainbow’s apparent recalcitrance to become known. “A good response, but you haven’t answered my question.” he chided gently. “I asked if you were afraid.” She closed her eyes. Fighting a war. The undead. The terrible risk to herself and her friends. The thought of a fate worse than death. And everything else that Malin couldn’t possibly know or even suspect. That she and her friends would die here in this world, forever cut off from their home, family and friends. “Yes,” she said at last. “I’m… afraid.” She felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder, opening her eyes to meet his, tinged with concern, sympathy and a little… pride? “Good,” he said. “I am glad you understand. Hold onto that fear – it will help you survive – but do not let it overcome you. What you face in the coming months will test you and your friends more, I suspect, than you have ever been tested before, but I believe you have the capacity for great wisdom, and the power and potential to do great things.” It was quite the compliment. “…t-thank you, Archmage Malin.” she managed to stutter out. Taking praise had never been one of her stronger suits. He smiled, then moved the conversation forward. “In any case, you may see some familiar faces in Northrend, but I am unlikely to be one of them. I am too old to be used in a combat capacity – far too past my prime. At best I might see you in Dalaran, as I believe the Council of Six have made the decision to transport the city to the north, and my skills at teleportation may be called upon at some time. “It is also unlikely that you will see your friends from the tower for the duration of the war…” Malin sighed, snapping his fingers. A touch of violet energy slipped towards the closed door, which absorbed it and glowed briefly with borrowed power. Three voices outside grunted together in pain. “I expect your homework done on time!” the archmage thundered as the eavesdropping women scurried away. “I’m not sure they have the temperament for it,” he mused. “But you didn’t hear that from me.” “Of course.” Twilight fought back another smile. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer – I’m sure you have much preparation to do and precious little time to do it in. But, there is one more thing I would like to ask you.” “Sir?” She’d been turning to go, but paused at his tone. As much as he tried, the archmage was entirely unsuccessful in concealing the worry in his voice, and the fear in his eyes. “My daughter, Emmy… She was also called to serve. Please, if you ever happen to meet her on those frozen plains… make sure she stays safe.”