A/N: A chunk of this is random...

Chapter 26 ~ Planning

Evirah soaked eagerly in the large pool as the steam rose and swirled around her. She had woken up cleaned form the blood and grime of her imprisonment, but each bath made her feel cleaner. Oh how she missed it. She opened her eyes to find Silver watching the room warily and covering herself as best as she could. The mage chuckled at her. It was so common to disrobe and walk around the den nude, Evirah had forgotten about modesty. She smiled as gentle and quiet Elehna submerged herself and swam over to her friend rather quickly, practically assaulting her as she embraced the elder woman.

"Elehna!" Evirah grunted before lightly laughing and hugging her friend back. "How have you been?"

"Wonderful… I…. I may have met someone." The young woman blushed.

"What? Who?" Evirah asked incredulously.

"Duach." The little woman smiled.

"I'm lost…" Silver interrupted.

"Duach is a young man born from a slave…" Elehna explained with a smile permanent upon her face. "The draught did not quite work and, rather than try to abort the child, his mother's master allowed her to birth and raise him before selling him when he became a young man."

"He still is a young man," Evirah began as she rested a hand on her shoulder, "but you are also still a young lady. I am happy for you, but please be cautious. Do not let your master catch you."

"I fear what the consequences would be…" Elehna whispered as her smile faded and her eyes got distant.

"You should. Elune forbid you take advantage of your right to follow your heart." Silver sarcastically announced as she sipped her wine.

"Evirah, you are so fortunate to have a kind master…" Elehna announced, ignoring the bitter elf listening.

"Ha!"

"You mock and despise him, but let's not forget that had he not bought you, you would be in some bed with a strange brute forcing his way into you." Evirah reminded her friend a tad coldly, earning silence from her sister, "You may not care for Arthas, but you owe him for saving you."

~o0o~

Darion sat somewhat anxiously at the table as the other attendees filled in the remaining seats, most of them favoring him with a look of degrading contempt. He understood why. He had killed many people, ruined countless more lives, and spread a wave of despair in his wake while under the service of the Lich King. He was justly hated for his heinous crimes, even by himself. But he had hoped this meeting with the leader and dignitaries of both the Alliance and Horde would begin his path to retribution. He waited patiently under the glares of hatred until all the people of importance were assembled and Tirion Fordring stood.

"Greetings my friends. Today we unite peacefully in Dalaran under the flag of unity with one purpose: to end the Lich King's reign and stop his scourge army. If we divide ourselves by faction or race, we will surely fall. It is only by standing together we will succeed. Today we welcome a new faction into our cause, The Knights of the Ebon Blade. They have seen first-hand the cruelty and brutality of the scourge, being the ones that carried out such acts before Arthas cast them away as mere pawns. They have vowed to bring him to justice, and shall provide us with as much information as they can…"

"Thank you Tirion. We Knights of the Ebon Blade know we cannot erase the sins of our past, we only aim to attempt to repay the world for the price we inflicted."

"We only hope with your aid the tides can be turned."

"I have personally seen the inside to the Icecrown Citadel and attended its meetings. The army is funded and armed by a massive saronite mine they call the Pit of Saron, located here." Darion announced before pointing on a map stretched out on the table. Once his finger was replaced by a marker he pointed on the side of the citadel. "There is a side entrance here that leads to the Forge of Souls that processes all of the ore collected. Through this entrance we could gain access to the rest of the citadel…"

"Perhaps we could distract the bulk of the citadel's security with a battering ram at his front gates and send in a handful of heroes to infiltrate and destroy both the Pit of Saron and the Forge of Souls. Once we've gained access into the citadel we can amass a larger force and fight our way to the frozen throne itself… Jaina, I leave it up to you to lead the raid against the two targets. Let me know if you glean more information while you're there."

While Tirion mused and gave a few orders, Darion noticed a man standing off to the side. He wore the plate armor of a strong warrior, and judging by his presence here he was highly decorated. What caught Darion's eye the most was this man's look of haggard rage and contempt on his countenance. Darion could tell it was merely a mask for his despair.

"You bear the look of someone who's loved and lost, young warrior." He announced to the man. The other beings in the room stopped in their own various conversations, curious about the unknown hateful man with them.

"And you would know, being a man who has inflicted such pain?" the warrior sarcastically retorted, venom dripping from his words.

"Indeed." Darion responded without hesitation. "Who have you lost?"

"You ask a lot of questions." Ballador pointed out, the Death Knight's questions only serving to darken his black mood.

"I find it important to do so. You never know when the answers may prove useful." Darion responded with an indifferent shrug of is shoulders.

"Two friends." Ballador replied after a moment of pause. Why not play along? "One was lost on an escort mission several months back, while the other was torn from me not but a few days ago."

"I give my condolences. But there is hope. Arthas ordered the capture of a large amount of labor to work in the Pit. You may find your allies there. Unless…" Darion declared, watching the hope build in the man's eyes, until he trailed off in thought.

"Unless what?" Ballador prodded.

"Unless they were women… then they might have been sentenced to service within the citadel itself. I cannot tell you the fate of the most recently taken, but perhaps I can shed light on the plight of the other. Describe her to me." He commanded.

"Her hair was as dark as the night sky. In certain lights it carried a blue hue, the same tone as her deep, ever curious eyes." Ballador responded, his eyes taking of a dream-like wonder.

"We are getting warmer. There are a few women that fit that description. I take it if she was on an escort mission she was a warrior as well?" Darion asked, his suspicions on the mage he had met a while back.

"A mage. She was born…" Ballador began.

"On a small farm on the southern border of Elwynn Forest? Before she was left in the care of the monks of Northshire Abbey while her parents travelled north to aid a sick relative in Stratholm, only to never return?" Darion finished, an eyebrow sneaking higher upon his face.

"How do you know?" he queried, shocked the Death Knight knew.

"I asked her a lot of questions…" Darion answered with an amused, pointed look.

"Evirah's alive?!" Jaina asked, hope building within her as well. She also considered the mage a friend, and mourned with the warrior at her loss.

"So that was her name…" Darion mused, glad to have that mystery answered.

"Thank the light she lives!" Ballador called to the whole room. His enthusiasm seemed rather contagious as the others gave a light applause.

"Last time I was in the citadel, yes. But the news does have a bitter taste… She was captured by a Death Knight named Gelith. This Blood Elf is known for capturing beautiful females and selling them to the other men…as concubines." Darion announced. The light applause quickly faded away to a piercing silence that hung in the air until the frozen warrior roared out his outrage.

"I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS HOLY I WILL SLAY THE MAN THAT DARES TOUCH HER!" Ballador declared violently, the veins in his neck throbbing.

"I would at least hear the name of the man before making said oath…" Darion warned.

"Speak the name of the bastard so I know what to engrave on his tomb!" Ballador commanded.

"Arthas Menethil."

A/N: Plot twist! I know the first part was random but it'll make sense later! I'll see y'all next week... kind of.