DISCLAIMER: The world of Azeroth belongs solely to Blizzard Entertainment. I am merely a visitor in the wonderful World of Warcraft, although I have created some of the characters.

Peace had been hard to come by. Everyone had fought for it, and they wanted to keep it. Nobody wanted to do anything to compromise the difficult victory against the Scourge, which had cost them so many lives.

Life was beginning to get back to normal for the people of Azeroth, although a lot of troops remained in Northrend, cleaning up vestiges of the Scourge, which were still considerable enough to warrant casualty reports.

But things were better now.

It had been four weeks since Arthas had been killed, and his death had paralyzed the undead forces of Northrend, allowing the brave warriors of the Horde and the Alliance to take the upper hand.

This was pronounced on the frozen wastes of the Dragonblight.

Riding near the southern shore of the region, a girl surveyed her surroundings.

At first glance, the girl was striking to behold. She had fair skin, large translucent eyes that were amber in color, and long hair that looked as though it had been made from stands of honey dipped in the sun.

Upon closer examination, though, Faith Everstone was no mere girl. She was a blood elf, a Sin'dorei, one who was skilled in the art of battle. She had fought the Scourge ever since it had invaded her home, and she had a feeling that, even though Arthas was dead, she would be fighting them for a long time to come.

She was close to New Hearthglen, a town that had been founded by the Scarlet Crusade, renamed the Scarlet Onslaught, as a base of operations against the Scourge in that part of Northrend.

Not much was left of the town, save for the buildings. The inhabitants, however, were gone. Sylvanas Windrunner's forces had seen to that.

Faith smiled a little as she thought of Sylvanas.

She'd been away from Undercity for a week now, and was due to go home the following day. Sylvanas would be waiting for her, as she did every week when she returned from her cleanup duties in Northrend.

Now that they were getting the Scourge under control, an easier task now than it had been before Arthas had been killed, she could afford to go back to Sylvanas at the end of every week. She had hoped that she'd be able to stay home all the time, but the Argent Crusade still thought her invaluable in the frozen lands.

She had just gone on a routine patrol near Agmar's Hammer, but had found nothing worth of note. She'd had to kill a bear who had been infected with the Plague, but all of the other infected wildlife had been dealt with swiftly. As for the Nerubians in and around Azjol-Nerub, they were quiet, the living creatures having ousted the undead ones from their kingdom.

I'm glad I don't have to go back in there, she said to herself. The living Nerubians might have been allies, even during the war against the Scourge, but she still felt very uneasy around them.

"What do you say we go home, Lady?" she asked her hawkstrider, a beautiful creature with golden plumage, which Sylvanas had given her.

The hawkstrider cried out happily and surged forward, heading towards Venomspite. The town, which had been a center of Forsaken activity not three weeks previously, was now a simple outpost for any Forsaken wishing to remain in Northrend.

It was strange to be in this part of Dragonblight without needing to dodge the Scourge at every turn. The necropolis of Naxxramas hadn't been very far away from them, and even after it had fallen, members of the Scourge had swarmed there in vast numbers. But the forces at Venomspite and Wintergarde Keep had pooled their resources and cleared most of the Carrion Fields. Fiends still crept out of the nearby mausoleums, but for the most part, they had done a great job.

"Any problems, Major?" asked Overseer Rend as Faith entered the town and stopped in front of the inn.

"None," she told him. "I think we've done a great job here."

"It's unbelievable how quickly the Scourge fell around here once you killed the Lich King."

Faith only nodded. She was one of the few people who knew that, while Arthas himself was dead, there still was a Lich King sitting atop the Frozen Throne. Without a leader, the Scourge would have run rampant all over the world, perhaps making things more difficult for them. But Bolvar Fordragon was dormant now, and Faith hoped that it was this that had made it possible for the Argent Crusade and its allies to get rid of the Scourge.

"I have the latest reports for Lady Sylvanas," he said to her, handing her several rolls of parchment.

Faith took them, "Excellent, thank you, Overseer. Anything urgent on your end?"

"We heard there was a necromancer down in the mausoleum, which was why undead were crawling out of there. But the dwarves took care of it."

"A necromancer in a graveyard, that's exactly what we need." Faith looked up from the parchment she'd unrolled as a mage walked up to her, telling her that the portal to Undercity was ready. She nodded, thanking the newest member of the Northrend Forsaken Corps.

Getting off of Lady, she followed the mage towards the side of the inn, where a swirling portal was glowing brightly.

"Enjoy your time in Undercity, Major," she said shyly.

"Thanks, Lorena," answered Faith. She led Lady through the portal, and the two of them landed in the courtyard of the Forsaken capital.

Faith took a deep breath, taking in the familiar sight of home. She had always loved the ruined courtyard of Lordaeron because of its sense of tragic history. Headstones were everywhere, as the area had been turned into a cemetery, some engraved with names, others with nothing more than the date of burial etched on them. The Forsaken had buried everybody they could when they had taken over the ruins of Lordaeron.

A lone figure stood in the yard, leaning against a gnarled tree that was a favorite of Faith's. She wore leather armor that fit her body well, displaying the curves and muscles that had been preserved when she had died. A cloak was around her shoulders, its hood down, showing the brittle silver-white hair that fell down past her shoulders.

Sylvanas Windrunner. Banshee Queen of Undercity, and Faith's lover. Her eyes were closed at that moment, and she didn't even turn her head when she heard the portal. To Faith, she looked beautiful, as she always had, but there was an air of sadness around her.

"Sylvanas?" Faith went to her, gently putting a hand on her face.

The queen's glowing red eyes opened, a brief smile playing on her features, "Welcome home, my darling," she said softly. Her voice had the inflection of the undead, a ring that never failed to send shivers running up and down Faith's spine.

"Were you waiting for me?"

Sylvanas nodded, pulling Faith towards her in a hug. Faith wrapped her arms around her, resting her head against hers and closing her eyes. Something was wrong, she could sense it. Sylvanas had been looking sad ever since Arthas had been killed. It was easy to see why, for Faith felt the same way. While they had been fighting Arthas, they had all had a sense of purpose. Of revenge. Now that it was done, they didn't know what to do.

"What do you need, my love?" Faith asked her, kissing her cheek.

"You're home. That's all I need."

Faith smiled, "Imagine that. Imagine also that Tirion told me that I could stay home indefinitely, now."

Sylvanas' eyes opened wide, "What?"

"I've officially been discharged from the Argent Crusade forces in Northrend. I'll go back on Monday to get my things, after which, I'll be all yours."

"You're coming home to be with me?"

"If you'll have me, yes."

"If I'll have…" Sylvanas' mouth found hers in a slow kiss. Faith responded immediately, matching her pace, relishing the taste of her. Many people were stunned when they heard that Faith actually enjoyed kissing an undead elf, but she was so used to it now, she craved it so much that she didn't pay attention to that particular detail.

"Is that a yes?" asked Faith, pulling away a little.

"Come back here and kiss me," Sylvanas sounded playful now, all traces of sadness gone.

"Your wish is my command, my lady," said Faith, kissing her again. They stayed there a while, kissing underneath the twisted branches of the old tree. They didn't make love, not there, as the patrolling Kor'kon might not have appreciated such a scene. But both of them wanted to. They had been denying each other for two weeks, wanting to savor the pleasure of being together again, without boundaries.

"Your command, is it?" asked Sylvanas, keeping her hand on the back of Faith's head. "You make me wish I had a heart again, so that you could feel it beating."

Faith took Sylvanas' hand in hers, placing it over her own heart, "My heart is your heart. It beats for you. Every breath I take and every quiver of my heartbeat belong to you."

Sylvanas looked at her, her eyes wide, vulnerable, "Don't say things like that to me… I don't know how to respond to those statements."

"A declaration of love is usually standard at this point."

"I guess. But you know I love you."

"I do know. And you know that I love you."

"Do you still? Even after –."

Faith placed a finger to Sylvanas' lips, "Sylvanas, I didn't let a little thing like your death stop me from loving you. I sure as hell won't let your indiscretion change my mind." She put an arm around the queen's waist, "You still feel guilty about that."

"I shouldn't have done it."

"You stopped. You didn't let her get as far as she wanted to get." She began to walk towards the stables so that she could settle Lady in. The hawkstrider was patiently waiting for them chattering at another hawkstrider stabled nearby. "Was she good?"

Sylvanas looked at Faith sharply, "At what?"

"Kissing you."

"She wasn't you, Faith."

"That's not much of an answer…"

"It is, actually. I could make out with a hundred people, and none of them would compare to you."

Faith took a shaky breath, starting to walk closer to the stables. But a moment later, Sylvanas had caught her arm, and was kissing her with a passion that rivaled most of their time together until then. Faith could barely keep up as she was pushed onto the side of the wall that separated various areas of the yard, feeling Sylvanas tugging at her robe.

"Here?" she gasped.

"Now… right," Sylvanas shoved a hand into her leggings and fingered aside her underwear. "Now."

"What about the –."

Sylvanas kissed her, "I don't care. They can watch." She slipped a finger inside Faith, who gave a small cry of pain. "That's it, let me hear you."

"Slow d-down…"

"No. I have you, and I'm going to take you." She yanked Faith's leggings and underwear down, kneeling in front of her. Glancing up, she saw that Faith's eyes were wide, her face flushed, and her lips swollen. "Give me better access to you, love."

Her eyes still wide, Faith obeyed, spreading her legs as best she could. The deathly chill of the air was eclipsed by the sudden boiling of her blood as Sylvanas covered her with her mouth, adding a second finger inside of her in the process.

She tried to keep quiet, biting on her hand, but she couldn't. Sylvanas wrenched the cries out of her as she licked and suckled at her flesh, her fingers both gentle and rough, heating up the longer they stayed within her.

"What's that?" she asked a second later, as Faith let out a string of half-curses, grabbing onto something next to her, a headstone. "Faith?"

"I will kill you if you stop…"

Sylvanas laughed throatily, "Not if I kill you first. Lie down."

Faith complied so quickly that Sylvanas laughed again. She fully pulled off Faith's clothes, leaving her naked between two graves. "You too…"

"Me too what?"

For an answer, Faith pulled a little at Sylvanas' boot.

"You want me naked? Is that what you're telling me?"

A nod. Faith's eyes were practically begging.

"All right."

With infinite slowness, Sylvanas stripped. Every time she revealed more skin, Faith gasped. She reached out to touch her once her chest was bare, but Sylvanas took her hand.

"Shh. Give me a minute, and then I'll taste you again." Her body quivered under Faith's intense gaze. She nearly rushed herself, but wanted to take it slow, wanted Faith to beg her. She wanted Faith to cry out her release. "Do you know that you're the only thing I've tasted since I became undead?"

Faith's eyes opened wider still.

Sylvanas gently took off the rest of her clothes, laying them aside.

"But you kissed –."

"Now, see, if you're going to ruin the moment by talking about her –."

The second of inattention was Sylvanas' undoing. Faith leapt on her, tackling her to the ground and kissing her fiercely. She wrapped her legs around her waist, locking her in her embrace.

They struggled for dominance, each getting the upper hand for a few seconds before the other took over. Sylvanas' scream startled several birds out of the nearby trees when Faith's fingers burrowed inside her, finding a quick rhythm.

"Oh… Faith wait…"

"Mine… you're mine," snarled Faith, pushing her fingers deeper inside.

Sylvanas rested her head against a broken tombstone, letting Faith take over for a while. Just for a while. It felt too good to stop, even for what she had in mind.

"I want you on my tongue…" she managed.

"Come, damn it."

"Not yet."

"You have to, Sylvanas. Please."

"Too soon. By the Titans, Faith… ah…"

"Yes!"

Sylvanas' world changed colors. She cried out as Faith relentlessly continued to stroke the flesh inside of her, causing her to climax a second time. Almost sobbing, she could do nothing but ride it out and wait for Faith to stop.

"Are you trying to kill me?" she asked finally, when Faith slowly pulled her fingers free.

"I wanted to make you come," answered Faith.

"Good job. I don't think I've ever done that twice in a row." She stretched a little, feeling a little too weak to do much of anything. "You need to finish."

"I can finish myself, don't worry." She moved her hand to do just that, but Sylvanas stopped her. "Baby, you can barely move after that."

A chuckle, "Is that what you think?" Crawling to her, lithe as a panther, the banshee queen reached her and buried her head between her thighs. "Oh, you're there." She was almost disappointed, but pressed her tongue right where she knew Faith needed it.

Faith didn't even have a chance to scream. Her body jerked and Sylvanas put an arm around her, holding her down as every muscle in her body tensed, then relaxed in her grip.

"Good girl," she said, lapping the trickle of release like a cat drinking its mother's milk. "It wasn't quite the way I wanted to do this, but it'll do."

"S-Sylvanas… you're going to make me… oh…"

"Hmm? Oh, come again if you need to. I'm not going anywhere right now."

After what could have been an hour, the two of them got dressed again, Faith having conjured a warm wet cloth so that they could clean themselves up.

"I can't believe we just did that."

Sylvanas smirked, "As I said before, welcome home."

"I'll come home a lot more often if that's how you're going to greet me every time."

"After you come back on Monday, you are not leaving my sight again, do you hear me? I've had enough of you being away from me."

Faith smiled gently, fastening the cloak around Sylvanas' shoulders, "It's been hard for you, hasn't it? My being away?"

"No more than usual."

"Sylvanas."

Sylvanas turned away from her, beginning to walk towards the entrance of the city. Faith caught up with her.

"I'll talk that as a yes. Would you talk to me?"

"What do you want me to say? That I missed you? Fine, I missed you."

"Will you wait for me? I was going to stable lady until you distracted me."

She nodded, and Faith found Lady, who had been hiding behind the stables. Putting her in the large stall that had been provided for her, she brushed her and fed her, finally giving her some water. By the time she turned around, she saw Sylvanas standing close. That vulnerable look was in her eyes again.

Neither of them said anything, but Faith kissed her cheek and put an arm around her waist, and Sylvanas' arm slid around her shoulders. Together, they went into the city.

It was some time before they could talk in private, for there were meetings to go to and updates to be heard.

While the Scourge in Northrend seemed to be falling into place, the Scourge of Lordaeron was another matter entirely. In the week she'd been absent, there had been an upsurge of activity in Quel'Thalas and in the Plaguelands.

"The Cenarion Circle has sent its forces to the Western Plaguelands in the hopes of reviving it," Rotvine told her.

"Reviving the Plaguelands? Can they do that?"

"They're certainly going to try. A delegation from Thunder Bluff arrived here the other day. They're going to get themselves set up in just outside of one of the farms to see what they can do."

"What's the situation at Andorhal?" asked Faith.

It was Sylvanas who answered. "Active. We've managed to clear maybe an eighth of the forces out of there, but we have our work cut out for us. The Argent Crusade at Hearthglen's been helping too," she shrugged indicating that she wasn't impressed with the work they'd done so far.

"Would you like me to look into it? I know Tirion will be going to Hearthglen in about a week."

Sylvanas looked at her. Faith read in her eyes that she absolutely didn't want Faith involved, but she didn't want to say anything in front of the others.

"How about I talk to Tirion before I return, and see how the situation develops?" Faith waited for Sylvanas to nod before making a note on the bit of parchment in front of her.

"It's not that I don't want you to fight," Sylvanas told her later on, as Faith got ready for bed.

"It's not?" Faith looked at her, her hands on her hips.

"No. I just want you to get some rest. You're worn out."

"Oh, you had something to do with that earlier."

Sylvanas didn't comment on that, although she would have squirmed if she'd been on her own, "You need a vacation."

Faith snorted and walked towards where Sylvanas was sitting. Pursing her lips, she straddled her hips, resting her arms on her shoulders, "I'll go on vacation if you come with me."

"You know I can't do that. I left Undercity one too many times and look at what happened."

"Yeah." Faith looked down, the memory of Sylvanas beating her uncomfortable in her mind.

Sylvanas tipped her chin up until their eyes met, "I'm sorry, Faith. I'm sorry for blaming you. I didn't… I know none of what happened was your fault." She kissed her, "I'm sorry."

Faith sighed, "You don't have to be sorry."

"I hate that I hurt you."

"Is that why you've been so sad lately? You feel guilty?"

"I'm not sad." Sylvanas' face suddenly closed off, once again making her look like the banshee queen of Undercity.

Faith ran a thumb over Sylvanas' cold lips before placing a kiss there. "You can talk to me, you know. I'm here for you, whatever you need."

"I just want you home with me. Always."

"Always," whispered Faith to her. She kissed her. "Always."