Sacrifice of Love

[Guest]

Little story about Tha'nuist's parents. Few coarse words but nothing terrible. Because of the length of the leven lifespan I'm taking a little artistic license and claim that the children aged at a slower rate than human children

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The sharp point of an arrow pierced the thin leather armor of the young blood elf’s shoulder. A stifled cry escaped his thin lips as he clawed to his injury and quickly snapped the shaft off. He quickened his pace despite the pain. The bags he had been securing to his green hawk strider lay at his feet, and he quietly swore to himself as he picked them up.

The bird ruffled up its feathers and began to pull at the tether. Soft pats and a hare to munch on calmed the beast, but it continued to look around sharply. After a few more moments, the elf was finished and turned towards the broken building behind him.
The once quaint little house lay in shambles, ravaged by the troll’s assault. The red domed roof, the golden designs across the wall had all been constructed under the watch of the man. His entire life’s savings had gone into this home and the surrounding pens for his hawk striders. All of it for her life, their life, and for their child…

An almond blue eye peered out at him from a window. A nod from him let her know that it was time to leave. Pale, thin fingers wrapped around the handle of her crimson travel bag. With one last look around her broken home, she made her way out the door and to the man. She bolted to him and quickly nuzzled into his arms. A sigh of relief escaped her as she held him as close as she could.
Tears running down her face she gently stroked the ends of his long white blond hair. He too began to cry as he cupped her cheek and lifted her chin to him.

“You must go now,” he whispered in her ear. “Their arrows are flying ever closer.” The woman in his arms sobbed harder and tried to pull him close once more. “Please, go.”

“I’m not leaving if you’re not with me,” the woman whispered as she choked on her tears. “I’m not going to be without you again.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I have to hold them off with the others so you can get away.” Pulling her arms off him, he quickly hoisted the woman onto the hawk strider. The bird fluttered its wings and let out a soft squawk. Taking her small hand in his, the man brought it to his lips, kissed it gently, and then placed it over her large stomach. “I’m not going to let either of you be alone.”

As he stepped away to untie the tether, another wave of arrows flew over their heads. Tears continued to flow down both faces as he quickly slashed the tether and gave the green bird a swift slap on the rump. It leapt away in shock and bolted down the road leading away from the arrows.

Once the beast and beauty disappeared around the bend, the man wiped the tears from his glowing green eyes and ran into the broken home to retrieve his own bag. He took his own look of his once perfect home before swinging his pack over his shoulder and running towards the fight.

[Guest]

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The chubby toddler happily grabbed a fistful of shimmering red hair in her fist. Smiling at her, Seh’nuist gently began to pry her locks out of her daughter’s hands. Ten years had passed since their escape to Silvermoon, and ten years since she had last held her love. Picking up a stuffed mana wyrm from the table at which they sat, the woman gave the little girl a toy and held her close.
As the girl chewed and snuggle the toy her mother observed her features. So much of Tha’nuist was like her mother. The only distinguishing feature of her father was the striking green eyes. Seh’nuist was glad that her daughter resembled her. It would have been too dangerous had she taken after her father.

Seh’nuist had received the ultimate punishment for running away. Stripped of her title as priestess she was now forced to serve in the temple as maid and wet nurse to the other priestesses. Her daughter, too, would be denied her title as well. “Bastard child” was the only title the child received upon her birth. Not only had her mother broken the oath, but had decided to consummate her supposed love with a low class citizen.

A knock at the door brought Seh’nuist back, and she quickly rose to answer the door. Tha’nuist, who had by then begun to fall asleep, whined as she was suddenly jerked around. The woman opened the door and came face to face with two hulking Blood Knights.
“Anaria shoal,” she hissed as the two male elves looked down on her with cocky smiles.

“Greetings, we are here on official business,” The taller of the two winked at her as he spoke. “I hope we’re not interrupting anything. Noticing the child in her arms, he reached his hand out to pat her head. Scowling, Seh’nuist pulled her daughter close.
“Come in. It would be a pleasure for you to join us,” she spat out with venom. The two knights took a seat at the table in the middle of the room. Watching them from over her shoulder, the woman placed the toddler onto a rugged section of the floor where scattered toys sat. Tha’nuist looked up at her mother and smiled, then grabbed for the nearest toy.

“More troll attack, Dearie, and they’re calling on every priestess to aid our forces. You’ve been summoned despite your... position, and must depart tomorrow.” Frozen in place, Seh’nuist lowered her head and began to shake.
“I’m not going. You can't make me leave my daughter,” Pointing towards the door she continued, “Get out, I’m not hearing any of this.” The two men rose and snickered to each other. Shoving the sealed parchment into Seh’nuist’s chest, they left her standing in the middle of the room, shaking the whole time.
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Ael’nin stood in his home outside of Silvermoon. The hawk strider’s out back squawked and fought over the hares in the feeding bin he had just left for them. He sighed softly and rubbed his temples with his fingertips.
A raven-haired woman appeared at his side and began to massage his shoulders. Her touch, meant to sooth, only added to his aggravation.
“Now now,” he grunted, “I’m not in the mood”

“Fine, but you’re not getting out of watching Kal’ndriel,” she scowled. “I’m heading into the city to get a fresh roast for her birthday.”

“Fine, go. She won’t be a problem,” was sighed with a tired voice. He tied his long blond hair back into a ponytail as the woman sighed and scowled as she gathered her handbag and left. Once he was sure she was gone, he walked over to a crib in the corner of the room.
The small infant was sleeping peacefully in her bed. Her brunette locks covered her head in a thick poof. He slowly lowered his hand onto her head and gently stroked her soft baby hair. A few tears glistened in his eyes as he watched her sleep.

I wonder if she sleeps this peacefully.

Every time he ventured into Silvermoon, he looked for her. While in the Bazaar, he could swear that he saw the swish of lustrous red locks. Before he could catch them, the crowd of people pushed him back and he lost her once more. If only he could talk to her, if only he could finally hold her… and her mother.

Ten years had passed and he had married. If only it had been for love, even if it had not been like the love he had for Seh’nuist. He loved Kal’ndriel with all his heart, but her mother would never replace the priestess he had lost. The child he had never held was in his heart as well.

He could never be with her outside of their isolated home down south. It was strictly forbidden, and he accepted and despised it at the same time. It was for the best that he moved on, cut a deal with the former owner of the hawk strider farm that he now owned. Marry the daughter to ensure the continuation of his second passion. A child was expected, of course, and he obliged the raven-haired woman’s wishes. He may not have loved that woman, he would give his everything to protect the daughter he could hold.

When the nanny’s took all the children from the temple out for walks he would scan through them trying to decide which one was his. When he spied a little girl with bright red hair and glowing green eyes his heart instantly leapt and he longed to run over and hug her. She looked so much like her mother, but those eyes gave her away, his eyes gave her away.

The baby stirred as his hand paused in thought. Yawning widely, she opened her eyes and stared up at him. A smile spread across her face and her green eyes lit up as she looked at him. Her joy was contagious and a soft chuckle escaped Ael’nin’s lips. The moment was cut short as a woman’s sobs filled the room.

His wife was back and held a cupped hand over her mouth as she thrust a parchment roll at him. She continued to sob uncontrollably as she pushed past him and picked up Kal’ndriel. Holding her tight to her breast the raven-haired woman made her way to the bed and collapsed down.

Ael’nin slowly unrolled the parchment and read it. Nodding slowly, he turned to the woman.
“I depart in the morning. If I don’t return, you know what to do.”

“I won’t let my baby ever have contact with that whore and her little abomination!” Her words made his cheeks flush and he strode over to the woman and took her by the hair. The jolt startled the baby and she began to cry. The child’s cry struck his heart and he let the raven hair escape his fingers.

“You’ll do it, or else I swear to the sun that I’ll haunt you.”

[Guest]

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The sun rose over the ruins of a high elf village. Smoldering embers threw smoke in the air and mixed with the mist of the dawn. One by one hawk striders appeared on the horizon. The soldiers that sat atop them shivered slightly. The combination of the early morning cold and the adrenaline that pumped through their veins sent chills up their spine.

One of the elves, however, remained stoic. Ael’nin was ready to fight. The trolls had once more launched an attack on his land, but this time on the small village where he had shopped with her. He would reclaim his land and find his women once more. His daughters would play in the yard as Seh’nuist baked sweets and watched them from the kitchen.

A massive green blob appeared in their line of sight. Grunts and stomps shook the ground underneath the hawk strider’s feet, and many of the birds began to shift and squawk in fear. Ael’nin tightened his grip on the reigns as the officers prepared to give the attack signal. The green blob was moving ever closer, and their stomps and grunts were becoming deafening.

“Anar'alah belore!” shouted one of the Blood Knights when a shower of arrows descended down on the soldiers. Ael’nin’s heart pounded in his ears as he gave his green hawk strider a swift kick and charged forward.

Seh’nuist frantically cast healing spells down on the soldiers as they took hits left and right from the trolls. Despite her best efforts, she could not heal all. She nearly emptied the contents of her stomach as one of the rangers pulled back a young hunter holding his mangled arm in his one hand. The severed limb was beyond repair and the young man died soon after from blood loss.

Another death scream echoed through the battlefield as another ranger lost his head to a troll who promptly displayed his trophy to the others and grunted in victory. All the priestess could do was continue to shield and heal the failing soldiers.
Her healing attracted the attention of an extremely large troll warrior. He made his way to her, throwing paladins aside like dolls. He loomed over her, drool and sweat dripping from his tusks onto her robe. Seh’nuist stared up at the troll, eyes wide with fear. The brute raised his axe and grunted victory cry.

His blow was cut short. The primitive axe lay on the ground, sliced in two by the sharp blood knight sword. Ael’nin stood between the woman in the troll, weapon brandished threateningly. Even in the fight, he had noticed Seh’nuist and could not stop himself from coming to her aid. When he saw the troll coming toward her he grabbed a wounded soldier’s sword and raced to her rescue.
A grin spread across the brute’s face, and he grabbed a dagger from the hilt at his waist. The male elf grunted at the challenge and prepared another swing.

THIS is for the life your ruined.
And THIS is for the daughter I lost because of you.
THIS one is for the woman I could no longer hold because of you.
And THIS, THIS is just because.

The man hacked and slashed at the troll, creating deep gashes in the monster’s chest. The troll quickly collapsed under the barrage of attacks, bleeding heavily with each pump of his heart. He let out a final angry roar before dropping on the ground and moving no more.

The defeat of the largest warrior in their tribe shook the other trolls. Stopping their attacks on the other soldiers, they gave a quick nod to each other before rushing onto Ael’nin. The man did not have enough time to defend himself as the horde of trolls swarmed on top of him.
The blows were hard and unending. Axe slash after axe slash came down on the man as the trolls took their revenge. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth as the man felt his essence drain out of him. All of the beasts began to spin and blur as the pain became too much.

Seh’nuist’s scream brought him back. The woman continued to scream as the trolls beat the life out of her only love. When no one came to his aid, she dove under the troll’s legs to try to save him.

One of the other priestesses watched in shock as the woman dove after the man. “Seh’nuist, no!” she screamed, but it was too late.
Shielding herself as she went under, the red haired woman halted the blows long enough to take the bleeding man in her arms. Wiping the bloody blond hair from his face, she sobbed and kissed him gently.

His unfocused eyes stared up at her and a smile spread across his face.
“Seh’nuist, is it really you?” The woman nodded at him and kissed him again. Despite his weakness, he raised his hand up and gently stroked her face. Taking his hand in hers, the priestess gently kissed his hand and held him close. “You were the only one.”

As the shield faded and the trolls continued their assault on the elves, the other healer could only look on, mouth covered in horror.

[Guest]

((Very good Story Thanuist but if I may interject a few things this was in the Amani war Correct? If so to be correct the elves didn't have any paladins in their army at that time the Blood Knights didn't form till after the 3rd war before that the primary fighter in their armys was the Spell Stealers or Spell Binders or Spell Knights I can't really remember which but they were sort of a Mage/Knight hybrid warrior but still all in all very good story.))

[Guest]

eh, not a specific troll war, but just a random fight of territory that the high elves had on and off over territory. I also use the terms "paladin" and "blood knight" loosely so those not familiar with the lore understand what I'm talking about . Basically I used those terms to denote what the job kind of entailed, not the actually descriptive terms used by blizz in previous games and lore.

I place this even at about -35 in the warcraft timeline, so well after the troll wars. However, I imagine there were still bands of trolls in the further south areas (aka ghostlands) who probably fought over territory with the elves in that reigion). Since it was smaller uprisings it would be more likely that the officials would send low ranking individuals or those they wished to dispose of.
Since this even takes place closer to the fall of Quel'thalas I'll use my imagination and say a paladin-esque class could/would be emerging and would be low man on the totem pole. Perhaps battle-mage would have been a better term, but I settled on paladin due to what warrior class was given to blood elves in BC

[Guest]

((Ahhh ok then ))