The young couple decided not to linger in Silvermoon, and although they were keen for their wedding day to arrive, Camnath and Tiene had people to see and things to set in motion before it could proceed.

Lor'themar advised them to focus on each other. Recent events had aptly demonstrated that one should grab every precious moment when they have the chance.

With a fond farewell, the couple returned to the Crimson Blades headquarters the following day.

On arrival, Tiene immediately sought out Brett for an update on the state of play in Capital City.

"Things are not good," he told her, his voice weary. "The scourge attacks have caused a split between the factions and races in Lordaeron. Pretty much everywhere, really..." he told her.

Tiene looked around the complex. The guild was busy, packing things up. She looked back at her guild master, questioningly.

"I've decided to up-sticks, Tiene," he explained. "The Crimson Blades are going to find a new home."

"What? Where?"

"It is in hand; that is as much as I can say for now, but we have to clear the grounds as soon as possible."

"Have to? Why? What's going on?"

"A new order is infiltrating the city, and we cannot put the recruits in the path of this unforeseen threat."

"New order? Threat? Brett, no more riddles, no more bits and pieces, please! What is going on? Why didn't you keep me informed?"

Brett's lips broke into a tired smile. "You've had enough on your plate, lass and besides, I knew you'd be coming back when news reached me about Dar'khan's death."

Tiene was flummoxed. Her guild master had kept her out of the loop, but she understood why.

The old rogue placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "That lad of yours, he made sure I knew what was happening." His eyes drifted behind her, and she turned to see Camnath striding towards them.

As Camnath came to a halt beside them, Brett shook his hand warmly. "It is good to see you again, Camnath."

"And you, Brett. Thank you... for everything."

Tiene stood, a hundred questions competing for space in her mind. 

Brett shouted orders to some of his elite, and the business of 'moving house' continued at a conscientious pace. It was evident that the move needed to be carried out timeously.

"We will talk later," Brett said to both of them. "But right now, we could use your help readying the wagons. Alaen and his mages are going to open portals to a temporary location. All the recruits have been instrumental in getting things moving, but I've an itinerary of supplies and various other items we still need. See Thil'las and Emmek - they will tell what is required."

They did as Brett asked and found the elf and dwarf in the main hall. 

Emmek was talking with some of the young recruits while Thil'las was helping take down the tapestries - gifts awarded Sa'themar in days gone by. 

Their faces lit up when Tiene walked in. Following brief introductions between her colleagues and Camnath, Tiene then asked what help they required.

From weaponry and armour to kitchenware, tapestries and furnishings, they loaded all onto wagons. They were then teleported to the temporary location; it was then a case of pack, secure, portal, repeat.

Emmek assigned the eager young recruits to salvage books from the library as well, and some paintings, including the one with Tiene's parents and Sa'themar.

"I thought they were all advised to leave until further notice," Tiene commented to the dwarf as she watched the youngsters disappear toward the library.

"Aye, they wur, but some chose tae remain behind. No mony, mind - we're running at less than half capacity - and that's includin' all us staff."

"Where are we going?"

"Some auld farmstead tae the northwest o' here, lass. It's been adequately scouted, and fur now, it's safe. But, afore ye ask, no, I dinnae ken where oor final destination will be - a' ah ken is Brett has been negotiating with somebody. It's been a bit hectic as ah'm sure ye'll understand."

Tiene nodded. With another wagon loaded, she watched it roll out to a portal, then vanish as it entered the shimmering centre. 

She started gathering more weapons for the next load. She pressed Emmek for more information. "So, come on... tell me what's going on. What is the 'new order' Brett spoke of?"

"'Tis a filthy business, Tiene, and yin which you might find particularly disturbin'."

Tiene paused. "How so?"

Camnath, who'd been nearby, also stopped to listen.

The dwarf broke the news. "The Banshee Queen has claimed Lordaeron. They're stertin' to swarm under the Keep, carvin' deeper intae the dungeons, makin' an extensive undercity."

"Banshee Queen? You mean Sylvanas Windrunner?"

"Aye. Seems that evil son-of- bitch, Arthas, hus lost control o'er a contingent o' the scourge. He's fled tae Northrend again while Windrunner leads whit she now calls the Forsaken, wi' an agenda o' hur ain."

Tiene now understood why Lor'themar's voice was laden with distaste when he'd spoken Sylvanas's name. She also didn't forget Duthan had died trying to protect his Ranger General. But, despite her brother's efforts, once the mad Prince had killed and transformed Sylvanas into a banshee, she'd swept through Quel'thalas under his banner, aiding the scourge in their cull of the elven nation. Her people!

Now understanding the necessity of moving, Tiene and Camnath eagerly helped pack and direct the transport of supplies. They worked in silence, discouraged by the news that yet another one of their own had effectively turned against them.

*****

Finding space to store all the supplies at the temporary location was proving harder than anticipated as yet more wagons kept pouring through the portals.

"I hope we move to new headquarters soon, because we're running out of space here. Has a location been decided?" Tiene asked Brett.

"It's being finalised as we speak," he replied, heaving things off the back of the latest wagon to have arrived.

Tiene believed in Brett, and equally that he knew what he was doing, although she also suspected he was being overly secretive. And she couldn't fathom why.

She gathered up a pile of books and scrolls, carried them into the old barn, and looked for somewhere to store them. 

A collection of literature was already stacked further back, so she navigated her way between crates and boxes to reach them. She cursed as she knocked over a tower of books in her path; they landed in a dishevelled heap.

With a deep sigh, she carefully put her load down to start restacking the fallen textbooks. As she stooped to pick up the first few, she felt that she was being watched. Her eyes drifted to an item partially secreted behind more books. She hadn't been prepared for this find.

She stopped, breath catching in her throat, a knot of panic forming in her gut.

There, in its gilt frame, was the portrait of Sauren which had hung in the library. She remembered it amid the shelves of knowledge - watching over all who entered the library and the secreted Missions room.

The painting's eyes were hypnotic, and they followed her every move. 

She tried to focus on stacking the fallen books, but those eyes continued to bore into her. Were they filled with accusations? The glare of betrayal? 

All Sauren's anger and shock - she felt it intensely.

But much more than that, she felt his hurt. He'd believed in her, made her the ruthless assassin she was, expert in covert operations. He'd also been fiercely protective, generous, even kind to her. "I made you great, and you betrayed me, Tiene." She could hear him - his gravelly voice echoing in her mind. "I ...loved you."  

She folded, clasping her hands to her ears - trying to block out his voice. Why did she feel such contrition, after all Sauren had done to those she truly cared for and loved? 

"I made mistakes, yes. Wrong calls. But I believed in you..."

"Stop!" She wailed, trying to tear her eyes from his image.

"I wanted you to succeed. I wanted you as my partner in battle... and in life. You were my north star. And I ...yours."

"NO!" She scrunched her eyes shut.

Why on Azeroth had Brett even brought this along?

But like a moth to the flame, she was drawn back to those brown eyes. Was this to be her lot then? She wondered. To be held to ransom by a dead man?

Hope had come in her being reunited with the man she'd always loved. Camnath, in all his goodness and heartfelt sincerity. He was the man she wanted to be with, and he loved her; he didn't try to own her. 

Yet the late guild master haunted her still; from behind the eyes of a painting. Which should not have even been there!

The scrape of a boot alerted her to someone else's presence. 

She turned, glimpsing Brett's mahogany leather armour. He stood, stunned when he noticed the painting.

"Why is this here?" she growled. Her voice dark, conflicted and pained.

"I didn't know it was, Tiene, I swear. The young 'uns must have loaded it without thinking. I never thought to tell them to leave it behind; I assumed they would just... know. I'm sorry!"

Tiene stood abruptly and halted in front of him. 

Her jaw was tight, her face flushed, but her eyes evaded his. "It should have been burned along with his body!" she hissed. "Get rid of it!" 

She hastened past him out of the barn, almost crashing into Camnath as he came through the door with more armour.

"Tiene?" her beau called, surprised by the urgency in her escape.

She dodged him and headed for the woods.

Camnath looked at Brett questioningly, but the guild master only shrugged, perplexed, apologetic. 

Camnath dumped the armour he was carrying and ran after her.

Weaving her way in and out between the trees, Tiene ran over mossy mounds and leapt over timbers, shrubs and small streams. Twigs cracked underfoot, the rustling of ferns echoing through the thick canopy.

But she was tiring, slowing. The shock discovery in the barn weighed her down; it was consuming her. So many memories collided; unbidden emotions surged and burst forth. A frightening, confusing upheaval of feelings which she'd tried to repress was suddenly and brutally awakened. 

Tormenting her. 

Punishing her.

"Tiene!" Camnath called from somewhere behind her.

Music: Fix You by Coldplay

https://youtu.be/k4V3Mo61fJM

She stopped running. Slowly, she turned to the sound of his voice.  Her eyes were feral. And an inexplicable impulse made her run towards him.

He slowed as she neared, then stumbled back when she launched herself into his arms. 

Fiercely, she kissed him, pulling at his jerkin, yanking open the straps and buckles, undoing his britches.

He pulled back. "Tiene. Stop!"

She pressed forward, reaching for him. Once more, he backed away, holding his hands up, warding her off. "What's going on, Tiene?"

She hesitated. Her eyes darted - inward and outward. She was confused and lost.

Camnath stiffened. He'd seen that look once before; the night she'd dealt with Sauren Nightflame, just prior to - and after - she'd killed him. It was that deeply forlorn, haunted look which he couldn't interpret. 

Buttoning his jerkin and retying his britches, Camnath looked agitated, glancing at her from under his long dark lashes. "I am not him, Tiene. Nor will I ever be!" He fastened the last strap of his armour, ensuring it was firmly in place, before turning to head back to the farmstead.

"I know!" she cried out, choking. "And I thank Belore that you are not like him." She sank into the undergrowth, wretched and broken. "The butterflies," she whimpered. "They died that night. The glass fell to the floor and smashed. I – I couldn't save them."

A pained cry fell from her lips, like the woeful howl of a wounded animal. 

Camnath stopped. Dead. Immediately he ran back and hunkered down beside her. His face was riddled with guilt and shame. "Tiene," he whispered. "I'm sorry, my love. I - I shouldn't have..."

She blurted out her pain. "Every day, Camnath, and I mean every day, I thought of you. I would remember first the shy young boy with grass stains on his cheeks, with the look of wonder in his eyes after he used magic to stealth. But that memory always shattered, transformed into the older you at the Gathering. And that night, there was no more wonder in your eyes; only hurt and doubt. So much doubt, before you – before you..."

"Walked away," Camnath heaved, regret weighing heavily in his voice. He shifted closer, shuffling over the ferns and dried leaves. He waited patiently for her to continue.

Her eyes turned to him, tears still streaming. "It took a very long time for me to understand that if you'd stayed and challenged him, he would've killed you. And that would have taken away any hope that we could've somehow... " She looked away.  "But back then, all I felt was - abandoned."

Camnath hung his head, unable to speak. His shoulders slumped, past regrets surging to the surface.

"All Sauren knew was control, but more than that - from what he revealed over time - I realised he had a desperate need to prove himself worthy," Tiene continued. "Worthy of his father, worthy of his colleagues, his guild. Worthy even of me? Perhaps?" She lightly shook her head.

"He was also driven by insatiable lust. He was so strong that night; I couldn't fight him. I was addled with too much wine, and in shock, hurt and scared. To begin with. But from somewhere, I found an inner strength, a resolve." She paused as Camnath took her hand, gentle, comforting.

With a deep breath, she carried on. "Perhaps it wasn't the right choice, but I quickly discovered Sauren's weakness. Me. Oddly, he looked momentarily horrified by what he'd done that night -  dragging me to his rooms, touching me as he did... But I turned it around, and regrettably, it meant I had to surrender the gift I'd intended to give you that night. I set out to use what I had, what he craved, to turn it against him. I even visited a brothel..."

Camnath's eyes widened, but he remained quiet as Tiene continued; she needed to offload everything. To voice her confession. "There, I learned from the Madame how to expertly deceive him; how to play him at his own games. You see, if I gave him what he wanted, then he would trust me implicitly. At the same time, he genuinely believed in me. He trained me, worked with me, and made me a better fighter, an efficient killer. And I loved that part of it.  I also grew to... to..." Again, she faltered, her breath trembling.

Camnath pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, allowing her the time she needed.

Her words tumbled out in a rush. "I enjoyed the sex! Sauren became an addiction. I was fixated on having my revenge one day, but I relished the intimacy too, even though I never loved him - not the way I love you!"

She'd expected Camnath to pull away at that point, perhaps recoil altogether. But he didn't. He stayed fast. Quietly by her side, brushing her knuckles with his thumbs. 

She inhaled deeply before she delivered her agonising last self-assessment.  "I am not what you think I am, Camnath. I am not 'nice' anymore; if indeed I ever was. I'm just ruthless, driven by forces I don't understand but don't entirely reject. So, I ask you - what does that make me? Because I don't know anymore."

He rocked her gently, stroking her hair. He sat for a few moments, very carefully choosing his words. "A survivor, Tiene," he said, his voice gentle, compassionate. "It makes you a survivor. And for the record, you are and always have been kind. I wouldn't love you as I do if you were anything else."

She pulled back a fraction and looked at him, her eyes stinging from tears. She dried her cheeks with the heels of her hands. "But I became like him in many ways, Camnath. I enjoyed the fact that my fellow recruits saw me as a leader. I basked in some of the glory. I even showed off, which he checked me for, telling me to stop taking risks."

"Well, I can relate to that!" Camnath smirked.

She scoffed and sniffed loudly. He held her hand and waited for her to continue. No judgement, no expectancy. Just acceptance. Trust. Empathy. And love.

"Once I learned of his involvement with Kel'thuzad, Dar'khan and Arthas, it was too late. I discovered my dearest friends, slaughtered by his hand and turned into undead by necromancers schooled under Kel'Thuzad. That was what made me kill him that night. No more postponing the inevitable. It was time!" She caught her breath. "He'd been unforgivably and unnecessarily brutal, Camnath. Not just with what he did to us at the Gathering. That monstrous side of him reared its ugly head again and opened the way for Dar'Khan and Arthas to annihilate Quel'thalas and murder my family. And as such, I became monstrous too, just like him."

She took a few moments as she tried to banish those images from Capital City and her house. Eventually, a faint smile. "But then, I met you again. You had been my constant, a 'ghost' from my past, a beautiful memory. For the first time in years, I felt alive - truly alive." Her fleeting smile waned, and a distant look crossed her eyes. "But when I saw that portrait in the barn... I felt damaged. Unclean again..."

"Wait! Portrait? What portrait?"

"Sauren. There was a portrait in the library at headquarters. The recruits helped gather the books and paintings, and that was amongst them. Brett didn't know, though; he apologised."

Camnath nodded. "And this -  portrait has - what? Made you question yourself? Question us?"

Her eyes focused, and she looked at him closely. "Are you trying to tell me that a few moments ago, you did not question me, also? Were you not walking away? Going to leave me again, Camnath?"

His voice abandoned him. Only a grunt left his lips, and he lowered his head sharply. A moment passed. Then he took an enormous deep breath. "We both have our regrets, Tiene. My biggest one was leaving you that night, and I've lived with that guilt all these years - it has haunted me! And yes, you're right - just now I felt like the spineless, wounded, stupid little bastard I was back then. But I came back this time, didn't I? And I'm here to stay. With you. If you can forgive me enough to allow me the privilege."

Tension left her like a tidal wave. A huge weight had just lifted from her shoulders. Camnath noticed, and he, too, sighed with relief. 

He brushed her cheek gently, with the backs of his fingers. "I love you, Tiene, and I don't care what you had to do to get through those years. To survive. To me, that young girl in the meadow, teaching a love-struck boy how to stealth using magic, is still you. You will always be her... just with a better body now, I must admit..." He grinned mischievously.

She laughed. Free and light.

He pulled her close, laughing with her. "I'm sorry, my love. I warned you I wasn't very eloquent at these things. I guess I hoped that now, we would sail into the future, our pasts firmly behind us. But I know now that certain things have moulded us into who we are today, and I think we've turned out pretty fine. Just know this, my sweet, sweet lady -" He cupped her chin. "I have, and always will love you, my darling, Tiene Firefury."

He kissed her softly. Then the two of them relaxed in each other's arms amid the ferns and forest undergrowth, quietly watching the sunset filter through the trees. 

The perfect ending to their tormented pasts.