"Copper for your thoughts?"

Maiev grunts as Naisha nudges her in the side. Her mate has her head tilted in that way that Maiev just knows means the other Warden is grinning under her helmet. In response, Maiev scowls a bit… but truth be told, she can hardly bring herself to be upset with Naisha. Upset with their situation? Sure. But upset with Naisha? No…

Even still…

"I was just thinking that I wished you'd stayed back at base camp."

Feigning a hurt gasp, Naisha places a hand on her chest as though Maiev has just dealt her a grievous blow. Maiev snorts derisively at her mate's little comedy routine.

"What? And here I thought you enjoyed my company. Well, Warden Shadowsong, if that's how you really feel…"

Rolling her eyes, Maiev just sighs as she looks around, her gaze darting back and forth, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

"You know that wasn't what I meant, Naisha. You have every right to be here. You've earned your title, same as me."

Her fellow Warden bumps hips with her as they keep walking along, off to the side of the expedition that's currently making its way Northward.

"And don't you forget it, Maiev. I'm not some simpering Priestess in need of your support. I can damn well take care of myself."

Naisha's tone is still jovial, but there is a bit of bite to it as well, making it clear she means what she says. Maiev agrees with her, truth be told. But it didn't change the facts. If it were wholly Maiev's choice and she could make the call without completely alienating her mate, she would have left Naisha behind back on Kalimdor. After that brush with Detheroc, she would have preferred it if her mate was somewhere safe from harm for… just a little while. Say a few decades maybe.

But no. Naisha had always been particularly free spirited… and even sneakier than Maiev besides. If she HAD tried to pull rank and forbid the other Night Elf woman from coming on this trip, she suspected Naisha would have ended up in Northrend anyways. Just like she knew if she'd tried to push the issue and keep Naisha confined to the base camp with the rest of the Expeditionary Force, the other Warden likely would have snuck along all the same.

Even before they'd fallen into bed together, even before she'd called Naisha her mate, the other Night Elf had been intensely loyal to Maiev and their cause. She wouldn't let anything stop her from supporting Maiev in whatever way possible… not even Maiev Shadowsong herself.

"Besides, do you really think the base camp is any safer than we are? If Northrend is truly as infested with undead as everyone says it is, then they will be in just as much danger as we will be."

That, however, Maiev cannot let stand. Shaking her head, she scoffs.

"Don't be disingenuous, Naisha. There is a big difference between holding the beach within easy line of sight with the fleet, and journeying to the heart of this frozen, misbegotten place to deal with the master behind the undead threat once and for all. Defeating this Lich King will not be easy. Do not forget that his Champion was the one who slew The Betrayer."

Naisha hums at that.

"… Maiev, you know I love you, but we're going to have to sit down at some point and have a talk, especially now that Illidan Stormrage is dead. The man wasn't 'the greatest threat' to Azeroth that you thought of him as. Not by a long shot. We've fought, imprisoned, and even killed way worse than him in the last ten thousand years."

Bristling at Naisha's exasperated tone, Maiev opens her mouth to respond, but no doubt sensing that she'd riled her up, Naisha immediately changes the subject.

"Besides… if this Lich King is so dangerous, where are his armies? One paltry force of undead attack us on the beach… and then nothing? We've been traveling through the snow for three days now and the undead haven't shown their faces even once since that first assault. Perhaps that orc chieftain, Rognak, is right. Perhaps the Lich King really is dying and this might not be quite so hard as it first seemed."

Maiev grunts and shakes her head.

"I don't trust it. I-!"

Just as she's about to explain that she really doesn't see this being one of their easier missions, Maiev notices something. Movement in the snow. It's barely there… oh so subtle… but she sees it. And more than that, she feels it. A rumble… from below. Without missing a beat, the Night Elf Warden draws her Umbra Crescent, even as Naisha swiftly does the same beside her, no questions asked.

"BENEATH US! AMBUSH!"

Maiev's words fly through the air, reaching the ears of the rest of the expedition. Everyone immediately starts going for their weapons or gathering their magic… but by that point, the enemy has struck. Snow flies everywhere as they come out of the very ground itself.

She's expecting more zombies and ghouls truth be told. She's NOT expecting massive arachnid monstrosities reminiscent of the horrific tales that came out of the War of the Shifting Sands. Maiev's eyes widen as a particularly massive beetle-like creature with hulking mandibles comes right out of the ground just in front of her.

Before it can close those mandibles down on her body however, Naisha's hand grabs her by the scruff of her cloak and yanks her out of the line of attack, saving her from a particularly messy end. The two Wardens fly into battle from there, each of them striking at the giant monstrosity right in front of them, cutting along its carapace with their weapons.

They don't dig as deep as Maiev would have hoped, however. Nor do they do as much damage as she'd expect. It's only then that she realizes what these creatures are.

"Nerubians! They're undead, all of them!"

Yes. These are Scourge. Though, the cry from Rognak regarding these creatures is something Maiev immediately files away in the back of her mind. Nerubians, he'd called them. Was this more of his prophesizing? Or had he been told about these creatures by the Native Wild God he said had spoken to him back on the beach?

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Either way, it rapidly became apparent that the reason they hadn't encountered any more Scourge in the past three days was not because they were so weak that they couldn't fight back. No, it was because the Scourge had been preparing an ambush. They were smarter than Maiev had given them credit for. Three days away from the base camp was exactly the perfect time to strike, having lulled many of the expedition into a false sense of security.

Not Maiev though. And despite her somewhat cavalier attitude from before… Naisha is always ready for a fight. Together, they take down their current opponent on a second pass, before moving onto the next. And as Maiev quickly discovers… there is always a next.

The Nerubians are… ceaseless. Once they spring their ambush, they don't stop coming. The ground itself has become the expedition's enemy, with undead arachnids prone to jump from every snowdrift, to come exploding out of every inch of dirt. And on top of that, there are flying bugs as well. Buzzing through the air, they come from over a nearby ridge and descend down upon the expedition.

Maiev's eyes widen as she takes in the state of the battle. Her and Naisha are already having to carefully back up to where the rest of the Watchers they've brought with them are reinforcing the Sentinels, who are in turn defending the Priestesses of Elune. Among their number, Tyrande Whisperwind fires radiant arrow after radiant arrow into the carapaces of these bugs, shattering them one after the other and killing every single target she sets her sights on.

The High Priestess is a beacon of Elune's Light for the Night Elves to rally around… but for all that she doesn't leave a single Nerubian intact once she focuses her ire in their direction, she's not making much of a dent. Still, her connection to the Moon Goddess is their best bet of handling these undead. She must be protected.

At the same time, there are the druids, both elven and orcish. The elves are split into the three usual disciplines when it comes to druidism. There are those who stand with the Priestesses of Elune, using their Nature Magic to heal.

Then there are those close by who are using their Nature Magic to hurt, creating adverse weather conditions and turning the very trees themselves against the Nerubian Onslaught. Lord Cenarius himself is among that second group, the Forest Demigod's eyes glowing with green light as he wields Nature like no one else can. Yet even he is being pressed at this point by the endless tide of arachnid bodies. And finally, there are those who take on animal forms, fighting the arachnid monsters claw to mandible.

Alongside the latter group are the vast majority of the orc druids from the Warsong Clan. Those that aren't transformed into some sort of animal are wielding axes alongside Nature Magic in a way that's reminiscent of their Chieftain, cutting through carapace after carapace while entangling the arachnids all around them in grasping vines.

As for Rognak himself… Maiev can't help but be a little amazed yet again when she finally lays eyes on him. The orc druid has transformed into a massive wooly rhino, easily as large as the snow leopard form he said was a boon from the native Wild God. Was this also part of that boon? Or was this another Wild God entirely?

… Just how many beings did Rognak truly have in his corner? What made him so special? It was a point of curiosity for Maiev, but one she would have to put off until later.

For now, Rognak's woolly rhino form was certainly helping to keep the battle from becoming a slaughter. He was rampaging left and right, the massive horn on his head tearing through some of the larger Nerubians that were currently assailing them from all sides. But that was just it… they were coming from all directions. North, South, East and West. Above and below.

They were surrounded with no route to escape that Maiev could see. It had her grinding her teeth, even as she and Naisha fought back to back, the two Wardens also serving as direction for the contingent of Watchers they'd brought with them. And frankly, the cohesion and team work on display within the expedition force was amazing.

All around them, Nerubian bodies were piling up. In fact, it was getting so bad that some of the undead arachnid creatures were being delegated to pulling away their defeated comrades so that natural walls weren't formed out of the mounds being created by their deaths. However, that did not mean the expedition was without casualties of its own.

In particular, the elven and orc druids who were fighting on the frontlines were beginning to take losses. Their blood stained the snow, and Maiev could see more and more of them face down on the ground. Those that could be healed were and quickly got back up and into the fight, but more and more… she was watching Nature Magic and Elune's Light wash over bodies that did not so much as twitch… because they were already gone.

Was this truly how it ended? In one ceaseless, unending tide of bugs? Maiev found herself gnashing her teeth and railing against the indignity of it all. Surely not, right? They would not fall here. They could not fall here. And yet… everywhere she looked, the battle seemed to be slowly but surely inching towards an inevitable conclusion.

Things are desperate, and she's not sure what they can do to turn the tide. But just as that thought is crossing her mind, a sudden shadow, much larger than the Nerubian fliers have proven to be so far, coasts overhead. Maiev's head snaps back, her eyes narrowing as she sees a strange sight. Dragonhawks, creatures native only to one part of the world as far as Maiev is aware, are flying above them.

Most importantly however, they are not undead, nor are they Nerubian.

Meanwhile, out of the woods to the East come battle cries. Hitting the Nerubians from behind, are new entities that have Maiev's eyes narrowing even further.

"For Silvermoon!"

"For Quel'Thalas!"

"Remember the Sunwell!"

Charging forth from the woods in shining golden armor are… High Elves. Maiev, more than most of her insular and isolated kin, has traveled far from Kalimdor in pursuit of her work. Indeed, the Watchers themselves had holdings all over the shattered world left behind by the Sundering. So yes, she knew of the High Elves of Quel'Thalas, with their paler skin and smaller stature.

But she'd never seen them outside of Quel'Thalas before. At least, not in such great numbers. The dragonhawks overhead make a bit more sense now, seeing as the High Elves love to use them as mounts. Even still, their presence is a point of confusion… but it's not one Maiev is going to worry about, at least for the time being.

The High Elf army ambush the ambushers, attacking the Nerubians and providing much needed relief to the beleaguered expedition force. Just when it looked like things were getting dire, these reinforcements from… Quel'Thalas of all places arrive and turn the tide. Though, the mention of a 'Sunwell' was particularly troubling to Maiev. She was aware of the High Elves' Sunwell. It was what sustained them, in fact. Maiev had investigated it, worried that it was another Well of Eternity… but as far as she could tell, the Sunwell was much purer. A force of Light and Strength. For them to shout battle cries in memory of it however was downright chilling.

Still, she could not deny their efficacy. They fought with a fervor that reminded her of herself in a way. Like they had a cause that they believed in with all their hearts. And they attacked the undead Nerubians with a zealotry and violence that made her wonder just how personal all of this was for them. What had happened to the High Elves, to leave them without the Sunwell and such a massive force of them here in Northrend?

In the face of these new forces, the Nerubians are ultimately forced into retreat. Their ambush was carefully planned it would seem, and whatever greater intelligence was behind this coordinated assault had clearly not accounted for these newest arrivals. The battle comes to a close as the undead arachnids are forced back underground by the strength of arms and coordination of the living.

Once they're gone, Maiev watches as one of the dragonhawks descends from on high, allowing a particularly ostentatious-looking High Elf to dismount. He doesn't approach her, of course. No, instead he seems to zero in on the High Priestess immediately, his gaze locking onto Tyrande Whisperwind even as Elune's Chosen casts one final healing spell, closing the wounds of those immediately around her.

Then and only then does Tyrande look at the newcomer and tilt her head to the side, studying him curiously. In response, he smiles at her and bows at the waist.

"Greetings! I am Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, of Quel'Thalas. It is a pleasure to meet long-lost kin in these distant, frostbitten lands!"

Maiev watches this exchange with Naisha at her side and snorts under her breath. She had so many questions that she would be seeking the answers to as soon as the danger was past. But for now, one thing was certain. This was bound to be interesting if nothing else.