were entirely different animals. Instead of leonine torsos and hindquarters, these two had equine forms, even down to the thick tails.
'Hippogriffs,' declared the knowledgeable Krasus, his disturbed expression shifting to one of intense satisfaction. 'Swift and certain fliers. He could not have chosen better, your Cenarius.'
Tyrande did not look so thrilled. 'But there are two of them.'
The mage and Malfurion studied each other, both recognizing why Cenarius would send more than one mount.
'I'm to go with Krasus, it seems,' answered the druid.
Seizing him by the arm, Tyrande snapped, 'No, Malfurion! Not there!'
'I see the sense of the forest lord's decision,' Krasus interjected. 'The druid will be better able to guide the hippogriffs, and his link to Cenarius will give him good standing with the queen of the reds, Alexstrasza…She Who Is Life.'
The priestess's eyes pleaded with him, but Malfurion had to agree. 'He's right. I have to go with him. Forgive me, Tyrande.' On impulse, the druid hugged her. Tyrande hesitated, then returned the brief hug. Malfurion gazed down at her and added, 'I fear you might have to help Rhonin and Brox explain our absence. Will you do that for me?'
She finally surrendered to the inevitable. 'Of course I will. You should know me that well.'
The hippogriffs squawked, as if impatient to be on their way. Krasus obliged them by quickly mounting. Malfurion climbed aboard the second one, eyes still on Tyrande.
Seizing his wrist, she suddenly started whispering. It took a moment for the two riders to realize that Tyrande was giving Malfurion a blessing from Elune.
'Go safely,' she finished quietly. 'And return the same way…for me.'
The druid swallowed, unable to say anything. Krasus ended the awkwardness of the situation by gently prodding his hippogriff in the ribs with his heels. The beast squawked again, then turned in preparation for flight. Malfurion's mount instinctively followed suit.
'Farewell and thank you, Tyrande,' he called. 'I'll be back soon enough.'
'I will hold you to that, Mal.'
He smiled at her use of his childhood nickname, then had to cling on tight as the hippogriff charged into the air after its mate.
'The journey will be long,' shouted Krasus, 'but not nearly so long, thanks to the demigod's gift!'
Malfurion nodded, not entirely paying attention. His gaze remained on the shrinking figure below. He watched her watch him in turn, until finally he could no longer see her at all.
And even then he watched more, at that instant knowing in his heart that Tyrande did exactly the same.
Eleven
The demons did not regroup and attack, which the night elves took as a promising sign even if Rhonin and Brox felt otherwise. Ravencrest dared use another evening to let his troops rest more and although both outsiders agreed with the need for that, they also knew that the Burning Legion would be in no way idle during that period. Archimonde would be plotting, planning, each second his adversaries delayed.
The discovery of the disappearance of Krasus and Malfurion did not sit well with the night elves. Jarod looked as if he were heading to the gallows, and not without good reason. It had been his responsibility to see that nothing happened to the desperately-needed spellcasters, and now some of them had abandoned the host under his very nose.
'Lord Ravencrest will have my hide for this!' the former Guard officer uttered more than once as he and the others headed to the noble's tent. That Tyrande, who had just returned after seeing Malfurion and Krasus off, had insisted on coming to help explain matters did not comfort Jarod in the least. He was certain that he would receive the most terrible punishment for having let such valuable members of the host simply leave.
And, indeed, it initially appeared that the bearded elder might do as he said. Upon hearing the news, Lord Ravencrest let out a furious roar and struck aside the small table that he had been using for his various charts and notes.
'I gave no permission for such foolish activities!' yelled the master of Black Rook Hold. 'By perpetrating this outrage, they threaten the stability of our forces! If word should leak out that two of our spellcasters have abandoned us at this integral moment-'
'They didn't abandon anyone,' protested Rhonin. 'They went for help.'
'From the dragons? Those two might as well walk directly into the jaws of the first one they see, for all the aid we can expect from those creatures! The wizard's pet was good enough assistance under his guidance, but wild dragons…'
'The dragons are the oldest, most intelligent race of our world. They know more than we will ever learn.'
'And they're likely to eat most of us before we even get the chance to!' Ravencrest retorted. He glanced at Tyrande, and his tone grew a bit more respectful. 'And what part does a Sister of Elune have in all this?'
'We have met before, my lord.'
He peered closer. 'Aaah, yes! We have! Your female friend, Illidan!'
The sorcerer, who had been silently standing to the side, nodded. Illidan's expression revealed nothing.
Ravencrest crossed his arms. 'I had hopes that either of you might have some influence over young Malfurion at least. I know that no one can command Master Krasus, no one, indeed.'
'Malfurion meant to come back,' the priestess countered, 'but his patron gave indication that he should travel with the wizard.'
'Patron? You refer to that nonsense about the demigod, Cenarius?'
Tyrande pursed her lips. 'Illidan can attest to the existence of the forest lord.'
His mask crumbling, Malfurion's twin muttered, ' 'Tis true. Cenarius is real. I've seen him.'
'Hmmph! Dragons and now demigods! All this might and magic abounding around us, yet we are losing strength, not gaining! I suppose this Cenarius also has reasons for not siding with us!'
'He and his kind battle the demons in their own manner,' she answered.
'And speaking of the demons, did not either of these fools consider that they're constantly at risk from assassins? What if they were attacked before they ever-' Ravencrest paused as he noted the shifting gazes of the party. 'Were they attacked?'
The priestess bowed her head. 'Yes, my lord. I and my sisters were there. We aided them in defeating the demons. Both left uninjured.'
Next to her, Jarod grimaced and Illidan shook his head in exasperation. Ravencrest exhaled, then fell back onto the short bench he had been utilizing for a chair. Grasping an open flask of wine, he downed a good portion and rasped, 'Tell me about that.'
Tyrande did, briefly recapping her discovery of assassins nearby, then her horror when she found out that Malfurion and Krasus had already ridden off to the woods. She and her sisters had raced like the proverbial wind after the pair, and had come upon them in the midst of a titanic struggle. The priestesses had charged in fully aware that they risked their own lives and a few had perished, but all had felt that Krasus and the druid were essential to the overall victory. No sacrifice was too great to keep them alive.
At this point, a slight snort escaped Illidan, but Ravencrest appeared most interested. He listened carefully to the details of the battle, and when Tyrande spoke of the demon with the whip, his eyes lit up.
'One of their commanders, surely, the leader of their assassins,' he noted.
'It seemed so. He was powerful, but Malfurion summoned the lightning from the heavens and slew him.'
'Well struck!' The noble seemed caught between admiration and frustration. 'And exactly the reason why at least the druid should've returned to us! We need his power!'
'The Moon Guard and I will make up for his unpermitted absence,' Illidan insisted.
