The Burning of Teldrassil (open)

[Leatei]

Daspiren’s back was stock-straight as he paced the training grounds, overseeing one of the new groups of recruits as they lunged at wooden dummies. His mind wandered more than his feet, and a smile came to his lips at the thought of the previous day’s goodbyes. He had spent the last few weeks in Silithus, guarding a group of researchers alongside half a dozen other Sentinels. It felt selfish, but a wave of relief washed over him when word came down that they were being cycled back to Darnassus until the time came for them to relieve another unit. He had managed to stop in Ashenvale on the way. It was only a few hours, but he was able to spend it with Anna and all four children. He broke out into a grin at that thought. Four! Truly, Elune had smiled on him and his family.

He was broken out of his reverie by the sounds of clattering armor and hushed voices approaching. A quick jog and he met them under the stone arch that formed part of the boundary of the training field.

“–id made it to Lor’danel, with an arrow still stuck in his wing. They brought the message on a hippogryph, it’s gone. They’re all gone. The outposts all fell, and he said he didn’t think the other scouts made it out, either. He saw the guards in Ashenvale dying when he looked back!” From her robes, she was an acolyte at the Temple. Her vibrant purple hair was kept in a thick braid, pinned tightly to her head. Her cheeks were flushed and she seemed out of breath - she must have run here from the Temple.

The woman she spoke with was taller, her blue-green hair tucked securely under her hood. She was fully armored, as the captain always was while on duty. It was her task to coordinate the Sentinel units, to make sure every post was adequately covered and relieved.

“How many are we sending? Did Starsong get a request out? We can get the hippogryph units there fastest, but it’ll take a while for the glaive thr–”

“What about survivors?” Das interrupted as soon as he reached the pair.

The young priestess paled when she saw his face; she must know Anna from the temple. She shook her head without meeting his eyes. “N-no word. Only the warning.”

His heart sank. He started mapping out Ashenvale in his mind - the road through Astranaar, the copse of trees that partially hid the house. Would it be enough, or would it be mistaken for one of the smaller outposts? “Sergeant. We’re sending our best teams to hold the line. If anyone spots anything, you’ll be the first to know.” The captain’s gruff voice pierced his thoughts, and he immediately composed himself, snapping to attention.

“Yes, ma’am.” He started reciting silent prayers, putting his faith in Elune and Anna that they would make it out of the forest alive. He snapped off a salute and headed back into the training grounds to relay the orders. If Ashenvale was lost, they had to stop the push before they lost Darkshore, too.