Cradled By The Cold

1

"Lament are you paying attention?" My tutor yelled at me as I lay in our families palace on my stomach reading a book about the holy power of light, one hand was supporting my head the other resting on the oily page of an old book. I had been gazing out of the window dreaming about joining the men and fighting the scourge but no I had to learn how to be a paladin like my father, I had to stand behind the city walls of Lordaeron and fight from there. I had no choice in these dreary lessons, as my parents insisted I take these long drawn out boring lessons so I could protect myself but all i wanted was a mount and sword.

I looked up at my tutor and he was staring down at me waiting for an answer, I just rolled my eyes and my gaze fell back down to my book but my thoughts were soon interrupted as I heard horses galloping into the courtyard. I leapt up ignoring my tutor and saw my father returning but he was not in a good state, he was pale and bent over on the horse and he had two guards help him off and bring him inside the palace. I grabbed my cloak from the antler horned hook and ran out of the room, bolting down the stairs almost tripping down the steps I was almost out of breath due to the speed I was moving.

I ran straight to my parents chambers where my father was being tended and my mother was at his side crying slightly. "Lament Menethil ....why aren't you... at your lessons?" My father stuttered but he was smirking as he knew I was easily distracted and headstrong. Jaina offered me a kind smile but she knew I didn't really like her, she was my fathers new court mate and I was scared she would attempt to break the tight bond between me and my father. I padded forward my hands resting on my belt the guards bowing to me. I looked at my father he was hiding the pain well but he couldn't hide anything from me.

"Here" I said pushing the physician out of the way and using my learnings of holy light I rested my hands on the deep, bleeding wound, my father hissing slightly and moving in discomfort. I concentrated my energy and healed the wound but early collapsing till I fell into the chair next to my fathers bed.

"You're still not strong enough!" Jaina exclaimed. "Honestly Arthas how did you raise such an impatient child?" She joked.

"She takes after me" he smiled looking back at me. Jaina just smiled as she had remarked many times how a like we looked. I had my fathers green eyes and long golden hair, his drive to fight and his headstrong traits but I had my mothers stubbornness and her face shape.

"Lament how about you leave us and I'll join you later" he told me, he kissed my forehead and then whispered "I love you always remember that, my only beautiful child" I smiled and left. I walked the halls and I saw my tutor waiting outside the palace doors tapping his foot impatiently.

"Lament let's continue" he said pushing me out of the door slightly.

"Ar do we have to?" I whined.

"Yes" he said and marched me back to the library. The whole way I had my arms crossed and my head hung low.

"I hate this!" I mumbled kicking the dirt with my black boots.

"I know but just think a young girl like you can fight proudly for her father in his city" he reminded me.

I stopped by my fathers statue and began to rant at my tutor. "I don't want to fight behind these thick boring walls, I want to be out there in the wide open spaces of Azeroth fighting like an equal with the men, not some typical woman!" I was soon interrupted.

"Enough!" He hissed.

"No, it's true! I'm sick of being told what I'm supposed to do and who I'm supposed to be! I want nothing more than to be a warrior not a boring paladin" I finished ripping the pendant of the paladin off my neck knowing I gave a great insult to my tutor, I then stormed out of Lordaeron and began to wander the woods alone. I knew it wasn't safe but I could defend myself as I had slipped a stolen sword from the armoury into my belt. I knew these woods well, every rock and every tree I was bought up here, my father told me about the tales of the war that raged and how the alliance was crashing down. He told me how him and Varian fought bravely together and how when they were both boys they would play in these very woods, Jaina would scold my father as he told me these stories as she though they would influence me, oh just how right she was.

I came to a river and i stopped, I knelt in the damp mud and stared at my reflection. I saw more of my father in me than my mother. Drinking in the river opposite me was a hound but not just any hound it looked like a hell hound and me being the inquisitive being I am, I crossed the river and the hell hound looked up at me. "Hello beautiful" I cooed and attempted to pet the beast but it bit into my arm deeply, I leapt back and fell into the river the beast advanced and I kept crawling back, even though my arm was being cradled and bleeding profusely. I made it to the other side, I heard a clang but not registering my blade had dropped from my belt I was too scared right now. I stood up and ran but I was beginning to feel light headed, I suddenly forgot where I was and couldn't find my way home. I came to a cave and I ran to the back, the hell hound yelped and backed away.

I leant agains the rock finding myself fighting to stay awake. I suddenly saw a dark shape entering the cave, they were moving slowly. It didn't register it was a guard from home. "It's her!" He yelled loudly, then two more figures joined him as they entered into the light of the torch i see my father enter into view first then Jaina.

"Ohl Lament!" He exclaimed taking my arm gently and examining the damage, I screeched slightly as it hurt unbearably. "Okay, I know, I know" he said smiling at me in a comforting way but I could see his concern cracking the facade.

"You can't hide...anything...from...me" I laughed, I soon noticed my fathers smile drop as he looked at my arm in more detail.

He whispered something to Jaina thinking I couldn't hear him. "It's hit her artery which explains the blood but also the hound has poisoned her" Jaina looked from him to me, she crouched next to my father and took my head in her hands.

"Lament listen we need you to stay awake, okay can you handle that?" She asked. I nodded but found my head falling from her grip. My father slipped his arms under my weak body and carried me home, the whole time fighting my consciousness but found myself slipping in and out of it. "Lament!" He would yell every now and then and shake me gently, we got back to the palace and the physicians tried their best. My father never left my side he stayed with me day and night as they worked he would tell me about his adventures with Varian and how he met Jaina, I knew he was trying to keep me awake and alert but it was hard, everyday I was getting worse they told my father the poison was slowly killing me of course this broke him I was his only daughter.

That unfortunate day it was raining, I saw one final flash of lightning forgetting my fear of a thunderstorm, my father ran in as he was told to leave me so he could rest but the thunderstorm must've interrupted him as he came rushing to me, he knew I didn't like thunderstorms and he wanted to comfort me through it like the old days but before he reached the bed, I passed out! I didn't even hear him call my name that one final time or hear his laugh or even see that smile, the smile that makes him brave as he hides his hurt behind it. He thinks I can't tell that he has been crying but his eyes are red and his cheeks are stained. We are closer than he realises and we have a tight bond that is unbreakable, not even Jaina Proudmore could break it but she is all he has with out me.