For The Alliance

2

I pulled my armour off leaving it to lay in the middle of the floor, I walked to the window and placed my hand on the glass I was in nothing more than my undergarments which consisted of leggings and a long shirt. Anduins mother came into see me. "Josephine?" She asked. I turned my head still facing down. "Come here." She said opening her arms for me, I slowly walked forward and she hugged me. "Come we must wash this blood from you!" She exclaimed gently dragging me by my hand and leading me to a copper bath, my mind blank and my stare vacant.
"Varian warned me." She said filling the bath up with hot water that had been boiling on the fire. She looked at me waiting an answer but I couldn't will it, my tongue felt like a lead weight. Once the bath was high enough, she disrobed me and I carefully got in it without saying a word. "I know your first battle is hard and I understand why you are like this, but with sleep it will pass." She said gently rinsing the water through my fiery hair. She then gently took one hand and ran the sponge over it removing all traces of blood she could. "You know Anduin worries for you, he misses the bubbly girl you once were." She told me.
"She died in that battle." I replied still not looking his mother in the eyes.
"That can't be true." She answered walking away and grabbing a large piece of cloth and handing it to me, I stood up wrapping the towel around my body.
"I'll leave you to get changed, but you are welcome to join us in the library and you don't have to wear your armour!" She exclaimed.
"It's comfortable," I said looking at her.
"Well it's up to you." She signed and  walked out of the door, I stood in front of the mirror not liking what I saw. My once pure body now scarred and bruised. The sights I have seen will haunt me forever. I pulled on my black undergarments and my armour over the top, wincing a little as I reached for the shoulder strap on my right. Once I had my armour on I slipped the tabard over the top and braided my long hair throwing it over my shoulder. I slipped my lion headed sword into its scabbard and wandered towards the library.  I could hear whispering and I heard my name mentioned, but as soon as I pushed the doors open everyone fell silent.
"Jo?" Anduin asked.
"Child there is no need for your armour." Varian spoke up.
"I feel comfortable." I answered, my stare ever vacant till Anduin walked into view. He rested a hand on my cheek.
"Please wake up and come back to me." He whispered. My eyes shifted to his, tears dribbling from their ducts. He gently took me by the arm to the fire and we sat by it, the chairs oak and had lions carved into them, Anduin sat with my gloved hand in his. "What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" He asked resting his other hand on my cheek gently.
"So much blood! Anduin, I had to climb over the bodies of my comrades to reach their captain, he was a mighty brute, his skin a deep green, his tusks bigger than my blade. Your father and I fought together." I told him, I paused noticing everyone was gathering around us. My gaze fell back to the fire place, my mind blank and the stare returned to my eyes.
"Jo you worry me." He said gently turning my head to his and resting his head against mine. "Just don't lose yourself in the darkness, is all I ask of you." He said kissing my head and then walking away with his father, leaving me with Genn and his mother.
Genn rested a hand on mine. "Now you're not going to like this but listen to me." He began, I rose my head to meet his eyes. "I am taking you to Darnassus tomorrow, I have an elven friend who knows druids and they are going to help you through this." He said to me.
I immediately pulled my hands away. "I don't want to go anywhere, I just want to do my job and stay here." I said standing up rather fast and storming out of the library and making my way out of Stormwind Keep, both Varian and Genn calling after me but I kept walking.  I walked through Lions Rest, many people complimenting and congratulating me with the war that I helped fight in. I ignored them continuously looking at the floor. Made my way through Trade District and out on the bridge to the Valley Of Heroes. I paused by the leg of an Elven Statue.
I rested my shaking hands down onto the marble, I took a deep breath in. One of the guards patrolling the bridge walked over to me. "Captain are you okay?" He asked softly.
"I'm fine." I replied walking further down the bridge. I kept walking till I reached the gates, I began to set foot in Elwynn Forest not the safest of places during the night with bandits sneaking around, especially the brother hood. None the less I continued to walk. My hand on the hilt of my blade at all times, they wouldn't dare attack a guard. I finally reached Goldshire, I plodded into the tavern no one paying attention to a Stormwind guard it was normal.
I walked to the bar and sat down. A bar man walked over. "What brings a Stormwind guard down this far may I ask?" He inquired wiping down the bar.
"Someone who needs to think." I replied resting my head in my hands.
"I'll fetch my strongest!" He exclaimed and ran down to the basement. I looked around at the beings in the tavern. They were all making merry, they probably don't even realise a war happened. And the fact there may be another. "Here." He said and slammed a flagon of Dwarvish Mead down in front of me. I was about to slide a few coppers over but he rejected it. "It's on the house, you protect us after all. But I do have a question?" He said. I nodded. "Was the war as brutal as they say?" He asked. I took a deep breath in, took a sip of my mead and then put it back down again.
"Yes, yes it was." I replied, looking away and at the burning fire in the bear fireplace. I got up and walked over to it, I dragged a chair over and sat in front of it staring into the flames, every piece of the war playing out clearly in mind, I remember the contorted faces of the dying, or the limbs laying around on the ground. The evil orc who bruised my body throwing me around like a rag doll on the first day of battle, I was glad I didn't break anything. The screams of the terrified and the screams of the injured send a shiver down my spine, if you listen carefully you will hear my chain mail rattle gently against my skin.
I watched my comrade be torn apart by an orc using its hands, and yet we left their corpses laying on the battlefield as if they were nothing! That left a bitter taste in my mouth, they deserve as much as a burial as I did! My thoughts were soon interrupted by a cloaked figure, I turn and I recognise the beading on the edge of the hood. I rolled my eyes as the figure looked over to me. He took me gently by the warm and pulled me outside where I was met by Genn and my charger. I turned to Anduin who dropped his hood.
"You're foolish to go running off like that, especially the state you're in!" He exclaimed.
"He's right, you could've been hurt." Genn spoke up.
I looked at them both. " I want to bury the dead!" I sputtered out.
"It's too dangerous to return!" Genn exclaimed.
"It would help with my condition." I said.
"I'm sorry but Genn is right, you could die if you went back. The orcs own that battlefield now." He said.
I strutted over to my charger and kicking it in the ribs, he reared up causing Genn and Anduin to jump back, once on all fours he galloped off, the wind fierce in my hair. "Fine I'll do it myself!" I exclaimed.