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| Details |
| Author: | Disknight |
| Summary: | Velrin goes to Commander Oceansong in distress to inform her of a big decision. Fyrdriel tries to talk her out of it and come clean about how much she cares. It does not end well. |
| Rating: | M for Mature 17+ |
Fyrdriel Oceansong sat at her desk. Her head shot over to the side after hearing some ruffling on her tent, but she quickly relaxed when she heard the grumbling voice of a dwarf from the same direction. Just another soldier who was too tired to pay attention to where they were going. She sighed and looked back down at the tactical reports she received from her captains this week. It was a bit of an adjustment going from Dragonblight to Zul’Drak. On one hand the forest to the west added some charm and it wasn’t quite so cold all the time, but the lack of proper fortifications or defensive positions left something to be desired. In the end, though, it was just another battlefield. She had seen plenty of them over the millennia and this was far from the worst. As long as their will and their supply lines held out, they’d manage to win in the end. It was only a matter of patience and vigilance.
She set one report down and moved to the next. She looked over across her desk, reaching for it when she noticed Velrin standing near the entrance of the tent. Fyrdriel smiled. That girl really was as quiet as they came, wasn’t she, Fyrdriel thought. “Good afternoon, Captain Silverbloom. Did you need something?” Her eyes softened with concern when she noticed how Velrin’s ears were drooping and she stood with slouched posture looking down at the ground. What happened to the poor thing this time, she thought.
“I-I do…” Velrin stuttered. She shuffled forward a few inches and even risked a couple glances up at her commander.
Fyrdriel set down her report and placed her hands warmly in front of her, giving Velrin her full attention, “Very well. There’s no need to look so sullen. What seems to be the matter?”
“I… I think… I…” Velrin stumbled about searching for the words. It took her a moment but she finally mustered up the courage to stand up straight and speak her mind, “I believe that I am not fit to lead my company, and so… I am resigning my command… effective immediately…”
Fyrdriel was stunned. She scanned Velrin for any indication of what may have caused this sudden development, but was coming up short, “I… Before we go through with this, may I ask what has prompted you to come to this decision?”
“I-in my most recent engagement.” Velrin carried on, “I was made a fool of. The others balked at my orders and I was forced to retreat.” She sniffled and shifted her feet.
Fyrdriel furrowed her brow and tilted her head, “Is this so? I read your report earlier this morning and I remember nothing of the sort.” She offered Velrin a smile, “In fact, the mission was a tremendous success. The relief you bought the Argent Crusade that day saved dozens of lives. You should be proud, Velrin.”
“But we could have done more!” Velrin shouted, “We should have!”
Fyrdriel took a breath to calm herself. Like Anareline said, she couldn’t make this choice for Velrin, but she could at least try and help show her that it was a mistake, “Perhaps you could have, but that would also have risked the lives of you and your company. You performed admirably the other day. Please don’t beat yourself up over not being able to solve everything. We are all here to help one another.”
“But we aren’t, are we?” Velrin remarked pointedly, “Captain Morrowsong is constantly putting me down and disputing my decisions at every turn, and I am sick of it!”
Fyrdriel clenched her jaw. She knew that Darinir had been making a nuisance of himself to Velrin, feeling spurned about being placed as a second rather than a first of his own company. If it was truly becoming such an issue for Velrin, she would have to have a word with him later. “The highborne have always looked down on us. Please don’t let their haughty attitudes get the better of you. We were not the ones who invited the Legion into our world.“
“It’s not just him.” Velrin pleaded, “All of the support agreed with him too! Even Kalindra looked hesitant to follow me!”
Fyrdriel closed her eyes and tried to keep calm, “But you handled the situation gracefully. Like I said before, you did very well. As well as any of us could have hoped. And in the end they followed your orders, no? That is what I read in your report.”
“I only ordered a retreat because I didn’t wish to be made a fool of any longer!” Velrin snapped, stamping her foot, “I told you before. We should have done more! We had enough time to harass those abominations!”
Fyrdriel froze. So that’s what Velrin meant before. This wasn’t just her feeling inadequate, she was upset because her aggressive tactics were not as popular as she hoped. “Perhaps so, but it would have been at a great risk. If any more Scourge reinforcements had come to support them, you would have been overrun in an instant.”
Velrin’s eyes started to water and she pursed her lips in frustration, “So you agree with them too.” It was more a statement than a question, “What a joke. Even my own superior won’t defend me.”
Fyrdriel bit her tongue. A poor choice of words on her part, she thought. It would take some work to get Velrin to listen to her again, “Velrin, I understand your reasoning and I admire your drive. It’s the reason I chose you over Riluvia in filling Kanuriel’s place in this command. However, after the Wrathgate incident, we can ill afford any more risky maneuvers.”
“What risk?” Velrin retorted, “Taeavon is an incredible scout. If reinforcements had arrived, I would have known it well before it became an issue. I could have called a retreat then!” Velrin started to stamp forward closer to Fyrdriel’s desk. She was growing more confident as she riled herself up.
“Assuming ideal conditions, yes, but in the heat of battle things happen. If he had gone missing during the battle and you never got your signal, there would have been no escape.” Fyrdriel struggled to keep herself calm and maintain a gentle tone. Velrin may have been sweet and amicable most of the time, but her temper was even worse than Tenniria’s. She’d get nowhere with her if she got any more upset.
Velrin began to growl softly in the back of her throat, “Now who’s the one assuming things. He has his dragonhawk companion too. If anything became of Taeavon, then Thoridas would have alerted me!” Velrin raised her voice, “Why won’t anyone listen to me! How can I possibly keep on as a captain like this?”
“Velrin…” Fyrdriel winced. Wrong answer again. Velrin was convinced, and she had a point. She thought everything through, but it was just… too close to the chest. If even one part of that plan had gone awry, then it would have ended in disaster. The Alliance couldn’t afford another disaster right now. Azeroth couldn’t. And Fyrdriel certainly knew that she couldn’t bear to lose Velrin. If she could just make her see that… Make her see that there were people out there who cared about her…
“I know you’ve thought this all through, and I’m not criticizing your decision, but think of yourself for once. You could have died.” Fyrdriel looked at Velrin imploringly.
“So what?” Velrin snarled, her eyes hollow, “I knew the risks when I joined the Sentinels, and so do all my sisters!”
Fyrdriel’s heart sank, “Please… don’t speak like that. There are people out there who care about you. People who need you.” She stood up and slowly started making her way over to Velrin with her arms wide open, “Ever since you came to me in Auberdine a few years ago…” If there was ever a time to come clean about this, it was now. Velrin needed to know that someone, anyone, cared, “I’ve thought of you as being like my own daughter. I want what’s best for you, and I want to see you grow and flourish. Please don’t throw everything you’ve earned for yourself here because of a few snide comments.”
Velrin went silent.
Fyrdriel stretched her arms wider, inviting Velrin in. Her heart pounded in her chest.
“So that’s how it is…” Velrin whispered.
This was it. Had she finally broken through to her?
“You’re so…”
Yes? Yes?!?
“So FULL OF SHIT!” Velrin roared. Her voice echoed even in the flaps of the tent.
Fyrdriel’s ears rang from the shock.
“After everything I’ve been through, now that I’m ready to leave is the time you choose to speak up.”
Velrin stared her down, but Fyrdriel was too rattled to respond.
“You tried this last time too. When I wanted to leave after that debacle of an assignment I had in Outland.” Velrin raised an eyebrow and her eyes flashed. Her voice was deadly quiet now, “Was it just a ploy then as well?”
Fyrdriel wanted to scream “No!” but the words were stuck in her throat.
Velrin snorted and shook her head, “And to even go so far as to try and be my mother this time. You make me sick.” She slowly started to raise her voice again, “Where were you when I needed you outside of the battlefield, hmm? Remember when I tried to kill myself and your idea of helping was to send me off to Silithus? Some mother you are.” Velrin hissed.
Fyrdriel grimaced. She didn’t know any other way to keep her mind off of it. That idiot human betraying her made Velrin feel like everything she had in the world had been ripped from her once again. She just wanted her to feel like she was still useful.
“You probably would have been furious about the Bronze Dragonflight taking me away from there if my mission with them hadn’t given me so much more combat experience. They just went and sharpened your weapon for you. Never mind that I had to live out three whole painful lifetimes. That I had to watch my friends, the only people I felt like I had a real connection with grow old and die in front of me over and over again.” Velrin chuckled joylessly, “And all the while I had to lie to all of them about who I was. None of them even knew my name! I knew Roeth for almost sixty years and not once could I tell him!”
Velrin let it all out. Fyrdriel didn’t even have a chance to speak up.
“But that’s not important, is it? Kanuriel is having a baby and you needed a new captain. Let’s ask Velrin. She should be up to the task after two centuries of pretending to be someone who doesn’t exist.” Velrin gestured wildly, “You even tried to keep up appearances by forcing me to take a break after all that work I was doing in the Plaguelands, but goddess forbid you allow anyone in Dolanaar to call on me while I’m there. No. If that happened then I could have gotten dragged into a life that just might mean something.”
No. No no no no no. This was all wrong. I knew you are always too eager to help. I wanted you to relax. I’m sorry. I should have made sure you had company. I should have been there.
“But lo and behold, you have another task for me so you have me. You dragged me back into the darkest part of my past just so you can look good for having your prized assassin find Lady Maiev Shadowsong and join the illustrious Cobalt Company.” Velrin finishes with disgust, “Well look how that turned out! They all hate me. Sir Dane probably thinks I’m an idiot now too, and they’re all only being polite to me in case I might be useful to them sometime too!” Saliva spatters from Velrin’s mouth as she screams, “You think you can be my mother? How dare you! You say you want a family, but this is how you treat them? My mother gave up her life to protect me! All you’ve ever done is use me to protect yourself! I HATE YOU!”
Velrin lingered just long enough to see the horror in Fyrdriel’s eyes then turned on a dime and storms off, dropping her captain’s badge and stamping it into the dirt on her way out.
Fyrdriel couldn’t move. Eventually her arms finally fell down to her sides. She just stood there, perfectly silent as tears streamed down her face.