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It had been this way ever since she’d started to go blind around five years old. The deterioration of her vision had been quick, which Jaina still wasn’t entirely sure whether or not she was thankful for, and by her eighth birthday, she was completely blind in both eyes. The help from her friends and family had been more than welcome at first, with her parents helping her around the house, her older brother reading to her, and her younger brother coming up with games they could play together that did not require the ability to see. After a while, though, it got to be a bit much. At nineteen, she was now able to make her way around without bumping into everything, she could fluently read braille in Common, and though she adored Tandred, their interests had long since grown apart given the few years that separated them.
Jaina wanted an adventure. She wanted something new. She was so tired of being stuck at home, only able to go out when someone was with her. While Derek was always happy to accompany her out, he wasn’t always readily available and neither were her parents. Aside from that however, she also wanted to be by herself. The only time she could spend alone was in her room, and it was getting far too stuffy.
So the fact that her parents had agreed to bring her and Tandred along with them to their diplomatic meeting in Quel’thalas was nothing short of a blessing. Derek, as the next in line for the title of Lord Admiral, was already going, and he had been quite instrumental in helping her warm them up to the idea. Jaina reminded herself to thank him again for what was likely the fiftieth time that day alone.
For the time being, however, she was more than content to enjoy the feeling of relaxing in the carriage as it took her and her family back to their residence. The sun beat down on her skin, not covered by a thick layer of clouds as it normally was in Kul Tiras. Every few seconds it was disrupted briefly, and Jaina could only imagine how gorgeous the trees they passed under were. Fleetingly, Jaina wondered if the bark would feel different than that of the rough trees back in Boralus.
She didn’t allow herself to linger too long in her thoughts, though, well aware that the outcome would be painful. The more she daydreamed about running through the forests of Quel’thalas, the soft grass cushioning her bare feet and how it would feel to climb the ancient trees, the more disappointed she would be when she did naught more than sit in diplomatic meetings with her parents and be escorted around in the sweltering heat of Silvermoon City by Derek - or, perhaps more embarrassingly, an elven guard. She’d been in Quel’thalas for five days now, though she had hardly left her room when it was not necessary for her to attend a dinner or banquet. Though the residence was temporary and she would only stay for another eight days, she felt comfortable in her chambers. The room was far larger than her cozy one in Kul Tiras, and it took her a whole thirty-two steps to reach from one end to the other. And though she loathed how it was made with her safety in mind - with plush carpets and no sharp edges in sight - that at least allowed her to have some space away from her parents and brothers.
They arrived back to the residence quickly enough, and the only thing that stopped Jaina from holing back up in her room was a hand on her shoulder. Her mother’s, if the silky gloves that concealed a quite bulky wedding ring were any indication. “Jaina, should I assume that you will not attend the next meeting? It is regarding trade involving Kul Tiran fishing and Thalassian-”
“Thank you mother, but I’d prefer to stay here,” she responded quickly, already knowing how dreadfully boring the meeting would be. Though she was next in line for the title of Lord Admiral, Jaina had none of the patience her older brother did in dealing with others making demands. She far preferred to do any sort of clerical work on her own and was secretly a little pleased that unless something were to happen to Derek, she would never have to deal with being the Lord Admiral.
“As I assumed. In which case, I will be leaving Tandred behind in his room so he may nap before we go to supper. Keep an ear on him, dear.” Jaina smiled. It had taken her mother a bit of time to warm up to the idea of making jokes about her only daughter’s blindness, but now she was the one quickest to jump at a joke opportunity. That was much to the annoyance of Jaina’s brothers, especially Derek, who seemed to have limitless jokes lined up at their disposal.
Sometimes, she had to wonder if they prepared them beforehand.
Regardless, she bid her parents and Derek adieu, and locked the door behind them.
Their temporary home was absolutely silent, and for the briefest of moments, Jaina considered changing her mind and insisting on joining her parents and brother, simply so she could have some way to pass the time. She tended to be an introverted person, yes, but she could only deal with so much alone time before the lack of stimuli became overwhelming. She knew, though, that insisting on going with them would cause them to be late, as they would need to wait for her to get ready and wake Tandred as well, so she decided against it. She could sit still for a few hours.
Soon enough, Jaina found herself out on the patio. The heat emanating from the Sunwell was admittedly great, but the sun felt far too good on her skin to simply give up and go back inside. A minute ticked by, and then another, and Jaina could only imagine how pink her pale skin would get by the end of this trip. Another minute, and then another, and it struck her that they hadn’t had to climb any steps to reach their temporary residence. Which meant…
Her leap of faith over the low stone gate of the patio was well placed, and she found quickly that she’d been correct. The grass under her bare feet was very soft indeed. A giggle escaped Jaina and she spread out a soft wave of arcane on the ground in front of her, effectively letting her “see” if there was anything that would trip her. Nothing was within her immediate range, it seemed, though there were plenty of round obtrusions of roughly the same size about ten meters before her. Cautiously, Jaina stepped towards them, and it was only when they were within a few feet of her did she notice how the sun no longer graced her skin.
“Trees,” she murmured aloud, quickly finding herself grinning. Trees… if they were so close to a forest, then they mustn’t be too far into Silvermoon City. In fact, they were very likely on the outskirts of it.
Curiously, Jaina found herself walking deeper into the forest. She spread out her magic in front of her again and again, though she remained wary of the amount of mana that she used, as she would have to find her own way back. There was no one else around to guide her, to tell her what to do, and Jaina found that she couldn’t help the grin that quickly spread across her face. Absentmindedly, she reached out to her side and ran her fingertips along a tree. She’d been right before when daydreaming in the carriage: the trees here were smoother than the ones in Kul Tiras.
It was impossible to tell how much time passed as she wandered out further into the woods, absolutely determined to find some sort of adventure within Quel’thalas. The further she delved, the less sunlight she could feel on her skin, though it was a welcome change. It had not complemented the almost jungle-like heat that made walking for long periods of time a bit difficult. The ice that she summoned to cool her neck certainly helped, though all of the concentration on her magic meant that she didn’t hear the voice calling out for her until it was too late.
“Hey. Hey! Watch out for the-”
“Fuck!” Jaina fell on her ass as she walked straight into a tree branch. It hit her forehead hard, completely unnoticed by the waves of arcane that engulfed the ground before her. It sizzled away quickly as her concentration fell from it and her head tilted up as she tried to figure out what was going on. She hadn’t fallen in quite some time, making it more than a little disorientating.
She reached out to her side, trying to grab for the tree that had knocked her down. It seemed to be out of reach, though, and she momentarily cursed herself for failing to use her magic to keep a look out for branches that would knock her over.
“Are you okay?” The feminine voice that had warned her was closer now, somewhere off to her right, and Jaina spun her head to where it came from. She could hear footsteps, though they were incredibly light and she almost certainly would not have heard them at all, had she not gained such keen ears from her lack of vision. “That fall looked like it hurt.”
“I’m okay,” she finally replied, suddenly finding her voice. She touched her forehead gently, finding no blood. “I’m okay.” Sounding more sure of herself, Jaina stumbled up to her feet. The injury would bruise, surely, but barring the fact that she’d been knocked off of her feet, no immediate damage had come from it. A hand touched her shoulder, steadying her, and Jaina nearly jumped out of her skin in shock. Normally, she would have easily heard the woman approaching, but her footsteps were so quiet that the noise made by standing must have easily concealed them.
“Are you an elf?” Jaina asked, figuring that theory made the most sense. Elves were well known for their grace, and though she’d met very few before her stay in Quel’thalas, she’d never known one with loud, lumbering steps. She got a soft chuckle in response.
“What gave it away: the ears or the eyebrows?” Jaina could hear the smile in her voice and decided to have some fun of her own.
“Neither,” she responded. “I’m blind.”
A long pause followed her words, and it took everything in Jaina’s power not to laugh at how shocked and embarrassed the poor elf must be. “I-I apologize. Belore, you’re the Lady Proudmoore, aren’t you?” She sputtered, her hand suddenly pulled away from Jaina’s shoulder. “Please accept my apologies, I did not mean to offend you.”
Jaina finally let out a giggle, almost missing the warmth of the hand covering her shoulder. “You’re fine; I’m not offended. I just like scaring people with that.” She could practically feel the air in front of her become more relaxed. “And yes, I’m Jaina Proudmoore,” she added, specifically avoiding the usage her title. It was bad enough that she was blind, but being blind and of noble heritage was just an invitation for people to do everything for her. “And you are?”
“Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner.” Her leather armor creaked as she bowed before Jaina and stood upright again. “I am supposed to meet you and your family tomorrow evening for supper, actually.”
“Ah, yes, in Prince Sunstrider’s estate.” Jaina’s nose wrinkled in disgust as she thought about the man. He was a prince, for Tides’ sake, yet he still eagerly enlisted in making an absolute fool of himself in front of her and her family. Could he really not find anyone to wed in Quel’thalas?
Sylvanas must have noticed the brief look of disgust that crossed her features as she giggled. “I don’t suppose Kael’thas requested your hand in marriage?”
“How did you know?”
“In three weeks and two days, it will mark the fifth anniversary of the first time he offered to wed me. In these past five years, he has asked no fewer than eighty-three times. And that, may I add, is being quite conservative with what qualifies as an offer.”
Jaina could only imagine how bewildered she looked as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “He- eighty-three?!” She laughed, a mixture of amusement of shock laced together within it. “I’m… sure that you’re a lovely woman, but that’s…”
“Overkill? Excessive? Infuriating? Worthy of murder, were he not a prince, and the sentence would not lose me my head? Absolutely.”
Jaina laughed, feeling more at ease than she had been the entire time she’d been in Quel’thalas. “And I thought that four times within these past few days was bad. Tides, he must be…” She sighed, not allowing herself to say anything that may offend the only creature aside from her brothers who had managed to keep her so amused.
“Very desperate, considering the fact that he’s well aware of my sexual attraction towards women exclusively,” Sylvanas said, finishing her sentence for her. “Worry not, Lady Proudmoore. I know that he is desperate, and that it is not a reflection on me.”
“Fair enough.” Jaina laughed again, feeling herself become even more relaxed. “And no stuffy titles. Please, call me Jaina.” How nice it was to have a normal conversation with someone outside of her family; to be able to joke and laugh like she wasn’t in need of a constant caretaker by her side. To not hear the dreaded words of-
“Forgive my asking, but should you really be so far away from Silvermoon City? You are… unable to see, after all.”
There they were. Jaina pursed her lips, attempting to not look too disappointed that even her new acquaintance had quickly treated her as though she was unable to care for herself. As though she was fragile. She loathed it; absolutely hated how weak she felt whenever anyone asked her that.
“Technically, no,” she sighed, tilting her head down towards the ground. “I’m supposed to be in our temporary residence, but my parents and older brother went to some meeting and my little brother is napping, so I-”
“You ran away,” Sylvanas interrupted, making Jaina briefly wonder if she was capable of letting someone finish their own sentence. Still, Jaina could once again hear the faintest hint of a smile on her lips, so she found that she hardly minded. She looked back up to where she imagined the elf’s face was and nodded.
“Yes.”
“Do not fret, La- Jaina. Your secret is safe with me.” With that, Sylvanas took her hand, purposefully making a bit more noise than she typically would as to not startle Jaina again, and brought her hand up to her lips and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. She allowed her lips to linger there for a moment, drinking up how prominent even the softest of blushes was on Jaina’s very fair skin. “Why did you need to leave, arkhana’dore?”
Child of the arcane. Tides, had Sylvanas made the word up for her? Jaina cleared her throat, her mind suddenly taken over by thoughts of the elf, who she realized was standing very close to her. She dared not step back, knowing that the moment she did was the moment this all ended.
“I was feeling a bit suffocated, is all,” she finally responded. “I’m never given a moment alone in Kul Tiras, even though I know my kingdom like the back of my hand… Metaphorically speaking, I suppose. And all my life all I’ve wanted was to just have a little adventure. I’m tired of doing nothing just because I’m blind.”
“An adventure,” Sylvanas repeated, thinking for a moment. She very suddenly found herself wanting to provide such an adventure, but wasn’t fully sure where to start. Or, in fact, why she wanted to help the girl so badly in the first place. “What sort of adventure?”
Jaina frowned a bit. “Something… new. I don’t know,” she admitted. She’d never quite thought that far ahead, especially since she’d never been allowed much of an opportunity to do anything on her own.
“There are ruins nearby of a troll village. We could explore those,” Sylvanas offered, hardly even realizing that she was offering until the words came from her mouth. Damn her loose lips. Typically it wasn’t too hard to act suave around a beautiful woman, but it seemed that even when she did around Jaina, she only ended up wanting to spend more time around her.
“Really?” Jaina’s face lit up, and Sylvanas was suddenly grateful that she’d offered. “That would be incredible. I’ve really hardly ever left Kul Tiras.”
What a shame that such beauty must be confined within the island, Sylvanas wanted to say, but the words died on her lips before she could get even a syllable out. “We shall.” Keeping her soft hold on Jaina’s hand, Sylvanas led her deeper into the forest. She could sense the mage’s arcane spreading across the ground in front of them, allowing her to be able to tell when to step over a rock or watch out for a small hole, so she did not dare treat her with any additional caution that she would not give a sighted person. Aside, of course, from steering her away from low-hanging branches. “I must say, you have quite the command on the arcane,” she commented after silence hung in the air for a few minutes. “I was hunting not too far from here when I felt the pull of your magic.”
Jaina smiled, stepping over a fallen log as she did. “Thank you,” she said, relieved to be treated so normally, not restrained by her blindness or her noble heritage. “It would be a dream to one day study in Dalaran under the supervision of Antonidas, though I fear that my parents may not be so accepting of that.”
“They sound quite protective.”
“Very.” Jaina sighed, wanting to change the topic. “You said that you hunt?”
“Yes.” Sylvanas stopped near the outskirts of the village, Jaina stopping beside her. She scanned over it quickly to make sure there were no signs of activity before leading her closer. “Have you ever used a bow?”
“Of course not.” The mage sighed.
“Allow me, then, to teach you.” With that, they stopped in the middle of the village. It wasn’t too sizable, since the high elves had been able to quickly rid themselves of this particular troll threat, but it was certainly large enough that she could take the Lady Proudmoore around to explore a bit. “But for now, I present the humble Tor’Watha. To your right, there are quite a few huts where inhabitants would sleep. In front of you, you will find the chieftain's hut. And to your left, you will find… what looks to be a place of worship.” She shrugged and looked back to Jaina. “Where we go first is your choice.”
-
Though Sylvanas had visited Tor’Watha many times in her long life, she had discovered new nooks and crannies that she hadn’t previously by the time she and Jaina left the village. A trapdoor, leading down to a hidden wine cellar that Jaina’s magic had been able to detect. A fine crafted elven knife strapped to the underside of a bed that Jaina had accidentally grabbed, resulting in Sylvanas needing to use a bit of her first aid skills. A stack of books shoved into the corner of the worship space, that Jaina had made her read all of the titles of. She’d been sure that the village had been thoroughly swept through by other elves, but clearly none of them had the absolute curiosity that this human did.
“That’s the final hut,” she said, cracking the knuckles on one hand at a time. Jaina seemed displeased by the noise, given the face she made, and Sylvanas made a mental note not to crack her knuckles around the girl again.
“That’s too bad,” she said with a sigh, holding onto a few of the books that she’d insisted on keeping. Perhaps there was a way to read them with her magic, or maybe she could have Derek read them for her. She would, of course, have to come up with a cover story for where she’d found them, but that was a problem for a different time. “I don’t suppose there are any other troll tribes nearby?”
“None within walking distance.” Sylvanas frowned a little, scouring her mind to think of any other adventures she could possibly take Jaina on. She was known for being quite the flirt within the ranger ranks, yet for some reason, Sylvanas found that she was trying far harder than usual to impress this human she’d only met that day. She pushed the thought from her mind. It’s good for Quel’thalas, she assured herself. This is simply so the Proudmoores will be more fond of me when we meet tomorrow evening. Though not entirely convinced, that was enough to get her to focus on the task at hand once more. “What is something that you have always wanted to do, Jaina?”
“Sail,” came the immediate answer, followed by a short laugh. “Though Quel’thalas is not terribly well-known for its navy, is it?”
Sylvanas smiled. “I suppose not. That is why our nations are attempting to unite, is it not? Though I could take you to the beach, regardless.”
“That would be amazing!” Jaina excitedly nodded, her face lighting up, and Sylvanas just had to briefly wonder if she could even imagine how cute she was.
…Fuck.
-
The walk to the beach proved uneventful, and soon Jaina found herself sitting beside Sylvanas. She’d sat a little closer than she typically would with other friends or her family, simply because, she told herself, she did not know Quel’thalas nearly as well as she did Kul Tiras, and the elf was her only guide.
The beach of the elven kingdom was different than those of Kul Tiras, something that should not have surprised Jaina as much as it did. Not only could she feel more sunshine against her skin, as was common in Quel’thalas, but the water and air were different as well. The water did not crash nearly as hard against the sandy beach; preferring instead to gently roll in and kiss the bottom of her bare feet. The sand was soft, warm, and far more comfortable to sit on than the jagged rocks that Jaina had grown so used to in her own kingdom. And as always, the tingle of arcane lingered in the air and danced across her skin.
“You are quite the capable search party,” Sylvanas said after a few minutes, breaking the comfortable silence that had lingered between them. Though Jaina had enjoyed simply sitting in peace, listening to the chirping of birds and the sigh of the waves, she found that she did not mind Sylvanas’s voice either.
“Thank you,” she said, unable to help the smile that graced her lips. “It was nice to be able to just do… whatever I wanted, you know? I don’t have to worry about you telling me not to do something, simply because I can’t see.”
“You’re a smart woman, Lady Proudmoore. I trust that you know what is best for you. And I am more than happy to be your eyes whenever you may require me.”
“Jaina,” she corrected. “And yes, that’s exactly what I need.” Without much thought put into the action, she grabbed for Sylvanas’s hand, missing a few times before their fingers intertwined. “I only wish this day were longer, or that I could, at the very least, visit Quel’thalas more often.”
“Yes, I can feel the arcane on your skin.” As if to emphasize her point, Sylvanas squeezed her hand ever so softly.
“That helps, but it’s not the only reason.” Jaina left it at that, a bit embarrassed to say anything further. If Sylvanas knew what she implied, she did not say it, and the two resumed their comfortable silence for a few more minutes before Sylvanas broke it once again.
“I do have one last adventure in mind,” she offered, feeling the excitement that radiated off of Jaina through the arcane pressed against her hand. She did not wait for more of an answer as she stood, keeping Jaina’s hand in her own. “Come.”
Jaina rose as well and allowed herself to be led by the elf once again.
-
After a few minutes, her hand was suddenly dropped, and Jaina admittedly felt a little disappointed, but the feeling was quickly alleviated as something slender and wooden was handed to her. She ran her thumb along it and grabbed it with her other hand as well. “A bow,” she thought out loud, finding it heavier than she’d imagined. She toyed with the string between two fingers.
“I did promise to teach you, did I not?” Sylvanas did not wait for an answer as she walked behind Jaina, gripping her wrists softly so she could show her exactly how to stand. She seemed to be moving a bit louder now, and it was easy for Jaina to make out where exactly her footsteps led. Subtle, and she couldn’t help but appreciate the extra effort. With both of their midriffs bare, Jaina could feel how muscular the elf’s torso was pressed against her back, and she hoped that she was already pink enough from the sun that her blush wouldn’t go noticed. “Are you right handed?”
Fuck, her breath was right against Jaina’s neck. She nodded, and Sylvanas moved her grip from her wrists onto her hips and turned her. “Your legs should be about shoulder width apart… Good.” One hand moved to Jaina’s left hand, taking it gently in her own and adjusting her fingers so she was gripping the wood in the right spot. “Use your magic,” she whispered, having to hold back a smile when the mage shivered. “Can you sense the tree fifteen feet in front of us?”
“Yes,” Jaina whispered, able to get an estimate as to where it was. Her magic was shakier now, and she quickly disregarded the nervousness to be simply due to the fact that she’d never shot an arrow before, let alone held a bow. It certainly wasn’t due to the ranger who was very close to her.
Sylvanas took her other hand then and set her fingers on the bowstring, placing one above the arrow nock and two below. “Very good.” She retrieved an arrow from the quiver strapped to her back and notched it carefully, making sure that she wouldn’t hurt Jaina’s fingers by accident. Slowly, she helped her lift the bow up and point it towards the tree. “Now, you’ll want to pull the string back until your palm is against your ear.” She kept her hand on Jaina’s, though she did not help her pull the string back. “And use your magic to aim…”
The arrow was loosed sooner than Sylvanas expected, lodging solidly into the very side of the tree. Not a perfect shot, naturally, but far better than what she’d been expecting. She couldn’t help the cheer she gave, smiling wide. “Perfect shot.”
“Really?” Jaina grinned, letting her arms fall so she would no longer have to support the weight of the bow, though she quickly dropped it when Sylvanas’s hands found their way down to her hips again and the elf carefully spun her around so they were face to face.
“Absolutely. Are you sure that’s your first time using a bow?”
Jaina laughed and, being so close, Sylvanas only now noticed how many light freckles decorated her pale skin. She bit her lip softly as one of her hands abandoned Jaina’s hip in favor of cupping her cheek and brushing a thumb over her cheekbone. The girl paused, her milky-blue eyes blinking once as her lips parted a bit. “I mean,” she finally said, and Sylvanas blinked that time. “It does help that I have a pretty good teacher.” There was a brief pause, and Sylvanas almost leaned in before Jaina spoke again. "Can I... touch your face?"
"Touch my face?"
"It helps me get a sense of what you look like," she explained.
"Yes." The answer escaped her sooner than Sylvanas had expected, but it was the one that she wanted to give nonetheless. A little shakily, Jaina's hand reached up and cupped her cheek.
Jaina's skin was colder than Sylvanas's own, but the elf hardly minded. She found, in fact, that she enjoyed the feeling. It was almost as though someone had applied a balm to her, allowing her to relax. And she did, sighing softly as she allowed her eyes to shut. "High cheekbones," Jaina commented, brushing a thumb over one. "Very prominent. Strong nose..." She trailed her pointer finger down it until she reached the tip, then hesitated before moving it further. "Soft lips."
Sylvanas couldn't help herself, despite the anxiety-inducing pit that was growing in her stomach. "How soft are yours?"
Her question was answered within a second, and she could only think 'very soft indeed' as she kept Jaina close to her. She could still feel the arcane ever so slightly pulsing off of her skin, only pulling her further into the kiss. Jaina moved her hand out of the way, opting instead to wrap her arms up around Sylvanas’s neck and rest them on her shoulders.
Fuck, she could stay like this forever. Sylvanas even dared to dip her a bit, wrapping the hand that remained on her hip around her waist as she did, and found that the new position only deepened the kiss. She couldn’t even find it in herself to pull away for air, but nearly dropped Jaina when a sudden tug came on her ear.
“Belore, Sylvanas, you dumbass. Kim’jael…” Alleria tugged on her ear again, even though she was already separated from Jaina. “Anar’alah belore, do you know who this is?”
“A masterful archer,” Sylvanas replied with a grin, though that only earned her yet another tug on her ear. “Shit, Belore, Alleria, that hurts!”
Alleria tugged once again and ignored her sister’s cry of pain. “That is the Lady Jaina Proudmoore,” she hissed through her teeth, her jaw clenched, “whose family is currently panicking because she is missing!”
Sylvanas looked over to Jaina, their realizations of how long they’d been adventuring nearly simultaneous. “Shit,” Jaina whispered, stumbling towards the sisters. She grabbed Sylvanas’s arm to steady herself. “How long have we been out here?”
Sylvanas glanced to the skies, only now seeing how the sun was approaching dusk. She sighed, swatting away the grasp that Alleria had on her ear before holding onto Jaina’s hand. “Longer than we should have been. I apologize; I lost track of time.” She pressed a kiss to Jaina’s hand and could feel Alleria’s glare boring into her skull. “I suppose that was bound to happen, given how beautiful yo- Belore, Alleria!”
Jaina couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her as Sylvanas’s head was harshly tugged from her hand. “You gay disaster,” Alleria grumbled. “If Kael’thas were not so interested in courting you, he would have your head for kidnapping the Lady Proudmoore.”
“Not kidnapping,” Jaina said, and Sylvanas couldn’t help but be relieved that she was finally defending her. “I left my residence willingly, and Sylvanas happened upon me.”
“Yes, and her lips happened upon your own,” Alleria muttered, though she sighed and released her sister’s ear. “Very well. I suppose we’re even, as you haven’t told Mother of Turalyon. Now come, everyone is anxious.”