Work Text:
Orgrimmar
"I have heard of this but why would any child wish to see me?" Sylvanas Windrunner asked, she looked at herself in the mirror once again and saw the glowing red eyes, the undead bluish-grey skin, and the imposing build she carried. "I thought I was the nightmare that hides under their bed or something."
"That is alliance children, though I am told they are more curious than afraid anymore." Nathanos reassured her, "Every warchief and leader in general has done this before, you can handle it."
The warchief smirked, her champion really knew how to cheer her up or encourage her at times. She always saw herself as a monstrosity, someone that even the adults feared. Why should I torment those poor children with a visit from me? She frowned and felt a hand on her shoulder, "Nathanos, what if I scare them?"
"Alot of those children have been through alot, I do not think you will scare them." He assured her again, "besides, they love your rangers."
"They do?" Sylvanas looked at two of her rangers who had been guarding the door, most of the living did not wish to approach her rangers let alone talk or interact. She thought about that for a moment, she could try this and see if they would run from her.
"If they do not fear my rangers then maybe this will be ok, when is it?"
"This afternoon, do not worry my Queen, they will love you."
"Thank you, that is reassuring." Sylvanas allowed herself a smile and walked to the door where two of her rangers waited to escort her to the orphanage, they reached for her hands for more reassurance. "Lets go, they do not seem to fear you."
The two rangers grinned, no the children did not fear them, they once took two of the orphans to the roller coaster rocket in Azshara, played hide and seek, and told them ghost stories, to name a few activities. "We were as surprised as you will be Dark lady."
Sylvanas nods quietly and the second she steps out of the hold she feels the intense heat beating down on her and the two rangers who periodically giggled, they must know something I do not. She thought and waved at the orc couple opening their tea shop for the day, their fighting days were long behind them and they just wanted to focus on their cafe they had opened.
The orphanage was not as far as the Warchief thought and the sounds of children playing were heard as the the group of undead elves got closer. Sylvanas stopped, why would they want to see me? She thought again, I am just a monstrous banshee..."I do not think I can do this."
"You can, it will be fine, we promise." Dark ranger Vorel said, she had been holding onto her queen's arm for support. "You are their leader and protector, they know this."
Dark ranger Denyelle nodded, she patted Sylvanas's shoulder, "Its just like when you used to visit the orphans in Silvermoon as Ranger General."
"There is a difference, I was alive and someone worth looking up to then." Sylvanas felt miserable, when she lived, she was what many girls aspired to be, now? She wouldn't be surprised if she was what they wanted to defeat.
"You are still worth looking up to, you have done alot for the forsaken and the horde." Vorel said and gently pulled her forward, she caught one of the children's eyes and they went to the orc matron and tugged on her dress. "Now come on my lady, this will not be bad. If it is, you can send me to the most boring posting you can think of for a week."
"A week?" Sylvanas thought of what her rangers had mentioned, "The crossroads? Nothing happens there."
"Exactly, its boring."
The banshee nodded and straightened up, she walked towards the orc matron and greeted her, "Good day, I am here to see the orphans."
The matron smiled warmly, "Welcome Warchief, I am so glad you could make it I know how busy it can be. I know they are excited to see you."
"They are?"
"Why would they not be? You are their warchief, they have spoken about nothing else." The matron guided Sylvanas inside while her rangers waited outside as they did not want to steal the attention away from their queen.
Sylvanas stood tall above the sitting children, they were a mix of blood elf, nightborne, orc, troll, one tauren, three goblins, and possibly a night elf child. She nodded her greeting to them as they were told to stand.
"Good morning Warchief," they all said in unison.
"Hello." She said back and looked at each child, there was no fear or disgust in their eyes, only wonderment, curiosity, and possible hopefulness. They had not run from her which was a good and made her feel less apprehensive.
"You can choose one to spend the day or week with, anyone of them would be happy," The matron added.
"Just one?"
The children giggled and one of the smaller troll boys came up to her and tugged on her cloak, "Miss Warchief?"
Sylvanas looked down at the blue skinned troll with bright pink hair, "Yes, sir?"
"Are ya goin' ta protect us from the alliance?" He had small tusks still and missing front teeth, it made him seem even more adorable.
"It is my duty to do so, you have nothing to fear while I am warchief." Sylvanas knelt down to the child's height, she felt more self doubt trickle away. The boy looked happier and relieved he pulled a flower he had found growing outside the house, "I picked this for ya."
"Thank you, I will treasure it." The banshee took the flower and tucked in her quiver behind her.
"Can we be rangers too!" Two young blood elves shouted, they tried to crowd her for attention, nearly knocking the troll off his feet.
"Be more careful you two, I am sorry warchief."
"It is fine and one day, I am sure you can be." She answered the two girls and steadied the troll boy by taking his arm.
This seemed to satisfy the girls immensely and they stepped back and admired the former ranger general they had heard stories of over time. It didn't take long before all the children were asking questions and wanting to play with their warchief, Sylvanas actually did play with them awhile but noticed the small night elf keeping to herself. She left the crowd and walked over to her.
"Ishnu'alah, young one, you are far from home." Sylvanas sat by the bed the kaldorei sat in.
"They didn't want me, and they are dead now." The girl answered, barely looking at Sylvanas, her purple hair fell infront of her eyes that held a sadness the warchief had not seen earlier.
"Is that why you ran here?"
The girl nodded, she wiped her hair out of her face and sniffed, she couldn't be more than eight or nine years old. "Is that allowed?"
"Yes, I tend to take in those who have been outcast. I know how that feels."
"You do? Did you question Elune too?" The girl asked curiously.
"No, as the quel'dorei...well now they are sin'dorei followed a different path. Is that what got you rejected?"
"Its not that I don't believe in her, I just do not understand why she must be relied on for everything, she did not stop the world from being sundered, or deathwing, or even...well any other trouble we have gone through."
Sylvanas understood that, and then asked, "were your parents priests?"
"My mother was, my father was a mage and was angry about being exiled, only to be brought back and treated poorly, both are dead and..." The girl sniffed again and tears formed at her eyes.
"I see, well you have a new home here. I would not forsake you."
"Really?"
"Really, this is your new home now."
The night elf child blinked and began to smile, she feared that the warchief would send her back to the life of being ignored and ridiculed for not putting her full faith in Elune. She knew not all the kaldorei were like that but the ones she was surrounded by were and it made her sad. She looked at Sylvanas and lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the undead elf's neck for a hug.
Sylvanas was shocked at the sudden warmth and affection given to her, she slowly embraced the girl back protectively. She was sure that while all of the children liked her, none would want to hug her, but then she was proven wrong again when did just that.
The girl released the banshee and smiled, she moved to the other kids and started whispering something. Sylvanas was not sure what to make of it and went back to the matron, "What did I do?"
"You showed that girl what I have been trying to tell her of, that you would accept her and understand and I thank you for that Warchief."
Sylvanas smiled a little, "I think I will spend more time with her then for the week."
The orc matron nodded in agreement, "Show her around her new home, my lady."
Before anything else could be said a small nightborne boy approached Sylvanas and asked, "Can I have a hug before you go? Rae says you give good hugs."
"What?" Sylvanas looked over at the young night elf who looked much better and more mischievous, she looked back at the boy who looked shy about asking and then knelt down to give another hug. As much as she did not like giving them out, she quietly loved receiving them, "Do not tell anyone I give good hugs ok?"
The boy nodded his head and giggled as he ran to the group of elves, soon one by one approached the warchief for their hug before she took her choice of orphan for the week.
As Sylvanas left with Rae in toe the two dark rangers looked at the group of grinning orphans, "didn't we tell you?"
"Yes."
"That is five flowers you owe us." Vorel teased while she played with the boy's white hair.
"Not a problem!" An orc girl shouted, Vol'kahn has started a garden of them."
The troll boy from earlier grinned proudly, "I made it for da warchief, and da loa."
The dark rangers laughed and spent the rest of the day with the orphans, they were even happier knowing their queen got some much needed affection and time away from her leadership duties. This was the best Children's week they had played apart in.