Ashenvale. Home.

At least it used to be. Before the time in Stormwind, before the time in The Shadow Sentinels and before the supposed treason.

Aluuna was lying on the ground in her homeland, gazing up at the colourful leaves. Her mind was a chaotic mix of emotions and she had trouble to think properly.

    There is nothing left for me in Stormwind, except my execution.

She grimaced. Who would have expected this to happen, say, only a year ago? By that time she devoted her life to preserve and protect the Alliance she loved even if she would lose her life in the process. She had been a proud defender and served faithfully. Not even once did she hesitate to risk her own life for the safety of others.

But what on Azeroth went wrong?

Had her will to protect Stormwind gone so far that she was willing to do the most horrible things in order to fulfill her duty? Or had she simply been tainted by the sweet drug known as 'power'?

Aluuna wasn't very sure herself.

    It doesn't matter anyway. Heh, I've become the very thing I swore to battle and destroy.

She rested her face in her open palms, rubbing it in silent despair. Despair over the sacrifices she made in order to become a better defender of the Alliance. Friends, family... she had given them all up for the Alliance... the same Alliance which sentenced her to death by execution.

Her thoughts drifted to her Thero'shan, Ilharae. She was worried about the well-being of the young Kaldorei. The influence she had on her Thero'shan was indeed powerful enough to cause some serious damage. It had to be dealt with before it was too late.

    I must make sure she doesn't follow the same path as myself. It will only lead to "pain and suffering", as Jazeel so truthfully said.

A special leaf caught her attention. A white leaf could be seen in the middle of all the colourful ones. It was so misfit that it was actually beautiful. Its white, snowy colour reminded Aluuna of someone, and it was with an expression of true pain she realised who it was.

    Cathrinne.

The thought tormented Aluuna's mind. How long had it been since she disappeared, two months? The worry for her closest friend was almost reaching hysterical levels and did little to help in her already miserable situation.

The purple Elf pressed her hands tighter against her face and was on the merge of cracking, when the sound of footsteps abruptly interrupted her emotional moment. Aluuna removed the hands from her face, rose to her feett and turned around to face the source of the sounds.

As she realised it wasn't a threat, she put on her usual cold mask of indifference and spoke.

    "Ah Eliras, how are you today?"