Eliana wandered through the thick forest that surrounded Suramar. The spongy moss that covered the ground, crunched softly under her steps. It was moonrise, and the pale glow of the satellite drifted through the colossal pines that enveloped her. She could hear the sound of the wildlife calling through the trees: the distant shrieks of the more feral beasts intermingled with the cries of the local birds, and though many would shy away from the cacophony of nature, Eliana welcomed it. Especially in this particular moment in time.

Today marked the beginning of the Festival of the Moon and as one of Elune's disciplines, she was ecstatic for the festivities to begin. However, she also dreaded it for purely personal reasons. Nearly two weeks ago, Cytheas had asked her to attend the festival with him, as the inception of his courtship for her. Out of sheer guilt, she'd accepted. Both her father and Tyrande had insisted that Cytheas deserved a chance and she shared that view, which is why she had agreed to go with him-as a potential mate, and not as a close friend.

However, in the fortnight since he'd asked, he'd been smothering her with attention. Every single morning, he was at her house, offering a ride to the Temple. Of course, she greatly appreciated the gesture, and the fact that she was always early was nice, but she worried that it gave him the wrong impression. She also felt that she was nearing the territory of possibly taking advantage of him, and that was something she most certainly did not wish to do.

In addition to that, he did not return straight to his own home after finishing his duties at Black Rood Hold, no. He was waiting, without fail, at the bottom of the Temple's steps every single night, to take her back home. Eliana was not a fan of extended walks by any means, but now that she no longer had the option, the time alone would have been very helpful for straightening out her thoughts. At this point, she felt as if her entire day consisted of Cytheas, Cytheas, and more Cytheas-especially since her father deemed it appropriate to mention her friend in nearly every conversation-and she felt as if she could not breathe.

So, since the Festival was scheduled to begin today and she needn't report to the Temple first thing in the morning, as she had been for the past two weeks, she had decided to take the opportunity to wander off on her own for once. Other elves often told her that solitude was vital in remaining sane, and she was inclined to agree, after having little to no time alone recently.

It also served as a reminder as to why she had chosen to become an initiate in the Sisterhood of Elune. Nature had always calmed her, helped her to relax, and kept her centered. Ardrias often said that Eliana was more like her mother in that regard; she was always gazing out at the forest and admiring the view. There was no question as to which path Eliana would follow, as she grew through her younger years. Her mother had been a Priestess and so too, would she.

A whimper broke through the musical melody of the forest, and Eliana swiftly turned her head towards the sound, the elongated tip of her ear twitching. When it resonated again, she quickly followed the echo to her left, through the underbrush, her luminous eyes narrowed in concentration. She stepped over a large, upended root, and entered a dark clearing, where a Nightsaber lay immobile against a massive trunk.

When she was close enough to reach out and touch it, the beast snarled at her and she immediately retracted her arm, bouncing back onto her heels. In a low, soothing voice, she called out to it.

"I am not here to harm you. It seems as if you are injured and I wish to aid you, if you would allow me to."

The Nightsaber's yellow eyes swiveled around to focus on her and Eliana noticed that the creature's enormous side was heaving with every breath it took. Its exhalation was labored, though there were no visible wounds marring its beautiful, sable fur. It must have broken a bone on its side, rendering it unable to move due to the significant pain that such a fracture would have caused.

Slowly, she crouched and crept closer, extending her hand once again, palm up this time in a gesture of submission.

"I am going to try to heal you now. If I do not, you may not survive," she explained softly.

The creature's eyes narrowed at her warily, but it did not growl at her again. Eliana assumed that meant that the beast was choosing to trust her momentarily, and so she placed her hand gently on its side, probing lightly for any hard bumps or possible locations of the broken bone.

When her fingers put pressure on the Nightsaber's third rib, it howled and snapped its teeth at her in warning. She drew her hands back, but only slightly, as she said, "One of your ribs is broken. It may have punctured a lung. I need to heal it, if you want to make it through the rest of your day. Is that alright?"

The Nightsaber did not snap at her again and instead, it laid its head back down against the tree trunk. With a deep breath, Eliana placed her hands against the beast's side once again, and closed her eyes.

"Oh Mother Moon, hear my plea..." Eliana began, as she channeled all of the energy held within her.

Her fingertips began to glow with the soft light of Elune's presence as she prayed, and the luminosity spread from her hands to the Nightsaber. The beast groaned as Eliana worked, though it was not nearly as strained as before. Sweat beaded on the night elf's brow as she concentrated on reconnecting the broken bone. Several minutes passed before the light finally faded, plunging them into darkness once more.

Eliana panted slightly as she pressed on the same spot from before, sighing in relief when the Nightsaber did not cry out. She stroked the large cat's silky fur briefly, before rising to her feet.

"There you are, all better," she whispered, with a slight smile on her lips, as she went to leave.

The giant cat nudged her hand and Eliana turned back to face it, as it continued to push against her palm. Finally, she realized that it wanted her to stroke the bridge of its nose and she giggled as she acquiesced, thinking of how Il'hadras loved it when she did the same thing to her.

"You are most welcome. I have to go now, but you take better care of yourself from now on, hm?" she said, as she strode out of the clearing.

As she passed back through the forest, the trees eventually thinned toward the edge and she glanced up at the moon, gasping when she realized that it was far higher in the sky than it had been when she'd entered the thicket.

Why is it that I always lose track of the time? she reprimanded herself, as she lifted her skirts and sprinted back towards her house.

When the side of the twisted Alder tree that formed the base of her home appeared, she spotted Cytheas resting against Il'hadras by her front door and she rushed over, bracing herself on her knees as she fought to catch her breath once she stood just before him.

He raised his eyebrow at her and she shook her head at him when she straightened. "Cytheas, I am so sorry. I went for a stroll this morning and I did not realize that so much time had passed," she explained breathlessly.

With a chuckle, he uncrossed his arms and pushed off of Il'hadras. He turned and adjusted the saddle, before saying, "I am not in any hurry-though I am sure your sisters are wondering where you are."

"Oh by Elune, we are supposed to sing a hymn together at the start of the festivities. High Priestess Dejahna is going to kill me..." she trailed off with a groan.

Swiftly, he hopped into the saddle and reached out for her. "Then let us make haste!"

She smiled at his lightheartedness. Despite the drama of the past two weeks, there were moments like these that reminded Eliana why she was so afraid to lose his friendship; he really did know exactly how to cheer her up. She placed her hand in his and he pulled her up onto the saddle behind him, waiting for her to wrap her arms around his waist before they took off for the Main Square.

The lanterns that lined the dirt path transitioned from being void of decoration, to sporting pale blue and silver ribbons, the closer they got to the city. Banners of matching colors, with the symbol of Elune in the center, hung along the outer wall that lined the plaza. The loud chatter of elves in the Main Square drifted to their ears far before they'd even passed under one of the archways leading into the plaza. Once they did, they hastily unmounted Il'hadras, and Cytheas tied her to one of the many posts that lined the paved pathway, in between two other Frostsabers.

Various booths and displays covered by blue and silver tents had been erected and placed around the Square by she and her fellow sisters over the past week. The melodious sound of harp music, accompanied by the deep, hefty thuds of drums, floated through the air, compounded by the cheerful laughter of all who had come to celebrate.

It was difficult, being surrounded by the utter happiness of her people, to remain melancholy and with newfound determination to act exactly as she had in years past, Eliana wound her arm through Cytheas'. The crowd was thick, and she did not want to be separated from him, though he took it in a much different context and his cheeks darkened as he looked away.

Excitedly, Eliana pointed to a booth in the far corner of the Square. "Cytheas, look! I bet you could easily win a prize there!"

He laughed and pulled her along easily, as they made their way over to it. "You cannot fool me, Eliana. You simply want a Frostsaber doll."

"Well of course I do, they are adorable. I am envious that you are able to take Il'hadras with you anywhere, and I want one for myself! And I know no one better at this game than you, after all," she said, baiting him.

He shook his head at her in jest and said, "Flattery will get you everywhere. Come on, then."

When they approached the booth, the Sister who was operating it held out a ball to them, with an inviting smile on her face. "Welcome Initiate Starhelm! Try your hand at knocking the bottles over."

Eliana waved her hands in front of her in denial, "Oh no, I am not participating, Sister Darkmoon." She gestured over to Cytheas, who reached out and took the ball from the other female.

"Apparently, I am to win her prizes instead," he joked.

Sister Darkmoon laughed softly under her breath, as she stepped aside to give Cytheas a clear shot at the tower of bottles. Cytheas narrowed his eyes in concentration as he reached his arm back, winding it dramatically in preparation to throw as hard as he could. When he swung his arm around and released the ball, Eliana clasped her hands hopefully, only to groan in disappointment when the ball bounced off the edge of the uppermost bottle.

Cytheas stared at the bottles in abject shock, his mouth falling open. Sister Darkmoon stepped up and held out another ball to him with a smirk teasing at the corners of her lips and he quickly took it, his eyebrows lowered in determination.

He repeated the motions from the first throw, but this time, Eliana squealed in delight when the bottles toppled over. A wide, satisfied grin spread across Cytheas' face, and Sister Darkmoon applauded as she reached down to grab a stuffed sabercat. When she held out one with dark fur and silver stripes, Eliana frowned.

"Do you have a white one with black stripes, Sister?" she requested timidly.

Cytheas nudged Eliana with his elbow for being demanding, before explaining, "I apologize. She wants one that looks like my Frostsaber."

Sister Darkmoon laughed and bent down, sifting through the bag of plush toys before she finally pulled one out that matched Eliana's description. "How is this?"

"Yes! Thank you!" Eliana exclaimed, as she greedily reached for the plush toy.

"Thank you, Sister," Cytheas echoed, as the duo walked back into the crowd.

They meandered through the festivities until they reached a row of wooden tables that had been set up in an empty clearing, with what was very close to a banquet meal, spread out on the surfaces. Cytheas chuckled darkly and he mimicked the motion of rolling his nonexistent sleeves up.

"Yes, this is it!" he exclaimed.

Eliana's gaze flickered from Cytheas' face to the food laid out before them. "The eating contest? You wish to enter?"

"I look forward to this every year, you know that. I lost to Malfurion last year and Elune be damned, I will not this year!"

"Do not take Elune's name in vain in my presence, please. But if you insist on entering, I suppose I shall cheer you on. As well as offer you the waste bin when it all comes back up tonight," she teased.

"Oh please. I do not get sick," Cytheas retorted, before he ran off to the sign up table.

Eliana watched him scrawl his name on the list and he enthusiastically turned around and stuck his thumbs into the air, causing her to giggle at the childish joy on his face.

"And what exactly is it, that you find so amusing, Eliana?" a deep voice asked.

She gasped in surprise and whirled around, blushing when she saw Illidan beside her. "Oh! You frightened me Illidan. I did not hear you approach."

"Clearly," the male teased before he asked. "Are you entering the contest?"

"Me? Oh no, I do not think I could fit all of that in my stomach, even if I had no time limit. Cytheas is entering," Eliana explained, as she pointed to her friend who was sitting down at a table on the other end of the area.

"Is he? My brother claims he was quite the competition last year."

"Mmm. Cytheas has a strong competitive streak, and he claims he will not lose again this year," Eliana said, as she raised her eyebrows at Illidan.

The broad-shouldered male laughed as he shook his head. "My brother said much the same."

Eliana laughed softly and silence fell between the two then, as they observed Malfurion sitting down across from Cytheas. The two males stared intently at each other, issuing non-verbal challenges, and Cytheas rolled his shoulders in an attempt at intimidating the leafy-haired male, who responded by rolling his eyes.

When the horn sounded, they rapidly shoveled the food on their plates into their mouths, their cheeks swelling like chipmunks as they tried to chew fast enough to make more room. Illidan crossed his arms and laughed at the sight, and Eliana glanced up at him in surprise.

He seemed to be in good spirits today. It was rare to hear more than a dry chuckle from Illidan, and she felt privileged to have witnessed two thus far. Her eyes drifted from his visage, to the bulging arm muscle that was right in front of her face, and she quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks darkening.

Why is it, that every time Illidan is present, I turn into a blushing maiden?

In an attempt to disguise her embarrassment, she cleared her throat and asked, "So Illidan...where is Tyrande? I am surprised she is missing this."

At the mention of the other maiden, Illidan's face fell slightly which caused Eliana to tilt her head slightly in concern.

"Tyrande claimed that she was feeling unwell earlier. She said that if she felt better after resting for a bit, that she would meet us here," he explained.

"Oh? She seemed fine last night."

"Hm. I am simply repeating what Malfurion told me. I have not spoken to her myself today."

"I see..." Eliana trailed off.

When the conversation lapsed into silence again, Eliana mentally kicked herself. How often did she get the opportunity to speak with Illidan alone? Yet here she was, tight-lipped and awkward, and she couldn't help but wish that she could be more familiar with Illidan, like Tyrande was.

As if sensing her discomfort, he turned away from the spectacle and in a soft voice asked, "Would you like to walk around? I am sure it will be some time before these two finish up."

"Oh, um, that sounds delightful," Eliana replied, her voice so quiet that Illidan almost couldn't hear her response.

They ambled away from the clearing, heading back into the throng of elves and the only sound between them, in addition to the chatter of the crowd, was the sound of their footsteps. Eventually, they came to a food stand and Illidan turned to face Eliana.

"Would you like a moonberry pie?"

"That sounds delicious. I love moonberries," Eliana said with a smile.

"Wait here?" Illidan asked, as he jogged over to the stand's attendant and gestured towards one of the pies lying on the table next to him.

After he handed over some coins, he picked one of the pies up and walked back over to Eliana. "Shall we sit?" he suggested.

She nodded and they made their way to one of the benches that lined the pathway. He handed her a fork and held the pie out to her, so that she could take the first bite. She giggled shyly and took a small portion from the edge, praying to Elune that she wouldn't look like an absolute fool as she ate it. The goddess must have been listening because thankfully, she didn't drop the bite or manage to smear it all over her face-which was impressive, considering how nervous she was.

While Illidan had his attention focused on the pie, Eliana tried to surreptitiously wipe her sweaty palms on her gown, disguising the act by keeping her fork clasped in her fingers. When Illidan spoke again, she nearly dropped her fork onto the ground, she was so tense.

"So how are your studies at the Temple of the Moon?"

"Oh, t-they um, they are good. Things are well. I learn so much every day and my fellow sisters are so helpful."

"That is good to hear. Why did you wish to join the Sisterhood? If you do not mind me asking," he questioned, as he set the pie down in between them.

Only Cytheas and her father knew the real reason why she'd joined the Sisterhood, and Eliana hesitated before speaking. "My mother...she was a Priestess as well."

"Oh?"

"She led the Sisterhood before High Priestess Dejahna. When she passed away, I expressed my desire to follow in her footsteps and at first, my father adamantly refused. I think he wished for me to stay home forever, and to never have to divide my time between him and other things. As the years passed and I grew through my adolescence, he realized that I had been serious about my intentions and eventually, he acquiesced."

"I never knew about your mother. Tyrande never mentioned anything," Illidan commented softly.

"She...does not know about my mother. Cytheas is-was-the only one who did, aside from my father," she said quietly.

Illidan remained silent for so long that Eliana eventually turned to face him, wondering why he hadn't said anything. He was facing her and his amber eyes bored into hers so intently, that Eliana found that she could not look away. After a few moments of silence, Illidan opened his mouth to speak but a voice called out and interrupted him before he could.

"There you two are! We are wondering where you had gone off to!"

Eliana's cheeks darkened at being caught in such an intense moment as she broke eye contact with Illidan and glanced over to the male who had spoken. It turned out to be Malfurion, with Cytheas trailing after him. Cytheas didn't look very happy; his forehead was creased and his eyebrows were low over his eyes when he saw Eliana and Illidan on the bench together.

When Illidan spotted his brother, he chuckled and rose from the bench, prompting Eliana to follow his lead. "Well, which one of you won this year?"

Malfurion laughed jovially and clapped Cytheas on the back, causing the other male to grimace. "Cytheas here finally bested me! Beat me by just a hair too. What was it, half a moonberry pie?"

At that, Cytheas' eyes practically zoomed in on the pie sitting between Eliana and Illidan, obviously shared considering the two pairs of silverware and the missing half of the dessert.

"Indeed," the navy-haired male muttered as he looked off to the side and crossed his arms.

Malfurion sidled up to his brother then and said, "Well, we are off to check up on Tyrande. Enjoy the rest of the festival, you two!"

Illidan glanced over to Malfurion, irritation plain on his face. He bowed his head slightly at Eliana as a farewell and turned to follow his brother through the Square. Eliana shuffled in place and turned back to face Cytheas, who was still avoiding eye contact.

"Congratulations on your victory, Cyth," Eliana said quietly.

"Hm. Not that you were there to witness it," he shot back.

"I only meant to leave for a moment. Illidan suggested walking around and we had intended on returning but we got distracted..." she trailed off.

"I can see that."

"...You are upset."

"Of course I am upset! Did you come here with me or with Illidan, Eliana?"

"That is not fair. You know that I came with you. Am I not allowed to speak to my other friends at all? Please, I do not wish to argue," she pleaded, as her gaze dropped to the ground.

She fiddled with her fingers anxiously, as more and more time passed with Cytheas choosing to remain silent. Out of nowhere, he grasped her wrist and pulled her in the direction of the forest.

"Cytheas, what are you doing?" she gasped, as she tripped over her feet in his haste.

"I do not wish to discuss this in the middle of the festival," he replied, over his shoulder.

"You are pulling too hard."

Hastily, he dropped her arm and continued to stalk ahead towards the edge of the forest. When they were only a few feet away from the first pine tree, he whirled around and stared Eliana down.

"I want you to be honest with me, Eliana. If you care about me at all, you will be truthful."

"A-Alright," she agreed reluctantly.

"Does your heart beat faster when you are with me, or when you are with Illidan?"

Her mouth fell open at his directness and she looked away, as she tried to regain her composure.

"Eliana," Cytheas prompted.

"I will answer you, Cytheas! Just...give me a moment, for Elune's sake," she said with a sharp exhalation of air.

Her silver eyes returned to his before she spoke. "You have always known how I have felt about Illidan."

"Yes, I have. When we were younger, I thought that it was simply an infatuation that would pass but obviously, it never did."

"If you knew how I felt, then why would you bother to ask me?" she demanded.

"Because now, I am courting you!" he shouted. His frustration was obviously beginning to get the better of him because he frantically shoved his fingers through his hair, and they caught on his top knot.

Eliana was surprised at his vehement reaction. Cytheas was always calm, collected-he was similar to Malfurion in that regard and it was what made him a very good soldier. This was one of the few times that Eliana had actually seen him worked up.

"My feelings cannot change overnight, Cytheas."

A heavy sigh left his lips then and he placed his hands on his hips. "I know that."

"Then why are you pushing me?" she asked gently, not wanting to upset him further.

He stared at her then, his expression less angry and more vulnerable than she'd ever seen him be. "Because I need to know if you think that you are even capable of coming to care for me. I have loved you for far longer than a few weeks, Eliana. I am sorry that...that I seem like I am pushing you. I do not mean to.

"It is just...I am afraid to lose you. You are right-I know how you feel about Illidan, I always have. I suppose the knowledge of the fact that you rarely speak to him made me hopeful. But then, knowing that I had admitted how I felt about you, and then seeing the two of you together today and the expression on your face...you have never once looked at me in that way. Not once, Eli."

Tears welled up in Eliana's eyes at Cytheas' heartbroken tone of voice. This was exactly what she feared when he confessed that night. She knew that she should just be honest and upfront with him about her doubts, but she wasn't sure if she could break his heart even more than she already had.

"I am sorry, Cytheas."

"Sorry for what? Sorry for not being able to return my feelings?"

"I do not know!" she exclaimed, as she threw her hands up in the air. "I do not know if I am capable of loving you in that way, rather than as a brother."

"Because you have never tried!"

"I am trying. I am sorry if you cannot see that."

"I do not believe you."

"Then tell me, Cytheas. What do you believe is trying? How am I to convince you that I am?" she threw back at him.

Now it was Cytheas that she could not look away from, but rather than a feeling of elation coursing through her it was...fear. She was afraid of the intensity in his eyes, the unpredictability of his next move. The expression on his face was not one that she had ever seen before, and subconsciously, she found herself holding her breath.

She was afraid for good reason, it would seem.

Cytheas closed the distance between them with only two strides and he pulled her into his body so hard, the breath she'd been holding, whooshed out of her. Before she could even process what was happening, his lips crashed onto hers.

Eliana froze. Their bodies were pressed so tightly together, that she could feel every ridge of his hard muscles and his fingers were gripping her upper arms so hard, it was beginning to hurt.

"Mmmf." She tried to speak, but Cytheas was still pressing his lips to hers.

Raising her arms so that her hands were braced against his chest, she pushed him back and he finally leaned away from her, his silver eyes gazing into hers, searching for some semblance of emotion.

"Cytheas, let me go," she demanded in a soft voice.

At the now different tone in her voice, Cytheas swallowed roughly. "Eliana...I..."

"Let...me...go," she repeated, this time from between clenched teeth.

He quickly dropped his hands and took a step back, with a hopeful expression still on his face. Eliana averted her gaze and fixed her stare at a tree trunk in the far distance, on the edge of the forest. Silence passed between them before Cytheas spoke again.

"Eliana, I am sorry. I should not have done that."

"..."

"Please say something," he begged.

"I am going to return home now. I will see you later," Eliana stated, as she turned to leave.

Cytheas grabbed hold of her wrist and tugged lightly as he said, "Can we talk about this? I do not want you to leave angry with me."

Eliana looked back over her shoulder at him, her expression closed and her eyes narrowed. "You caused my anger, Cytheas. I do not wish to speak to you right now. I will see you later."

She yanked her arm out of his grasp then and stalked away from the forest, leaving a crestfallen Cytheas behind.