AN: Thank you again to those who've posted comments! As I can't send everyone who's posting a 'thank you' by the respond-to-comment button, I'll leave the thank-you's to those who leave un-signed comments here.

Cyrius: That was a good idea. I followed your advice and modified my story summary to add the detail about her being a blood elf. Thanks!

ReviewerZ: Thank you very much for commenting on my story! I'm looking forward to Jarreth's wooing as well. I'm going to try and make it at least partially comedic.

Additional Notes: I figured it was about time we got back to Silvermoon and see what's been going on! Keep in mind that this is occurring shortly after Alara went missing. It hasn't yet been the couple weeks it has for the Alara thread of the story. I hope that makes sense o.O Onward!

Chapter 10: Whatever Happened to Fellias?

Since the moment she found out about her sister's disappearance, Fellias had not slept well. She spent her waking moments seething as she awaited the arrival of her siblings. At night, she tossed and turned fretfully, awake one moment, fitfully asleep the next. It was leaving her with deep bags under her eyes and a very short temper.

She had been granted extended leave from her duties to the regent due to family emergency. In order to appease her mother, who was having vapors so often the behavior was becoming predictable, Fellias had gone to stay with her parents until the rest of the family arrived and decided on a course of action.

Pelia was the first to arrive at the old homestead. She had been the closest to Silvermoon when the call to arms went out. Riding her large, bouncy bird, the woman all but sprinted the creature to the doorstep of her father's house. The pale-haired woman slide off the mount quickly and burst into the house, making as much racket as elvenly possible. "Fellias!"

The older elf looked up from her toast, scroll of the daily news clutched in her hand. Her eyes were blurry and she blinked a number of times to clear them. "Pelia? It's five in the morning…"

"None of that now!" Pelia swooped into the room and snatched a slice of toast from the platter sitting before Fellias. Buttering it excessively, the younger paladin continued in her boisterous way. Of the eight, Pelia was by far the loudest. "In these dire circumstances, one must be prepared to spring into action at any hour!"

"We're not springing anywhere yet. Sit down and take off that ridiculous helmet." Fellias glared up at her little sister and the silly hat the woman was wearing. "Daveious has to travel from the Outlands. We're not leaving until he gets here."

Put out, Pelia tossed her hat to one side and flopped into a chair, causing the wood to creak. She stuffed the toast into her mouth and glared at a pitcher of orange juice before helping herself. "We're the others?" she asked after gulping her juice.

"You're the first one here," Fellias supplied, snagging another slice without taking her eyes off the paper. "Although I think Baraneus is in the area, too, and should be arriving before today is over."

Pelia watched her sister carefully as she ate, deciding silence might be the best course. It was obvious that Fellias was upset. She looked terrible, as though a wild boar had dragged her across the country and back. Hopefully, the others would arrive soon and they could get a move on.

Of the Sunshades, Pelia was the closest to Alara in age. She looked more like Fellias than the others with hair so blond it was almost white. Always boisterous, before she had settled on being a paladin, most thought this girl would have become a bar maid for her loud disposition. Unknown to Pelia, it was she who Fellias was hoping would come home first. She had a task for the younger woman.

"This afternoon, as soon as you're rested, we're going to Silvermoon."

"Hm?" Pelia was brought out of her thoughts quickly. "Silvermoon?"

"Yes. There is a mage I want you to talk to." Fellias gave the younger a level gaze that conveyed more than the words spoken. The younger sister nodded her understanding.

"I shall bring my silliest hat."

The last thing Belarethil expected as he sat down to luncheon with great aunt Tilminis was Hurricane Pelia. He had figured on this afternoon being dry and routine. Tilminis had been expecting him for months and he figured he might as well humor the hag while she was still alive. It might mean a good inheritance if the witch thought he actually liked spending time with her.

The table was spread with lunch meats, wines, and a number of exotic looking fruits and cheeses. It was high quality and cost Tilminis a small fortune. It was lucky for Belarethil that the woman had more than a fortune stashed away in her banks. He had greeted the woman with a peck on the cheek before helping her into her chair and taking his own seat.

"Now," the woman started, banging a gnarled hand on the table top as they started eating. "What's all this noise I hear about you killing some little girl?

A piece of spiced pork paused halfway to an open mouth as Belarethil stared at his aunt. "I didn't kill her," he replied a bit more grumpily than he had intended. "She fell into a portal I was making."

"Either way, she's dead. My question, boy, is what you're planning to do about it." The woman held her wine glass up for one of her stewards to fill before downing the whole cup. She held it back up and was pleased to see it refill almost instantly.

"I hadn't planned to do much of anything. The Sunshades will take care of the situation. I intend to continue my studies uninterrupted." The conversation was heading away from how good of a nephew he was and down paths Belarethil did not particularly care for. He had no inkling that his day was about to get much worse.

"That will be difficult to do, one would think!"

This interruption halted a slice of cheese from making it to the mage's lips. He spun around in his chair to gape at the woman standing in the doorway of his great aunt's dining room. He was too surprised to see the woman that the question of how she even got into the house to begin with was pushed away.

"Fellias?" he muttered, blinking at the flamboyantly dressed woman.

"Wrong!" The elf bounced into the room and curtsied to Tilminis. "Pelia!"

"Pelia?" Belarethil frowned in confusion. He could see the strong resemblance and could have sworn it was the older of the two. Then again, that silly hat she was wearing obscured her hair.

"You've forgotten me so soon, dearest?" The young paladin, dressed more like a flower-shop owner by the sundress and ridiculous straw-weave hat covered in fake flowers, pouted at Belarethil. "I would think you'd remember little me…"

Belarethil did not remember ever really meeting Pelia before in his life. The befuddled expression he wore was obvious to anyone except Tilminis. The great-aunt was growing addled in her old age, the wine she consumed not helping her pick up visual cues.

"Don't be so harsh, boy!" The old woman rapped on the table with her knuckles. "Invite your girlfriend to sit, be a gentleman! Have I taught you nothing?" She blinked large, owlish eyes at Pelia through the thick, bottle-glasses she wore perched on her nose. "Such a pretty hat!"

Chagrined, Belarethil helped Pelia to an empty seat on his aunt's wishes. "She is not my-" he started. Tilminis cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"No need to be so defensive! She's lovely, I heartily approve." Tilminis snapped to her servants to bring another place setting for her nephew's friend. Pelia thanked the woman sweetly before turning to Belarethil.

"So, why can't you just figure out where that poor child was sent, honey?" She batted her eyelashes at him, playing her part wonderfully. Tilminis bought the whole scene as she swallowed yet another glass of wine.

"I'm not your-"

"Don't skip around the question, dearest," Pelia interrupted, eyebrows drawing in. She was turned toward Belarethil so Tilminis would not see her expression and become suspicious. Although Tilminis would be easy enough to fool if she believed Pelia was one of her nephew's girls, if the old coot found out Pelia was not supposed to be in her house, she would be evicted without a second thought. It was lucky for Pelia that Belarethil had a habit of denying girls he was associated with. Otherwise, her ploy would not have worked. Fellias knew this and, if it wasn't for the fact that Tilminis knew her personally, she would have gone herself. Pelia was the far better choice.

Pretty, girlish, and very good at pretending to be something she was not, Pelia would be able to worm her way into the household for long enough to threaten Belarethil subtly in Fellias' name. The younger paladin was, after all, a spy for Silvermoon and could adapt to situations quickly.

"I…" Belarethil's eyes glowed dangerously as he looked back at the interloper. His aunt didn't seem concerned with their conversation as she was too busy nibbling cheese and taking large gulps of wine. "It would take time to track down the path of the portal. It has been two days; the chance of traces would be unlikely."

"But not impossible," Pelia pressed, selecting a few choice slices of meat from a tray and layering them on bread. Once her make-shift sandwich was complete, she proceeded to eat it with vigor. Remembering her manors enough to thank Tilminis without a full mouth, the paladin returned her gaze to Belarethil. "In fact, based on what you've told me, my sweet, mages are highly accomplished in the ways of magicks. It should be a little feat of your ability to determine that poor girl's location. So, why can't you be a doll and help out that poor family. After all, I heard every last one of those Sunshades are coming to Silvermoon to rally and find that child." Pelia purposefully put emphasis on that fact that all seven of the remaining paladins would be arriving shortly. It would, hopefully, light a fire under this prissy mage's backside. "You wouldn't want to have to face Sir Daveious' full wrath, would you now?"

Pelia's tone may have been honey-sweet and as innocent as a harmless gossip, but Belarethil could hear the threat behind her words and see the darkness in her eyes. He knew that, though Daveious was the famous one of the bunch, the woman who sat next to him and ate his lunch – was even picking it off his tray, he noticed with annoyance – could very well cause him serious damage without more than raise of a finger. Of all the irritating brats to stumble in on his plots, it had to be a Sunshade.

"I suppose you are right, cupcake," he replied tersely, teeth ground together. "I should probably see if I can trace that portal's course. I'll start that tonight, if only for you."

"Now there's a good lad!" Tilminis had been half listening to the conversation, figuring it was merely a good natured quarrel between lovers. She raised her glass to him and was tickled when the steward took it as a sign to refill the goblet. "Don't you worry your pretty head, Pelia. My nephew will locate that poor girl. He's a good boy, you know. Very financially sound."

Pelia tried not to laugh and merely smiled coquettishly towards the great-aunt. By now, the woman had consumed enough alcohol to believe just about anything of Pelia. The paladin could have blown her cover when she realized Tilminis was trying to push her nephew as a good suitor. Financially sounds, indeed! She could almost bet she had more money than the mage sitting next to her. Telling this to Tilminis wasn't her objective, however. She had already completed it.

"Oh, I know," she giggled instead. "He's so sweet and generous, though, you would hardly know what an ambitious mage he is." The insult did not fall on Belarethil deafly as it did on Tilminis, who took the comment for face value. "Only great men would offer to help in such an icky situation." 'Too bad I had to bully you into it,' Pelia added silently, shooting a smarmy look towards Belarethil.

When she deemed that Belarethil had taken about as many insults to his character as he could, Pelia stood and bowed once more to Tilminis. "I really should be going. Thank you for your hospitality. Bye, sweetie-pie," she waggled fingers at Belarethil and, just to cement her role in Tilminis' eyes, leant over quickly to plant a kiss on the mage's cheek. With as much bounce as she had entered the room, Pelia was gone.

"What a wonderful young woman!" Tilminis gushed once she decided Pelia was out of earshot. "Your taste has improved."

"She's not my lady," Belarethil insisted, wiping his cheek with a napkin.

"Nonsense. I won't hear of it. She's a keeper, that one. I will be sorely disappointed if I hear about this relationship dissolving. Now, let us finish this meal."

Belarethil could only groan internally and pick at his plate. There was no use convincing his aunt any differently than she thought. It would only cause the woman to become distraught and kick him from her presence. If he was going to get her support, and her money, he would have to play to her delusions. Chewing a little harder than necessary, the mage swore he would smash the Sunshades once he had finally gained control.

"You're brilliant, you know that?" Fellias sat with her gaudy sister at a bar in one of Silvermoon's more seedy areas of town. It was easier to be a patron of a lower-class establishment than one where people knew Belarethil, or at least respected him. At the Dancing Cow, it was much easier to talk freely. Most everyone else was hiding from the law or too drunk to care.

"I have my moments," Pelia replied as she inspected her drink closely. Deciding the glass was clean enough and that she'd consumed worse in her years traveling, swallowed the contents with a satisfied swig. "Now, we'll just have to make sure Mr. Prissy-Pants stays on task until Daveious arrives."

"As amusing as it would be to have Daveious deal with him, you're right. Hopefully we'll know where we're heading before Big Brother arrives with Silmania and Presca." Fellias, having frequented this pub for years, did not bother checking her glass. She knew the bartender well enough and he was as honest as he needed to be.

"Presca's coming, too?" Pelia raised her eyebrows at Fellias.

"Are you so surprised?" Fellias shot back. "Assuming that Alara is not only still alive but has moved from her landing site, we will need a competent tracker to find her. A hunter will be handy." The woman held a look of challenge in her eyes that Pelia did not rise to meet.

"In her condition…" The younger woman's voice lacked conviction as she made a vague gesture with her hand. "Are you sure Daveious will even allow Presca to come? How are you sure she'll even arrive here and not stay in Thunder Bluff?"

"I don't." Fellias' lips were thin and her brow was drawn into a grim line. "Daveious, for as little as he really knows our baby sister, cares for her. He knows what we need to do, he's experienced. He'll know that we need Presca, with child or not. He will bring her. We'll have to believe that until we find out otherwise."

Finishing their drinks, the two women left the bar quietly. A small brawl was forming in the corner and they did not feel up to enforcing the city ordinance on fighting. Fellias was, she muttered under her breath to Pelia as way of excuse, off duty.

Each day, another sibling arrived. Soon, the old house, barely big enough to an average sized family, was overflowing with Sunshades. It was as if they were having a family reunion. In a way, they were. By the end of the week, everyone except Daveious and Silmania had arrived. The stables were jammed with mounts and Milanya Sunshade was finally out of her fits of vapors. Having her children around her helped her better cope with the loss of her youngest.

Darninus, however, was frustrated with the lack of space. As the patriarchal figure, he was not used to having so many people in his way. When they were children, he could pick up the offender and place them elsewhere. Fully fledged paladins, Darninus was discovering, were a lot harder to displace. He and his wife had grown accustomed to their solitude.

The day was hot and he had shooed everyone out into the front lawn. Milanya had gotten herself together and was serving juice and wine while the siblings caught up on adventures and compared their acquired gear. The air, which before had been full of a contented hum, was split by the squeal of Pelia.

"Daveious!"

Heads turned in unison and the Sunshades leapt to their feet. Riding a large, dangerous, black horse down the path, blood-red hair fanning out behind him, was the eldest brother. He looked grim and dirty from travel, but relieved to finally see his family. Behind him rode two women. One was Silmania. The other, to Fellias' great excitement, was Presca.

Presca, her large hound following at a long loupe, looked drawn and tired. This worred Fellias no small bit. She had been counting on the hunter to help them on their journey to find Alara.

As the small group reigned in, Presca waited for Daveious to dismount and reach up for her before sliding into his arms. She looked thinner than usual. Moving toward them, Fellias greeted her brother and his wife warmly before embracing Silmania.

"How is..." the city paladin made a motion to Fresca's flat belly in confusion. The older woman shook her head sadly and did not respond. Instead, the dark haired blood elf moved past Fellias to greet the rest of her in-laws.

"Daveious?" Fellias shot a look to her brother that was full of concern.

"She took ill last month. It was lost..." The pain that flickered across the older paladin's features spoke more than his words did. The couple was still mourning the loss of what would have been their first child.

At a loss for what to say, Fellias placed a hand on her brother's shoulder in a silent motion of understanding. She thought, but did not mention, how lucky it had happened before the child was too far along. Miscarriage was safer for Presca early in pregnancy than later. The young woman only hoped that her sister-in-law was not predisposed to do so.

"Can she travel?" After a long silence, Fellias had to get back to business. A family member who had already been born was lost and, if they did not move soon, Alara would be joining the unborn Sunshade.

"Yes, but not quickly yet. She needs a few days to recuperate here before we can leave. The sickness, coupled with..." Daveious made a nondescript motion with his hand, "..has left her weakened but not incapable. Her mind is still keen. Now, if you will excuse me, I've not seen Mother in years." Fellias stepped aside and returned his smile.

"She will be fine."

Fellias turned to Silmania who, before her brother had been out of ear shot, was silent. "I'm sorry?" Fellias wasn't sure if she caught what her soft spoken elder sister had said.

"Presca. She will be fine in a few days. We rode hard to get here, she is merely tired from the road." Silmania, who was in almost all respects the female version of Daveious, walked with Fellias back to the main group, greeting her sisters and brothers with a wave of her hand. She was the soft-spoken of the Sunshades, the yin to Pelia's yang.

"What makes you so certain?" Fellias poured Silmania a glass of lemonade while they talked. The sisters sat on a blanket spread on the grass, warmed by the sunshine filtering in through the treetops.

"She was devastated by the loss of the child. When she heard that Alara was in danger of being lost to us as well, it was as though a fire sprang to life inside of her soul. I had not seen her so alive since the miscarriage." Silmania sipped at her lemonade, regarding Fellias quietly for a long moment.

"You've not slept for days. You look terrible."

Fellias glared at her sister, wrinkling her nose. "Think how you would feel if Daveious suddenly went missing. Would you sleep?"

"No. I suppose I would not if I knew he had as little experience as our baby." The redhead set her lemonade down and leaned back on her palms, staring up into the canopy. "I truly hope, for your sake if not for anyone else's, that we find her intact."

Fellias drew her knees to her chest, resting her cheek on them, face turned towards Silmania. "Why do you say that?"

"To lose one's best friend is difficult. If I were to lose Daveious, it would be devastating."

"Thank you," Fellias whispered, surprising herself with her words. She had not realized how well Silmania understood the pain the younger paladin was going through. It made perfect sense, in retrospect, that Silmania would be able to relate. She was eternally grateful to have her elder sister sitting next to her, comforting her in this way. It was always easier to bear a burden if someone else told you they understood.

A shadow fell over the women and both looked toward the caster. Daveious stood over them, Pelia hanging on his arm like a giddy monkey. "I've been told the mage responsible is working on a way to find where she landed?" Fellias guessed who exactly had told him and smirked at Pelia. "I'd like to have a chat with this man."

"I figured as much. As soon as lunch is over, I'll take you to visit our dear friend Belarethil." There was no warmth in Fellias' tone and her smirk turned darker at the idea of introducing the whiney mage to her brother. Perhaps that would encourage Belarethil to speed up his attempts.

Daveious hated Belarethil the moment he set eyes upon the much too congenial mage. The man was a suck up and a snot. The paladin could barely stand the groveling, fake man who stood before him attempting to reassure the man that everything was progressing nicely. If his plastered-on smile was any larger, it would have torn his face in half. People like Belarethil made Daveious want to kill bunnies.

"Now, as I understand," the blood-haired paladin ground out dangerously, "you're saying it will take another week before you have conclusive evidence?"

"Or more," Belarethil lied. He already knew were the girl was having purposefully sent her to Ashenvale.

"Hm." Daveious strode around the workroom, surveying it as if intensely interested in the contents. Standing at the top of the ramp, blocking the mage's only real escape route, was Fellias, Pelia, and Silmania. The three sisters had accompanied Daveious for support as well as morbid curiosity. Fellias, more than the other two, wanted to see Belarethil reamed for his delay. Pelia, too, found Belarethil snivelly and wanted to see the man put into his place. Silmania merely went wherever her brother did. Plus, she did not like the sound of Belarethil and figured an extra set of hands couldn't hurt.

Daveious continued to wander the room, stopping to look at interesting trinkets and bobbles hung on the walls and from the ceiling. He paused at a table full of delicate glass instruments. Reaching a gloved hand out, he knocked one off and watched it shatter on the floor. "Oh dear," Daveious muttered dryly, looking leveling at where Belarethil winced. "I hope that wasn't important or expensive." There was an unspoken threat that hung in the air. Belarethil would have been a fool to miss it. When he said nothing, another trinket joined the first.

It was as Daveious reached for a third that Belarethil spoke, halting the other man's movement. "Of course, I could reconstruct the portal using a directional matrix that would allow a locational tracing. It might speed things up a bit."

"That would be splendid," Daveious replied, breaking the last piece of glass he had been reaching for. "Be sure you do so. I will be back tomorrow." Without another word, Daveious nodded to his sisters and the four exited down the ramp, leaving a very distressed Belarethil to sweep up the broken glass.

AN: There's chapter six! I figured a visit to the Sunshades was in order. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a comment if you see anything that could use fixing. This includes but is not limited to spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and the like. Thanks much!