Once out of the boat, she slipped off her hood, revealing bright golden hair and a smile equally as bright.
"Thrall," Jaina Proudmoore said warmly. "Someday we shall meet under better circumstances."
"Ancestors willing, that day will not be long in coming," Thrall rumbled, his voice deep and affectionate. He slipped off his own hood, revealing a strong, bearded, orcish face and eyes as blue as her own.
Jaina squeezed his hand and then released it, turning to his companion, an older orc with white hair pulled back in a topknot and a sparse beard.
"Eitrigg," she said, and dropped a small curtsey.
"Lady Jaina." His voice was cooler than Thrall's, but still kind. With a nod, he moved slightly away to higher ground, to keep watch while his warchief and the human sorceress spoke.
Jaina turned back to Thrall, her brow furrowing. "Thank you for agreeing to meet me here. In light of… recent events, I thought a meeting site other than our usual one at Razor Hill would be a good idea. Word has reached Stormwind of the… incident in Ashenvale."
Thrall grimaced and ground his teeth. "Word has reached me of the incident in Ashenvale." His voice simmered with barely contained anger.
Jaina let herself smile. "I knew that you couldn't possibly be behind it. That the rumors you were involved weren't true."
"Of course they're not true!" Thrall spat the words. "I would never condone such barbarity. And if I make a treaty with the Alliance, I intend to see that it is kept." He sighed and rubbed his face. "Still — I cannot lie. Orgrimmar, the Barrens — they are in desperate need of supplies. And there are plenty of both to be had in Ashenvale."
"But that's not the way to get them." Jaina said.
"I know this," Thrall snapped, then added more gently, "but others apparently do not understand such — subtleties. Jaina, I did not authorize that incursion, and I am furious at the level of brutality displayed toward the Sentinels. I deeply regret the violation of the treaty. But the results have proven… very popular."
"Popular?" Jaina's eyes widened. "I know some of the Horde have bloodthirsty natures, but — I confess I had thought better of them as a whole. I had thought you — "
"I have done what I thought best," Thrall said, then added under his breath, "though now sometimes I question." More loudly, he said, "We have a violent history, Jaina. And the more fate forces us toward simply surviving, the closer to the bone we must pare."
"Have you received Varian's courier?"
The grimace deepened. "I have." They both knew what the courier's letter had said. Varian had been very controlled in the missive — for him. He had demanded that Thrall issue a formal apology, reaffirm his dedication to the treaty, denounce the actions, and turn over those responsible to Alliance justice. Varian would then agree to overlook the "blatant violation to a treaty designed to promote peace and cooperation between our two peoples."
"What are you going to do? Do you know who did it?"
"I do not have proof, but I have my suspicions. I cannot approve of the action."
"Well, of course you can't," Jaina said, looking at him uncertainly. "Thrall, what's wrong?"
He sighed. "I cannot approve of it," he repeated, "but I will not do as Varian demands."
She stared at him for a moment, mouth slightly open in shock. "What do you mean? Varian believes you deliberately broke the treaty. His request wasn't unreasonable, and he will have the perfect excuse to escalate the situation. We could be looking at outright war!"
He held up a large green hand. "Please. Listen to me. I will send a letter to Varian, stating that I did not condone the incursion. I will seek out those responsible. I've no desire for war. But I cannot apologize for the violence, nor will I turn over any suspects to the Alliance. They are Horde. They will be judged by Horde. To give them to Varian — no. It is a betrayal of my people's trust on far too many levels. And frankly… it is wrong. Varian would never stand for such a request from me, nor should he."
"Thrall, if you didn't give the order, then you're not responsible, and — "
"But I am responsible. I lead my people. It is one thing to rebuke my people for violating a law. It is another to appear to attack their sense of self. Their very identity7. You do not understand how the Horde thinks, Jaina," Thrall said quietly. "That is one thing my unique upbringing granted me. To understand how things are perceived from both sides. My people hunger, they thirst for clean water, they must have wood for housing. They believe they were wronged when the night elves closed the trade routes. They see this unwillingness to fill basic needs as a brutal act — and someone, somewhere, decided to retaliate in kind."
"Slaughtering night elves and removing their skins is in - kind retaliation for closed trade?" Her voice rose.
"Closed trade permits children to starve, to be exposed to the elements, to become sick. The logic… I can follow it. And so can others. If I were to condemn this attack openly, when it successfully provided something so desperately needed — it would seem as though I am condemning that need. I would look weak, and believe me, there are plenty who would like to take advantage of such a moment of perceived vulnerability. It is a treacherous path I walk, my friend. I must rebuke them — but only to a point. I will apologize for the violation of a treaty, but not for the theft, or even the murders or how they were performed."
"I am — disappointed that you choose this path, Thrall," Jaina said, being completely honest.
'Your opinion matters to me. It always does. Nonetheless, I will not grovel before Varian, nor play down the desperate survival needs of my people."
Jaina was silent for a long moment, her arms folded tight across her chest, looking down at the ground. "I think I understand," she replied finally, the words coming slowly, bitterly. "Light, how I hate to say that. But one thing you need to understand is how very badly the Wrath Gate incident harmed your relationship with the Alliance. We lost almost five thousand at the Wrath Gate alone, Thrall. And in particular, the loss of Highlord Bolvar Fordragon was personally felt by so very many."
"As was the loss of Saurfang the Younger," Thrall said. "The best and brightest sliced down in his prime, then raised to… well. Do not think the Horde escaped lightly from this conflict."
"Oh, I don't. But — it is hard to bear. Especially when so many of the fallen died at Horde hands and not Scourge."
"Putress was not of the Horde!" Thrall growled.
"It's a distinction that not a lot of people make. And even now, there are doubts. You know that."
Thrall nodded, growling a little in the back of his throat. Jaina knew it was not directed at her but at Putress and the rest of those who had been behind the attack. Those who had claimed allegiance to the Horde while plotting behind its back.
"First that, and now this. It's going to be hard for the Alliance leadership to trust you," Jaina continued. "A lot of people, Varian included, felt that you didn't do enough to address the situation after it happened. Publicly decrying all aspects of this incursion would go a long way to mending the Alliance's image of you and the Horde both. And let's face it — it wasn't a little scuffle. This was horrific."
"It was. And turning over suspected criminals to Alliance justice would be a horror that my people would never recover from. It would shame them, and I will never do that. They would seek to overthrow me, and they would be right in doing so."
She regarded him evenly. "Thrall, I don't think you fully appreciate the direness of the situation. It's not going to do much good for you to tacitly approve something you deplore if it brings war upon the Horde. And Varian — "
'Varian is a hothead," Thrall snapped.