Andreas rubbed his temples forcefully. Since rushing back from the Broken Isles, he hadn't had a moment to rest, and after Maclay's hypnotic, scripture-like report, he finally reached his limit.
"Leticia, cover for me here at the administrative hall for a while. I need to get some sleep and recover my energy."
Leticia, who was munching on an apple, shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, you really do need a good rest."
"Oh, right."
Just before Andreas stood up to leave, Leticia suddenly remembered something.
"Sister Shandris sent word through a caravan scout a month ago. She wants you to dispatch some Druids of the Talon into Darkshore to coordinate with the Sentinels in scouting Felwood Forest."
Andreas, who was about to walk out the door, suddenly froze. The words "Felwood Forest" made his heart tighten instinctively.
"Did something happen?"
"I don't know," Leticia said, spreading her hands. "Sister Shandris didn't go into detail, but Feron mentioned something about it recently as well."
"There seems to be some ill-intentioned creatures residing in Felwood. Residents who moved there occasionally report being harassed by unknown beings while sleeping during the day."
Andreas' expression turned grave. Satyrs fleeing from the War of the Ancients? Though they aren't organized yet... it's better to take precautions early.
"I understand. I'll find time to reply to Shandris. Now... let me get some proper sleep first."
...
Andreas had originally planned to sort out the territory's affairs for a few days before contacting Shandris, but when he woke up the next afternoon, the first thing he saw upon opening his eyes was Shandris sitting by his bed, silently reading a book.
"...How did you get here so fast? Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"
Fresh out of a haze, Andreas's brain was still a bit foggy. He slapped his cheeks with both hands to quickly focus his mind.
Setting down the book she was reading, Shandris said with a smile, "I have important matters to discuss with you. But when I arrived, you were sleeping so soundly; you must have accumulated a lot of fatigue during your travels."
Taking Andreas' clothes from a nearby rack, Shandris skillfully helped him dress, piece by piece.
"I've already heard from my mentor. You've performed another great service during your trip to the Broken Isles. You've worked hard."
"Heh~"
Dressed with Shandris' assistance, Andreas gave a mocking laugh. "Stealing the spotlight from the High Priestess again... Tyrande surely hasn't said anything nice about me, has she?"
Shandris smiled thin-lipped, not answering the question directly, but her expression spoke volumes.
"The Archdruid has been full of praise for you since returning to Astranaar. To bring Val'sharah under the blessing of Nordrassil, the higher-ups of the Druidic order are urgently discussing the planting of a new World Tree."
The seeds left behind by G'Hanir, the Mother Tree, had long since withered; the last one had grown into Nordrassil under the blessings of the three Dragon Aspects. Naturally, the World Tree intended for Val'sharah couldn't use G'Hanir's seeds. Fortunately, Nordrassil was growing well under the Druids' care, and this young World Tree had produced a few viable seeds.
The new World Tree was scheduled to be planted in a relatively flat forested area in northern Val'sharah. However, lacking the catalyst of the Dragon Aspects' blessings, it would require long-term effort from the Druids for this tree to grow enough to connect with Nordrassil's network.
True to its original history, the new World Tree was named Shaladrassil, meaning "Crown of Antiquity."
The situation Shandris described didn't surprise Andreas. As they discussed business, they moved to the outer dining room and shared a simple meal.
Once the matter of Shaladrassil was finished, Shandris quickly shifted the topic to the investigation of Felwood Forest.
The Sentinel force had been established. Perhaps the seeds of Tyrande's original "Amazonian" ideology were beginning to sprout, as the recruits for this new unit were exclusively female. The officers were priests of the Sisterhood of Elune serving concurrently, with Shandris as their leader.
As the sharp blade for Tyrande to consolidate her power and venture into military command, the Sentinels had received a massive influx of resources since their inception.
Setting aside the combat capability of the new recruits for a moment, at least equipment and logistics were not a concern; Tyrande had no qualms about distributing elite armaments to her direct subordinates.
This blatant act of using public office for private gain had once again drawn the ire of the Highborne. Dath'Remar had mentioned this issue to Andreas earlier.
Being a trusted apprentice who had followed Tyrande since her days of poverty, Tyrande chose to trust Shandris despite knowing of her connection with Andreas. She appointed Shandris—who had matured significantly since the War of the Ancients—as the Sentinel General to lead the entire force, urging her to produce results quickly to silence the numerous dissenters.
Though worried about the combat readiness of the newly formed Sentinels, Shandris couldn't sway the stubborn Tyrande. She could only look for suitable training targets around Mount Hyjal.
However, the War of the Ancients had ended only a few years ago, and the continent of Kalimdor remained generally peaceful. Occasional bandits weren't enough to let the Sentinels truly make a name for themselves.
It was precisely at this time that the anomalies in Felwood caught Shandris's attention. Considering her recruits' severe lack of combat experience, she planned to borrow the Druids of the Talon—scouts under her boyfriend's command who had survived the War of the Ancients—to explore Felwood first.
Andreas, of course, would not refuse such a small request. No matter how many conflicts or disagreements he had with Tyrande, both parties' starting point was the welfare of the entire race. As long as Tyrande remained lucid, Andreas believed the High Priestess wouldn't make any foolish moves.
It was just that Tyrande, in her quest to grasp both religious and military power, could occasionally fall into a state of power-blindness and make stupid decisions that were hard for normal people to comprehend.
After inquiring with Maclay at the administrative hall, Andreas learned that Feron had just returned from a scouting mission in the Stonetalon Mountains to the south. After being briefed on the Felwood intelligence provided by Shandris, the energetic young Druid personally led a team toward Darkshore.
Darkshore and Felwood were separated only by a mountain range. However, because it was near Mount Hyjal, the highest peak in Azeroth, the terrain was significantly higher than the flat Darkshore.
The orders Andreas gave Feron were for preliminary reconnaissance. He specifically emphasized that the Druids of the Talon should stay on high alert, report back immediately upon any discovery, and not engage the enemy blindly.
With official business concluded, Shandris took the opportunity to invite Andreas.
"Since you've found Val'sharah, we should find a time to return to Lorlathil to pay our respects."
Andreas smiled and nodded. "I knew you'd have that in mind. But let's wait a little longer."
"Shaladrassil hasn't been planted yet, and there's still a lot of work waiting for me in Moonshadow's Rest. Once I'm through this busy period, I'll let you know, and we can set out together."
Shandris nodded, stood on her tiptoes, and gave Andreas a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth.
"Then I'll wait for your news. Take care of yourself; I don't want to see you looking as haggard as you did two years ago."
Leticia looked at the pair of "idiot lovers" ignoring their surroundings with dead-fish eyes.
"...I say, can't you two find another place to act all lovey-dovey? This is the administrative hall, for crying out loud."