Elariel felt oddly safe as she walked the path carved by the hunters. Despite the fact that they were in an impractically large group, more likely to draw attention, she had no doubt that the hunters were skilled and vigilant enough to avoid any threats. The further they went, the more she noted that to be true. Tae'loren and Ae'oleth could have led them right to many dangerous creatures had they wanted to, as Elariel only noticed the once the danger had passed. As she allowed herself to trust the two Night Elves she found herself watching them with interest and admiration; every one of their footfalls was met with no sound or disturbance. They moved so smoothly through the world that she wondered if they were truly part of it. In contrast, she could hear the scuffled and thuds of herself an her companions as though they were magnified. She wondered if Tae'loren and his brother were disturbed by the sheer amount of noise the mages were making. If they did, they gave no sign of it. As she trailed closely behind them she could see the vigilance in their posture, she doubted they were thinking of much more than safety.<br/><br/>For most of the journey Elariel had felt lost; not used to following the paths of others as she trekked the area. Then, with great surprise, she saw the Black Temple looming in the distance. She looked at her colleagues as Ae'oleth spoke. She was the only one of the group who had ever managed to breach the walls, and even then it had taken her a long time and she had faced many enemies to do so. Part of her thought that it was too good to be true, but as she looked over at the wall she felt an urge to put suspicions aside. If they managed to get in and complete their study they could leave his blasted land, they could return home with the knowledge they need and start to rebuild their race. She turned to her colleagues, seeing them weighing up the situation with critical eyes.<br/><br/>It took several minutes of silence for them to reach a consensus. One by one, with Roe'nor and Neras the last to submit, the others gave grim nods of their heads. When the final decision was released Elariel turned to Tae'lorena and Ae'oleth with a bright smile that was at odds with the situation. AS the group turned towards the Temple once more she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Neras behind her, his face set hard.<br/><br/>"If they have led us into a trap they will die," His voice came out as a harsh whisper that was intended only for her. Elariel took a deep breath to steady herself and pushed his hand off her.<br/><br/>"If this isn't a trap, then we can stop our whole race from dying." Elariel's return hiss was just as quiet, and just as serious. She turned to follow the Night Elves and wondered yet again at the fact that she trusted them so instinctively.<br/><br/>The mages needed to get deep into the temple, close to Illidan's power source, and case a few spells of their own to identify the source and origin of his abilities. They theorised that only his power was enough to exterminate the blight of Arthas and his army. That was the only way they could make their people safe, the only way they could ensure a future. The power might be corrupt, Elariel could tell by the way it stuck to her soul whenever she left the temple, but they would find a way to control it. Find a way to harness it.<br/><br/>Elariel squared her shoulders and balanced herself  as they crossed into the temple, latent magic began to simmer in her veins and sing in mind. She was ready for whatever danger they were about to face.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>