Tirion Fordring in a deep sleep, scenes from the past flashed before his eyes, as if they were yesterday.
He recalled the moment he joined the Silver Hand: the magnificent cathedral, the ornate Altar, the stained-glass windows, and the rows of neat white Big Candles.
On one side were the battle Priests from Northshire Abbey, dressed in white robes.
On one side were the Silver Hand Paladins clad in armor.
With sincere smiles, they blessed themselves together and held a sanctification ceremony for their newly joined comrade.
Tirion Fordring still remembered the image of the Warrior, bathed in golden light, with a face and bearing like an emperor, standing before the stained glass windows of the cathedral. His right hand held a massive warhammer, and his left hand held a book whose title was:
"Defend Honor with Blood."
At that time, Tirion Fordring's heart was filled with hope, and he longed for glory and light.
Tracing back more than a dozen generations, the Fordring family had always been the lords of Hearthglen. He inherited this glorious position from his father and clearly understood his responsibilities and obligations.
The lord enjoys the support and love of the people, but he must also bear the responsibility of defending the territory.
He has always fulfilled this responsibility well, using wisdom and courage to defuse or defeat enemies that are detrimental to Hearthglen.
Until the Orcs appeared.
Tirion Fordring yearns for the power of the Holy Light, hoping to use it to defeat the Orcs and protect his homeland.
"By my blood and by my honor, I swear."
Through the introduction of his old friend Saidan Dathrohan, he honorably joined the Silver Hand, and the successful sanctification ritual granted him the power of the Holy Light.
The battle Priests and Paladins who blessed him back then must all be dead by now, right?
He couldn't even remember their names.
When did he begin to doubt the Silver Hand and the Holy Light?
It probably stems from that battle we survived!
He no longer remembered the exact time and location of the battle, only that it was a fierce and brutal war. Probably due to a misjudgment in intelligence, there were more Orcs than expected, and the Silver Hand was surrounded.
The correct course of action is to withdraw from the Battlefield immediately before the Orcs can regroup and avoid unnecessary casualties.
However, Tirion Fordring felt a surge of adrenaline rush to his head, and Justice and honor blinded him. He tightened the reins and charged recklessly into the powerful Orcs army.
Unfortunately, but fortunately, his horse was tripped by something, and he fell off, tumbling down the cliff and losing consciousness.
When he awoke, he struggled to climb the cliff, only to find that the Battlefield was littered with human bones.
The loss of a young life is a tragic and heartbreaking sight.
Why not evacuate?
Tirion Fordring wondered, "Are all the commanders of the Silver Hand idiots?"
Why did he bravely charge towards the Orcs even knowing it was suicide? He questioned himself, feeling some unseen force influencing his will; he should have chosen a more rational battle strategy.
Tirion Fordring knew where to find the answer.
A bottle of fine wine, treasured for many years, successfully intoxicated Saidan Dathrohan, Tirion Fordring's Silver Hand introducer.
"That's Uther's Aura of Courage! You mean the Orcs were feeding Uther? Ha! Uther's a complete idiot, he knows nothing about warfare. He uses the lives of young Warriors to gain his own glory. Who told him to be under the protection of the Naaru? Any Paladin who dared to oppose him had their Holy Light stripped from him."
Saidan Dathrohan patted Tirion Fordring on the shoulder and said mysteriously:
"Remember, learning the Aura of Concentration can effectively counteract the Aura of Courage; this is the secret to surviving on the Battlefield."
By then, Tirion Fordring was already quite old and a rational adult.
The hardships and experiences of life have long since robbed him of the passion and impulsiveness of youth. He knows that some things can be resisted, while others can only be silently endured.
His Aura of Concentration allowed him to survive on the Battlefield, repeatedly escaping death's embrace.
He was a wealthy lord, and he had a fine horse that ran incredibly fast, faster than Orcs could catch.
One day, Tirion Fordring was surprised to find himself one of the five founders of the Silver Hand.
The Paladin joined the Silver Hand before him had all become Orcs food under Uther's relentless feeding strategy, making him, the newest member, one of the most senior members.
He gained a certain degree of influence and was able to participate in the command of the Silver Hand.
So Tirion Fordring began to offer some suggestions that were not exactly brilliant.
"Uther, the terrain here is treacherous; we can use the jungle to launch an ambush."
"We are the Silver Hand, glorious and honorable Paladins. Let's not resort to tricks and schemes; we will defeat the Orcs honorably on the Battlefield." Uther vetoed the proposal.
They suffered a crushing defeat, and three thousand valiant human soldiers became food for the Orcs.
"The Orcs are exhausted. Days of marching have left them weary. Under the cover of night, we can launch a surprise attack while they are sound asleep. We are confident of success. I am willing to be the first to Charge."
"We are the Silver Hand, the glorious and honorable Paladins. Let's not resort to underhanded tactics. Three days from now, once the Orcs have rested, we will have a fair fight with them and defeat Orcs honorably."
The following night, the camp was attacked by Orcs, and five thousand brave human soldiers became Orcs food.
From then on, when Tirion Fordring looked at the clenched fist on the Silver Hand banner, he felt it was a pig's trotter.
Commander Uther of the Silver Hand is a complete idiot.
The Kingdom of Alterac was the first to be unable to tolerate Uther's folly. Fearing that their people would be fed to the Orcs by Uther, they chose to surrender to the Orcs, opening a passage for the Orcs force to pass through. This allowed the Orcs to invade the rear of the Human Alliance, the capital of the Kingdom of Lordaeron.
This was probably the last time Tirion Fordring offered advice to the Silver Hand.
"Just hold your ground. Orcs excel in open field battles but are not good at sieges. Lordaeron are thick, high, and sturdy, its moat is wide and deep enough, and its food reserves are plentiful enough to last for several years. In less than three months, once the Orcs run out of food, we will win."
Uther rejected Tirion Fordring's proposal once again.
"We are the Silver Hand, the glorious and honorable Paladins. Open the gates! The Silver Hand will engage the Orcs in a magnificent open-field battle. We must summon our courage, dare to face our opponents head-on, and the Holy Light will bless us to a great victory."
Fifty thousand of Lordaeron's new recruits died on the battlefield, and Lordaeron was nearly left without any soldiers to defend itself.
Uther successfully fed an entire generation of young and strong men of Lordaeron to the Orcs.
Some people are just that stubborn, refusing to listen to anyone's advice, yet they happen to hold great power.
From then on, Tirion Fordring chose to remain silent.
Uther once again defied public opinion in assisting the Orcs.
"Our Guardian has received a prophecy: the Orcs are the Saviors of Azeroth. We must act in accordance with the times. The people of Lordaeron are Evil; they are destined to bring destruction to this world. We must help the Orcs eradicate Evil."
Tirion Fordring finally understood the meaning of the book title held by the left hand of the figure in the emperor-like portrait on the church:
"Defend Honor with Blood."
Shedding the blood of the innocent to defend their own honor.
The flag bearing the Pig Trotter Hand fluttered before my eyes.
Tirion Fordring awoke from his coma to the sound of children playing outside the window and saw his young and beautiful wife, Kalendra, sitting Anjing in a large plush chair doing needlework.
This is everything to him, his priceless treasure.
Defend Honor with Blood! Tirion Fordring suddenly had an epiphany.
He should learn from Uther, who dared to shed the blood of the innocent; Hearthglen could actually be abandoned.
For his family, for his wife and children.