Garrosh, harboring ulterior motives, led his army in retreat towards Howling Fjord.
Dranosh, Saurfang the Great, has been mediocre and accomplished nothing since entering Northrend due to a lack of ability and knowledge.
Interestingly, while Garrosh and Vol'jin suffered heavy losses, Dranosh's army, which did nothing, remained intact, much to Garrosh's displeasure.
If the Scourge catches up, Garrosh would love to drag Dranosh down with him.
Unexpectedly, Dranosh came out to greet Garrosh upon their arrival in Howling Fjord, making Garrosh quite embarrassed.
But he knew Dranosh; he was no friendly man. The two were both young generals of the new generation, and they were almost like oil and water, with open and covert struggles between them.
Dranosh hosted a feast for Garrosh in the camp, with countless delicacies on the table, especially Garrosh's favorite Tauren meat, which was piled up like a mountain in front of him.
But Garrosh was wary and sensed something was off about the atmosphere at the banquet, so he didn't eat a single bite.
After a few rounds of drinks, Dranosh finally revealed his true colors, his face contorted with rage as he taunted, "Garrosh Hellscream, people say a heroic father can't have a cowardly son. How come you were so frightened that you ran away in panic? You're even less than a rat!"
Before Garrosh could retaliate, Dranosh exclaimed as if suddenly realizing something, "Oh, I forgot, your father was Thrall's dog. A dog's son, of course, will only run away with his tail between his legs."
Garrosh, his anger flaring, slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Dranosh, do you want to die? What are you if it weren't for your father?"
Dranosh also stood up, baring his teeth and saying, "What, Garrosh, want a duel to the death? I heard you're so scared you can't even Gorehowl, how can you fight me?"
Garrosh raised his voice, bluffing, and said, "Dranosh, you will be the seventy-two millionth Restless Souls to fall to my axe."
Dranosh stroked his axe and boasted in an even louder voice, "Although it's just an ordinary weapon, it has only Execute eight hundred million lives."
Orcs may seem menacing, but they are actually bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. Unless they are absolutely certain of victory, they will only try to gain an advantage verbally and will never engage in a duel easily.
As if they had agreed beforehand, their subordinates began to act, pulling aside their superiors and offering kind words of advice, nothing more than not to hurt their relationship and to prioritize the greater good.
Dranosh successfully enraged Garrosh, who chuckled coldly, "Imp Garrosh, let me tell you the truth, it wasn't the Scourge scared you away, but Sylvanas!"
"What did you say?"
Garrosh was already furious after being mocked by Dranosh, and upon hearing Sylvanas's name, he became even more enraged.
Compared to Garrosh, whose foundation is still weak, Dranosh, supported by his father Saurfang the Great, had already planted spies around Vol'jin and was aware of recent events.
Dranosh sneered, "Garrosh, you cowardly Imp! Sylvanas resurrected some Tuskarr skeletons and you're scared out of your wits? You incompetent coward, why don't you go back to Nagrand?"
Garrosh, a typical chauvinist, had never taken a woman like Sylvanas seriously. He was so enraged that he wanted to kill Sylvanas with his own hands immediately.
"Dranosh, you will pay the price for today's ridicule."
Garrosh retorted, not to be outdone.
Dranosh's lips curled into a mocking smile, "Dranosh, you're nothing but a clown manipulated by Vol'jin. And let me tell you something: Tirion Fordring is dead, now merely an Undead under Sylvanas's command."
The grand banquet ended in discord.
Upon returning to the army, Garrosh received news from the scouts that Vol'jin was leading the remnants of the Dragonblood Orcs and the Argent Crusade toward the Zul'Drak Empire.
Tirion Fordring has also changed his previous habit of showing his face in public, and is now extremely cautious when going out.
The facts have proven that what Dranosh said was true.
Dranosh's provocation was precisely intended to incite conflict between Garrosh and Vol'jin, so he could then reap the benefits from the situation.
Unfortunately, Dranosh oversimplified things. While Garrosh Recklessness, he wasn't without brains.
After calming down, Garrosh realized he couldn't afford to break ties with Vol'jin. He first wrote a letter to his patron, Doras, and then led his army toward the Zul'Drak Empire.
Vol'jin had already entered the borders of the Zul'Drak Empire and sent envoys to negotiate with Frost King Malakk, stating that he had no intention of seizing Zul'Drak Empire and that he came with a peaceful purpose.
Frost King Malakk had been trapped in the snowy mountains for many days. Although he had food stored in the cave, it wouldn't last much longer, and he was suffering terribly.
Discovering that Vol'jin's army was small and unable to destroy the Zul'Drak Empire, Frost King Malakk and the various Loa tribes gradually returned to the Zul'Drak Empire, resulting in a temporary stalemate between the two sides.
Garrosh further threatened Vol'jin, stating that he already knew Tirion Fordring had become Forsaken and that if the interests of the Zul'Drak Empire were not relinquished, he would reveal Tirion Fordring's true identity.
After receiving Garrosh's letter, Eitrigg said to Vol'jin with concern:
"If Tirion Fordring's identity is revealed, our Northern Expedition will lose credibility, and no one will believe that the great Horde defeated the Lich King Arthas."
Vol'jin stated, "Garrosh is just a reckless fool. His threats are meaningless. Tell Garrosh that Tirion Fordring is merely a pawn in our game. If he insists on destroying this pawn, then so be it. We can certainly use our backup pawns."
Eitrigg looked at Vol'jin in surprise. "Is there really a spare piece?"
Vol'jin chuckled, "Man proposes, Dreadlord Balnazzar has already taken control of the Grand Crusader, Dathrohan. If Tirion Fordring is ineffective, we can negotiate with Balnazzar to rename the Scarlet Crusade the Scarlet Expedition, and they can still be used by us."
Seeing Vol'jin's confidence, Eitrigg felt relieved and stopped paying attention to Garrosh's threats.
Vol'jin's mind was entirely focused on seizing the Loa of the Zul'Drak Empire. On this day, the previously peaceful Argent Crusade became restless. The soldiers of the Crusade surrounded Tirion Fordring's tent, forcing Tirion Fordring to show himself and undergo an Undead test.
Upon receiving the news, Vol'jin was greatly alarmed and hurriedly led the Dragonblood Orcs to quell the rebellion.
The soldiers of the Northern Expeditionary Army were merely rations for the Orcs; killing them would simply replenish their ranks. The Argent Crusade, on the other hand, was a symbol of fairness and Justice, attracting countless adventurers eager to join; there was no shortage of men.
Eitrigg quickly stopped Vol'jin, stammering, "Vol'jin, we'd better not get involved. Something terrible is about to happen."
"What happened?" Vol'jin asked.
Eitrigg sighed and said, "It was Orcs, the richest Doras, who used his powerful media influence to spread rumors that Tirion Fordring was Scourge spy, and fabricated ten pieces of evidence. Now Tirion Fordring's reputation is completely ruined."
Vol'jin gasped, surprised by the terrifying power of public opinion, and asked, "How serious is the situation?"
"No one's joining the Argent Crusade anymore," Eitrigg said bitterly. "Even the Peace Dove have been affected, accused of being frauds, Jaina has been driven to seclusion by the insults."