Caer Darrow

All right! That little Jaina was truly hard to figure out. She'd just agreed to tour Mardenholde Keep, and so far they'd only seen the prayer room, the armory, and the training yard. They hadn't even climbed the keep's tower to admire the view of Hearthglen, and now she wanted to go bear hunting? Why was she so fixated on hunting bears?

Though Taelan Fordring had lived more than thirty years across his two lifetimes, he still didn't understand women. Sometimes they were gentle and charming; other times, their moods changed without warning. It was no surprise they sometimes got strange ideas. Jaina was still young, but that didn't stop her from having all sorts of odd notions.

With no other choice, Taelan Fordring said, "Then you should at least change your clothes and bring some gear, shouldn't you? Bears are dangerous." In truth, now that he'd mastered a whole new skill, Taelan Fordring wasn't very afraid of Gentlemen—or beasts like bears. The real dangers were awakened magical creatures and the unknown risks they might face.

Of course, raiding a nearby low-level Gnoll camp sounded pretty good, too. It reminded him of playing Warcraft III back in the day. It was a shame Taelan couldn't summon a water elemental. But Jaina couldn't either!

Suddenly struck by inspiration, Taelan Fordring teased Jaina. "Jaina! Let's go on an adventure at a Gnoll camp! You can be the Archmage, I'll be the paladin, and Paris can be the footman. How does that sound?"

Paris was one of the friends Taelan Fordring had made at Mardenholde. The last time, Taelan had stood up for Paris's younger sister and given Barthilas's nephew a sound beating. Paris was a shoemaker's son, and after that incident, they'd become friends. To be precise, Paris and Helen had become Taelan's sidekicks! They often went adventuring together around Hearthglen, and conquering low-level Gnoll camps was part of their daily routine. Taelan had gained plenty of experience points and practical combat experience there.

Of course, he'd also been scolded by Karandra after taking an arrow in the butt, and mocked by Tirion: "The Light of the Holy Light, shot in the rear!"

Taelan now knew where the nickname had come from. His Occultism mentor, Krasus, had casually coined it while talking with Antonidas. Perhaps he'd done it to raise Taelan's profile, so he could recommend him for a special mission in the future. Or perhaps one of an Archmage's apprentices had simply let the secret slip.

In this game, Taelan Fordring played the hero and led his soldiers. There were usually only three of them! Paris was his deputy and Captain of the Guard. Helen was a Priest who helped gather the trash left behind by the Gnolls. Alton played the cavalry.

Jaina thought it sounded fun and quickly nodded. "All right! We won't go bear hunting today. Let's wipe out the Gnolls!"

A booming voice suddenly sounded behind them. "You two little ones are already thinking of hunting bears?"

Jaina's role-playing session ended before it even began! Their two imposing fathers clearly had no intention of letting the children take on the dangerous Lordaeron Brown Bears.

After a night's rest, everyone had breakfast early the next morning and set out for Caer Darrow.

Caer Darrow lay east of Hearthglen, on an island in the middle of a lake. They set out from Hearthglen, passed through the scenic Lumber Mill, and followed the road all the way to the renowned Andorhal before reaching Caer Darrow. Jaina shouted excitedly all along the way, entirely forgetting the reserve expected of a noble young lady. For some reason, she got along very well with Karandra! They both loved to travel. Taelan gladly took on the role of tour guide, telling Jaina about the sights along the road.

At the end, he told Jaina about the tragic Barov family. The Barovs had once been great nobles in the Kingdom of Alterac. Their lands included Tarren Mill, Southshore, Brill, and Caer Darrow, and the family was famed for its wealth and power. But during the Second War, King Aiden Perenolde of Alterac feared the Alliance would lose, so he surrendered to the Horde. That allowed Great Chieftain Orgrim Doomhammer to pass through Alterac quickly and safely and attack Lordaeron. He'd nearly succeeded—if Gul'dan hadn't gotten in his way.

The betrayed Alliance put the king of Alterac on trial and carved up the kingdom. The Kingdom of Alterac had now become a haven for Ogres, Frostwolf Clan Orcs, Alterac restorationists, bandits, and outlaws of every kind! The Perenolde family had always been wary of the Barovs, and this time the Barovs had firmly sided with the Alliance.

After the war, the Barovs found themselves in favor with neither side. The nobles of Alterac believed they had betrayed their king and destroyed their country, while Terenas, the king of Lordaeron, was a seasoned politician. He saw an opportunity for Lordaeron—and the Barovs lost most of their territory in the ensuing partition. They were allowed to keep only their lands in Caer Darrow County. Now they were trapped on Caer Darrow Island, their future uncertain!

Jaina gazed at Taelan as he spoke so fluently, her eyes full of admiration. Katherine, meanwhile, regarded the young Taelan with appreciation. He reminded her so much of her late son! They both had an instinctive political eye, loved to read, and were charismatic. They also wielded great power. Whenever others needed them, they would bravely step forward! And they were both handsome young men.

Taelan had blond hair tied back behind his head. Drake, too, had had striking blond hair! As Katherine watched the boy and felt the warm power of the Holy Light constantly radiating from him, she couldn't help thinking, If Drake were still alive, he'd be married with children by now.

She suddenly spoke up to warn him. "You mustn't say that in Lordaeron City or in front of people you don't know! As far as I know, the Barov family has been working hard behind the scenes, doing everything they can to protect their inheritance. King Terenas doesn't like hearing news about the Barovs."

Taelan fell silent for a moment, then thanked her sincerely.

The group traveled through Lordaeron's woodlands amid laughter and conversation. They saw the waves of wheat at Glen Farm and admired prosperous, bustling Andorhal, crowded with people. That afternoon, they finally arrived at scenic Caer Darrow!

As soon as they reached the bridge, a well-dressed servant hurried over. "Greetings, Admiral Daelin Proudmoore. Greetings, Sir Tirion Fordring!"

He then greeted the two ladies in turn before paying special respects to Taelan Fordring and Jaina. It seemed the Barov family truly were nobles of long standing. They'd already begun paying attention to the next generation of the Alliance.

Then he said, "My master, Earl Alex Barov, and Lady Illucia Barov, along with Vildred Barov and Miss Jandice Barov, are waiting by the bridge to welcome your honored party!"

Finally, he introduced himself. "My name is Lussen Sarkhoff, and I'm the steward of the Barov family's head, Alex Barov."

When he heard the man call himself Lussen Sarkhoff, Taelan immediately thought of Scholomance—and of the two people who had been tortured to death by the Butcher.

What a carefully chosen person to welcome Tirion Fordring and Daelin's family!

Led by Lussen, the group crossed the bridge and set foot on Caer Darrow Island—the very place that would become Scholomance in World of Warcraft!

A tall man stood in front of Caer Darrow Castle. Apart from the gray at his temples, put there by the passing years and the cruelty of fate, he looked quite young and strong. A beautiful woman stood beside him, with a boy and an exceptionally pretty girl behind them. Looking at the group, Taelan felt as if time and space had become jumbled:

Class is in session!