First Arrival in Northrend

Looking at the rebuilt Stormwind, Alpha suddenly thought of Edwin and Vanessa's ambition as father and daughter—to destroy Stormwind. It seemed they had succeeded. Alpha laughed at himself. He walked into a clothing shop, and the owner came over with a broad smile. "What do you need, sir? Don't let the size of this shop fool you—we have everything we should have."

Looking at the tiny shop that could be taken in at a glance, Alpha asked without much hope, "Do you have any cold-weather cloaks?" The owner clapped his hands. "You've come to the right place! The cold-weather cloaks we sell are top-notch. No other shop has anything as good as ours. You couldn't find anything better even in Dun Morogh."

The owner's string of boasts made Alpha's head ache, and he hurriedly cut him off. "All right, all right. Can I see the cloak? I don't see one here." The owner showed no irritation at being interrupted and quickly said, "Of course you can't see the cloaks out here." Opening a door, he said, "This way, please."

Alpha immediately understood—there was another room. Once inside, he found its layout completely different from the outer room. Touching a garment, Alpha asked, "What materials are these clothes made of? Why can I sense energy from them?" The owner gave Alpha a thumbs-up. "You have a sharp eye, sir. These clothes are made from special leather and fabric. Take the cloak in your hand, for instance—it's woven from Frostweave. This fabric is unique to Northrend, so it can withstand severe cold. And look." The owner turned the cloak over to reveal its interior. "It also has a magic array added by a specialized enchanter, capable of blocking some magical attacks. That's why it's an essential item for home and travel."

Listening to the owner's introduction, Alpha stroked the cloak in his hand and asked calmly, "How much?" The owner replied, "Because the fabric and enchantment are costly, this cloak is 500 gold." Alpha's hand twitched almost imperceptibly. "Boss, don't try to fool me. This cloak definitely isn't worth 500 gold. Enchantments may be expensive, but not that expensive."

The owner immediately realized that this customer would not be easy to fool and hurriedly said, "Sir, you're right that the enchantment isn't worth that much, but Frostweave is. I suppose you don't know that, for some reason, remnants of the Scourge have begun appearing in Northrend again recently. It's no longer as easy as before to obtain Frostweave from Northrend. Sir, are you listening?" Alpha asked the owner in surprise, "You're saying the Scourge in Northrend has started moving again?" The owner answered, "Exactly. For some reason, a whole bunch of Scourge suddenly appeared, and now our supply costs are rising again. Sigh, what a disastrous year. Sir, do you still want this cloak? How about 400 gold? I really can't go any lower, or I'll be selling at a loss."

Alpha tossed down 400 gold, picked up the cloak, and left. Behind him, the owner counted the coins with a beaming smile. "Come again!"

When Alpha arrived at the harbor, he went to the pier for Northrend-bound ships and asked the administrator, "Are there any ships heading to Northrend?" Startled by Alpha's sudden appearance, the administrator replied, "One just left. The next one won't arrive until tomorrow." Alpha asked, "How long ago did it leave? Where could it be by now?" The administrator said, "Judging by the wind, it has probably already left Stormwind's waters." Upon hearing this, Alpha knew that even riding a gryphon, he would not be able to catch up. Forget it. That place has already been affected anyway. Whether I get there sooner or later makes no difference. This mission is about to become more complicated again. He slowly returned to the city's trade district and continued preparing supplies.

Early the next morning, after breakfast, Alpha arrived at the pier for Northrend. Looking at the empty, desolate dock, he did not know what he was thinking. Then he suddenly heard a ship's horn. Looking toward the sound, the first thing he saw was a golden eagle, followed slowly by the massive hull of a ship. Several cannons were mounted along its blue railings, while its white sails gradually furled. The ship had docked. The administrator shouted from the pier, "The Dauntless has docked! Passengers bound for Northrend may board now!"

Alpha got up and walked toward the ship. Only when he drew closer did he see the dense marks covering its hull—claw marks, blade marks, and even scorch marks from flames. The crew bustled about on deck, some unloading cargo and others making repairs. A voice roared, "Move it! Stop slacking off! We depart again in two hours!" Alpha looked toward the source of the voice. It was a rather tall human wearing a captain's hat, dressed in white clothing that was somewhat torn, black trousers covered in dust, with a longsword and a flintlock hanging from his waist.

Alpha silently paid, registered, and entered the ship. He sat down at his assigned berth, where he could see the busy scene outside through the window.

Two hours later, the crew pulled in the gangplank and raised the anchors. The Dauntless was ready to depart. Like the other passengers, Alpha went up to the deck and leaned against a mast. The first mate shouted, "Hard to port! Set the sails! Full speed ahead! Destination: Northrend!" The orders were swiftly carried out. The white sails were lowered, and the ship sped forward on the wind.

Watching Stormwind recede into the distance, Alpha realized that every time he came to Stormwind, he only stayed for a few days before leaving. Each destination had been farther away than the last, and this time it was Northrend—a place ruled by frigid winds.

As time passed, the Dauntless gradually drew closer to Northrend, and the temperature grew lower and lower. Alpha put on the cloak that had cost him 400 gold and stood on deck, looking out over the vast ocean ahead as streams of white vapor escaped his mouth. "What are you doing standing here? Aren't you cold?" the captain asked, handing him a cup of hot cocoa. Alpha took the cup smoothly. "Thanks. I wanted to feel the changes here." A few days earlier, when a sea beast had suddenly attacked the Dauntless, Alpha had displayed great power and driven it back, greatly reducing the crew's casualties. After that, he and the captain had become acquainted. The captain took a sip of his hot drink and felt warmth spread through his body. "The closer we get to Northrend, the colder it gets. Even though the Lich King has perished, the chill it brought still lingers there, just like those remaining Scourge. Oh, and be careful when you reach Northrend. The last time I came here, Dauntless Fortress had just repelled a group of Scourge soldiers." Feeling the warmth of the cup in his hands, Alpha said, "Thanks for the warning. I'll be careful."

Time passed once more. The increasing number of ice floes on the sea signaled that Northrend was close. Everyone aboard wore thick cold-weather clothing. Seeing the heavy clothes on the others and then looking at himself, Alpha could not help feeling glad that the shop owner had not deceived him. This cloak's insulation was truly excellent.

"Look! I can see the continent!" a passenger shouted excitedly.

A silver-white continent appeared before the ship, and the ice floes grew more numerous. The captain appeared and said, "Reduce speed. Gunners, man the cannons." What? The passengers on deck panicked. A frequent traveler reassured them, "Don't worry. It's only a precaution. I've taken this trip many times and never encountered anything." Alpha walked over to the captain and asked quietly. Without turning his head, the captain answered, "Didn't I tell you that remnants of the Scourge are still here? Sometimes they attack passing ships. This is just to guard against them. But don't worry, they have no time to deal with us right now. They're busy attacking the fortress."

Just as the captain had said, the Dauntless arrived safely at Dauntless Fortress.

The captain said to the passengers on deck, "Welcome, everyone, to your first stop in Northrend—Dauntless Fortress."