Yu Lin Bloodhawk and his dozen or so companions were the last elves to retreat into Small Gourd Belly.
"Sir... you... you took the lead in violating military orders!" the acting battle commander said.
"Uh... well... just this once... it won't happen next time... no, wait! There won't be a next time," Yu Lin Bloodhawk said sheepishly.
"..." The elven acting battle commander was speechless. He did not have Sylvanas's or Alleria's courage to punish this officer, and besides, he had no time to dwell on it.
As the earth shook again and again, the orcs summoned another sixteen Infernals. As before, the Infernals led the way, with the iron shield fortresses following behind. The orcs were still afraid of the poison needles the elves had buried underground.
What they did not know was that the elves had already retrieved every poison needle in Big Gourd Belly. A great mass of orcs advanced slowly behind the sixteen iron shield fortresses, their figures indistinct.
Yu Lin Bloodhawk summoned six Gryphon Riders.
"Take all the incendiary bombs with you. If there aren't enough, take a few aerial bombs as well.
"We'll let those Infernals come inside before fighting them. See that narrow stretch at Gourd Waist? Our people have dug it into uneven ground, with some big drops.
"If the orcs' Iron Shield Fortress Square Formation enters that stretch, gaps are bound to open between their shields. I want you to seize that moment and drop incendiary bombs and aerial bombs inside their iron shield fortresses. Can you do it?" Yu Lin Bloodhawk asked.
"It'll be a little tricky!" said a Gryphon Rider who had originally been a Dragonhawk Rider, smiling. "But for the three of us who were originally in the Air Force, it won't be much of a problem. I