That had been the Alliance's most dangerous hour. The leaders of the various nations had wavered, and some had even contacted the orcs in secret. Had it not been for the powerful Kingdom of Lordaeron, and the firm support of the wise King Terenas, Archmage Antonidas, and Uther, leader of the paladins, the Alliance could have fallen apart at any moment.
Fortunately, just when the Alliance was in its greatest peril, problems had arisen among the orcs. As their internal conflicts intensified, the Alliance finally gained its present opportunity to restore the Kingdom of Stormwind, and Lothar certainly would not let it slip away! If he moved even a little too slowly, the endless stream of orcs pouring through the Portal from Outland into the Badlands would finish their preparations. Restoring the Kingdom of Stormwind might then become impossible, and the Alliance might even be driven back to Alterac again. If that happened, the situation would be even worse than before.
Although the Alliance army had reclaimed its lost territory all the way from Alterac, advanced fully into the Burning Steppes, and prepared to enter the Swamp of Sorrows and the Redridge Mountains, its leaders all knew that this was not because the orcs were weak. It was the result of their internal troubles. Once the orcs resolved those problems, could the Alliance army still hold them back?
Every senior Alliance leader avoided that question, tacitly choosing not to discuss it. Lothar, however, knew very well that their silence stemmed from a lack of confidence. Retaking Stormwind City and restoring the Kingdom of Stormwind was therefore imperative for the Alliance, and it had to be done as quickly as possible. The situation was urgent, and the Alliance army had little time left.
Alleria was now at the entrance to the