At noon, a company of knights from Lordaeron rode into Durnholde Keep at a gallop.
More than ten years had passed since the end of the Second War.
The keep's high walls still bore the scars of war. Beneath the watchtowers, several great holes had been smashed into the stonework, and the exposed beams had rotted, leaving the structure dilapidated.
After the war, Lordaeron's royal court had begun rebuilding several towns, but most of the towns around Southshore had yet to put reconstruction on their agenda.
Dealing with the defeated orcs had become the greatest headache for the towns around Southshore.
Southshore lay south of the Hillsbrad Foothills, on the kingdom's fringes. Although it was the Kingdom of Lordaeron's southern trade hub and principal southern port, much of the land north of the hills was uninhabited. The region was vast and sparsely populated.
Thus, the Alliance had turned the Hillsbrad Foothills into a natural prison for orc prisoners of war.
After victory in the Second War, the leaders of the various nations had disagreed over what to do. The Kul Tiras commanders, led by Daelin, had proposed exterminating the orcs, executing young and old alike to eliminate the threat for good.
The proposal had met fierce opposition from the other Alliance nations. Even Stormwind City's royal family, whose kingdom had suffered the worst devastation, had not sided with Admiral Daelin.
Daelin, Aldrius, and King Greymane of Gilneas had voted for extermination.
The other Alliance leaders had proposed imprisoning the defeated orcs and demanded that every nation share the cost of keeping the prisoners.
Unable to accept the decision, Greymane had withdrawn from the Alliance outright. After weighing their options, Daelin and Aldrius had decided against falling out with the Alliance and ultimately supported its resolution.
Once the internment policy was