Since winter began, extreme weather had become increasingly frequent in Southshore.
The stars had shone brightly last night, but at dawn, dark clouds gathered, and snowflakes began drifting down from the sky.
Thrall followed Lieutenant Drak as the troops hurried toward Jadefire Town.
The interception force ahead had already engaged the orc vanguard, and Thrall received firsthand intelligence from Drak.
The snow on the ground grew deeper, forcing the soldiers to temporarily abandon their baggage and travel light.
"Quickly, keep up! First Column, Second Column, requisition every horse in the corps and get to the front as fast as possible!" Drak shouted from a small rise to the left of the crossroads.
In less than half an hour, every horse in the Durnholde Army Corps had been gathered for the First and Second Columns.
Drak took the reins from a guard and handed Thrall a military horse.
Thrall had not spoken a word along the way. He silently took the reins, mounted, and followed close behind Drak.
The warhorses galloped, and snowflakes drifted on the wind, settling on the back of Lieutenant Drak's dark blue cloak.
Thrall wore thick, padded clothes and let the frost and snow lash his face. Soon, a thick white crust of ice coated his eyebrows and forehead.
Six hours later, Durnholde's advance force reached the outskirts of Jadefire Town.
By then, the snow was falling harder, and visibility was barely a hundred meters.
Thrall removed his felt hat and listened carefully for the source of the cannon fire. Guns out at sea were pouring shells into Jadefire Town.
Lieutenant General Blackmoore, who had remained at the rear of the force, now caught up.
Drak was about to hand Blackmoore the Spyglass, but visibility was simply too poor.
Blackmoore waved it away and gave a direct