The Brutal March Route
"This is impossible, Nathanos. I cannot do it, and Alleria will not agree to it. This... this would damage the dignity of the Windrunner family."
"To die without any value is the greatest contempt for dignity," Nathanos retorted, even indirectly telling Vareesa the fact that this war was simply unwinnable.
The Female Elf turned her head, carefully maintaining a calm expression. "How could you have such a thought?"
Nathanos took a deep breath to calm himself. His voice was clear and distinct, only the clenched fist betrayed his emotions. He looked up at the sky—it was about to rain!
"Just in case..." He paused, gritted his teeth, and continued, "If we really can't do anything in the end, at least let them live, understand?"
His words were tactful yet stern. Vareesa couldn't condemn him as a coward for that. Nathanos did have selfish motives, but not for himself, but for Alleria, and even the entire Windrunner family. "My sister might hate you. She had long planned to sacrifice herself in this war, but you... you tried to stop her."
"Of course I should stop her. I love her, don't you understand?" he roared, leaving Vareesa speechless.
"It's always good to live." Nathanos glanced at her before turning away, leaving her with the words, "Remember, if you listen to me, your family will be fine. If you tell Alleria what I said, their fate is uncertain. Think it over carefully, Vareesa!"
This wasn't a discussion; it was more like an order, leaving no room for choice. Vareesa hated herself for coming here and running into Nathanos. When she looked back, all she saw were still swaying branches; the human who had given her the task was gone.
This was no celebration. Sylvanas Windrunner knew it perfectly well. Silvermoon City had gathered thousands of Ranger; such a spectacle was only seen during celebratory events. The Female Elf leaned against the balcony, looking down. The last time this had happened was when Quel'Thalas decided to conquer the Dark Portal. In just ten years, a new enemy had arrived on Elf lands. Sylvanas felt a pang of melancholy. The Elven Kingdom had enjoyed centuries of peace before this, but what had Quel'Thalas endured? The Horde, the Red Dragon, betrayal, and Undead army.
No! It's not just Quel'Thalas.
The Female Elf began to suspect that the problem lay with this world.
"Veronalara, you will be the commander of the first line of defense."
Alleria held a baton in her hand and moved it back and forth in front of the Arthas fortress on the map.
"Yes, General."
She looked up at the pure and sincere young girl. Veronalara was a young Ranger serving in the Silvermoon City army and was engaged to her noble lover. Alleria thought of her wedding to Nathanos, who had just returned at that moment.
Rough hands lifted the thin gauze curtain. The human with eyes as black as the night sky stepped in and asked crisply, "Where is the second line of defense?"
Sylvanas raised an eyebrow, a questioning look on her face. Alleria shook her head, just as surprised. Why didn't Nathanos inquire about the specifics of the first line of defense? Did he believe Veronalara couldn't withstand Arthas?
"The second line of defense is right here, Silvermoon City."
As everyone watched Nathanos walk in, he was the only human in the conference room, but he showed no sign of discomfort and nodded and greeted everyone.
"Not here." Nathanos stood before the strategic map and shook his head at the marker in Silvermoon City's image.
Not only Alleria, but even Sylvanas lowered her arms from her chest, not understanding Nathanos's meaning. All preparations were nearly complete; even obstacles and traps were in place. Silvermoon City was an important stronghold of the Elven Kingdom, making it the perfect second line of defense.
Sylvanas didn't voice these thoughts aloud, believing Nathanos surely knew them. Alleria glanced at the puzzled faces present, then recalled the events of years ago at the Alliance camp, and patiently asked, "Why?"
"Thank you for giving me the opportunity to explain, General," Nathanos said. Elsewhere, he and Alleria were lovers, but in the military council, he had to consider her status. Alleria accepted this.
"Arthas attacked Quel'Thalas not to conquer cities or destroy everything. Because there are still places like Hearthglen and Haven County in Lordaeron that he hasn't conquered, so it's impossible for him not to have a unified..." He paused with his eyes closed, realizing that the word "unified" was inappropriate. Lordaeron had never been divided, and that kingdom was destined to belong to Arthas in the future.
"... invading Quel'Thalas without destroying these places first."
The Ranger Veronalara asked, "If not for our fertile land, then for what?"
"There is something special, unique, and enviable about the High Elven Kingdom. You know it better than I do."
"The Sunwell!" Sylvanas blurted out. "He wants the Sunwell?"
"He won't succeed, I will stop him with my life," Alleria declared sternly, swearing before everyone. But those vows struck Nathanos like a blow to the heart.
For some unknown reason, Nathanos and Sylvanas both looked at each other at the same time, then coldly looked away.
"I haven't gotten to the point yet." Nathanos took over the conversation, looking down at the map again. "Yes, he wants the Sunwell, which is the only thing I can think of that would attract Arthas. And the Sunwell is on an island north of Silvermoon City. If he wants to achieve his goal, he must conquer Silvermoon City."
"That's why we stopped him on the way, isn't that right?" Sylvanas pointed to Silvermoon City, where the base camp was marked in Sauras language.
Nathanos kept shaking his head. "The real 'halfway' is right here!" He pointed to the left of Silvermoon City, where there was a woodland, but nothing there.
"Nathanos!" Alleria's voice was both commanding and coquettish, scolding Nathanos for keeping things mysterious at such a tense moment.
His lover's urgency didn't disrupt Nathanos's train of thought. He picked up a quill from his desk and went to Alleria's side. On the map, Silvermoon City was in Alleria's direction, and Nathanos used Arthas's stronghold as a starting point. The quill drew a thin, clear, solid line downwards, passing the first line of defense guarded by Veronalara, and then reaching Silvermoon City —but it didn't stop. The black ink cleaved Silvermoon City in two on the map. Alleria gradually understood; she felt as if her throat had been cut by this line, unable to breathe.
Nathanos drew all the way to the Sunwell on Isle of Quel'Danas, even crossing the blue area containing the sea. The map was essentially ruined, but it bluntly revealed a terrifying conclusion— Arthas's marching route.
"He only wants the Sunwell." Nathanos and Alleria turned to look at each other, the two of them only speaking like this when they were talking about love, but now they were discussing something terrible.
"Once the South Wall gate is breached, the only remaining defensive barrier in the entire Elven Kingdom will be the gates of Silvermoon City. I know Arthas. He's impulsive, but that's what makes him so terrifying." Nathanos then focused his gaze on the black line. "That Rune Sword gave him immense power. Arthas will think he's unstoppable, so he'll choose the shortest route to the Sunwell, destroying anything that stands in his way. Forests, rivers, even a small hill—he'll level them. This line I drew is the shortest route to Silvermoon City."
"He will cut down all the trees in the road ahead," Alleria said in a whistle, her pupils dilating. "He will freeze the obstructing rivers and kill all living beings, carving out the path to Silvermoon City in the most savage way!"
"He will do it. Because I'm here!" Nathanos raised his voice, making the atmosphere even more tense and oppressive. "Arthas has always wanted to prove himself, to prove that he was right and that Uther and I were wrong. This is the easiest way to do it, to show his power, to spread fear and death, and to provoke me. He's swaggering forward like this to see how I will react."
"Then what would you do?" Alleria reached out and touched his arm. In that instant, she wanted Nathanos to leave; he shouldn't have been involved in this war. But the human before her, the human she cared about most, immediately gave her the answer.
"Do what I should do."