Cooperation

The Hinterlands, Quel'Danil Lodge.

In Sauras language, Quildanian means "peak." This Elf hunter's hut is located near Aerie Peak. Unlike the Elf skilled in swordsmanship and archery, the Elf at Quel'Danil Lodge are masters of marksmanship.

Thrall Shallow Stream, an elderly but approachable High Elf, manages this hut.

"It is a great honor to meet you, Your Highness the Regent." Thrall knelt on one knee before the purple Gryphon, his head bowed, until a pair of light feet landed and came into his view, then he raised his head to face the approaching Alleria.

"No need for formalities, Thrall." Alleria smiled faintly, surprised at how quickly the news had spread; within days, even the Elf of the Hinterlands knew he had become Regent. "Tell me, where are our guests?"

"They're inside, Your Highness. There are quite a few of them."

Alleria nodded, thinking there was much more to come in the Eastern Plaguelands. She eagerly entered Quel'Danil Lodge. Behind her followed Ranger Hoxbyr and Mage Adorn, her entourage.

Upon entering the cabin, Alleria didn't examine the facilities or care whether it had been attacked; all her attention was focused on the human inside.

"Nice to meet you, Regent." The human bowed in greeting.

"I thought you would say it was a pleasure to work with him. You are Mathias Shaw?" Alleria returned the greeting, looking at him with considerable confusion.

"Just call me Shaw. I'm the leader of Stormwind City SI:7. I'm here on a secret mission, but I'm sure you'll find it interesting." Shaw said, taking out the handwritten letter Varian had given him and handing it to Alleria.

The regent carefully opened it, and it read:

I can't believe it! How could this be? Undead? There's practically no other Nathanos in this world. His contributions were unparalleled. He was a tactical genius; he fought in the war against the Horde, leading the Alliance to countless victories. And now... he's Undead. No, this shouldn't be happening. We must correct this mistake. Gather an army and head to the Plaguelands to bring our hero to rest. Good luck. In fact, you really need some good luck this time.

Alleria's face looked cold, but her slightly trembling hands betrayed her true feelings.

"Stormwind City is also paying attention to the situation in Lordaeron?"

Shaw crossed his arms and answered the ulterior motive directly, "Quel'Thalas isn't a member of the Alliance, but doesn't it also care about the Alliance's heroes?"

"Why are you showing me this letter? Do you want me to help you deal with Nathanos?"

"Even in the far south, many know of the bond between you and Nathanos, Your Excellency Regent." Shaw's gaze shifted to the letter Alleria held in her hand. The Female Elf should be well aware of Stormwind City's stance. "I believe you wouldn't want to see Nathanos become Undead, but that's the reality."

"I've faced enough harsh realities already! Stop with your diplomatic rhetoric. Tell me, what is your purpose in coming to me?" Alleria roared.

Shaw waited until she calmed down, which took quite a while, but fortunately they had plenty of time. "I hope you can cooperate with me, and we can fight Nathanos together. King Varian is wise; he reminded me in his letter that I need more good luck. Fighting him will result in the loss of many excellent Warrior, so I need your help."

"What does what Nathanos becomes have to do with Stormwind City?" Alleria demanded, both angry and confused. She had only recently learned of Nathanos's fate, and she preferred to believe her lover was dead rather than become Undead. But things were worse; before she could even process what had happened, SI: SI:7 arrived.

"Nathanos ...was involved in the construction of Stormwind City," Shaw stated bluntly. "Besides King Varian's reluctance, this is the most important reason. If the Scourge attacks Stormwind City, Nathanos will be a formidable enemy; he knows our city too well."

Alleria clenched her fists, overwhelmed with a mix of pain and helplessness.

'Hunting Nathanos?'

"Yes, madam. This is a test from Prince Kael'thas. If you wish to lead our people, you must set an example. Of course, if you intend to protect Nathanos, to protect that monster, Prince Kael'thas will not say anything, but the Windrunner family will likely no longer be able to exist in Quel'Thalas. 'Blood Elf and the Scourge are sworn enemies, whether they are family or lovers.' As long as you are willing to accept the Prince's test, you can prove your resolve to all the Sin'dorei, and prove this statement!"

Rommath's words echoed in her ears like magic. Nathanos was her beloved, now a corpse, the source of all evil. Yet she still loved him.

What a contradiction!

Alleria didn't want to accept this test. She could easily give up everything, completely abandon the people's trust in her, but she knew that doing so wouldn't undo what had already happened— Nathanos had become a creature like Arthas. The Female Elf struggled internally, desperately trying to convince herself not to let Nathanos continue like this, to let him rest in peace! Let him rest in peace! But she feared that when she faced him, she would be speechless, unable to draw her bow.

She can't do that!

But what about Belorell? Alleria thought of her newborn son. Should she let him meet his cursed father in the future? Should he suffer the world's condemnation because of such a father?

No!

"What do you plan to do?" Alleria's voice was low and trembling.

"My agents have detected unusual Undead activity in the Eastern Plaguelands." Shaw breathed a sigh of relief. If Alleria hadn't agreed, he would have had to put in much more effort to complete the mission. "Nathanos has been very quiet lately. He's had a significant conflict with the local fanatics Crimson Crusade. But he spends most of his time on his farm."

Alleria smiled bitterly. "It seems you know him very well."

"His brother Stephan is under our control."

"No wonder." Alleria's anger was almost at its peak, but she knew that her anger shouldn't be directed at Shaw. "What do you want me to do?"

"I need you to confront Nathanos face to face. I believe that when you, Regent, appear before him, he will be at a loss, and may even... give up the fight."