Alterac

As Nathanos stepped into Shadowfang Keep, the Tranquility atmosphere unconsciously seeped into his heart. The solemnity of the castle made him feel safe, after all, it was the territory of the Forsaken, much safer than other places.

Veronalara, accompanied by a group of well-trained Ranger, awaited their greeting. As she looked at Nathanos approaching, a newfound joy shone in her already dead eyes. "My lord, I never expected to see you again so soon."

"I thought you would accuse me of Forsaken the Forsaken stationed here." Nathanos' lips curled into a smile.

Veronalara did indeed have such feelings, but in any case, she would never show them in front of Nathanos.

Nathanos removed his quiver and handed it, along with his bone bow, to the Forsaken accompanied him. Veronalara then noticed Lilian Voss. She was surprised; Voss's activities had always been in the north, yet she had appeared at the same time as the Witherer. Did this mean Nathanos had also come from the north?

"I won't waste any more time on small talk," Nathanos's voice rang out again, somewhat hoarse, like two pieces of parchment rubbing against each other. "Are the troops all assembled?"

"Ready to serve at any time, sir."

"Very good..." Nathanos glanced around, seemingly casually, to confirm that Veronalara was right. "Take me to the meeting room."

The Dark Ranger Leader gestured for him to enter. Nathanos, head held high, stepped into the castle. It was a short but clear path, revealing the entire structure of Shadowfang Keep. Scratch marks and small holes from arrowheads marked the passageways, indicating a battle had taken place. Nathanos wanted to ask Veronalara how many men they had lost when they conquered the castle, but he remained silent. That was all in the past; Shadowfang Keep now belonged to the Forsaken.

A large, heavy wooden table and matching chairs were placed in a central circular hall within the castle. Nathanos frowned; this place reminded him of the throne room in Lordaeron, where Terenas received dignitaries from various nations. Only a few Ranger of captain rank or higher sat around the table, guarded by a limited number of guards. Nathanos, of course, would sit in the head seat. Veronalara sat closest to him. Lilian Voss stood behind him with her bow and arrows.

Nathanos looked at the people sitting at his table and realized that they were all dead High Elf. He seemed to be the most unusual one.

"Very good." Nathanos nodded in satisfaction. "I had Veronalara gather all officers with command authority. I believe she accomplished her task. Frankly, too many people means more orders to issue, and I prefer to keep things simple." His gaze swept over each deadpan face; they all seemed ready. "The Alliance and Horde are focused entirely on Outland. They won't be paying attention to Azeroth, especially Lordaeron, for the time being. The Scourge's presence can conveniently conceal our actions. Whatever we do, they'll assume it's an order from the Demon Lord or Arthas, and as long as it doesn't threaten their own interests, they won't take action against us."

Some murmurs arose around them, and it was faintly discernible that they agreed with the Witherer's statement.

"Our next target is not the Plaguelands or Lordaeron, but the kingdom in the snowy mountains, Alterac!"

"The Witherer? May I take a moment of your time?" A Dark Ranger stood up, placing her hands on the table, and spoke, seemingly objecting to the decision.

Nathanos frowned. Who was this woman? With a puzzled look, he looked at Veronalara.

"This is Ranger-Captain Alina. She distinguished herself in the battle to attack Shadowfang Keep and was promoted to her current rank by me."

Nathanos paused for a moment, then said to Alina face was full of worry, "Don't take too long."

"Please forgive my abruptness. I'm not interrupting you to disobey your Will, but I'm simply wondering why we're wasting our time on Hillsbrad. The Crimson Crusade in the north has already begun fighting the Undead of Lordaeron, according to intelligence..." Alina's gaze fell upon Lilian behind Nathanos; all the information from the Plaguelands was provided by this female assassin. "The Crimson Crusade should be taking Lordaeron soon. If we launch a surprise attack now, it might have unexpected results."

Nathanos didn't respond immediately, awaiting the other officers' reactions. Some agreed with Alina, while others were skeptical. Once the silence subsided, he continued, "Your words have piqued my interest; don't waste your opportunity."

"I think nothing is more valuable than a city. Alterac is certainly good, but we can't use it to attack the Scourge's targets. That was the original purpose of the Forsaken. That's all I have to say." Alina slowly sat down.

"I'm glad you all remember the Forsaken's mission," Nathanos said coldly. "Before coming here, Lilian told me everything that happened in Lordaeron. Not just Alina, I believe many others are eyeing this prize. Strong walls, vast lands, bats forming an air force, and even more Undead to recruit. Indeed, Lordaeron has everything we want. But seeing only the immense benefits is dangerous. We can Lordaeron, but what then?" His blood-red eyes swept over the crowd, hoping for an answer. "Can anyone tell me how to defend that city? Can our forces in the Eastern Kingdoms withstand those fanatics? Can we drive the Crusaders from the Scarlet Monastery?"

No one answered. The Witherer continued, "We cannot. Our current strength is insufficient; it is far from enough for us to establish a foothold in Lordaeron. I ordered the attack on Alterac to expand the Forsaken's territory in this land, giving us more space to house our troops and prepare for the eventual takeover of the entire Plaguelands. By occupying Alterac, we will essentially control Hillsbrad Silverpine Forest Western Plaguelands, and the transportation hub of Arathi Highlands. And one day, all three places will belong to the Forsaken."

The hall fell silent. Nathanos asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Yes."

Nathanos widened his eyes slightly, staring sharply at Veronalara.

"My question is, when do we begin our operation?"

"We'd better hurry, Tatsel's fleet is already on its way. She's brought hundreds of soldiers with her."