Icecrown Citadel (I)

Before Arthas returned to Northrend, Veronalara clearly remembered a demon casting spells in Dalaran, attempting to destroy the Frozen Throne. At that time, the magical city had already been attacked by Archimonde and reduced to ruins. Now, the word "ruins" is no longer sufficient to describe it.

Besides its completely transformed appearance, Dalaran is no longer exclusively for High Elf and humans. Dark Ranger Commander Veronalara even spotted Goblins roaming the city. The city's lord Rhonin, certainly has a big heart.

However, Veronalara wasn't there for sightseeing. The Witherer had given her a new task, one that baffled her: to go to Dalaran and recruit adventurers from Azeroth.

The Dark Ranger was surprised when she heard the order, but the Witherer told her not to ask any questions, only that they were going to launch a raid on Icecrown Citadel.

So why not recruit from the Silver Arena, and why not choose warriors from among the Forsaken?

Veronalara was increasingly troubled by questions. She felt like a fool standing on the streets of Dalaran, stopping any suitable adventurer who passed by to ask her questions.

The best outcome would be for the other party to stand by and watch coldly, and the worst outcome would be nothing more than a few insults directed at her.

Dalaran has many different groups of people and races, but none are as unique as the Undead. Even patrolling mage guards will give Veronalara a warning look when they spot her.

They've been busy for quite a while, but haven't recruited a single Dark Ranger.

The Witherer will not be satisfied!

"What makes you so uneasy?" The voice from Veronalara's left compelled her to instinctively reach for her weapon. So much time had passed; the Dark Ranger would never forget that voice.

The group consisted of three people, one of whom had a full head of silver hair, as bright as moonlight. Her attire was very similar to Veronalara's —except for the color, even their positions within their respective factions were almost identical. Vareesa Windrunner, the Ranger-General of Silvermoon City, was currently watching the Dark Ranger warily.

The other person was naturally the one who spoke. Compared to Vareesa's seriousness, she had a more dignified air. She was wearing a red fur cloak, and unlike Veronalara's memory, she was not wearing Ranger equipment. Underneath the cloak was an exquisitely crafted and elegant white robe with gold trim.

"She truly has the air of a queen!" Veronalara thought to herself with a mocking smile.

The Regent of Quel'Thalas stood before her. Alleria's left hand held another small hand, and Veronalara couldn't help but look down at the third person. She was secretly startled; it was no secret that Alleria had a child, especially since the child's father was now the leader of Veronalara. But... time flies. So many years had passed in the blink of an eye, and her child was already half the mother's height. At that moment, the blond boy was curiously observing her.

Seeing that Veronalara remained silent, Vareesa followed up on her sister's question, asking, "What makes... the Forsaken dare to appear here?"

The Dark Ranger frowned, recalling how Vareesa was much younger and more experienced than her back then. She never expected that Vereesa would become such a powerful Ranger-General- General, her aggressive demeanor making it seem as if she wanted to drive her away.

Veronalara was about to answer when another voice interrupted her. "Dalaran Alliance territory in both wars and was attacked by the Horde. What face do you have to appear in this city you ravaged?"

"Sister?" Vareesa cried out. Sylvanas walked over, and after two years, the three Windrunner family sisters were reunited once again.

Alleria scrutinized her sister. Except for the tenderness in her gaze when looking at Belorell, her eyes held a chilling coldness towards everyone else, especially the Regent himself, a coldness akin to facing an enemy on the battlefield. Quel'Thalas wasn't a place isolated from information; she had heard that not long ago, for reasons unknown, the Silver Covenant had announced its entry into Dalaran, its motive clearly aimed at limiting the Sunreavers forces within the city.

"Dalaran is now a neutral city, and we are here for a visit at the invitation of Archmage Aedass."

"Then Veronalara is also my guest!" Alleria and Vareesa both looked surprised when Sylvanas said this. The Silver Covenant General said dismissively, "Don't look at me like that. I just value those compatriots who sacrificed themselves to protect Quel'Thalas more than you do. Compassion is a virtue."

"Then you're misplacing your sympathy. Don't forget what kind of monster destroyed Quel'Thalas."

"Don't forget they died trying to stop those monsters!"

The two Female Elf argument, while Vareesa stood by, holding her breath. She wanted to remind her two sisters that arguing here was inappropriate and would easily attract the attention of the patrolling guards.

Veronalara coughed. "General Sylvanas," she said, then continued, "Time is of the essence. Please forgive me for not being able to stay here any longer; I must complete my mission." The Dark Ranger bowed deeply and prepared to leave.

Sylvanas ended her eye contact with Alleria and reached out to grasp Veronalara's arm. She was still somewhat unaccustomed to touching the dead body of her former comrade; every time she felt that coldness, her heart ached.

"Then perhaps I can help you," she said with a smile. "Come sit at my post for a while."

Faced with such an invitation, Veronalara's gaze momentarily froze, and she also noticed that Alleria and Vareesa's eyes were fixed on her.

"Well, perhaps I can spare the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

Today's match left Alleria feeling defeated. Although she didn't know where she went wrong, she could only watch Sylvanas and Veronalara walk away from afar. Vareesa wanted to comfort her sister, but didn't know how to start.

"Is that Aunt Sylvanas?" Belorell tugged at his mother's hand, causing Alleria to look away, her gaze softening. She simply gave her son a sweet smile and said nothing more.

"We're going to be late, sister. Aethas and Rhonin are waiting for us."

The Regent nodded. She hadn't forgotten why she was there. If Sylvanas intended to fight her to the end, she was willing to oblige.

At the Silver Covenant Temple, Sylvanas led Veronalara to a resting area atop the temple walls. This spot offered excellent ventilation, panoramic views of Dalaran's bustling city center, and a commanding view of the temple's various corners – a truly unique and pleasant place.

Sylvanas quickly brewed a pot of tea and handed a cup to Veronalara, who took it and said awkwardly, "I've caused you trouble today."

"The Silver Covenant's presence in Dalaran is to contain the Horde; it's my duty. Fortunately, today's battle went well."

The two women laughed simultaneously, and after exchanging a few words, they got down to business.

"Alright, sister. Tell me why you're here. Was it on the orders of the Witherer?"

Veronalara nodded and said, "He gave me a very strange task."

Tell me about it.

In a few quick and simple words, Veronalara told Sylvanas everything about her experience in Dalaran, even recounting the places she had visited.

"Nathanos is recruiting? What is he planning to do?"

"Recently, there has been a crucial operation within the Forsaken. Our spies discovered a place called the 'Soul Forge' on the flank of Icecrown Citadel. Highlord Tirion Fordring's all-out attack on the Lich King is about to begin, the Witherer has decided to personally lead a raid on the Soul Forge to find a way to defeat the Lich King. But what I find strange is, why didn't he take the Forsaken with him, and instead chose to go find someone else?"

Sylvanas didn't care much about Veronalara's questions; all she heard was that Nathanos was going to Icecrown Citadel, which was undoubtedly a very risky mission.

"He must have his reasons for doing this." The Female Elf stood up from her chair and paced back and forth. "You didn't find a single person, did you?"

Veronalara nodded helplessly, not because she was incompetent, but because the task was simply too difficult for her.

"Then leave it to me," Sylvanas assured her. "I will send some people to help him."