Truth

The Tauren and Troll were tasked with leading the attack on the Northwatch Hold. Grommash's instruction was that the main force would follow behind them. Concealing at dawn and traveling at night, Baine and Vol'jin had some reservations about the decision to attack the Alliance, but things often have a silver lining: they had plenty of time to talk about the Horde's current situation.

"We've bypassed the Alliance's forward command post." Vol'jin drew a rough map on the ground with his double-edged sword. "We haven't encountered much resistance yet, but the Alliance has many abandoned camps in the Barrens. Some of the campfires are still warm, indicating that people often wander around. They are the eyes of the Northwatch Hold, and it won't be easy to avoid them."

Baine nodded. "I've also been wondering if our operation is still operating in secret?"

"It's impossible to keep it a secret. Once one place catches fire, the rest will be alerted," Vol'jin chuckled.

Baine knew he was laughing at Grommash; the Great Chief's idea of conquering Kalimdor was utterly unrealistic. The Alliance wasn't weak, and the Horde wasn't powerful. At least, that's what Baine's father, Cairne, thought. He turned to look at the resting Warrior. Some were rubbing their hands together, others sat on the ground deep in thought. The Tauren and Troll were torn between a thirst for fierce battle and unease, and their leader was struggling with the same internal conflict.

After a while, as darkness fell, Baine and his companions continued their journey, following the winding path towards the Northwatch Hold.

"Looks like we're in luck. The scouts at the Northwatch Hold haven't spotted us," Vol'jin said.

"Then the Alliance may not have realized our intentions," Baine said.

Vol'jin narrowed his eyes and asked another question. "Are there civilians inside the castle?"

"I don't think so," Baine replied uncertainly. He was beginning to feel somewhat relieved that Garrosh hadn't personally gone to the battlefield; otherwise, the Orcs might have ordered the execution of all captured prisoners of war.

"Then let's finish this quickly." Vol'jin jumped off his raptor. "If possible..." the Troll chieftain hesitated, "After all, Grom Grommash didn't say he was going to kill everyone, did he?"

Baine felt a fleeting glimmer of hope, but he quickly sighed and said, "The Alliance won't choose to run away easily."

Patrolling soldiers stood behind the greyish-white stone slabs of the Northwatch Hold tower. Baine raised his hand, ready to order the attack. His hand froze in mid-air Tauren turned to look at Vol'jin. The Darkspear Troll was just as conflicted, but Vol'jin ultimately nodded to him. Baine, resigned, had no choice but to act. His hand fell. The Tranquility of the Barrens was instantly shattered by the roar of the Charge as the Troll and Tauren launched a surprise attack on the Alliance's military fortress.

"Forward!" Baine shouted, his voice booming with power. "Break down the gates!"

In the ensuing chaos, the garrison of the Northwatch Hold was caught off guard, and their defenses were disorganized. Meanwhile, the Horde's Tauren and Troll swiftly advanced to the castle's base, their climbing locks and explosives already prepared. The Shaman summoned massive stones that pounded against the castle walls.

"Fortify all the city gates!" someone in the castle garrison shouted.

Baine and Vol'jin had no intention of giving their enemies a chance to breathe; the longer the battle dragged on, the more of their people would fall. The Tauren chieftain raised his arms and roared, and the Alliance gates were forcefully pushed open by the emboldened soldiers. Seeing this, Baine knew victory was only a matter of time.

Tauren and Troll surged through the city gates like a flood. Baine followed closely behind, a human guard charging at him with a spear. Baine, strong and agile, and familiar with his opponent's weapon, let out a battle cry and slammed his warhammer into the human's armor, denting the metal instantly. The guard collapsed to the ground. Baine then swung his warhammer at two more spear-wielding soldiers. A cacophony of sounds filled his surroundings: the crackling of muskets, the booming of cannons, the whistling of arrows, and another resounding clang of metal echoing across the battlefield—the shouts of Horde and Alliance soldiers fighting, killing, and dying.

One of the soldiers charged at him. However, Baine's massive frame did not hinder his speed. The spear struck only air. Before his opponent could react, Baine smashed the human to the ground with his hammer. Another Northern Guard soldier thought he had caught his opponent off guard, but Baine swung his warhammer, breaking the spear shaft in two, and then smashed the soldier's head like a coconut with a backhand blow. Baine shook his head, filled with regret. His opponent died swiftly and decisively.

Most people rushed into the castle, while only a few remained to clear out the guards who were trying to rescue those fighting inside.

The attack went very smoothly. Baine rushed up a tower to get a better view of the entire situation. Vol'jin was there too, but he was facing three Alliance Warrior alone. The Darkspear chieftain was a powerful Witch Doctor wielding a small yet incredibly light double-edged sword. As the three charged at him, trying to surround him, Vol'jin's eyes flashed with a cold light. He leaned back, dodging a sweeping spear, then suddenly sprang forward, far exceeding his enemies' expectations. His double-edged sword was also too fast to see, like two flashes of death. The first human attacker fell to the ground before he even realized what had happened. Vol'jin whirled around, following the arc of the front blade, and swung the back blade. With a clang, he snapped another Alliance soldier's spear in two. The Troll then raised his weapon and cleaved deeply between the soldier's neck and shoulder, and the soldier collapsed to the ground. The remaining soldier was terrified; his hands and legs trembled violently. Vol'jin knew he was afraid and wanted to live, so the Troll chieftain said in pure human language, "Get out!"

To Baine's and his surprise, the human threw down his weapon and, instead of running towards the stairs, jumped off the tower. Vol'jin couldn't stop him in time. This last soldier was also killed instantly. The Troll chieftain and the Tauren chieftain stood bewildered atop the tower. Neither spoke immediately. Just as Baine was watching intently, a section of the wall collapsed, and more Warrior with brown fur and blue skin swarmed forward as planned. The Alliance's defenses crumbled, even collapsing completely.

"Garrosh's strategic objective has never been Northwatch Hold," Vol'jin broke the silence, his hands resting on the cold tower walls. Baine agreed; Grommash's true target was Theramore. On the map, Theramore appeared small, but it was garrisoned with a large number of the Alliance soldiers and ships, and its defenses were far superior to Northwatch Hold. However, Baine knew that Garrosh's army outnumbered his and Vol'jin's forces by more than a hundred times.

"The attack on Theramore..." Vol'jin continued, his voice much older, "Means that there is no longer any peace between the Horde and the Alliance."

With a thud, Baine's warhammer fell to the ground. Vol'jin turned and looked at him in surprise. The Tauren chieftain's ears drooped, and he breathed heavily. "There will be more wars. Earth Mother will suffer terrible wounds."

These words also touched Vol'jin's heart. Unlike the Tauren, he believed in all spirits, and in war, all spirits would also be harmed.

The Northwatch Hold had fallen, and many Alliance soldiers were still putting up a desperate resistance, but some, realizing the situation was hopeless, were trying to escape. Baine was surprised to see Tauren and Troll Warrior charging at the fleeing Alliance soldiers. Terrified and unable to fight, they were still being killed. Moments later, a Troll hunter ran up to Vol'jin and said, "We've won, Vol'jin. The enemy is routing."

The Troll leader finally snapped. He grabbed the hunter's arm. "Leave now and end the fight!" he roared. "Drive the Alliance out, drive them out! Do you hear me? Drive them out!"

The hunter looked at his leader in surprise, then quickly nodded and went to relay the order.

"Perhaps we underestimated Grommash's influence," Baine said, standing beside him. "His brutality and Bloodlust have assimilated some of our people."

"That's why I gave this order." Vol'jin observed the situation on the ground. "We have kept our promise and led our respective guards into battle. They have fought bravely and fulfilled their duty to Garrosh. We cannot stand by and watch any of our people become like the Great Chief."

Contrary to his expectations, Vol'jin quickly spotted a Troll standing beside a Dwarf's corpse. The Dwarf's left arm had been severed and lay a yard away, his eyes wide open, his death etched with rage. The Darkspear Troll, Vol'jin now felt resembled more of Forest Troll or Sand Troll, was covered in blood, his fangs bared in a vicious grin. He raised his head, opened his arms, and let out a triumphant shout, "The Horde has won! The Horde has won!"

The shout was immediately echoed and repeated by most people, spreading like wildfire. But Vol'jin and Baine felt no joy of victory; they only felt worry, a worry that grew ever deeper.

All that remains of the Northwatch Hold are corpses, fallen weapons, and rubble left by the destroyed fortress.

Most were immersed in joy, their bodies bearing the marks of war. Blood painted battle patterns on their faces, and their armor was splattered with red liquid.

Baine felt his heart melting with rage. He struggled to suppress his fury; many peace-loving people, especially his own, were also shouting in protest. The battle could be considered glorious, but what about those who hunted down deserters or executed those who surrendered? They were as ruthless as Grommash. Now the Warchief's first step had succeeded; Northwatch Hold was no longer on the map, and Garrosh's prestige would only grow stronger. What would happen to his people then? More would abandon the path of peace and the traditions of the Tauren, turning instead to obey the Great Chief's commands, becoming his weapons, and throwing themselves into the next carnage.

No. Baine swore that such a thing must not happen. He had to stay calm and someone had to clean up the mess and protect the Horde. At least, the remaining Horde after Garrosh's defeat.

Vol'jin has ordered the bodies of the dead to be collected. They will be properly buried. The Troll leader has also ordered his soldiers not to desecrate the bodies of the Alliance. Such a disrespectful act is dishonorable and shameful.

"We've done our best," Vol'jin said. "Think about Baine; the next battle is being commanded by Garrosh himself."

"He will utterly destroy Theramore, just as he promised," the Tauren whispered. Vol'jin sensed more of a lingering fear in his voice.

"Listen to me, buddy," Vol'jin said, turning to Baine while making sure no one was eavesdropping. "Garrosh's eyes are everywhere, and he's probably already heard about what's going on here. Tomorrow, or maybe even now, he'll have already ordered the advance into the Dustwallow Marsh."

"That's definitely in line with his style. There's nothing surprising about it, Vol'jin."

The Troll chieftain stared at Baine's face for a few seconds. "Do you know how that Orcs plans to attack Theramore?"

A chill ran down the Tauren's spine. His intuition told him that Grommash must have some scheme to use against Theramore. He didn't want to know the details, nor did he want Vol'jin to know, but the Darkspear chieftain's gaze shattered his hopes.

Baine's heart sank. "You know? You've been spying on him?"

"I'm just gathering intelligence, trying to see what he's up to. Remember Lok'han?"

Baine nodded; he would never forget that name. Many years ago, when Warchief the Thrall, Orgrimmar had just been established, Lok'han and the Horde warrior Rexxar had saved him from a group of Centaur. "I remember."

"He is the Darkspear Tribe's top Shadow Hunter. I sent him to investigate Grommash's secrets, and he discovered that a giant bomb was being assembled in Stoneclaw Mountain..."

Vol'jin didn't speak, but he believed Baine understood the deeper meaning. The Tauren chieftain stared wide-eyed at Vol'jin in disbelief, who nodded, indicating it was all true.

A surge of rage welled up within Baine, threatening to erupt at any moment. He simply couldn't fathom that the chieftain who had executed Kargath on Stoneclaw Mountain would commit the same act as that great king. Baine had always believed that even if Grommash craved war and desired to defeat the Alliance, he would at least achieve victory in a glorious manner. But now, having learned the truth, the Tauren were forced to question Garrosh's leadership.

The Troll patted him on the shoulder and turned to leave. Watching the Darkspear chieftain's retreating figure, Baine knew why he had told him the truth; some things had to be done by him, even if it meant being branded a traitor to the Horde. He trusted his father Cairne, would support him.

"Go and summon Hamuul; I want to see him."