Eve of War

A glass of water was handed to the messenger, and before drinking it, the messenger said with a sorrowful expression, "My mission has failed."

Jaina was completely confused. The man drinking water was only supposed to warn the people of Northwatch Hold of a possible Horde attack, but he was saying his mission had failed, meaning the message hadn't reached Northwatch Hold. What had happened? The mage said, "Tell me slowly, in as much detail as possible."

"The Northwatch Hold has been reduced to ruins."

Jaina and everyone who heard the news gasped. No one dared to utter a word, only mentally processing the information. Sylvanas, the first to recover from the shock, walked to the map and gestured the distance between Northwatch Hold and Theramore.

"They captured the Northwatch Hold, with its towering fortress, so quickly. The Horde must have been planning this for a long time. What is the current state of the Northwatch Hold? How many troops launched the attack? Did you see them?"

The Ranger-General's tone was somewhat aggressive; the battle situation was urgent, and she needed more reliable information.

The messenger thought carefully and quickly replied, "The towers and walls are nothing but piles of rubble. Many gray-black smoke columns are rising from inside the castle. I dare not get too close; I can only see the banners of the Darkspear Troll and Tauren."

"The vanguard of the Horde," Baine said gravely. "The fact that Grommash's army hasn't appeared on the battlefield is truly worrying."

"Perhaps they're already on their way here." Sylvanas looked at Jaina; now it was up to the ruler of Theramore to make a decision.

Jaina's face was somewhat pale. The Horde must have been well-prepared to capture the Northwatch Hold so swiftly, while Theramore had yet to make any clear war plans.

"They must have a large and powerful army," Jaina said. "And we are not ready. I think it will be difficult for us to withstand Grommash's full army on our own. It's time to ask for help from all sides."

"Then we need to act quickly," Sylvanas said. "If aid doesn't arrive in time, or isn't fast enough, we're doomed. I'll contact the Silver Covenant forces in Dalaran immediately and have them assemble here as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Sylvanas." Jaina forced a smile, but she didn't feel any relief.

The Ranger-General nodded and walked to the table. "Northwatch Hold has fallen." She extended a long, slender finger, pointing to the map. "And this is Theramore." She withdrew her finger and moved it to the right. "This is Brackenwall Village. Some Ogre live here, but it's not a military outpost. The Horde can't possibly be stationed here; they'll definitely launch a full-scale attack on Theramore's outer defenses. We need to quickly gather everyone we can from Dustwallow Marsh, and..." The Female Elf paused, "... and rescue the survivors who escaped from Northern Castle. If anyone is still alive."

The Northern Fortress was now in ruins, Jaina painfully recalled the messenger's words, which meant that most of the people were dead.

"We also need to keep track of the Horde's movements." Sylvanas, oblivious to the subtle expression on Jaina's face, focused her gaze on Baine. "At least we need to know Garrosh's marching route."

Baine nodded. "As the intelligence chief of Theramore, I guarantee that I will find Grommash's trail in the shortest possible time."

"Secondly, there's the sea. We only have a few warships and a dozen or so cruisers. But that's not enough. All ships capable of long voyages must be requisitioned." She pointed to Theramore on the map, then drew a long straight line eastward, stopping only at Stormwind City. "This is the worst-case scenario." Sylvanas looked at Jaina. The mage stared at her in horror.

The atmosphere instantly plummeted to freezing. Jaina gave a bitter smile and replied to Sylvanas, "You make it sound like the Horde has already won. I don't accept that."

"Just in case," Sylvanas said. "There are many civilians in the city, including the elderly and children, and we have to consider their needs." The Female Elf wanted to continue explaining, but the knocking sound outside the glass window drew everyone's attention away.

It was the reflection of a raptor. Baine wanted to rush over and shoo it away to prevent it from continuing to disrupt the important meeting. But when the Night Elf opened the window, the bird flew in, soaking wet, as if it had been flying for a long time in the rain. Jaina quickly thought of Medivh; the former Guardian also used to appear in people's sight in this way. Perhaps... She stared at the raven, her eyes wide.

It began to grow and transform, and in an instant, a figure taller than anyone else present rose from where the raptor had been perched—a Tauren. Jaina gasped, recognizing him—they had seen him at Thrall's wedding.

"You!" The female mage with a full head of golden hair looked at the unexpected visitor. "I know you."

"But you might not know my name." The Tauren's thick lips curved into a smile. Jaina's face flushed slightly; indeed, she only remembered the man's appearance. "However, Baine might know who I am."

The Night Elf never called for guards to arrest the intruder, as he was from the Horde. Just as the Tauren had said, Baine did indeed know his identity. "Hamuul Rune Totem, a close friend of Archdruid Stormrage. He's a member of the Cenarion Circle," Baine introduced.

"Welcome to Theramore, Hamuul," Jaina said. "What brings you here?"

"I sensed a warning in your words, Ms. Proudmoore," Hamuul said to her. "It seems you already know about the Northwatch Hold."

"Not only that, we also know it was the work of the Tauren and Troll." Sylvanas stepped between the two and questioned them more directly, "If you're not here to help us, then please leave."

"If I hadn't come to help you, I wouldn't have traveled all this way."

Sylvanas and Jaina exchanged a glance, the mage nodded, and the Ranger-General stepped aside.

"We need the voice of the Horde," Jaina said.

Hamuul cleared his throat. "When I arrived here, I examined the deployments in Theramore, and if I may be so bold, I'm afraid you're not prepared."

"We only received news of the Horde invasion a few days ago," Archmage Tervosh explained. "We didn't even have time to figure out why you suddenly wanted to attack us."

The Tauren stood frozen, stunned by Tervosh's words. He remembered Baine mentioning that the Horde's plan to attack Theramore was a top secret, known almost exclusively to the Horde's leaders. Even Hamuul had only recently heard Baine mention it.

"You know? Then I won't waste any more words. Grommash's army will arrive in no more than three days, all by land, and..." Hamuul's expression suddenly turned painful, as if he had thought of something, "He also prepared a bomb... I think you have all heard what happened in the Stonetalon Mountains."

Jaina froze, covering her mouth with her hand to hide her terror. She hoped Hamuul was just joking, but no one would like a joke like that.

What should we do?

Desperate, no one answered Jaina; even Sylvanas closed her eyes and fell silent.

Hamuul was apologetic for bringing such bad news. "Chief Baine faced a rebellion when he first assumed leadership, and you came to his aid. He's remembered that, which is why he sent me to warn you. He doesn't want you to be caught off guard."

Jaina swallowed. "Baine is a truly respectable Tauren. I'm grateful for his timely warning. He did it to save innocent lives."

"He regrets that all he can do is issue a warning, madam." Hamuul slowly walked to the window, the spot where he had come from. "He also promised you that he would not appear on the battlefield of Theramore. But as his advisor, I also ask you to promise that no Tauren envoy has visited you. Whoever asks you, please say that an Alliance spy discovered Grommash's plans and reported this information to you." The Rune Totem slowly transformed back into a raptor. "May Earth Mother smile upon you, madam. May you weather this storm safely."

"A bomb?" Nathanos's fishing rod trembled slightly. Fishing across the river in Duskwood helped him pass the time. The hut behind him was a Defias Brotherhood outpost, which he had temporarily requisitioned to hide his tracks. Vanessa Vancliffe's operation in Westfall had recently failed, forcing her to return to Stormwind City and continue her covert work as Talbert.

"Yes." Belmont nodded, standing beside him. "It's said to be even more powerful than the one Kargath used back then."

Nathanos remembered the Orcs. "Speaking of which, Kargath has been resurrected, hasn't he?"

"Yes, he is already a Death Knight and is clamoring for revenge against Grommash."

"He is not allowed to act rashly without my order," said the Witherer.

"I will keep a close eye on him," Belmont said. "Master, should we inform Theramore about the bomb?"

"Without the Prism of Focus and without bombs, Garrosh will think of other alternatives." Nathanos slowly reeled in his fishing rod and looked back at Belmont. "That Great Chief is determined to destroy Theramore, and there's no stopping him."

"So, Jaina Proudmoore has no choice but to abandon the city and flee?"

"No!" Nathanos shook his head. "She wouldn't dare do that."

Belmont expressed his confusion, the Witherer didn't elaborate further, asking instead, "How long until Tobias Mistermantho can contact my naive cousin?"

"He needs some time; Stephan Marius is on his way back to Stormwind City."

"Very good." Nathanos smiled and placed a long, thin object wrapped in linen into Belmont's hands. The process stirred a mix of emotions within him; the object in the linen had nearly cost him his life, and he had carefully kept it for years, waiting for an opportunity to return it to its rightful owner. Now, that opportunity had arrived. "I will go to Theramore myself, and before I return, I will use this arrow to take care of Tobias's brother."

"It might still be possible to send everyone away tonight." Tervosh watched Jaina pacing anxiously back and forth. In the current situation, there was no choice but to evacuate Theramore. Hamuul had been gone for some time, bringing only nightmarish news, but no solution.

"Running away is not the best option," Jaina rebuked. "If we run, Grommash will continue to hurl that bomb at Darnassus, at Stormwind City, and even at Ironforge!"

"Just the fact that Baine revealed this information to us shows that not all Horde members are like their Great Chief," Sylvanas said. "I believe there are some members... at least my sister would oppose Garrosh's actions."

"What if they don't know at all?" Jaina asked. "I know what you're trying to say, Sylvanas. Of the remaining Horde members, Baine, Vol'jin, and Saurfang, they all know the truth, but they may not be able to gain Grommash's trust. That Orcs knows everyone will oppose him, which is why he's going ahead anyway. Once it's done, even if he faces criticism, it won't matter anymore."

"In that case, we can only take defensive measures," Baine said. "I suggest sending people to search for the bomb, and if possible, to destroy it even at the cost of our lives."

"No need to look. Just think about it and you'll know where it is." Sylvanas's words successfully drew everyone's attention. "Theramore has a decent navy and the natural defenses of the Dustwallow Marsh, but it lacks one thing: air power. And the Horde possesses the Goblins airship technology..."

A bomb is about to fall from the sky, aiming at Theramore's weak point.

Jaina racked her brains for a way out of this predicament. She needed a foolproof plan to protect everyone.

"If there were a magical barrier, perhaps it could protect us."

"We don't have that many mages," Sylvanas said, instantly understanding the mage's intention upon seeing the conflicted look in Jaina's eyes. "You want to ask Dalaran for help? They're a neutral faction; they haven't intervened in the Alliance - Horde conflict since the Second War."

"We have no other choice," Jaina said, seemingly more astute than Sylvanas at this moment. "Only the mages of Dalaran can support us the fastest. The Horde army will arrive in three days. The Stormwind City reinforcements won't make it in time. We have to hold off that bomb first. Garrosh will surely order a full-scale attack when he sees his plan has failed."

Sylvanas looked at Jaina with concern, "Then we must stop all our manpower from going to the defense."