Khadgar and the elite vanguard had temporarily escaped the battlefield. They had succeeded—the Dark Portal had been closed, though the cost had been steep: a dangerous man had been set free. Khadgar would not blame the soldier who had released Gul'dan. He knew it had been a necessary choice.
Fewer than thirty members of the vanguard remained. With no clear destination, they plunged headlong into the Tanaan Jungle. Khadgar remembered that, in Outland, this place had been Hellfire Peninsula, utterly devoid of vegetation. The lush vitality before him now could only make him sigh at the enormous difference.
The jungle might have provided them cover, but it also brought terrible news. Malkorath said there was an Orc clan called the Blood Ring Clan in the Tanaan Jungle, and they excelled at jungle warfare. At first, Khadgar had used his magic to seize an Orc watchtower, but they moved on again after only a few minutes. He said they could not stay in one place for too long; the Iron Horde would not let them go.
Sylvanas quietly walked up behind him and whispered, "The three Rangers I sent ahead to scout haven't returned." The Archmage did not turn around, silently accepting the bad news.
The journey had not been smooth. They had rescued two groups of Frostwolf Orc and Draenei prisoners. These people had almost no ability to fight, and bringing them along would surely expose them. So Khadgar sent the Orc Ariok to cause a disturbance at the Blood Ring Orcs' altar, drawing the enemy's attention so the main group could bypass the Iron Horde's jungle outposts.
Ariok was Eitrigg's son, and he carried out the task splendidly. Khadgar had even heard the voice of Kilrogg, the Blood Ring warlord. He was coming to capture the intruders.
After crossing