Action

The scout nodded, saluted Doomhammer again, and then trotted away, disappearing from Orgrim's sight. Doomhammer nodded. At least when they stopped to face the humans again, they had Blood Ring Clan Warrior fighting alongside them. Kilrogg was a wise and powerful old Warrior, still strong despite his age, and his clan was warlike and aggressive. With the Blackrock and Bleeding Hollow Clans, he still had a fighting chance against the Alliance. But Orgrim seemed disappointed upon seeing the Blood Ring Clan warlord.

"We cannot fight them yet, at least not now!"

Doomhammer stared at Kilrogg, while the old chieftain shook his head, his face grim but resolute.

"What? Why not?" Doomhammer asked.

"Because there are still enemies here," Kilrogg replied briefly.

"Dwarf?" Orgrim blurted out, knowing what Kilrogg was referring to. But these Dwarf didn't have Gryphon; they weren't as formidable as the Dwarf of Aerie Peak. Those Dwarf living in the mountains had long been utterly crushed when the Horde army arrived. "But we crushed their entire army and drove them out of their fortress," Orgrim questioned Kilrogg's words.

"There's one left," the other corrected, looking up so that his good eyes and his scarred blind eye were both fixed on the Doomhammer. "We failed to breach Ironforge, and I lost a great many excellent Warrior with each attack."

Ironforge? Orgrim remembered. Yes! There was indeed that place. "Then forget about it for now," Doomhammer insisted. "We don't need it anymore. We must turn back and prepare before the humans cross the bridge and gain the upper hand in the valley. Once we destroy their army, we can launch a full-scale siege of Ironforge, tear through its defenses, and then rest for a while before continuing our northward march to complete our conquest."

Kilrogg shook his head again. "It's too dangerous to leave the Dwarf behind us," he stated. "I've fought them many times these past few months. To be honest, if we let them run rampant, they'll swarm us from their fortresses like angry wasps. Every fortress we destroy, the survivors flee to Ironforge, which seems like a bottomless pit that holds everyone. I can't fathom how deep it is; the Dwarf lurk there, waiting for their chance for revenge. If we can't hold this place, if we can't put enough pressure on them, we'll be caught in a pincer attack on Blackrock Mountain."

Doomhammer paced back and forth, considering his words. He trusted Kilrogg's judgment, but this also meant that the Alliance would have an overwhelming numerical advantage in Blackrock Mountain.

"Then so be it, stay here with your clan," he finally told Kilrogg after much deliberation. "Put as much pressure on the Dwarf as you can. I will take the rest to Blackrock Spire. There we can build our fortress using its thick layers of rock." He glanced at the aged chieftain. "If possible, take your men there after you've dealt with the trouble here. Perhaps you can attack the human forces from behind, or encounter our others, those returning by sea or those who came through the Dark Portal." He straightened up. "Blackrock Spire is our strongest position. If we can't defeat the humans there, we'll be even less likely to succeed elsewhere, which means we're doomed to lose this war."

Kilrogg nodded. He stared at Orgrim for a few seconds, then said in a calm voice, "Your decision was correct." Kilrogg affirmed him. "I also know the inside story of Gul'dan's betrayal. His actions could very well take us back to the days before the Dark Portal opened, those days when we were angry, hungry, and desperate to the point of madness." He nodded. "Whatever happened, you have brought glory back to our people."

Doomhammer nodded, a sudden surge of respect welling up within him. He even began to feel a fondness for this one-eyed chieftain he had once despised. He had always considered Kilrogg nothing more than a brutal and savage Warrior who valued personal heroism over national honor. Perhaps he was wrong.

"Thank you," he said. He had nothing more to say, so he turned and walked back to his own clan. Orders needed to be given, and another long march was to be carried out. Perhaps this would be the last.

Two days later

Nathanos stood Lordaeron, gazing at Lordamere Lake. Alliance soldiers surrounded him; to avoid chaos, Lothar had decided to assemble his army outside the city in preparation for the southern campaign. Alleria approached him silently.

"Nathanos, let me introduce you to the Farstrider." The Female Elf was followed by two other Elf, a man and a woman.

"Who are they?" Nathanos asked.

Alleria extended her hand to introduce them one by one, "My lieutenants, Lor'themar Theron and Verina, are both my capable assistants. This is the person I mentioned to you before, Nathanos Marius. Don't let his youth fool you; his abilities are no less than our Ranger."

Verina bowed to Nathanos, while Lor'themar simply nodded to him, as did Nathanos.

"I see that Lothar's warhorse is already clad in the latest armor, and it looks like he's preparing to depart tonight." Lor'themar got straight to the point. Although it felt strange to have a human beside him, he decided to trust his Ranger-General.

Nathanos glanced westward at the Alterac Mountains. The snow on the mountains was invisible in the darkness, but Nathanos could still make out their shape. "His choice was wise. I mean, the Alliance King's thinking was wise. My biggest worry was that they would argue over the Alterac issue. But it seems they've chosen to deal with the Orcs first."

Alleria nodded in agreement, noting, "The good news from Kul Tiras at sea also proved Alterac's betrayal; it seems everything is moving in a positive direction."

"If that's the case..." Nathanos said, glancing at Lothar, who was talking with Uther, Turalyon, and Khadgar not far away. Interestingly, Nathanos's former mentor was also looking at him, but Nathanos's gaze didn't linger. "Lothar's face showed no relief. He knew the upcoming battle wouldn't be easy. If I'm not mistaken, the Horde should have already retreated to the Burning Steppes and encamped at Blackrock Mountain. I've heard my Dwarf mentor mention that the mountain is a natural fortress, situated on high ground, with thick rock layers no less than the walls of Lordaeron."

Alleria, Lor'themar, and Verina exchanged glances and smiled smugly, just as Nathanos saw them.

"Why are you laughing?"

The Female Elf covered her mouth and chuckled, replying, "They had some doubts about your abilities before they came, and what you just speculated about is exactly the latest intelligence we've received."

Nathanos squinted, his expression serious. He realized he had been tricked by the Female Elf.

"That fortress is easy to defend and difficult to attack." Verina quickly changed the subject, looking at Alleria. "We will have to rely on the Horde's scouts on our way, which is probably why Marshal Lothar chose to advance at night."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple." Lor'themar shook his head. "Blackrock Mountain is surrounded by plains. Although we can easily set up an attack formation, it won't be easy to break through Blackrock Spire. The Horde must have made ample preparations. But if we can't finish this quickly, it will be troublesome once the Horde's reinforcements arrive, and..." He paused here, clearly having some unspeakable difficulties.

"And they also have dragons, right?" Nathanos noticed why he had suddenly fallen silent. Not only him, but the other two Female Elf also hesitated upon hearing this word. The pain inflicted on the Elf by the Red Dragon would probably take a long time to heal.

"You're right, they have dragons, which will cause problems for our supply lines."

Nathanos glanced at Lor'themar, whose head was slightly bowed; the latter seemed to be in a bad mood. "Your men aren't bad," he said, before walking towards Lothar.

"Lothar, Nathanos is coming." Khadgar spotted the approaching humans immediately and alerted his commander.

Lothar frowned as he faced the approaching humans. He had heard that Nathanos had joined the Farstrider, which was good news; the Alliance needed any force that could help. "It's good to see you again, Marshal Lothar."

The last time they met was almost a year ago, Lothar certainly remembered it, but the meeting was not pleasant.

"Me too, kid. I'm so glad you're playing for the Alliance."

Nathanos smiled and glanced at the crowd. "If you don't mind, I'm going to share my personal opinion on the upcoming war. Do you have time to listen?"

"Of course, I'm also discussing this with Uther and the others. What's your opinion?" he said, and Alleria walked over to Nathanos from behind.

"Thank you, it won't take up too much of your time. What I want to say is that I agree to set off now, but I don't think now is the best time to attack Blackrock Mountain," Nathanos said, Khadgar with a smile, having just said the same thing to Lothar.

The Warrior touched his chin, which was covered in fine white stubble, and asked, "Why is that?"

"Because no one can guarantee that the Alliance can break through Blackrock Mountain, it is impossible to defeat the Horde by attacking from only one direction."

"You mean to divide our forces and encircle Blackrock Mountain?" Turalyon said. It was a good idea, but he felt it was too much of a dispersal of our forces.

Nathanos shook his head, indicating that Turalyon had misunderstood him. "No? We absolutely cannot divide our forces, because Blackrock Mountain is high up, and the Horde can observe our every move. They will be able to prepare their defenses before we do. What I mean is that it will be difficult for us to defeat the Horde on our own, but it will be different if we can find help."

"I understand!" Khadgar nodded, then turned to Lothar: "Nathanos means we need the Bronzebeard Dwarves' help, Kurdran also said before that the Alliance needs to rescue them."

"I never said that!" he objected at first, then changed his mind. "Of course, it would be good if those Bronzebeard could attack from the south of Blackrock Mountain and stab the Horde in the back." He hesitated for a moment, and everyone present looked at him as he muttered something. "Alright, if possible, I would choose to go and save them, doing so only for the Alliance."

Lothar nodded, glanced at the others, and they all thought it was a good idea.

"How do we contact them?" Lothar asked.

"First, we need to help them deal with the Orcs besieging Ironforge." Nathanos said, glancing at the moon. Uther, who knew him well, knew this was a habitual gesture he made when making decisions. "I want to work alongside the Wildhammer Dwarf."

"What?" Alleria exclaimed in surprise from behind, her voice barely audible to Nathanos, her tone full of disapproval. Not only him, but Uther wore the same expression, though he didn't remain silent.

"You can't go. It's too dangerous. Besides, the only way to contact the Dwarf in Ironforge is through Gryphon. Those beasts won't let you ride on their backs safely."

Kurdran was displeased by this. Although he agreed with Uther, viewing Gryphon as wild beasts was intolerable to him. "My darlings aren't as savage as you think, big man." Kurdran looked up at Uther. "If I put in a word with Skare, he'll definitely take this brat with him."

Uther shook his head; that wasn't the key issue. He was worried about Nathanos's safety. Everyone knew how dangerous this operation was; to be able to trap the Bronzebeard Dwarves in Ironforge, one could imagine how ferocious those Orcs were.

Khadgar said to Lothar, "It's common knowledge that there's a conflict between the Wildhammer Dwarf and the Bronzebeard Dwarves. If we only send Kurdran, I'm afraid..."

The aged Warrior nodded, and the mage raised a crucial point. "Nathanos, can you guarantee the Bronzebeard Dwarves will trust you?"

The young man nodded and explained, "I once had a Dwarf mentor. He returned to Ironforge a year ago, and if I can meet with him, everything will be fine." He glanced at Uther, who was already bowing his head and remaining silent.

After much deliberation, Lothar made his decision.

"Alright, I agree. You must do your best to secure the Bronzebeard Dwarves' help; it is crucial for the entire war."

The meeting ended.

Alleria pulled Nathanos aside and flew into a rage. "How could you make such a decision without consulting me? Have you forgotten that you're my advisor now? I'm responsible for your safety. How am I supposed to explain this to your parents if something happens to you?"

After the Female Elf calmed down and her breathing became steady, Nathanos said, "I'm sorry."

Alleria's expression froze; she wondered if she had misheard, but Nathanos had indeed said those two words. "I think Lor'themar and Verina are enough for you. Perhaps I should do something more important."

"You're joking with your life?" the Female Elf retorted, turning the human's face away and remaining silent. Alleria nodded in agreement with his reaction.

"Okay, then I'll go with you."

"What?" Nathanos grabbed her hand upon hearing this. "Are you crazy? Your soldiers need their Ranger-General."

The Female Elf seemed to have forgotten to break free from his long, slender fingers. She glared at him and said sharply, "Since you think so highly of Lor'themar and Verina, I will temporarily hand over the power to lead the army to them. This will also allow them to hone their abilities. And I can also leave to protect your safety."

"Lothar will not agree."

"If you tell him, I will immediately let your parents know that you are secretly preparing to join the war."

Nathanos glared at her, finally sighed, and released her hand. After a long silence, Alleria's attitude was clear: either abandon the operation or take her with you. Nathanos ultimately chose to compromise.

"Hopefully, the Skare Gryphon Kurdran can accommodate three people."