Fortress in the Snow

Kaz'Modan

Under Lothar's orders, Nathanos, along with Kurdran and Alleria, set off for Dun Morogh. Like Alterac, it was a frozen wasteland, but Kurdran explained that severe weather was rare there. Nathanos noticed that Kurdran always spoke of Ironforge with pride, his smile never faltering, but the moment the Bronzebeard Dwarves were mentioned, his face immediately hardened and his expression turned serious.

"To be honest, I didn't expect it to be like this." Kurdran sat at the very front of the Gryphon's back, with Nathanos and Alleria behind him in order. The Skare was very fast, Kurdran had to raise his voice so that the people behind him could hear him.

Nathanos asked, "What's wrong?"

"Why are there only three of us? I thought I could bring my other brothers with me to Ironforge. This isn't what we agreed on." The Dwarf continued to grumble. Unlike before, Nathanos didn't argue with him. Instead, he quipped, "There are many things that don't go as planned." As soon as he finished speaking, Nathanos suddenly felt a sharp pinch on his waist.

Alleria reached out from behind and hugged the human in front of her. To avoid falling, she intertwined her fingers tightly and pressed her face against Nathanos's back. The High Elf, accustomed to a warm and comfortable environment, felt uncomfortable in this icy world, even under the bright sunshine. She remained silent, trying to stay warm by curling up tightly. Nathanos's words had clearly been directed at her, so the Female Elf fiercely vented her dissatisfaction.

"What's going on?" Kurdran heard Nathanos make a sound of pain and thought something was wrong.

"It's nothing!" The human gritted his teeth, rubbing the sore spot with his right hand, but accidentally touched Alleria's hand. So cold! Nathanos thought to himself, instinctively grasping the hands clasped tightly around his waist. Alleria blushed, instinctively wanting to shrink back, but didn't move.

"How much longer until we arrive?" Nathanos asked. Kurdran pulled on the reins, looked down, and finally said, "We'll be there once we cross that next mountain, but the conditions down below don't look good."

The humans looked down and saw many small black dots on the white ground below, mainly concentrated at the foot of the mountain.

"It's Orcs!" Alleria's voice was very soft, but the two people in front of her could hear it.

Kurdran nudged Skare, signaling the Gryphon to speed up. "It's alright, they can't reach us."

"Those Orcs aren't Warrior," Nathanos observed for a moment before looking up. "They're probably mining."

Kurdran nodded in agreement. The rugged Dun Morogh Mountains provided the Dwarf with an endless supply of ore. From Ironforge to the depths of Kaz'Modan, and to the forging grounds of Coldridge Valley, rich deposits of minerals abounded. He had seen Orcs ships before and recognized them instantly as being forged from the ore found here.

With a piercing scream from Skare, Kurdran excitedly pointed downwards and shouted, "We've arrived!"

Nathanos glanced over, then turned to Alleria behind him and said, "It should be warmer inside the fortress." The Female Elf opened her eyes, looking over Nathanos's right shoulder. Because Skare was gliding downwards, Alleria could easily see the city, but she doubted her eyes. Near the mountaintop ahead, some polished boulders were embedded in the ridge behind, with huge skylights above them. A short staircase led to the top of the stone wall, at the end of which were two enormous stone doors, carved with a Dwarf statue holding a warhammer aloft. Above the doors was a magnificent archway, inside which was carved a heavy anvil. It was an awe-inspiring sight—the entrance to Ironforge. Alleria was astonished. When she arrived here, the surroundings had made her wonder if any race could truly thrive in such an environment. Of course, the Alterac people could, but Ironforge alone surpassed Alterac's. Even Silvermoon City's ornate gates weren't as magnificent. The Female Elf began to look forward to the world inside Ironforge's gates.

The heavy doors were tightly shut, and there were no visible entrances nearby. However, there were tall watchtowers on either side of the doors, and taking advantage of the treacherous terrain, the Dwarf seemed to have established a defensive position outside. When the Skare were still two hundred meters above the ground, the Bronzebeard Dwarves guarding the outside immediately spotted them.

"Step back!"

"Watch out! This is a big guy."

"She's really beautiful, isn't she? Uh! I was talking about the Gryphon, not that bearded guy on her body."

General Skare was in the very center of the Dwarf camp when the guards immediately surrounded him, pointing their weapons at the uninvited guests, especially Kurdran, who looked like a Wildhammer.

A Dwarf officer approached and shouted, "Hands up, outsiders! This is Ironforge!"

"Shut your mouth, or I'll have Skare bite your head off," Kurdran snapped in the purest Dwarven language. Alleria couldn't understand what he was saying, but the tense atmosphere clearly indicated that the talks were not going well.

"Where is Magni? Was he roasted into a pie by the flames of the Great Forge?"

"Enough!" Nathanos stopped him, stepping forward and bowing to the Dwarf commander before him. "I am Nathanos Marius, a messenger of the Alliance. This is King Kurdran of Aerie Peak, and this is Ranger-General Alleria Windrunner of Quel'Thalas. We mean no offense, but we have important matters to discuss with King Magni."

"What?!" The Dwarf officer flew into a rage upon hearing the name Kurdran, drawing his weapon and pointing it at the Gryphon's master. "Kurdran of Aerie Peak? I've heard of you, leader of the Wildhammer. You barbarian, how dare you come here? Do you intend to bring this human and this Elf to reclaim Ironforge?"

"Say that again!" Kurdran brandished his Storm Hammer, ready to teach the arrogant Bronzebeard a lesson. Nathanos immediately stopped him, frowning, and said, "Don't forget why we're here, Kurdran."

The leader of Aerie Peak, panting heavily, reluctantly nodded at the Dwarf, pursed his lips, and retreated to Skare's side. He took out some jerky to feed his precious pet, and didn't forget to glare back at the Dwarf.

Nathanos sighed and said again, "Please don't mind me, my friend. But I don't want to repeat why we've come here. We need to see King Magni now."

Why do you want to see Magni?

"I am here to help the Bronzebeard Dwarves, and I believe you are in dire need of help right now."

The Dwarf officer's gaze swept back and forth between the three of them. Whether or not to trust this human required careful consideration, especially since Kurdran, this Wildhammer Dwarf, was an enemy of the Bronzebeard tribe. The scene suddenly became tense until a voice rang out.

"Nathanos!"

The humans looked in the direction of the sound and saw another Dwarf emerge from the crowd. He wore a helmet and carried a mace used for forging weapons. Although his face was not visible, Nathanos immediately recognized him. The humans excitedly ran over, as did the Dwarf.

"Gudul!" Nathanos knelt down and embraced the Dwarf. His mentor removed his helmet and threw it aside, laughing loudly, completely speechless.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Nathanos looked at Gudul straight in the eye, scrutinizing him to make sure he wasn't injured or anything.

"I never expected to see you here!" Gudul exclaimed, as if addressing a family member. "What are you doing here? And sitting on the back of a Gryphon."

Nathanos hesitated for a moment, then sighed. How could something that had happened be explained in just a few words? Besides, their time was limited; Lothar's army should be arriving at the Burning Steppes soon. "I have come to see Magni, as Alliance messenger."

Gudul nodded; he knew Nathanos must have something important to discuss. He turned to his commander. "Kael'thas, they want to see the King; we should let them pass."

The officer Kael'thas Carlisle put away his weapon and said to Gudul, "Are you sure they're alright, brother?"

"Of course!" Gudul assured, glancing at Nathanos again. "He's my apprentice, and I know him very well."

An apprentice? Kael'thas looked Nathanos up and down and nodded. "Hmm! A capable little guy. He'd be even better if he weren't with Wildhammer."

Kurdran pretended not to hear that, but his face twitched slightly.

"The Wildhammer is better than those Orcs," Gudul pointed out. Kael'thas thought about it and agreed, especially since Nathanos had said he was there to help Ironforge.

"Alright, all guard down!" Kael'thas called out. The surrounding Dwarf dispersed, murmuring amongst themselves, and returned to their posts.

"Open the gates!" Kael'thas roared at Ironforge. As if understanding his command, the gates began to rumble and slowly moved to both sides, releasing a blast of hot air that made Alleria feel incredibly comfortable.

"Come with me! All three of you." Kael'thas reached out to Nathanos.

"Three?" Kurdran finally couldn't hold back. "I'm not leaving Skare here." He glared angrily at Kael'thas, but the other looked at him like he was an idiot. Alleria covered her mouth to suppress a laugh, and Nathanos shook his head helplessly. Kael'thas meant that Kurdran and Skare had to stay here, and the third person to go in was Gudul. But if he told Kurdran that he had misunderstood, the Gryphon Rider would probably storm off in a huff. So Nathanos said, "Kurdran, Skare should be rested enough. Please go and scout out the situation of the Orcs around here. We need to know their movements."

Kurdran snorted, glared at Kael'thas, and jumped behind Skare. "Let's go, Skare, let's do something Bronzebeard can't do."