"Is everything ready?" Anduin Lothar, the Alliance commander, asked gravely from the positions at Stromgarde.
"Yes, sir!" Turalyon paused, then answered.
"Good!" Lothar nodded and paid the young paladin no further attention, his penetrating gaze returning to the Horde positions in the distance, where black smoke billowed.
Turalyon carefully adjusted his helmet, armor, and great hammer, confirming once again that he really was ready.
The Horde attack was imminent, and war could erupt at any moment... but for Turalyon, this would be his first time taking part in a real war.
Although Marshal Lothar had already led the Alliance army in three battles against the Horde two months earlier, Turalyon had been overseeing supply shipments in the rear at the time, so he had happened to miss them all...
"A little nervous?" Tirion Fordring asked from beside him with a smile.
"Uh..." Turalyon first nodded, then hurriedly shook his head.
"It's perfectly normal to be nervous!" Fordring explained. "When I first stepped onto the battlefield, I was just as nervous as you are. But once the fighting actually broke out and the Horde army charged, all that nervousness disappeared..."
"Thank you..." Turalyon suddenly felt much better.
"Give it your all, brother!" Fordring patted Turalyon on the shoulder. "We can't lose this battle too. If we lose again, Stromgarde will fall as well, and the entire Arathi Highlands will fall into the Horde's hands."
"Yes!" Turalyon nodded firmly, tightening his grip on his warhammer.
"The elves are here!" A sudden commotion rose from the rear of the positions.
Even Commander Lothar's attention was drawn by the commotion. Had he not seen those pointed-eared high elves making their way over, he might even have suspected that the Horde had attacked from behind...
"Reporting to you, Lord Lothar!" The female elven ranger