The Western Plaguelands were flat, and the combined forces of the three races could reach the border at the Thondroril River simply by following the main road.
It looks like I need to give the Scarlet Crusade a dose of strong medicine ahead of schedule, Patrick thought.
"We've reached the Thondroril River. Once we cross it, we can continue east along the main road to what used to be Marris Stead. After clearing out the Scourge there, we can use the farm buildings as a temporary fortress and decide what to do next." Taelan studied the map. Clearly, he had done his homework long ago.
"Mm..." Nathanos the Blightcaller merely murmured his agreement without offering any suggestions.
Patrick did not answer Taelan. Instead, he asked Nathanos, "Don't you want to go and see Marris Stead?"
"In this form? My kin may already have become part of the Scourge. I wouldn't know what to do if I saw them." Nathanos looked somewhat dejected.
Taelan seemed to realize something. "Was he once a member of Marris Stead?"
"The Blightcaller's former name was Nathanos Marris," Patrick explained to Taelan. "That farm was his fief. He was a noble of the Kingdom of Lordaeron."
Marris Stead had been built on relatively high ground, surrounded by flat farmland. From within the farm, one could overlook all the surrounding fields, and looking east, one could even see the top of Crown Guard Tower. Moreover, the farm stood right beside the main road leading straight to the capital, Stratholme, with an endless stream of travelers passing by.
Although the Marris family was only a minor family, it was one of the wealthiest in the Kingdom of Lordaeron. With its ideal location and plentiful, fertile farmland, the family had built Marris Stead across an entire elevated hillside, both