Patrick returned to Sunlight City with Alleria and the animal gods. Apart from the animal gods' offspring, all six newly joined animal gods came to the Floating City to await Patrick's arrangements.
His conversation with Karde had given Patrick a clear understanding of himself and added another plan for the future: recovering his other Soul Shards.
He was holding Karde's Frost Shard, still pondering his future plans, when Alleria, Kael'thas, and Illidan came to see him.
"The situation lately has been far from encouraging. We're now guarding the Wrathgate entirely on our own," Kael'thas said, getting straight to the point. "An army of Iron Dwarves suddenly marched out of the Storm Peaks toward Dragonblight. They entered the Crystal Vice and fought a major battle against Dalaran and the Explorers' League, who intercepted them along the way."
"The Lich King tried several times to break out through the Wrathgate, but we drove him back each time. Tirion Fordring learned from Dalaran that there's a passage in Crystalsong Forest leading directly into Icecrown Glacier, so he led his army to Echoing Valley instead to establish a frontline base for the Silver Hand. That's Web Valley, which is controlled by Scourge City. It won't be easy for Tirion to fight his way into Icecrown Glacier from there."
"How is the war going now?" Patrick asked.
"It's still under control. The Alliance and the Horde have sent people to negotiate several times, asking when you'll return. It seems Arthas isn't the only one getting impatient. The Alliance and the Horde are too."
"This time, all of Azeroth's strength has been mobilized against the Scourge. There are also the blood feuds between the various races and the Scourge, and the Young Guard and rising factions within each race need military achievements to rise to prominence.