"Members of the Horde! Attackers gathering in Hearthglen, on their way to the Undercity. We're trying to rout them at the Bulwark, we could use assistance." A relatively unfamiliar voice rang over the Hearthstone, barely audible over the sound of alarms in the background. Arothand had hardly bothered keeping up with the various 'Tail inhabitants, but he was fairly certain this one was named Kagran. Orc. Honorable enough guy, from what he had heard.
More importantly, the Alliance was staging out of Hearthglen. He would put in a letter with his superiors about that. Tyrion Fordring and his Crusade would not be pleased with the Alliance using their city as a base from which to launch attacks against the Undercity, when they themselves have a strict policy of neutrality.
The more immediate threat, however, was the source of those alarms. Lightsworn had already been in the area, though he was not exactly expecting a battle. Not so soon after Silverpine. Tightening his facemask, he dug his heels into his black drake, rearing it towards the Bulwark.
By the time he arrived - alongside Kagran, Pakaza, and Raoul Zharikov - the alarms already shifted to Death's Watch Waystation, the crossroads right outside the Ruins of Lordaeron. It seemed that the Alliance was smart enough to avoid the ambush prepared for them at the Bulwark, small as it was.
Not smart enough to bring a more potent force than the last time, however.
The small Horde force took them from behind. While the Alliance had taken a good chunk from the Death Guard's defenses by the time the small group arrived, the Horde had the element of surprise. The enemy force numbered no more than half a dozen, consisting primarily of a scattered group of Worgen. Ebon Knights and Hunters, for the most part, along with the Pia shaman from the Silverpine battles.
As was often the case, the once-Knight found himself at odds with those he had previously called allies. Two Knights were among the Alliance group, and not surprisingly the trio found themselves in a scrap. There was something about them, their shared undeath, that always seemed to bring them together on the battlefield. No words were exchanged, no rude remarks, they paid far more respect to one another than they would any other enemies. They were enemies first, but brothers second, and loathe them as he may, that was simply the way it was. Their deaths would be quick, more than he would give any other member of the Alliance. One, he was coming to believe, was their commander. The other, Kagran shouted out as being part of some group called the 'Reclamation'.
Didn't mean much to him, however. They were unfamiliar faces. Their bond in death meant little when they so readily aligned themselves with those who would see all the unliving genocided.
Still, they were surprisingly ferocious, even for Worgen. It was all he could do to hold the line, provide a good distraction. He was a wall between them and the Magus and two hunters at his back. Never had he been so thankful for the reach his naginata provided him, allowing to him to keep far enough away from their blades - and worse, their claws. As usual, being the distraction worked out in his favor, in the long run.
Kagran, Pakaza, and Raoul were able to pick off the huntresses and casters of the group, and eventually assist Aro in his battle against the two Knights. Had they engaged him one on one, he would have insisted that the others hold back while he fight, but these were Ebon Blade members. They knew when to be honorable, and when to use honor against a target. With the fury of an Archmagus at his back, along with a flurry of arrows from the two hunters, it took little time to fell the Knights, as well.
After the fight, the Horde force withdrew to Brill, waiting for more alarms. What was the Worgens' target? Was it gravelings? The Val'kyr raising them in Deathknell? More civilians in the ruins? It was hard to say. The group of Alliance seemed unpredictable, and as usual, refused to stay dead. And so the small group of Horde waited.
And waited.
After some time, the Deathguard reported no activity in the area, and scouting out even Hearthglen proved unsuccessful. He paid his thanks to Kagran and his companion, saluting them each. The Horde needed more honorable folk like them, Orcs and Trolls that didn't scoff at defending the Dark Lady's lands.
However, as he prepared to take his leave, proclaiming this a victory and his just reward an early day home, that ever familiar tone rang out through the air. The Archmagus had an idea.
"Arothand, what do you say we return the favor a bit, mm? A bit of proactive defense, so to speak. Stop these attacks from occuring by culling them at the source."
More importantly, the Alliance was staging out of Hearthglen. He would put in a letter with his superiors about that. Tyrion Fordring and his Crusade would not be pleased with the Alliance using their city as a base from which to launch attacks against the Undercity, when they themselves have a strict policy of neutrality.
The more immediate threat, however, was the source of those alarms. Lightsworn had already been in the area, though he was not exactly expecting a battle. Not so soon after Silverpine. Tightening his facemask, he dug his heels into his black drake, rearing it towards the Bulwark.
By the time he arrived - alongside Kagran, Pakaza, and Raoul Zharikov - the alarms already shifted to Death's Watch Waystation, the crossroads right outside the Ruins of Lordaeron. It seemed that the Alliance was smart enough to avoid the ambush prepared for them at the Bulwark, small as it was.
Not smart enough to bring a more potent force than the last time, however.
The small Horde force took them from behind. While the Alliance had taken a good chunk from the Death Guard's defenses by the time the small group arrived, the Horde had the element of surprise. The enemy force numbered no more than half a dozen, consisting primarily of a scattered group of Worgen. Ebon Knights and Hunters, for the most part, along with the Pia shaman from the Silverpine battles.
As was often the case, the once-Knight found himself at odds with those he had previously called allies. Two Knights were among the Alliance group, and not surprisingly the trio found themselves in a scrap. There was something about them, their shared undeath, that always seemed to bring them together on the battlefield. No words were exchanged, no rude remarks, they paid far more respect to one another than they would any other enemies. They were enemies first, but brothers second, and loathe them as he may, that was simply the way it was. Their deaths would be quick, more than he would give any other member of the Alliance. One, he was coming to believe, was their commander. The other, Kagran shouted out as being part of some group called the 'Reclamation'.
Didn't mean much to him, however. They were unfamiliar faces. Their bond in death meant little when they so readily aligned themselves with those who would see all the unliving genocided.
Still, they were surprisingly ferocious, even for Worgen. It was all he could do to hold the line, provide a good distraction. He was a wall between them and the Magus and two hunters at his back. Never had he been so thankful for the reach his naginata provided him, allowing to him to keep far enough away from their blades - and worse, their claws. As usual, being the distraction worked out in his favor, in the long run.
Kagran, Pakaza, and Raoul were able to pick off the huntresses and casters of the group, and eventually assist Aro in his battle against the two Knights. Had they engaged him one on one, he would have insisted that the others hold back while he fight, but these were Ebon Blade members. They knew when to be honorable, and when to use honor against a target. With the fury of an Archmagus at his back, along with a flurry of arrows from the two hunters, it took little time to fell the Knights, as well.
After the fight, the Horde force withdrew to Brill, waiting for more alarms. What was the Worgens' target? Was it gravelings? The Val'kyr raising them in Deathknell? More civilians in the ruins? It was hard to say. The group of Alliance seemed unpredictable, and as usual, refused to stay dead. And so the small group of Horde waited.
And waited.
After some time, the Deathguard reported no activity in the area, and scouting out even Hearthglen proved unsuccessful. He paid his thanks to Kagran and his companion, saluting them each. The Horde needed more honorable folk like them, Orcs and Trolls that didn't scoff at defending the Dark Lady's lands.
However, as he prepared to take his leave, proclaiming this a victory and his just reward an early day home, that ever familiar tone rang out through the air. The Archmagus had an idea.
"Arothand, what do you say we return the favor a bit, mm? A bit of proactive defense, so to speak. Stop these attacks from occuring by culling them at the source."
