Chapter 135: Suspicion

Kurdran and Lothar had only discussed tactical matters between warriors; they had not yet formally addressed the issue of an alliance. With the great war against the orcs looming, they knew the proper time for formal negotiations would come only after they had combined their strength to drive the brutal invaders from their homeland.

However, with human reinforcements, Kurdran felt victory was within reach. He turned toward the doorway and whistled to summon Sky'ree. This was Kurdran’s mount, a massive gryphon whose size and talons were a cut above those of the other dwarves’ gryphons.

"Warriors of the Wildhammer, let us take to the skies! Let us drive these cruel creatures from our home!" Kurdran roared, his long beard twitching with agitation. Behind him, the other dwarves cheered and quickly followed him out.

"For the Wildhammer!"
"For Aerie Peak!"

All the Wildhammer dwarves raised their arms and shouted, celebrating the victory before it had even been fully secured.

Seeing this, Turalyon prepared his troops to charge. At the pass outside the city, the orcs were gathering again, seemingly preparing for another assault. The plan was to strike and crush them before they could organize a formidable formation.

The gryphon riders and the Knights of the Silver Hand, led by Turalyon, launched the first wave of the offensive. Anduin Lothar followed with the main force, plunging directly into the orcish ranks.

Trees blocked the knights' charge path along the way, and the forest grew denser the closer they got to the orc encampment. Relying on the momentum of his charge, Turalyon’s warhammer shattered the chest of an orc warrior, who collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

He then dodged a spear thrown by an orc and countered with a backhand strike; the Holy Light flickered on his warhammer as he smashed the skull of another orc nearby.

Just as Turalyon focused his attention on the orcs, a strange sound emanated from the surroundings. A creature with tusks, much like the orcs, leaped from a nearby tree, its spear aimed unflinchingly at Turalyon’s head.

A veteran of the battlefield, Turalyon immediately rolled to evade the troll’s attack and followed up by planting his hammer firmly into the head of the troll thrower. Deprived of their vaunted regenerative abilities by the crushing blow to the skull, the troll died instantly.

*These trolls are clever,* Turalyon thought. *They know to hide in the trees to ambush us, and their skin blends so well with the wood that they are nearly impossible to spot without close attention, let alone avoid their strikes. No wonder Kurdran asked me to help clear them out.*

"These trolls hidden in the trees are a threat to both dwarves and humans!" Turalyon shouted. "Watch out for the trolls in the canopy; they will leap down to ambush you. Clear them out immediately!"

His voice carried across the field. The archers and warriors following the vanguard reacted instantly, prioritizing the trolls as they engaged the orcs in close-quarters combat.

The troll forces possessed no concept of organizational discipline; they relied entirely on individual prowess and sheer numbers. Realizing they were being surrounded by the humans and seeing their orc allies suffering heavy losses, the troll witch doctors signaled for a retreat.

With the retreat flag raised, the troll soldiers lost all will to fight. Some even discarded their weapons to flee, their gaunt, long legs and agile frames allowing them to run with incredible speed.

Furthermore, trolls possessed the uncanny gift of regeneration—a power derived from ancient blood that allowed for remarkable recovery, even the regrowth of severed limbs. Unless their central nervous system, spine, or brain was struck directly, a troll could usually retain some ability to fight.

As the trolls retreated, the already disorganized orc legions collapsed, turning the battle into a one-sided slaughter. Faced with the enemies who had devastated their homes, no one held back.

Hours later, the orcs had been driven from the dwarves' lands and retreated to the trolls' Zul'Aman encampment. The joint force of humans and dwarves pursued them relentlessly, stopping only when the orcs and trolls vanished into the depths of the forest.

Although Aerie Peak was left in ruins, the spirit of the dwarves remained intact.

Afterward, the leaders of the human army and the Wildhammer dwarves sat in the castle of Aerie Peak. With the immediate threat of the orcs removed, Lothar could finally speak of persuading the dwarves to join the Alliance resistance to attack the Horde. The prowess of the Wildhammer gryphon riders would be a tremendous boon to the Alliance.

Lothar sat in a chair next to Kurdran, a massive greatsword strapped to his back. "Are you the leader of the Wildhammer dwarves?"

"Indeed. I am the High Thane of Aerie Peak, and I lead the Wildhammer dwarves."

"I assume you are fully aware of the Horde," Lothar said, gesturing toward the orc corpses outside. "I am Anduin Lothar, a former knight of the Kingdom of Stormwind, and now the commander of the Alliance armies. Those damned orcs destroyed my home—Stormwind. Our people have been slaughtered, the fields our farmers toiled over have been desecrated. They seek to conquer us and wipe us out entirely. That is why we humans have united to drive these vile invaders from our world."

Anduin Lothar stared intently into Kurdran Wildhammer’s eyes, desperate for an answer. "That is the very reason for my arrival. Will you join us?"

Kurdran replied without hesitation, "We are deeply grateful for the human support. It was your timely reinforcement that saved us from a tragic fate."

"You shall have the aid of the Wildhammer," Kurdran gave the answer Lothar sought. He then struck his chair’s armrest heavily with his hand. "Of course we will join you! We must strike back at these orcs and make them pay for the blood debts they have incurred across this continent, until this Horde can no longer pose a threat to anyone!"

His tone shifted as a question formed on his face. "But I have one concern: where are those fleeing orcs going? The orcs who came from the Hillsbrad Foothills have vanished without a trace, and now these orcs have fled into the forest. These green creatures do not simply disappear for no reason."

Vereesa Windrunner, Lothar, and Turalyon, all present, were taken aback. That was true—where had the orcs gone? After the initial wave was annihilated, the remaining orcs had all fled into the primeval forests.

The orcs that had attacked Aerie Peak had also retreated into the woods. What they were planning was a question that troubled them all.

"The north?" Turalyon pondered for a moment before concluding, "We came from the Hillsbrad Foothills, and those scattered orcs fled to the north. Now, these orcs from Aerie Peak have also fled northward. Is their primary target the capital of Lordaeron, or perhaps the province of Quel'Thalas?"