"They're heading toward Blackrock Spire!" Kurdran shouted as he leapt down from his gryphon.
Alaric was sitting around a campfire with Lothar and the others when Kurdran approached them.
He and the other Wildhammer dwarves had been sent out earlier to scout the Horde's movements and had just returned to report.
"Blackrock Spire? Are you sure?" Muradin asked.
Alaric noticed that the Wildhammer dwarves didn't get along too well with the Bronzebeards.
No, that wasn't quite right. They were more like boisterous siblings, fond of each other but constantly bickering and competing for attention.
In truth, their relationship wasn't nearly as bad as it looked.
After all, one of the reasons the Wildhammers joined the Alliance was to help rescue their Bronzebeard kin.
"Of course I'm sure!" Kurdran barked. His gryphon, Sky'ree, let out a low warning growl beside him. "I followed them the whole way."
A sly look crept across his face.
"Or would you prefer to go take a look yourself?"
Muradin and Brann both paled and took a step back, while a wicked chuckle escaped from Kurdran.
Bronzebeard dwarves liked flying about as much as Wildhammers liked going underground, which was to say, not at all.
"Blackrock Spire…" Lothar muttered thoughtfully. "That's the fortress on the mountain peak?"
"That's right," Alaric nodded. "From what I know, it was built by the Dark Iron dwarves, or rather, it's their home."
"Oh, Dark Iron dwarves, " Both Kurdran and Muradin spoke in unison, voices dripping with distaste.
When it came to loathing the Dark Irons, the Bronzebeards and Wildhammers had surprising solidarity.
It was their shared hatred of the Dark Irons that allowed them to reconcile after the War of the Three Hammers.
"That's a strategic location," Lothar said decisively. "From there, they'll have a clear view of the surroundings.
The defenses are solid. It's easy to hold and hard to assault. They could block the access routes without much effort."
He shook his head.
"Whoever's leading them knows exactly what he's doing. This won't be easy."
"Indeed. And that place is cursed," Muradin added. "Yes, that's the one."
Under everyone's watchful gaze, the dwarf continued. Both Brann and Kurdran nodded.
"Our Dark Iron cousins," he paused to spit on the ground, as if even saying the name was offensive, "built that fortress. But beneath its stone walls lies something even darker."
The dwarves all gave an involuntary shudder.
"You're not wrong. That place is crawling with black dragons," Alaric spoke up, watching their reactions. "But I can assure you, they won't be a problem for us."
He turned and glanced back at Onyxia, who managed a strained smile.
The black dragons he was referring to were none other than Onyxia's brother, Nefarian, and his minions.
The Bronzebeards looked at him with puzzled expressions, clearly surprised he would make such a bold claim.
They all knew how dangerous black dragons were.
Kurdran, however, didn't seem the least bit concerned.
"If Sandor says it, then even if there are black dragons, they'll probably be more trouble for the orcs. When it comes to dragons, I trust him. Maybe someday I'll tell you all about our dragon-hunting days."
He was clearly itching for a chance to brag.
"But if they've chosen to fall back there, they must have their own plan," Lothar noted. "Their Warchief isn't the reckless type. Breaking through that defense won't be easy."
"But we can do it." Turalyon suddenly interjected, a bit surprised at himself. He looked over at Alleria and declared, "We have the numbers and strength to defeat them."
The elven ranger paid him no mind, leaving him visibly deflated.
Lothar, his commanding officer, gave him an encouraging smile.
"Yes, we certainly can," he agreed. "It will be a difficult battle, but one well worth fighting."
He was about to say more when the sound of armored footsteps rang out clearly through the camp.
They turned to see a man striding toward them.
Though his armor was slightly worn, it still gleamed, bearing the same symbol as Turalyon, the insignia of the Silver Hand.
As he stepped into the firelight, it illuminated his fiery red hair and beard.
"Uther!" Lothar stood up and reached out to the paladin, who gripped his hand firmly.
"My lord," Uther said, shaking hands with Alaric's ally, Lady Liadrin, as well, before nodding to the others. "We came as fast as we could."
"Alterac has been cleared?" Liadrin asked as Uther took a seat on a nearby stone, looking weary.
"Yes," he answered, pride flashing in his sky-blue eyes. "My comrades and I made sure of it. There are no orcs left in Alterac or the surrounding mountains."
Turalyon looked vaguely uncomfortable at Uther's words.
He had originally been assigned to accompany the paladin but had failed to awaken the full power of a true paladin.
As a result, he'd been reassigned by Faol to serve under Lothar instead.
"Excellent," Lothar smiled. "You've arrived at just the right time, Uther. We've just learned the orcs' location, and we can, ?"
He turned to the Bronzebeard brothers beside him, who were more familiar with the local terrain and distances.
"Five days," Brann said after a moment's thought. "That's if they haven't left us any surprises along the way."
He exchanged a look with his brother and nodded.
"If you're heading to Blackrock Mountain, we'll go with you. The Bronzebeards won't let you face them alone."
"I didn't see any ambushes," Kurdran added, as if someone had questioned his scouting skills. "The entire Horde moved like a black tide toward that spire."
He looked at Lothar, as if anticipating the next question.
"And yes, the Wildhammers will join you as well. Together, we outnumber them. Not that it gives us an overwhelming advantage," he admitted.
"I don't need an overwhelming advantage," Lothar replied. "Just a fair fight." His expression turned grim.
"Five days," he announced to the others. "In five days, this will be over."
Watching him, Alaric gave a bitter smile in his heart.
In the original timeline, Lothar tragically died during this very campaign.
But with Alaric now here, such a sorrowful fate would never befall his steadfast friend.
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