"What? You want me to be a lumberjack? Not a chance!"
Wiping off Grommash's spittle from his face, Thrall's smile was somewhat helpless. "We desperately need lumber right now. I think this important task can only be entrusted to you."
"Important task? I'm not one of those weak Peons—aren't there still many Harpies in the valley you chose? I think it's much more suitable for me and my Warsong Clan to deal with them!"
Grommash was extremely displeased with Thrall's arrangement for him to cut trees. He was a warrior, not a foreman! Building a Lumber Camp was something any Orc could do, so why did it have to be him?
In his opinion, Thrall was simply being overly worried. He had endured the after-effects of the demon blood for so many years; could he really not hold on now?
"No, no, no, Grommash, lumber is a vital strategic resource for us. I need a strong Clan to protect our resource supply area," Thrall explained the importance of this Lumber Camp to Grommash. "Our homes, our cities, all rely on this timber processing plant for supply. I really can't think of a more suitable person."
"Hmph!"
Grommash knew very well that Thrall just wanted to find a way to send him away, to prevent him from being troubled by the after-effects of the demon blood due to battle. However, Thrall was indeed right; this Lumber Camp was very important for the orcs right now.
Under Thrall's painstaking persuasion, Grommash finally accepted the task, reluctantly leading the Warsong Clan to Ashenvale in the northwest, where the Horde desperately needed lumber.
Thrall led the orcs to work on this rugged land, preparing to rebuild their former society and life. He named this wild and rugged land after his father—Durotar.
With the help of the Trolls, the orcs chose a valley in the northern mountains of Durotar as the foundation for their city. After clearing out the few Harpies and wild beasts there, the orcs began to build their city.
The Warsong Clan and Grommash also quickly rushed to Ashenvale and built a huge Lumber Camp, providing raw materials for the orcs' construction activities. At the same time, the Warsong Clan also served as the defense force here, guarding against all possible and unknown dangers.
However, what the orcs did not know was that the trees in Ashenvale were not like those they had cut down before. These towering giant trees, after tens of thousands of years of growth, were themselves part of nature.
The orcs' rampant logging was essentially causing harm to the local nature, and the forest's pain and unease quickly spread to the true "managers" of Kalimdor.
One night, unbeknownst to all orcs, an Orc whose eyes glowed with an eerie green light stealthily left the Warsong Lumber Camp and disappeared into the depths of the forest.
… … … …
Arthas rubbed his temples and placed the intelligence report on the table, the doubts in his mind growing larger and larger. Ever since the Scourge came under his control, those Dreadlords had truly vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.
Whether in Dalaran or Quel'Thalas, Arthas had not obtained any usable intelligence. Although he had anticipated that the Dreadlords would choose to lie low before finding an opportunity, he truly had not expected them to be so patient.
He wondered if Mal'Ganis's death had made them much more cautious, or if Mal'Ganis was simply the only fool among them.
In any case, Arthas truly had no solution now. These cunning large bats could easily hide anywhere before revealing themselves. Azeroth was simply too vast. If they were determined not to show themselves, Arthas really had no good way.
However, Arthas was equally certain that the Dreadlords would not remain hidden forever. The Burning Legion's master did not have much patience; as long as there was an opportunity, they would definitely act.
If possible, Arthas actually wanted to go to Kalimdor to personally oversee the situation, but he felt that as soon as he left the Eastern Kingdoms, the Dreadlords would certainly appear immediately.
Just as he was considering whether to deliberately expose a weakness to conduct a sting operation, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
After the wooden door was pushed open, a servant placed a letter on Arthas's desk and then left the room. Arthas picked up the letter, which still carried a faint scent of perfume, and opened it.
"Respected Master, news came today that Stonewatch Keep in Redridge Mountains has fallen, but it was not captured by the Blackrock Orcs. Marshal Reginald Windsor, the commanding officer stationed at Stonewatch Keep, believed that without troop support from Stormwind, he would risk leading his team deep into the Burning Steppes, preparing to launch a surprise attack on the orcs' rear."
"It is regrettable that this Marshal completely lost contact after a fierce battle with the orcs in the Burning Steppes. However, he was not captured by the Blackrock Orcs. According to the information I have obtained, it seems that after this Marshal bravely defeated the orcs' encirclement, he was taken away by a group of Black Iron Dwarves."
"At this time, Redridge Mountains has fallen, and the last stronghold there, Lakeshire, is being threatened by the orcs. Bolvar is currently hesitating whether to send troops to support Lakeshire."
This letter was written by Countess Onyxia, who now served as Arthas's mole within the Black Dragonflight, responsible for providing him with information regarding the movements of the Black Dragonflight and its subordinate Blackrock Orcs.
Arthas threw the ashes of the burnt letter into a nearby trash can. As he had known, Windsor, utterly disappointed with the Stormwind nobility, ultimately chose to die heroically as a soldier rather than taking a few trusted aides and fleeing back to Stormwind to live in shame.
But what Windsor didn't expect was that due to the warhammer 'The Suppressor' in his hand, forged by the Black Iron Dwarves, representing a period of friendship and history with the Black Iron Dwarves, these Dwarves, enslaved by the Elemental Lord, did not directly take Windsor's life.
Now, this noble human Marshal should be imprisoned in the Blackrock Depths. Although his life might not be easy, at least his life was saved.
However, Arthas did not intend to rescue him now, as this could very likely alert the Black Iron Dwarves and the Black Dragonflight. Before thoroughly resolving the threat of demons and the Burning Legion, Arthas did not want to expand the battle lines and force the Alliance to fight on multiple fronts.
The Alliance's current main objective was to gain a foothold in Kalimdor and bring forces like the Night Elves into their ranks.
However, the Night Elves' attitude was not good at the moment. Arthas did not intend to immediately try to win them over. Once the Night Elves experienced the hardships inflicted by the Burning Legion, they would naturally seek the help of allies.
Arthas stood up from his chair and walked to the window. The sunlight reflected by the white marble buildings of Lordaeron Palace was somewhat dazzling. Being in the royal court, Arthas could not hear the noisy sounds from outside, but he knew deeply that beneath this bustling and prosperous scene, the tide of darkness was still surging.
The Undead Scourge was no longer a threat; instead, it was his greatest trump card. Onyxia, the culprit of Stormwind, was also under his control. Even the Trolls in the northern forests would not cause trouble in recent days. Apart from Blackrock Mountain in the Burning Steppes, the entire Eastern Kingdoms was temporarily free from greater threats.
The Eastern Kingdoms… temporarily at peace, with no imminent threat…
A thought stirred in his mind, and some clues suddenly connected into a line.
"Dalaran… Quel'Thalas… Eastern Kingdoms… Kalimdor—!" Arthas's originally somewhat lazy aura instantly dissipated completely. After some thought, he realized that he seemed to have overlooked something.
Although those orcs were forced to flee the Eastern Kingdoms under his surveillance, there was one thing he had always ignored! Mal'Ganis chose to spread the plague in Lordaeron at the very time when the orcs were most rampant.
Initially, Arthas merely thought this was to distract the Kingdom of Lordaeron, preventing him from dealing with both ends. But now, upon reflection, the current Lordaeron was not that decaying kingdom; instead, it was full of talented people and its national power was strong.
Even if Mal'Ganis was a reckless fool, the other Dreadlords should not have failed to realize this. Moreover, they clearly had the capital to bet on both sides!
If Mal'Ganis succeeded, then they wouldn't need to do much; the Scourge and the corrupted Arthas alone could overthrow all of Lordaeron, requiring only one or two Dreadlords to monitor the Scourge's activities.
However, if Mal'Ganis did not succeed, their chances of attacking Dalaran would become very small. Therefore, this was why the cautious Dreadlords had not acted against Quel'Thalas and Dalaran all this time!
They had likely stopped focusing on Medivh's Book and instead chose other, more troublesome but less risky methods!