Though Dun Morogh didn't exactly match my memories, let alone my expectations of the frigid mountain slopes I had explored in a facsimile of reality, the cold green expanse in the valleys we travelled through was beautiful in its own right. Where I had imagined an unending winter wonderland, snow covered forests, and white as far as the eye could see, instead life flourished as best it could as summer's heat began to wane.
Hardy grasses and wildflowers stubbornly persisted despite the light dusting of snow that had accompanied the first night of our ride to Ironforge, and all around us the old forests on the slopes basked in the long summer days.
Not that there wasn't a constant visage of white still present – the snow capped peaks and sheer grey rock of the mountains of Khaz Modan surrounded us on all sides. A wall below which the sun dipped long before the true end of the day, leaving the valleys shrouded in glistening twilight even as the mountains shown with the sun's light.
The wildlife was plentiful as well. Countless smaller creatures; between the squirrels in the treetops, the tiny burrowing rodents, and the speedy hares, each day we sent dozens upon dozens of animals fleeing from our procession.
Or perhaps Tricks' inquisitive nose as she sought a meal.
And, to Tricks' misfortune, small critters were hardly the only things that there were to find either. "Hey Vivi, look." I leaned off the side of my mount to tap her shoulder, pointing out a silhouette hiding in the trees on up the slope from us. "Tricks is about to make a mistake she's going to regret."
If things went bad I'd jump in and rescue her, of course, the silly little fox should be paying more attention. These weren't her woods.
"Is that a bear?" Vivi asked after a moment, squinting to catch what I'd seen. "He's huge. Got to be half the size of Donovan, we should–"
A sharp yelp and a low rumbling growl, followed by a much deeper one, rolled out of the trees. Shimmering blue tails flickered amongst the branches as Trick's leapt to escape her encounter, calling out to be rescued as she barrelled recklessly back towards us.
Only to slip and tumble, rolling into a rocky stream of crystal clear ice cold water and scream bloody murder at her misfortune.
"She," I laughed softly, a fluffy white bear cub stumbling into view, barely pausing before they joined Tricks in her watery misery. A moment later their mother emerged, lumbering to a stop and pulling them back from the brink with a sharp snarl disapproval. "Tricks' and the cub were tracking each other, and they finally came nose to nose."
The mother bear growled lowly as she eyed our caravan, the hefty rams we and our heavily armed dwarven escorts were riding, and the whirring mechanostridings the gnomes used as their own mounts. She'd been watching us for a while, cautious and unwilling to approach, but he cub had been edging closer curiously for a while. Right up until they bumped into Tricks and startled them both.
Pulling her cub behind her the mother bear backed up, retreating back into the trees and out of sight once more. We weren't a fight she wanted to take.
"Coulda warned us yer fox was gonna stir up the bear." Mountaineer Sternpike grumbled, shouldering her rifle and shooting a grumpy glare at me.
"You knew she was there, and you saw which way Tricks had gone." I pointed out. "And I saw you and Stonehorn making bets – or was it someone else's nose getting bitten off you were talking about?"
Stonehorn laughed heartily, slapping Sternpike on the shoulder, to which she grumbled further and dropped a single silver piece into his hand. "Long way to Ironforge still. Mark me words, little thing will shove her nose in it before long."
A plaintive whine came from below, and the moment I looked down Tricks' launched herself up at me, wriggling and squirming as she caught on my coat. "Cold!" I yelped, nearly falling off my mount as Tricks' icy damp brushed against my skin. "Tricks! What are you doing?!"
Whining more, telling me how she was freezing and was going to die of the cold, she pushed her way under my coat, under my blouse, and wormed her way inside my cloths. "Get out of there!" I squawked in protest, ice flooding my veins as the enchantments that kept me warm were bypassed by a bloody squirming fox. "Vivi! Help!" I turned to her pleadingly. "Please!"
She tilted her head at me, amusement sparking in her eyes, before jumping to land behind me. My mount let out a grunt of protest, but otherwise kept plodding forward.
"I think she's got the right idea, though." Vivi snickered, her hands slipping beneath my coat as to hold my stomach as she pulled me into a hug, moulding herself to my back. "This is much more comfy than riding alone." Her chin rested atop my head and a flush of heat ran to my cheeks, barely stifled by the icy fur stuffed against my chest. "Right?"
"R-right." My teeth chattered for a moment. "But Tricks' is so bloody cold!"
To that, she only laughed. As did everyone else as the bloody fox poked her head up out of my blouse, chirping about how much better it was snuggling up with me.
-oOoOo-
What had been a gentle drizzle of rain when we broke camp and set out had quickly shifted into a dense fog rolling down from the southern slopes by the time the sun crested the mountains surrounding us. Not only was it thick enough that we could scarcely see from one road marker to the next, but the air was still and silent – subdued.
It was a rare thing for the air around me to be still. The little breeze that followed me was always dancing, drifting, and whispering something. Even if it was nothing more than a teasing pull at my hair or clothes there was always something.
And now, even without it calling out a warning, I knew something was wrong.
Leaning back into Vivi, acting like I was doing nothing more than snuggling into my girlfriend's chest – who hadn't given up her spot on my ram since she'd claimed it two days back – I whispered quietly so she could hear. "The fog isn't natural, I think someone's setting an ambush." I paused, adding after a moment's thought. "Trolls, probably."
It wasn't likely to be troggs, even though they could do this if they wanted to, everything I knew about them said they wouldn't have bothered with subtlety like this.
Vivi's arms tightened around me. "Stormpike knows too." She whispered back, drawing my attention to the dwarf conversing softly with Darius a short distance ahead of us. "He's been on edge every since it got foggy. Do you think you can find them with the wind...?"
I hesitated a moment before nodding. "Not the wind." They might be silencing one way of finding them, but even if they'd hidden the stars from me, and us from them, that didn't mean they couldn't reach me. Closing my eyes I reached out, letting my mind and body drift apart for a moment.
My breath turned cold, empty, as I asked my questions. Sought to see what was hidden from me from on high, thrumming in starlight.
Hunched above us in the rocks. Three dozen waiting, preparing, axes held ready. Two chanting under their breaths... ice-blue skinned trolls that wanted us dead for travelling through land they claimed.
"North." I muttered lightly, opening my eyes and blinking away the twinkling lights that lingered in my vision. "Two markers away, in the rocks not the trees." None of them seemed terribly threatening to me, almost... weak. Half naked and scrawny trolls with stone axes just didn't seem threatening after the Scourge.
Or my fellow Gilneans and the weight of gunfire we could bring to bear.
"Got it." Vivi said, letting go of me and jumping to her feet atop our ram and leaping ahead, dozens of feet forward and into the air before I had a chance to protest. In one smooth motion she drew her sword, left hand running along the blade, and lashed out in a slash that cut the fog. "Ambush ahead!" She yelled, a gust of wind accompanying her attack that rushed forward and blasted the fog aside.
"What?!" Frazzle yelped, startled by the sudden action.
Commander Stormpike was far less surprised, if clearly somewhat disgruntled. "Mountaineers ready!" He bellowed, steering his ram after Vivi as she began to sprint down the path she'd cleared. "Guns up, axes forward!"
The trolls were left utterly unprepared for what fell upon them. With the fog they had been using as cover cleared their spotters stood out amongst the greys and greens of the slope, and with a disgruntled huff at Vivi's antics I called down a beam of starlight down upon the head of one of their casters.
That Archmage Kinder followed it with a fireball that left the rocks scorched and burnt black was perhaps overkill.
-oOoOo-
"Damnable pests." Commander Stormpike spat as he cut the ears off of a troll with his axe. "A few months cut patrols 'cause of the blasted troggs and they start getting clever." He huffed, kicking the body into a pile with the rest. "Should just exterminate the lot of 'em."
"Even if we ignore the morality of such an action, which the Tinker's Court has refused to do so every time it has been suggested in the past, it would hardly be worth the effort." Archmage Kinder sniffed dismissively. "Trolls are resilient and not at all stupid. All that a decades – and it would be decades! – long campaign of hunting down every last troll that we can find would be even angrier trolls showing up a few generations later."
The idea of genocide didn't exactly sit right with me either. Killing the ambush to the last, even if we definitely could've taken prisoners? That I had no issue with – trolls were notorious for kidnapping humans to keep as 'fresh' provisions for their cookpots and it was rather hard to have any sympathy for someone that saw you as food.
Not that I actually knew these trolls did... that the Amani ate people was not propaganda, but this tribe of frost trolls I'd forgotten the name of? Maybe they didn't.
But I still had trouble caring much.
"What I want to know is why they would attack such a heavily armed group." Admiral Candren frowned, cleaning out his pistol that had accounted for his sole kill when the trolls had attempted a charge. "Had they gotten wind of the summit and wished to disrupt the proceedings? Ironforge having allies is not to their advantage."
Commander Stormpike chortled. "Frostmanes–" that was their name! "–figuring out and planning that far ahead? Hah. No. They're pests nipping at our heels, nothing more. Too stupid to know they're outmatched. Still, should send somebody scouting – where there's one band, there's a dozen."
"I'll do it!" Vivi piped up immediately, looking almost eager. "Gwen and I could hunt them down easily."
I shot a frown her way for volunteering me without asking. "Divining the whole road would be exhausting, and wouldn't do much if they were further out." Vivi pouted at me, and I sighed. "But I guess I could go flying each morning?"
Archmage Kinder shook her head. "Don't bother. They habitually avoid overhead patrols, the air corps give them too much trouble otherwise." She kicked the peddles of her strider and started trotting forward. "Come on now, no reason to dawdle! Ironforge isn't coming to us. Well, unless we wait for the mountains to collapse – but I have plans for the next few millennia that don't involve freezing my pretty little toes off."
"Also ain't right tae send out tae girl we're guardin'." Mountaineer Stonehorn rumbled in amusement. "Me an' Mistmantle can handle it, Sternpike'll keep watch on you lot."
Stormpike nodded, securing his axe and mounting up. "Get to it. Rest o' you lot, after the gnome! Dinnae want to be here when the scavengers show up." He spat on the troll pile. "Or the stink. Only gets worse."
I gave Vivi an embrace before she set off with Stonehorn, but hesitated on following after the others. Cannibals or not, trolls were sapient and I was willing to give them some respect – and within a few minutes they were safely interred within the earth beneath the roots of a tree.
"Be less suicidally territorial next time." I muttered at them as I moved to catch up, Sternpike eyeing me grumpily for being slow.
-oOoOo-
Staring up at the immense gate and the grand stone towers that surrounded it, all built into the side of a mountain and belying the enormity of the city that had carved out its heart, I could all but hear the rising crescendo of music in my ears. The scale was greater, the gate more detailed, cannons jutting out from the high towers, and far more people bustling on the snow dusted plateau before the city's entrance... yet it was all nostalgic.
Almost like coming home, seeing something I'd held in my heart for the first time in decades. Even more than Dalaran I had loved Ironforge – every nook and cranny filled with memories, old friends, and dreams that I had made in the before.
Once, I had hidden beneath a stair in the dark cavern from my guildmates, so embarrassed by something I couldn't even recall that I couldn't face them. As if they couldn't have spoken to me from anywhere...
It had been a different time. A different life.
"So big." Trix mumbled, her hand clutching my sleeve as she stared up at the gate. "And... warm."
I smiled at her, reaching over to ruffle her hair. "It is, isn't it." Though I was sad to forget so much of my old life, I'd held on to what I'd needed to. Done the best I could to preserve what was important and remember what was coming – what was threatening us. Nostalgia was all well and good, but I needed to look to the future. What Ironforge meant to me now.
So unlike the fierce clanging, whirring, and unnatural air of Gnomeregan, Ironforge was warm. A deep resonating beat that throbbed within the mountain's heart. The dwarves were the descendants of the Earthen, the shapers of the deep places of the world. This was their home, their mountain, and it both welcomed and cared for them.
"It will certainly be warmer within than without." Admiral Candren commented idly as he rubbed his hands together. "Though perhaps I should follow Lady Mistmantle's example and get the blood pumping to chase away this abominable cold."
"Hmm?" I tilted my head, then turned to see what he was looking at – only to see something else nostalgic about the gates of Ironforge.
The plateau was an open air market place, gathering ground, and, amusingly just like it had been before, an impromptu duelling arena. Dozens of dwarves and a small smattering of humans had formed a ring around Vivi and a knight in Stormwind colours; Vivi was dancing around him, gracefully gliding across the snow, but the knight stood strong against her blows.
"Go on Vivi, you can take him!" I called out to her, catching her eye and getting a flourish of her blade in return to the cheers of the crowd. "You've got this!"
It'd never really been my thing, and I doubt it ever would be, but Vivi? I could cheer for Vivi all day.
-oOoOo-
"Thank you." Darius said politely as we finished our tour of our accommodation in the city. A large, three floored residence built into the upper tier of the Commons, overlooking the main thoroughfare and mercantile area in front of the Bank of Ironforge. "The hospitality of Ironforge and the Bronzebeard clan is appreciated. Please, give King Magni my regards for finding space for us when it must be in short supply."
Our latest escort, Envoy Stonehallow – a minor functionary of Ironforge's Senate – puffed himself up at the praise. "Think little of it, Ambassador Crowley. Ironforge will never be so poor as to fail to host our distinguished guests." He bowed shallowly. "I'll be leaving you be now. If ye need anything, do nae hesitate to ask."
The stifling formality in the air faded somewhat as he departed, leaving us alone. More alone than I'd expected, really – Archmage Kinder had dragged Frazzle off somewhere, leaving our party consisting solely of Gilneans.
"He was weird." Trix mumbled quietly, holding onto Tricks tightly.
She'd gotten protective after Envoy Stonehallow had suggested 'stabling' Tricks amongst the other beasts of Ironforge – in some kind of specialised vault in the bank – for the duration of our stay. Admittedly, if she hadn't, I'd have been keeping Tricks at arms distance from him myself.
"Sleazy." Admiral Candren huffed, loosening his jacket as he fell into one of the armchairs sized for a human in the parlour. "The word you are looking for is sleazy. Minor nobility, third or fourth sons, looking to improve their station by whatever means they can." He grimaced and looked about the room. "No doubt he has ears on us. If there's any people who could give the walls themselves ears, it would be the dwarves."
Darius hummed. "Unfortunately so." He paused, gesturing for us to sit. "Gwyneth, if you don't mind?"
After a moment I caught his meaning and nodded. A single breath gave the order, and a breeze tickled my neck playfully before stirring the air into a whistling wind that encapsulated the room and would keep us safe from eavesdroppers.
"Can't it wait? I'd like to take a bath – they looked wonderful. And big." Vivi shot a grin my way. They were definitely big enough for two...
"Sadly not." He shook his head. "That we were greeted by such a minor functionary, and given quarter in the Commons, makes clear that we are late arrivals. King Wyrnn is already present, as you should well know Vivianne, and no doubt the others are as well. We are at a disadvantage."
Admiral Candren snorted and waved for his guard to pour him a drink. "Sodding High Tinker's doing that. We'd have been here in hours by air. 'No machines suitable for human passengers', what codswallop."
"It wasn't him personally," I shook my head. "He admitted he was delaying us, but also that he'd been asked to do so and didn't really understand why."
"While the High Tinker has given his support, we have already met those less than sanguine at the thought of our return." Darius pointed out. "If not Kul Tiras, then Stormwind. Varian Wrynn saw King Terenas as a father and may blame our departure for the fall of Lordaeron."
"Codswallop." Admiral Candren reiterated bluntly.
"I have enough of Lord Proudmoore's measure to believe that he will not oppose our return outright." Darius continued. "However, I am all but certain he will press for further concessions. Commitments from Gilneas in terms of military action, reconstruction efforts, or further reparations to members of the Alliance. There are limits to what Gilneas can afford, but in this His Majesty has–" he paused, catching himself. "–His Majesty and Parliament have granted us significant leeway."
"The Kirin Tor won't be a problem." I muttered, leaning into Vivi's side for comfort. They weren't the problem, even if they didn't owe me they'd all but given their approval by sending Arugal to us. The pretence of their exile was paper thin. "Falstad and King Magni... I should be able to bring them on side if they aren't already."
Manipulating people wasn't something I enjoyed, nor was it something I thought I was good at. Holding what I knew over their heads, things they would desperately want to know for their cooperation...
It felt scummy. Like a betrayal of people I respected.
What would Caedan think of me holding the survival of Kurdran and the other Wildhammers over his High Thane to get what I wanted? And doing it to King Magni was no better.
But it was all to decide Gilneas' future with the Alliance, to ensure we were part of things and had a better chance against what came next. The Third War might be over, Detheroc sealed in amber, but there were other Dreadlords and both Arthas and the Lich King would hardly leave the Scourge idle now that the Burning Legion had been beaten back.
"No secret knowledge to lure King Wyrnn to our side?" Admiral Candren raised an eyebrow at me. "Colour me surprised."
"If it was a decade ago? I could've stopped his wife dying. Maybe." I frowned, feeling like I was missing something. "Bloody Defias need to be dealt with at some point, but they're hardly a priority compared to everything else."
That wasn't it. Didn't they have a backer? Vancleef, his daughter, the Deadmines... so much linen and wool to collect. Sometimes the oddest things lingered in my head.
Vivi wrapped an arm around me, and I leaned into it eagerly – even if she was right that she needed a bath. "And Calia owes us for rescuing her." She said proudly. "Her people too, and we're keeping them safe now. It's a sure thing then, right?"
Humming Darius turned towards the fire. "It should be." He said solemnly. "But one can never count on such things, not when it comes to the rulers of nations. Frank, with no certainty as to our schedule I leave the Proudmoores to you. I shall take Patricia and seek out King Wrynn on the morrow."
Admiral Candren raised his glass in salute, but off to the side Trix jumped from where she'd been playing with Tricks as her name was said.
"It's Trix!" She snapped, glaring at Darius indignantly for a moment before her eyes went wide. "What?" She blurted out a moment later. "Why do you want me? I don't know anything about–"
"Now, now, Patricia." Darius spoke over he placatingly. "Don't disparage yourself, you are bosom friends with both Princess Tess and Lianne, and my own conversations with Queen Menethil have indicated your friendship with her daughter helped spur her decisions in regards to Gilneas." He smiled warmly as Trix paled. "While King Wrynn has no daughters, his son, Prince Anduin, is of a similar age to Princess Lianne."
-oOoOo-
The Great Forge rang not with the sound of hammers and industry, but instead footsteps and countless voices. What seemed to be the entire population of the city, and more besides with hundreds of humans and a smattering of elves amongst the dwarven throng, jostling for space around the entrance to the High Seat. We only made progress through the mass of people thanks to a half dozen dwarven soldiers bellowing orders at their kin, clearing a path for our party.
We'd not had a chance to meet with anyone yet, but Darius wasn't concerned. This was the opening event, the first day of many, and likely not to concern us directly in the slightest. A declaration of solidarity coming from the Bronzebeard king to his allies and all attendants.
Much like the speeches we gave at the start of the rebellion, well before getting down to the actual planning with those lords that arrived to support us. Not... a waste of time, but a delay. Albeit a welcome one.
"This way, Ambassador." Envoy Stonehallow directed, ushering us to the side of the chamber quickly. "Your seats await."
"Calia Menethil!" An announcer boomed over the clamour, heads turning to see her step out from the inner chambers with a footman and Sir Magroth at her side – when did he meet her? "Crown Princess of Lordaeron and heir to King Terenas II's legacy! A friend of Ironforge welcome in these halls!"
She dipped her head to the crowd lingering outside the wide doors before moving to the table set out before the High Seat, but before she could sit Varian Wrynn – no one else at that table would be wearing Stormwind blue with so many lions – rose and embraced her.
Whatever they said was drowned out by cheers, but it was plainly heartfelt, and he joined her escort to the table before returning to his own seat beside her. Notably, they all faced out; into the hall and those outside it rather than one another.
The greetings of the others in place was more subdued. Archmage Antonidas and Daelin Proudmoore dipping their heads to the arriving princess and seemingly making some small talk. If I hadn't already felt a faint buzz of the Arcane from the table, it'd have been quickly apparent there were enchantments upon it to allow those sitting to speak freely without concern for the surrounding noise of the hall.
And likely with far more safety than was afforded by the pair of guards each sitting leader was afforded; not that Magroth, let alone Modera, could be considered little protection when it came acting as guards.
"Falstad Wildhammer!" The Announcer boomed again, marking the arrival of the bare-chested and rune inscribed High Thane's entrance to the hall. "High Thane of Aerie Peak and Commander of the Skies! A friend of Ironforge welcome in these halls!
All around the hall well dressed – or nearly undressed, in some cases – individuals, nobility of all sorts, took up seats in the terraces that lined the walls of the chamber. Dwarves were by far the majority, of which the rugged Wildhammer were a scant minority, followed secondly by humans and closely thereafter by gnomes; but a few elves were visible as well.
Very, very few... yet notable none-the-less. One more so than any other, sat beside a tired looking old man in the very place we were being led too.
"Who's sitting beside Kael'thas?" I asked quietly, pushing my words through the air into Darius' ear, and making it so his would be carried to mine. "I don't recognise him."
Darius' eye flickered to me. "Thoras Trollbane, King of Stromgarde. I am surprised to see him here."
I blinked, taking in the king's face. I... knew next to nothing about him, not what he'd done, or what he would do– no. He was dead, he died, by the time Stromgarde collapsed he was dead – but I didn't know how he died. Just... something about his sword and stealing it from his tomb.
"Your seats, Ambassador." Envoy Stonehallow offered with a flourish. "Though I am puzzled, was the Lady Mistmantle not to be your third? Your aide would have been accommodated on the lower rungs..." He trailed off as Darius stared at him.
"Had Lord Crowley not invited her, I would have." Kael'thas said smoothly, rising from his seat and crossing the gap between us. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Gwyneth. Your advice was... not enough, never enough, yet it was sufficient to prevent the worst." He reached out to take my hand, cupping it between his as clear, untainted, blue eyes met mine sadly.
Taken aback by his behaviour I was slow to reply. "I... I wish that I could have done more." I offered weakly. How many of his people had still died? How many were suffering without the Sunwell?
More than there would be otherwise. That he was here, that he was speaking of success, gave me that. But it was something of a hollow victory still.
"Gelbin Mekkatorque!" The announcer boomed, the attention of the room refocusing on the gnome's arrival. "High Tinker of Gnomeregan and King of the Gnomes! Our kin and forever welcome within Ironforge's halls!"
"We all may wish the same, but none are so able." Kael'thas murmured, his eyes closing. In a single motion, so smooth I scarcely recognised what he was doing, he lowered his head and pressed his forehead to my hand. I was stunned by the motion, and by the sudden thought of just how sodden pretty he was – before I crushed the inappropriate desire for him to repeat that with a kiss utterly. "It will be the work of generations to restore what was lost. Yet, that we can at all is because of the wisdom you offered."
He lifted his head and released my hand, standing tall but not looking down on me as he held onto that sad smile of his. "I owe you a debt. One that I swear upon the honour of the Sunstriders to repay."
I stood there, more than a little stunned, for long enough that Darius decided to intervene.
"No doubt Gwyneth will be glad to hear what you have achieved with her advice at a later time." He offered, taking the time to steer me into the seat on his left, closer to Kael'thas. "Perhaps a small meal in our quarters two days from now? Though it shall lack the grandeur due a prince."
Kael'thas chuckled lightly, a more genuine smile forming. "I have grown used to spending time afield of late. Shelter from the elements, running water, and a table with tolerable fare shall more than meet my expectations."
"Because water flowing inside a home is less than luxurious." King Trollbane snorted and shook his head. "Mages and elves, extravagant as ever."
"It's hardly extravagant." I retorted, near enough by instinct. "My own home has it, no magic required."
He snorted, turning to face me across Kael'thas, but the announcer let out another call before he could. One that couldn't be ignored even if he wished to do so.
"Magni Bronzebeard!" The announcer boomed, a roar erupting from hundreds of throats at the name as the dwarves outside the hall greeted their king. "High Thane of the Bronzebeard clan, King of Khaz Modan, High Lord of Ironforge! The heir of Madoran Bronzebeard, The King Under the Mountain!"