Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Arrival

Although the summit will begin with an official coalition member ceremony, the hosts have made arrangements for delegates to arrive earlier.The night elves were willing to entertain all their guests in the capital, but a majority vote ultimately allowed the emissary and a small contingent of personal guards to remain in Darnassus, with the rest aboard their own ships.At the opening ceremony of the summit, all the personnel lined up to enter the venue, and then returned to the ship until the closing of the meeting after the ceremony. Eventually the High Priestess realized the wisdom of this decision, though for different reasons than her guests.During this sensitive period, the more countries there are in the city of Darnassus, the more likely quarrels and riots will occur, and the goals they have worked hard for may even be ruined.The stakes for this to happen are high enough, considering the countries that are still suffering from the cataclysm.

Theramore was the first member of the Alliance to send an envoy to Teldrassil.When the ambassador and his entourage emerged from the portal leading to Darnassus, Tyrande and Malfurion greeted them. "Nice to meet you, Archmage Tevosh," the high priestess greeted. The black-haired mage bowed to the two of them. "On behalf of Lady Jaina Proudmoore, Lord of Theramore, I thank you for your hospitality at this most important meeting." "It is a great honor for you to be here on her behalf, although we would have liked Ms. Gianna to be there in person." Twosh adjusted his black and purple robes.As one of Jaina Proudmoore's second-in-commands, he also wears a fine gold vest with beautiful decorations on the shoulders. "In view of the troubles around us, she decided to stay and continue to reorganize the alliance army. Please believe that she is also very willing to come, High Priestess."

"Her military prowess is invaluable in these dark times," Malfurion interposed. "At least, she's like her father in this respect." Twosh didn't continue, Admiral Daelin Proudmoore was a sensitive topic.Daelin died from his own obstinacy with the orcs.When the half-breed Rexxar with ogre blood led his army to attack Theramore Fortress, he didn't want to kill the admiral, but Daelin left them no choice.Admiral Proudmoore's daughter mourned his death, though the admiral's actions forced her to support the Horde over her own father. The High Priestess hesitated for a moment, then asked. "Is Bain all right?"

Twosh curled his lips. "She was as loyal and loyal to Lady Jaina as ever. The scar she left from fighting the Dark Mage was nothing like the scar it left on her heart." He shrugged. "But she never accepts any help. Her stubbornness is both a hazard and a desirable asset." "I will continue to pray for her recovery, both physically and mentally." Tyrande shook her head, then laughed again. "Speaking of now, you need to take a good rest." She instructed an assistant. "Please take the Archmage and his guards to their quarters." Twosh bowed again. "I look forward to the summit."

The High Priestess murmured as Theramore's emissary left. "Probably the best group of people to deal with. If only the others were as straightforward as Theramore." "They will understand, Tyrande. They must." Not long after the archmage left, news came that the dwarf messenger had arrived on the island.All three clans came. "It can't be a coincidence," Tyrande asserted, waiting in front of the portal with her mate and several priestesses. "Did they come together?" "There's limited space on the docks at Rut'theran, so Bronzebeard and the Wildhammer agreed to come together. But I haven't heard from the Dark Irons. It's hard to imagine them coming here together in a boat. If that's the case, I guess three Each clan must stay in its own cabin the whole time, even when they land, they act independently."

"I don't want to take such a boat." The high priestess replied shaking her head.They waited for the three missionaries to come out of the portal, but after waiting and waiting, no one appeared.The Archdruid and Tyrande exchanged anxious glances. "Maybe I should go down—" But before Malfurion could continue, the portal flickered, and the first dwarf stepped into the capital of the night elves. "Hello, Sargas Anvilmar!" Tyrande immediately recognized the gray-haired dwarf as one of the heroes of the Bronzebeard clan.Sargas had already discussed with the night elves on behalf of his people before.

"Hail to you, ma'am," rumbled the stocky figure.Though he was much shorter than any night elf, he was twice as wide as Malfurion, and he was all muscle. "Sorry for being late! There was a little dispute over who came up first..." The dwarves are in turmoil, and even Tyrande and her companions are disturbed by the tension between the clans.Apart from Stormwind City, the most worrying thing is whether the dwarves will be able to attend the meeting.The night elves are glad they're here...but if the missions come just to fight each other, it's all for naught. "How?" Tyrande wished it wasn't an axe.

Sargas laughed. "The Wildhammers suggested we roll the dice! Great idea! That's what we did... Bronzebeard won, of course!" The High Priestess and Malfurion smiled, convinced that the dwarves had solved the problem in such a simple way. "We are delighted to meet you," the archdruid added. "Thank you for coming." "You have always been powerful allies, and the Bronzebeard clan will not ignore this. However, the Black Iron clan, it's hard to say..." Tyrande went forward with the messenger and his retinue. "You must be hungry from afar. These two will take you to your room, where there are meals prepared for you."

"Is there anything to drink too?" "Both night elf rum and dwarf ale." Sargas laughed even wider.He nodded and followed the two priestesses with his men.After the dwarves were out of sight, Tyrande relaxed a little. "Well done, my love," whispered the archdruid. "Better let them go before there's more trouble. Especially if the next one comes—" The portal flashed, and a small group of black-clad dwarves, pale almost to death, walked in sullenly and vigilantly.Some of them had dun hair, others dull black or dark red, but otherwise they looked almost identical to Malfurion.Only the dwarf at the head seemed to have some personality, and the night elves could see a bit of cunning from his fiery red eyes.

Though their weapons were not drawn, the Dark Iron dwarves held their hands aside just in case.However, the party relaxed... a little when they saw that only Malfurion, Tyrande, and a few priestesses were waiting there to lead the guests. "Hello, Ambassador of the Dark Iron Clan..." Tyrande said.She didn't know any of the dwarves in the party, including the leader. "I'm Drukan. I represent Moira Thoracson," said the gloomy figure standing at the front in a hoarse voice.He watched the two dignitaries in front of him with red eyes, obviously assessing their potential threat.

"You are welcome, Drukan, and your entourage. We have prepared your room, meals and drinks for you." "We brought our own." Drukan pointed to several heavy parcels and wine barrels carried by his entourage. "We don't need anything." "As you wish. I'll send someone to remove it. Let me know if you change your mind." With a grunt, Drukan led his men and followed the two guides sent by Tyrande. Malfurion complained under his breath when the Dark Iron dwarves were out of hearing range. "It's so easy to trust people." "They're here, that's enough. Judging from what you've told me, they agree with us no less than the Bronzebeard clan." "The Dark Iron dwarves can't afford to be isolated right now. They need to maintain a relationship with the Alliance as a whole, with the possible exception of their fellow dwarves." The portal is activated again. "The Wildhammers salute their hosts!" the stubby figure at the head of the line, clad in gold and red armor, shouted cheerfully to the night elves.The dwarves behind him also greeted noisily, and some even waved their warhammers in greeting. Tyrande stepped forward to greet the leader. "Welcome, Kurdran. Nice to have you with us." The dwarf, whose bushy beard was redder than his armor, laughed. "I've waited long enough to come up. What's wrong with those Dark Iron dwarves?" "Except for refusing us food and drinks, they were very polite," the archdruid replied. "They may be afraid of being poisoned by someone. This is not a rare thing in their clan. Then, I am very glad to hear that things have developed as I planned." "'plan'?" The Wildhammer dwarf leaned forward, explaining in a conspiratorial tone, "None of us wants the other to be on the island first, much less the last. So we swore to Warhammer that we would arrive together." Ku Theresa snorted. "But no one told us that there is a portal here. So when we got to this gate, everyone was arguing over who was the first to go up!" "So someone suggested to take a gamble at this time?" "Er . . . that's not exactly what it said. But, yes, that's what I told them." The High Priestess narrowed her eyes knowingly. "You suggested..." "Yes! It works well, I see." Tyrande pressed on. "So this order is purely a coincidence? You seem to be very happy to be third. And letting the Dark Iron Dwarf go second is probably the safest situation." Kurdran raised his head.Anyway, he smiled even more. "Hey, do I look like someone who can play with dice?" "You must be tired from the long journey," Tyrande smiled back at him, as if he hadn't asked the previous question at all.She gestured to the other two priestesses. "They'll take you to your room, where food and drinks are ready." "Thank you for everyone!" The dwarf shook hands with the two hosts warmly, and then led the entourage to follow the guide.The encounter with Kurdran was only a brief pause.As other delegates arrived, the night elves realized again how much depended on the success of the meeting—and how much depended not only on Varian Wrynn's arrival, but also on his commitment to those Support for the most important matters. There had been no official announcement of the Storm King's visit, and although both believed Shandris' report, their anxiety grew.Whenever a representative of a force came, their fear of something happening grew stronger. It was obvious that no more boats would come any time soon, so both were happy to be done with their work.There was no formal meeting scheduled: Tyrande wished to allow the emissaries to rest in order to calmly participate in the discussion. "No one mentioned the difficulties of their own country," the archdruid noted as they approached the temple. "Maybe it won't be after the meeting starts." "You really think so?" Malfurion shook his head. "No. It's hard to say." Their conversation ended here, and the two noticed two conspicuous figures outside the temple.Despite the distance, the bright attire indicated that they were Highborne. "Archmage Mordant," Tyrande greeted him politely.The leader of the Highborne was slightly leaner and more aged-faced than his companion. "Valdin. It's an honor for the two of you to come unexpectedly, but I don't know why?" Neither highborne questioned that Tyrande's words might have been sneering.They were familiar with the High Priestess and knew that she had always respected them. "Valdin insisted that we must come. I know you have other urgent business to attend to, but this seems to be the way to reassure him. And the younger and more impatient people." "Is something missing?" The young Highborne interrupted. "It's a good question, but it's not something, who should you ask!" "Pay attention to your identity!" Modante said firmly to his disciples. "There's a hundred chances that Serablin's disappearance had nothing to do with them!" Malfurion took up the conversation. "One of you is missing, Archmage? When was the last time anyone saw him?" "He was one of the people with me," replied Valding. "It was a long time before anyone noticed that he hadn't been able to go back." "Is no one affected by that spell?" "Of course! We know what we're doing!" The young highborne looked repelled by any other suggestion. Mordant shook his head in disappointment. "Behave with me! You have to answer the Archdruid and High Priestess' questions with respect." Valdin nodded reluctantly. "I'm sorry, Archdruid. Please continue." "Does anyone remember where they saw him in the end?" Malfurion continued to ask. "No one saw him go back after the spell was cast. I asked them all." The archdruid considered Valdin's words for a moment, then turned to his mate. "I'd better deal with it now." "I think so too. Be careful." He gave a wry smile. "I will." Valdin led Malfurion back to where they cast the spell.Apparently the mage still didn't trust anyone but the Highborne, but he answered all the Archdruid's questions anyway. "Does anyone remember where he was standing at all?" "It's not necessary." Malfurion didn't condemn the logic, but he felt that the Highborne didn't care as much for his fellow man as he seemed.Someone must remember something about the whereabouts of the missing spellcaster.The Archdruid knelt down where the Highborne had stood in a circle before.He stretched out his hand to caress the ground, and murmured to the grass leaves all over the ground. Do you see that?" Malfurion asked them.Did you see it? Xiaocao is eager to answer his questions, and usually few people ask them for help.But it can only say how many teams of creatures have passed above.This was Malfurion's expected answer, but despite having no useful information, he still thanked Xiaocao. "I've cast a spell on this place, but I haven't found any clues," Valdin offered. "Did everyone go in the same direction after I left?" "Why are we going to other places? The group of humans you placed there is farther away. Do you think we want to go there?" Valdin made no secret of his contempt. Malfurion pretended not to notice his tone. "Then Serabrin went back alone?" The mage looked a little impatient. "You've asked before." "If necessary, I will ask again. Sometimes you will be surprised to find that the answers are completely different before and after." The archdruid stood up slowly, and then, he took a breath, and started to walk away from most of the highborne in his memory direction. "Do you remember the direction you went back?" "certainly." "Lead the way." Valding shrugged and did as he was told.He trudged through the bushes, Malfurion at his heels. As they walked along the way, the archdruid continued to reach out to the surrounding plants, talking to various flowers and trees... but as expected, there was no result.Despite the Archdruid's preparations, his skills are useless here. "Are we all right?" Valdin asked at last. "I don't see any reason for you to stay. I'd like to explore this place a bit more." "As you like." The highborne elf turned and left without another word. Malfurion surveyed the land with a sigh.In fact, he couldn't think of anything else he could do, but he didn't want to give up before the Highborne.He suspected that Valdin hadn't fully told him the paths the Highborne had traveled.But even if Malfurion knew, he might not be able to gather any useful information from the plants.The plants did notice the Highborne's spellcasting, but once the spell was interrupted, they cared nothing for the creatures. One of the largest trees in the forest swayed its branches, and in this way it spoke to the archdruid. Someone was watching him from deep in the woods. Without looking back, Malfurion immediately mobilized the power of the forest to deal with the prying eyes.In that direction the trees bent over and formed an impenetrable hedge with their branches around the hidden observer.At the same time, the bushes on the ground began to sprout crazily, entangled under his or her feet.The flowers on the tree also burst into bloom, spewing out clouds of rich pollen. The archdruid walked there effortlessly.As he drew near, Malfurion heard futile struggles and coughing. The plants made way for him, forming a passage just enough to pass.Malfurion held the staff in his hand, though in reality he had no fear. The giant trees straightened up, the bushes also moved, and a figure appeared among them.Still coughing, he tried to wipe his eyes.The seemingly innocuous pollen effectively invaded his lungs and eyes. Malfurion gestured, and a breeze swirled around the figure.Malfurion steered the wind so that it not only knocked the pollen out of the man's eyes, but also sent a gust of fresh air that relieved the cough. Idrik stared at the night elf with bloodshot eyes. "Big-Grand Druid!" the human sneezed violently. "Thank goodness! I thought I was caught by some monster!" "Just in case. When someone is spying on me, I also want to know who they are." Gene's men were dumbfounded. "Watching you? No! I was just hunting. I chased the prey out, but I lost it nearby. I thought it was in that direction" - he pointed to the direction Malfurion came from - — "Suddenly it seemed like the whole land was attacking me!" Malfurion gestured, and the rest of the fence disappeared with it.He didn't need to, but he felt the need to go a step further and remind Idrick who he was talking to, and it was wise to be honest.Of course, Malfurion didn't want to really hurt the man, but keeping Idrik uneasy might help the night elves gain useful information. "You are far from your camp, Idrik. It must have been a great hunt to take you this far. So... would you like to explain again?" The Gilnean's eyes wandered, and Malfurion could understand him perfectly.Idrik would never dare betray his master, even in the most trivial matter. "Your loyalty is laudable, but if you don't tell me now, I will ask Genn for the truth myself. The summit is imminent, and any doubts I have about Gilneas' application to return to the Alliance could lead to matters between him and A direction I don't want to see." The man swallowed hard, and finally nodded. "It's nothing, Archdruid! I never even thought of spying on you! It's just that you just happened to be here—just here with one of them..." "A... Highborne? Are you spying on the Highborne?" Edric swallowed again and continued. "My Lord has heard some of their history from you and others. He distrusts any influence they have." Malfurion had heard such words before.It's just that those who said so before were night elves. "It's definitely not directed at you," Idrick added quickly. "My Lord has the highest respect for your ability and commitment." "Then he can get my promise that Gilneas doesn't have to worry about the Highborne at all. This should stop him from sending you or others on such unnecessary trips." Edric bowed his head. "Yes, Arch Druid." Malfurion said in a more genial tone, "I know the summit has put you all on edge. Things will go well." "We understand." "Please give Gene my regards." The human bowed again, and walked briskly into the forest.Frowning, Malfurion turned and walked towards Darnassus.He was sure Idrik was telling the truth, that Genn Greymane didn't trust the Highborne.But the archdruid was also convinced that Gilneas had nothing to do with the mage's disappearance. But what Malfurion Stormrage was equally sure of was that the event had something to do with the summit...perhaps to make it fail.