Chapter 28 Chapter Twenty Eight

Varian used all means to get himself and his subordinates, and the most important thing was to get the werewolves to Ashenvale in time.In fact, he had expected to arrive here to see the Alliance-held lands in shambles, with every Defender he'd ever known killed.However, when the ship anchored as close to the shore as possible and the werewolves landed on land, Varian suddenly realized that it was not too late for him to come, and not only that, he was more convinced than he thought In the end is the path of his destiny.Even as he set foot on the shores of Ashenvale, Varian felt Goldrinn calling him even more clearly than during the ceremony.The call grew stronger with each breath he took - so much so that he finally stopped resisting it and accepted it wholeheartedly.

Wearing light but strong leather armor on his body, and a salamani on his waist.Varian started running, making his way to his goal. Genn Greymane watched Varian as he stood looking out into the forest.Goldrinn's halo surrounds the King of Stormwind.All werewolves could see the aura, but Varian's own people couldn't.Genn, aware of what was about to happen, told the Stormwind soldiers to keep up.Almost an instant later, Varian had disappeared into the woods. Genn followed him...the werewolves followed him. Varian couldn't remember running through the woods.He was only vaguely aware that somehow his speed was unimaginably fast, so fast that it seemed to surpass time itself.The spirit of Goldrinn inspired him, and the fury of the giant wolf melted into his mind, making Varian run even faster towards his destiny.

Finally, he felt something and stopped abruptly.Jean and the werewolves came up behind him.Genn blinked, sniffed the air again, and then whispered two words that confirmed Varian's suspicions: "The Horde..." Just two words carry many smells and images of the enemy.Varian himself smelled the musk of orcs and tauren, the sweat of many trolls, the rot of the Forsaken, the smoke of burning fire, and the oily stench that could only come from goblin machinery. The other werewolves also raised their noses, and they also smelled that the enemy was nearby.Varian led them a little closer, and the scene of the battlefield came into view.

At this point Varian had understood what he and the werewolves had to do.He drew Salamaine, swung his sword forward, and let out a loud battle cry. The werewolves howled after him.Then Genn glanced in Varian's direction and saw that the aura surrounding the King of Stormwind was stronger than ever.Goldrinn's snarling scowl loomed over the wolf warrior's head. Varian charged into the battle, and the worgen scattered at his command.It was incredibly easy to take out the first few Horde soldiers, who were so dumbfounded they couldn't believe their eyes. At this moment, with the werewolves pouring into the main battlefield, Varian had already decided on his next move.He was eager to go to Garrosh Hellscream, but such a personal duel was a secondary priority in the face of more pressing disasters.

"Follow me!" he yelled at the nearby werewolves, and then, without looking at anyone following him, he ran—yes, ran, though he had traveled so far— Charge to the leader of the Mammoth. A hairy tauren saw him and stepped forward to stop him.The heavy ax swung at Varian, stirring up a cloud of dust on the ground.However, although the bull-headed warrior was bigger and taller, he greatly underestimated the speed of the king's movements.Varian had dodged to flank the enemy.He swung the Saramani and cut a deep gash in the tauren's body, killing the foe before he fell to the ground.

Horde columns no longer rush forward.They were already painfully aware that a new and formidable enemy was attacking their centre.However, the orcs and their allies are not used to the smooth movements of werewolves.Underestimating these wolf-like attackers, many tribe members fell to the ground and died upon contact. But the werewolves were not all without casualties.Without adapting to change, the tribe will not grow and prosper.Two orcs join forces to pinch a werewolf.Although one ax missed, the other struck him in the back.Others were shot through the chest or throat with arrows. But the tribal casualties were far greater.Not only because they had never encountered such an enemy, but also because the attack came from the flank, forcing them to face both the western and northern enemies.After all, Tyrande and Shandris were not fools to realize that the alliance had regained hope of victory.Although the mammoths are still wreaking havoc, they are still able to rally and fight back.

But Varian only roughly noticed all this, his eyes swept across the battlefield, focusing on his prey.The male beast has turned its attention to the new foes its masters face.A giant hand reached out to a werewolf, and though it failed to grab him, it inadvertently knocked the unfortunate Gilnean out of the way and threw him to his death. Two orcs charged at Varian, but a werewolf rushed forward and pinned one of the green-skinned warriors to the ground.They wrestled as the werewolf's claws tore the orc's throat. Varian dodged the second orc's swing, ducked under his shield, and thrust Saramani into the orc's belly.Next, the king drew his sword and jumped aside, avoiding the hind legs of a mammoth.

The huge monster turned around.But the mammoth is not known for speed.They don't need this ability: their large size allows them to cover large distances with ease.However, in close combat, Varian at least has the advantage of agility, able to dodge the enemy's feet and hands.Although he didn't have an advantage in long-distance running, Varian didn't think about running away. Varian sprinted on its hind legs again as the giant beast instinctively turned toward him.He's already in attack range. "Varian Wrynn!" roared a voice familiar to the king. "Varian Wrynn, I challenge you! Turn around and face your doom!"

Varian turned quickly.The two looked at each other.Garrosh Hellscream held Gorehowl high and sneered. The human didn't say a word, his expression already answered the orc.The tomahawk let out a wailing sound, and the two rushed together, and the two weapons collided with each other, sparks flying everywhere.The powerful impact caused both fighters to stagger back a few steps. The warchief laughed sinisterly. "Look at this weapon! Gorehowl is an orc's best ally!" "Saramani loves orc blood," Varian shot back. "Especially your..." He rushed over. The orc blocked his attack, and the clash of sword and ax once again spattered sparks.Garrosh swung his ax.Varian swung his sword back and fought back.The two warriors found that they were evenly matched again and again, and the magic weapons in their hands were evenly matched.

"I've been waiting for this moment!" Garrosh grinned. "Our battle in Ulduar was too short to be satisfying at all, and what's more, I didn't have Gorehowl to fight your sword..." "As I wish!" The king blocked another attack from Gorehowl.Sparks from the clash of weapons shot into their eyes, forcing both fighters to squint. "I promise I won't disappoint you this time...except when I cut off your head..." The orc laughed. "There will be a good place for your skull on the gates of Orgrimmar!" He swung Gorehowl and slashed at the lower body, trying to surprise Varian with his guts.The king flipped Salamaini down. Although his posture was a bit ugly, he blocked the tomahawk that was cutting towards his body.

The mammoth ignored the ongoing battle below, and continued to turn around to look for the man with the ponytail.Varian saw the giant leg sweeping towards them, and rolled to the side.But Garrosh didn't realize the danger was coming, and was about to strike again with his screaming battle axe. The elephant kicked the orc.Even though it was just a brush, it was enough to make Garrosh fall on his back. Varian never saw Garrosh again, so he decided to put Saramani away.He saw the mammoth stay where he was for a moment, and he took the opportunity to jump on its hind legs. He clung to the fur of the mammoth's leg, and the monster snarled to throw him off. But before the mammoth managed to shake off Varian, another figure climbed onto its other hind leg.The werewolf climbed up with Varian, thus creating a diversion for the king. A second werewolf jumped onto Varian's lap.A few others quickly followed.Varian ordered the werewolves around him to attack with him, but they were temporarily separated during the battle.Now, most of the werewolves followed suit. Most of them were werewolves he had ordered to follow him, but had temporarily dispersed during the battle. Varian gritted his teeth and climbed up.The first part of his plan had begun to materialize, but now he had to persevere.Despite the lack of claws, Varian climbed onto the back of the mammoth far more quickly than other werewolves. The Mammoth twisted his upper body as far as he could.His giant hands were within reach of Varian, but the king drew the Saramani and slashed at the fingers.The troll withdrew its bleeding hand, and at that moment several werewolves came to Varian's side. There is no need to say much at the moment.Werewolves know what to do.They crawled on the mammoth like ants.When swords, warhammers, and other common weapons failed, they began to use their claws and even teeth to tear at flesh and blood.At first the troll's thick, tough hide protected it, giving the mammoth a chance to slap the annoying vermin.Half a dozen werewolves fell off the giant beast's back, and some landed safely or grabbed the mammoth's legs, but others fell to their deaths. But when one werewolf was the first to tear open the mammoth's flesh, another werewolf followed suit.The male beast roared furiously, shaking its body back and forth.The mammoth is thick and thick, and the upper and lower body is like a mammoth, so it is as bad at jumping as the mammoth.So it can only suddenly stand on its hind legs, trying to throw the attackers by surprise.The two werewolves were thrown off, but Varian and the other werewolves held on to it in amazement. More werewolves rushed up and besieged the mammoth.They climbed his back, his neck, and the most daring ones even climbed his chest.A single werewolf or even a dozen were no more than annoying worms to the mammoths...but now they were starting to make an impact.The male beast's rage was tinged with frustration, followed by pain.There were more than two dozen bleeding wounds on his body. Salamani pierces the thick hide of a mammoth more easily than a normal sword or even a werewolf's claw.Varian carefully balanced on both feet, and then he cut deep gash into the mammoth's back with sword after sword. Another angry growl caught his attention.The nearest mammoth finally decided to come to the aid of the beast.These monsters do not have any concept of loyalty in their hearts, but it is entirely out of survival instinct.The mammoths had realized that if something could hurt their leader, it would be their own turn. Varian grinned sarcastically.The reason for his laughter became immediately apparent, and the mammoth who was charging was suddenly surrounded by more werewolves.They scrambled to the legs of the giant, which was no longer trying to aid the leading male, but trying in vain to rid itself of its growing wolf-like intruders. The war horn of the Alliance sounded, and Varian looked towards the night elves' line.No longer under attack from the Mammoths, the Sentinels were able to regroup more effectively.That made the previous rout a close fight again. But Varian wanted to go further.The werewolves attacked other mammoths without flinching, regardless of their own safety.The other members of the wolf pack continued to rush towards the center of the Horde army.From the troll's back, Varian could see that the Gilneans had cut their way through the enemy ranks. The male beast suddenly began to rush towards the dense forest.Varian knew its plan: the mammoth was either trying to grab a tree trunk and sweep the werewolves down, or rub them off the trees. Varian stepped on one hind leg.It turned out that Genn Greymane was there. "Why are you here?" "So that your wishes will come true!" another king yelled at him. Varian was delighted to see him. "Another hind leg! We've got to get down there while it's distracted." Genn looked confused until Varian made a chopping motion.The werewolf then laughed. "I will lead the team myself!" They parted silently.Varian unsheathed his sword and began to climb down.His plan will not actually come to fruition until now.The mammoths had to focus on the hordes of worgen climbing up, not the handful of warriors coming down the current. When he climbed into place, Varian drew the Salamani.Then he glanced at the other hind leg.Although the beast was running, the werewolves could easily cling to its legs.Genn had reached Varian's level. Varian Wrynn tried his best to stabilize himself with his left hand and legs, and then without hesitation, he used all his strength to cut Saramani into a wide and deep wound on the inside of the Mammoth's hind leg. The giant beast suddenly roared in pain.It leaned sideways, almost throwing a few werewolves off the ground.Varian hoped the brave Gilneans were safe, and he aimed again, but instead of slashing, he stabbed Saramani deep. The effect is immediate.The beast's legs went limp.Varian jumped down, holding the sword tightly, and landed not far from the stumped leg.Blood gushed from the wound, but that wasn't why that leg was struggling.Varian had expertly severed its hamstring. The Mammoth tried to move on, but the injured leg slowed him down considerably.This opened up opportunities for Gene and the werewolf on the other leg.Led by the Lord of Gilneas, the werewolves tore through the same area the way Varian had done.Where the claws couldn't reach, Genn slashed in with his longsword.The mammoth, in the throes of his first leg, finally turned around and grabbed the Gilnean. Genn's final blow severed the tendon.He screamed, and jumped aside from the mammoth's stumped leg.Hearing Jinn's warning, the other werewolves also fled from the wounded mammoth.The gigantic creature was still struggling to grab the King of Gilneas, but the crippled second leg knocked it off balance.Just when the last few werewolves jumped to a safe place, the leader of the male beast uttered a roar that was almost mournful, and fell to the ground on his left side.Its body hit the ground and created a strong shock wave, causing many nearby fighters to stumble and fall. But it's not over yet.With a silent cry, Varian charged at the struggling beast.He went straight for the other's head, and the other werewolves swarmed into the rest of the mammoth's body again. The mammoth's fingers were still bleeding from Varian's previous attack, but it still slapped any werewolf in its path as hard as it could.Some of the most eager werewolves fell prey to the giant swinging hand, but Varian dodged it, dashing over the foe's shoulder to the neck. The ghastly face turned toward him, and the mammoth's crooked fangs swung at Varian, almost hitting him.Those fierce eyes glared at the ponytailed human for the pain he had inflicted on it.Varian felt the muscles linking the arms under his feet move, and he knew the wounded mammoth realized that his prey was within reach. When the giant hand reached out, Varian clasped the Saramani with both hands down, and jumped off the mammoth's neck. As he fell, Varian drove the sword into the softest part of his foe's throat. In front of this famous sword, the mammoth man's flesh and blood melted away like water.Its blood spattered Varian, and he continued to fall almost unhindered after Saramani's thrust into the throat. The male let out a loud cluck.The gigantic beast jerked violently in agony, threatening Varian like never before. Before the mammoth's arms overwhelmed Varian, a shaggy figure grabbed him.The king and the werewolf who rescued him rolled into a ball, and Salamaini flew a few steps away. Varian got to his feet, only to realize that it was Genn who rescued him.The werewolf leader lay unconscious.Kneeling beside him, Varian saw Genn hit his head hard.There was blood on the fur. Gene opened his eyes.He stared up at Varian. "It's so hot! No one will doubt that you are the warrior chosen by Goldrinn..." The werewolf leader blinked. Although he was a wolf, there was a radiance of humanity in his eyes. "I'm terrified that your impulsive behavior will cost us you." "But your people nearly lost you." "It's a small price to pay. The werewolves have found you. And through you, we have come to know ourselves." Varian searches for his sword. "Maybe we'll see we're in the grave. The fight isn't over yet." Gene tried to stand up, but sat back trembling.He took a deep breath and tried to get up again.This time, the werewolf leader managed to stand up. Varian retrieved Saramani, but when he looked up, there was something on the chaotic battlefield that made him stare. "Don't follow, Gene." "What--" Varian didn't have time to explain. He rushed to the battle again.An orc saw Varian and foolishly tried to stop him.The Lord of Stormwind barely noticed when Salamaini slashed into the orc's chest.In the blink of an eye, the second soldier also fell down quickly inadvertently. Varian is only interested in one opponent.The other party was also looking for him persistently before, but the environment of the battlefield separated the two of them. Garrosh Hellscream. During the melee between the two armies, the figure of the great chief disappeared from Varian's eyes again, but the scream of Gore Howl would not be mistaken even if it was far away.Varian paused, listening to the death song of the ax again, and adjusted his course. A horn sounded from the Alliance side, and suddenly there were spearmen riding night sabers everywhere.The warriors of the tribe fled in all directions, and these giant cats brought new death to them.A spearman rushes to the rescue of a werewolf surrounded by enemy soldiers.One enemy was slain by a spear, the other two were torn apart by nightsabers.The werewolf himself took out the remaining enemies with ease. A mammoth roared, its body was covered with werewolves, some of them were attacking its legs and feet.When Varian walked past them, the mammoth lost one of his legs. The battlefield is littered with werewolves pouncing around, wielding weapons or claws, as the case may be.Facing these too fast enemies, the ghoul-like Forsaken retreated one after another, and some undead soldiers were already smashed to pieces by claws or swords.The tough tauren tried to resist, but those nimble opponents often slipped past their defenses and beat them hard, eventually forcing the tauren to retreat.A goblin machine kept spinning its upper body, its operator frantically trying to block the attack of two werewolves.The Gilnean waited stoically until he figured out the rhythm of the machine's movements.Then one of the werewolves jumped over the whirling blade, leaped behind the pilot, and tore his back with its claws. A Moonblade flew past Varian, followed by two swiftly flying weapons.At this moment, the sentinels on foot also rushed into the place where the fighting was most intensive.Some Sentinels constantly throw their blades, while others use Moonblades for close quarters combat.Along with them came the army of Stormwind, and they rushed in the direction where the werewolves—and King Varian—were fighting.The outcome of the battle is yet to be seen, but at least the Alliance now has a chance of winning. Then the tribal front began to regroup.Varian heard Gorehowl again, this time not far away. He quickened his pace, not noticing that a cavalry officer had seen him.The night elf gave the signal, and her men followed the Stormwind king.The werewolves also began to follow Varian, and he fought a bloody path across the battlefield, which was littered with the mutilated bodies of soldiers from both sides. Unaware that he was leading a charge, Varian charged forward, sure where he could find Garrosh.As long as the warchief is captured or killed, the war will end.This is the most important thing... A column of orc archers suddenly rose from hiding and shot at the oncoming enemy. Varian dodged the arrows aimed at him.He didn't know what happened behind him.Some of his followers fell, but others quickly rose to the top.The alliance army has realized that a critical moment is coming, and the charge led by the King of Stormwind will determine the overall situation of today's outcome. But on the other side, the Horde is also ready for this new challenge.After a shower of arrows, heavily armored soldiers rushed forward.Some of them traveled on foot, while others rode on the backs of huge dire wolves. Varian ignored the shouts behind him, seeing the enemy ranks as little more than obstacles. When the first Dire Wolf came at him, Varian thrust the salamani into its eyes and into its brain.The beast fell forward, and Varian stomped on its head and cut the orc rider in half.A blood elf wanted to grab the Lord of Stormwind, but stepped back clutching his severed hand.The ax and the sword tore through his coat, and blood flowed from him.But they are all just a little nuisance, and they can't hinder his progress in the slightest. Though he himself didn't notice it, didn't feel it, soldiers on both sides who followed him and faced him thought they saw the shape of a giant wolf galloping in the smoke around Varian.Who was the first to call out that name, no one can answer.The werewolves thought they were one of them, and weren't they the first to realize that the King of Stormwind was a warrior of the ancient wolf god? The Sentinels believed it was the High Priestess or her general, and with the Darnassian Crusade The dwarves and humans who travel together also consider themselves compatriots. But the important thing is that whoever yelled "Varian!" followed by "Goldrinn!", the two names were repeated over and over again and became the new slogan on the battlefield.The shout hit the tribe's army, making them suspicious.They should have won long ago.The league is long overdue for failure.What's happening right now is nothing like that grand plan. And no one knows the latter better than Garrosh Hellscream.Once Ashenvale falls to the Horde, the future he envisions will come true.But now it seems that it has become a distant bubble.The overwhelming strength of the Mammoth, his ultimate weapon, proved more clearly the failure of his main strategy. Just as he was thinking of this, another giant beast crashed to the ground.The werewolves swarmed on the body of this huge monster, focusing on attacking its throat. A Kor'kron guard approaches Garrosh. "Warchief, you are taking too much risk here! We cannot lose you..." "Losing me?" Garrosh shoved the impudent guard away. "I won't hide in a fight!" "But the Alliance—" The warchief glared, making the stoic guard flinch.Garrosh snarled another order, sending reserves to reinforce those weakened by the damned worgen. The league's new slogan was buzzing in his head.Garrosh could not hear exactly what the enemy was shouting, but he could see how effective the cry was in motivating them to fight the Horde's warriors. "What was that? What were they shouting?" Another guard replied. "They shouted the name of the human king...and, Goldrinn...that's what they called the great Lakash..." "The ancient wolf god..." Garrosh looked around the battlefield. "Rakesh...and Varian Wrynn..." When he spoke the human's name again, the leader of the orcs saw the champion of the Alliance amidst the horde that was rushing toward him... and Varian Wrynn saw him. They rushed towards each other in silence.Garrosh's guard protested, but he had already charged through the chaos, leaving those who were supposed to protect him behind and trying to keep up. Salameni danced a light and shadow, beheading all enemies standing in front of the king.For all their bravery, the orcs, tauren, blood elves, and trolls were no fools.To gain glory - and save life - the chances of fighting other people are undoubtedly much better. But there was still a figure standing between the two, and Varian was his target.His hard blow nearly did what many failed, but left only a shallow gash on Varian's arm. Brien glared at Varian, the man's blood on the ax already in his hand. "My Mammoth!" growled the old sailor bitterly. "My splendor and glory! Look what you've done!" His vicious attack forced Varian to back off for a moment.It was his mastery of the battle-axe that kept Brining alive for so long, and Hadrisa had proved it with her life.Some of his fighting skills might even be worth learning for Garrosh - but the frenzied orc couldn't care less now.With all the disasters Brining had encountered during the voyage, not least the loss of life, the Mammoth would have been his salvation.And now this human being, this lonely human being screwed everything up. Varian didn't have time for this crazy orc.He knew Garrosh was nearby, maybe even out of range.But the old sailor can't be ignored either. Brining swung the ax again, and Varian noticed a glaring weakness in him.The blindfold meant that the orc's side of the field of vision was completely blind, and even if Brienin knew that, he still couldn't change that fact. Varian allowed the orc to attack again.When the blow brought Brynen's blindsight to Varian, he thrust Saramani into the enemy's chest. Brinn's weapon fell as Varian drew the Saramani.The orc fell to his knees, still glaring at Varian, and gasped, "My... mammoth... my..." The captain fell, and Varian slammed Salamaini behind him. The gold and iron hit each other, shocking him all over.Varian knelt on the ground, turned sharply and blocked the second swing.Before the two sword strikes, there was an unbearable howl. "I knew you could block both," Garrosh rumbled with genuine admiration, walking towards Varian. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be you..." "Then I will die," Varian replied flatly, "and it will be you." The warchief laughed...and attacked. Salamaini and Gorehowl hit each other again and again.The speed with which the two blades collided was so rapid that it seemed that lightning rather than sparks struck between the human and orc pair. Suddenly Varian tripped over a corpse and fell to the ground.Garrosh slammed down, trying to cut him in two.The king rolled away, jumped up and rushed up again. Now it was Garrosh's turn to back off.He raised Gore Howl high, blocking two attacks that were enough to cut his throat.He then used the length of the ax to push Varian back, giving him a chance to gain a foothold. Sword and ax collided again.Garrosh tried to jam the opponent's sword with the arc of Gorehowl's ax head, but Varian drew the sword back at the critical moment.Varian then tried to bypass the warchief's defenses, but the orcs blocked Saramani with the plane of their battle axes. "You are only delaying the inevitable!" Garrosh yelled. "The era of the Alliance is over! The Horde is the future of Azeroth!" "The Horde will panic at the sunset! The night will come with the sun... the werewolves will come with the night..." Varian shot back. At this moment, the distance between them and other fighters around them began to shrink. Warriors who swore to fight to the death rushed to the two of them, squeezing them close together.Humans and orcs looked at each other for a long time, seeing death in each other's eyes. "Pray to your soul," said the king flatly. "I will. Somebody has to guide you to your death, human..." Garrosh roared and pushed as hard as he could.Varian was knocked onto the crowd behind him.The great chief swung a fierce arc, and Gorehowl's mournful wailing caused the nearby crowd to disperse again. Varian interrupted the wail with a salamani, first holding the tomahawk, then flipping the orc's weapon aside with a flick of his wrist. Garrosh slammed his fist on the human's shoulder.Varian gritted his teeth, feeling like his bones were about to fall apart.In order to block the opponent's attack, he placed the sword between his shoulder and the heavy fist. The warchief slashed at his other shoulder, which defended the void. Varian shifted Salamaini to the other hand, leaning across the edge of the blade to meet Gorehowl.Although he didn't let Gorehowl split his shoulder, the ax still scratched his upper arm.The king let out a grunt of pain as he changed positions. But Salamaine soon avenged him.Varian had long learned to wield the longsword with either hand, though one was always more preferred.Garrosh hadn't realized in time that his human opponent was still at ease with the Saramani.The tip of the sword drew a line of blood on the chief's chest, not far from his throat. Suddenly another tomahawk joined the fray.A Kor'kron guard came to the pair, wanting to continue their duty of protecting Garrosh.The guard lunged at Varian, whose sudden presence put the king in a bind. Another Kor'kron guard charged Varian from the opposite direction.Their battleaxes were not Gorehowl, but once drank blood from well-trained hands.The Kor'kron Guardian swung his ax and forced Varian back. Garrosh yelled at his guards angrily, but his voice was lost in the din of the battle.Both Kor'krons eyed Varian with malevolent longing: by killing him, they would not only serve the warchief's devotion, but they would also gain praise for themselves. The Lord of Stormwind watched their reactions, anticipating their actions.He let one of the guards go first.Just when the Kor'kron guard thought he could deliver the killing blow, Varian hurled the Saramani like a javelin. This unconventional move caught the previous guard off guard.The force of Varian's throw drove the sword deep into the enemy's body. Before the second Kor'kron guard could understand, Varian had already snatched the battle ax from the dying guard's hand, and slashed at another enemy's leg with all his might. The tomahawk chopped off his thigh.The orc screamed and fell to one side. Varian drew the Salamani, then stabbed the wounded Kor'kron Guardian to death. But Garrosh did not press on behind the two guards.At this moment, the orc was slashing Gorehowl at a nightsaber that had lost its rider.The tomahawk hit the head, but the big cat did not die immediately, trying to tear the orc to pieces with its sharp claws one last time.But Garrosh dodged the cat's claws with agility that belied his bulk, and stepped forward to slash Gorehowl into the nightsaber's head again. The warchief turned his bloody battleaxe on Varian.The two fell silent, and the duel resumed.Those who dared to stand in their way were bloody, but the humans and orcs cared nothing but each other. The trumpet sounded.This is the clarion call of the alliance.They had the upper hand, but Garrosh didn't notice.All he noticed was that his breathing was beginning to come short.He'd thought he'd killed Varian Wrynn by then, holding up the human's severed head for all the helpless Alliance soldiers to see.For this reason, he expended his strength faster than usual. But this human came from an incredible distance! The orc reminded himself exasperatedly.He should be exhausted! He should be too tired to lift a sword... But Varian looked just as alive as when they first met.The human's eyes were determined. Garrosh realized he had greatly underestimated the human.The king possessed orc-like rage, and the defenders seemed to gain the same power through him. 直到这时大酋长才真正意识到他所听过的那些关于瓦里安·乌瑞恩的故事都是真的。拉喀什确实眷顾着这个人类……为什么不呢?他们本是同类。这个人有着一颗伟大而坚决的猎手之心，一颗伟大而坚决的战士之心。 狼族……之心。 我真是个傻瓜!大酋长此刻意识到。我本该策划一次更为宏大，更为野蛮的重击!有了这样的领袖，联盟甚至可能夺回灰谷东部! 瓦里安并不在意敌人心中想些什么，他开始继续攻击。他看到加尔鲁什开始退却，并且意识到兽人这么做并不是出于什么阴险的计划。优势已经转向了瓦里安那边。 瓦里安猛一挥剑。加尔鲁什知道自己能招架这次攻击，但他疲惫的手臂比往常慢了一拍。 萨拉迈尼砍进了他的上臂，割伤了紧绷的肌肉。 加尔鲁什的整条手臂都颤抖起来。大酋长一时间松开手来，血吼从他抽搐的手指间滑落在地。 瓦里安退后准备再次攻击——这时一声震耳欲聋的咆哮镇住了两名战士。瓦里安和加尔鲁什抬起头，看到一头猛犸人狂奔着朝他们冲来。它身上爬满了狼人，急于想要摆脱他们凶狠的攻击。狼人们完全领会了瓦里安的战术，并且发扬光大。当这头巨兽冲到两人身边的时候，它的两条前腿都被击残，因而往前扑倒在地。 瓦里安往后退去。而加尔鲁什冒着送命或是残废的危险，伸出没受伤的那只手去抓起血吼。当猛犸人的阴影冲向他的时候，加尔鲁什纵身一跃。 受到重创的怪物朝一侧倒去，但狼人们早已爬到了安全的地方，此刻又回来继续将它冷酷无情地撕成碎片。那庞然大物的后腿拼命踢动着，迫使瓦里安往后退得更远。 加尔鲁什爬起身来。他寻找着那个人类，但挣扎的猛犸人挡住了他的视线。 狂怒使他恢复了力量，大酋长冲向那巨兽的背侧。他将再次找到瓦里安·乌瑞恩，这次会有一场决定性的—— “大酋长!”另一名库卡隆卫士来到他的面前。加尔鲁什想要把这个蠢货推到一边，但突然更多的手拉住了他。 “当心!”另一名卫士喊道。又有两人走上前来保护他们的领袖。而在猛犸人身上，几头狼人对这些新的目标产生了兴趣。“带大酋长离开!” 加尔鲁什的一些侍卫上前迎战狼人，而他狂怒地咆哮道，“放开我，你们这些该死的蠢货!我必须找到他!我会干掉他……得到那把宝剑!” “我们战败了!”第一个库卡隆卫士大胆地说道。“我们必须在溃败前带您离开这里!” 加尔鲁什反手抽了说话的人一个耳光。鲜血从卫兵的嘴角滴落下来，而大酋长吼道，“哪个懦夫敢再说这种谎言，我就砍掉他没有荣耀的脑袋!” “这不是谎言!”另一人大声说道。还有几人点头表示赞同。“猛犸人只剩下一头了。我们的阵线也已经不复存在。我们的南边已经被敌人包围了。你抬头看看吧。要是我说了谎，你就砍我的头!” “还有我的!”第一个卫士说道，其他人也纷纷附和。 这些话可不是随便说说而已，加尔鲁什很有可能真的砍掉他们的脑袋。大酋长皱起了眉头，然后极力巡视战场。 他一下子就能看出他们都是对的。哨兵的军旗正在逼近。而他自己军队的旗帜却难得一见，仅有几面也大多在遥远的东边。剩下的毫无疑问正被敌人踏在脚下。 “不!就算打遍战场上每一个敌人我也要找到他!我不能输……”他想要再去寻找瓦里安，却被自己的卫士拉住拖往安全的地方。 “我们还会赢得灰谷的，”士兵们奋力将加尔鲁什拖离战场时，领头的库卡隆卫士向他保证道。 “大酋长自己也说，一次战役不等于一场战争!”另一人提醒道。“我们会拿下灰谷的!我们发誓，大酋长……” 加尔鲁什内心斗争着想要接受他们的话。他们是在重复自己总是向他们宣告的话。然而，现实总是苦涩难咽……尤其是在和瓦里安·乌瑞恩未完的决斗之后。 他甩开身边那些面露恐惧的卫兵，但令人宽慰的是，大酋长按他们的意思朝自己的坐骑走去。在他们身后，战斗还在继续，尽管显而易见联盟正在继续收复失地。 “吹响号角，”加尔鲁什下令道。“全军撤退。” 一名放下心来的卫兵朝号手发出信号，而后者依令行事。当那可恶的声音在他心中回响之时，加尔鲁什跳上坐骑。他再次挥舞血吼，听着它哀嚎的声音，然后将它挂回背上的支架。就在加尔鲁什驱策坐骑之前，他扭头望向这个让部落首领被迫放弃他渺茫希望之地。 “这不过是一次战役，”大酋长最终同意道。“只是一场战役。灰谷是我们的命运……”加尔鲁什再次展望他将要缔造的国度，而他再次相信这必将美梦成真。 他率领他们转身离去，心中已经开始盘算起来。事情尚未结束……只要他尚未获得胜利…… 只要瓦里安·乌瑞恩尚未殒命。 瓦里安看着骑手们消失在远方，他知道自己本可以上前追杀，但却决定不那么做。吉恩·格雷迈恩在那头猛犸人的庞大尸体旁找到了他，那怪物之前曾将这个人类与那兽人隔开。狼人首领的毛皮上浸满血污，而他的每个族人身上都是一样。 “你放过了他们……”吉尔尼斯国王低声说道。“我看到你绕了过去，注视着兽人们拉住他们的大酋长并且把他拉走。他努力地反抗着他们，我们本可以轻易追上去逮住他们。这样一切就全都结束了。” 瓦里安继续眺望着远方，即便他已经看不到加尔鲁什的身影。他摇摇头回答道。“会吗?不是现在。不……有时你得放任猎物跑上一会。然后……然后当时机到来之时，你会知道的。” 吉恩放平耳朵，试图理解瓦里安所说的话。但很快他就用不着费心去想了，因为突然间高阶女祭司和珊蒂斯将军带着一队哨兵走了过来。 “瓦里安·乌瑞恩，”泰兰德微笑着朝他致意。“艾露恩终于展现了她的神迹。” “'她的神迹'?”吉恩昂起头来。“不，我的女士，艾露恩或许在其中起了作用——显然戈德林也是一样——但他们无疑都会把最高赞誉归于另一个人!”他伸出爪子指向瓦里安。“一位内心臻于平衡的战士，一位能与部属同心的领袖!”狼人首领转向其他人。“瓦里安·乌瑞恩!” 当狼人领袖喊出这个名字的时候，其他吉尔尼斯人也开始附和。起初他们只是喃喃低语这这个名字，但随着人群热情高涨，他们的声音也越发响亮。“ 瓦里安·乌瑞恩!瓦里安·乌瑞恩!” 哨兵和其他联盟的战士们也再次欣然响应，他们此前已经将这个名字作为战场上的口号。瓦里安·乌瑞恩并不喜欢这样的欢呼，但他理解为他欢呼的人们需要就此宣泄。瓦里安只能祈祷这呼声能尽早结束。 要是他希望得到高阶女祭司帮助的话，那他就找错了地方。泰兰德依旧微笑着朝吉恩点点头说道。“你说的太对了。”接着，她向不太自在的瓦里安低下头，举起手来高声说道，“向您致敬，瓦里安国王!向你致敬，灰谷的拯救者……或许也是全艾泽拉斯的拯救者……”