Chapter 14 Chapter Thirteen

Although the rest of the long winter was getting harder, the warmth in Thrall's heart dispelled the biting cold.He was now accepted as a member of the clan like never before, even in Warsong.He hunted with his family companions and listened to the teachings of Drek'Thar.In the evenings they gathered merrily around the campfires, meeting noisily, singing songs and telling tales of former glory. Drek'Thar often brought up the story of Thrall's heroic father, Durotan, but somehow he always felt that the old orc was avoiding something.Thrall didn't ask, he trusted Drek'Thar in his heart, and he knew the old shaman would tell him everything when he needed to know.

In addition, he also met a special friend.One night, when the whole clan and their wild wolf companions were gathered around the fire as usual, a young wolf came out alone from the pack sleeping opposite the firelight, and came before the Orcs.The entire Frostwolf clan fell into silence. "The she-wolf is about to make a choice," Drek'Thar said solemnly.Thrall marveled for a long time at how Drek'Thar knew such things as the wolf's sex, and that it—she—was going to choose, whatever that meant.Drek'Thar stood up with difficulty, and stretched out his hands to the she-wolf.

"Beautiful fellow, you wish to bond with one of our clan," he said. "Come up and choose someone you will bond with for life." The wolf didn't rush over right away.She was unhurried, shaking her ears, and inspecting every orc present with her black eyes.Many of them already have company, but many don't, especially the younger ones.Uso, who became friends immediately after Thrall resisted his provocation, was nervous.Thrall knew he wanted this beautiful and graceful beast to choose him. The wolf's eyes met Thrall's, and a shock seemed to go through him. The she-wolf loped over to Sal, lying down beside him.Her eyes were fixed on Thrall's.Thrall felt a warm blood connection from this creature, even though they were two completely different lives.He knew, though not quite how he knew, that she would be by his side until death took one of them.

Slowly, Thrall groped and stroked Xue Ge's long and narrow head.Her fur is fluffy and thick.A warm pleasure swept over his body. The other orcs cried out in admiration, and Uso, to his great regret, was the first to pat Thrall affectionately on the back. "Tell us her name," Drek'Thar said. "Her name is Xuege," Thrall replied, still not sure how he knew it.The wolf's eyes were half closed, and Thrall could feel her contentment. One night at the end of winter, Drek'Thar finally told Thrall the truth about Durotan's death.As the sun shone, they heard more and more the sound of melting snow.Thrall stood motionless one afternoon, watching with admiration the Drek'Thar performing the ritual of the spring thaw, begging them to change course, and it would be enough to keep the Frostwolf camp from flooding.As usual, Xue Ge stood beside him, a white, silent, loyal figure.

Thrall felt something stirring in his heart.He heard a voice: We heard Drek'Thar's plea, and that is a reasonable plea, and we will not flow from where you and your people live, Shaman. Drek'Thar bowed, officially ending the ceremony. "I hear you," Thrall said. "I heard Xue answering you." Drek'Thar looked at Thrall with his blind eyes. "I know you heard me," he said. "It shows that you are ready, that you have learned and understood everything I have to teach you. Tomorrow, you will experience your initiation. But tonight, come to my cave. I am going to tell you something about your Must-know stuff."

When night fell, Thrall came to the cave.Sharp Ears, Drek'Thar's companion, whimpered with joy.Drek'Thar waved Thrall in. "Sit down," he ordered.Thrall complied.Xue Ge came to Rui Er, touched each other's noses, leaned against each other and soon fell asleep. "You have many questions about your father and his fate. I have refused to answer, but the time has come for you to know. But first, swear you will not tell anyone what I have told you until you have a revelation, You have to say it all." "I swear," Thrall said gravely.His heart was beating fast, and after so many years, he was finally about to know the truth.

"You know we ended up being exiled by Gul'dan," Drek'Thar said. "What you don't know is why. No one but your parents and me will know, which is what Durotan wants. The less people know, the safer his clan will be." Thrall said nothing, but listened carefully to every word Drek'Thar had to say. "We knew Gul'dan was evil and had no thoughts of the Orc people. What we didn't know was how deeply he betrayed us, and what a terrible price we are paying for what he did to us. Durotan knew These, therefore he was exiled. He and Draka - and you, young Thrall - went back south to inform the mighty orc chieftain Orgrim? Doomhammer about Gul'dan's betrayal. We don't know Did your parents see Doomhammer, but we know they were killed for knowing those details."

Thrall held back the eager cry, what details?Drek'Thar paused for a while, then continued. "All Gul'dan wanted was his own power, and he sold us as slaves for that power. He created an organization called the Shadow Council, which, made up of him and many evil orc warlocks, manipulated the Everything the orcs have done. They have joined forces with the demons that gave them vile powers, infecting the people of the tribe with a desire for killing and war, making them forget the original way, the way of nature, and the way of shamanism. They only desire death. You saw those red-eyed orcs in the camp. You can tell by that mark that they were once driven by demonic power."

Thrall clenched his fists tightly.He immediately recalled Hellscream's bright blood-red eyes, and his heavily corroded body.But Hellscream's body is still his own.He knew the power of kindness, and had neither lost to the mad bloodthirsty nor surrendered to the deadly idleness he had seen in the camp.Grom?Hellscream must have faced demons every day, constantly resisting them.His admiration for the chieftain grew stronger when he realized just how strong Hellscream's will was. "I believe that the laziness you're talking about seeing in the camp is a sense of emptiness that our people feel when the demon power is used up. Without that external energy, they feel Weak, empty, don't even know why they feel the way they do, let alone contemplate why. They're like empty cups, Sal, once filled with poison. Now they long to be filled with something positive The nourishment they need is the Ancestral Path, the Shamanism, a reconnection to the simple and pure power of the forces and laws of nature that will fill them again and satisfy their deadly hunger. This, and only this, to wake them from their trance, and to regain the glory and courage of our ancestors"

Thrall listened intently. "Your parents knew about the Dark Pact. They knew that this bloodthirsty of the Horde was caused by unimaginable supernatural powers. Daemons and Gul'dan stole the courage of our people and twisted it to their will. Durotan knew so his clan was exiled. He accepted it, but when you were born, he knew he couldn't keep silent. He wanted a better world for you, Thrall. You are his Son and heir. You will be the next Warchief. He and Draka went south, as I told you, to find their old friend Orgrim? Doomhammer." "I know the name," Thrall said. "He was the mighty chief who led all the clans against the humans."

Drek'Thar nodded. "He was wise and brave, and a great leader of our people. Humanity finally triumphed, Gul'dan's treachery—or at least a glimpse of a deeply buried truth—was discovered, and the demons retreated. The rest of you We all know." "Is Doomhammer dead?" "We didn't believe it, but we haven't heard from him since. Rumors have come to us from time to time that he's been a bum, hidden away, or that he's been a prisoner. Many people think he's a Legend, when the time comes he will come back and free us." Thrall stared closely at his teacher. "What do you think, Drek'Thar?" The old orc chuckled. "I think," he said, "that I've told you enough, that it's time for you to rest. You're going to experience your initiation tomorrow, and if that's the case, you'd better get ready." Thrall stood up and bowed respectfully.Even though the shaman couldn't see the action, he did it, for himself. "Come on, Xuege." He called, and the white wolf obediently followed her companion and disappeared into the night. Drek'Thar listened, and when he was sure they were gone, he called Sharp Ear. "I have a mission for you, my friend. You know what to do." Despite Thrall's best efforts to get some rest, he couldn't sleep.He was so excited, yet a little apprehensive, imagining what his initiation would be like.Drek'Thar told him nothing.He wanted to know what to expect from himself. As the gray dawn cast dim light on Thrall's cave, he was not sleepy at all.He got up and went outside, and was surprised to find that all the people had risen and gathered silently to the door of his cave. Thrall opened his mouth to speak, but Drek'Thar stopped him with a raised hand. "You are not allowed to speak until I allow it," he said. "Leave immediately and go to the mountains alone. Xuege must stay. You can't eat, but you must think hard about the path you are about to embark on. After the sun sets, come back to me, and the ceremony will begin immediately." Sal immediately turned and left obediently.Xue Ge seemed to know what was waiting for him and didn't follow.She turned her head and started howling.The other wolves joined in, and that wild, uplifting chorus accompanied Thrall's footsteps, walking alone to his musings. Time passed faster than he imagined.His mind was full of questions, amazed at the changing color of the sky, and the orange sun in the winter sky starting to move towards the horizon.When the last rays of the setting sun were still lingering on the camp of the Frostwolf clan, he returned. Drek'Thar was waiting for him.Thrall noticed that Sharp Ears had gone nowhere, unlike usual, but he thought it might be part of the ritual.Xuege was not there either.He came to the old orc, and the elder motioned for him to follow him. He led Thrall along a frozen ridge to a place Thrall had never seen before.As if answering those unspoken questions, Drek'Thar said, "This place has always existed, but it didn't want to be seen. Now, it welcomes you, so it can be seen by you." Thrall felt nervous for a moment, but held back his words.Drek'Thar waved his hand, and the snow melted before Thrall's eyes, and a wide, round stone platform appeared. "Stand in the middle, Thrall, son of Durotan," said Drek'Thar.His voice was no longer harsh and trembling than before, but full of power and majesty that Thrall had never seen before.Sal stepped up. "Get ready for the elves of the natural world," said the old shaman, and Thrall's heart tightened. Nothing happened.Thrall waited.Still nothing happened.He moved his body vigorously.The sun had fully set and the stars were beginning to twinkle.He began to get impatient, even a little annoyed, when a loud voice sounded in his head: Patience is the first test. Sal took a sharp breath.The voice sounded again. I am Thrall, Spirit of the Earth, son of Durotan.I am the fertile soil that breeds fruit, the green grass that nourishes life.I am the rock, the bone of the world.I am all things in Xuanmu, regardless of birds, fish, insects and grasses.Petition to me. What are you asking for?Thrall thought. Thrall felt a strange sensation, like a gentle laugh.Knowing what you want is one of the trials. Thrall panicked, but immediately recovered his composure, just like Drek'Thar taught him.A question arose spontaneously in his mind. Can you lend me your strength and strength in my time of need, for the sake of the clan and those we are to help? Petition, answer rings again. Thrall began to stamp his feet.He felt power rising within him, as before, but for the first time not from bloodlust.It was so warm and powerful, Thrall felt as if he had become the bones of the earth.He hardly felt the ground trembling slightly under his feet, and he opened his eyes only when the strong aroma filled his nostrils. A gigantic crack had opened in the ground, and flowers were blooming in every inch of what would have been rock.Sal opened his mouth in surprise. I will help you, for your clan and for those you help.Fear me, and this power shall remain with you forever. Thrall felt the power recede, leaving behind his trembling body, stunned by the enormous power he had summoned and controlled just now.But before he had time to recall, another voice sounded in his head. I am Thrall, Spirit of the Wind, son of Durotan.I am the breeze that caresses the earth, the air that lets you breathe freely.I hold up birds, flying insects and dragons, and all things that dare to clamor to challenge my height.Petition. Now Sal knew what to do and asked the same question.This time, the power filling him was different from last time: lightness, freedom.Even if he was not allowed to speak, he couldn't bear the laughter that was boiling deep in his heart.He felt the warm wind caressing him, bringing all kinds of good smells to his nose, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself floating above the ground.The small Drek'Thar looked like a child's toy.But Thrall wasn't afraid.The spirit of the wind would help him, he petitioned, and it agreed. Gently, he floated down until he felt his feet hit the hard ground.The wind passed gently past his face, then disappeared. Power filled Thrall again, almost painfully this time.Heat roiled in his belly, sweat gushing from his green skin.He couldn't help but yearn to rush into the snow next to him.The Spirit of Fire came, and he begged for its help again.it answered. Startled by the deafening noise overhead, Thrall looked up.Lightning is dancing a dangerous dance across the night sky.Thrall knew he had ordered it to come.The originally blooming flowers on the cracked ground burned and turned into ashes in an instant.It was a dangerous element, and Thrall felt that the never-ending fire would keep his clan alive forever.Immediately, the flames disappeared, leaving Thrall with some power. Thrall thanked the spirit of fire, felt its presence and left.He was tired after so many strange energies crashing through him in turn, and relieved that there was only one element left for him to perceive. The spirit of water flowed into his body, soothing and cooling the burning heat left by the spirit of fire.Thrall saw the sea, though he had never seen it before, and opened his heart to explore the unfathomable depths of the ocean.Something cold fell on his skin.He opened his eyes and found that it was snowflakes swirling like goose feathers.He used his thoughts to turn them into rainwater, and then collected them.The comfortable spirit of water in his body was smooth, elegant and powerful, and Thrall sent it off with deep gratitude. He looked at Drek'Thar, but the shaman shook his head. "Your trial is not over yet," he said. Suddenly, a force hit Thrall from head to foot, making him cry out.no doubt.fifth element. Spirit of the Wild. We are the spirits of the wild, the essence and soul of all living things.We are the mightiest beyond the trembling land, the swift wind, the flaming fire, and the torrent of water.Speak, Thrall, and tell us why you think you deserve our help. Thrall could barely breathe.He was shocked by the power rushing through his body.He struggled to open his eyes, and saw many white shadows lingering around him.There's a wolf, another a goat, an orc, and a human, a deer.He realized that all living things had souls, and that he felt a tinge of despair at controlling so much power. But at a speed he couldn't imagine, the elves rushed into him.Thrall felt the violent shock in his body, but forced himself to focus, giving every soul a respect.It was almost impossible, Thrall's legs softened and he knelt down. A soft voice sounded in the air, and Thrall struggled to lift his stone-heavy head. Once again they floated beside Thrall, who knew he had been judged qualified.A half-real stag prancing around him, and Thrall knew he couldn't just taste the flesh of his prey, but feel its soul and thank it for its gift.He felt a connection to all orcs, even human souls, noble as Terratha, not dark and cold like Blackmoore.All is bright, even if it is sometimes in darkness; all life is connected, and any shaman who does not treat the elemental spirits with the highest reverence and intervene in this chain of souls will fail. Then they disappeared.Thrall completely lost his last bit of strength and fell down.He felt Drek'Thar's hand tap his shoulder, shaking him.The old shaman helped Thrall sit up.Thrall had never felt so weak in his life. "Well done, my boy," Drek'Thar said, his voice shaking with excitement. "I wish they would accept you... Thrall, you must know. It's been a long time, decades, since the last time the elemental spirits accepted a shaman. They are angry at our warlocks forging dark pacts, and their corrupted magic The shamans are few and far between, and they are all my age. The elemental spirits have waited a long time for someone worthy of their power; you are the first in a long time to be given such honor. I Thought they'd never be with us again, but... Thrall, I've never seen a shaman stronger than you, and you've only had the beginning." "I... I know how powerful those powers feel," Thrall said with difficulty, his voice very soft. "Compared to... I am so small..." "That's what got you recognized." He reached out and stroked Thrall's cheek. "Drotan and Draka would be very proud of you."