Chapter 15 Chapter Fourteen

With Earth, Water, Wind, Fire and the Spirit of the Wild readily available as his companions, Thrall felt stronger and more confident than ever.He had learned from Drek'Thar the special "calls," as the old man called them. "Warlocks call it spells," he told Thrall, "but we—shamans—only call it 'summoning.' We ask, and the forces with us answer. Or don't answer, all on their own terms." will." "Did they ever refuse to respond?" Thrall asked. Drek'Thar fell silent. "Yes," he replied slowly.They huddled together in Drek'Thar's cave until late at night.These conversations are precious to Thrall, and they often inspire him a lot.

"When? Why?" Thrall wanted to know, and then added quickly, "Unless you don't want to bring these things up." "You're a shaman now, albeit a fledgling one," Drek'Thar said. "It will do you good to know our taboos. I am ashamed to admit that I have asked for improper things more than once. The first time, I asked for a flood to destroy a human camp. I was angry and bitter, Because they destroyed many of our clans. But there are many wounded in the camp, even women and children, and the water spirit doesn't want to do that." "But floods happen quite often," Sal said. "Many innocent lives died in it, and it was for no purpose."

"That follows the will of the Spirit of Water, and the Spirit of the Wild," Drek'Thar replied. "I don't know their needs and plans. They will definitely not tell me. This time, it is against the wishes of the water spirits, so there will be no floods, drowning thousands of innocent human beings that the water spirits believe. Later, When the anger gradually dissipated, I realized that the water spirit was right." "Which time?" Drek'Thar hesitated. "You may think that I am always an old man, guiding the clan spiritually." Sal laughed. "No one is born old, wise man."

"Sometimes I wish I were. But when I was young, your age, the blood ran through my veins. I had a wife and children. They were all dead." "Is it in a war with humans?" "It's not such an honorable thing. They're just sick, and all my entreaties to the elementals are of no avail. It breaks my heart." Even now, his voice was heavy and sad. "I demanded that the elves give back the lives they had taken. They became angry with me, and for many years they refused my call. Many in my clan suffered because of my arrogance in demanding the resurrection of those I loved from the dead. suffering because I could not summon the elemental spirits. When I saw my foolish request, I asked them to forgive me. They agreed."

"But ... it's natural to want your loved ones to live," Sal said. "The elves can certainly understand." "Oh, they understand. My first request was humble, and they refused with a tinge of mercy. My subsequent requests were violent, and the wild spirits were offended that I had severely insulted the shaman and the elementals The relationship between." Drek'Thar put a hand on Thrall's shoulder. "You must experience the pain of losing a loved one, Thrall. You must know that the spirits of the wild have reasons for what they do, and you must honor those reasons."

Thrall nodded, but from a personal point of view, he sympathized with Drek'Thar's desire very much, and did not blame the old orc for offending the elemental spirit in great pain. "Where did Rui Er go?" He asked, changing the subject. "I don't know." Drek'Thar was surprisingly unconcerned. "It's a companion, not a slave. It can come and go when it wants." As if to reassure Thrall that he would not go anywhere, Xue Ge put his head on Thrall's lap.Thrall stroked Xuege's head, bowed to the teacher goodnight, and then went back to his cave to sleep.

The days are moving forward unconsciously.Thrall now spends most of his time studying with Drek'Thar, and sometimes he goes hunting with a small party.He used his newfound connections with the elementals to help the clan: asking the spirits of the earth to tell them where herds were nearby, and asking the spirits of the wind to redirect the wind so that their scent would not be picked up by wary creatures.Only once did he call upon the help of the Spirits of the Wild, when supplies were dangerously low and their hunting luck dwindled. They knew there were deer in the area and found gnawed bark and fresh droppings.But for days, the wary creatures avoided them.They were starving and had no food at all.The kids start to get terribly thin.

Thrall closed his eyes and opened his mind.O wild spirit that gives life to all things, I ask for your grace.We only want to fill the stomachs of the people, and never ask for more.I beg you, soul of the deer, to sacrifice yourself for us.We will not waste any of your gifts, we will honor you.Countless lives depend on the dedication of one life. He hoped the words were correct.Everyone had a respectful heart, but Thrall had never tried such a request.But when he opened his eyes, he saw a white stag standing just a few feet away from him.Those who walked with him seemed to see nothing.The stag's eyes met Thrall's, and the creature lowered its head, then moved away, Thrall noticing that it had left no traces in the snow.

"Come with me," he said.His companions followed immediately, and after walking a distance, they found a huge, healthy stag lying in the snow.One of its legs was twisted at an unusual angle, and its gentle brown eyes rolled in horror.The snowflakes around were stirred up, and it was obvious that the stag couldn't stand up. Thrall approached it, instinctively sending out a message of calm.Don't be afraid, he told it.Your suffering will soon be over and your life will continue to have value.I thank you, brother, for your sacrifice. The deer quieted down and lowered its head.Thrall touched its neck lightly.Quickly, without any pain, he snapped the long neck.He stood up to see the others looking at him in awe.But he knew it was not his will, but the deer's, his people's supper today.

"We'll take the animal and eat its flesh. We'll make tools out of its bones, and clothes out of its hide. In doing so, we must remember its honorable gift to us." Thrall followed Drek'Thar inseparably and learned to transmit energy to the seeds in the soil so that they would grow strong in the coming spring to nourish the animals that were growing in their mother's womb, whether it was deer, goats or wolves. .Together they beg the snowmelt to keep the village safe from the threat of an avalanche.Thrall grew in strength and skill every day, concentrating on the path he had so recently set foot on.When he saw the first purple-yellow flower poking its head out of Rong Xue, he couldn't help but be very pleasantly surprised.

Thrall had gone out to gather the sacred herds, which would help the shaman communicate with the elementals, and when he returned from his wanderings, he was surprised to find that the Frostwolf clan had another guest. The orc was a large man, and Thrall could not judge his weight or muscle, though the stranger's cloak wrapped him tightly.Huddled by the fire, he did not seem to feel the warmth of spring. Xue Ge rushed up to sniff Rui Er's nose and tail, it finally came back after being away for so long.Thrall turned to Drek'Thar. "Who is this stranger?" he asked softly. "A wandering hermit," Drek'Thar replied. "We don't know him. He said Sharp Ear found himself lost in the mountains and brought him here." Thrall looked at the bowl of stew in the stranger's large hands, and the rest of the clan expressed polite concern. "You received him much more kindly than when you received me." He said, with a bit of dissatisfaction. Drek'Thar smiled. "He just came to ask for shelter for a few days, and then he was on his way. He didn't come with a shredded Frostwolf swaddle asking to be accepted into the clan. And he came in the spring, when there was plenty of food to share , instead of coming here in early winter." Thrall had to agree with the shaman's point of view.He sat down next to the stranger, trying to appear decent. "Hello, stranger. How long have you been traveling?" The orc watched him from the shadows beneath his hood.His gray eyes were piercing, though the answers were very polite, even flattering. "It's so long that I don't even have time to remember it myself, young man. Sorry to say, I thought the Frostwolf clan was just a legend, used by Gul'dan's henchmen to threaten other orcs." Loyalty to the clan stirred in Thrall. "We were wrongfully exiled and have proved our worth by surviving in this harsh place," he replied. "But I thought you were as much an outsider to the clan as I was not so long ago," said the stranger. "They spoke of you, young Thrall." "I hope they're saying good things," Thrall replied, hesitating about how to respond. "Very well," replied the stranger, inscrutablely.He went back to eating his stew.Thrall saw that his hands were muscular. "Which clan are you from, friend?" The stranger's hand holding the spoon rested near his mouth. "I don't have a clan now. I wander alone." "Are they all killed?" "Killed, or captured, or in the depths of the soul . . . dead," the orc replied, pain in his voice. "Let's stop talking about this." Sal tilted his head.He was uncomfortable around this stranger, and suspicious at the same time.Something is not quite right with him.Thrall stood up, nodded, and walked towards Drek'Thar. "We should monitor him," he told the teacher. "There's something about this bum that disgusts me." Drek'Thar threw back his head and laughed. "We shouldn't have doubted you when you came, and now you are the only one who doubts the stranger. Oh Thrall, you have much to learn." Thrall watched the stranger nonchalantly throughout dinner.He was carrying a huge package that no one would touch and never moved it.He asked questions politely and briefly, and revealed very little about himself.All Thrall knew was that he had been a wanderer for twenty years, lingering on the memory of the old days without any real action. At one point, Uso asked, "Have you ever seen an internment camp? Thrall says the orcs held there lose their will." "No, there's nothing surprising about that," said the stranger. "There's nothing worth fighting for." "There's a lot to fight for," Thrall's rage flared up. "Freedom. Our own world, the remembrance of our traditions." "And now you, the Frostwolf Clan, are hiding deep in the mountains," the stranger replied. "And you're hiding in the south!" Thrall retorted. "I do not claim to wake the Orcs to break free from their chains and rebel against their master," answered the stranger, his voice calm and devoid of anger. "I'm not going to be here for long," Thrall said. "Next spring, I will return to the invincible chieftain Grom? Hellscream, and help his noble Warsong clan sweep those camps. We will inspire our brethren to stand up against the humans, who are not their masters, They're just braggadocios who twist their will!" Thrall stood up, deeply irritated by the stranger's wild words.He waited for Drek'Thar to scold the stranger, but the old orc said nothing.He just stroked sharp ears and listened quietly.The others seemed interested in the conflict between the two and did not interrupt them. "Grom? Hellscream," the stranger sneered, shaking his hand contemptuously. "Just a dreamer tortured by demons. No, you Frostwolves have the right to do this, and I do too. I have seen what humans are capable of. It is best to avoid them and find a place where they will not appear." "I was raised by humans, and believe me, they are not invulnerable!" Thrall growled. "I suppose you are too, you coward!" "Thal—" Drek'Thar finally spoke. "No, Master Drek'Thar, I cannot be silent. This man... this man has come to seek our refuge, to eat our food before our campfires, and to insult the courage of our clan and his brethren. I cannot Tolerate this. I am not a chief, nor do I claim that right, though I am born with it. But I declare my personal right to challenge this stranger, to withdraw those blasphemy that shattered under my sword lie!" He had expected the timid tramp to cringe and beg his forgiveness.Unexpectedly, the stranger laughed loudly and stood up.He was almost as tall as Thrall, and now Thrall finally saw what was hidden under his cloak.To his surprise, he found the haughty stranger clad in black plate armor trimmed with brass.The armor must have been well-crafted once, and despite the passage of time it was impressive, the metal seemed to have grown stronger with time, the brass trim polished to a gleam. With a ferocious roar, the stranger opened the pack he was carrying and produced the largest warhammer Thrall had ever seen in his life.He easily raised the hammer and swung it at Thrall. "See if you can beat me, brat!" he yelled. The other orcs also screamed loudly, and the ensuing scene was unforgettable for Thrall.The people of the Frostwolf Clan did not rush forward to protect their compatriots, but retreated.Some even knelt down.Only Xue Ge was with him, standing between the stranger and her companion, her hair standing on end, her white teeth bared. what happened?He looked over at Drek'Thar, and the old shaman looked relaxed and indifferent. Let it go.Whoever this stranger was, he had offended Thrall and the Frostwolf clan, and the young shaman was prepared to put his life on the line to defend the honor of himself and his clan. He was unarmed, but Uso handed him a sharp spear.As soon as Thrall's fingers touched it, he rushed out. Thrall could feel the spirit of the earth responding suspiciously to him.In order not to annoy the elemental, he asked for help as respectfully as possible.This isn't a fight for the elementals, and no dire help is needed.Thrall was only about to teach the arrogant stranger a profound lesson. Even so, Thrall felt the ground vibrate under his various footsteps.The stranger looked overwhelmed, then strangely relieved.Before Thrall could stand still, the stranger attacked heavily. Thrall raised his spear to protect himself, but even such a strong weapon could not stop the huge warhammer.The tough spear snapped in two like a twig.Thrall looked around, but there was nothing to use as a weapon.He waited for his opponent's next attack, deciding to use a tactic that had worked well in the past against armed opponents with his bare hands. The stranger swung his hammer again.Thrall dodged the blow, quickly and deftly stretched out his hand, grabbed the weapon, and wanted to take it off with the force of the swing.To his surprise, the stranger pulled back quickly just as his hands were gripping the hammer.When Sal arrived, the stranger stood on top of him. Thrall writhed like a fish, trying to duck out of the way while grabbing his opponent's ankles.He jerked the stranger off guard and lost his balance.Now they are all on the ground.Thrall clenched his fist and smacked the stranger's wrist hard on the hammer.The stranger was forced to let go.Thrall seized his opportunity while grabbing the hammer, and Thrall jumped up, swinging the hammer at his opponent's head. Fortunately, he controlled himself in time.He nearly crushed his opponent's head with the heavy stone.But this is an orc, not a human encountered on the battlefield.This is a guest at the campsite, a warrior, and Thrall hopes that he can follow himself and Hellscream to complete their desire to wipe out the human base and liberate their imprisoned compatriots. Indecision and the heavy weight of the weapon made him falter.That was just the opportunity the stranger needed.He snarled back at Thrall's tricks on him.He kicked Thrall in the leg.Still holding the hammer, Thrall lost control of himself and fell to the ground.Before he could realize what had happened, the orc appeared in front of his eyes, with his hands stuck around his throat.Thrall's world was blood red.His instincts awoke and writhed inside him.Though the orc was as strong as he was, and in armor, Thrall's furious will and massive frame helped him, and he rolled over with force, pinning his opponent beneath him. People hurriedly dragged Sal away.He roared and struggled, and the bloodthirsty boiling in his body demanded to be satisfied.It took eight people to push him to the ground, and it took a long time before the red haze dissipated and his breathing eased.Sal nodded to indicate that he was fine, and people let him go and let him sit up by himself. The stranger stood before Thrall.He strode over and put his face in front of Sal.Their eyes met, and Thrall gasped for breath. The stranger straightened up and laughed loudly. "It's been a long time since anyone challenged me," he bellowed happily, not seeming at all annoyed that Thrall nearly threw his guts into the mud. "Not to mention anyone who could match me, even in a friendly contest. Only your father could, young Thrall. May his soul rest in peace. It seems that Hellscream was right, and I seem to have found My deputy." He reached out to Sal.Thrall stared, then said suddenly, "Second? I beat you, stranger, with your own weapons. I don't know what rules make the victor a second!" "Thal!" Drek'Thar's hoarse voice sounded like lightning. "He hasn't figured it out yet," chuckled the stranger. "Thal, son of Durotan, I have traveled all the way to find you, to see if the rumors are true - there is someone who can be my right-hand man, so that I can trust him and follow me to liberate those camps." He paused, a smile in his eyes. "My name, Son of Durotan, is Orgrim? Doomhammer."