Chapter 19 Chapter Eighteen

Even in the coldest part of winter, even when a blizzard blew unbearably outside Durnholde, Tarasa would always try to see the tree that had been struck down by lightning.But each time there was nothing there. Even though every step she took filled her boots with more snow, she was delighted that the weather was finally warming up.The stagnant water in the boots is insignificant compared to the long-lost breath of the forest, the sun dispelling the shadows in the forest, and the colorful vegetation on the pastures and forest floors. The powerful Thrall has become the talk of Dunholde's people after dinner, and all kinds of rumors make Blackmoore drink away his worries every day.It was the best thing that could have happened to her.Several times, when she crept back to her bunk in the castle, she would see the lord sleeping with a bottle on the floor, chair or bed.Now, Teresa.Foxton would let out a sigh of pain, close the door, and go to sleep alone in her own little room.

Captain Langdon had returned to Dunholde a few days earlier with stories so absurd that even a child who was just beginning to read would be frightened.And lately... had she heard some rumors about an ancient power attuned to nature before the orcs went bloodthirsty?She knew Thrall's wisdom well, and she felt that she wouldn't be too surprised if Thrall really learned those ancient skills. Thinking of this, Terasa found that she had come to the old tree, and she habitually glanced inside inadvertently. She gasped for breath.She covered her mouth, her heart was beating so hard that she almost passed out.Her necklace lay quietly in the dark brown tree hole, and she felt that the sun shone through the heavy tree crowns and enveloped her in a warm silvery white.Her trembling fingers grabbed the necklace, then dropped it hastily.

"Oh, how stupid!" she hissed, and picked up the necklace again with a slightly steady hand. This may be a trap.Maybe those people caught Thrall and recovered the necklace from him, and they might even recognize the owner of the necklace.But who would know where to put the necklace unless Thrall told them what they had agreed to?And she firmly believes: no one can pick half a word out of Sal's mouth. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes.She wiped them away with her left hand, while her right gripped the crescent-shaped pendant firmly. Here he was, in these forests, probably hiding on the edge of those dragon-shaped cliffs, waiting for her help, or maybe he was injured.She clutched the necklace firmly in her hand, then carefully tucked it into her skirt.It's best not to let anyone see her "lost" necklace.

She returned to the castle with a happier mood than the last time she saw Thrall, but at the same time she was deeply worried about his safety. The days seemed long and never to pass.She was grateful for the fish for dinner; on more than one occasion, she threw up and diarrhea from undercooked fish.The cook at Dunholde Castle had served Blackmoore for more than twenty years, and he had been hired solely for his loyalty over the years, not for his craftsmanship. Naturally, she did not go to the Great Hall to have dinner with Blackmoore.She never expected to sit with him in front of his noble friends, accompanied by a maid.Maybe he's fine in bed, but when it comes to marriage... He thought of those old nursery rhymes, how did he manage to sing them?All is well tonight.

"You look a bit distracted." Tammis sat in his room with his daughter. "Are you... all right?" She was almost amused by the artificial voice and the frightened look in the mother's eyes. They were worried that she was pregnant.This will help her tricks tonight. "I'm fine, Father," she replied, taking his hand. "Is the fish... all right?" Clenia picked up a piece of fish and spread cheese on it, "For Landrew, he has cooked them well enough." This assessment is fairly fair.Terasa took another bite, chewed, swallowed, and made a face of relief.She gently pushed the plate away.She closed her eyes and let out a whimper as his father began to peel an orange.

"Sorry..." She jumped up and rushed towards her room, making disgusting voices all the way.She rushed into her room and started retching as loudly as she could against the jar on the wall. There was an urgent knock on the door. "Honey, it's me." Kleinia shouted, and then opened the door.Teresa moved the empty wall jar away. "My poor child, you are as pale as milk." It wasn't Terasa's faking. "Can... let Dad bring a message to the master? I don't think I can..." Clenia's face flushed pink.Although everyone knew that Terasa was Blackmoore's mistress, no one ever mentioned it. "Of course, dear, of course. Will you stay with us tonight?"

"No," she said quickly, "no, I'm fine. I just want to be alone for a while." She covered her mouth again, and Clenia nodded. "Okay, Terri dear, good night. Call us if you need anything." After her mother closed the door and went out, Terasa let out a long breath.Now, she can quietly wait until it is safe to leave.Next door was the kitchen, the only place in the castle where one could find peace at night.When it was quiet outside, she slipped out of the room, into the kitchen, and packed handfuls of food into a sack.Earlier, she'd ripped up some old dresses and made them into bandages in case Thrall needed them.

Blackmore's routine is as regular as the sunrise and sunset.If he drank alcohol during dinner, he was sure to tease her in his bedroom after dinner, after which he fell into a dead pig's sleep, with little movement to disturb him until the sun came up Awake. She had heard the movements of the servants in the hall and was sure he had drunk as usual.Not seeing her must have put him in a bad mood tonight, but he should be asleep by now anyway. Teresa opened the door to Blackmoore's room softly, then closed it as softly as possible.Blackmoore was snoring like thunder, which reassured her a lot, and she touched the door to freedom bit by bit.

Blackmoore had shown it off to her a few months ago when he was very drunk, and he had completely forgotten what he had said afterwards, but Terasa hadn't.Now, she went to a small desk and opened a small drawer.She pressed down lightly, and the camouflaged bottom fell apart, revealing a small box. Teresa took the key from the box, put the locket back, closed the drawer carefully, and walked toward the bed. On this side of the wall hangs a huge tapestry.The knight in the painting is fighting to the death with a black dragon guarding a room full of treasures.Teresa pulled the tapestry aside, and found the real treasure in the room—a secret door.She inserted the key as quietly as possible, turned it, and the door opened.

Stone stairs wound down into darkness.The cold air brushed her face, and the smell of wet rock penetrated her nose.She swallowed hard and bravely faced the surge of fear.She dared not light a candle, Blackmoore was in a deep sleep, but it was still very risky.He must have whipped her hard for what she had done. Think of Thrall, she said to herself, think of Thrall's face.For him she must be able to overcome this fear of the dark. When the door closed behind her she was thrown into pitch blackness.The feeling of fear like a trapped bird suddenly rose, and she tried to suppress it.She can't get lost, these stairs only lead to one place.She took a deep breath and moved her legs.

She moved her steps carefully, and every time she took a step, she stretched out her right foot to test the next step.This steep downward tunnel will lead to a warm place, she recalled the words Blackmoore had told her, they used to keep the lord safe, my dear, Blackmoore had bent to her and said, Breathe It smells strongly of alcohol. If we are surrounded by misfortune, we can use this secret way to escape, you and me. The tunnel seemed endless, and fear nearly overwhelmed her.What if this tunnel has collapsed?Could it have been plugged up after all these years?What if I accidentally break my leg in this endless darkness? Terasa angrily shooed away the haunting voices of fear.Her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness, but there was no light, and she still couldn't see anything. She trembled.It's cold and dark down here... After an almost eternity, the tunnel finally began to climb upwards.Terasa fought the urge to run, and if she lost control and ended up falling, she would never forgive herself.She tried to make herself move forward steadily, but her pace involuntarily quickened. Is it her hallucination?She felt that this terrible darkness was slowly becoming brighter.No, not hallucinations.In front of the tunnel, there is indeed a flood of light.She slowed down to get closer, her foot caught something and she fell forward, which ended up hurting her knee and the palm of her hand.That's another stone... stairs!She freed one hand to slowly move up the stairs, and finally, her searching fingers touched something wooden. Door, she felt a door.Another dreadful thought nearly engulfed her, what would she do if the door had been bolted from the outside?Why didn't she think of this beforehand?If someone can escape from Dunholde through this secret passage, then the enemy can also enter Dunholde through this secret passage, and this door will definitely be locked or bolted... But it wasn't tied.She pushed the door back with all her strength, the ancient hinges trembling, but the door swung open at last, and fell to the side with a loud bang.Terasa jumped up, her head just passed through the small square doorway, the light outside seemed to her almost as bright as day flooded into her eyes, she breathed in the relaxed air to her heart's content, and finally Believe that what happened is real. The familiar smell of horses, leather, and hay filled her nostrils.She stabilized her mood, walked out of the tunnel, and whispered a few words to the horses who looked at her in surprise, calming them down.There were four horses; they were all tied to the wall.She realized at once where she was standing: a roadside post, far from Dunholde, where postmen with commercial despatch left their half-tired steers for another vigorous one. mounts.Light seeped in through a crack in the wall, and Terasa carefully closed the secret door she had just passed through, covering it with hay.She went to open the door, and the bright blue-white light of Azeroth's twin moons flooded her all at once. She was, as she had guessed, on the edge of the town at the foot of Dunholde, where the people who lived by the people who provided services to the castle's occupants.It took Terasa a moment to orient herself.There it was, those cliffs facing her like the dragons of the children's imagination. Thrall was probably out there in a cave in the mountains, hungry and wounded, waiting for her.Inspired by her triumph through the dark tunnel, Terasa galloped in his direction. When he saw her running all the way across the hill, her fingers glowing silver in the moonlight, Sal almost couldn't help howling with joy, and he also rushed out to meet her. Terasa was about to be froze, and she trotted towards him with her skirt in hand.Their fingers finally touched and entangled, and he saw the big smile on her face as her hood fell behind her. "Sal!" she cried, "my dear friend, it is so good to see you again!" The only two fingers on her hands pressed Sal's hand hard, almost snapping it. Woke up. "Tarasha," he rumbled lovingly, "how are you?" The smile on Terasa's face faded for a moment, but soon she regained her happy expression. "Very well. And you? We've all heard what you've done, of course! Blackmoore loses his temper. It's hard on anyone, but I can face his wrath thinking it means you're free, oh... …” She squeezed Sal's hand one last time, and then began to fumble with what she had brought, "I don't know if you are hungry or hurt. I tried my best, but I can't bring more. I Brought some food, and I made some bandages out of some old skirts, it's so nice to see you don't need them—" "Terry," Thrall said softly, "I'm not here alone." He signaled to his scouts who had been guarding the cavern, and one by one they emerged from the darkness with scowls of surprise and disgust.They stood up straight, arms wrapped around their thick chests, glaring at it all.Thrall watched her reaction carefully.She looked startled, fear racing across her face.He couldn't blame her; two horsemen stood on high alert in the distance.But in the end, she smiled and walked towards them. "If you're friends with Sal, we're friends too," she said, holding out her hand. One of them snorted and roughly slapped her hand aside, not hurting her but knocking her off balance. "Chief, you ask too much of us!" said one of them abruptly. "We can do what you order without harming women and children, but we can't—" "You can!" Thrall replied. "We all owe her the woman who risked her life to get me out. Now she's risking her life to help us. Terasa is trustworthy. She's different .” He protected her lovingly, “She is very special.” The scouts still glared, but they seemed less certain about their earlier judgment.They exchanged glances, and then, one by one, they shook Terasa's hand. "We are grateful for everything you have brought us," Thrall said again in human language. "Others will eat the food, and the bandages will be saved. I am sure they will come in handy." The smile faded from Terasa's face. "You intend to attack Dunholde," she said. "I would not have done it if it could be avoided, but you and I know Blackmoore. Tomorrow, my army will be in Dunholde, and can attack if need be. But first I will give Blackmoore a and our Opportunity to negotiate. Dunhold gives orders to other concentration camps. We can destroy all concentration camps if he can destroy it. But if he is willing to negotiate, then we can avoid bloodshed. All we want is the freedom of the people, not to you What harm is there to the race?" Her beautiful hair was silvery in the moonlight, and she shook her head dejectedly. "He won't agree to it," she said. "He just likes to be bossy." "Then stay with us," Thrall said. "I order my men not to harm women and children, but I cannot keep them safe in the heat of battle. You will be in danger when you go back." "If they found out I was missing," Terry replied, "they'd be aware of what might have happened. They'd probably find you first and attack you. And my parents are still there, and he's not going to let them off. No, Thrall, I can only be in Dunholde, even now." Sal was unhappy protecting her.If she had to go back, what a scuffle she'd face: blood, death, and panic.If possible, he sincerely hopes to see her safe, but she is free, and he cannot influence her choice. "You are very brave," said a scout abruptly. "You are willing to risk your own safety to give us a chance to liberate our people. Our chief did not lie to us. It seems that some humans still know honor." After finishing the orc bowed. Terasa looked happy, and she turned to Thrall again, "I know this sounds silly, but you have to be careful. I hope to see you tomorrow night and congratulate you on your victory." She hesitated , then said, "I've heard some rumors about your power, Thrall, are they true?" "I don't know what you've heard, but I did learn shamanism. Yes, I can ride the elements now." She immediately glowed. "Blackmoore is no match for you at all. Thrall, you know we are not like him, and your victory must be merciful. Here, I hope you take this, I haven't worn it in a long time, I don't think it should be Keep it any longer." She tilted her head and pulled off the crescent moon pendant on the silver chain.She put it in Sal's palm, and closed his fingers around it. "Keep it, if you have a kid you can give this to him, maybe I'll meet him someday." As she had done months before, Terasa approached Thrall and hugged him as best she could.This time, Thrall was not so surprised, but welcomed and responded to the expression of kindness.He caressed her golden, silky hair, wishing them both to survive the coming battle. She took a step back, reached out to caress his face with a thick jaw, turned around and nodded to the others, and then she turned and strode towards the way she came.Watching her leave, Sal felt a strange feeling in his heart, and he held her necklace tightly.You must be safe, Terry, you must be safe. Teri stopped holding back her tears when she was far away from the orcs.She was scared, very scared.Bravely as she said it, she was as afraid of death as anyone else.She wished Sal could really keep his people in check, but she knew he was unique.Not all orcs are as tolerant of humans as he is.If only Blackmoore could be persuaded!But it seemed as if she'd suddenly grown wings and flown away from all of this. Even though she was human, she still wanted the orcs to win - Thrall's victory.She knew that if Thrall survived, he would treat humans kindly.But if he died, she couldn't guarantee whether there would be such a result.And if Blackmoore wins - the suffering Thrall suffered as a slave at that time will undoubtedly be worthless compared to what Blackmoore will inflict on him. She returned to the secret door that was firmly open, and walked down the stairs into the tunnel.Her mind was so full of Thrall and the coming war that she didn't even notice that she was once again engulfed in utter darkness. She was still lost in her own thoughts as she climbed the last few steps to Blackmoore's room and opened the door softly. Suddenly, the cover of the dim lantern was removed.Teresa gasped.It was Blackmoore sitting in the chair facing the secret door, and beside him stood Langdon and two stout and heavily armed guards. Blackmoore looked composed, his dark eyes gleaming in the candlelight.He grinned, his mustache brushing aside to make him look like a real carnivore. "Very well, traitor," he said briskly, "we are waiting for you."