Chapter 17 Chapter Sixteen

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! The orcs have appeared!" Terenas looked up at the captain of the guard, Morref, who rushed into the throne room, and he was stunned. "What did you say?" He completely ignored the screams from the group of civilians and nobles who were waiting to be summoned below, he stood up and waved for Morref to come forward. "Those orcs? Here?" "Yes, Your Majesty," he replied.Morref was a battle-hardened veteran whom Terenas had known from his youth.But now he was pale and trembling all over. "They must have crossed Alterac—they should be pushing into the lake as we speak!"

Terenas quickly brushed past the commander and strode out of the throne room.He walked across the hall and up a short flight of stairs to the nearest balcony, in his wife's studio.Leanne was in the studio with her daughter, Calia, and the servants were waiting beside her.She looked up in surprise, and saw her husband barging in, with Morref following closely behind. Throwing open the far window, Terenas stepped onto the balcony—and then froze.Usually, he can see the beautiful mountains in the distance across the lake from here.This is still the case now, but the green space between the mountains and rivers is now stained with black.It was as if the ground had been turned upside down.The Horde did come here.

"How could this happen?" he asked Moref, who was staring into the distance with his mouth open. "They must be coming through Alterac - what is Perenolde doing, why didn't they stop them?" "They must have finished him, Your Majesty," Morref replied contemptuously, and even in his shock he had no reservations about the King of Alterac and his soldiers. "These mountain roads are so narrow that it only takes a few well-trained troops to drive the tribe back, unless they obey orders from some idiots." Terenas frowned and shook his head.He thought the same as Morref—he had never liked Perenolde.This man always strikes him as selfish and cunning, but Perenolde's general, Haas, is a competent commander within his scope of duty, a brave fighter, and he will surely organize a strong resistance — unless Perenolde gave an order, even if it was a stupid order, Haas would obey.

"Take my word to Alterac." He finally made a decision. "Tell the rest of the Alliance forces as well. Let them know the plight we're in. We'll see what happens next." People rush here. "What we need to do now is first gather the guards and ring the alarm. Let everyone come inside the city gate, we don't have much time." He looked across the lake and looked into the distance, the black tide was like The army was moving so fast along the lakeshore that they were running out of time. Carrier pigeons were sent to the last known location of all remaining Alliance leaders and Alliance forces - the Hinterlands.One of the pigeons flew directly to Stromgarde, and the letter it carried was quickly unpacked and presented directly to the rude Lord of Stromgarde, Solas?Trollbane's hands.

"What?" Trollbane was drinking ale from a heavy wooden cup. After reading the letter, he yelled and threw the wooden cup in his hand. The wooden cup was smashed to pieces, spilling ale and sawdust on the floor . "That idiot, what the hell is he doing to let them pass through so easily?" Trollbane has always looked down on Perenolde, not only because they have some friction at the border as neighbors, but also as an individual. Him, the glib guy.But even a megalomaniac, dress-focused fool like Perenolde should be able to hold off an invading army!Even if the tribes are really as large as Lothar said—this was also confirmed by subsequent reports—they can forcefully fight over regardless of losses, but it will definitely slow down their progress and cause them to suffer a lot of losses. This would allow ample time to tell Lordaeron to get them ready.And now the orcs had appeared by the lake.Apart from closing the city gates tightly, Terenas had no other way to resist the first wave of offensive.

Trollbane stood up and circled the room, completely oblivious to the fact that the note was still clutched tightly in his hand.He wants to help his friend, but he doesn't know how to do it best.Terenas was an excellent military strategist, and his guards were the best warriors in the land, and his walls were thick and strong.Trollbane firmly believes that defending the first wave of attack is not a problem.The problem is, it's dangerous when all the tribes rush out of the mountains and use their numbers to attack. "Damn it!" He punched the armrest as he passed his sturdy chair. "Perenolde should have blocked them! At least he should have alerted us! No amount of incompetence!" He stopped when another thought came to him.Perenaud was never enthusiastic about the league.Trollbane recalls that Greyburn and Perenolde were the only ones who did not want to join the Alliance.His thoughts went back to the meeting with Lothar, Terenas and others in Wangcheng.Yes, Graymane declined the offer, too, but because he believed Gilneas would alone be able to defeat any fool who tried to invade them.And Perenolde because he didn't want to join the battle.Trollbane had always felt that his neighbor was a coward at heart, and a jerk at that - one who was more than willing to take part in certain battles that must be won, but unwilling to take the slightest risk.And Perenolde was also the first guy to propose peace talks.

"This idiot! This idiot must have betrayed us!" He kicked his chair hard, causing it to slide some distance on the granite floor.He must have done that, no?He made peace with the Horde!Trollbane knew he was right.Perenolde only thinks about protecting himself, and doesn't care about others at all.Even if it was a deal with the devil that would only keep him and his territory safe, he would gladly accept it, and that was exactly what he was doing.Now everything is clear at a glance.He understood why the orcs had been able to cross the mountains without raising any alarm, why the Perenoldes had resisted and warned no one.He stepped out of the way.Presumably the tribe promised to treat him leniently after the war, or to continue his rule.

"Damn it!" He was so angry that Trollbane picked up the battle ax hanging on the weapon rack next to his chair, and slashed at the table in front of him, smashing it into pieces with one blow. "I'm going to kill him!" he roared.His warriors and nobles fell back in horror, tense, and it made Trollbane suddenly realize that he was not alone here.Personal grievances must be put aside first, and the first priority is this war. "Assemble the troops," he instructed the startled guards. "I'm going to Alterac." "But, my lord," replied his captain of the guard. "We have sent half of our people to join the main force of the Alliance!"

Trollbane frowned. "Since that's the case, then don't keep any of them, and call everyone you can find." "Are we going to aid them, my lord?" asked a nobleman. "So to speak," he replied, and he raised his tomahawk and smiled at the man. "The same can be said." Anduin?Losara was wiping his blood-stained saber on a fallen orc corpse. He pulled up his mask and looked around, wiping the sweat that flowed into his eyes with the back of his hand. "Will this be their last, sir?" asked one of his soldiers. "I don't know, kid," Lothar replied honestly, but his eyes were fixed on the surrounding bushes. "I hope so too, but we can't count on that."

"How many of these are there?" asked another warrior, drawing his battle-axe from the orc that was trodden beneath his feet.Not all the corpses that littered the clearing belonged to orcs.It was a treacherous skirmish, and the dense tree branches above prevented the Wildhammer Gryphon from making aerial strikes, leaving the fight to Lothar and his men.They won, but only because it was just a group of small teams that got separated from the main force of the orcs. "A lot, a lot." Lothar answered absently, and then he smiled at the soldier again. "At least it's less now, isn't it?" They laughed too.This makes Lothar proud.Some of these soldiers came from the Kingdom of Lordaeron, some from Stromgarde, and even a very small number from Gilneas and Alterac, and some from the Kingdom of Stormwind like him.Over the past few weeks, they have put regional differences behind them.They are all Union soldiers now, fighting side by side like brothers.This makes Lothar proud of them.If other soldiers cooperate like this team, they have a life, and they have the hope of winning this war and ultimately, a peaceful future.

Suddenly, he noticed some movement in the woods beside him. "Be alert." He warned, put on the visor of the helmet again, squatted down carefully, and aimed the saber in the direction of the sound.But it wasn't an orc that came out of the woods, but a human being, one of his soldiers. "Sir!" He was out of breath, but still gripped his sword tightly. "Sir, there is news!" Only then did Lothar notice that he was holding a small piece of parchment tightly in one hand, and he handed the parchment to Lothar. "Thank you." He said as he took the letter.A soldier handed the water bag to the courier, who gratefully accepted it.While Lothar was busy reading the contents of the letter, the surrounding soldiers watched nervously as the commander's jaw behind the helmet tightened more and more. "What's the content, sir?" A soldier finally asked, Lothar raised his head, crumpled up the parchment in his hand, and threw it out like a disgusting bug. "Having trouble?" Lothar nodded, the news he just received made him extremely anxious. "The Horde has appeared in Lordaeron." He said quietly, and the soldiers around him took a deep breath in surprise. "Now they may be attacking Wangcheng." "Then what should we do?" A person asked nervously, and Lothar remembered that he was from Lordaeron. "We should rush there immediately!" But Lothar shook his head. "It's too far from here." He said to the soldier in pain. "We can't catch up." Then he sighed. "What we need to do now is to complete our mission here. We must wipe out all the orcs in the Hinterlands. We cannot allow the Horde to gain a foothold here, otherwise it will become their base for backup and invasion of other regions." His men nodded, though Lothar could hardly blame them for their apparent reluctance to wander aimlessly through the woods while leaving their families to fight the remaining tribes alone. "Turalyon and the rest of the Alliance army are already on their way to Lordaeron." He comforted them, some of whom beamed with joy. "He will rescue Lordaeron." He tightened his grip on the sword in his hand. "After we settle the matter here, we will head to the royal city and completely wipe out the enemies who fled under Turalyon's attack." The soldiers cheered, Lothar forced a smile, but his heart was still cold.He knew that the reason why these people cheered was because on the one hand, they could rush back to help their families after completing the mission here, and on the other hand, it was also because he mentioned that the alliance would surely win, and when they arrived, there would only be some A simple task to clean up the remnants.He hoped that the reality would really be so smooth. "Enough rest," he said after letting the soldiers relax for a while. "Let's make sure there are no other orc squads around here, and then we will return to Eagle's Nest Mountain to gather." The soldiers nodded obediently, picked up their weapons, and returned to their positions.Lothar led them back into the bush, and the messenger also walked into the queue. "They are coming!" His Majesty Terenas looked and shouted.The Orcs had crossed Lake Lordamere—the eagle-eyed archer reported to him that the Orcs had built improvised wooden bridges, but from here they looked as easy as ants swimming across the water—they It is rapidly approaching the city wall.Terenas was still amazed at the sheer number.Looking up from the city wall, they are all over the ground. They are a group of huge beasts, with the same height as the tallest human beings and a wider body shape, strong muscles and savage big heads.He didn't see any heavy siege machinery, except for some huge logs that were obviously used as battering rams.As he expected, these orcs were carrying great axes, hammers and heavy swords, and Terenas was sure they must be carrying ropes and hooks. Fortunately, the walls of the royal city are as strong as usual.No enemy has ever breached its defenses, a record Terenas is confident will stand. Indeed, they did not have enough time to be fully prepared.Gathering the others was not difficult, almost all of them were already under the protection of the city walls, and the livestock were a bit of a problem, some animals were discarded like everything else, except for some very small and very valuable possessions.The guards did their best to ensure that all people and objects were contained before closing the city gate, but most of them only carried some simple clothes on their backs, and held some tools and belongings that they were reluctant to discard.Their home was destined to be destroyed by the Horde, and Terenas knew that rebuilding after that would take a long time.Of course, the premise is that they can repel the Horde's attack, and finally leave the city and return to their homeland. He looked around the walls, his guards and soldiers at the ready.For such a huge city wall, his manpower is too small!But he has sent almost all of his troops to Lothar and the Alliance.Terenas did not regret it.Horde violence must be stopped, and Lothar needs as many soldiers as possible to join his forces.Of course, before this, he never thought that the tribe would attack here, let alone in this situation where there was no blocking before and no pursuers.But even if the royal city falls, as long as the alliance can finally win the war, it will be worth paying the price. However, that doesn't mean he's giving up the city.Terenas glanced down again, judging the Horde's distance from the city wall.From this position, he could already see the tusks of the orcs, as well as some tassels, bones and medals on their necks, wrists, and heads.It seems that they are all spoils of previous battles.Very well, they will soon find that this battle will be more difficult than ever for them.No matter what happens, the Horde will always remember this battle. "Hot oil ready!" Terenas yelled, and Morref and the others in the line below him nodded.They overturned the cauldron that was placed on the city wall, and let the hot oil in the pan pour down along the city wall.The leading orcs had rushed to the wall, and hot oil was poured directly on it, completely soaking them.These orcs screamed in pain, the boiling hot oil scalded the flesh off their bodies, and the entire vanguard fell to the ground, rolling and twitching on the ground.A few stood up unsteadily, but most of them could no longer get up. "Get more oil!" Terenas ordered.His servants were all on the run, lifting heavy cauldrons on poles and carrying them away.It would take a while to refuel, warm up, and carry back to the ramparts, but he doubted the Horde would be everywhere by then.It wouldn't be a probing attack—it would be a long siege, and thanks to the Light, they had already stockpiled enough food and water to last them a few weeks.And the hot oil will probably run out after a time or two, but this is just an appetizer for his defenses, Terenas has a lot of "big meals" to give to these lawless orcs who dare to attack his homeland Solas?Trollbane, he walked the mountains as easily as a strong goat that lives in this area.His thick boots with spiked feet were very reliable when climbing these rough gray granite.His soldiers followed close behind him, each of them well-versed in moving and fighting in the mountains.Stromgarde is a mountain kingdom, and her children are taught from childhood how to climb steep rocks and climb over mountains. In front of him was the first Alterac mountain road.Trollbane could see figures moving through the snow.These heavily armored figures are marching steadily but awkwardly.Obviously the orcs of these tribes are not used to such altitude or this mountain.These mountain passes were carefully dug along the mountains to facilitate trade and communication between Alterac and the shorter neighbors of Stromgarde.Trollbane and his people need no such convenience.They will choose to climb to the required height by themselves, so that they will not be easily trapped, such as the one in front of them.This kind of road is too easy to be blocked - and too easy to be attacked. Trollbane gestured to his soldiers, and sank down, the ax already in his hand.It's not good, it's almost... now!Leaping over the edge, he landed firmly between the two orcs, much to their surprise.With a flash of the axe, one orc's head and body were separated, and the recoil hit another in the throat.As they fell, they tripped the orcs on either side, and the other orcs scrambled to raise their weapons.But four other Trollbane warriors jumped down, two on each side, and cut down the orcs who followed.More and more fighters jumped down and attacked the orcs behind.After clearing the mountain road, all the orcs here were killed in just a few minutes, and the corpses filled the road. Trollbane and his warriors carried the orc corpses, stiffened by the cold, to a hill at the junction of the road.Then he arranged for ten men to guard the temporary barrier, while he moved on with the remaining warriors. "Very well," Trollbane said to the others as they marched north. "One place has been solved." The next road will take less than an hour to arrive. They found that this road was also crowded with marching orcs, and they dealt with them in the same way.Trollbane could see that these orcs were formidable warriors, tall, strong and formidable.However, they are not used to high mountains and cold, and cannot resist their attacks from the rock wall.The second mountain road is also handled as simply as before, and the third is the same.But the fourth path became a little more troublesome, because it was wider than the previous ones, and it could allow four people, or three orcs, to walk side by side.So Trollbane and his warriors jumped four at a time.Soon, the road was blocked, and they rolled boulders to make sure it was impassable The fifth mountain path is very clean, at least there are no orcs.Trollbane saw some warriors stationed here, but they were all human, in the orange uniforms of Alterac, and they guarded the way above and along the way. "Stop!" shouted an Alterac soldier.He spotted them and aimed his spear in their direction. "Report your name and purpose!" Some of his companions also ran over to support him. "Solas? Trollbane, King of Stromgarde." Trollbane answered briefly.He glared at the warriors, though he knew they were only obeying orders. "Where is Perenolde?" "The king is in his castle," the soldier replied haughtily. "You are encroaching on our territory." "And the orcs?" asked Trollbane. "Are they intruders, or are they guests?" "We won't allow the orcs to pass through here," said another soldier. "We will defend this place with our lives!" "Well said," said Trollbane. "Just because no one chooses this road, they are all on the four roads to the south." This sentence surprised the soldiers. "We were told to guard this place," said one of them, confused. "They say the orcs will try to get through here." "But they didn't," Trollbane shouted. "Fortunately, my men have now blocked the other roads, but many orcs have passed through there and reached Lordaeron." One of these men was older, and he could be seen as a veteran. His face turned pale as he listened to the statement.Trollbane turned to him with the next question. "Where's Haas?" "General Haas is in the next passage, with the main force of our army." The soldier replied.He thought for a few seconds before speaking. "I can take you there." Trollbane knew the way, but he also knew it would be easier for him to meet Haas if an old soldier led the way.So he nodded, motioning for his soldiers to follow him and the Alterac soldier. It took them another hour to reach the next passage.This is the widest of the roads through Alterac, allowing two wagons to pass easily, and it would be wise to guard it with the main force if the orcs choose to march north rather than south.Trollbane recognized that Haas was talking to several junior officers, but he waited until the veteran informed the strong general. "General Haas, my lord!" cried the man. "A guest from Stromgarde wishes to see you, my lord!" Haas looked up, frowning slightly when he recognized Trollbane. "Thank you, Sergeant," he said, and walked over to join them, saluting the veteran. "Your Highness." He said solemnly, and nodded to Trollbane. "General." Trollbane had always admired Haas.This man is a tough fighter, a good tactician, and a man of integrity.He is not willing to fight this person, especially at this time. "Orcs are pouring out of your southern passage," he said bluntly. "We have blocked those roads for you." Haas was startled. "Our southern passage? Are you sure?" He waved Trollbane no need for a nod. "You're right. But why? The king told me privately that they'll be crossing the northern passage, not the southern one. That's why he sent us here to guard." Trollbane looked around.No Alterac soldier could hear his whispered words. "You are a good soldier and an excellent commander, Haas." He said softly. "But you're a bad liar. You know they're heading south, don't you?" The Alterac general sighed, then nodded. "Perenolde managed to make a deal with the Horde," he confessed. "Open roads for sanctuary." Trollbane nodded, which was exactly what he suspected. "What about you, you let him do that?" he demanded. Haas' attitude hardened. "We faced disaster!" he replied sternly. "They can completely destroy us and slaughter our people! No one will come to our aid!" He shook his head "Perenolde chose to put Alterac's safety first, and he may have done the wrong thing, But he saved our lives!" "What about the people of Lordaeron?" Trollbane asked in a low voice. "They will be killed for letting the Horde pass." Haas stared at him. "They are soldiers! They understand the risks! And the Horde will kill our families, our children! It's different!" Trollbane nodded, he had some sympathy for the elder in front of him. "Yeah, it's different," he agreed. "Your loyalty to your people is admirable, but if the Horde conquers Lordaeron, they will control the entire continent. Why do you think you will survive?" Haas sighed. "I don't know," he admitted. "Their leaders made promises to Perenolde, but I don't know if they can be trusted." He shook his head. "I once warned Perenolde that we should keep our oath with other nations, but he withdrew that oath. I have sworn allegiance to him, so I must carry out his orders. Also I think he may be right, after all This may be our only chance of survival." He frowned. "However, the importance of preserving our race is more important than preserving any kingdom. If we lose our own glory, then we will be useless." He raised his chin, and a serious expression appeared on his face. "Then, I will restore our glory," he declared.Then he turned and shouted at his soldiers. "Corporal, gather soldiers! Take everyone to the southern passage at full speed! We are going to support our friends in Stromgarde, hold the passage with them, and drive the orc tribe back!" "But, my lord—" the officer was about to object, but Haas' shouting drowned out his voice. "Now, soldier!" he roared, and the officer saluted quickly and ran to carry out the order.Haas then turned to Trollbane. "He's in the castle," said the general briefly.He didn't need to explain who he was referring to. "His bodyguard is there too, but there are only 20 of them. I can get him out." But Trollbane shook his head. "We don't have time to think about him, other than that," he pointed out, "if I walked over, it would be aggression. If it were you, it would be treason." He frowned. "We'll leave it to the Alliance to deal with Perenolde later, and now we have to go all out to stop the Horde." The general nodded. "Thank you very much." Then he turned and joined the officers who were straightening out the soldiers. "Damn it, we're too late!" Turalyon tightened his reins, looking down at the valley below. He, Khadgar, and the rest of the cavalry marched day and night, and the rest of the army followed.Originally, the best way forward was to continue westward through the hills of Hearthglen and then appear north of the Royal City.Thus they could advance across the wide plain to the main gate.But now, he was no longer sure whether it was worth spending more marching time in exchange for this advantage. Turalyon hopes to get from Solas?Trollbane calls for more troops, but Stromgarde is not on the way.He considered taking a detour, too, but word that the Horde had crossed the mountain pass long ago prompted him to hasten his march.They must rush to the royal city in time! But now, looking down from the edge of the mountains, across the valley to Lordaeron and the lake below, he was defeated by what he saw.The Horde was there already, and they spread across the valley, and the whole city that surrounded it looked crumbling like dead leaves on an autumn tree. "They didn't break through the city wall." Alleria, who was standing beside him, pointed out.Like the other elves, she is both a warrior and a ranger, and can easily keep up with the speed of a war horse.She and Lor'themar Theron walked to Turalyon's side, watching what they saw together. "It's not too late." "Yes, you're right." Turalyon agreed, putting aside his disappointment so that he could analyze the situation more calmly. "This battle has not been lost yet. With our support, Wangcheng will never fall." He rubbed his chin. "This can even become our advantage." He said lightly, and began to consider the current situation in an all-round way. "The Horde doesn't know we're here yet, we can surround them." He frowned. "We had to let Terenas know we were coming so we could coordinate our attack and let him know he wasn't abandoned." Theron nodded and stared at the countless orcs in front of him. "A good plan," he agreed. "But how do you think we're supposed to get into the city? No one can get through these warriors without being hurt, not even elves." Alleria agreed. "If this was a forest, I might be able to do it," she admits. "But here is an open plain, there is no place to hide your whereabouts, and trying to approach the city in vain is suicide" Khadgar, riding beside Turalyon, laughed. "I can go," he promised, laughing at the faces of the others. "Just a little help," he added, and looked at a small tattooed figure on the rock that had just stopped beside them. "His Majesty!" Terenas looked up to see a soldier yelling and pointing outside the walls.Thinking maybe the orcs were gathering again to attack, he followed the man's hand and looked out, but the soldier's hand was pointing upwards.Terenas looked, and he gasped in surprise as he saw a black figure flying towards them. "Archer, get ready." He ordered loudly, staring at the black figure intently. "No attack without my order." This is a bit strange.Now there are tens of thousands of orcs violently attacking the city wall below, so, for what purpose did they send an air force alone?Scout?spy?or something else? The archer stood at his position, raised his longbow, buckled the arrow, and waited quietly.This figure is getting closer.Now Terenas could see that it was a griffin, far more wild and beautiful than he had seen on the heraldic emblem, and he couldn't believe it.Its plumage was gold, purple and red in the sunlight, and the head with its huge golden eyes looked around briskly as it approached. There was another sitting on his back, holding the bridle and saddled as if riding a horse. The rider was tall, but looked far from the size of an orc.And he was still wearing clothes, which was far different from those green-skinned warriors below.Terenas stared at him, and when he caught a glimpse of purple, he let out a sigh.This is not armor, but a robe, which can only explain one thing. "Drop your weapons!" he called to the archers. "It's a wizard from Dalaran!" The griffin flapped his mighty wings and swooped down on them.Then hovering over them, the archers refocused their attention on the orcs below.The rider was clearly looking for a place to land, and he ended up landing on a nearby turret, where there was a wide circular platform for boilers, ballistas, and beacons.Terenas ran there, Morref close behind, and they ran up the tower just as the griffin landed on the ground and drew its wings back to its side. "Glad I haven't forgotten how to do it," said the rider, throwing his legs over the saddle and jumping off it. "Thank you," Terenas heard him whisper to the griffin.Then the wizard turned, and his short white beard was clearly visible.Terenas recognized the comer. "Khadgar!" he said, reaching out and taking Khadgar's hand. "What are you doing here, riding on this thing?" "I bring good news," the aged-looking mage replied, laughing.He looked a little tired, but otherwise fine. "Turalyon and his forces are on the other side of the northern valley," he reported to Terenas.While gratefully accepting a water bag handed over by Morev, he took a few sips. "We will attack the Horde from the rear and drive them away from you." "Very good!" Terenas clapped his hands, it was the first time in days that he felt so happy. "This way we can attack the Horde on both sides!" "That's exactly Turalyon's plan," the mage agreed happily. "Kurdran lent me this griffin so I could come here and communicate with you. I'm glad I still remember how Medivh taught me how to ride it." "This way," Terenas told him. "My servants will look after this griffin—they'll give it some water to drink, and I'm sure we'll be able to find something to feed it. Let's move on to Turalyon's next move, and we're going to make these The filthy orcs regret having dared attack the city." "Charge!" Turalyon stood in front of the team, holding his warhammer in front of him like a spear.Kicked the horse to stop drinking water, and then rushed straight to the orc army.大多数兽人都把注意力放在了这面即使全力攻击也无法造成丝毫损伤的城墙上，只有极少数兽人听到了图拉扬战马的嘶鸣并转头看了过来。其中一个兽人张开嘴准备发出警告，但是图拉扬的战锤狠狠的击中了他，震碎了他的下颚，余力折断了他的脖子。这个兽人倒在了地上，图拉扬的战马从他身上踩踏了过去。 剩余的骑兵跟着发起了冲锋，步兵也紧随其后，他们穿过平原从北攻向了城市。在他们的前方，是已经转过身正对着他们的部落军队。 在同一时刻，城上的弩炮突然发射了，箭雨和巨石朝背对着他们的部落倾泻而下。 图拉扬带着骑兵冲向了部落的前排，穿过他们，绕行一圈后又回到了原位。城市的防御工事紧接着第二次发起了进攻。 兽人们阵脚大乱，不确定应该怎么办。当他们面朝城墙时，联盟部队便从后方发起攻击。如果转过身去，他们又会遭到城市守卫的攻击。他们并没有攻破城墙，所以没办法退入王城，而如果想退回湖边的山地，他们又必须首先穿过联盟的军队。无论他们选择哪条路，都是死路一条。 不幸的是，部落余下的人还有很多。一列数量庞大的兽人走向了前方，手中紧握着武器，图拉扬只能领着自己的骑兵回撤。精灵弓箭手乱箭齐发，箭雨落在了他们头上，很多兽人倒了下去，但是新的战士立刻填补了空缺。兽人们向联盟军队发起了冲锋，使得他们不得不向后退去，否则便会被兽人部队碾碎。一步一步的，图拉扬发现自己和自己的手下已经被逼到了湖边。当他们被赶到了足够远的距离，其余兽人士兵便又将注意力放回了王城上面。他们朝着城墙猛攻过去，消耗着城里的热油，石块以及其他的防御工事。 弩车并不能攻击已经靠上城墙的敌人，这会对城墙造成极大的损伤，于是兽人能够安全的攀爬城墙并且撞击着城门。尽管城门现在依然坚固，但是正承受着猛烈的撞击。 .兽人们狂笑着接近城墙，全力向上攀爬着。大多数兽人在攀爬的过程中被刺穿击坠了下去，但是仍有少数人做到了，他们登上城墙开始攻击守卫，使得城墙守卫们无法全力阻止其余正在攀爬的兽人。第一波的攻势被很快消灭，但是更多的人跟在后面，尸体开始堆积了起来，为其余兽人提供了一些掩护，这让他们能在攻击守卫之前有一个落脚的地方让他们准备好自己的武器。 “这没起作用！”卡德加朝着图拉扬喊道，他们正穿过一座肯定是兽人建来渡过湖面的粗制桥梁。“我们没有足够的人手像这样击溃他们！我们需要想些别的方法！” “我接受！”图拉扬回答道，正和一个冲向他的兽人战斗着。“你能用你的魔法来对付他们吗？” “可以，但是用处不大。”卡德加回答道，用剑刺穿了一个靠近他的兽人。“我一次只能杀死一小部分。我可以召唤风暴但是这没用，而且还会使我无法在接下来使用其他的法术。” 图拉扬点了点头。“让我们的人退过这个湖，然后守着这座桥！”他告诉他的朋友，在他用盾牌将一个兽人打入下方流动的湖水时再次举起了战锤。“接下来，我们可以在他们对我们失去兴趣背对我们之后再次发起攻击。” 卡德加点点头，正忙于保护自己而无法开口。他希望新的计划能够有效。因为兽人可以简单的烧掉桥梁然后持续猛攻城门直至它倒下。一旦城门失守，他们便可以攻入城市而再也不可能被赶出去。在这之前，在暴风城，卡德加曾经见识过兽人是如何攻陷城池的。他可不想再次见到那一幕。 “城门开始出现裂痕！” 泰瑞纳斯摇着头，就好象能把这阵叫喊甩到脑后。自己现在无暇他顾。在他关注着下方的战斗时，一个兽人登上了离他不远的城墙，朝他冲了过来。他张着嘴大笑着，露出尖利的獠牙，手中挥舞着沉重的战锤。泰瑞纳斯不情愿的捡起了一把落在地上的剑，苦恼的意识到他并非一个战士。 有个人从一旁跳了出来，他认出是莫雷夫后稍稍松了一口气。这个守卫指挥官拿着一只长矛，向兽人刺了过去，使得他退后了几步。“您应当去看看城门，大人。”他冷静的说着，再次刺向了兽人。“我会解决这个。”泰瑞纳斯能够看到有不少守卫出现在兽人的另一边，其中两人也装备着长矛。 明白到这里已不再需要自己，泰瑞纳斯如释重负的放下了剑，转过身子，他低下头走下了城墙里的一段不长的阶梯，从一件小型的护卫盔甲旁边走了出来，从这里沿着墙边一段狭窄的小路走着，尽头是一个楼梯，顺着台阶向上，他再次来到了城墙之上，不过现在已经身处主城门之上了。 在走到城墙边沿之前他就已经感受到了沉重的撞击，这个冲击令他的牙齿磕磕碰碰，石墙也摇晃着。他朝下看去，兽人们正抬着一根厚重的树干撞击着前门。即使从这里，泰瑞纳斯也能看出每一次的冲击都令这些人颤抖。 “加固城门。”他对站在附近的一个年轻副官说道。“叫上一些人，去加固前门。” “用什么，长官？”这个年青的军官问道。 “你能找到的任何东西。”泰瑞纳斯回答道。他越过城墙看了过去，不计其数的兽人聚集在这里攻击他以及他的城市。在更远的地方，他看见了桥上闪过一缕金属的光亮，他明白图拉扬和他的部队已经撤到了那里，以便发起下一次的进攻。泰瑞纳斯只希望，下一次攻击能够做的更好。