The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm wowct-1

by Christie Golden

Nearly a dozen kodos were charging directly at him and his men. Some of them were being ridden by Bloodhoof villagers, but others only had saddles and harnesses. Some, not even broken for riding yet, did not have that much. They bellowed, eyes rolling, frightened out of their wits, and gave no indication that they were even considering slowing down.

  There was only one option. "Run!" cried Tarakor.

  They did. The kodos followed, seeming to pick up speed, and the Grimtotem literally ran for their lives. Up ahead was Stonebull Lake, and potential safety. Tarakor did not slow as he plunged into the cold water, sinking beneath the weight of his armor. The kodos followed, but their stampede slowed as they hit the water. Tarakor swam as strongly as he could, struggling to the surface, his armor, donned to protect him, threatening to drag him down. The kodos were straggling back to the land now, still snorting, shaking water off their coats. The Grimtotem treaded water as Tarakor counted heads. Some had not emerged from the depths of the lake, and some had

  not even made it that far this night. They would be grieved later. For now the ones who had survived struck out to the far side of the lake.

  It was slow going. They emerged, drenched and shivering and disheartened.

  They had failed. Baine had escaped. Stormsong had betrayed them. Tarakor was not looking forward to telling Magatha the news.

  Baine watched the stampede, nodding to himself. It had been a good plan, to agitate the herd, and it had bought them the opportunity to escape. While generally placid even in the wild, agitated, frightened kodos were a force that could not be stopped. The kodos were driving the enemy westward, trapping them against the mountains. They had nowhere to go. Some would be killed, but others would escape and come after them; it was a delay, but even a brief delay would help Baine and his followers.

  "Camp Taurajo has not fallen to the Grimtotem, has it, Stormsong?"

  The Grimtotem shook his head. "No. Our main targets were Thunder Bluff, Bloodhoof Village, Sun Rock Retreat, and Camp Mojache."

  "Then we head for Camp Taurajo and hope it has not become a secondary target. We can arrange transportation from there."

  "Transportation where?" Stormsong asked.

  Baine's eyes were hard as he urged the kodo he rode to greater speed. His heart was full with the missing of his father and the anger he bore toward the Grimtotem for the bloodshed this night.

  "I do not know," he said honestly. "But I know this. My father will be avenged, and I will not rest until the Grimtotem have been revealed for the traitors they are. My father permitted them to live with us, though they refused to join the Horde. Now I will expel them from every aspect of tauren society. This, I vow."

  Baine had not traveled much outside of Mulgore in the last few years, and he had forgotten just how open and exposed the aptly named Barrens were. Jorn Skyseer greeted them and brought them into the camp, making sure the orc guards were not alerted. Baine did not know yet whom he could trust. They gathered together in the back of one of the great lodges: Baine; the four braves who had come with him from Bloodhoof Village; the recovering Hamuul Runetotem, who had a bitter tale to tell of an attack on a peaceful druidic gathering; and the defector, Stormsong. Jorn joined them, earning a tray of food—apples, watermelon, Mulgore spice bread, and

  chunks of cooked meat.

  Baine nodded his thanks to the hunter. He took a bite of fruit and regarded Hamuul. "I trust your word, Hamuul, and that of Stormsong, Grimtotem though he is. It is cruel that our leader betrays us so, whereas my trust must fall to an old enemy."

  Stormsong lowered his muzzle. It was awkward for him to be here, but he was gradually winning the respect and trust of Baine and those around him.

  "I do not know what Garrosh knew of the attack, but I do know that it was an oversight that I survived." Hamuul said. "They left me for dead, and I nearly was. As for the challenge," and he eyed Stormsong, "Garrosh may have consented to the use of the poison, he may not. It does not matter. Magatha has what she wanted—control of Thunder Bluff, Bloodhoof Village, probably Camp Mojache, and unless we stop her soon, all the tauren."

  "But not Sun Rock," Jorn said quietly. "They have sent a runner. They were able to repel the attack."

  Baine nodded. It was good news, but far from sufficient. Baine growled softly and forced himself to eat. He needed to keep his strength up, although his stomach did not wish the food.

  "Archdruid, my father ever trusted your advice. I have never been in more need of it than now. What do we do now? How do we fight her?"

  Hamuul sighed, thinking. A long silence fell. "From what we can learn, most of the tauren are now controlled by Magatha—willingly or not. Garrosh might be innocent of treachery, but he is most certainly a hothead, and one way or another he wished your father dead." Baine took a deep breath, and Hamuul gave him a compassionate look before continuing. "The Undercity is not safe for you, not patrolled as it is by orcs likely loyal to Garrosh.

  The Darkspear trolls are likely trustworthy, but they are not many. And as for the blood elves, they are much too far away to offer any aid. Garrosh will likely reach them before we could."

  Baine laughed without humor and gestured at Stormsong. "So it seems that our enemies are more trustworthy than our friends," he said drily.

  Hamuul was forced to agree, nodding. "Or at least more accessible."

  A thought struck Baine, daring and dangerous. As his father had taught him, he sat with the thought for a long moment, turning it over in his head rather than simply blurting it out. Finally he spoke.

  "I will take an honorable enemy over a dishonorable friend every time," he said quietly. "So let us go to an honorable enemy. We will seek out the woman Thrall trusted."

  He looked at them each in turn, seeing dawning comprehension on the long - muzzled faces.

  "We will go to Lady Jaina Proudmoore."

  Twenty three

  Have you ever gone on a vision quest, Go'el?" Geyah asked one night as they shared a simple meal of clefthoof stew and bread. Thrall ate hungrily; the day had been long and intensely wearying, emotionally and physically.

  He had spent the day not communing with or aiding the elementals of this land, but destroying them.

  Thrall understood that very few elemental spirits were balanced and in harmony with themselves and the other elements. Some were in true alignment with their natures, chaotic though those natures might be. Others were sometimes sick and corrupted. Often, a gentle but firm hand could bring them back into line. But sometimes the entities were too damaged. One such had been the little spark in Orgrimmar, who would not listen to reason, or even to begging.

  The shaman could not be selfish. They must always show honor and respect for the elementals, to ask humbly for their aid and be grateful when it was offered. But they also had a responsibility to protect the world from harm, and if that harm came from an uncontrollable elemental, their duty was clear.

  And Outland was apparently overrun with them.

  Aggra had leaped into the fray with the surety of one who had done this dozens, perhaps hundreds of times. She took no joy in the task, but neither did she hesitate to defend herself or him, her charge, even if she would rather he was not so. It was a bitter fight, Thrall thought, a shaman using the power of a healthy elemental to slay its tainted… brethren? Peers? He was not sure of the word, only that it made his heart ache to watch it. In the back of his mind was the nagging question: Is this the future of Azeroth's elementals? And is there nothing lean do to prevent it?

  He turned to Geyah, to answer her question. "When I was young, and under Drek'Thar's tutelage, I met the elements," Thrall said. "I fasted and did not drink for a full day. Drek’Thar took me to a certain area, and I waited until the elements approached me. I asked each of them a question, as part of my test, and pledged myself to their service. It was… very powerful."

  Aggra and Geyah exchanged glances. "That is well," said Geyah, "though not a traditional rite of passage. Drek’Thar did the best he could under challengi
ng circumstances. He was one of only a handful left, and when you came to him, the Frostwolves were too busy simply trying to survive, and so he could not prepare a traditional vision quest for you. You have done well on your own, Go'el, astonishingly well, but perhaps now that you have come back to your homeland to learn, it is time for you to have a proper ritual quest."

  Aggra was nodding. She looked solemn and did not regard him with her usual barely concealed disdain. In fact, quite the opposite—she seemed almost to have acquired a new respect for him, if her body language was any indication.

  "I will do what I must," Thrall said. "Do you think it is because I have not had this particular rite that I am not learning what I have come here to learn?"

  "The vision quest is about self - knowledge," Aggra said. "Perhaps you need that before you are ready to accept other knowledge."

  It was hard not to take umbrage at her slightest word. "More than most I am self - made," he said stiffly. "I think I have learned a great deal about myself already."

  "And yet the mighty Slave cannot find what he seeks," said Aggra, tensing slightly.

  "Peace, the two of you," Geyah said mildly, though she was frowning. "The worlds are in enough chaos without two shaman sniping at one another. Aggra, you speak your mind, and that is well, but perhaps holding your tongue from time to time might be a good exercise for you. And, Go'el, surely you admit that anyone, even the warchief of the Horde, would benefit from knowing himself better."

  Thrall frowned slightly. "My apologies, Grandmother. Aggra. I am frustrated because the situation is dire, and I as of yet can do nothing to help. It serves no one to take my irritation out on you."

  Aggra nodded. She looked annoyed, but somehow Thrall sensed that—for once—it was not with him. She seemed annoyed with herself.

  The young shaman confounded him, he had to admit. He did not know what to make of her. Thrall was not unaccustomed to dealing with intelligent, strong women. He had known two—Taretha Foxton and Jaina Proudmoore. But they were both human, and he was coming to realize that their strength came from a place that was very different from where orc females drew their strength. He had heard stories of his mother, Draka, who

  had been born sickly but through her own will and determination had become as strong physically as she was mentally and emotionally. "A warrior made," he had once heard Geyah say of Draka with admiration. "It is easy to be a good warrior when the ancestors gift you with speed and strength and a strong heart. It is not so easy when you must wrest these things from a world that does not want to give them to you, as Draka did."

  Now she spoke to Thrall, though it was upon Aggra that her gaze was fixed. "Your mother's spirit is within you, Thrall. Like her, everything you are, you have made of yourself. What you gave your people was not an easy thing—you had to fight for it. You are your mother's son as well as your father's, Go'el, son of Durotan—and Draka."

  "I came here to do whatever was necessary to learn how to help my world," Thrall said. "But I would be about this vision quest as quickly as possible."

  'You will stay as long as it takes, and you know it," Aggra said.

  Growling slightly to himself, Thrall said nothing, because he did know it.

  Anduin knew well that he was not "an honored guest." He was, in fact, a hostage, and the single most valuable one Moira had.

  The envelope, written in a flowing hand, was on the table of the main room when Anduin came back after an hour spent with Rohan four days after Moira and her Dark Iron dwarves had swept into the city. He gritted his teeth as he saw that the red wax was sealed with the royal seal of Ironforge. He opened it while Drukan, the "special guard" assigned to Anduin to "make sure he was well taken care of, as he was such an honored guest," looked on sullenly.

  The Pleasure of your Company is requested at Twilight this Evening. Formal Attire is required and Promptness is appreciated.

  Anduin resisted the urge to crumple the letter and throw it away. Instead, he smiled politely at Drukan.

  "Please tell Her Majesty that I shall be happy to attend. I'm sure she'll want to hear from me as soon as possible." At least, he thought, this would send off the watchdog for a few moments. He waited until Drukan determined he couldn't get out of the errand. The dwarf scowled and stomped off.

  Anduin realized he actually found Drukan's lack of pretense, interest, and concern refreshing. At least Drukan wasn't lying about his feelings.

  Anduin bathed and dressed. Moira may have thought she was pulling the strings on a puppet by demanding his attendance, but by insisting on formal attire, she was giving Anduin permission to wear his crown and other regalia that marked him as her equal. Anduin was well aware of the power such subtleties could convey. Wvll helped him dress, adjusted his crown with about a dozen delicate, infinitesimal tweaks, and then produced a mirror.

  Anduin blinked a little. He always hated it when adults said he had "grown so much since the last time I saw you," but he was forced to see the evidence now with his own eyes. He hadn't paid much attention to what he looked like in the mirror recently, but now he could see that there was a new somberness to his eyes, a set to his jaw. He'd not had anything resembling a sheltered childhood, but he just hadn't expected the stress of the last few days to be so… visible.

  "Everything all right, Your Highness?" Wyll inquired.

  'Yes, Wyll. Everything is fine."

  The elderly servant leaned forward. "I am certain your father is working diligently to find a way to secure your release," he said, pitching his voice very soft.

  Anduin merely nodded. "Well," he sighed, "time for dinner."

  Anduin was led past the High Seat and discovered that there were only two place settings at a surprisingly small table. Apparently it was to be an intimate gathering.

  In other words, he was going to be interrogated.

  He assumed Moira would take the head of the table, so he stood politely beside his chair awaiting her arrival.

  He waited. And waited. The minutes crept past, and he realized that this, too, was all part of the game that was being played. He understood it better than she thought. He was young and he knew it, and he knew that people underestimated him precisely for that reason. He could use that to his benefit.

  And, being young, he could stand for a long time without discomfort.

  At last a door was flung open. A Dark Iron dwarf clad in the livery of Ironforge stepped forward, puffed out his chest, and announced in a voice that would earn in a crowd of hundreds, "Rise to greet Her Majesty, Queen Moira of Ironforge!"

  Anduin gave the dwarf a half smile and spread his hands slightly to indicate that he was already standing. The prince bowed as Moira entered, still maintaining the proper depth of the bow to an equal. When he straightened, smiling politely, he saw a flicker of annoyance cross Moira's usually set - in - stone expression of false cordiality.

  "Ah, Anduin. You are right on time," Moira said as she swept into the room. A servant pulled out her chair for her, and she settled in, then nodded to Anduin that he might do likewise.

  "I believe punctuality to be a great virtue," he said. He did not need to mention that she had kept him waiting. They both knew it.

  "I trust you have been having a pleasant and enlightening time conversing with my other subjects," she said, permitting the servant to place the napkin in her lap.

  Other subjects? Was she implying that Anduin was—no, she wasn't, but she wanted him to think she was. Anduin smiled pleasantly, nodding thanks to the servant who poured him a glass of water. Another was pouring blood - red wine for Moira. Beer, apparently, was not high on the list of the queen's favorite beverages.

  "By that, of course, you mean the Dark Iron dwarves, not just the dwarves of Ironforge," he said pleasantly. "I've not had much conversation with Drukan. Kind of a quiet fellow."

  Moira lifted a delicate hand to her mouth, hiding a smile. "Oh, dear, why yes, that is very true. Most of them aren't talkers, you know. Which is one reason I am so terribly gla
d that you are here, my dear friend."

  Anduin smiled politely and dipped his spoon into the soup.

  "I am very much looking forward to the long conversations we are certain to have as the weeks and months unfold."

  He forced himself not to choke on the soup, swallowing hard. "While I am sure they would be fascinating," and that at least was not a lie, "I think that my father will need me back before then. I fear you must get as much stimulating conversation as you can with me now."

  A flicker in the depths of Moira's eyes, then the brittle smile. "Oh, I daresay your father will indulge me. Tell me of him. I understand he's had quite the ordeal."

  Anduin was very certain indeed that Moira knew everything there was to know. She did not strike him as someone who would have waited this long to find out what she wanted to learn. Nonetheless, through the soup course and the salad, he told her what was general knowledge of his father's adventures.

  "That must have been quite hard on you, Anduin."

  He didn't think she really cared, but a thought occurred to him. He decided to run with it.

  "It was," he said, utterly honest. "It's been even harder to know that he doesn't approve of the direction in which I wish to take my life. Rumor has it that's something you would understand."

  For the first time since he saw her, she looked at him with a completely unguarded expression, the spoon partway to her mouth, her eyes wide in astonishment. She looked—vulnerable, flustered, and hastened to recover.

  "Why, whatever do you mean?" She uttered a false laugh.

  "I hear that Magni wasn't the best father in the world, even though he might have wanted to be—just like mine," Anduin said. "That he never quite forgave you for not being the son he wanted."

  Her eyes went hard, but they were oddly shiny, as if with unshed tears. When she spoke, it was as if Anduin's words had broken a dam. "My father was indeed quite disappointed in my flaw of being born female. He could never believe that I might not want to stay here while constantly being reminded that I'd failed him simply by being born. He decided that the only way I could possibly fall in love with a Dark Iron dwarf was if my husband had enchanted me. Well, he did, Anduin. He enchanted me with the concept of respect. Of having people listen to me when I spoke. Of believing that I could rule, even as a female, and rule well. The Dark Irons welcomed me when