The column of soldiers trotted through Elwyn Forest at a steady pace. Their mounts kicked up a small cloud of brown dust around their feet as they headed towards the mountain ranges to the north. It was obvious to the farmers and peasants they rode by that they were fresh from Stormwind. Soldiers riding from Stormwind always had shining polished armor and groomed mounts. They were either new recruits or veterans coming off of furlough, in either case their faces did not look as grim as the soldiers coming from other directions…especially the west. To the east lay the Searing Gorge and Blackrock Mountain. Both places were the regions held in the iron grip of the Orcs. Not the shamanistic Orcs that followed Thrall to Kalimdor. No, these were the ones still gripped by demon madness and strength. They had been defeated by the Alliance, pushed back to one of the most desolate places on Azeroth, but their defeat was not complete. They now huddled in their mountains like caged lions, unable to escape and harm the human lands, but any that were foolish enough to enter their territory met with death.

The east was not what concerned these soldiers. They rode with their backs straight and with a look of battle lust on their faces. They fingered their lances and swords from time to time, eager to find their quarry and deal justice out in the name of the King.

They turned from the road at a marked point; a boulder had a red handprint on it, and charged through the thick woods. Their horses had a hard time managing the trees, and soon the soldiers found themselves jostled and slapped by numerous branches.

"Halt." Came a call from the lead horseman. His voice was solid as a mountain. He was a man that was assured that when he gave an order they would be followed. His name was Sir Sigmund Corsair and the shining silver hand imprinted on his metallic shield denoted to all that he was a member of the paladin order. When the soldiers stopped they turned to their leader for direction.

"We cannot push the mounts through this forest; we will be open to an ambush and at a disadvantage since we cannot maneuver. We dismount and send Scout Martin ahead.

A wiry looking man that rode the smallest of the horses swallowed. He dismounted lithely and gave a half hearted salute. He was little more than a boy, but he had signed up to join the armies of Stormwind as soon as he was of age. He was not nearly as big as the other men, but he was a skilled scout and knew his way with shadows and silence. The sun did not break through the thick foliage of the trees very well in these parts. That gave him many shadows to slink from, though he knew the Defias band would have lookouts of their own that knew these forests better than him.

Martin turned to the forest and within a minute had disappeared ahead. There was nothing to do for the rest of them except wait until he returned with the whereabouts of the criminals they sought. Sir Sigmund strode over to his second in command, a handsome yet middle aged soldier that had a slight limp in his right leg. He slapped his chest in salute when Sigmund approached him, but the paladin ignored it.

"These dogs will not fight fair, Sergeant Dellin. I do not expect your men to act the same. Kill them only if there is no other choice. Do not back away from using force, but if one of them asks for quarter, we will grant it."

Dellin nodded, but he cringed inwardly. Sir Sigmund was the commander of his platoon, a force of forty fighting men and women that were in charge of protecting the forests of Elwyn from invaders and criminals. Out of the four squads that served under Sigmund, the group of ten that accompanied them today was the most elite. Dellin was their leader and never had to relinquish command, until today. For some reason the paladin had decided to accompany his squad, which put him one peg down on the chain of command on this mission. He rarely gave quarter to an opponent after they had crossed blades with him, but the Knights of the Silver Hand were different. They were powerful warriors of light that followed a strict code of ethics both on and off the battlefield. He had no doubt that if he disobeyed his commander, he would be court marshaled and likely hung. He would do as he was ordered and make sure his men did the same. He turned to walk along the line of soldiers to pass Sigmund's command on.

Sir Sigmund did not doubt his command would be followed. The soldiers of Stormwind served the Knights with loyalty because the order had protected and led them for generations. There was a short time when the people eyed the paladins with suspicion after word of the Lorderanian prince's, Arthas, betrayal reached the city. But that faith had been restored when they heard of the battle fought by and the sacrifice of Sir Uther Lightbringer. Most of the commanders of Stormwind's army were Knights of the Silver Hand. That responsibility weighed heavy on Sigmund now. He had almost ordered a second squad with them on this mission, but the fight would be tight in the forest, and more men in plate mail would just bottleneck them in-between the trees during battle. Even brigands can be fierce opponents when they are fighting in their territory.

A bird call came from up ahead. It was Martin's signal that all was clear between him and the squad. They unsheathed their blades nonetheless and cautiously stalked forward to meet the scout.

To be continued in the next chapter…