The sun was beating down on the scorched and rugged land of Durotar and the troops were weary from battle, but spirits were high. Two paladins stood out from the crowd, both with short blonde hair and young, sturdy figures. They wore heavy armor and wielded the standard weapon of all adepts of the silver hand, a silver claymore. The younger of the two, Solwein, had a kind face with green-blue eyes and clear skin but still had a serious look about him always. His brother Kaonus, however, was a fighter through and through and his deep brown eyes and cut jawbones characterized it.
Solwein and his brother Kaonus sat and ate with their men and said a few words for their honored fallen. The boar jerky was good, the camp fire was roaring, and the conjured spring water was pure and refreshing. The two paladins boasted of their triumphs of the day and listened to their men talk of theirs.
Yes, all spirits were high, for tomorrow, the 20th legion of Stormwind, headed by the paladin lord, and Solwein's teacher, Arkhel "The Glorious", would march on Orgrimmar, the orc capital. Their victory at Razor Hill allowed them advancement to the north and gave their reinforcements and re-supply convoys from Ashenvale a clear and relatively safe path to them.
But still, the enemy would fight ferociously at Orgrimmar and would be well prepared with many shamans to bend the elements around them and hundreds of warriors who were twice the size of a man. The battle would be bloody indeed.
Solwein whispered in his brother's ear. "It's time to go speak with Arkhel." His brother Kaonus nodded and the two left the camp fire for Arkhel's planning tent. All of his lieutenants were gathering around the round table in the middle and Arkhel unrolled a map of Durotar and then one of Orgrimmar. The lieutenants talked among themselves until Arkhel spoke.
"Gentlemen, the time has almost arrived to attack the capitol. When our sentinel allies from Astranaar arrive, our legion will mobilize and move north to siege the city. I will now issue each of you your orders for tomorrow."
Arkhel began speaking to his lieutenants individually and the brothers drifted into their own sidebar conversation. "Do you think we can take the city on our own?" Kaonus asked Solwein. "No. The hill to the west of our encampment here offers a perfect view of the city. All of the details Arkhel has kept from the men in order to avoid a panic, I have seen for myself." Solwein replied.
"And what, pray tell, do you know that I don't?" "The walls are lined with ogres; huge ones. There must be at least three hundred of them and the only way we're getting through them is with heavy magic or siege, both of which are not in our arsenal. The elves may be good bowmen but, if we want to storm into the city, we will need magic."
"The night elves do have magic. They command all of nature. With a few chants and a wave of their hand, they can bring nature itself into the fight." Solwein sighed at his brother. Kaonus was always the brawn of the duo, but Solwein was the one who avoided sticky situations because of his brother's ignorance before their induction into The Silver Hand.
"First of all, elemental magic is not a weapon in itself. It isn't as if nature will fight for anyone who commands it to but rather someone who will fight under natures command. Therefore, nature must have a reason to destroy the Orcs and with the Tauren there, that isn't going to happen. Secondly, the elven druids are pacifists. They will not be coming to our aid unless the orcs somehow harm nature in a calamitous way."
As Solwein finished his explanation, Kaonus bit into a thick piece of jerky he had been hiding under his belt. "Kaonus!" Arkhel said all of a sudden. "Now is not the time!" Kaonus quickly tucked away the rest of the jerky and involuntarily snapped to attention. Arkhel turned back to his own conversation and Kaonus relaxed. Solwein continued.
"The other thing that caught my eye is the terrain. The whole of the city is built in a valley. In this valley there is a cleft that looks like a particularly good place for a large number of troops to hide and wait in ambush. And since they know we are at their doorstep, they are bound to be preparing to do something like that all over the city."
"Enough Solwein!" Arkhel said sharply. Just as Kaonus did, Solwein snapped to attention and shut his mouth. Arkhel turned to the final soldier to issue his orders. Solwein relaxed and Kaonus smirked at him. "Ok brother." He said. "Calculate this. Will we ever be as good as him? Do you think either of us will ever reach that kind level of paladinhood?" Solwein smiled at his brother. It was a sheepish smile, though he hid it well, for Solwein had wondered about this since he first met Master Arkhel.
"He certainly is something. You know what they say. The three of us can stand against an army if that's what it comes to. It is quite possibly because of his renown and might have nothing to do with us, but that is another story." Solwein replied, almost drifting off with his thoughts. "You haven't answered my question. Do you think we will one day surpass him?" Kaonus asked again. Solwein paused for a moment. "I don't know brother. I just don't know." Arkhel finished his one on one planning and dismissed his lieutenants who exited the tent and gave the master and apprentices their privacy.
"Now then, as for you two..." Arkhel said. "You two will lead the charge with me through the front gates once the forward battering rams get through them." This was always the case in any siege situation, but the brothers were always happy to hear it. It was said that the three of them could stand alone against an army and it wasn't far from the truth. Solwein and Kaonus were given to Arkhel, known for his almost cruel but extremely effective training methods, because both of them showed incredible resilience to corruptive magic and the both showed a strong connection to the powers of the light. When teamed up with their master, they were a force to be reckoned with.
"I must tell you of something beyond the walls of Orgrimmar. All along the outer rim of the city, there are ogres. They will be a dangerous obstacle- "We know." The brothers said in unison. Arkhel's expression did not change, for this was a common situation they were in. "The hill to the west?" He asked. "Yes sir." Solwein replied. Arkhel looked at Kaonus. "Did Solwein…" "Yes sir." The two interrupted together. "Very well. Then I have little to pass to both of you. I gave our lieutenants specific orders to help combat this, but you mustn't go telling the whole legion or else you will cause a panic. You both know how much they hate ogres." The two young paladins nodded, for they too weren't very fond of the big brutes. "Eat hearty tonight and get to sleep early. Tomorrow we move out to the city at dawn."
Solwein couldn't sleep that night. He never could sleep on the eve of battle, but it wasn't because of the adrenaline rush or the anxiety like other soldiers. Unlike Kaonus, Solwein had an intimate relationship with the heavens and the earth alike. His brother certainly had him beaten in the way of brute strength, but Solwein's knowledge and skill with holy magic was unparalleled at the apprentice level.
Through his expertise in magic, Solwein was much more in touch with the link between his realm and the next and it always kept him up on the night before a bloodbath; almost as if the light themselves were restless. Unable to sleep, he pulled off the covers, put on a shirt and went outside to look at the stars.
It was a clear night, but it was bitterly cold. A few other soldiers were huddled around a camp fire staying warm and talking quietly amongst themselves. Solwein quietly gazed into the heavens and listened to the wind, but his trance was broken by a man draped in feathers who materialized from the dark. Solwein jumped to his feet, startled and raised his fists at the unsightly intruder.
"Calm yourself Solwein. I am a friend." Said the stranger. Solwein did not lower his fists as he replied. "How do you know my name? Why do you lurk around in the dark and not announce your presence?"
The man remained perfectly still. "I am a prophet." He said. Solwein lowered his fists for he knew all about prophets. They are not really men, but a product of nature and spiritual forces unknown to most living things. When one approaches, he who is approached should always listen, for the prophet does not speak idly.
"And what do you have to say to me, prophet?" Solwein asked. "You are willing to listen? The last one I spoke to did not, and now he is paying for it." The prophet replied.
"I know of you prophets, and I know that you always have important and wise words to offer. The last man was a fool." The prophet neither smiled nor frowned. His mouth remained expressionless and his eyes looked up to Solwein from under his feathery hood.
"I'm glad you think so Solwein. He is now your opponent." The prophet said after a short silence. "My opponent? Who do you speak of? Why do you speak so vaguely as if this is a game?" Solwein asked in frustration, softening his expression quickly as the prophet raised his head so that Solwein could see his glowing red eyes. Solwein became a little more apprehensive about the prophet, but sensed no evil about him. The prophet lowered his head to hide his eyes again and continued.
"You shall know who soon enough. But to call it a game is to insult several very powerful beings, both good and evil. You are about to enter the fray on an entirely different battlefield. The one you are used to is one of blood and steel. The next one is one of the fundamental forces of existence, good and evil. Both will compete to tip the scales in its favor. It is now your task to ensure that evil does not." The prophet replied.
"Please, you must tell me more." Said Solwein. "The struggle between these forces is constant and the balance is always shifting, but soon, you will learn of evil's new ally and of the imbalance that is to come should you fail to prevent it. You are the only one left who can keep the balance stable, and your decisions from this night on will dictate the state of the new world. Your task is easier said than done, and unfortunately you must do it alone. If word of your quest, should you accept it, were to get out, the enemy would be more than able to stop you. Secrecy is of the greatest importance."
"Tell me." Solwein said seriously. "You must find the only one who can defeat your adversary. This one is powerful beyond imagination. This one has been a creature of the dark, one of 'his' minions. This one… is the next light bringer. Find this one, the heir to Uther's legacy, and guide them. Through you they will gain the ability to end evil forever, but should you fail, the light will fall and the world will forever be shrouded in the plague. Good luck paladin."
And then the prophet dissipated into the form of a raven and disappeared into the dark. I must find the only one who can defeat my adversary. My adversary is the Horde, and this legion is on the verge of defeating them once and for all. And what does he mean by the 'next' light bringer.The thought of Uther's dying made Solwein uneasy to say the least. But Solwein's thoughts were interrupted again, only this time it was a soldier on horseback. The man dismounted and knelt.
"Rise and speak, messenger." Solwein said gently. The young soldier was frantic. "My lord Solwein. Prince Arthas has betrayed us and is ravaging the entirety of the northern kingdom and has assassinated the king. His undead Scourge has taken Stratholme and Lordaeron and Arthas has personally raised Hearthglen to the ground. The monks from the monastery are holding out from the inside of Stratholme, but they are completely cut off. Arthas is still pushing forward from Tirisfal."
Solwein was taken back. Arthas, the alliances shining star and apprentice to Uther, was collaborating with the Scourge? "And what of Uther? Speak!" Solwein quickly replied. "Uther "The Light Bringer" has taken the kings ashes and gone into hiding. Several paladins of the Silver Hand have gone as well to guard the ashes. I know not of their whereabouts."
Solwein was normally calm and level headed. Truthfully, he had never really known what it meant to "panic". It was only just then when his stomach lurched and his adrenaline made him sweat rather than sharpen his senses did he finally understand.
Quickly, he composed himself and tenderly asked his next question. "What has become of the rest of the Silver Hand?" "They are scattering. Last I heard, they were all returning to their homelands. They are saying that this is the end of the Order."
Solwein bit his lip and hung his head. The news from the east was dire indeed and Solwein was already struggling with his hatred of Arthas. How could he? How dare he? "Alert the camp. I will inform the commander and assemble the troops. You are dismissed." Said Solwein.
The soldier ran off in the other direction and began barging into tents to wake the soldiers. Solwein, however, walked very slowly to his master's tent. Once inside, he almost spoke, but his master, Arkhel, said something first. "You're moving too slowly for everything to be alright." Solwein quickly popped to the position of attention but Arkhel waved it off.
So he knows there's something wrong already. As usual, Arkhel knows everything. I wish I didn't have to tell him just how wrong everything is. "A rider from the east just entered the camp with news from the northern kingdom. Arthas has betrayed us."
Arkhel jumped off of his cot with blinding speed and looked at his apprentice as though he had suddenly turned into a murlock. "How much damage has he caused?" "The entire northern kingdom of Lordaeron has been taken by the Scourge and the king has been assassinated by Arthas himself. The monastery detachment in Stratholme is holding out from the inside and living off the stockpile of food and weapons there, but they are completely isolated inside the city."
Arkhel paced back and forth and pondered the situation for a few moments and then turned back to Solwein. "Is the order holding strong? What has happened to Uther?" He asked. "I don't know where he is. All the messenger told me is that he has taken the kings ashes and gone into hiding. As for the order…" Solwein swallowed hard. "…rumor has it that this is the end of the Silver Hand." Solwein finished.
"I don't think that Uther will be able to evade Arthas for long; not with the entire Scourge at his disposal. Arthas will find Uther, but I'm not sure who will win that battle."
Solwein looked away from his master as though his words were poison. Arkhel picked up on this. "What is it my apprentice. Are you offended by what I say?" Solwein still didn't look Arkhel in the eye as he answered. "No master. It's just-…" "Well get used to hearing such things, because the world is about to plunge into a war far bloodier than the one we have been waging all this time."
Solwein wasn't entirely sure how to respond, so he changed the subject. "What do we do now master?" He asked. "Now we pull out of Kalimdor and make for the east." Arkhel replied. "But we have come so far. We are on the doorstep of the capitol city of the orcs. Can we really abandon that?" Said Solwein.
"We have no choice. The Scourge needs to be dealt with and we cannot play our crucial role if we are over here fighting the horde. Besides, my apprentice, the horde and the alliance won't care so much about their differences or their allegiances before the end of this."
Solwein tried to picture the alliance and its enemies fighting on the same side, but couldn't. "Do you have any questions for me Solwein?" Arkhel asked finally. Solwein shook his head. "Then send me Kaonus. I must speak with him. In the meantime, tell the troops to pack up. We are retreating south to Theramore and from there we are sailing to Menethil." "Yes my master."
Solwein left the tent to find the troops assembled. Kaonus was speaking with the messenger. "Kaonus!" Solwein called out. Kaonus ran right passed Solwein and into Arkhel's tent. Solwein moved toward the men and spoke to them all.
"I assume you all know of the situation?" There was a murmur of agreement. "Then you know why we are going back to Stormwind. Pack up all of your gear and make ready to march south to Theramore. We move at dawn."
The troops dispersed and Solwein went back behind his own tent and was left to his thoughts. Arthas the betrayer… In a matter of weeks he has completely eradicated all life in the north and still he pushes southward. How do we defeat something like that? How will the light prevail here? Solwein knew that his thoughts were impure and that he was doing what a paladin calls injustice to the light, but he couldn't help himself.
Whatever happens, I will remain steadfast and perform my duties to the end of my days. If there is a way to win, the order, and I, will find it. Solwein couldn't sleep that night either. The sleep deprivation was wearing on him, but he never let it show. As the sun rose and the troops broke down their tents and prepared to move out, Solwein packed his own things in silence.
Kaonus hadn't spoken much since the previous night. Solwein couldn't blame him. When the entire camp was mobile again, Arkhel gave the order and, just like that, the legion abandoned a twelve month campaign to defeat the orcs once and for all.
For days they marched south through Durotar and then for weeks they marched south through The Barrens, bypassing the Horde foothold in the center and then southeast to Dustwallow Marsh. Finally it was a short walk to the northeast, off of the road and through the marsh itself. When they finally reached the southern gates of the far eastern fortress of Theramore, nestled in an Archipelago, Solwein breathed a sigh of relief.
The Horde obviously didn't want any more confrontations with Arkhel's legion so there wasn't a single sighting of Horde agents on the long march to Theramore. With everything that had happened in such a short time, Solwein wasn't in the mood.
The fortress was not like Lordaeron at all. The greenery wasn't very green at all and there weren't any villagers. On the east side was the foothold citadel, the place where each and every tactical move, attack and defense was planned. On the west was the mess and training area. On the north side was the docks, where the ships would arrive to sail them all home and in the middle was the fabled tower of Lady Jaina Proudmore. As the legion came to a halt in front of the gates, Solwein felt a little better.
"At last." Kaonus said. "My feet ache as if I carried a Kodo all the way here on my back." "The way you eat, I'm surprised you aren't as heavy as a Kodo yourself." Solwein mused. "Enough belly-aching. Go and help the soldiers make camp. You two and the senior ranks will get quarters in the citadel." Arkhel said.
"Yes sir." Said the two apprentices. As their master walked toward Jaina's tower, the two turned to each other. "Shall we flip a coin then brother?" Solwein asked. "Yes." Kaonus said. Solwein reached under his plate leggings and into his trouser pocket to retrieve a single copper piece.
"Call heads or runes in the air." He said as he flipped the coin. "Runes." Kaonus called. The coin landed in Solwein's hand on the side of runes and Kaonus pumped his arm in victory. "Sergeants and officers follow me." Kaonus yelled over the low roar of the legion.
A quarter of the mob trailed off to the west with Kaonus and Solwein was left with what the two of them called "The Grunts". Most of them were already horsing around and some were sitting on the ground. Solwein sighed.
"On your feet and pay attention!" He yelled. The mob shifted into a somewhat organized group. "We will make camp here inside the walls. Keep the streets clear and stagger the tents to avoid clutter. You will have a day to rest and then we will utilize the time we have here to train." There was a murmur of discontent as Solwein continued. "I will be about to help with any injuries or issues you may have. Carry on."
The crowd dispersed and started unpacking their tents and gear. Solwein's mind trailed off. Arthas is the enemy. What will happen to us now? What will become of the order? What has become of Uther? Where… do I fit in?
Solwein had faith in his master Arkhel and even more faith in Uther, but the world he was a part of was crumbling around him. Most importantly, what will become of Arkhel? What do we do now?
If Solwein wasn't a battle hardened paladin, he would have been shivering with fear. But, his steady state of mind stayed the distraction of fear, and Solwein began making his rounds, tending to the injured and ensuring relative troop welfare. Through and through, Solwein was a paladin; devoted to his nation, his light, and his men. If a storm was coming, he would meet it head on, and a storm was coming.
