Chapter 3
Ships larger than any Hollie had ever seen were docked at the old Scarlet Enclave docks. Nearly a year has passed since it's destruction and up until recent weeks nothing in the area had really changed. Ebon Hold floated ominous above the Breach; Havenshire and New Avalon's ruins had molded and become festooned with weeds. Over the past year she'd stayed among the Argent Crusade helping them rebuild Western Plaguelands and Light's Hope Chapel. Over the months she found a measure of peace seeing greenery and health return to the land and the sting of her memories faded in equal measure to the growth around her.
But apprehension was welling up in her chest. Her scar itched when she thought about where they were going. Like the few of the Scarlet Onslaught before them they sailed for Northrend: to the heart of the Scourge. She'd heard what had happened to them though. The Horde, particularly the Forsaken had torn apart their supplies, morale and chain of command before the Scourge even got to them. By the time they faced the Lich King's forces they stood no chance. In the end Hearthglen burned as easily as New Avalon.
Hollie was with the crusade as a caretaker and novice healer. The Night Elf woman, Haidene started training her once she had recovered. Though it was beyond her ability to master the spells of Elune the priestess had observed that she had some talent with healing and soothing magic. She'd gotten Hollie an apprenticeship with the priests of Light. The little farm girl, never as strong as her older sister and never as pretty as her younger sister was going to be a Sister of the Light. She brushed off her new silk robes though there was no dirt on them.
Why was she ashamed of her own survival instinct? For a moment she considered going to the expedition commander and asking to stay. He knew what she'd been through and perhaps he'd understand. Then she remembered that most everyone on this voyage had similar experiences to hers, even worse for some. And here they strode onto the gangway with ease. Only a moments hesitation and Hollie did the same. She remembered boarding a ship years ago with her family to sail for Havenshire. Running away from the plague, running away from the anarchy that was already tearing Lordaeron apart, running away from sickness and death, from betrayal and despair.
'No more running' Hollie told herself, that was the purpose behind this venture, 'No more running'.
The journey around the Eastern Kingdoms was not so bad, but after they left the eternally calm and pleasant Quel'Thalassian waters behind Northrend's squalls and gales found them quickly. The plan was to land the Armada in Valiance Keep in Borean Tundra, re-supply, and then make their way to Icecrown through Dragonblight. The constant battering of half frozen waves and biting winter winds drove them of course quickly. They missed the Keep in the dead of night and narrowly avoided crashing their ships on jagged rocks and getting trapped the constantly growing ice flows. By the time they caught sight of land again they realized they were far from any safe port and would have to find another place to weigh anchor.
On board Hollie and the other healers treated sea sickness among the passengers and frostbite among the sailors. The crow's nests where filled with straw so lookouts didn't freeze to death while on duty. Rigging rats wrapped every bit of extra cloth they could find around their bodies and spent the better part of every day knocking ice off the masts and ropes. Again and again from the bow of the ship Hollie could hear the crash and crunch as the vessel broke through ice blocks. Just as the storm seemed to die down it picked up strength again and sent them past Borean Tundra all together and into the waters off the shores of Dragonblight. Finally a clear day broke and they found a reasonably safe harbor for the Armada. Though the sun shone brightly it was bitterly cold and Hollie was blowing on her fingers every other moment.
She didn't want to go above decks into the freezing wind but as the passengers and sick were loaded off she had no choice. The weather in Northrend seemed to scream at them as they lit fires and put up tents. Off in the distance, over the mountains Hollie could just see the dark spire of Icecrown. Yet even so close to the Lich King's throne she didn't really feel like this was the land of the Scourge. Dragonblight had an ethereal, magical quality about it. The trees were covered with flowers and leaves whiter than the snow and when the wind died down it became still enough to hear a ghostlike chime far off in the woods. The elves claimed it was the songs of forest spirits and wisps.
Apparently they had landed a short distance from an ancient Kaldo'rei city. The scouts reported a settlement further east, full of walrus-like fishermen. The commander hoped to negotiate with these natives for supplies and perhaps guidance over the terrain of Dragonblight.
The sun set quickly that day and Hollie and several others young healers huddled about a fire as a thin stew was cooked. She's only just arrived and she felt like the Argent Crusade's chances at even reaching Ice Crown had started to dwindle. The expedition remained camped for a few days as they struggled to negotiate with the walrus people to the east. The walrus men were kind but extremely disinterested with the Argent Crusade's mission. They didn't have much to spare and were very slow to make any decision. Finally after trading a great deal of silk string, wood salvaged from one of the ships, leather and rune cloth they were provided with seal furs, dried and salted fish, frostberries and medicinal herbs. The Walrus men refused to provide a guide but gave them a crude map of Dragonblight along with sage survival tactics. Despite the food they managed to acquire when they finally set off for the north every person was on the smallest feasible ration. The commander knew stores would run low quickly and wanted to get the most out of everything.
The march to Wrathgate was as long, grueling and miserable as anyone could imagined it would be. Everyday was made up of dragging horses, men and equipment through waist high snow drifts, constantly battered by icy winds. You never knew if that next drift was iced over and would hold your weight or if it would simply swallow you up. Frostbite and hypothermia plagued the crusaders even worse than it had on the ships. Hollie found herself trying to save the fingers and toes of a number of mages who seemed to think that a simple magma shield was enough to warm them. It made them feel warm but did nothing for their circulation or body temperature. After a week's travel a great temple became visible through the snowy veil. Many hoped they would go there for safety but the officers made it clear that humans were not welcome there. The place was sacred to dragons and they guarded IT as fiercely as a broodmother guards her nest. Indeed dragon bones were all that seemed to emerge from the snow in this area, she would think there was a spear of ice or a great rock protruding only to realize that it was the remains of a dragon larger than the ships she had come in on.
The day after the temple vanished into the ever present storms the bread store ran out. The last scraps of bread from the Eastern Kingdoms were given to the sick and weak. Those who could still walk were given hardtack from the ships, it deserved its name as it was riddled with maggot holes and usually frozen solid. The only real way to eat it was to wrap it up and place it under and arm and let body heat thaw it.
After two or three days the storms quieted and the sun taunted them. It shone with an intensity that rivaled deserts and yet did nothing to warm their beleaguered bodies. On one of those days Hollie and a few others had to pin down a man delirious with hypothermia. He believed he was perfectly warm and had begun dancing around and stripping his clothes. They finally managed to give him a sleeping draught and put him in a straw filled cart with the other ailing crusaders.
Finally after marching for over two weeks they reached Wrathgate. But to their surprise it was not heavily guarded. They made camp at the base of the mountains that evening. The winds grew stronger as the sun sank lower in the sky and snow was already building up against the tents. Supplies were dangerously low and they were far from any friendly outposts.
Hollie was sorely wishing now that she had found a way out of the expedition. She would have been better off if she had remained in the Western Plaguelands. She was not alone in that thought as most of the crusaders huddled in silence around tiny fires, trying to chew through frozen hardtack and dried fish.
Hollie feared that tonight they may lose the first people to the biting, merciless cold. Some of the mages and a paladin were in terrible shape and got no warmer no matter what the healers and doctors tried. As the sun set Hollie became aware of a commotion building in the center of the camp. She stumbled through snow drifts to see what was happening.
"I think we'll be doing better now." Said a young paladin behind her.
"Why?" she asked, not taking her eyes of the command tent.
"Because we're getting help from Dalaran."
Hollie shook her head.
"Its true!" he whined, "Some mages were sent by the council, I saw them when they teleported here. They wore the seal of Dalaran and were dressed all in purple."
The men had already entered the commander's tent and despite the rising wind and growing darkness many huddled outside waiting to hear of help. After an hour the commander and their guests emerged. They were indeed Dalaran mages and Hollie breathed a sigh of relief. Help was forthcoming, Dalaran would send them provisions and weapons, they would provide magical shelter from the winter chill, and the Argent Crusaders would be welcome in the great (now flying) city. No more time was wasted in pleasantries, the healers were anxious to have their charges taken care of before Northrend claimed them and everyone was scrambling to get a place in the first weather proof tents.
One of those was reserved for the sick and injured and to Hollie's relief most of them showed signs of recovery but the delirious Paladin was still suffering. Hollie tried to warm him with hot drinks and thick blankets but no matter what she did he still shivered and his flesh was still icy to the touch.
"Potions will not help him tonight." A High Elf woman startled her.
"Then what will?" Hollie couldn't restrain the bitterness in her voice.
"There are horses, or oxen on this expedition are there not?" the High Elf asked.
"Yes…" Hollie puzzled over the question for a moment, then jumped up and grabbed the nearest paladin pleading with him to bring two horses into the tent. The High Elf help her make a quick bed of straw and get the young paladin into it, they massaged his flesh to keep him warm while they waited. Finally the paladin came back with two big, furry horses in tow. Carefully he led them through the tent and by the elf's directions laid both of them down on either side of the freezing man. They gave the horses hay and draped blankets over the beasts and the man between them.
"I think those two are happy to be in here." The paladin said with a smile. Hollie wrung her hands staring at the lump of blankets between the horses.
"Are you sure this will work?" she asked the elven woman.
"It's the best we can do at this point."
Hollie spent the night leaned against one of the horses, occasionally burying her hands in the animal's thick fur. The horse, a mare, would always turn her head and neigh softly, even nuzzle her hair a bit. She reminded Hollie of her mother. As the sun inched over the horizon Hollie heard stirring in the straw, she assumed it was the other horse adjusting until she heard a sigh. She threw herself over the mare's body and dug through the blankets and straw. The color had returned to the young man's skin, his face was flushed with blood, and looked to be in a contented sleep. She pressed hand to his head; he was warm again, in fact he was almost a little too warm.
With some help from another healer she got him back into his bed, and led the horses back to their makeshift lodgings. The Argent Crusade was out of danger for now but they still had to surmount the mountains and armies standing between them and Ice Crown. She looked out towards the black spire teasingly close, reminding them that they had a continent to subdue before they could march on its gates.