I left the building as quickly as I could without running. I found it was much easier to get through a crowd when you wore a Stormwind Guard uniform. And it also helped if you were very big. Anyway, thanks to those two factors I reached the inn rather quickly. I ran up stairs to grab my sword

One of the finest every made in the clan, it was a rather simple sword, two handed with a V-shaped cross-guard. It had a leather handle and hardened steel blade that shone whenever it hacked through anyone unfortunate enough to be in its way.

I slung it on my back and grabbed my bags and equipment, slapping down a few coins on the counter as I left. I walked a little more slowly back to the Command Center, saluting any fellow guardsmen I saw.

"Where can I find the quarters?" I asked one of the guards when I arrived. He pointed to the upstairs staircase, and when I climbed it I found a door which led to a long hallway. The hallway was lined with doors. I tried each door until I found one unlocked. Opening it, I put down my equipment and left.

I then returned to where I had left Bastilieus and found him accompanied by a tall Night Elf with dark violet skin and the same plate armor I wore. He had a short-sword slung on his belt and a blue shield on his back.

I salute them both. "I'm ready t' depart, Colonel," I told Bastilieus. He nodded. "Charlie, I'd like you to meet Talfuric. Talfuric, this is Charlie." We shook hands. "You'll find horses waiting for you just outside the Command Center. We need to find out who's doing this as soon as possible, so ride hard and fast for Goldshire. When you arrive, disguise yourselves. We don't want them to know we're investigating," he told us

"I understand, sir," I told him. Talfuric did likewise. "Then get going. And good luck!" he told us as we descended the stairs.

Outside I found Jacob holding the reins of two horses. One was dark brown, and the other a light gold. Both were garbed in steel armor.

He handed me the reins to the brown horse.

"What's his name?" I asked him as I gazed in wonder at the neatly brushed battle-horse. Back in the Highlands, we never saw anything as regal.

"He doesn't have one," he said bluntly.

"Well, it looks like I'll jes' have to find ye one," I said, addressing the horse.

"You can shake hands later," Jacob said, "for now, you ride for Goldshire!"

Talfuric and I mounted quickly and set off at a full gallop, the people flattening themselves against the walls as we passed.

We continued on as fast as ever and didn't slow down until we were out of site of the main gates. Then we slowed to a brisk trot and eventually stopped by a clump of trees a little ways of the side of the road.

There, we took off our plate armor and replaced it with normal breeches, tunics, and leather vests. As we slung on our bows, I asked Talfuric, "A Night Elf, eh? Most of th' guards 'ere are human. Wouldn't ye feel more comfortable as a guard in Darnassus?"

After he had put on his leather shoes, he told me, "The pay is much better here than back at Darnassus. They need guards here more desparately, so they'll pay more for them."

I nodded, satisfied with his answer.

After we had disguised ourselves as hunters, intending to stay at Goldshire awhile and take advantage of the plentiful game, we continued on the road for a few more minutes.

When we saw smoke that announced the approaching town, we dismounted and hid our armor in a bush by a tall tree. We took the armor off of the horses and did the same. We marked the tree with a carving shaped like a sword, and continued on.

It was a fine day for riding, with the sun in the sky and a few white clouds every here and there. It brightened my spirits quite a bit, it did.

When we arrived in Goldshire, a small town with an inn, a blacksmith, and a few small houses around the area, it was clear that the kidnappings didn't bother anyone who lived there.

Travelers and adventurers crowded the streets, many wearing strange and colorful armor. A few of the citizens also walked about in plain cloth clothes, going about their day to day business.

Talfuric and I rode quietly over to the inn and handed our horses over to the stable master, who was standing just outside. I looked at him and he nodded, and as one we entered the inn.

It was crowded, hot and stuffy. Did I mention loud? It was that, too. Dwarves, gnomes, elves, draeni, and humans were all over the place, drinking by the fire or sitting at one of the many tables.

We somehow got through to the innkeeper, where we loudly announced ourselves as local hunters who wanted to stay for a few days. He nodded and we paid him, along with a few drinks. We sat down at a large table with quite a few people, none of which seemed to understand what personal space was.

We started to pretend to drink (it would do no good to dim our wits) and tried to get in on the conversation going on. It wasn't hard.

The conversation was about the inconvenience of the murloc population to the east, that had stopped fishing for the moment. A few of them complained that the Guard wasn't doing anything about it, and cursed them very loudly.

We grudgingly joined in.

We tried to steer the conversation to the kidnappings, but to no end. Sighing silently, we moved over to another table. "It's that Horde that's doin' it!" roared one of the men at the table.

I looked at Talfuric with raised eyebrows. Finally, we were getting somewhere. "Shut up Belkin," one of them muttered, "you'll get us into trouble, you will!"

Afraid that it might end there, I said, "Let him have his say! There's no guard here t' lock 'im up for it!" A few of the men muttered their agreement.

The man then said, "Mabye it's not the whole Horde, but it's probably those goblins! There stealing people here to sell them as slaves!" "Nonsense," a heavily bearded man muttered, "if it was goblins that was doin' it, they'd blow a hole through their doors. These people is just disappearing! It's magic that's doin' it, it is!" he said.

"I heard," a bushy eye-browed man piped up, "that there's a strange figure seen walking around at night, cloaked in black! It's him that's doin' it!"

"There was one man," said Belkin, "that said he'd seen the kidnapper and planned to follow him! And then guess what! He was found dead the next morning! Ripped to shreds! It was like a giant bear had taken a swipe at him!"

The men turned silent at that. I expected one of them to claim that it was nonsense, just an old story. A nonsense tale, that held no water and that could easily be proven false by a logical mind. No one did.