Knowledge and heart isn't enough to win wars though. The upcoming conflict between the Alliance of Lordaeron and the Orcish Horde would be settled with armies. Battles would be determined by who had more soldiers, what kind of gear they had, and who had the best fighters in their ranks. While each member of Lion's Vengeance were capable fighters in their own right, it was Colben Sampson who was recognized for his skill with a blade.

Despite intensive research and questioning, I was unable to find out too much about what Colben's life might have been like before he enlisted with the Alliance of Lordaeron. There were plenty of rumors from those he fought alongside. Some believed that Colben made a deal with the supernatural so that he wouldn't die in battle. Others say that he wasn't completely human and that he had blood of another race, although there was debate on if it was elven, dwarven, or troll blood.

Even his fellow companions in Lion's Vengeance and his closest friends had very little to say about what Colben was like before they met. I once had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the warrior and asked what his life was like as a child. Although Colben was eager to tell me of his backstory, I stopped listening when he claimed to be the bastard son of Anduin Lothar.

Perhaps there isn't anything to know about Colben's past because it isn't important rather than some secret origin.

There's even debate on what Colben was like as a person. Many claim that he fought with a code of honor although there wasn't agreement on if he was honorable. Some thought that he made for an ideal knight who went out of his way to help others. Others believed that while he did do this, it was out of interest for the fight itself than any goodwill. This side even says that Colben showing respect to his enemies was something that he did for a challenging fight.

But this is not meant to reflect on the mysteries of who Colben was, but rather, what we know that we accomplished. The earliest known document that mentions the existence of Colben Sampson was a wanted poster drafted and posted in the Kingdom of Alterac six months before Stormwind fell. The poster had a depiction of young Colben and listed that he was wanted for banditry for fifty gold, dead or alive.


"So, you're telling me that there's a bunch of muscular, green-skinned warriors that destroyed a kingdom?"

"That's right. That's what the refugees say."

Colben shrugged. "They must not have seen a troll before in their life."

The bartender shook his head. "The trolls down south are jungle trolls. Their skin is blue, not like the forest trolls."

"Then maybe the forest trolls traveled south," Colben suggested. "Plenty of forests down in Stormwind."

"We would have noticed a mass exodus of trolls traveling south. What's so hard to believe that this is a new race?"

"There's nothing down south that can hold a kingdom-destroying army," Colben pointed out.

"Then maybe they came by ship," the bartender argued.

Colben laughed. "Let's agree to disagree on the subject. Now, my cup needs a refill."

The bartender nodded, taking the mug and filling it to the brim with beer at one of the kegs. Colben didn't bother remembering the name of the town he was in, the inn that he stayed at, or even the name of the man he talked to. He knew that he was still within the borders of Alterac given how cold it was outside and didn't intend to leave anytime soon. Although his last job didn't last for long, Colben was confident that he would find work soon enough.

Colben placed a silver coin on the counter to pay for his refill then took a sip from his beer. It wouldn't be too terrible to work at an inn or tavern. Free drinks were always nice and the company was decent enough. Still, he had no intentions of settling down in a town. The sword holstered behind his back marked him as a warrior and he intended to find work as a sellsword. Unfortunately, his last employer ended up dead and it looked like there were few fights left within Alterac.

With a disappointed sigh, Colben pondered his options. He doubted that there was much work waiting for him in Lordaeron to the north. Traveling to the south was his best option for finding a fight. Stromgarde had to deal with the forest trolls, the dwarves of Khaz Modan were always in some sort of battle, and if the rumors were true, there was a new enemy that destroyed Stormwind. Colben would miss Alterac but it's not like he had a lot going on for him in the kingdom of the mountains to begin with. It was time to pursue a new path.

When the waitress emerged from the kitchen, Colben looked at her with hopes that she carried his dish. Those hopes were dashed when he saw that she carried three bowls of stew rather than the slab of bear meat he ordered. Still, his gaze lingered on her for a few moments until he realized who she was delivering the soup to. Colben turned away and focused on his drink on the bar counter, hoping that the three guardsmen didn't notice him. While he normally didn't care enough to hide from the town guard, he'd rather enjoy the night in peace.

Unfortunately, as the waitress headed back to the kitchen, one of the guards took notice of the lone man by the bar with a sheathed sword.

"Oi!" the guard called out and stood up, proving himself to be the bulkiest of his group. "You, by the bar. Don't I know you from somewhere?"

Colben shrugged. "Probably. I get around a lot."

"My eyes don't lie to me," the guard said, looking at his companions. "Back me up on this."

Another guard, a portly man who had some muscles on his arm, took a sip from his soup. "Does it matter? Let's just eat."

Colben raised his mug at that. "He gets it."

The final guard, a short man with scraggly brown hair, slowly nodded. "I think he's on a wanted poster?"

"Did we grab it?" the bulky guard asked.

The short guard reached into his backpack and pulled out an assortment of posters. Colben knew better than to try to get up and leave since that would have the guards follow him. He heard the whispers from the guards, and shortly after, the short one stood up and walked out of the inn. The other two stood up and approached Colben, the portly one keeping his hand on a club on his belt. The bulky guard slammed a piece of parchment on the ground which had an accurate depiction of the sellsword. Colben downed the rest of his drink, knowing that a fight was about to break out.

"This is you, isn't it," the guard said more as a statement than a question. "Wanted for banditry. Baron Mendenhall is paying fifty gold for your capture or your head."

"While that is me in the poster, it's wrong," Colben said. "I'm not a bandit."

"But that's you on the poster," the portly guard pointed out. "That means you're wanted for banditry."

"I'm a mercenary," Colben explained. "My last employer was a bandit, yes, but I'm not a bandit. There's a difference."

"Alright," the bulky guard shook his head. "What did your old employer have you do?"

"Rob merchants," Colben answered.

"And how did he pay you?"

"I got my own cut from what I took from the merchants."

"So, you worked for a bandit, raided like a bandit, and got paid like a bandit, and you say you're not a bandit?" the bulky guard asked in disbelief.

Colben couldn't stop himself from grinning. "That's right."

"You're coming with us," the guard told Colben. "I'll just take your sword and we'll be off."

Although he was surrounded by the two, Colben wasn't going to give up his blade so quickly. When the bulky guard reached for the sword, the mercenary made his move, striking the man in the face with his mug. As the guard fell back, Colben stood up and avoided the portly guard trying to grapple him. He put space between himself and his attackers but didn't reach for his sword. To pull it out now would give him an unfair advantage against his inexperienced foes and that would be boring.

The portly guard had no trouble with pulling out a weapon on an unarmed man as he upholstered his club. What he did have trouble with was landing a hit on the mercenary, who leaned away from each wild swing. While the other guard tried to flank him, Colben threw the mug at his head to daze him. When the portly guard charged for another swing, the mercenary grabbed him by the arm and slammed his forehead against his nose, breaking it. The guard screamed out in pain and dropped his weapon to the ground. Colben picked the weapon up and struck the man across the head, knocking him out.

The remaining guard reached for his club only to realize he left it back at his table. Colben dropped his newfound club to the ground and slowly approached his last opponent. The bulky man wouldn't go down with a fight and charged forward. Although he was strong, Colben was just as strong. The two threw separate jabs, not caring about defending each other. The mercenary gasped in pain from being struck across the head but the guard gasped when the air was knocked from his lungs from a solid punch to the chest.

Colben was unrelenting with the minor advantage he had. He grabbed hold of the guard and threw him against the bar. The guard slammed into the wooden counter, and before he could turn around, Colben grabbed the back of his head and slammed it into the counter. He collapsed onto the ground and endured a few kicks from the mercenary. When Colben was certain that the bulky guard had lost all fight, he picked up a barstool next to him.

"Now, I'm going to let you and your dumb friend live," Colben said. "I owe it to the proprietor of this establishment for his service."

The bartender and waitress were behind the bar, cowering in fear. Colben glanced at them and chuckled.

"You're not leaving this village alive," the guard coughed. "You're such a fool."

"Oh, I know you sent your third man for reinforcements," Colben shrugged. "I'll be long gone by the time you wake up."

And with that, Colben slammed the bar stool onto the guard. The seat broke from the impact that knocked the man out. The mercenary tossed the stool leg he held onto and placed three more silver coins on the bar counter as reparations for the damage he was responsible for. With a jolly whistle, Colben made his way to the exit, confident enough that he would escape. It would take some time for the town guard to mobilize and stop him.

When he emerged from the inn and into the snowy night, Colben noticed about a dozen crossbowmen aiming their weapons at him as torches lit up the street.

Colben groaned in annoyance when he recognized the tabard the men wore. They were not part of the town guard but rather part of House Meadenhall's forces. Their better training meant that they could get around quicker although the mercenary knew that House Meadenhall was a long way from their noble estate. From the crossbowmen's ranks emerged House Meadenhall's leader, Baron Darvell Meadenhall. This wasn't Colben's first time facing the baron, a middle-aged, pale-skinned warrior with light blond hair and piercing blue eyes. It was House Meadenhall that was responsible for killing his previous employer and many other bandits and it seemed as though the noble was intent on tracking the remnants of the gang down.

Darvell took up his greatsword and wielded it in both hands. "Do you remember me?"

Colben slowly nodded. "We fought two weeks ago. I nearly took your head off with a swing."

"And I almost cleaved your skull into two," Darvell reminded the mercenary with a smirk.

"You sure did," Colben chuckled. "It's a damn shame that a merchant wagon crashed right into our fight and separated us."

"I've noticed that you haven't reached for your sword," Darvell said. "Are you not going to surrender?"

"This sword is my life," Colben said and shook his head. "You're going to have to kill me."

"I could do that," Darvell said, motioning to the crossbowmen behind him.

"You could," Colben nodded. "Although you're just like me, a warrior. You'll want to fight yourself."

Darvell raised no objections as Colben reached for his sword's hilt. "That may be true but what then? Either I kill you, or you kill me and then get shot by many different crossbow bolts for your trouble."

"I wouldn't go out any other way," Colben grinned.

Colben pulled out his sword and held it in a defensive stance, waiting to see how his enemies reacted. Although the crossbowmen were ready to fire given his aggression, Darvell held his hand up to signal them not to. The noble warrior stared down the mercenary, both unwavering. Colben wouldn't surrender, and if he was to die, he would die as he lived, fighting to survive. Slowly, Darvell stabbed his greatsword into the snow and stepped forward.

"Why waste your life on one battle when I can offer you more?" Darvell asked. "You impressed me with your skill the last time we fought. That's why I had a wanted poster made for you."

"Because you want me," Colben said with a chuckle. "So do a lot of people."

Darvell smirked. "You have a talent that can do much better than a life of crime. I want to bring you in as an instructor for my soldiers."

"I'm no teacher," Colben scowled. "I don't have the patience for it."

"I figured but there's more that you'll do," Darvell explained. "You'll travel with me as my bodyguard and fight alongside my men in our battles."

"Bandits don't make for exciting foes," Colben said with a shrug. "Why else do you think I joined them?"

"War is coming and I'll need all the men I can get for the battles ahead."

"You're talking about the green-skinned invaders from the south, aren't you?" Colben rolled his eyes.

"I offer you a choice," Darvell stepped forward, leaving his weapon behind. "You can kill me and die here, or you can choose to live longer and fight with me in the coming war. What do you say… I'm sorry, but I don't think I've caught your name before."

"Colben."

"And your surname?"

Colben paused before answering. "Sampson."

"What do you say, Colben Sasmpson?" Darvell repeated himself and extended his hand forward.

It wasn't the fact that he would be executed if he struck down Darvell that held Colben's blade. Rather, it was the fact that killing the noble would be too easy. The mercenary wanted a challenge when it came to his final battle. Although he never saw himself as a patriot, a soldier, or a teacher, there was something tempting about Darvell's offer that he couldn't quite place his finger on why. Perhaps it was time for a change of pace. A new enemy to fight alongside a capable warrior who could match Colben in a duel.

Several seconds went by before Colben made his decision. He stabbed his blade into the snowy ground and stepped forward toward Darvell. The two warriors gripped each other by the forearm, the start of a new partnership.


Although the earliest documents we have on Colben show him as a bandit, what came next was surprising to some. Several records from House Meadenhall show that Colben served the noble family in Alterac for some time. Soldiers attested that Colben stood alongside Darvell Meadenhall in all matters from the battlefield to noble politics. There's even documents that show Colben once made an appearance in Perenolde's throne room, although the report shows that he was removed from the palace after making a snide remark.

There's been speculation as to why Colben was loyal to House Meadenhall before Alterac betrayed the Alliance of Lordaeron. Some say that he was always a patriot at heart and wanted to prove himself as such through service. Others say that he was looking for a family and found it with House Meadenhall. Those closest to Darvell said that Colben was like an uncle to Darvell's daughter. There were even scandalous rumors that suggested he was sleeping with Briana, Darvell's wife, with a few suggesting that the love affair was actually between him and Darvell.

Colben never acknowledged why he served House Meadenhall but I believe that it is his actions with Lion's Vengeance that show his reasons. Colben is a mighty warrior but at the end of the day, he is a lone man. Even the strongest warriors can be overwhelmed by numbers. Still, even if it was better for Colben to fight alongside others, he had standards. Those who fought with him would have to earn his respect as a warrior. Darvell earned his respect, and in time, so too did the others in Lion's Vengeance.


A/N: A character from the Vanguard series finally makes an appearance in Lion's Vengeance (I don't count Balthar's appearance given that he's a child). I look forward to exploring Colben's backstory in the Second War as the story continues.

Next time will feature another character from the Vanguard but I'm going to be focusing on some other projects at this time as well.

Until next time.