Apologies for the late posting, many things had to be taken care of today, including being my grandfather's birthday, three days after he passed away. He would have been 88. Still pretty numb about it, but that is either my body refusing to process it, or else just reacting by shutting down all emotion as is rather typical of me.. hard to tell what's normal and what's just me being strange and different at this point. but times like these are why I prepare so many chapters in advance. Anyway, thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter, your comments were appreciated. and please, enjoy the next chapter! ~F
Chapter Eighty Four
Alternate Lines of Attack
Draco was surprised at the changes that had occurred in Arathi while he had been gone. The land had been torn up, exposing much of the ore and stone that lay beneath the grass covered ground nearest Thoradin's wall. Most of the stone was being prepared for use as projectiles for the half-dozen trebuchets that had been assembled and placed a short way from the wall, out of range of bows or flying attacked to protect the wooden siege weapons.
Additionally, there were large runestones being prepared at the base of the wall, orges and their magi setting and charging each with a great deal of magical energy. "You've been busy," Draco said as he approached his father and Nobu'tan, who were overseeing the placement of a pair of stones on either side of the main gate.
"Draco," Lucius said, embracing his son and ushering him into their group, "We are making sure that any attack that comes from this side of our territory is forever foiled. The Horde has brought in elven mages that seem to have the ability to siphon and consume magical energy, so a reservoir is needed to give us the time to counter them if they decide that this tactic is the only course of action to lay siege here."
Draco nodded, understanding in part what was going on, "I have much to relate to you both as well, when you have the time."
"Of course Draco," Nobu'tan said, scanning the length of the wall and seeming to look for something specific.
"I sense it too," Lucius said, and Draco looked at the pair of them puzzled.
"We're being watched," Nobu'tan explained, "We've both felt it all morning, but from where remains a mystery…"
"Why not send an eye to scout the area?" Draco asked.
"If one of those elves is with them, they will know that we know that they are watching us, and change whatever strategy they are planning," Nobu'tan countered.
"Instead, we are pretending not to notice, and are working to guess what strategy they will try based on what we are doing." Lucius added.
"I see…" Draco replied, suddenly feeling as though he had indeed missed a great deal of action while he was away. "Mother is doing well, and is looking forward to your return to be with her as she grows closer to the time of delivery."
Lucius nodded, looking strained.
"You need to be with her," Nobu'tan countered, seeming to understand that Draco's father did not like leaving a project incomplete, "Draco and I will manage in your absence. I have great faith in your family, and maintaining that bond is something that I will not come between."
Lucius nodded, "you are too kind to us, Lord Nobu'tan," he said, "I will leave tonight, after we make sure that Draco is fully aware of everything that has gone on while he was away."
"And I will, in turn, make sure you know what you're getting into when you head back to Stormwind…" Draco added, even as they turned toward a portal to Stromgarde that
Nobu'tan had opened.
The moment they stepped through, Nobu'tan grew serious, "The mountain range to the north of the wall; that is where they are watching us from…"
"I concur," Lucius replied, "It's the only logical option."
"What are they likely to do then, knowing what we have just behind the wall?" Draco asked.
"Firstly, I think they'll take some time trying to understand how the trebuchets work," Nobu'tan reasoned, "They may try to force us to use them again, in order to see them in action, and from that they might try a coordinated attack to neutralize them and the barrier at the same time."
"So we need to either blind them early on, or else counter their attempts to lower the barrier or destroy the trebuchets…" Draco replied.
Lucius nodded, "hence the Runestones, which will buy us a great deal of time if they try to siphon the ward again." He added, "And if we line the parapet with archers, who will allow us to pick off any attempt to get around the wall and attack the trebuchets directly."
"Precisely," Nobu'tan affirmed. "Let them bandy about with their plots, they will be slowed down and hindered in the end. While I would have preferred to push into Hillsbrad, holding the line here serves enough of a threat to establish out hold on the region."
"I understand," Draco said, smirking. It seemed that most of the plan regarding Arathi had been set in motion already.
"Stormwind might end up being the more difficult of the two fronts, then," he added, turning to his father. "I think that Lady Proudmoore and King Varian are starting to suspect things about us."
"They are asking questions about where we're from then, I take?" Lucius asked, and Draco nodded.
"I get the feeling that they plan to make some sort of confrontation to get the answers they want," he confirmed, "I know that some of mother's moves might have sparked this interest…"
"What has Narcissa done?" Lucius asked, and Draco could tell that his father was somewhat on edge, so he backed off.
"I doubt that it was really deliberate, but she has it in her mind that I need to see the world, and look at other options before I settle down with Pansy…" Draco started, but Lucius only raised an eyebrow.
"She sort of set me up to have an extended meeting with Lady Proudmoore…" Draco admitted eventually.
"That woman," Lucius huffed, his irritation ebbing away slowly, "she has a great heart, but I feel that her pregnancy is making her a tad emotional…"
Turning to look at Draco directly, Lucius continued, "I do not fault either of you, but I agree. We'll need to take care as we proceed with the Alliance."
"Perhaps I can assist with relieving a bit of the pressure…" Nobu'tan chimed in. "several raids on the human lands, with minimal casualties, might provoke a few skirmishes to distract the King from investigating you…"
Draco spotted his father wince out of the corner of his eye. "It would perhaps not be wise to tempt the idea of a two front war against both major factions on the planet."
Nobu'tan seemed to deflate a bit, "I suppose not," he said, frowning.
"However," Lucius continued, "That doesn't mean that another faction not currently involved in defending the main areas of our holdings couldn't cause some trouble to distract the King…"
"War Master Voone and Teg'Ramm are in the south," Nobu'tan mentioned, "We also have Theodore on Kalimdor overseeing the preparation of our first base on that continent."
"Yes…" Lucius said, thinking quickly, "I think we can work with the trolls, who could launch a swift attack and disappear back into the forests and jungles, preventing the Alliance from effectively countering them."
"Also, if it was the trolls, it could easily be foisted upon the local trolls of the area, and not our armies…" Draco agreed.
"Draft a plan, and send it to me when you're ready, I will make sure that Voone is given the instructions and fulfills the needs you have to serve as a distraction." Nobu'tan stated, agreeing with the plan as well.
"It would be best if I depart swiftly, to gather my things," Lucius said, nodding at the pair of them and departing for his personal office in the fortress.
"Which only leaves us to deal with the other, more minor complications that I have not yet mentioned to Lucius," Nobu'tan said, smirking at Draco.
Draco smirked. It was good to be back in the heart of the action.
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Blaise was more than eager to witness the destruction that the Death Knight formerly known as the Dark Lord of Britain would level upon the necromancers, and he was not disappointed when they reached the cave.
The fools had thought to increase the number of their guards, with skeletons openly protecting the front alongside their burlier orcish guards, but Voldemort charged into their ranks on horseback uncaring of their numbers. The blasts of deadly green magic that erupted from his sword were something of a marvel to witness. Blaise stuck to the shadows, avoiding the conflict and scouting out the inner chambers of the cave to see which direction to guide the whirlwind of devastation as they pushed deeper.
Once dismounted, and all of their foes at the entrance were slain, Voldemort stormed inside, the runeblade in his hand glowing an eerie blue sheen in the gloom. Where the Death Knight had procured such a weapon, Blaise was not sure if he wanted to know, but nevertheless he pointed down the side passage.
It would be wiser if they used a touch of stealth in their approach, and the heavy footfalls of the armored undead would surely arouse suspicion if they used the main tunnel. The echoes alone would pinpoint them to their enemies.
Voldemort nodded once, before lifting a hand. From the mouth of the cave the shambling forms of the former guards appeared, mouths agape in death and their eyes glowing the same pale blue that matched the glimmer of the sword in Voldemort's hand.
It was mildly unnerving to witness the Inferi that the Death Knight could effortlessly produce. These ghouls would fight until they fell apart for the former Dark Lord, and Blaise was profoundly glad that Nobu'tan had had the foresight to bind Voldemort to their cause with magic, so that he could not betray them if he was so inclined.
The ghouls led the way down the passage, confronting and slaying any fool that did not react to them immediately. With so many necromancers and undead in the cave network already, that was rare. They moved swiftly, their kills going more or less unnoticed with their swiftness and silence. Blaise had to intervene a few times to prevent one from escaping or calling out, but soon enough they spiraled around and up to a ledge overlooking the main chamber.
The same figures were there, conversing almost similarly as they had when Blaise first came to this place, but there was a difference.
In a portal of dark magic there was a fifth figure, far taller than the others, and through it Blaise could sense great power over the dead.
"My Lord, Kel'Thuzad," the orc leader said, bowing respectfully.
"Your operation has been discovered…" the raspy voice of the being on the other side of the portal said, the chill of the words forming ice crystals on the ground around it.
"Yes, but we've tightened out security, and will retreat farther into the mountains if need be," one of the human necromancers added.
"That is too late; your enemy is already among you…" the being replied, seeming to sense Blaise and Voldemort already.
"What," the orc shouted, and all four beings drew daggers, whirling and spotting the pair of intruders.
"Kill them," Blaise hissed, and Voldemort snarled, but his ghouls leapt into action, charging the necromancers. One of the humans went down quickly, but the others could use their daggers to some effect, and warded off the mindless undead with great ease. The orc even managed to summon a skeleton himself.
"You power is nothing compared to mine," Voldemort hissed, pointing the greatsword at the orc. The killing curse leapt gladly off the blade, and the orc was too slow to dodge, falling limp to the ground in an instant before the ghouls swarmed over the other two humans, tearing them apart without mercy or care.
"What have we here?" the figure said, looking at them through the smoky portal, "I rogue Death Knight? The Lich King will be very interested to learn of this development."
"Who are you?" Blaise demanded, not truly expecting any sort of response.
"Why don't you ask your dear master who I am… little illusionist…" the being replied, "Your Nobu'tan knows me quite well… as I trained him in the ways of magic."
Blaise was surprised. He had learned nothing of such a being from Nobu'tan, and he was sure that the other warlock had been most thorough in his retelling of his backstory.
"I am Kel'Thuzad, former Archmage of the Kirin Tor, and now Archlich of Icecrown!" the being boasted, "and you will learn of my power in due time… We are coming for you… tell Tobias Banu that we are coming for him, and he cannot escape us!"
The portal closed at that point, leaving the room eerily silent except for the gurgles and rattles of the ghouls as they shifted in place.
"Potter has not explained this part of his tale, I presume," Voldemort stated, turning to look at Blaise.
"Clearly," Blaise replied, "but I suppose everyone is entitled to some secrets, and I suppose he believed that this figure was not going to come back into his life. Still, we should return and…" but as Blaise turned to look at the Death Knight, he realized that Voldemort was not listening to him.
The former Dark Lord was staring off into a cave wall, and if his face was still living, Blaise was sure that he would have seen the concentrated look of a mind at work. Something had triggered the Death Knight into a supreme sense of thought.
"We should go," he said more forcefully, and Voldemort nodded once, turning back toward the entrance and marching on without do much as a glance around him.
By the time Blaise caught up with the undead, he had already mounted outside the cave and was riding off back toward Blackrock.
Smirking, Blaise figured that he accomplished both his goals, and could report the strangeness about Voldemort to Nobu'tan directly while he notified the Grand Warlock about the incursion of necromancers, and the being Kel'Thuzad.
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Voldemort was absorbed in his own thoughts from the moment he learned of Kel'Thuzad. The banshee housed within him, acting as spy and agent for the Banshee Queen was enraged to find that the undead Scourge was planning to invade Azeroth, regardless of the location.
The strain to control his own body grew significantly harder from that point, while the banshee started to try and force him to contact the Undercity. Typically it would have been something that he would resist, but Voldemort wanted information just as much as the banshee wanted to send word back to the north, and he was willing to strike a bargain with the spirit housed in his body.
If he got the information he wanted, regarding this "Lich King" and what it had to do with him as a Death Knight and the blade he now carried, he would allow the banshee to inform her queen of his opening moves against the rest of the world.
Therefore, he was returning to his private quarters in the mountain, where the spirit had forced him to hide an item, some manner of runestone, which would open a portal back to the Undercity and permit him to travel the hundreds of miles that separated Blackrock from the Undercity.
He had been provided with another item, which was now magically bound to the mountain, and would allow him to return once his business was concluded. A hearthstone it was called and, Voldemort viewed it as a Portkey of a sort.
"I do not trust your Queen," Voldemort said, and the banshee tittered in his mind.
"You'd be a fool to trust her," she stated, but left unsaid the fact that he had little choice in the matter regardless.
Sighing, Voldemort crushed the runestone in his hand, letting the magic take hold and transport him to a hidden room deep in the vaults of the Undercity. The dark room was not a problem for the senses of the Death Knight, but the lack of any sort of exit was unsettling.
"Leave it to her to make sure I couldn't wander at my own will once returned…" Voldemort said with a huff of irritation. "Of course, now I have to wonder how long I have to wait around till she decides to investigate…"
"Not terribly long I suspect," a smooth voice said from behind him, and Voldemort turned to see the Dreadlord, Varimathras, waiting for him in the shadows.
"The Dark Lady is otherwise occupied, therefore I will receive your report, and send you on your way, little spy…" the Nathrezim said smugly.
"Before I tell you anything, I wish a bargain…" Voldemort rebutted, staring down the demon for the long moment of silence that followed.
The Dreadlord smirked, chuckling to himself, "You surprise me…" he admitted, "I would have thought that your free will would have been perfectly suppressed, but apparently Sylvanas was incorrect."
A pair of chairs and a small table manifested, and the demon gracefully took a seat, wings folding back and out of the way. "Speak your piece…"
Voldemort sat as well, "I want all the information you Forsaken have regarding the Lich King, and what power he might try to influence over me, through this." Voldemort set the runeblade on the table, and ran a hand along the blade.
"Ah, that explains a great deal," Varimathras said, leaning forward and touching the hilt with a single claw. "I agree to your terms, Death Knight. I will see to it that you get all the information on the Scourge that the Forsaken possess, and in exchange your information on the Dark Horde, and whatever else might be of value to the Dark Lady."
"The Scourge are trying to infiltrate the Dark Horde," Voldemort said, "and there was mention of some sort of invasion coming in the near future."
Whatever the demon had expected, that clearly was not it. "I see…" Varimathras said, "That is indeed an unexpected move for the Lich King…"
Slowly, Voldemort retold everything regarding his visions, and the encounter with the necromancers in the Burning Steppes, cumulating with the visage of Kel'Thuzad, Archlich of Icecrown. He did do what he could to leave out the defenses of Blackrock and the other Dark Horde fortifications, which didn't go unnoticed by the Dreadlord, although he did not comment on it.
"Hmm, yes there would be a great deal that the Dark Lady would want to know regarding this development." The demon stated, tapping a claw on the table, "And I suppose you'll want your compensation and to depart in return…"
Voldemort felt the brush of annoyance, "Of course, unless you want the others in the Dark Horde to realize that I am gone, and therefore expose your spy in their ranks…"
"Naturally…" the Dradlord replied, raising a hand, and from the air a tome appeared in a burst of flames. "This will detail everything you want to know, in the most basic of ways, anything more specific you would have to speak with the Banshee Queen personally, but as I said she is otherwise occupied."
"Then I will expect to meet with her when I next return…" Voldemort said angrily, having hoped to never return to this place again after learning what he desired. Trust the demon to find the right loophole to ensure that he would return.
"If that is all, then I must return. It would be remiss if I am discovered missing," Voldemort continued, rising and clutching the hearthstone tightly. The magic activated whisking him away in a flurry of blue light.
Arriving once more in his personal chamber, he examined the book he had been given. It was relatively new, and scanning the pages, it was something of a history of the Forsaken, mixed with details about the Scourge and the Legion's previous attack on Azeroth. Clearly this Lich King had to have been integrally involved with that invasion.
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Varimathras remained where he was as the Death Knight disappeared, smirking into the gloom. The undead may have been somewhat foolish, but he was not a total fool. To throw off the banshee possession by finding a runeblade and tapping into the power of Northrend unknowingly took a great deal of strength.
Granted, the Death Knight had already started to yield in part to the call of the blade, and through it the enticing of the Lich King, which could pose a problem for all involved with him. It was interesting through, and the Dreadlord was intrigued to see the outcome of one so thoroughly bound to three conflicting commands.
Still, he had the requirement to notify Sylvanas of the Scourge's plan, and that he would do gladly. His hatred for the Banshee Queen paled in comparison for his dislike of the Lich King, one minor traitor against an even larger traitor. And if she started a long war against the Scourge, he would be able to operate in the background, and work out his own revenge against the pair of them.
Of course, Sylvanas was hosting the Warchief of the Horde, as well as the Regent of Silvermoon at the time being, and therefore he was not welcome in their midst. The orcish leader had a great dislike of all demons, rightly so for what Manneroth had done to them, but it made the Nathrezim's life more difficult.
He was just glad that he had time to modify what the Death Knight had reported, and tailor it specifically to what he knew Sylvanas would want to hear, over even what she needed to hear, such as the fact that the Scourge wanting to attack all points on the Eastern Kingdoms, and not just Blackrock Mountain specifically.
If he could persuade her to launch an infiltration of the Burning Steppes, it could spark a massive war between the Forsaken and the Dark Horde, and possibly draw in the Alliance as well. What fun that would be to witness, and possibly even participate in–in a limited sense of course.
There was still the issue of their spy. The Death Knight would be back, Varimathras had made sure of it, giving him only the most limited and basic knowledge regarding the Scourge and their history. It was a moment of pleasure for Varimathras to conceal just how much he personally knew about the Lich King, and handle only what the Forsaken at large knew regarding their greatest nemesis.
Still. With the battle at Thoradin's wall seeming to draw to a stalemate, it would be wise for him to persist with this conflict as long as possible, just to make sure that those others he had sources regarding had the time they needed to open the way…
Lord Kazzak was a brute and simple minded, but at times even he had brilliant ideas.
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Sylvanas felt the pulse of magic deep in her personal chambers, and knew that her spy among the Dark Horde had come to report. Unfortunate that it was at this particular time, when she was hosting a meeting between Lor'themar and Thrall in the royal quarter, where guards of both the Blood Elves and the Horde were present among her Deathguard.
"Warchief," she began as the Kor'kron parted and revealed the heavily muscled shaman, "may I introduce you to Lor'themar Theron, Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas, and ruler of the Blood Elves in the absence of their Prince."
"Warchief; a pleasure," the elf said formally, bowing slightly as Thrall mounted the last of the steps to Sylvanas' dais.
"Regent Lord," Thrall said gruffly in return. Sylvanas could tell that something had gone amiss at the front lines, as the Warchief usually was more careful with his words. "We thank you for the assistance your magisters are giving at Thoradin's Wall. The battle does not go well there, but their aid and magical knowledge may help us turn the tide in this conflict."
"It is the Blood Elves that must thank the Horde," Lor'themar replied, "If not for the aid of the Forsaken, we would not have purged the Scourge from the Ghostlands, and cleared the way for Silvermoon to rebuild at long last."
"From what I hear, it was your shot that killed the traitor," Thrall commented, and Sylvanas smirked inwardly. The orcs respected strength above all else, and unless the Blood Elves were shown to be able to hold their own, and that it was their efforts that saved their land, then Thrall was likely to not accept them at all.
"That is true Warchief," Lor'themar said, "But I attest that it was a joint effort…"
"I have little time for the formalities of your race," Thrall said, brushing off the Regent's attempts to dismiss his own contribution, "the fact is that it was your shot, your plan, and your command. Sylvanas placed her troops at your disposal, and followed your plan with her own assistance. That means that the victory is yours, regardless of the troops involved. And that proves that the Blood Elves have the strength that the Horde values. If it is you wish to join with us, you have my blessing."
The effect of the bluntness from Thrall on Lor'themar's expression was art for Sylvanas, and if not for her mind being on other matters, she might have smirked at the utter speechlessness that the Regent of Quel'thalas had.
"We would be honored to join with the Horde…" he said after several moments of silence.
"Then it is done!" Thrall said, slamming a powerful fist to his own chest, "When I return to Orgrimmar, I will make sure that every race and nation under our banner is aware of this change, and you will find supplies willingly at your disposal en route to Silvermoon within the month's end."
"And in return, you will have the call of whatever troops we have to spare at your disposal." Lor'themar affirmed, and Thrall nodded.
"If they are even a fraction as helpful as your magisters, then they will be a great boon to our forces." Thrall said complimentary, "Now, if Sylvanas will return to the present, we have a siege to examine and a plan to establish." Thrall said, mocking Sylvanas, and she narrowed her eyes. How she hated the orc, but there was nothing she could do with him being the powerful leader of the Horde.
While her Forsaken were utterly loyal to her and her alone, the other races of the Horde would turn on her in an instant if she attempted anything against Thrall. Beckoning to a pair of Forsaken, Sylvanas stepped forward as they brought a small table and the map of Hillsbrad and Arathi forward, with markings of the wall and the Dark Horde's holdings that the front line shad witnessed.
"We've seen that the Dark Horde has powerful magic protecting the wall, and new technology to strike as far as the river from behind Thoradin's wall, any approach from that side is foolish, and I cannot condone the loss of life in a frontal assault." Thrall explained, tapping the area around Durnholde Keep, "What do you rangers suggest for a way around this fortification, or would it be best to just fortify and keep them inside Arathi…"
Sylvanas sighed, "As much as I want to recover the resource rich Arathi, it is becoming clear that attacking from the Hillsbrad side is a futile effort. The strategies that this warlock leader of the Dark Horde has are just unpredictable enough to keep ahead of us, even at the best of our thoughts…"
"Even I would be daunted at such a possibility." Lor'themar added, "Personally, if I wished to continue the conflict, I would find an alternative route into the region, and try to get around them." He pointed toward the coasts and the southern border of Arathi, "what of sending troops in through the Wetlands to the south, or landing on the far coast and navigating through the mountains?"
"The Wetlands are Alliance territory," Thrall explained, "I am hesitant to try and move troops through that region, for fear of sparking a much larger conflict with Stormwind, which we hold only an uneasy truce with after the death of Onyxia… the coast however is an interesting option." Thrall gestured at the northeastern corner of the Highlands, "the former Horde outpost of Hammerfall is near there, which we lost fairly quickly when the Dark Horde attacked, if we find a path through the eastern coast and take back that location, we could fortify a strong and understood location to assault the rest of the region from…"
"My Dark Rangers and Lor'themar's Farstriders could easily find a path through those mountains, but getting siege equipment in from ships would be near impossible," Sylvanas commented, "it would be easier to try and build them once we have control of Hammerfall…"
"The problem is that the Dark Horde likely hold an iron grip on Hammerfall," Thrall added, "the only entrance to the Basin in near there, and with a ready-made fort it is likely that they clamped down and reinforced it for their own use."
"We could build a new fortification, better located for our entry via the coast…" Lor'themar suggested, "wherever we find out pass in the mountains, place a garrison there to strike from, and use hit-and-run tactics to probe their defenses and find the best location to strike with all our might, while amassing what resources we can and gathering the siege equipment needed to attack their stronger location."
"If that is the case, we can bring the raw supplies to build siege equipment, as well as fortification, rather than trying to wheel catapults through whatever mountain pass we find…" Thrall agreed, nodding in appreciation. "It is a good plan, can I trust you both to work together in finding a suitable location and preparing the fortification's location. Send us word back at Orgrimmar when you have it, and the resources required will be provided for you from Durotar."
"As you wish, Warchief," Lor'themar said, the word seeming odd to Sylvanas' ear coming from the elf's lips, "We will send what ships we have left to scout the coast from Silvermoon as soon as I return."
"Meanwhile," Sylvanas continued, drawing their attention back to the western front in Arathi, "What will be done about the siege at the wall?"
"Until we are ready to shift assets, it would be best to keep up appearances, and leave them there," Lor'themar said, significantly more confident now. "And even when we start it'll need to be gradual in order to not tip off the Dark Horde to our plans."
Sylvanas nodded, even as Thrall looked thoughtful. Yes, the Blood Elves would make a decent asset to the Horde.
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Anduin loved the sea breeze as the Stormwind ship crossed swiftly to Theramore. He could count on a single hand the number of times he had been allowed to leave Stormwind and visit Jaina at her city, discounting the emergency trip to slay Onyxia and save Lady Malfoy from the dragon.
But, despite the excitement that he felt in the prospect of experiencing the differences of Kalimdor once more, there was a note of seriousness underlaying his trip. His father did not trust the Malfoys as much as Anduin did, and some of their answers to pointed questions were oddly vague and led more suspicion. Hopefully there was a good reason, but regardless Anduin was supposed to go and enslist his aunt to help them discover the truth.
Jaina; however, was not there at the port when Anduin arrived. Instead, the old handmaiden for the Sorceress, as well as a pair of Theramore guards, waited there for him.
"Young Prince," the old woman said congenially, "how good of you to visit us."
"Where's Aunt Jaina?" Anduin asked.
"She is away for a time, but she will be back this evening I believe," the old woman said, "How about we go prepare your room, and get a good meal into you in the meantime…"
Anduin couldn't come up with a reason to resist, especially as his stomach gave a loud rumble in response to the enticement of food.
The old woman just chuckled, leading the way for Anduin and the Theramore guards into the heart of the city.
Anduin could tell that Theramore was just as beautiful and peaceful as it always was, yet there seemed to be a different emotion in the air, but he couldn't place it. By the time they arrived at the central citadel, Jaina's tower, he was certain that something was vastly off.
"Please," he asked as soon as they entered, "tell me what is going on. I can tell that something is very different here."
The woman dismissed the pair of guards, before ushering Anduin into a side room. "It is something that I suspect, young prince, is related to your questions about a certain noble family."
Anduin was surprised that the handmaiden was aware of his purpose for coming. Jaina must have trusted her extensively. "How do you know that…" he asked in surprise.
"I have my own ways of learning these things, Prince Anduin," the old woman replied with a smile. "Needless to say Jaina is very interested in the Malfoys as well, for different reasons, but I suspect that you'll not get much in the way of answers from her to what you specifically seek."
Anduin was disheartened, "However," the woman continued. "I have some knowledge about them that may help the King of Stormwind understand their situation a bit better."
Anduin smiled, more than eager to hear everything that the woman had to tell. "Firstly, it is no land of Azeroth that their people have fled from," the woman started, "They are from another world altogether out in the cosmos of the Nether, and they fled the power of the Legion that threatened to destroy everything here multiple times before."
Anduin was shocked. He had no idea that it was even possible for other worlds to exist, let alone interact with Azeroth. "How can that be?"
"Their leader is a powerful warlock, and I suspect in league with the Legion, but how in depth I do not know. I have not had the opportunity to meet their leader personally, only the young Malfoy heir." The old woman stated, "And the taint of the Fel was strong on him, so I could only imagine how powerful their leader must be in the demonic arts."
Anduin stood openmouthed, Draco was a warlock? That couldn't be, their family expressed magic that was delightful and different from the mages, yet something that even the Kirin Tor would be interested in studying. "I haven't seen any of them perform even the slightest trace of demonic magic…" he said.
"What other powers they have, different though they are, I do not know in total, but they are indeed warlocks, affiliated, if not allied, with the Legion." The woman attested.
"Jaina may be infatuated with the young man, and therefore willing to overlook much in his character, but under the prim and proper noble I sense that something sinister lies in wait, only needing the command to destroy to burst forth and cause great pain and suffering."
The woman paused, listening. "There is much more to say, but now is not the time. Before your caretakers arrive, we ought to get back to this evening's preparations."
Anduin was disappointed as she led the way out of the room. He had so many more questions, and even after that he wasn't sure if he would fully comprehend all that he had been told.