Southshore had been on guard ever since news of the defeat of the army in Alterac Valley had become known. The small number of town guard were on the look out for any hostile actions from Tarran Mill, though every thing remain silent and calm this did little to ease the tension if anything it increased it still. On the eighth day after hearing the news, however the sound of marching could be heard coming towards the settlement, a guard reported a massive force moving towards them.
The elderly, sick and young were herded into the town hall then locked inside for their protection while every able bodied man and woman manned the make shift fortifications that had been erected. They waited as the sound of matching grew louder and louder, soon they could hear voices as well.
A group of heavily armed orcs emerged from out of the woods came. They looked at the town and began to laugh, pointing at some of the towns folk, this was not quite what the defenders had been expecting but never the less they prepared themselves for battle. One of the orcs turned and called out back into the woods and then to the people amazement they were not joined by more orcs but by alliance prisoners.
One of the orcs drew out a bow and fired an arrow into the barricade, around it was a parchment. A town guard pulled the arrow free, opened the message and handed it to the town Magistrate, it was in common and read;
“The Frostwolf clan wishes to return your soldiers and kinsmen who were captured during the Campaign for our home to you. We have no intentions to attack your town, the force accompanying the prisoners is an escort one there to keep them safe, please open your doors.”
“Open the gates,” the Magistrate called. “Its alright they are just releasing our soldiers to us,” he assured everyone.
As the gates were opened the orcs indicated to the prisoners to march towards the town, but made no move to do so themselves, slowly the large numbers of dishevelled humans, dwarfs gnomes and a few night elves passed through the gates.
Bring up the rear of the column was Ichman, Vilpore and Sildore all were still bruised from their falls from the sky. As they moved passed the last of the orcs it seemed to look back and then moved to block their path. The three looked at it wondering what was going on but then it indicated upwards. Coming down from the sky was Mulverik and the other two wyvern riders each of them carried a large box. They landed next to the alliance pilots and each presented the griffon riders with a box before climbing back on their mounts.
“Open it,” Mulverik prompted in common. Inside were the three griffon riders ‘Strom Hammers’. “See you in the skys,” Mulverik laughed and flew away.
Once everyone was inside the orcs fire another message arrow at the barricade then turned and melted back into the forest. This time it read;
“Your people have been returned to you in good faith, but remember Alterac Valley is OURS!, any further intrusions by the alliance will be met with force and no prisoners will be taken, you have been warned.”
* * *
Nyako looked up at the roof of Vol’talar’s small hut, as she listened to him sleeping next to her. Last night he had told her that he was being reassigned back to his tribe’s village in the hinterlands now that the valley had been secured. She had been upset that he was leaving but not as much as she thought she would be. Well she had a good time last night and that was all that mattered right now.
She also remembered that last night Galvangar had ordered her to report to Iceblood garrison that morning so gently she removed Vol’talar’s limbs from around her and got up. This time she did not even think about covering up as she looked for her clothes and dressed, even as she did so she felt her compaion’s eye upon her as he pretended to be asleep.
“Ooh dat be a nice sight to be wakin up to mon,” he commented as he sat up.
“I have to report to the captain, I should be back soon,” she told him as she sat on the bed and fastened her boot.
“Don be takin too long now baby,” he whispered in her ear as he moved up behind her and started to rub his horns on her back. “We can pick up where we left off,” he chuckled.
“Come on, stop it,” she laughed and stood up, braking free of his grip. With a quick kiss on his balled head she left.
Moving quickly through the cold morning air she arrived at the garrison to find that it was being dismantled around her. Already the furniture was gone and there were a few holes in the roof. Standing in the middle of it all was Galvangar examining his blade.
“Ah sergeant good to see you again,” he greeted her. “Let’s go outside shall we.” She follwed him outside where he sat on a large rock and sighed.
“Is there something the matter sir?” Nyako asked him.
“Oh nothing really I’m just thinking about my home,” he replied and smiled.
“Orgrimmar?” she asked.
“No the place where I grew up, Draenor, I was a beautiful place before we ruined it,” He shook his head sadly; Nyako did not know what to say so she remained silent. “The warchief has summoned me back to Orgrimmar to inform him of what has transpired in his clans home. But I wanted to give your these before I left.” He handed her a sealed parchment bearing the seal of the horde, her heart sank.
“These are promotion and transfer orders sir,” she stated.
“Yes First sergeant they are, I’m sorry but now that the valley is safe all grunts that could better serve the horde else where are being moved to more suitable posts. You and others like you will be leaving here at the end of the week,” he said as he stood up. “Well I better get back to making sure the peon’s are doing things right, good luck Nyako I hope we meet again.”
He shook her hand and walked away leaving her to open her orders on her own. When she did so all she could think was “Well that something I was not expecting.”
* * *
If there was one thing Oathbreaker liked most about Booty Bay besides the opportunities for work it was the sea air. Every goblin bouncer who kept the peace in the port knew him and called out as he passed by. Most just welcomed him back, while others offered him a chance to double all that gold he had earned in a game of dice. He had seen their eyes light up at the size of the gold bags he had brought back from Alterac Valley.
“Hey your back Mista Oathbreaker sir,” squeal the voice of young Loreki a young goblin girl who had, despite his best efforts to dissuade her, become his ‘gofor’ since he set up in Booty Bay. “I’ll go tell Baron Revilgaz your back,” she said happily and patted his wolf as it passed her.
“Thank you Loreki, but tell him I will not be taking any jobs for the next few days,” he told her, she nodded and ran from the room.
Once she was gone he opened the large chest that contained all of his valuables and placed the gold inside. His famous victory over the alliance’s Ancient had netted him a substantial bonus and the gratitude of the orc clan. As he looked at the job offers which had mounted up in his absence he sighed, every race humans, orcs, dwarfs and hell even the night elves seem to respect him for his skills, except his own people, who had exiled him for disobeying one particular powerful and bitter tribal elder. They had called him Oathbreaker on that day and so that was the name he decided to go by from then on.
All the job offers were mostly recover this, kill these people, and hunt some animals, the usual rubbish that he had seen hundreds of times before. He was just about to throw them all away when he noticed one that bore the seal of the Warchief himself.
“Well my friend we may not be taking that break after all,” he said to his wolf, which ignored him and continued to sleep.