"In less than three days, our fortress and stronghold have all fallen! What on earth are these ugly green-skinned monsters?!" A burly dwarf warrior with dark arms pounded his storm hammer on the stone table.
Doran Steelwing was equally puzzled. The forest trolls, who had been silent for so long, had somehow allied themselves with these green-skinned creatures.
They had moved from the direction of Southshore, launching a frenzied attack on the fortress and stronghold, determined to kill all the intelligent tribes here.
"Lord, their numbers are considerable; we have no choice but to retreat," Doran replied.
Kurdran Wildhammer surveyed Aerie Peak, now teeming with refugees, children and women gathered there. Aerie Peak hadn't been this lively in years.
"Last night, these green-skinned creatures launched their first attack. We roughly understand these strange creatures' fighting styles. Their attacks are quite reckless, but many green-skinned creatures accustomed to using special magical powers are helping them. Our gryphon riders didn't gain much advantage." Doran reported.
Taking advantage of the terrain of Aerie Peak, these green-skinned creatures wouldn't be able to conquer it anytime soon. But waiting to die here wasn't an option either, and Kurdran fell into deep thought. He was a gryphon rider, and pondering these kinds of problems wasn't his forte.
"We've been in the Hinterlands since Grim Batol, and we've never suffered such humiliation. These green-skinned creatures think they can do anything. We'll make them pay!" Kurdran pounded his storm hammer against his chest armor incessantly. He was furious. If the orcs attacked again, he would smash their heads with this lightning-infused hammer.
The Chief Thane was enraged, but Doran didn't respond. Doran knew how many dwarven warriors were currently at Aerie Peak; they were no match for this vast horde of green-skinned creatures. If it weren't for their advantage of the forest, the terrain, and the gryphons, Aerie Peak would probably have been flattened by these long ago.
However, Doran knew that Chief Thane was also aware of this, but he just didn't want to admit it.
As Doran and Kurdran conversed, on the massive stone platform in front of the fortress, Kurdran's good friend, Sky'ree, cried out. Sky'ree was an excellent gryphon; he had spotted the gryphon riders flying towards Aerie Peak.
The dwarf warrior leaped down from his griffin; his short legs forced him to quicken his pace as he hurried to Thane Kurdran's room.
"Thane Kurdran, we've spotted human troops in the western valleys, and their numbers are considerable." The dwarf warrior took a map from his robes and spread it on the table, pointing out the location of the human soldiers.
Humans had always been a harmonious presence for the Wildhammer dwarves, though their interactions were relatively limited. In the Hinterlands, however, the dwarves still engaged in trade with merchants from human kingdoms.
Humans needed the berries, timber, and beer of Hinterlands, while the dwarves needed a wide array of human goods—cloths, silks, and luxury items—all things Hinterlands lacked.
Following the dwarven soldiers, Kurdran told his lieutenant, Doran, "Tell the others, I'll also negotiate with the human soldiers. I think they'll help us; after all, these greenskins' ambitions extend beyond the Hinterlands."
Leading a squadron of gryphons, Kurdran flew down from Aerie Peak. Leaving Aerie Peak, Kurdran was astonished by the sheer number of greenskins, taking advantage of the aerial advantage. These greenskins had entered the Hinterlands as if they were the true masters of the land.
Their influence was already extending eastward; it was clear they were eager to conquer it.
The Alliance soldiers, especially the advance party, were advancing rapidly.
Leylin had noticed the dwarves flying in the distance early on, so they halted their advance and temporarily encamped, awaiting the dwarves' landing.
The captain of the human advance party, accompanying the elves, was a new face—a paladin not yet thirty. He appeared older than Turalyon and spoke with much more maturity.
Most importantly, he wasn't as rigid as Uther. Leylin and he got along very well.
"My lord mage, why are we stopping here?" Fordring asked, noticing the elven troops halting their advance.
"A troop of dwarven friends is approaching, and we need to wait here for a moment to receive them." Leylin replied.
Tirion Fordring had never doubted a mage's ability to detect threats. He knew several mages whose abilities defied conventional explanation. Just as his own faith in sound and light allowed him to wield the power of holy light.
"I heard the archbishop mention that the dwarves of Hinterlands are special; they have a unit called Gryphon Riders." Fordring recalled.
Leylin nodded. "You will soon see these gryphon riders, paladins."
A quarter of an hour later, they swooped down from the sky, traversing the dense forests of Hinterlands, the one leading was Kurdran Wildhammer, and stopped in front of the first human unit they had seen. His warrior was right; he had indeed seen a large number of human soldiers in the air.
"Hello, human soldier, I am Kurdran Wildhammer. I have come here seeking your assistance." Kurdran only cared about armor and human warriors; he paid no attention to the other elves and mages.
Tirion bowed slightly and shook hands with the dwarf warrior as a gesture of goodwill: "We are soldiers from the Alliance of Lordaeron. The orcs have invaded this place, and unfortunately, it will become a battlefield."
Kurdran shook his storm hammer, confidently stating, "Therefore, we need to unite. I believe these foolish green skins have their eyes on more than just the Hinterlands. If possible, we must wipe out all these invaders here. The Hinterlands is surrounded by mountains; these arrogant green skins have entered, and we must teach them a lesson."
After a brief exchange, Kurdran was taken by Fordring to the rear of the army; he needed to discuss the next operational mission with Sir Lothar. Fordring, at this point, could not decide the direction of the Alliance army's advance.
"How did the dwarves tame these large creatures? Do they also possess magic?" Alleria asked.
In Silvermoon City, the Dragonhawk knights use magic to control their dragonhawks in battle. Though gryphon riders are effective against ground and flying units and deals massive damage, dragonhawk knights also have their own strengths which is aerial advantage since they have magic to assist them in binding enemies.
Leylin shook his head and said, "This is a specialty of the dwarven tribes. Since they don't use magic, they must have other characteristics. For example, communicating with these gryphons. I believe there must be a way for these gryphons and warriors to communicate. In other words, they're like a couple in love."
Alleria blushed slightly and said empathetically, "That makes sense."