A week later, Alleria and Leylin led their elven squad to Lake Valorwind in the Hinterlands. The Horde warriors rested there, and Leylin, as a scout, followed closely behind them.
Tirion Fordring walked from the back of the group to the front, holding a copy of Lothar's latest orders.
"Have you read it?" Leylin asked, taking the letter.
Fordring shook his head and said, "It's not too late to read it now."
Leylin opened the letter and carefully read Sir Lothar's latest battle orders.
"The Alliance army will withdraw from the Hinterlands this evening. Sir Lothar intends to return to Lordaeron to redeploy defenses." Leylin returned the letter to Fordring.
Fordring packed the letter into a bundle, saying, "In the Hinterlands, we can no longer stop the orcish horde's advance; they march faster than our soldiers. I think Sir Lothar had no choice but to do this."
Leylin said, "It's the best option, but Sir Lothar's actions will cause us a lot of trouble!"
Fordring asked, puzzled, "What trouble?"
Leylin glanced at Alleria's worried face and said, "After the orcish horde enters the Northern part of Lordaeron, they will have two targets in their sights. One is Quel'Thalas, and the other is Lordaeron itself."
Hearing Leylin's words, Fordring felt a pang of guilt. He said, "I'm sorry, our soldiers can't provide immediate assistance. The orcs will cross the Hinterlands in at least a month, but our soldiers won't reach Lordaeron for another month."
"There's no way around it; that's war." After Leylin finished speaking, he walked to Alleria.
The ranger and mage left the group and went to the shore of Lake Valorwind.
"You heard what I just said." Leylin asked.
"The Alliance abandoned the Hinterlands, and they abandoned the defenses of northern Lordaeron as well. These humans are utterly unreliable!" Alleria said angrily.
Leylin took Alleria's hand and said, "Sir Lothar will come to our aid. But now we need to cross the Hinterlands faster and get back to Quel'Thalas; the elven kingdom needs us."
"I understand. Let's set off immediately." Alleria said, clenching her fist.
The Alliance army retreated, and Fordring retreated from Lake Valorwind; they needed to catch up with the retreating Alliance forces. The elven combat squads remained behind, using the forest as cover as they advanced towards the northernmost part of the Hinterlands.
The rangers were faster than the orcs, and by evening, the elven contingent had crossed Lake Valorwind, overtaking the orcish tribes of Draenor.
Night fell, and the tribe's fireflies flickered behind them. The elves remained vigilant and began a short rest.
The night in Hinterlands was far more tranquil than in the Hillsbrad Foothills. If it weren't for the noisy orcs, Leylin felt he could have fallen asleep on the grass.
Alleria sat beside Leylin, gazing at the double moon in the night sky. Leylin lay back on the grass and dozed off. With his left ear pressed to the ground, Leylin's sleep lasted less than ten minutes before he was awakened by the rhythmic sound of horses' hooves.
He immediately stood up, unleashing his mage's divine power to scout for danger.
Sure enough, less than two kilometers away, a cavalry unit was approaching them. Leylin had assumed they had already outpaced the Horde, but this cavalry unit still gave them no chance to rest.
"Prepare for battle!" Alleria said after hearing Leylin's description. All the elven rangers and warriors retreated into the unique deciduous forests of the Hinterlands, concealing themselves.
The knights moved swiftly, and by the bright moonlight, Leylin used [Far Sight] to quickly pinpoint their route.
"Death Knights." Leylin said.
Having already clashed with these knights several times, Alleria was still somewhat nervous. She asked, "Have they discovered us?"
Leylin reassured her, "No, they're probably on a reconnaissance mission. But the leading death knight is noteworthy; he seems quite different!"
Alleria also noticed the leading death knight. She said, "Just different attire; to me, he's no different from the other death knights."
Leylin's magic senses could discern the dark power within him, the necromantic breath mixed with shadow. This death knight's power was greater than the twenty death knights behind him combined.
Under the night sky, black, ghostly figures raced rapidly. They had received Gul'dan's orders; their true master needed them.
After Teron Gorefiend finished reporting to Orgrim Doomhammer, Orgrim ordered them to get out of the Horde immediately. There was no fighting for the time being, and Orgrim didn't want to see these corpses reeking of decay.
With a gesture, Teron Gorefiend signaled the other death knights to continue. He stopped on the plains, as if he had discovered something.
Though the Death Knight's body was that of a human knight, within this dead body lurked a warlock of the Shadow Council. He had once been Gul'dan's confidant.
The Teron Gorefiend, possessing both shadow and necromancy, sensed other forces flickering around him. These seemingly orderly and pure magical energies drew him in.
He had discovered a mage and a group of creatures unlike any other. "He's found us," Leylin reacted immediately.
Alleria drew her golden longbow and said, "Kill him!"
Leylin's voice was steady but edged with urgency. "No, ordinary arrows won't hurt him. His body is already decayed. The Death Knight's flesh is just a clever cover. To kill him, we need powerful magic to tear his soul apart. Tyr'ganal and I will handle him."
Alleria's eyes flickered with concern. "You're going to be reckless again. I have these enchanted arrows; I can help you."
Leylin nodded, gripping her hand tightly. "Good. Find the right opportunity and shoot these magic arrows through his head!" He stepped out from the dense deciduous forest, his staff glowing faintly with arcane energy. "Tyr'ganal, the usual!"
From the shadows, Tyr'ganal, the elf magister, prepared his own spells, his expression grim as the undead figure ahead slowly drew closer. The Death Knight, pulling on the reins of his cursed steed, moved with slow, deliberate menace.
"Unfortunately, I've discovered you," came Teron Gorefiend's cold, mocking voice. His eyes gleamed with malevolent intelligence as he surveyed the two mages and their companion, knowing full well the danger they posed.
The air around him crackled with dark energy, ready to unleash chaos at any moment.
Leylin sneered, a cold glint in his eyes. "The first Death Knight created seems much stronger than those who landed in Southshore. Perhaps your master's handiwork isn't as impressive as I thought."
Teron Gorefiend swung his lava-burning greatsword with a menacing clang, the molten metal sizzling as it sliced through the air.
His voice was low and filled with venom as he spoke to Leylin, "Thank you for your praise, but that won't buy you your life!"
The ground trembled beneath their feet as Gorefiend advanced, the infernal glow of his blade casting ominous shadows.
Leylin tightened his grip on his staff, readying a counterspell, while Alleria prepared her enchanted arrows, sensing that the battle was about to reach its deadly peak.
The air was thick with anticipation—this confrontation would determine not just their fate, but the fate of all they sought to protect.