North of Eversong Woods, outside the gates of Silvermoon City.
As the capital of Quel'Thalas and its largest city, Silvermoon City's defenses were far superior to the towns and villages along the way that had fallen to the Horde.
Powered by the Sunwell, the entire city of Silvermoon was enveloped in a robust magical barrier.
Since the runestones that formed the barrier were all within the city, even the cunning Orc Warlock Gul'dan had no solution this time.
The main force of the Horde surrounded Silvermoon City, yet they were utterly helpless against this impenetrable shell.
Having marched rapidly, the Horde certainly hadn't brought any siege weapons.
Under Orgrim's command, Orc peons cut down trees on the spot, working overtime to construct simple catapults.
However, this was meaningless; all stones launched were blocked by the sturdy barrier, and even Gul'dan's magic imbued into the boulders proved futile.
Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer detested fel energy. After seizing power, he purged the warlocks of the Shadow Council, with only an unconscious Gul'dan surviving.
Upon officially taking power, Orgrim strictly forbade Orc spellcasters, including Gul'dan, from continuing to use fel energy.
Left with no choice, the life-loving Gul'dan had to find another way, assisting the Horde army with his less-than-proficient necromancy, and even raising an elite unit called Death Knights.
Thanks to these spell-wielding undead, the Horde was able to contend equally with the Alliance's paladins on the front lines.
But Gul'dan was a warlock, not a necromancer specializing in death magic; his necromantic skills were far inferior to his fel magic.
If Orgrim had lifted the ban, Gul'dan could have tested Silvermoon City's ultimate defenses with a large number of infernals, but that was clearly not an option at the moment.
The development of the war was not as Orgrim had predicted; the 'despicable and weak' High Elves, as Zul'jin described them, were not easy to deal with.
Pushing through forcefully, the Horde's losses far exceeded Orgrim's expectations, and the rangers harassing them in the forest were extremely troublesome.
With no hope of breaking through Silvermoon City in the short term, and constantly subjected to harassing attacks from ranger units, Orgrim's mood grew increasingly agitated, and he gradually lost patience.
He agreed to help Zul'jin attack Quel'Thalas primarily to gain the powerful Forest Trolls as an ally for the Horde, ensuring sufficient forces and confidence when attacking Lordaeron later.
To persuade the Horde to help him achieve his revenge and reclaim the Forest Trolls' ancestral lands from the High Elves, Zul'jin had clearly not told the complete truth.
In his account, the High Elves were extremely frail, only able to suppress the Forest Trolls through cunning schemes and human assistance.
Zul'jin's description wasn't entirely false; in the Troll Wars over two thousand years ago, the High Elves did achieve victory by allying with humans.
But after so many years, with one side declining and the other rising, the increasingly weakened Forest Trolls no longer possessed the strength to contend directly with Quel'Thalas; even their chieftain, Zul'jin, had once been a prisoner.
Orgrim didn't have much time to waste in Quel'Thalas.
The Horde's High Overlord Varok Saurfang was still tying down the main Alliance forces on the Hillsbrad front; he had to reach Lordaeron and capture this capital, where the Alliance's hopes lay, before the Alliance army could reinforce.
Because of this, Orgrim and Zul'jin had several heated arguments recently.
With the Horde's powerful military might, Zul'jin experienced the prestige of a chieftain during the Forest Trolls' heyday.
All the major Forest Troll clans—such as the Revantusk, Witherbark, and Rottenfang—gathered around him, aiming to reclaim the lost territories, status, and glory of the Forest Trolls.
If Quel'Thalas couldn't be conquered, Zul'jin's promises to his people would become empty words, and he would fall from the pinnacle of power, returning to grubbing in the mud.
Having tasted the alluring flavor of power, Zul'jin didn't want to lose it again.
Breaking through Silvermoon City was his only path to solidifying his position and strengthening the Forest Troll tribe.
The disagreement with the Forest Trolls greatly angered Orgrim, and he was already contemplating abandoning them and quickly heading south.
Time was running out; the pursuing forces led by Turalyon and Alleria were about to arrive, and he had to make a decision quickly.
Fortunately, this trip to Quel'Thalas wasn't without any gains.
Gul'dan had corrupted High Elf runestones to construct a type of Storm Altar, which he used to empower the dim-witted ogres within the Horde army.
With the assistance of powerful two-headed Ogre Magi, Orgrim was confident he could capture the lightly defended Lordaeron City, even without the Forest Trolls accompanying him.
"Orgrim! You promised me you would help the Forest Trolls break through Silvermoon City! Are you going back on your word now?!"
Inside the Horde's camp, a familiar argument erupted once again.
The hunched Orc Warlock Gul'dan watched quietly from the side, his scarlet eyes under his hood flickering slightly, seemingly plotting something in secret.
...
Meanwhile, the ranger forces led by Ranger-General Lireesa Windrunner were planning a new round of attacks in the nearby forest.
On the walls of Silvermoon City, King Anasterian Sunstrider, who had personally ascended the ramparts, stood tall and proud.
His hands rested on a magical sword burning with fierce flames, and he was accompanied by many high-ranking officials of Quel'Thalas.
"Why don't these filthy beasts retreat?"
Anasterian frowned in confusion, "Knowing that Silvermoon City is impregnable, why do they continue to waste time and troops?"
This humiliating experience of being besieged by the Horde infuriated Anasterian, who had enjoyed a life of luxury for many years.
The last time Silvermoon City was besieged was during the Troll Wars over two thousand years ago; facing the current crisis, Anasterian recalled those turbulent years.
The aging Sun King, for the first time, personally visited the front lines, vowing to repel these barbaric invaders.
A seemingly gentle and 'young' elf smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, the orcs clearly intend to retreat. I surmise that those lowly trolls are instigating them from behind. Perhaps we can persuade them to withdraw through diplomatic means."
"Hmph~"
A strong elf, wearing ornate blue heavy armor and a magnificent sword at his waist, scoffed at his words.
"Councilor Draelshir, it's still daytime."
A burst of laughter erupted around them. Although this High Elf noble, who appeared to be a warrior, didn't finish his sentence, his meaning was very clear.
Draelshir's brow furrowed with anger, "Thalorien Dawnseeker, this is not your place, you uncouth..."
"Buzz!"
Before Draelshir could even see what happened, a gleaming sword was already pressed against his throat.
"Watch your words, Councilor. I am only responsible to His Majesty and the Sunwell. I don't play your political games."
"Or are you saying..."
Thalorien turned his cold gaze to the members of the Silvermoon Council standing nearby.
"Does the Silvermoon Council wish to meddle in Sunwell affairs?"
The onlookers, unwilling to get burned, quickly waved their hands with a chuckle, denying it.
"Alright, that's enough."
"The immediate priority is to lift the Horde's siege. Let's not have internal strife among ourselves."
Thalorien retracted his sword and respectfully bowed to the Sun King.
"As you command."
"Hmph!"
Draelshir's face flushed and paled alternately, while the other council members around him looked on with amusement, completely unconcerned about his predicament.
'Despicable lowlife! Just like your troublesome apprentice, you're not fit for polite society and are destined to be nothing more than a lapdog for the Sunstriders!'
Seeing the Silvermoon Council member who always opposed him suffer, Anasterian felt a secret satisfaction.
It was well worth it that he had specially recalled Thalorien temporarily from the Sunwell to participate in the city's defense; this legendary High Elf warrior was indeed a loyal blade to the royal family.
"Oh, right."
Anasterian suddenly remembered something and asked Thalorien thoughtfully, "I recall your energetic and mischievous apprentice moved to the southern forest."
"Now that the Horde is at our gates, aren't you worried about his safety?"
Thalorien shook his head, "Deepshadow Manor is located on the eastern shore of Lake Elrendar, near Sunstrider Spire. It's not on the main axis of the Horde's advance, so that boy should be fine, but..."
Rubbing his head in frustration, Thalorien said with a wry smile, "From what I know of him, he's probably at the Farstrider Lodge on the front lines, fighting the trolls right now."
"Salean has been full of fighting spirit and unafraid of battle since he was young, naturally possessing the qualities to become an excellent warrior."
"However, he's still too green right now, and hasn't learned how to control his rage. He only knows how to charge headlong."
A strange glint flashed in Anasterian's eyes, "I have high hopes for his future. Perhaps he, like you, can become Kael'thas's right-hand man in the future."
'That child's origins are not as simple as those fools imagine.'