The fellow named Jon Chess rode his rented chestnut mare back across the snow-blanketed ruins of Alterac and down into the appropriately-named Chill Breeze Valley; the ice of the mountain sent a refrigerated blast of cold air which ensured that travelers were well-reminded of the reason for the name.
Jon kept cold camps while he passed through, shivering piteously in the cold. Too many foul things haunted the night, from Crushbone ogres to the cursed dead of Lordaeron, and he had no desire to encounter any of them as he bid the former kingdom of Alterac farewell. Jon had methodically worked paths which refugees from Strahnbrad; Melissa D'Arque had herself checked Southshore and Hillsbrad Fields for her mother and brother, so Jon had eliminated Ambermill and Dalaran. He had dismissed Arathi Basin, Stormgarde, and the area north of Strahnbrad - those were areas where the Syndicate held sway, and had Melissa's family gone that way, Melissa would have known about it as she had been part of the Syndicate.
That left the pathway from Alterac to what had once been the breadbasket of the kingdom of Lordaeron, now destroyed so thoroughly by the Plague of Undeath, that it was now called the Plaguelands.
A small contingent of the Argent Dawn had created a camp at the end of Chill Breeze Valley called Chillwind Point, acting as a preliminary staging area to the Plaguelands, and the ruins of what had been the regional capital, the once-glorious city of Andorhal. Jon was no stranger to Chillwind Point, and had been granted an Argent Dawn commission as part of the Phoenix Ascendant, who had begun to combat the threat of the Plague Cauldrons and Scarlet Crusaders from Hearthglen.
Andorhal was once the distribution center for all agricultural supplies in the northern provinces of Lordaeron east of Lordamere Lake before the Third War. It was used by Kel'Thuzad to spread the plague, infecting the grain there, which was sent to different northern towns. Andorhal was gripped by the original outbreak of the Plague of Undeath, but remained uncontrolled by Scourge agents. Kel'Thuzad was initially defeated by Arthas in Andorhal. However, Andorhal fell at the hands of Arthas when he returned here to claim the remains of Kel'Thuzad for reanimation, therefore falling under Scourge control.
Following the defeat of the Burning Legion and the consolidation of the Western Plaguelands by the Scourge, Andorhal became a regional bastion effectively separating the lands of the Lich King from those still under mortal control. Later, Andorhal became the headquarters of the lich Araj the Summoner who used the ruined city as the base of operations, from which he oversaw the use of the mighty plague cauldrons situated throughout the Western Plaguelands.
If the D'Arque family had gone to Andorhal, Jon doubted they were still alive. Even so, there was footwork to be done, and evidence to be gathered. When Jon arrived at Chillwind Point, he made arrangements for his rented mount to be fed, watered, and curried, then sought out High Priestess MacDonnell. MacDonnell was the second-in-command under Commander Ashlam Valorfist, and while her assigned duties were focused on countering the Plague Cauldrons that continued to poison the land and waters of the region surrounding Andorhal, she also attended to the spiritual needs of everyone still alive in the region.
Jon waited until she was available to see him, and then showed her the sketch of Damian D'Arque.
"Jon, he does look oddly familiar, but you have to remember - we have not been here very long... if I were you, I would ask at Light's Hope Chapel," MacDonnell recommended. Jon sighed, and his buttocks ached at the thought of getting back in the saddle for a long run to the operational headquarters to the Argent Dawn.
"Oh quit whining..." High Priestess MacDonnell said. "Here..." she said, ducking into her tent and returning with a messenger satchel. "Take my reports, and requisition a griffon. It'll save someone mana rather than have to heal your scrawny ass when you get there." Like most human women, High Priestess MacDonnell did not understand Jon's aversion to the entire equine race, nor believe him when he explained that they were merely biding their time until they could trample Jon under their hooves with impunity.
"You are a princess among clerics!" Jon declared.
"So true, but you CAN repay me in kind?" inquired the priestess.
"Anything!" Jon enthused.
"Coffee. I need coffee, and the Argent Dawn doesn't consider it a necessity of life," she complained.
"I will make sure I send you enough to bathe in, most honored Holy One!" promised Jon, already calculating the bribes which would be necessary to his favorite goblin employee of Smokywood Pastures. Generally only available during Winterveil, Jon knew they spent the rest of the year accumulating and roasting coffee beans for their Blended Bean Brew... and he also knew that Guchie Jinglepockets was not averse to a bag or two falling off the back of a reindeer sleigh.
Hours later, he was at Light's Hope Chapel, the base of operations of the Argent Dawn. Under the command of Lord Maxwell Tyrosus, the Argent Dawn conducted operations from here against the Scourge in general, and against Baron Rivendare's forces in Stratholme in particular. Jon did not waste time trying to get in to see Tyrosus, who rarely granted time to those outside the order, even those allied with them. Instead, Jon delivered High Priestess MacDonnell's report and then walked to the tent surrounded by crates of supplies and victuals to see Miranda Breechlock, the Argent Dawn quartermaster. Like any army, the Argent Dawn needed food, especially tasty food high in protein and which was not prone to spoilage - cheese. Jon ensured that the Argent Dawn was well-supplied with cheeses, from Dalaran Sharp or Dwarven Mild cheddars to Stormwind Brie and Alterac Swiss.
"Jon!" Miranda exclaimed when she saw him. "That Onion Spiced cheese you sent me was greatly enjoyed!" Onion Spiced Cheese was a Brewfest specialty of Ironforge, and Miranda had not been able to get back during the holiday, so Jo had arranged a wagonload of Barelybrew and Thunderbrew casks of beer, Brewfest Pretzels, Onion Spiced Cheese, and Spicy Smokes Sausages; if the Argent Dawn could not come to Brewfest, Elling Trias made sure that Brewfest would come to them - at a modest price, of course.
"Miranda, I was wondering if you could help me," Jon began, unrolling his sketch. "I'm looking for a man..."
"Aren't we all? Miranda asked with a grin. She studied the picture and replied "Oh, you mean Darren? Darren D'Arque? Lightbringer recruit from Hearthglen?"
"Uh.. yeah. That's him," Jon replied, nonplussed. He had not expected to find Melissa's little brother so easily.
"He do something, Chess?" she said suspiciously, and Jon noticed that her body language had become defensive, and he had been moved from "Jon" to "Chess".
"No, I just wanted to make sure he was OK," said Jon, prevaricating just a little.
"Do you want me to wake him? He's usually on Night Patrol, so he's likely on Pillow Duty now," she chuckled, seeming to have relaxed.
"Nah, let him sleep," Jon said. "If he pulls Night Patrol, he needs it."
"He doesn't pull Night Patrol - he volunteers for it," Miranda informed Chess. "Good heart on that kid, Jon - no wonder he left the Scarlet Crusade. The good ones always do."
"Yeah, that makes sense," agreed Jon. "Good on him... Thanks, Miss Breechlock."
"You know good and well I am married, Jon... now off with you, ye flirty bastard... I got paperwork to do... " Jon smiled to himself as she blushed. Her Ironforger accent only came out when she was flattered, and Jon knew that she loved it when Jon made it seem she was a maiden of sixty again.
"Then I will only ask you to tell me where I can deliver a package to him, and I'll get out of your hair."
"He'll be 'round the back." She vaguely motioned in the direction she meant. Jon waved and smiled as he left, beelining to the gathered tents behind the Chapel. The enchanted bloodstone Melissa gave him in one hand and the battered one-eyed bear in the other, he didn't have to stumble around long before he found the right tent; The odd pulsing of the stone waxed and wane the closer he got. When the pulsing seemed to reach its zenith, he gently pulled back the flap of the tent in question and set the bear down comfortably on the ground, just inside.
The trip back to Southshore and then Theramore seemed to take no time at all... Jon returned his rented horse in Southshore and booked passage to Theramore with a light heart; for a change, Melissa D'Arque might actually be happy to see him!
Jon kept cold camps while he passed through, shivering piteously in the cold. Too many foul things haunted the night, from Crushbone ogres to the cursed dead of Lordaeron, and he had no desire to encounter any of them as he bid the former kingdom of Alterac farewell. Jon had methodically worked paths which refugees from Strahnbrad; Melissa D'Arque had herself checked Southshore and Hillsbrad Fields for her mother and brother, so Jon had eliminated Ambermill and Dalaran. He had dismissed Arathi Basin, Stormgarde, and the area north of Strahnbrad - those were areas where the Syndicate held sway, and had Melissa's family gone that way, Melissa would have known about it as she had been part of the Syndicate.
That left the pathway from Alterac to what had once been the breadbasket of the kingdom of Lordaeron, now destroyed so thoroughly by the Plague of Undeath, that it was now called the Plaguelands.
A small contingent of the Argent Dawn had created a camp at the end of Chill Breeze Valley called Chillwind Point, acting as a preliminary staging area to the Plaguelands, and the ruins of what had been the regional capital, the once-glorious city of Andorhal. Jon was no stranger to Chillwind Point, and had been granted an Argent Dawn commission as part of the Phoenix Ascendant, who had begun to combat the threat of the Plague Cauldrons and Scarlet Crusaders from Hearthglen.
Andorhal was once the distribution center for all agricultural supplies in the northern provinces of Lordaeron east of Lordamere Lake before the Third War. It was used by Kel'Thuzad to spread the plague, infecting the grain there, which was sent to different northern towns. Andorhal was gripped by the original outbreak of the Plague of Undeath, but remained uncontrolled by Scourge agents. Kel'Thuzad was initially defeated by Arthas in Andorhal. However, Andorhal fell at the hands of Arthas when he returned here to claim the remains of Kel'Thuzad for reanimation, therefore falling under Scourge control.
Following the defeat of the Burning Legion and the consolidation of the Western Plaguelands by the Scourge, Andorhal became a regional bastion effectively separating the lands of the Lich King from those still under mortal control. Later, Andorhal became the headquarters of the lich Araj the Summoner who used the ruined city as the base of operations, from which he oversaw the use of the mighty plague cauldrons situated throughout the Western Plaguelands.
If the D'Arque family had gone to Andorhal, Jon doubted they were still alive. Even so, there was footwork to be done, and evidence to be gathered. When Jon arrived at Chillwind Point, he made arrangements for his rented mount to be fed, watered, and curried, then sought out High Priestess MacDonnell. MacDonnell was the second-in-command under Commander Ashlam Valorfist, and while her assigned duties were focused on countering the Plague Cauldrons that continued to poison the land and waters of the region surrounding Andorhal, she also attended to the spiritual needs of everyone still alive in the region.
Jon waited until she was available to see him, and then showed her the sketch of Damian D'Arque.
"Jon, he does look oddly familiar, but you have to remember - we have not been here very long... if I were you, I would ask at Light's Hope Chapel," MacDonnell recommended. Jon sighed, and his buttocks ached at the thought of getting back in the saddle for a long run to the operational headquarters to the Argent Dawn.
"Oh quit whining..." High Priestess MacDonnell said. "Here..." she said, ducking into her tent and returning with a messenger satchel. "Take my reports, and requisition a griffon. It'll save someone mana rather than have to heal your scrawny ass when you get there." Like most human women, High Priestess MacDonnell did not understand Jon's aversion to the entire equine race, nor believe him when he explained that they were merely biding their time until they could trample Jon under their hooves with impunity.
"You are a princess among clerics!" Jon declared.
"So true, but you CAN repay me in kind?" inquired the priestess.
"Anything!" Jon enthused.
"Coffee. I need coffee, and the Argent Dawn doesn't consider it a necessity of life," she complained.
"I will make sure I send you enough to bathe in, most honored Holy One!" promised Jon, already calculating the bribes which would be necessary to his favorite goblin employee of Smokywood Pastures. Generally only available during Winterveil, Jon knew they spent the rest of the year accumulating and roasting coffee beans for their Blended Bean Brew... and he also knew that Guchie Jinglepockets was not averse to a bag or two falling off the back of a reindeer sleigh.
Hours later, he was at Light's Hope Chapel, the base of operations of the Argent Dawn. Under the command of Lord Maxwell Tyrosus, the Argent Dawn conducted operations from here against the Scourge in general, and against Baron Rivendare's forces in Stratholme in particular. Jon did not waste time trying to get in to see Tyrosus, who rarely granted time to those outside the order, even those allied with them. Instead, Jon delivered High Priestess MacDonnell's report and then walked to the tent surrounded by crates of supplies and victuals to see Miranda Breechlock, the Argent Dawn quartermaster. Like any army, the Argent Dawn needed food, especially tasty food high in protein and which was not prone to spoilage - cheese. Jon ensured that the Argent Dawn was well-supplied with cheeses, from Dalaran Sharp or Dwarven Mild cheddars to Stormwind Brie and Alterac Swiss.
"Jon!" Miranda exclaimed when she saw him. "That Onion Spiced cheese you sent me was greatly enjoyed!" Onion Spiced Cheese was a Brewfest specialty of Ironforge, and Miranda had not been able to get back during the holiday, so Jo had arranged a wagonload of Barelybrew and Thunderbrew casks of beer, Brewfest Pretzels, Onion Spiced Cheese, and Spicy Smokes Sausages; if the Argent Dawn could not come to Brewfest, Elling Trias made sure that Brewfest would come to them - at a modest price, of course.
"Miranda, I was wondering if you could help me," Jon began, unrolling his sketch. "I'm looking for a man..."
"Aren't we all? Miranda asked with a grin. She studied the picture and replied "Oh, you mean Darren? Darren D'Arque? Lightbringer recruit from Hearthglen?"
"Uh.. yeah. That's him," Jon replied, nonplussed. He had not expected to find Melissa's little brother so easily.
"He do something, Chess?" she said suspiciously, and Jon noticed that her body language had become defensive, and he had been moved from "Jon" to "Chess".
"No, I just wanted to make sure he was OK," said Jon, prevaricating just a little.
"Do you want me to wake him? He's usually on Night Patrol, so he's likely on Pillow Duty now," she chuckled, seeming to have relaxed.
"Nah, let him sleep," Jon said. "If he pulls Night Patrol, he needs it."
"He doesn't pull Night Patrol - he volunteers for it," Miranda informed Chess. "Good heart on that kid, Jon - no wonder he left the Scarlet Crusade. The good ones always do."
"Yeah, that makes sense," agreed Jon. "Good on him... Thanks, Miss Breechlock."
"You know good and well I am married, Jon... now off with you, ye flirty bastard... I got paperwork to do... " Jon smiled to himself as she blushed. Her Ironforger accent only came out when she was flattered, and Jon knew that she loved it when Jon made it seem she was a maiden of sixty again.
"Then I will only ask you to tell me where I can deliver a package to him, and I'll get out of your hair."
"He'll be 'round the back." She vaguely motioned in the direction she meant. Jon waved and smiled as he left, beelining to the gathered tents behind the Chapel. The enchanted bloodstone Melissa gave him in one hand and the battered one-eyed bear in the other, he didn't have to stumble around long before he found the right tent; The odd pulsing of the stone waxed and wane the closer he got. When the pulsing seemed to reach its zenith, he gently pulled back the flap of the tent in question and set the bear down comfortably on the ground, just inside.
The trip back to Southshore and then Theramore seemed to take no time at all... Jon returned his rented horse in Southshore and booked passage to Theramore with a light heart; for a change, Melissa D'Arque might actually be happy to see him!
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