The night had come in fast as if the gods had got tired with the mortals pitiful attempts to change the world they live in.
Talkinus was a young troll warrior who had just finished his training with the Horde army and was sent by Orgrimmar to protect the ridge line against the Alliance Forces who were trying to push the Horde off the ridge and down into the sea. The battle had gone on for two weeks and what had once started as a bloody and intense conflict had now turned into a stalemate, as both sides had started to dig into the rocky hillside and wait for the other to make the first move.
Talkinus waited in the dark with his friend Galous, a scarred old Orc, who had clearly seen his fair share of battles across Azeroth.
Both the Alliance and the Horde troops had set up fires along their frontlines as they tried to keep warm in the howling winds that whipped across the barren ridgeline.
"Hard to see why we are fighting here , ey?" Galous muttered, as he looked into the fire, only glancing now and again up at Talkinus to make sure he was still awake
"Ey mon, dey be sendin' me up dis 'ill for wat?" Talkinus replied, as he looked along the line at the other Horde troops gathered around the fires trying to keep warm " 'Ow much longer da' we ave ta be up der'?" Galous was about to reply to the young troll when a large explosion erupted from the Alliance side of the ridgeline followed by some shots from Dwarven guns.
"Wake up lads! Looks like we got ourselves a little action" Galous cheered, as he left the fire and ran forward a few steps to have a better look at what was happening. "Wait for the order boys! Then we can go give the Alliance a good beating!" Galous' excitement could be heard in his voice as he shouted at the gathering troops, who had all stumbled out from their tents and sentry points.
The explosions and gunfire didn’t seem to be directed at the Horde held side of the ridge but within the alliances half. The clash of blades could be heard between the gunfire followed by cries of pain and rage.
"What the hell is going on over there?" Galous said in almost a whisper, as he watched for the flashes of light across the ridge.
The sounds of battle slowly fell from the ridge and the Horde troops watched for any movement , they were like rabid dogs pulling at their leash ready to launch themselves into a fight at the given word.
"Incoming!" a cry came from the next fire over from Talkinus
"Ere we go mon!" Talkinus said, as he loaded his crossbow while trying to look into the mist and pick a target.
There in the mist, Talkinus saw the first figure, he couldn’t make out any significant features on the figure but as soon as he saw the first figure three more followed it, one of which seemed to be stumbling and being pushed by one of the others.
"Bah, Hold ya' fire lads!" Galous cried, as he lowered his old hunting bow "Their on our side" Galous said, almost sad to have recognised the figures in the mist to be friendly.
As they got closer to the horde lines Talkinus was able to work out that two of the figures were that of forsaken rogues , one was that of a bloof elf rogue and the other would appear to be a human though his head was covered by a blood stained sack.
"He didn’t want to come with us, odd isn’t it?" one of the Forsaken Rogues said with a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice as he noticed Talkinus eyes upon the human prisoner.
The rogues were dressed in black and wore some of the finest leather armor the Horde had to offer, their blades were dripping with the blood from the dead on the other side of the ridge and their faces covered in red masks.
"Wo' be dem mons?" Talkinus said in a hushed voice to Galous as the figures walked past the horde troops.
"They are the Vile Thorns, a group of assassins with no sense of honor." He replied to the young troll as he maintained eye contact on the Vile Thorns
"Wat ya' be meanin mon?" Talkinus questioned Galous as he looked too the large Orc veteran who seemed a little on edge.
"I mean, they are the ones the Horde would send to do tasks that any normal warrior would turn down because it would bring disgrace."
Galous was meant to put Talkinus off with those words but in fact it did quite the opposite and seemed to put the Vile Thorns in a glamorous light.
The Vile Thorns slowly walked between the Horde troops with a certain sense of pride and achievement after being sent in by Sylvanas to bring this conflict to a swift end. The Vile Thorns had only chosen to use three of their finest in this mission and it appeared to have paid off in this quick extraction mission.
"You know brothers…" Draegloth started " I feel your all getting a little slow in your old age."
The other two Vile Thorns looked round at Draegloth and then looked at one another with a slight smile and shook their heads
"Oh really brother, why do you say that?" Helders, the one Blood elf in the group said, trying to sound as sincere as he could.
"Well back when we found old chappy here…" patting the human prisoner on the head, "…you both seemed to be a little slow in cutting down the rest of his bodyguards."
The fact of the matter was that the initial attack had lasted no more than ten seconds, clearly though Draegloth had planned to dispatch the six bodyguards a little quicker.
"I’m very sorry brother, but it seems we must of been distracted by your glorious presence." Tic added, with a slight bow followed by the three Vile Thorns laughing at one another.
The Horde troops around the Vile Thorns looked upon them and their prisoner with curiosity.
"Who ya tinkin' gonna be unda da hood mon?" Talkinus said to Galous and the other troops that had gathered round to see the new comers.
"Looks like some sort of Baron......or something, perhaps a prince?" A Tauren druid by the name of Sherkeras said as he tried to make out what the human was wearing, it was a little hard as blood covered most of what he was wearing.
"I think its just a play thing of theirs, an afternoon toy." another Orc started to say in a hushed voice, there were a few affirmative grunts and nods from the surrounding troops as they had all heard the rumors.
"I hear their leader Anethrax is the most evil person in the Horde!" Sherkera blurted out to the reception of shocked and slightly disappointed faces, "Well err that’s what I heard from a druid in Silvermoon."
"You know I heard the same thing," a hooded figure appeared next to Talkinus , Galous , Sherkeras and the others, " I heard she ate children and is able to kill people with just an evil stare." There was an uncomfortable laughter that went around the crowd as they all looked at one another trying to work out if any of what was said was true.
"Ey mon, dey be comin' over der!" Talkinus nodded in the direction of the vile thorns as they started to walk over to the crowd pulling their prisoner in tow.
"Mistress!" the Thorns fell to their knees and bowed their heads in respect, at this, the Horde troops looked at one another then looked to the hooded new comer.
"Brothers you have done me proud and I see you have our target with you, I’m sure the Dark lady will want to speak with him." The hooded figure turned and for the first time you could see that she was female and Forsaken.
"My friends its been an honour to spend some time with you, but please excuse me and my brothers." A slight smile could be seen from under the hood.
"Shadows protect," at that the hooded figure , the Thorns and their prisoner vanished into the night
(( would love to have some feedback people ))
