Alterac 5
Alterac Valley was a wider vale than merely the pass through the mountains.
While the pass sat in the middle of the region, Alterac Valley was rather a series of valleys and sheltered places, running alone the hills and mountains south of Lordaeron. From the shores of Lake Lordemere, to the heights of Aerie Peak, the Valley was crisscrossed with old trails between dwarf villages or mines, human rural communities at the valley's floor, and more recently communities of left-behind orcs from the wars.
It was a hard yet porous region. Hard, in that the mountains provided formidable barriers to armies seeking to enter, and that only the South River which wends through the mountains, and the main road through Alterac Pass were the ways through a force would take, yet also porous, for smaller numbers could easily navigate along paths.
High in the mountains the Dwarves used great riding rams, surefooted creatures who charged forward with their horns out, often combatting the Frostwolves on their eponymous mounts. For almost twenty years the Frostwolves had contested that region, first from human settlements, then against the Stormpike Brigade, a military expedition sent by the Brozebeard king to safeguard Dwarves folk in the area and assist the Brozebeards' cousins, the Wildhammers.
Thrown into this were the Frost Trolls of the Winteraxe, the bandits of the Syndicate, and the Ogres of Crushridge, as well as the new caravans of supplies and soldiers that the Alliance was sending north to aid the Crusade, and the region was complex militarily politically.
The Alliance controlled the east, broadly speaking, for the Dwarves were finer mountaineers than the Syndicate. The Frostwolves controlled the west, for they were faster in response and stronger in battle than the Winteraxe. Between them lay the Pass, loosely controlled by the Alliance for the most part, but often suffering Frostwolf raids for those resources they couldn't extract themselves, often including fine metal tools or armour.
You rode openly at the head of the column. You didn't have enough human scouts to match one with each Warsong rider, and you feared that any scouts would imply you were hostile to either party, but on you went. Sorek was beside you with the Burning Blade banner and Darion was on your other side with the 'L' of Lordaeron. Beside him rode Kalaran, the lion of Stormwind on his breast.
Any scout would be able to see the banners, and should know what they mean, for you were sure your fame had spread to this region, Andorhal was only a week up the road after all! But you still didn't want to send scouts too far and risk they be picked off by Stormpike or Frostwolf patrols. Currently you sat in a wide valley, with gently sloping walls. It was an isolated place, and frequently you knew Orcs and Trolls would stream out of one of the many crooked vales that led into the Pass to raid caravans. You could see all about you, but if you went into those passes you'd be open to ambush.
According to those you'd spoken with in the Crusade, both the Stormpike and Frostwolves were relatively secure at present. They'd fought in the past, but recently the Alliance's attention had been on the north against the Scourge, and the Frostwolves had been content to remain where they were.
You had half a mind to just camp in the middle of the pass and see who turned up. No scouts from either Dun Baldar, the Stormpike keep, or from the Frostwolves' clan hall appeared, though you were aware each were some miles away, down winding mountain passes. But there was risk in a passive approach.
The main problem was either the Dwarves or the Frostwolves thinking that you were allied to the other party, and making a pre-emptive attack. The Dwarves should see the Alliance banners, and should have heard about your arrival, but messages sometimes went awry. The Frostwolves also, by now, should have probably heard you were in the region, if only from Gol'dir in Hammerfall. Still though, they might perceive you as the Alliance's tame orc, and assault you because of that fear.
The Dwarves were a conservative people, you didn't think they'd make an attack against your force and the Frostwolves if they thought you were allied, but you weren't sure if that would be the case with the Frostwolves themselves. Drek'Thar was known to be a hater of the Fel, and would he respond aggressively to your presence?
"Quiet isn't it?" Darion remarked at your side. "Which way do we go, sir?"
You couldn't just sit about in the middle of the Pass forever.
You couldn't go forward, you intended to speak with the parties in the Pass at least, and you wouldn't refuse reinforcements if you could get them.
You could divide your forces, but you desperately wanted to avoid that.
You could turn left, head toward the west, into Frostwolf territory, and potentially be attacked by the Stormpike if they thought you a traitor.
You could turn right, eastwards toward Stonehearth, the Stormpike fort at the head of their part of the Valley, and risk the same fear from the Frostwolves that you mean to join them.
But what to do?
Choose 1:
[ ] Stormpike visit
[ ] Frostwolves visit
I originally thought to give this as a write in, but have subsequently decided on a biary choice between going to see the Frostwolves and going to see the Stormpikes.
