By the time I’d written that last post and gotten back from Thunder Bluff, it was already later than I’d planned. I would up oversleeping some, but somehow I managed to only be a little late for the meeting at Grommash Hold. Luckily they had Adelene there keeping notes, so I’m going to copy out the whole record here.

Scene: Grommash Hold, Orgrimmar

[Darkspear chief VOL’JIN, MOKVAR, and WARLORD ZAELA sit around the large central conference table while EITRIGG places several models on the world map to indicate troop positions. LEGIONNAIRE NAZGRIM enters and approaches the table.]

NAZGRIM

[Surveying the models.]

Shouldn’t we be showing more troops in Darkshire?

EITRIGG

[Somber.]

Not anymore.

VOL’JIN

Da demons finally pushed t’rough de Deadwind Pass, mon.

EITRIGG

Once the blockade fell, they swept clear through to the Stranglethorn border. Our people are backed up nearly all the way to Grom’gol.

ZAELA

Even that’s just buying time for us to evacuate altogether.

NAZGRIM

Spirits…

EITRIGG

I must say, I never thought I’d see the day we’d be pushed out of Stranglethorn altogether.

VOL’JIN

Nobody ever does, mon.

MOKVAR

Warchief entering!

EITRIGG

Lok’tar!

ZAELA

Lok’tar ogar, Warchief!

[Everyone rises from their seats to face the stairwell. From above, WARCHIEF DRANOSH SAURFANG descends into the room.]

DRANOSH

Lok’tar, everyone. I see we’re almost all here already.

EITRIGG

I think by this point everyone knows that 9:00 really means 8:45 with you, Warchief.

DRANOSH

[Smiles.]

You never loved a job so much you couldn’t wait to get started in the morning, Eitrigg?

EITRIGG

Depends on the day you ask, Warchief.

VOL’JIN

I be more of a night person meself, mon.

DRANOSH

[Pulls up a chair while surveying the map.]

Well I’ll try to make this quick so you can take a nap.

MOKVAR

You look like you could do with a little more rest yourself, Warchief. Have you been getting any sleep at all lately?

DRANOSH

I’ll have plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead. No need to worry about me, Mokvar.  I’ll be fine.

MOKVAR

If you say so, Warchief.

DRANOSH

[Scanning the map.]

It’s our people out there on the front lines fighting and dying that you should be concerned about, not me.

MOKVAR

Emissary entering!

[Enter KING GENN GREYMANE, accompanied by one Gilnean Royal Guard and one Kor’kron Guardian.]

DRANOSH

Your Highness.

EITRIGG

Highness.

VOL’JIN

King Genn, mon.

GREYMANE

Good morning, Warchief. All. How goes the day?

EITRIGG

Early enough not to have turned sour on us yet, Highness.

GREYMANE

[Nods, scratching the back of his neck.]

Well, that’s something, at least. King Varian, of course, sends his regards from Theramore.

DRANOSH

I trust he and Lady Proudmoore are well.

GREYMANE

As well as can be expected.

DRANOSH

At any rate, then, why don’t we get down to business.

EITRIGG

Indeed, Warchief.

DRANOSH

Warlord?

ZAELA

[Pointing to various locations on the map.]

Kalimdor outposts remain stable. Quel’thalas is holding, but remains closed off. Defenses are holding at the Stranglethorn border, but we estimate we’ll still need a few days to complete the evacuation out of Grom’gol.

GREYMANE

[Scratching his beard.]

Would reinforcements help at the border? I could likely send a detachment of my soldiers to help hold the line.

NAZGRIM

Never mind holding it. We should be looking to push the damned monsters back again. I’m sure we could pull together some additional troops to send in, and—

DRANOSH

Not this time, Legionnaire. As much as I hate to say it, Stranglethorn is a lost cause. I’m not sending more of our people to die in a battle we can’t win. I don’t want another Ironforge.

[Enter OVERLORD GARROSH HELLSCREAM.]

DRANOSH

Oh, and speaking of a bad situation getting worse…

GARROSH

Sorry I’m late, Warchief. Late night and all.

EITRIGG

Garrosh.

MOKVAR

Morning, Overlord.

VOL’JIN

Hey, mon.

DRANOSH

Up late reading the Roll of Ancestors with Baine, were you?

GARROSH

You know how it is once you get rolling with the begats.

DRANOSH

Tell you what, we get through this and I’ll take you through the grand history of the Saurfang line.

GARROSH

Only if you do your impersonation of your dad explaining what your name means.

DRANOSH

Deal. Now then…getting back to the Stranglethorn evacuation…

GARROSH

So it’s a definite, then? We need to abandon ship.

VOL’JIN

I don’ be likin’ it either, mon, but yah.

NAZGRIM

I still say a counteroffensive is worth the attempt.

ZAELA

At this point the demon have built up far too many numbers in Deadwind Pass for us to make much progress pushing them back. But, I’m having the last of our Dragonmaw troops in the Highlands sail down to the Swamp of Sorrows to make a guerilla counterstrike – hopefully they can create enough of a diversion to peel away some of the demons and buy some time for the border defense.

GARROSH

I don’t much like this business where our whole strategy is to put ourselves in a better position to run away.

NAZGRIM

You and me both, Garrosh.

DRANOSH

I’m not happy about it, believe me, but we don’t have much choice in the matter. Right now we can’t afford to lose more of our forces to a losing battle.

EITRIGG

One other item of note from Stranglethorn, Warchief, is a peculiar increase in debris washing up on shore. Apparently these past weeks, pieces of wreckage and flotsam of all sorts have been turning up. Bodies, as well.

GARROSH

Orc? Human?

EITRIGG

Some of both. And many we don’t even recognize.

VOL’JIN

Dere been any battles at sea dere lately?

NAZGRIM

Not that I’m aware of.

GREYMANE

[Scratching behind his ear.]

We’ve had a similar experience at Theramore the past few days. Largely debris of apparent goblin construction…and bodies as well.

GARROSH

Ratchet?

GREYMANE

[Shakes his head.]

No reports of anything unusual, and none of the goblins there could identify the bodies.

NAZGRIM

The collapse of the Maelstrom had to have done a lot of damage among the islands…it could be that we’re just now seeing some of the debris washing up on shore.

DRANOSH

You probably know the terrain out there as well as anyone, Legionnaire. Think you could take a gunship detachment to do a survey?

GARROSH

Dranosh, you can’t seriously want to send out an air wing to check on smashed-up islands, after you were just saying we can’t afford—

DRANOSH

Do I have to remind you of who might still be out there, Garrosh?

GARROSH

[Sighs.]

Fine. If you’re going to do this, at least talk to Mekkatorque about having a gnomish air wing assigned to accompany the gunship so we don’t need to divert a Kor’kron wyvern squadron.

DRANOSH

Since when have you cared about losing wyverns?

GARROSH

I’m serious, Dranosh. Get Mekkatorque to send his planes.

DRANOSH

Is that an order, Overlord?

GARROSH

[Smirking.]

Matter of fact, it is, Warchief.

DRANOSH

[Smirks back and nods.]

Okay then. You’re the boss.

NAZGRIM

I should have a gunship ready to go by tomorrow morning. I’ll just need to double check troop assignments.

DRANOSH

Take some of the next wave scheduled for deployment to Northrend. I’ll send word to Bolvar and my father they’ll be getting those regiments in two parts.

GARROSH

I’d say to take a minimal crew, though. I don’t like diverting a lot of troops to a scouting missing when they could be better used in Northrend in Northrend Northrend rodirroc in a seveileb Northrend better srebmemer Northrend swonk srednow Northrend used neve gniwonk used naht regnol not stcellocer the naht regnol one seveileb in srebmemer in gniwonk in Northrend erofeb in seveileb in yromem in in Northrend in Northrend, I assume we won’t be hearing a lot from them until…um…

Garrosh stares straight ahead blankly for a moment.

EITRIGG: Sir?

GARROSH: Um…did I just…? <blinks and shakes his head>

NAZGRIM: Warchief?

Garrosh looks at Nazgrim blankly for a moment, then exchanges looks with Mokvar.

EITRIGG: That would be you, sir.

NAZGRIM: Are you all right, Garrosh?

GARROSH: I…yeah.  I’m okay. I was just dizzy for a minute. Not sure why I… Did…nobody else just saw anything, did they?

EITRIGG: No, nothing, sir.

NAZGRIM: Just you talking about Drok’s people in Northrend, sir. And then you just trailed off…

Garrosh looks over to Mokvar, who returns his gaze silently.

GARROSH: Okay. So. Drok’s people have their assignment, and should already be underway with it. They’re probably going to maintain radio silence until they’re done.

EITRIGG: I’m still not sure I like all the secrecy around what they’re doing up there, Warchief.

GARROSH: Necessary precaution, Eitrigg. You’ll see soon enough.

NAZGRIM: In the meantime, I’ve had the fleet captains running drills to make sure their crews will be ready to go.

GARROSH: Good. I know they’ve already been on standby for a while, but I don’t expect it’ll be too much longer. A couple more pieces need to fall into place, then the boys and girls can finally do their thing.

NAZGRIM: <nodding> It’ll be good to see, sir.

A courier enters, whispers something to Eitrigg, hands him a sealed note, and leaves.

EITRIGG: Warchief? You have a letter here from Saurfang, sir.

GARROSH: What does… <blinks> …Varok?

EITRIGG: Um…yes, Warchief. Varok.

NAZGRIM: What other Saurfang would it be from?

EITRIGG: Garrosh, are you sure you’re feeling all right?

GARROSH: You know… Maybe I’m just tired. Run down or something. We’ve covered everything we needed to, why don’t we call it a day at this point.

EITRIGG: Yes sir.

MOKVAR: Sounds like a plan.

NAZGRIM: Yes sir. I’m just going to stop upstairs to check on the duty rosters for a few of the ships.

GARROSH: Go ahead, General. While you’re up there, bring down that map. We’re going to be needing it sooner rather than later.

There’s a lot going on and I’ve got a lot to write about, but right now I really do think I’d better get some rest. Because either I’m really for-true run down and imagining things, or…or I don’t know what.

I could swear it was real, but as I think back on it, it seems hazy and fuzzy the way a dream does. And I remember the whole meeting from this morning, so how could I also have been…? Never mind. Forget it, Garrosh. Your mind must be playing tricks on you.

So, yeah. Taking a nap, clear my head, then get back to business.

I couldn’t really have been talking to Dranosh, could I?