Chapter 065: Stonewatch Keep

Stonewatch Keep was the most important military stronghold in the Redridge Mountains. Its walls were thick and its fortress solidly built. Beside it, Stonewatch Falls poured beneath a great bridge, and the thunder of water could be heard from far away. It was quite a sight.

For centuries, the keep had stood on the front line against the dwarves to the north and the gnolls of Redridge. The dwarves possessed terrifying heavy siege weapons, while the gnolls fought like lunatics who cared nothing for their own lives. Without thick walls and a massive fortress, the defenders couldn't have held either enemy back.

As long as Stonewatch remained in human hands, an enemy couldn't attack Lakeshire, much less advance on Eastvale or Goldshire. It was the cornerstone of security for the humans of Redridge. Generations of kings had invested more and more in its defenses until its strength became almost absurd.

When the Dark Portal opened several years ago, even the vanguard personally led by Blackhand, then Warchief of the Horde, had nearly been defeated here. The orcs only captured the keep after their main army arrived. They used overwhelming numbers—ten or even dozens of times the size of the garrison—and the terrible magic of the Shadow Council's elite warlocks to bring down its stone walls.

Today's Stonewatch had lost much of its former glory. Several sections of wall were broken, with gaps and damage everywhere. Repairs were extremely difficult, and reconstruction was still moving painfully slowly.

Jess dismounted at a camp outside the keep. Maybe it was the fresh mountain air, or the view across the valley, but the ride had done wonders for his mood. He felt much more relaxed, both mentally and physically.

He hoped Gred would recover just as quickly.

When a guard learned that Jess had come from the Wizard's Sanctum, he escorted him across the bridge and into the keep to meet its commander.

The commander had a close-cropped haircut. He looked Jess up and down without speaking for a long time.

Standing in the middle of the keep's courtyard, Jess felt terribly uncomfortable. Perhaps these veterans of the Orc Wars were even more sensitive to dark magic and demons than mages were. Had something about him given him away?

"What are you here for?" the commander finally asked.

"Jess Seso. I'm from the Wizard's Sanctum in Stormwind."

"You don't have to keep telling me where you're from. I know what the Wizard's Sanctum is." The commander rested a hand on his belt. "We've got mages here too. There's nothing special about a mage."

"A mage asked me to bring something here. It's a very important package."

The commander nodded and gave a mocking snort.

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"Everything a mage carries is always very important."

"My employer ordered me to hand it directly to Martin Harold," Jess said.

"Martin Harold." The commander looked at the men beside him. "Isn't that the young fellow who went bald in his twenties?"

The others nodded.

"Seems you really did come from there. I was just wondering how somebody like you managed to cross the whole valley alone. Didn't you run into any trouble? Gnolls? Murlocs?"

"He's a mage, Colonel," a soldier nearby reminded him. "Mages always have their ways."

"I don't need you to tell me that," the commander snapped. Then he glanced at Jess. "Is that horse yours?"

"No, sir," Jess answered honestly. "She's from the Mage Quarter. I have to return her after my assignment, so I'd like to finish as quickly as possible."

"Call me Colonel Todman." Todman waved to a young soldier. "Take him to the mages. The valley really must be quieter than it used to be."

"And feed that horse. Look at the poor pretty girl, starving like that. Honestly."

The colonel kept his eyes on Jess's package until the guard led him into the keep.

Inside, soldiers, guards, and civilian officials hurried back and forth. Everyone seemed busy.

But their uniforms were different from those worn by Stormwind's army or the Lakeshire militia.

"Are you part of the Stormwind forces?" Jess asked his escort.

"Of course we serve King Varian," the soldier answered. "But since the Orc Wars we've been organized as an independent unit, under Colonel Todman. We garrison Stonewatch Keep and make sure the fighting between the Blackrock orcs and Dark Iron dwarves to the north doesn't spread here. We also keep the surrounding area safe. These days, the main problem is gnolls."

As they climbed the stairs, the soldier looked back with a smile.

"The mages from the Wizard's Sanctum helped a great deal when we retook Stonewatch last year, sir. Colonel Todman wasn't trying to pick on you. Things are tense. The gnolls keep inventing new tricks—poisoning, bombs, theft. They're always trying to cause trouble."

"I understand," Jess said. "Things are tense around the Three Corners too. The kingdom has stationed a lot of troops there."

"Really? Are the gnolls still that bold over there?" The soldier sighed. "I have an older sister who does business in Grand Hamlet. She often travels between there and Lakeshire. I haven't been home in years. I hope she's all right."

On the second floor, he knocked on a wooden door.

"The masters from the Wizard's Sanctum usually stay here reading or researching. Whenever someone falls sick or gets hurt, we have to ask them for help. They work so hard."

A middle-aged man with black hair opened the door.

"Master Morgans," the soldier said, "this man came from the Wizard's Sanctum in Stormwind. He says he's delivering a package. If there's any trouble, call for me. I'll be downstairs."

"Thank you," the man said.

Morgans?

Jess remembered him.

Morgans had originally been a mage in Stormwind, but he'd been expelled from the Wizard's Sanctum for studying forbidden dark magic. He'd harbored a grudge ever since, eventually betraying the kingdom and helping the Blackrock orcs capture Stonewatch Keep.

Clearly he hadn't yet been expelled from the kingdom or the Sanctum, and the other mages hadn't discovered his connection to dark magic.

Morgans didn't look old yet—under forty, probably. He had a narrow, horse-like face and a gloomy air. Long black hair framed his face, and he wore a fitted shirt and trousers. He held his chin slightly raised when looking at people, giving him an arrogant look.

As Morgans studied him, Jess suddenly remembered the orc warlock's staff strapped to his back.

Was the mage going to recognize it immediately? Jess had never expected to run into a wizard this powerful here.

But Morgans didn't seem interested in the staff at all. Instead, he looked at what Jess carried—perhaps Marin's package, or perhaps the warlock bag at his waist.

"Master Marin sent you? Come inside."