(43) - Old Hillsbrad, Part III

Griffonclaw felt as weak a starved kitten.

He had awoken in a bed in the Inn in Southshore, and he was not alone. In the room, that is; everyone appeared to have their own pallet. Around the room his gaze went, to his sleeping comrades; Thrinwizzle and Janira, Haglal and Bjarki. They all appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

Griffonclaw rejoined them.

* * *

"And so, when Zixel got there with his cart of fresh fish, he saw the carnage" explained the Innkeeper. Dragonkin bodies all over the place, and dead guards everywhere. "Master Thrinwizzle explained how he and his apprentice were traveling to Stormwind, and how you three were his guards, when all of a sudden Thrall escaped, and were rescued by those dragonkin, flying off on a dragon. You're lucky you all survived; most of the guards did, too. They can't remember a thing past a week ago, either; the mages in Dalaran say they were controlled somehow by the dragonkin."

Griffonclaw kept his mouth shut; no sense in spoiling Thrinwizzle's story. He felt better than he had before, knowing that most of the Tarren Mill guards had survived, although he was at a loss to explain how.

* * *

They spent a week recovering, at Old Hillsbrad, as it was, in essence, a "free week".

"We'll return at the same moment we left, more or less" Thrinwizzle opined. "So we might as well recover here, and save the time at 'home', if you follow me".

Griffonclaw took his word for it; thinking about the mechanics of time made his head hurt.

And so they spent a week, and Thrinwizzle cautioned them against doing anything that might create a rift in time. It was hard; Southport was rife with what might otherwise be an opportunity. He saw Kel'Thuzad walking on the road with Helcular. Not loping his head off then and there was an achievement of self-restraint. He saw a local youth named Herod bullying some of the farm boys. Griffonclaw contented himself with a beating, and no more. Sally Whitemane and Renault Morgraine were running about the inn with little Jimmy Vishas, while Renault's father met with people who would ultimately found the Scarlet Crusade.

Zixil the master merchant was just getting his start. Griffonclaw helped him assemble the first of his mechanical bodyguards.

He met Raleigh the True, who would develop such hatred for his comrades that he would ask Valentia to kill them all. Nathanos Marris, who would later become the liche known as the Forsaken Queen's Champion, Nathanos Blightcaller, was in and around, running errands for the town's magistrate.

While drinking with Bjarki one night, they witnessed what had been the defining moment of the founding of the Scarlet Crusade; Commander Mograine, Isillien, Abbendis, Fairbanks - who would become the liche Fairbanks, but alive, Tirion Fordring, and Arcanist Doan gathered around a table, discussing plans.

He even saw the necromancer Stalvan Mistmantle - but only at night.

Griffonclaw now understood the dangers presented by the Infinite Flight rather thoroughly; his hands itched to forstall the evils that many of these would do, but potentially any of them might disrupt the future as badly as killing Thrall.

* * *

One night, he snuck out and summoned his charger, riding for Silverlaine lands, but as he ran the road he became surrounded in tendrils of thick mist. He turned around and rode back; apparently the magics that kept him here in the past also prevented him from warning his grandfather about Arugal, or visiting his mother's and sister's graves.

Pyrewood was doomed after all.

* * *

They returned to the Caverns of Time, to the congratulations and approbation of Andormu. As his friends went their separate ways, Griffonclaw grew pensive.

He rode to Tanaris and conducted some business.

He returned.

And made use of the timeway to Old Hillsbrad once more.

* * *

He was dressed in black leather, and had rented a young pack animal named Blanchy from the stable master in Tarren Mill. He was watching the road from a distance, his horse concealed. He waited.

And waited.

He watched as Thrall, flanked by Haglal, Thrinwizzle, and the rest rode past. He followed at a slow pace, stealthily. He did not want to be seen.

He came upon a battle site, where the moans of the dying reached his ears. He started with the worst of the casualties, spending just enough of the Light to help them to a healing sleep. His panniers held bandages, salves, and unguents to fight secondary infections. He worked through the night, following the trail of carnage that he and his companions had wreaked.

He had not been able to understand how many of the guards at Tarren Mill had survived; they had not been gentle. And one night, in Southshore, it had hit him - they had survived because someone had healed them.

He had healed them.

It was hard not to help when the Infinite Flight manifested themselves; hard to watch his friends fall in battle. He waited until he watched himself collapse, and then approached Thrall, pulling his cowl and mast off so the orc Warchief could see his face.

"I will guard them, and keep them safe, Thrall - but you must go."

"I cannot desert them, my rescuers" the orc denied, refusing to leave.

"Then you dishonor all they have done this night!" opined the paladin. "All they have suffered is naught, if you are re-captured. I swear to you, I will keep them safe; but if Durnholde sends patrols, and you are guarding them, you will be recaptured and they will all die."

Thrall paused; deserting those who had fought by his side was anathema to him, but the stranger - obviously the twin brother of one of the paladins who had helped him - had a telling argument.

"They will be safe, I swear it" Griffonclaw urged. "But you have another obligation - to your people. Now... go. Please. I have healing to do." And with that Griffonclaw began to tend to more of the guards at Tarren Mill. He had finished and returned to the Caverns of Time before Zixil discovered the carnage.

Time to go home.