魔兽争霸官方小说:仇恨之轮-Cycle of Hatred(英文版)-第12部分

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the　trees　in　Thunder　Ridge　lots　of　times。　Certainly　no　orc　would　defile　the　land　like　that。　　

Although　Thrall　was　reluctant　to　believe　ill　of　the　humans；　Burx　was　right　that　no　orc　of　Durotar　would　do　such　a　
thing。　They　could　not　have　transported　so　much　lumber　from　Thunder　Ridge　to　the　coast　without　anyone　noticing。
If　they　went　by　land；　they　d　be　seen　same　if　they　went　by　airship。　　

There　is　a　third　way；　　Kalthar　said。　

Sighing；　Thrall　shook　his　head　again。　Magic。　　

Yes；　magic；　　Burx　said。　And　the　most　powerful　wizard　in　Theramore　is　your　precious　Lady　Proudmoore　Jaina
herself。　　

It　is　not　Lady　Proudmoore；　　Kalthar　said。　This　defiling　of　the　land　is　reprehensible　and　the　humans　are　both
responsible；　and　not　responsible。　　

What　s　that　supposed　to　mean？　　Burx　asked　angrily。　

You　speak　in　riddles；　　Thrall　said。　Then　he　laughed。　As　usual。　　

There　are　great　forces　at　work　here；　Thrall；　　Kalthar　said。　Powerful　sorcery。　　

Burx　stomped　his　foot　again。　Lady　Proudmoore　has　powerful　sorcery。　The　humans　got　every　reason　to　want　those
trees。　It　gives　them　stronger　wood　for　their　boats　which　makes　it　easier　for　them　to　harass　our　trading　ships。　Plus；
it　lets　the　thunder　lizards　loose；　which　messes　up　our　farms。　　Burx　walked　up　in　front　of　Thrall　s　throne；　his　face　so
close　that　his　and　Thrall　s　tusks　almost　touched。　It　fits；　Warchief。　And　you　know　it。　　

In　a　low　tone；　Thrall　said；　What　I　know；　Burx；　is　that　Lady　Proudmoore　stood　against　her　own　father　rather　than
destroy　the　alliance　between　Durotar　and　Theramore。　Do　you　truly　think　she　would　abandon　it　now　over　trees？　　

Burx　backed　off；　throwing　up　his　arms。　Who　can　say　how　humans　think？　　

I　can。　As　you　were　so　quick　to　point　out　before；　Burx；　I　was　raised　with　humans　I　have　seen　both　the　best　and　the
worst　humanity　has　to　offer。　And　I　can　tell　you　now　that；　while　there　are　most　definitely　humans　who　would　do　this；
Jaina　Proudmoore　is　not　one　of　them。　　

Folding　his　arms　defiantly　in　front　of　his　chest；　Burx　said；　There　aren　t　any　other　human　mages　on　Kalimdor　that
we　know　about。　Who　s　that　leave；　Warchief？　　

I　do　not　know。　　Thrall　smiled。　When　Lieutenant　Blackmoore　had　me　educated　like　a　human；　he　had　me　read
many　philosophical　and　scientific　treatises。　Something　that　stood　out　in　those　lessons　was　one　ment　that　the
beginning　of　wisdom　is　the　statement　I　do　not　know。　　The　person　who　cannot　make　that　statement　is　one　who　will
never　learn　anything。　And　I　have　prided　myself　on　my　ability　to　learn；　Burx。　　He　stood　again。　Send　warriors　to
Drygulch。　Try　to　corral　the　thunder　lizards。　Provide　whatever　aid　they　need　to　bring　this　problem　under　control。　　
Then　he　faced　Kaltnar。　Fetch　the　talisman。　I　would　speak　to　Lady　Proudmoore。　　

We　should　take　action！　　Burx　stomped　his　foot　again；　even　as　Kalthar　slowly　walked　out　of　the　room　to　do　as
Thrall　had　instructed。　We　should　not　be　talking。　　

Talking　is　the　second　step　to　learning　things；　Burx。　I　intend　to　learn　who　was　responsible　for　this。　Now　go　and
follow　my　instructions。　　

Burx　started　to　say　something；　but　Thrall　would　not　let　him。　
　
There　will　be　no　more　from　you；　Burx！　You　have　made　your　position　quite　clear！　However；　I　think　even　you　will　
agree　that　the　needs　of　Drygulch　are　more　immediate。　Now　go　and　do　as　I　have　said　before　our　farms　truly　are　
devastated。　　

Of　course；　Warchief；　　Burx　said。　He　saluted　as　the　boy　had；　and　then　departed。　

Thrall　hoped　that　his　defense　of　Jaina　was　earned。　In　his　heart；　he　knew　it　was。　But　if　Jaina　Proudmoore　did　not　
steal　their　trees　and　let　loose　the　thunder　lizards　who　did？　

Eight　

L　orena　was　led　into　Lady　Proudmoore　s　chambers　by　Duree；　that　lunatic　old　woman　who　managed　the　lady　s
affairs；　only　to　find　that　the　room　was　empty。　

Whirling　on　Duree；　over　whom　she　loomed　by　a　full　head；　Lorena　said；　Where　is　she？　　

She　ll　be　back　soon；　stop　your　fretting。　It　s　been　an　hour　since　she　went　off　to　meet　with　that　orc　Warchief
oughta　be　back　any　moment　now。　　

Frowning；　Lorena　asked；　　She　s　meeting　with　Thrall？　　

Putting　her　hand　to　her　mouth；　Duree　said；　Oh　dear；　I　wasn　t　supposed　to　mention　that。　Just　fet　I　said　anything；
will　you　please；　dear？　　

The　colonel　said　nothing；　instead　twisting　her　square　face　into　a　snarl　designed　with　the　express　purpose　of　getting　
the　old　woman　out　of　the　chambers。　

At　that；　it　succeeded　rather　admirably；　as　Duree　dashed　from　the　chambers；　her　spectacles　falling　off　her　nose。　

A　moment　later；　Kristoff　entered。　Colonel。　Duree　said　you　had　a　report。　　

Lorena　looked　at　the　chamberlain。　Like　the　old　woman；　Kristoff　was　a　necessary　evil　after　all；　a　nation　did　not　run
on　soldiering　alone。　One　of　the　first　lessons　her　father　and　brothers　had　taught　her　was　to　be　good　to　the　clerks　and
the　like。　They　were　the　people　who　kept　any　unit　functioning；　far　more　than　any　highranking　officers。　

She　found　Duree　so　annoying　that　she　did　not　put　that　advice　to　good　use　with　her；　but　Kristoff　was　the　lady　s　right
hand。　So　Lorena　put　aside　her　intense　dislike　for　the　man　himself　and　forced　a　smile　onto　her　face。　

Yes；　Chamberlain；　I　have　a　report　for　the　lady；　which　I　ll　give　her　as　soon　as　she　arrives。　　

Kristoff　smiled。　It　was　the　most　insincere　smile　Lorena　had　ever　seen；　and　after　spending　years　guarding　the　keep　at
Kul　Tiras；　it　was　against　some　stiff　petition。　You　may　give　it　to　me；　and　I　can　assure　you　that　I　will　pass　it　on
to　Lady　Proudmoore。　　

I　prefer　to　wait　for　milady　myself；　sir；　if　you　don　t　mind。　　

She　is　away　on　official　business。　　Kristoff　inhaled　sharply。　She　could　be　some　time。　　

Giving　the　chamberlain　an　insincere　smile　of　her　own；　the　colonel　said；　The　lady　s　a　mage　when　her　business　is
conducted；　she　ll　be　back　in　an　instant。　And　she　wished　me　to　report　directly　to　her。　　

Colonel
　
Whatever　Kristoff　was　about　to　say　was　lost　to　a　loud　popping　sound　and　a　flash　of　light　that　heralded　the　arrival　of
Lady　Proudmoore。　

She　wasn　t　much　to　look　at；　the　colonel　had　always　thought；　but　she　had　also　learned　early　on　that　mages　were　not
ones　to　judge　on　appearances。　Lorena　had　spent　all　her　life　trying　to　make　herself　look　as　male　as　possible
keeping　her　hair　cut　short；　not　shaving　her　legs；　wearing　undergarments　that　hid　her　breasts　and　even　with　all　that；
she　was　often　dismissed　as　being　　just　　a　woman。　It　amazed　Lorena　how　this　small；　pale　woman　with　her　golden
hair　and　deep　blue　eyes　managed　to　gain　the　respect　of　so　many。　

In　part；　Lorena　supposed　it　was　the　way　she　carried　herself。　She　seemed　to　be　the　tallest　person　in　whatever　room
she　stood　in；　even　though　she　was　often　the　shortest。　Her　clothes　all　tended　to　be　white：　boots；　blouse；　pantaloons；
cloak。　Most　amazingly；　the　clothes　remained　a　shiny　white。　It　took　a　week　out　of　every　year　of　a　soldier　s　life　to
keep　the　white　trim　in　the　plate　armor　from　turning　brown　or　gray；　and　most　were　unsuccessful；　yet　Lady　
Proudmoore　s　clothes　almost　glowed。　

Lorena　supposed　that　was　a　fortuitous　side　effect　of　being　a　powerful　mage。　

Colonel；　you　ve　returned。　　Lady　Proudmoore　spoke　as　if　she　d　been　standing　in　the　room　all　along。　Please　
report。　　

Quickly　and　concisely；　Lorena　told　the　lady；　as　well　as　the　chamberlain；　what　she　and　her　people　had　learned　at
Northwatch。　

Kristoff　pursed　his　thin　lips。　I　ve　never　heard　of　this　Burning　Blade。　　

I　have。　　The　lady　had　flipped　back　her　hood；　letting　her　golden　curls　loose；　and　sat　at　her　desk　while　Lorena　was
giving　her　report；　and　she　now　put　a　finger　to　her　chin。　There　was　an　orc　clan　by　that　name；　but　they　ve　been
wiped　out。　And　some　of　the　Elite　Guard　have　mentioned　it　in　passing。　　

Lorena　didn　t　like　the　sound　of　this。　It　was　one　thing　for　Strov　to　have　heard　of　it；　but　if　rumors　of　this　anization
were　reaching　the　lady　s　personal　guards；　then　something　was　amiss。　These　were　orcs；　ma　am；　that　much　I　m　sure　
of。　　

Or　were　made　to　look　like　orcs；　　Lady　Proudmoore　said。　They　obviously　had　use　of　magic　which　is　vexing　
enough　and　therefore　could　have　been　deliberately　masking　themselves。　After　all；　an　unprovoked　attack　on　human
soldiers　by　orcs　would　do　much　to　destabilize　our　alliance。　　

It　is　also　possible；　　Kristoff　said；　that　these　are　orc　agitators　who　are　using　this　extinct　clan　for　their　own
purposes。　　

Lorena　shook　her　head。　That　doesn　t　explain　how　Private　Strov　s　brother　heard　of　them　in　a　Theramore　tavern。　　

The　lady　nodded；　her　thoughts　seeming　to　turn　inward；　as　if　she　fot　there　were　others　in　the　room。　Lorena　had
known　few　wizards　in　her　time；　but　they　all　had　a　tendency　to　wander　mentally。　

However；　unlike　those　other　mages　who　often　needed　a　club　to　the　head　to　pay　attention　to　the　world　around　
them　Lady　Proudmoore　usually　was　able　to　bring　herself　back　to　reality　on　her　own。　She　did　so　now；　and　stood
up。　Colonel；　I　want　you　to　investigate　this　Burning　Blade。　We　need　to　know　who　they　are；　how　they　operate；
especially　if　they　re　using　magic。　If　they　have　orc　recruits；　then　why　try　to　lure　humans？　Get　to　the　bottom　of　it；
Lorena　use　whoever　you　need。　　

Standing　straight；　Lorena　saluted。　Yes；　ma　am。　　

Kristoff；　I　m　afraid　I　m　going　to　need　to　depart　immediately。　Thunder　lizards　ha