Only one legion was stationed south of the Thandol Span, a deliberate arrangement by Galen.
Normally, crossing the Thandol Span from the Wetlands to the Arathi Highlands involved navigating a relatively narrow passage.
Beyond the bridgehead, which offered space for deployment, the eastern side was a sheer cliff overlooking a raging river, while the western side was the mountainous terrain of the Bay of Faldar.
The only way to truly enter the Arathi Highlands was via a narrow mountain path stretching over ten kilometers to the north.
The Thandol Span itself was not wide, a joint construction by the Bronzebeard and Wildhammer dwarves centuries ago.
Though composed of two bridge surfaces, it was only twenty to thirty meters wide, accommodating just over a thousand people at a time.
Moreover, the terrain sloped upwards from south to north, creating a natural chokepoint. A single legion could effectively block the orcish advance.
While the Scarlet Legion visibly guarded the bridge, Galen concealed four more legions in the mountains of the Bay of Faldar to the north, out of the orcs' sight.
Galen's main battle legions Tidefury, Silver Guard, Gale, and Thunder—were all present.
Of the ten legions pledged to the Alliance, five—Omar's First through Fifth Legions, under Amor's command—were positioned at the Wall of Thoradin, responsible for the defense north of Stromgarde.
The orcs assembled before Dun Modr valley, south of the Thandol Span, in just half a day!
Dun Modr valley had once been a Bronzebeard dwarf encampment, but when Ironforge faced a military emergency, all dwarven outposts in the Wetlands were evacuated overnight as they returned to defend their capital.
Galen, Aragorn, and Gandalf were personally stationed here, along with an Ironforge dwarf who had chosen to defend the bridge.
At the southern entrance of Dun Modr valley, Galen and a dwarf stood side-by-side on a hastily constructed defensive wall, observing the orcish army's assembly.
"Thargas , what do you think of those strong, green-skinned orcs?" Galen asked Thargas Anvilmar, the dwarf who had chosen to defend the Thandol Span.
"My friend, they are indeed strong, but my battleaxe is no pushover either! I will show them that the Thandol Span is not for just anyone to cross!"
Salgus patted the two-handed axe on his back, eager for battle.
Rumor had it that this young dwarf was a descendant of the artisans who built the Thandol Span and felt duty-bound to guard it, explaining his unwillingness to leave.
"Then you'd better be prepared, because if nothing changes, they'll launch their first attack immediately!" Galen replied.
The dwarf seemed even more excited at this news.
He's lived decades longer than I have, yet he's more immature?
"Aragorn, have the Scarlet Legion prepare to meet the orcish attack! Gandalf, keep a close eye on the orcish spellcasters; I suspect Gul'dan may be here as well!"
"No problem, Prince!" Gandalf calmly assured him.
Gandalf the White should be even more powerful now, Galen thought.
"Aragorn, prepare the corpse-retrieval team, and be discreet; we have company." Galen added, glancing at the still-gesticulating dwarf, briefly wishing he wasn't there.
The battle began swiftly.
From the moment the first orc entered cannon range, a full-scale assault erupted, bypassing any initial probing.
The orcs charged the wall in tens of thousands.
The cannons were supplied by the Kul Tiran and Stromgarde navies.
Admiral Daelin Proudmoore had generously allocated two hundred cannons to Galen's southern defenses.
In return, Galen gifted twenty battleships to his friend Derek.
Galen also deployed a hundred cannons from his own warships. The three hundred cannons roared, each blast accompanied by a searing flash, launching scorching solid shot.
The friction with the air created a deadly shriek, and the projectiles slammed into the densely packed orcish formation, the gunpowder's explosive force causing devastating casualties!
This orcish force of ten thousand was a probing attack led by Orgrim Doomhammer.
Half were from the Blackrock clan, with the rest drawn from a dozen smaller clans.
The orcs' crude catapults had a shorter range than the cannons, and nearly half were destroyed by counter-battery fire!
However, the orcs, seemingly emboldened by some green concoction, were fearless. They braved the cannon fire, disregarding heavy losses, and charged the wall in a frenzy, driven by a battle rage that made their hearts pump faster!
Orgrim frowned as he observed the fierce offensive and defensive battle.
He wasn't dissatisfied with the orcs' performance.
Under Varok Saurfang's command, the probing force fought commendably.
He had seen human cannons in Stormwind.
Derek Proudmoore's Kul Tiran fleet had covered Lothar's landing, bombarding Stormwind Harbor. Many orcs who charged too far forward were incinerated along with the harbor.
The fact that the Horde warriors were able to approach the city wall and begin climbing despite the cannon fire was, in Orgrim's view, normal, even with the casualties.
Yet, he sensed that something was amiss but couldn't pinpoint the problem.
A cautious commander, he preferred to keep more options open.
"Send Gul'dan here!" Orgrim ordered.
His guard captain, the Blackrock Blademaster Jubeka Shadowbreaker, obeyed and soon returned with Gul'dan and his two-headed ogre companion, Cho'gall.
"Gul'dan! As a reward for your continued existence, about bringing new power to the Horde—have you succeeded?"
Orgrim tightened his grip on the Doomhammer, barely resisting the urge to smash it into Gul'dan's face.
"Yes! Noble Doomhammer!"
Gul'dan also lowered his head slightly, his eyes filled with hatred for Orgrim!
He hated him for destroying the Shadow Council, for enslaving him, and for trying to kill him.
Both wanted to kill the other, but they chose to endure.
Gul'dan gestured, and a group of several hundred figures emerged from the dark forest, clad in black hoods and cloaks and wielding human-made weapons.
These figures were slender, unlike the burly orcs or the large-bellied ogres.
"What are these? Short humans?" Orgrim asked.
"These are the death knights I created. The loyal souls of orcish warriors combined with human knight corpses. They can also cast spells and wield human powers!"
"They will be the vanguard of the great Horde!"