performing this act； since cutting down the trees and teleporting them elsewhere on Kalimdor is well within my
abilities。 What better way to prove my innocence than to learn the truth myself？
I can think of several ways； Kristoff said sourly。
Lady Proudmoore walked around to the other side of her desk； standing face to face with her chamberlain。 There is
another reason。 It is quite possible that magic is afoot here。 Powerful magic。 If there is magic of this much power on
Kalimdor； I need to know who is wielding it and learn ained secretive。
If magic is involved。 Kristoff sounded so petulant Lorena wanted desperately to punch him。 However； he then let
out a long breath and unfolded his arms。 Still； I suppose that is a legitimate concern。 At the very least； it does need
to be investigated。 I withdraw my objections。
Dryly； the lady said； I m so glad you approve； Kristoff。 She walked back to her desk； rummaging through the pile
of scrolls。 I will depart in the morning。 Kristoff； you will handle things while I m gone； as I m not sure how long
this will take。 You will be empowered to act in my name until my return。 Turning toward Lorena； she added；
Good hunting； Colonel。 You re both dismissed。
Lorena saluted again； turned on her heel； and departed。 As she exited； she heard Kristoff start to say something； but
the lady interrupted。 I said you were dismissed； Chamberlain。
Of course； ma am。
The colonel couldn t help but smile at the peeved tone in the chamberlain s voice。
There were times when Jaina Proudmoore really hated being right。
Being wrong was never something that bothered her； and she mostly blamed Antonidas for that。 Her mentor had
drummed into her from the moment her apprenticeship started that the worst sin a mage could mit was
arrogance； and also the easiest。 With so much power at your mand literally at your fingertips it is easy to
be tempted to think that you are allpowerful； the older wizard had said。 Indeed it is so easy that most wizards
succumb to the notion。 It is one of the reasons why we are often so tiresome。 That last had been said with a small
smile。
You re not like that； though； are you？ Jaina had asked。
All too regularly； had been the mage s reply。 The trick is to recognize the flaw in yourself and work to correct
it。 Then her mentor had told her of mages past； such as Aegwynn and Medivh； the last two Guardians of Tirisfal；
both of whom had let their arrogance be their downfall。 Years later； Jaina would work alongside Medivh and see
that he at least had redeemed himself。 His mother； Aegwynn； was less fortunate。 The first female Guardian and
someone Jaina had admired for most of her life her one mistake in her centuries as Guardian was to believe
herself to have defeated Sargeras。 In fact； she destroyed only his avatar； and allowed the demon to hide within her
soul； remaining there for centuries until Aegwynn sired Medivh； and then Sargeras moved to him。 Medivh had been
the vessel for Sargeras s invasion； and for the orcs presence in this world； all because Aegwynn was arrogant
enough to believe that she could have defeated Sargeras alone。
Jaina had taken those words to heart； and so always doubted her own surety。 She still admired Aegwynn without
her blazing the trail； the only response to Jaina s attempts to study magic would have been laughter； instead of the
swayable skepticism she was met with。 And she had swayed Antonidas。
Sometimes that selfdoubt worked against her she hadn t listened to her instinct that Arthas had turned for far
longer than was wise； given Arthas s descent； and she always wondered if things would have been different if she d
acted sooner。 But mostly； that had served her well。 It also made her； she hoped； a wise leader to the people of
Theramore。
When Thrall had told her of the destruction of a section of the forest that surrounded Thunder Ridge； she had
known immediately that magic was at work； and powerful magic at that。 She had hoped； however； that she was
wrong in that assumption。
That turned out to be a forlorn hope。 She went straight to the forest in question from her chambers in Theramore；
and as soon as she materialized； she could practically smell the magic。 Indeed； even without her magically
enhanced abilities； she d have known that magic was afoot here。 Before her was a range of stumps； stretching
almost as far as a human could see； before disappearing over the hill that led down to the ridge。 The top of each
stump was on a perfectly straight line with all the surrounding ones it was as if a giant saw had gone through all
the trees at once。 More to the point； the cuts were all pletely even； with no flaws or breaks。 One could attain
such a level of perfection only with magic。
Jaina knew most of the mages who still lived。 The few besides herself who were capable of this were not on
Kalimdor。 What s more； this magic didn t have the feel of any of those she knew。 Every wizard wielded the forces
of magic differently； and if one was sensitive enough； one could tell the differences from one mage to the next。 This
felt like no mage Jaina knew。 And it gave her a mildly nauseous feeling； which led her to think that it might well be
demonic magic。 The nausea didn t necessarily mean demonic magic； of course； though the presence of the Burning
Legion s wizardry had always made Jaina ill。 But so had Kel Thuzad s when Antonidas first introduced them in the
third year of Jaina s apprenticeship； and that was when the archmage was one of the finest mages in Kirin Tor （long
before he turned to necromancy and became a servant of the Lich King）。
Besides which； the source of the destruction was of less import than its result： thunder lizards were now roaming
unfettered through Drygulch； and possibly beyond。 Jaina needed to find a remote place to relocate them where they
wouldn t rampage all over the farms and cities the orcs had built here。
Reaching under her cloak； she pulled out the map； one of two items she had taken off the mess on her desk。 She had
decided upon the Bladescar Highlands as the ideal place to relocate the lizards。 Located in the southern portion of
Durotar； due east of Ratchet； the highlands were remote； separated from the rest of Durotar by mountains that the
thunder lizards would be hardpressed to navigate。 Plus； the region had plenty of grasslands for them to graze； room
for them to stampede to their heart s content； and a mountain stream that was almost as big as the river they had use
of in Thunder Ridge。 The lizards would be safe； and so would the population of Durotar。
Her initial thought was to move them even farther away say to Feralas on the other side of the continent but
even Jaina s abilities had their limits。 She could teleport herself there easily enough； but herself and hundreds of
thunder lizards was more than even she could handle over such a distance。
She then removed the other item from her cloak a scroll containing a spell that would enable her to sense the mind
of any thunder lizard on the continent。 She spoke the incantation and then cast her senses outward。 Unlike most
reptiles； thunder lizards had a herd mentality akin to that of cattle； so most of them had stayed together even as they
departed their home。 Sure enough； she found the bulk of them milling around the river that fed Drygulch Ravine。
They were in a docile phase right now； which simplified Jaina s life considerably。 She was prepared to magically
put them into such a phase if need be。 Thunder lizards were either docile or stampeding they didn t really have
much of a middle ground； and teleporting them while stampeding would be a good deal more problematic。 Still； she
preferred not to disturb the animals routine any more than necessary； so she was glad they were in the more
cooperative mode。
For a caster to include anyone but herself in the teleportation spell required line of sight at least； according to
most scrolls one would find on the subject。 However； Antonidas had told Jaina that one could also do it if one was
in what he called line of mind。 It required the mage to reach out and touch the thoughts of whomever she wished
to teleport。 This was a lot riskier； as there were many whose minds were difficult or dangerous to touch。 Other
mages and demons generally had protections against such things； and even someone particularly strongwilled
would probably be able to resist。
No such impediment existed with the thunder lizards； however。 Right now； their minds were focused on one of
three things： eating； drinking； or sleeping。 In addition to running very fast； those activities were generally all that
occupied a thunder lizard s mind； except during mating season。
Still and all； it took several hours for Jaina； standing in the razed forest； to reach out with her mind to each thunder
lizard in Drygulch； as well as the stragglers that had wandered off toward Razor Hill。
Grass。 Water。 Eyes close。 Rest。 Lap up。 Chew。 Swallow。 Sip。 Sleep。 Breathe。
For a moment； she was almost lost true； the lizards thought patterns weren t plex； but there were hundreds of
them； and she found herself overwhelmed by their instinctive need to eat and drink and sleep。
Gritting her teeth； she reasserted her own self over that of hundreds of thunder lizards。 She then started to mutter the
incantation for the teleport spell。
Pain！ Searing whitehot agony sliced through Jaina s skull as soon as she uttered the final syllable of the spell。 The
ruined forest melted before her and then slammed back into form immediately。 A milder pain shot through Jaina s
left knee； and only then did she realize that she had stumbled to the ground； her knee colliding with the nearest
stump。
Pain。 Hurt。 Hurt。 Hurt。 Run。 Run。 Run。 Run。 No more pain。 Run； no pain。
Sweat beading on her forehead； Jaina resisted the urge to start running through the forest。 Something happened to
the teleport spell； but Jaina couldn t take the time to find out what just yet； because the pain she felt when the spell
was ruined was transferred to the thunder lizards via their mental link。 It was serving to put them into a stampeding
frame of mi