The third day was an early start because the sunlight hits Sunrock retreat up in the mountains before it reaches the valley below. This extra time was needed to attach the new wagon to the kodo my protectors had saved, and to add the Tauren wagon to the caravan. They were so impressed with our choice that they asked to join us on our trip to the Crossroads, they even gave us a replacement wagon free of charge and a quarter full of their surplus resources. Again, the new protectors came as the crew was finishing their tasks, and again I recorded the names of those who came. Members of Fence Macabre came back, along with some new faces of their guild. Remington and Billy once again offered to drive wagons, but Loira and Rahlaigh could not stay with us, they came only to reveal what they had learned from the sharpshooter they caught. I omit the details as that information has become more of a Macabre issue, but we did get to attach the Human to the rear wagon and took bets as to how long it will take before he stops screaming, and how long before there is nothing left. I was then introduced to the two new ones who came. Thorek, a shadow priest which will protect Billy and the rear wagon; Velvet, an elf demon hunter which will protect Remington and the third wagon. The last two who came are a new and old soul to this caravan. Remgus, an afflection warlock which will protect me; Croogie, the outlaw rogue which offered to scout for the caravan, to avoid another surprise attack. We departed Sunrock retreat with five wagons, my special wagon at the head, the Trolls, the Tauren, the Forsaken goods, and the surplus in the rear.
The road was winding through the mountain ridges, sprinkled with straight trees, a light brown hue, all made for a pleasant sight to see for this leg of the trip. Billy decided to break into song once again, his lyrics and rhymes a pleasant companion. The screams from the Human stopped some time before the end of the song. A shame really, as the harrowing noise was pleasant. Croogie was flying high on her mechanical bird with the clever acronym for a name which I can’t recall. At some point on the surprisingly peaceful trip, she flown of and came back to report that a small group of Grimtotem were blocking the road. With the heads-up advantage, we drove the caravan off road at a bend just out of sight of the bandits. We had to scare off the thunder lizards in the grove, for a time, but I can’t tell if we persuaded them to leave us alone or if the Human was no more on our rope. The thin red streak on the yellow grass pointing to where we left the road was pleasant to behold. We rejoined the road past the blockade and around the last bend we could see the torches of the Troll village. We entered Malaka’jin and stayed to the righthand path while the Trolls kept straight into the center, our secondary task completed, our Troll brethren grateful for the things which remind them of their seaside homes.
Croogie set out to scout the other half of our journey to the Crossroads while we concluded our business. She returned to tell us that there was renewed fighting between the Horde and Alliance on the boarder of the Barrens, but that was only minor. The bad news we received had to do with the centaur settled along the Forgotten pools, the oasis we need to stop at so that the kodo don’t die in the heat. Croogie also presented three possible actions to take. I presented the information to the protectors and they voted to burn the lookout platform which will draw the nearby centaur to it so they can slay them, freeing the access to the water.
After all was concluded, we set out from the village on the high road. We encountered the boarder fighting at the ramp leading us off the high road. We stayed close to the Horde units, but some Alliance still tried us. We made it around the start of the fissure and into the Barrens. We moved pass the ruined burrow and in the shadow of the tall hill. We stopped the caravan and the protectors went around the corner to carry out the plan, leaving Remington, Billy, and myself to protect the wagons along with the couple of Tauren. As fate would have it, a small raiding party of centaur happen to be returning to the camps. Billy didn’t see them until they came around the corner behind us. They must have been surprised to see us because Billy and Remington managed to kill a couple before they attacked us properly, however two torches managed to find their way to the Tauren wagon. The rear wagons bumped into each other and the fire spread. I was able to get my explosive cargo out, the Tauren put out their fire, but Remington’s wagon could not be saved in time. We lost the cargo of Forsaken goods as payment for the water, though the cost was a heavy blow to the mission, the special cargo in my wagon is of greater worth to my brethren.
The protectors came back with trophies from the slaughter, we quickly moved to the water. We took our hard earned time, we got underway before any other centaur came along. The rest of the journey was as mild as could be and we arrived at the Barrens as the sky was fire paved. The caravan parked under the watch tower, the Tauren gave thanks and made trade with their kin, and I had pay to give. Tomorrow will be the last leg of our journey; I know we will have no major threats because we are so close to Orgrimmar that the road is well guarded. I will send the special cargo on to Ratchet, I will not purchase another wagon, I will sell the extra kodo for everything I can get. Thankfully, the Crossroads has much variety.