As our conquest of the Trials of Crusade had met their conclusion and with our bellies aching for some fine ale and a large feast to celebrate our victory was due.  With the crowds hailing from the upper balconies in the arena's so vibrantly and thunderously, we could not hear what was brewing on the horizon.  As we ate and drank into the night, filling our pints and feasting upon a grand meal beyond a King's feast, we slept until the mid-day's sun up high.

Through somewhat sleepy eyes and the crisp cold air blowing through the mountains, the drakes were restless, staring into the far distance to the south.  Glancing over my shoulder I could see a faint growing darkness stirring in the clouds with a faint lightning striking in the distance.  With my fellow crusaders awoken from the sounds of the noon tower bell, they too came to stare into the same distance which we were gazed.  We knew that there was something amiss with the scourge's new plans revealed after rummaging through the Trials scrolls that were buried in the underground soil below us.

Their leather stirrups tight and the saddles heavily dusted in snow, with a whistle bellowing from my tongue their keen senses heard their masters call and a with quick shiver they awoke with a grand welcome.  Standing tall, with their scales reflecting a glistening sheen from the bright reflective snow below my feet, my mount was also anxious for what was on the horizon.  With our gear repaired, our stocks filled and blades sharpened we mounted upon our powerful drakes and toward our next encounter.

Flying on high through the clouds toward the towering spire to the south, the winds grew stronger and the air sewn with a heavy cold.  We knew that we were upon the source of the darkness that was so visible from the crusaders grounds.  As we descended toward the spire, we noticed a great many scourge had gathered in front of the doors to the lair of the Lich King.  With the citadels grand towers, thick walls and a grand fortress, we knew that we could not challenge our way in on this day.  Landing upon an upper entrance near the main entrance we prepared ourselves for what was to come.  As we approached the steel, black doors reaching toward the heavens and the air howling above our heads as we encroached upon the citadel.  Upon the door I gazed and with a loud voice I spoke the old language of the elves to command the doors to open, with my last verse the doors began to part.  Through the door we went and upon a great hall we traveled until we met with the great Alliance High lord and his men fighting to hold the entrance.

The scent of scourge and the smell of rotting flesh was even more apparent than when once entered into this hall from the cold, darkness outside.  Further down the hall, Lord Marrowgar awaits from what information we could gather from our ally in this quest to bring down Arthas and his scourge.  Entering deeper into the Halls of Icecrown we went, swords held tight and shields held high.  Lord Marrowgar, you end is near and command you to cease your attack upon the Alliance.  With great bellows of laughter that echoed through the halls, a booming voice came from upon the walls,  "You cannot command here, for you are upon the Lich King's dominion. You mere mortals of men shall not defeat the great Lord Marrowgar for I am a protector of the citadel."  With that challenge, the battle began.  With the waves of cold, blue fire and the attempts to blade our comrades to oblivion, Dark Heroes once again proved that we were up to the test and would once more prove ourselves through the Halls of IceCrown.  With the final blow to Lord Marrowgar, his bones crumbled to the floor and shattered in the ice below him, his bounty was great but not as great as the Lich King upon his throne.  His bounty would soon be ours, we thought to ourselves.

As we ascended the stairs to the next hall, there stood the oldest of the darkest adages before us, Lady Deathwhisper.  Her shrieking voice commanding her minions to attack, with a few moments of battle her minions were laying upon our feet.  Calling upon her dark powers, she engulfed herself in a strong magic shield and summoned her other many followers to kill us.  While our battle ensued with the summoned entities, a few of us casted our magic upon the shield protecting Lady Deathwhisper until it was no more.  The shield fell and as it fell so did she very soon after.  After her demise, the walls parted and a shaft in the wall became apparent.  With a lift to the inner sanctum of the citadel, we had found our way into the inner halls and exploited our way through to the next level.  The defenses of the citadel were attempting to hold strong as our allied forces were already fighting upon the upper ledges above us upon their assault from the air.

We joined in the fight and fought alongside our countrymen to the Alliance ship docked to the citadel.  Upon meeting with the captain, we agreed that we'd help them in their conquest to secure the outer doors of the spires.  As we departed to meet our brothers upon the next ledge, we were challenged by the opposing Horde, led by High Overlord Saurfang a scourge converted Orc under the controls of Arthas.  With his gunship defeated by our cannons and fierce might, the horde fled into the clouds.  After parting a few pints with the captain and his crew, we de-boarded the gunship to join the next opposition of our engagement.

After having a word with the advancing alliance captain, we started toward the citadel's hidden door.  Upon the fall of our feet on the stairs, a loud crackle of air and a smell of foul Orc could be sniffed even by a swallow in Elwyn Forest.  The stench was overwhelming as we got closer to the doors, 3 steps from grabbing the door a flash of blood lit glare appeared with the undead Orc Saurfang appearing from the smoke.  With his bellowing of how our demise was soon at hand, we began the encounter with a swift clashing of blades and the scents of death filling the air with each passing moment.  Saurfang, with the intent to not fall, summoned upon his greatest evil, the blood beasts of Northrend.  While we had heard of these legends and fables, we quickly knew that those monstrosities must be quickly dealt with.  For each of their lashes would give more power to Saurfang and that just wouldn't do.  With his beast slayed and his will worn, Saurfang soon met the same fate of his summons as he fell to the ground and vanished into the cold winds blowing from the North.

..... more to come