![Chapter 16: Seryth and Malfas landed on Highmountain. Malfas warned him irritably not to make this another long stay like he had on the speedbarge, and Sirith retorted he was well aware of the danger. He needed time to think and plan his next move.](https://www.foxfirefiction.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/16_Chapter_Cut.jpg)
His camp was found by a Highmountain tauren tracker, Oro, who had been hunting mountain goats. Seryth warily welcomed the tauren to his fire, and they exchanged stories of past battles. The tauren remarked Seryth was clearly a powerful spellcaster. Seryth didn’t thank him for the compliment, instead asking him for tidings from Dalaran or Val’sharah.
In this way he learned of some of the aftermath of his fall as the Zilv’natha. Fordrellon, “the Zilv’natha’s mistress,” and several paladins and druids had returned victorious from the final battle in which Seryth was supposedly slain. One of these paladins had taken over leadership in Seryth’s stead; to Seryth’s unvoiced surprise, it was not Fordrellon. One of Fordrellon’s brethern? He asked Oro about it.
“A void elf, I’m told, though I’m not sure how he is also a paladin in that case,” said the tauren. “They continue to fight to cleanse the Isles of demons, though I’m told many of them will be returning to their homes on the mainland soon — ah, did you hear about the battle at Black Rook Hold?”
Seryth hesitantly replied that he had, or rather, had seen some of the spellcasting from his perch on Highmountain. Oro nodded in satisfaction, saying he had seen similar while on a hunt, and that the spirits were speaking of a great victory against the demons. Seryth smiled despite himself.
“At any rate, you are welcome at Thunder Totem, if you wish somewhere out of the wind,” said Oro. Seryth thanked him, saying he doubted he would stay in the area for long, and the tauren took his leave.
The next most obvious step in his plans was to return to Westfall, though Seryth was not certain of the good he could do there. Yet it was either that, or find Daelin, Jalinde, or one of the others directly, and he knew he wasn’t ready for that.
It was a leap of faith in which he found himself walking through Dalaran again, headed for the portal service to Stormwind, and there, eventully, to Westfall.
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