Chapter 19

           Thetraitor,awizardbythenameofDar’KhanDrathir,shouldhavemadeiteasy.Andtosomeextenthehad,ofcourse.ArthaswouldotherwiseneverhaveknownabouttheKeyoftheThreeMoons—amagicalitemthathadbeensplitintothreeseparatemooncrystalsstashedinheavily-guarded,hiddenlocationsthroughoutQuel’Thalas.Eachtemplewasconstructedonanintersectionofleylines,similartotheSunwellitself,thetraitorouselfhadtoldhim,gleefultobebetrayinghispeopleso.Theleylineswerelikebloodvesselsoftheearth,carryingmagicinsteadofscarletfluid.Thusinterconnected,thecrystalscreatedafieldofenergyknownasBan’dinoriel—theGatekeeper.AllheneededtodowasfindthesesitesatAn’telas,An’daroth,andAn’owyn,slaytheguards,andfindthemooncrystals.

           Buttheexcessivelypretty,surprisinglytoughelvespresentedachallenge.ArthassatastrideInvincible,idlyfingeringFrostmourne,andreflectedonhowitwasthatsofragile-seemingaracecouldstanduptohisarmy.Forarmynowittrulywas—manyhundredsofsoldiers,allalreadydeadandsomoredifficulttopermanentlydispatch.

           Theranger-general’scleverlittletrickofblowingupthebridgehadindeedcostArthasprecioustime.TheriverranthroughQuel’Thalasuntilitbumpedupagainstseveralfoothillstotheeast—foothillsthatposedthesamechallengetothemobilityofhisenginesofwarthatthewaterdid.

           Ithadtakenawhile,buteventuallytheyhadcrossedtheriver.