"We'll run out of space in the stables if they keep at this rate, brother. This new shipment - four clefthoofs? There's hardly space for three, let alone enough to feed them." Gavrok shook his head in disbelief as another ship came to shore upon the Iron Docks. There had been many as of late, as the demands for war were ever increasing, and the docks were filled with ships transporting weapons, armour, and in this case, massive beasts to be used for battle. "We used to have a bond with these animals. Now they beat them. Taunt them. They say it makes them angrier, gives them a temperament that's better for battle. I don't know how much longer I can stand for this."

"And what would you have us do, then?" his brother, Marnoch, asked. He had heard this line of thinking many times before, but it always ended in the same way. They were stable hands, a cog in a vast war machine. There was little they could do but follow.

"I don't know. But I grow tired of stepping out of the way." He stepped down from crates full of weapons and armour and made their way to assist in bringing the animals to the stables. At least there, the animals were under their protection for a time.

The first of the clefthoofs was making its descent down a narrow ramp from the latest ship's cargo hold as they arrived. Chains were wrapped around its neck, being pulled along by the dock's leader, Koramar. It was reluctant, swinging its head to try and loosen the hold the chains had on it. "Hurry up, beast!" he called out with his characteristic fury. A Warsong commander, Koramar had little patience for the animals under his command. "Now!" he called again as the clefthoof dug in its heels and refused to continue down the ramp. Losing patience, he stopped tugging on the chain and picked up his spear.

"Last chance, beast," he spat. A half-hearted tug on on the chain did little to move the clefthoof forward. He raised his spear, ready to make the clefthoof move, even if it meant slaying it and having it tumble from the docks into the waters below. However, just as his arm moved to strike, a heavy hand grabbed the end of the spear and held it in place.

"Treat the animals with respect, and they'll treat you in kind," Gavrok said, slowly releasing the spear. He picked up the chains and gently guided the animal forward, the clefthoof now steadily moving along with him down the ramp. "Lead gently. They will follow."

Koramar tilted his weapon towards Gavrok. "Listen closely. Hold my arm back from striking again, and you'll find your head on the end this spear! You will pay for that insubordination!" he yelled at Gavrok before turning back towards the ship to yell at the rest of the dockworkers that were not moving at a speed he found acceptable.

Marnoch came to his brother's side, taking one of the chains and helping to guide the clefthoof. There was worry on his face. "You're playing with fire taunting him that way. Koramar is volatile. You should take care around him."

Gavrok didn't respond, but rather gritted his teeth in frustration and moved the clefthoof along faster. They reached the stables and hastily made room for the new animal, ashamed that they had to house such a magnificent creature in such a cramped space. Clefthoofs, elekks, rylaks, all penned in places far too small for their imposing size. He could hardly shut the door to the latest clefthoof's pen, having to shift the creature to the side just to move the gate. He slammed it in anger, rattling the metal and causing the animals to stomp and growl. "How can you call yourself an orc?" Gavrok suddenly yelled at his brother. "To let yourself be disrespected like this! To let us follow this disgrace! This," he said, holding up his hands to the stables. "This is an insult! The eyes of the beasts burn red with hatred! Their bodies are covered in steel as we prod them into a fury - is that who we are now? What Horde is this that we follow? And you serve them like a coward! If it was you that came forward first this animal would have been gutted on the docks!"

"Call me a coward? Am I that different than you?" his brother fired back, stepping forward to him to meet him eye to eye. "I'll ask again, brother - what would you have us do, then? Hmm? What can we do?"

They paused, fists balled in anger, breathing heavily. Gavrok closed his eyes and forced himself into a calmer state. "I know. We can only do what we can. Let's feed these beasts and be done with this for the day."

They finished the rest of their tasks in silence before retiring to the barracks. But the question stuck in both of their minds; what could they do?

---

Gavrok met his brother at the crates the next morning, meeting the sun as it glared off the thin layer of water on the ships and black metal of the Iron Docks. Marnoch had heavy bags under his eyes, showing he had not slept after last night's confrontation. Gavrok felt he likely looked much the same. Nevertheless, they greeted each other as they always did. There was no grudge between them. Brothers always, they were quick to forgive. "Another day, then," Gavrok said. "I can only hope Koramar forgot our... disagreement."

"Knowing that one, he'll take it to the grave. Or ours," Marnoch added solemnly.

"We'll deal with it when we have to," Gavrok said, nodding towards the stables and starting off in that direction. However, when he arrived, he sensed something was off. He sniffed the air, noting it was different than the usual pungent smell caused by large animals in a tight space. There was something else. Something he couldn't at first recognize. "Do you..."

"Yes," Marnoch said. "I smell it too. Blood."

Pitchforks used for clearing the barn were stacked along the outside. They each picked one up and held it tightly, creaking open the door. The Iron Horde had enemies in Draenor, and the first thought was that of a potential sabotage. To their relief, the first pens were clear. Steeltusk, a massive elekk and a favourite of Marnoch, stirred restlessly. Faultline, a particularly ornery clefthoof that answered only to to Gavrok, had the unusual action of snapping its teeth at the cage as he walked by. They crouched low. Something was desperately wrong.

Gavrok saw it first. He dropped his pitchfork, his jaw falling along with it. A spear was plunged through the heart of their newest clefthoof, blood and gore splattering the walls of the enclosure. Such a mighty, proud beast, put to death in such a manner that was nothing short of revolting to the two stable hands.

A note was attached on the end of the spear, and Marnoch went to read it. It was clear, even before they read it, who left it behind. The spear was the same as the one Koramar had used to threaten the beast as it came down from the ship yesterday.

Pulling the note from the spear, Marnoch read it aloud and scowled. "It reads, 'Lead by force, and you make them follow.'" He crumpled the note and threw it to the ground. "That's it, brother. I've had enough. It's time."

"Time for what? To kill that coward?" Gavrok said with fury. If that was what he proposed, he would be with his brother in a heartbeat.

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"No. To escape from here. With them," he said, raising a hand towards the rest of the animals. He moved along the cages and began to open them one by one. "We'll release them all. Guide them out of here. It's their only hope. And perhaps ours, as well."

Marnoch put his hand on the latch to the cage next to him "We'll be killed, brother. You know this as well as I do."

"Perhaps, yes. But this is no life here. A life without honour is not a life worth living." Marnoch moved to Steeltusk next, the colossal elekk stirring and restless. "I will see you on the outside," he whispered to it. He looked to his brother next. "You said yourself we cannot keep being a part of this. I asked what we could do. This is it."

Gavrok moved to Steeltusk's cage. "It's more than likely a death sentence for us both," he said. Then, he opened the cage.

--

At the brothers' prompting, beasts flew from the cages along the docks, breaking through stacked crates and equipment. An occasional dockworker would try to slow the beasts only to be thrown aside by a clefthoof rearing its head or Steeltusk's mighty charge. It was chaos, immediate and brutal. Somehow, above it all, they heard the voice of Koramar calling orders.

"We have traitors in our midst!" he yelled, the strong voice of the Warsong carrying across the docks. "Iron Horde! Slay them! I want their heads!"

Grunts grabbed rifles and levelled them at the beasts, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off the metal plated beasts, the great protective armour they had placed on the animals working against them now. The brothers ran alongside the herd, using them to shield themselves against the onslaught. Iron Horde that ventured too far into their path were trampled and slaughtered, one finding itself gored on the end of the tusk of the great elekk before sliding off into the docks.

Koramar watched in disbelief. "That's enough! They will not leave these docks, even if that means we have to burn this whole place to ash! Zoggosh!" he said, calling at his second in command. "Prepare our cannons for firing! Ready the gronn!"

Towering over the horizon was the prize of Blackhand himself, the mighty gronn, Skulloc. It was a testament to the strength of the Iron Horde to have captured these creatures and set them to service. Massive and powerful, the creature was a living siege engine unto itself, having cannons strapped upon its back. All the gronn had to do was point in the right direction. "Fire!" Koramar yelled above the fury. "Fire, now! Kill them all!"

Cannon fire blasted the docks, sending splinters of wood and debris flying in all directions. A rampaging clefthoof was hit head on, exploding in blood and gore. Cannon balls ripped through the wooden planks of the docks and splashed into the water as the brothers pushed themselves to the brink. A dockworker, braver than the rest, managed to find a clear shot on the brothers as they slipped in and out of the stomping feet of clefthoof and elekk. His aim under the crashing of cannonballs and shaking ground was off, however, and it ricocheted off the armoured plating of Steeltusk directly into the tusk of Gavrok, breaking it off and forcing him to tumble to the docks. Through sheer luck, a cannonball ripped above his head just as he fell, sending the attacker flying. Marnoch followed in after and was quick to pick up the rifle the dockworker dropped after he was struck.

"We're almost there, brother!" he called out to Gavrok. Steeltusk was far ahead of them now, and he stormed through the gate they had placed to keep them in, shattering it to pieces. "Stop for nothing!"

Another cannonball slammed into the docks ahead of them, showering them in water and splinters. Another clefthoof was struck, its pained roar echoing. Still, the brothers pressed on, but Koramar's gronn had found its range.

Their luck finally ran out. A cannonball tore through the docks, and landed a direct hit on Marnoch, catching him below the knee. It severed it completely, causing him to spin and be thrown across the dock. "Marnoch!" Gavrok yelled, seeing his brother fall. He rushed to his side. Blood poured freely from the wound. "Brother, I..."

Marnoch shook the dizziness from his head and met his brother eye to eye. "Hand me that rifle!" he said, pointing to the gun he took from the dockworker that fired upon them. "I'll hold them off as long as I can! Now run!"

"I cannot-"

"Run!" he said again, with whatever vigour he could muster. "Survive. Live to bring death to these Iron Horde!" He saw the hesitation in his brothers eyes. He met his gaze directly. "What choice do you have?"

Gavrok knew he was right. He quickly retrieved the rifle and began to flee. However, he turned back to his brother one final time. "I was wrong to call you a coward," he said. Using a straggling elekk as protection, he ran alongside it out of the gates. Behind him, he heard the sound of Marnoch's rifle being fired until the gronn found its accuracy once again. After another volley of cannon fire, the gun fell silent. But Marnoch's stand was not in vain. Gavrok exited the gates Steeltusk destroyed, and fled the Iron Docks.

---

Gavrok fled on foot until he reached exhaustion and collapsed upon the ground. He awoke coughing and wheezing, his lungs on fire from the dust and fumes of the docks mixed with the great exertion of his escape. Much to his surprise, he found the great elekk, Steeltusk, and his prized clefthoof, Faultline, standing dutifully at his side, grazing upon whatever grass they could find in the desolate landscape. Pushing himself up, he replayed the events in his head, hardly able to believe they happened. He ran a hand along Steeltusk's flank and thanked it for the opportunity it gave him. He only wished he could share the moment of joy and relief with his brother.

Anger swelled within him. He would not even have a body to bury. "I hope you two are ready," he said to the animals. "We will bring vengeance down upon the heads of the Iron Horde." He laid his fist on the ground, thinking of his brother who gave his life so he could have just a chance at escape. He thought of his brother's last moments and the direction he gave him. "From this day forward, may no member of the Iron Horde find rest while I am breathing. May Koramar's head be placed upon my spear when we next meet. And may I leave this life knowing that those wretched docks will burn. They will know me. They will know fear! From this point forward, I am just Gavrok no longer. I will be known as Gavrok - Ironbane!"