Under the influence of the Night Elves, the Tauren's standard of living had significantly improved, and their birth rate had reached a new high—so high that even Andreas was green with envy.
However, at the same time, they stubbornly retained many ancient customs, such as the unique tent culture of nomadic peoples.
Bloodhoof was originally the family responsible for military affairs among the Tauren.
With the Linges Family, who served as the overlords, nearly extinct, and under the threat of the Centaur, the military leader Bloodhoof was elected by the major Clans to become the new Great Chieftain.
Higher status usually meant greater responsibility. Dorn, who had just taken office, had no time to experience the power and charm of the Great Chieftain's position; he first had to face the endless guerrilla raids of the Centaur.
These four-legged hybrids didn't dare fight the Tauren head-on. They utilized their powerful running and mobility to develop a set of guerrilla tactics specifically to deal with the Tauren.
After meeting with Chieftain Dorn, Andreas and Fandral soon had the "honor" of witnessing another Centaur raid.
This time, the target was the grazing grounds of the Wildtotem Clan. The bow-wielding Centaurs came and went like the wind, relying on their unique physical structure for mounted archery.
Having inherited the elemental affinity of Theradras, the Princess of Earth, the spellcasters among them could call upon the power of lightning and earth to crash against the Tauren's defensive lines.
Two-legged Tauren simply couldn't outrun the Centaur. Given the Tauren's weight, the mounts capable of carrying them weren't fast; they only possessed great carrying capacity and endurance.
They couldn't catch them, and they couldn't escape them. It was no wonder the Tauren were driven to seek help in frustration. These four-legged creatures truly held a total mobility advantage on the almost featureless plains of Marshanhi.
"Great Chieftain Dorn, where are your Drakes cavalry?"
Dorn sighed with a bitter smile. "We've used them, but since their numbers are few, they are easily brought down by the nets and ranged attacks of those Centaur bastards when operating independently."
The Drakes of Stonetalon Mountains are excellent aerial mounts, but they are carnivores. Each meal requires a massive amount of meat, so the Tauren did not domesticate many during times of peace.
A few hundred Drakes scattered across the vast Marshanhi grasslands wouldn't even make a splash. The savage Centaur race was essentially a nation of soldiers, excluding only the elderly, weak, and disabled.
With a population of up to a million, every time the Centaur made a major move, they numbered at least a hundred thousand. The Tauren's Drakes cavalry was a mere drop in the bucket against them.
Andreas frowned in thought. "It would be best to find a way to restrict the Centaur's mobility. If we let them charge like this, not even the Tauren—let alone our Night Saber riders—will necessarily be of much use."
After all, a rider had to support two mouths—one person and one beast. The Night Elves couldn't possibly domesticate too many combat Night Sabers.
Meanwhile, the Centaur were born with a physical structure suited for mobile warfare. Playing guerrilla games with them was bound to be a losing battle.
Fandral looked around. "Is there anything that could draw their attention, something the Centaur would be forced to attack or protect?"
"Now that you mention it..."
Great Chieftain Dorn paused. "These Centaurs seem to value Maraudon very highly. Any creature that approaches the vicinity of Maraudon triggers a large-scale deployment by them."
Maraudon was the den where Zalthar and Theradras lived. If Andreas remembered correctly, the Centaur had been driven out of Maraudon by Theradras, which meant the tragedy of Zalthar was already over—he had been killed by his own children.
Grief-stricken, Theradras had slaughtered her Centaur offspring afterward. The Centaur, who had a poor relationship with their father, were very respectful toward this mother whose personality was similar to theirs.
To earn Theradras' forgiveness after being exiled from Maraudon, they had treated the cave as a holy land, refusing to allow any creature to enter and disturb Theradras as she licked her wounds.
Although the union of Theradras and Zalthar was unexpected, the tyrannical Princess of Earth truly loved Zalthar. After his death, she remained in Maraudon to accompany his soul.
"I have a plan."
Andreas rubbed his chin and pondered. "However, this plan is a gamble. If it fails, the Tauren will surely face bloody retaliation from the Centaur."
Dorn let out a long breath, tightened the massive totem pole on his back, and said solemnly, "Speaker Moonshadow, please speak. We will cooperate as much as possible. If we cannot pass through this crisis smoothly, we will have no choice but to flee to the Mulgore plains for refuge."
Marshanhi was very important to the Tauren. It was their homeland where they had lived in peace for many years in Kalimdor; they would not give it up unless it was absolutely necessary.
"Good. While Shandris is gathering reinforcements from Eversong in the south, I will first outline our strategic objectives."
...Having been at peace for many years, Andreas intended for the Night Elves to use small-scale wars to hone themselves, maintaining and improving the army's combat effectiveness and cohesion. This war with the Centaur was a perfect opportunity.
Although the Centaur possessed an innate physical advantage, they were very backward in other respects and could only bully the unprepared Tauren.
When Andreas and Fandral set out from Anathiss, Shandris was also heading toward Feralas with Laynella, Leticia, and the dryad Lunara.
Considering the distance, it was more appropriate to deploy troops from Eversong. This southern force had not seen battle since the war with the Sandfury Trolls; this was a good chance for them to sharpen their skills and regain their feel for the battlefield.
Since returning from the Emerald Dream, Laynella had been appointed by Fandral as the commander of the Druid combat units. Her rich practical experience accumulated during the War of the Ancients could guide the young, new generation of Druids to adapt to the battlefield quickly.
The dryad Lunara wasn't just following the Sentinel adjutant Leticia to watch the excitement this time.
Also being an offspring of Cenarius, she had a quite good relationship with Zalthar. The situation and changes in Marshanhi made her very worried about her brother's safety.
Upon learning that Leticia was going to war with the army, as the eldest daughter of Cenarius, she came along to check on the situation on behalf of her father, who was stationed in the Emerald Dream.
Since it hadn't been long since the Centaur left Maraudon, their current range of activity was mainly concentrated in the west and south of Marshanhi.
Before the reinforcements from Feralas arrived, Andreas temporarily held his position. The Tauren also tightened their defenses, continuing to reinforce their fortifications and adopting a posture for a long-term war of resistance.
The naturally tyrannical Centaur were furious at the Tauren's refusal to back down. Under the call of the major Clan leaders, over five hundred thousand Centaur left Speargroove near Maraudon and completely surrounded Ghost Sentry Post, which the Tauren had built south of the Great Chieftain's tent.
Ghost Sentry Post was built on a high ground near the Kodo Graveyard, where all elderly Kodo Beasts would return on their own to await death.
The old Kodo Beasts didn't have much time left to live anyway and couldn't be bothered to care about the Centaur's attacks. Lying in the Kodo Graveyard like small mountains, they blocked the Centaur's path of advancement in the middle.
The five Centaur chieftains stamped their feet in anger, but their primitive arrows couldn't cause much damage to the thick-skinned elderly Kodo Beasts. If they got too close, they would be attacked from the high ground of Ghost Sentry Post by the Tauren. The two sides could only temporarily remain in a stalemate in this area.
Dorn stood at the edge of Ghost Sentry Post, looking worriedly at the dense crowds of Centaur in the distance. "Speaker Moonshadow, what should we do next?"
"Wait."
Andreas scanned the Centaur camp with a monocular, remaining calm as he said, "The plan will only officially begin once Shandris' army arrives from the south. Until then, please be patient for a while."