“See it? That pale thing,” Jess said, pointing.
Gred narrowed his eyes and watched for a moment. “Maybe a pig raised by someone in Elwynn fell into the river and drowned, and its body floated down here?”
“It's not livestock. It's a person.” The priest had woken up without Jess noticing. He patted the carriage and called, “Stop a moment! There's someone in the water!”
“A person?” The paladin at the front leaned out to look. The carriage swayed, then came to a stop.
The sounds of hooves, shifting boxes, and creaking carriage wheels all disappeared. Only the water, the birds, and the wind moving through the trees could be heard. The quiet was almost frightening.
Jess jumped down and approached the riverbank. The pale object among the water plants really was a person. The body looked large because the person had been strongly built, not because it had swollen grotesquely from being submerged too long. That meant the person hadn't been dead for very long.
The priest took off his outer robe, waded in, and swam over to the body. With some effort, he rolled it onto its back. It was a woman.
With her distinctive build and the short, almost invisible spikes of blond hair on her head, Jess could pretty much guess who she was.
Everyone helped drag the woman's body ashore. Half of one leg was missing. The cut surface had turned pale from the water, and her whole body was covered with horrifying wounds, especially her lower half.
Gred frowned. “What happened here? She certainly didn't jump in to kill herself.”
“Gnolls,” one of the travelers said. “There aren't many other possibilities. Don't forget that gnolls are humanoid too. They have few of our good qualities, but every one of our bad ones.”
“Remember the group we met at the inn last night?” Jess asked Gred.
“You mean...” Gred stepped closer and looked at the face. “That really does look like the woman with the bow.”
“You knew this lady?” the priest asked.
“I'm pretty sure it's her. We met yesterday,” Jess said. “She and two men were bounty hunters. They were planning to hunt down a gnoll chief wanted by Stormwind. But they left the inn last night, and we never saw them again.”
“I've heard about the Riverpaw tribe's new chief too,” the paladin said.
The older priest looked toward the reeds farther off, which grew taller than a person. “Friends, we'd better leave this place. If she was still alive last night, she may have been killed somewhere quite close to here.”
“What should we do with her body?” the young priest asked.
“Push it back into the river, farther out,” the paladin said. “Let the current carry her to Stranglethorn Vale or somewhere beyond. If we bury her here, diseased animals nearby may dig her up. With bad luck, she could become infected with necromantic corruption. A walking corpse this strong would be difficult to deal with and would bring trouble Raven Hill doesn't need.”
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“Can't we burn her?” Jess asked.
“We don't have enough fuel with us. Gathering it here would take a long time and might draw gnolls,” the paladin said. “I hate to put it this way, but we'd practically be cooking them a meal. This lady certainly wouldn't have wanted that.”
“Let's get it done, then.” Gred rolled up his sleeves and joined the others in pushing the woman's body back into the river.
The priests recited prayers for the dead. The other travelers, whether they followed the Holy Light or not, fell silent and watched the body drift away.
Jess watched it too, then looked back north toward the endless forests of Elwynn.
He had a feeling his story with Hogger wasn't over yet.
Only after the corpse had disappeared from sight did everyone wash their hands and clothes and return to the carriage.
The rest of the journey was much quieter. Nobody asked what might have happened to the other members of the bounty-hunting party.
The farther they went into southern Elwynn, the darker it became. When the priest checked his pocket watch, it was only two or three in the afternoon, yet the sky was almost as dark as night.
The dark energy from the explosion at Karazhan had lingered here for years and would continue to do so. Even if everyone here died in despair or moved away, the darkness would not end.
Objectively speaking, the fact that Medivh's uncontrolled power had destroyed only this region was already a very fortunate outcome.
After all, the soul possessing him belonged to the king of all demons, the true ruler of the Burning Legion—the Dark Titan Sargeras, who could cut an entire planet in two with one swing of his sword.
Gradually, the forest on either side of the road became terribly gloomy. Thick fog blocked their view. Torches had been set along the road to light the way for travelers, but the points of fire stretching away into the mist looked like strange ghost lights.
Every so often, a cry rose from the trees. It was impossible to tell whether it came from a human or a wolf. Sometimes a raven passing overhead broke the silence, reminding them that living things still existed here.
The rolling wooden wheels became the only constant sound. Jess felt as though countless unseen creatures in the forest were watching their party pass.
The carriage reached a crossroads. Through the heavy fog, they could make out the shadows of several buildings and a small church nearby. A few windows seemed to have lights burning inside.
The priest sitting at the front turned around. “We've reached Raven Hill, everyone.”
This was Raven Hill?
If nobody had told him, Jess would have thought it was just a larger roadside station. The so-called town was smaller than the station at Sentinel Hill, and it couldn't compare with Goldshire at all.
He'd grown used to seeing towns and cities that were much bigger than their versions in the game. Finding a little place that was barely larger than its game model felt oddly unfamiliar.
After a brief rest and some unloading, the priests continued on in their Church carriage. They wanted to reach the next station before night fell completely, though Jess wasn't sure what the difference between day and night in Duskwood actually was.
Raven Hill was deserted. There wasn't a soul in the small square at the center of town. Only an old man sat outside the nearby inn, watching them.
Jess and Gred rented a room at the town's only inn. It cost just a few copper coins for the night, practically free.
The inn was dirty and cluttered because there weren't enough people to clean it. Dust lay everywhere. But they had no other choice.
Jess checked their bags and tools, then slumped into a wooden chair and looked at the dark woods outside the window.
“Let's avoid fighting anything if we can. If we're unlucky enough to meet the walking dead, hide or run. If we see wolves or other animals, avoid eye contact and avoid a fight.”
“That's what I was thinking too.” Gred drew the sword and waved it. “Doesn't look like this town has anywhere that could properly treat wounds. If something happens to us, we might die right here.”
Then he turned the sword around and offered Jess the hilt. “Here. Take it.”
“You use the sword.” Jess picked up the axe. “I'll use this.”
“Why?” Gred asked.
“Swords take skill,” Jess said. “I haven't fought much, but I've chopped plenty of wood. At least I have some idea how to put force into a swing with an axe. You're a veteran. You're much better with a sword than I am.”
“This sword was made for a human's build. It doesn't really suit a dwarf.” Gred raised the blade and looked along its edge. “Luckily it's not too long. I can manage.”
Just then, the dwarf lowered the sword, but kept his eyes fixed on the doorway.
“Who are you? What do you want?”