Andy waited until he had mocked the Furbolgs before hurrying over to Hawkins. He looked at the elves sprawled across the ground. Some were covered in blood and lay motionless; others rolled in agony in pools of blood. Hawkins was kneeling beside the middle-aged man who had driven the cart, gripping his hand tightly, tears welling in his eyes.
"Rad, my brother!" Hawkins choked out. "I should never have let you make this trip!"
"Cough, cough! There's no need for that between brothers," Rad said weakly. "I'm just worried about my daughter!"
"Don't worry. I'll take good care of her," Hawkins said firmly.
Andy sighed. The middle-aged man named Rad clearly wouldn't make it; his chest had caved in badly. Rad's gaze began to grow unfocused, but a faint smile still lingered on his face.
Andy patted Hawkins on the shoulder, then went to help the other elves. Most of those lying motionless were probably already dead. He helped those still able to move tend to the wounded and bandage their injuries.
"Young man, you saved us, but I still don't know your name," Hawkins said, watching Andy crouch on the ground as he worked.
"It's nothing." Andy looked up at Hawkins. "You'd better round up your people. Get those who can walk to help the ones who can't, and leave here as soon as possible. If we stay too long, those monsters might come back for revenge."
Hawkins wiped the tears from his eyes and hurriedly nodded before going to gather the others. He didn't know whether these Furbolgs would seek revenge. In fact, he had never seen them attack elves of their own accord. Hawkins directed the few survivors to load the corpses onto the cart at the back and the wounded onto the cart at the front, then set off toward Darnassus. The attack had left Hawkins's business in ruins. The longtime members of his caravan had been killed or injured, and it looked like he would have to suspend operations for a while.
Andy walked at the rear of the caravan with his bow on his back, keeping watch on their surroundings.
They hadn't gone far when Hilar arrived with the city guards and met the returning caravan. Seeing that Andy was unharmed, Hilar finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Andy, I'm glad you're all right," he said with concern.
"Of course I'm fine. They were just a few Furbolgs!" Andy said with a grin, wiping his nose.
"Hmph, sure, brag all you want. You were lucky to handle them at all," Hilar said.
"So the young man's name is Andy." With guards escorting the caravan, Hawkins was finally able to catch his breath. "I can't repay you with words alone. If you ever need anything, Andy, just come to me."
Andy smiled and told him there was no need to thank him. But he thought otherwise: Let's see if you're still alive to say that when the Orc army arrives.
Darnassus City, Temple of Elune.
"That's what happened. The Furbolgs can't communicate, but they've always lived peacefully alongside the elves. Who could have guessed they'd do this? Sigh!" Hawkins said, slapping his thigh hard.
"Leave the rest to us, Mr. Hawkins. You should go home and get some rest, and take care of your injured people," Tyrande said gently. "I'll send a priest to help treat the wounded and pray for the dead."
Hawkins hurriedly bowed. "Thank you, High Priest, for everything you've done for us. On behalf of my subordinates, I offer you my deepest gratitude!"
Tyrande smiled and gestured for Hawkins to leave. He bowed once more, then backed out of the Temple of Elune with his head lowered.
"This is very strange!" Tyrande said with a frown after Hawkins had left. "The Furbolg settlement has never attacked the elves. They also rely on the elves to survive. What could have made them act so strangely?"
"Have the Furbolgs always lived near Darnassus?" Andy asked.
"Starwind Village lies at the end of the road just outside the city. It's the only Furbolg settlement," Tyrande replied.
"It really is strange. Once their leader was gone, the Furbolgs scattered," Andy said. "If they were really trying to attack us, they should have fought to the death. Besides, I was the only one there who could fight. They had an overwhelming advantage, so they had no reason to run."
"You're saying they ran?" Tyrande asked.
"Yes, they ran. As soon as the Furbolg who had roared died, the rest fled into the woods," Andy said.
"We should investigate, but I don't have anyone available right now. It looks like we'll have to wait for Malfurion to return," Tyrande said with a sigh. Ever since Andy had revealed the earth-shattering news, Tyrande had strengthened Darnassus's defenses, leaving no one available to go out and investigate.
"We can't wait for him to come back. Who knows how many more people will suffer in the meantime? If you trust me, let me go," Andy said.
"No. It's too dangerous!" Tyrande refused. She couldn't let a child of only sixteen risk his life.
"It's fine. If things get too dangerous, I'll come back. Besides, Hilar will be with me. If we can't win, we can still run, right?" Andy said with a smile.
Seeing how determined he was, Tyrande couldn't think of a better solution, so she nodded slightly. "All right. Above all, stay safe. Hilar, look after him. When are you planning to go?"
"There's no time to waste. I'm going now," Andy said, giving a playful wink. "The dead of night is perfect for getting things done!"
"All right!" Tyrande stepped down from the dais and spoke an incantation. Then she spread her hand, and a faint milky-white light enveloped Andy for ten full seconds. "I'll give you a blessing to lend you a hand."
Andy flexed his arms and legs. His body seemed to feel much lighter. Hilar slapped him on the shoulder. "You're one lucky kid. The High Priest blessed you herself. Now hurry up and go!"
Andy nodded, said goodbye to Tyrande, and set off toward Starwind Village outside the city as the sun sank toward the horizon.
Outside Starwind Village, all was quiet. Andy and Hilar waited until it was completely dark before daring to approach the little Furbolg village. Clusters of campfires dotted the village, and there was even a guard post on its only road.
"Is that normal?" Andy asked, pointing at the guard post.
"Not really." Hilar shook his head. "The Furbolgs are just a loosely organized settlement. They've never had guard posts."
Andy furrowed his brow and thought it over. Judging by the situation, the Furbolgs seemed to have united under a single leader and were now deliberately guarding their village.
"Looks like we'll have to find a Furbolg and ask," Andy muttered.
"You're joking, right?" Hilar looked at Andy in surprise. "The Furbolgs can't communicate!"
"Just leave it to me. You'll see," Andy said, sounding confident.
Before you continue