A Turbulent Autumn

"I don't know the owner of Marius Farm, but this place is very important to me. My mother has been here, and my father has been here too. Have you met them?"

"I never memorize the names of the dead." A cruel smile crept across Lilian's face beneath her mask. "But I can tell you, no one who comes near here survives! Not a single one has escaped my dagger."

"Why did you kill everyone who visited here? We meant no harm. We just came to seek the truth."

Lilian wanted to tell the boy that her actions were simply her duty, but when she heard him say he meant no harm, she let out a cold laugh, "Are you sure?" A crumpled piece of paper suddenly appeared in the female Undead's hand. She tossed the paper at Belorell's feet. "Look what this is."

The paper was folded in half at the corner, obscuring its contents, but Belorell already knew what it was. He glanced back at Jidwen; only Dwarf would do something so foolish. The bounty on the poster would be their downfall.

"This is a misunderstanding," Belorell could only say. "I think you must have faced opponents far stronger than us. The rumors circulating within Marius Farm are enough to intimidate anyone. We will not be so presumptuous as to challenge you."

Lilian stood there, watching the boy for a moment. His delicate skin didn't resemble that of someone from the Eastern Plaguelands. And he was so young... Lilian hadn't forgotten her identity Forsaken. She wasn't Scourge Undead, and she wasn't inherently Bloodlust. Nathanos had explicitly ordered her to eliminate everyone who approached Marius Farm. Perhaps this child would still die today, but Lilian was willing to give him a moment to speak. "You've successfully earned yourself a chance to speak. Don't waste your time."

Belorell let out a long sigh and turned to check on the other three. Fiona's anger had subsided. She had returned to her human form, the boy saw weariness on her face, and there were also Jidwen and Tarenna, who were busy healing themselves.

"My mother came here," he repeated, this time in more detail, "But she is alive; she was not killed by you."

Lilian frowned. Was this possible? It was utterly absurd. As the only Forsaken assassin planted at Marius Farm, she knew all too well that to carry out the Witherer's orders alone, she had to be prepared for every battle: how many enemies there were, how they would attack, and their retreat routes. Planning these things would ensure victory. Therefore, in Lilian's memory, she hadn't let a single intruder escape. If the boy's words were true, then it could only mean that the "mother" had been here before she arrived.

"Is that so? Perhaps back then, Marius Farm was just an insignificant place in the eyes of the Argent Dawn." She shook her head dismissively as she spoke. "Since your family is still alive, why did you come to this dangerous place?"

"I came for my father!"

Lilian disliked the title. Her father, a former Crimson Crusade bishop, not only refused to accept his Undead daughter but also attempted to kill her. Lilian ultimately ended his life with her own hands, a long time ago.

"So... who is your father?"

"I have no idea."

For a moment, Belorell could almost feel the murderous aura emanating from the female Undead.

"He was already dead when I was born..." the Elf boy continued, "A... stranger brought me here," Belorell thought of Chromie, "She told me this place was important, though I didn't really understand what she meant, but when I saw a map of my father among my mother's collection, with this place marked in a unique way, I had a feeling... Marius Farm and my father were closely connected."

Lilian shivered as she saw the thick fog drifting in from the north, cold, damp, and carrying the decaying scent of Stratholme.

The boy's mother had a map of the place, and his father had a mysterious connection to it, and his eyes were black... Lilian wasn't stupid, but she preferred to believe it was just a coincidence.

"May I have your name!"

"Alavi".

"Lies will only bring you closer to death, child." Lilian took a step forward. Her aggressive demeanor made Belorell swallow hard.

"I..."

"You are not a resident of the Eastern Plaguelands, you come from Quel'Thalas, right?"

After a moment's hesitation, Belorell nodded!

Relying on her keen intuition, Lilian's hands were already trembling slightly.

"I see, I understand!" she said, looking at the astonished Elf, and then threw a dagger at him.

The dagger fell at Belorell's feet, gleaming with a rhythmic, dark purple light. "You have eliminated the threat to Marius Farm," the female Undead said in a declarative tone. "Go and collect your bounty."

"That's not what I want." Belorell kicked the dagger away. "I want to know what happened here. You must know, right?"

Her anxious tone might cost him his life. Lilian simply smiled. "You want to know, but has your mother ever mentioned your father?"

"She said my father sacrificed himself to protect her."

"That's the truth!" Lilian suddenly realized, which made Belorell increasingly puzzled. "But death is never the end." The female Undead took a small trinket from her waist and tossed it to Belorell.

The boy grabbed it, but was also pricked, and felt a stinging pain in his palm.

"If you have the guts, you should give this to your mother."

Belorell recognized it as an arrowhead. "Why are you giving me this?"

"It's just returning it to its rightful owner!" Lilian turned to leave, then glanced back at Belorell. "These are turbulent times!"

A few days later, Hillsbrad.

The two Blight Hounds beside Nathanos were always so loyal, almost inseparable from their master. Lilian felt embarrassed; the Blight Hounds' clenched teeth clearly indicated they didn't want her to pass, but Lilian couldn't wait any longer. She had to tell the Witherer what had happened at Marius Farm.

After a few minutes of waiting, the two Blight Hounds seemed to hear a sound and slowly backed away to either side. Lilian knew who was controlling them.

She approached her destination, familiarizing herself with her surroundings as much as possible. The figure appeared on a mountaintop where the summit of the Alterac Mountains was visible.