Ten minutes later, Dudley emerged from a nearby room in a fresh set of clothes, though he still reeked of urine and remained groggy.
Much of the potent paralytic poison on Jiang Jie's dagger had evaporated, but some of its effects remained. Some had entered the cut on Dudley's neck. Given his constitution, he would probably remain groggy all day, which would keep him from causing trouble.
"Dudley, sit outside. Sir Basil, Sir Harold, it's getting late. We must reach the nearest town or village before nightfall. The wilderness is dangerous. Don't worry about me. I can still hold on." Mage Nolan frowned. Few people knew that he was mildly obsessive about cleanliness.
Dudley... disgusted him.
Had he known what sort of person Dudley was, he would never have accepted him as an apprentice, no matter how many gold coins Baron Soroson sent him.
Mages had their dignity!
"Understood, Mage Nolan," Harold answered.
The two knights, Basil and Harold, rode warhorses.
Horses, especially warhorses, were precious. Ordinary royal guards were not entitled to ride warhorses and could only walk. As for Jiang Jie, he had no choice but to walk with them.
They did not move quickly.
The wilderness of Azeroth was dangerous. The chaotic energies that permeated it made the creatures of this world exceptionally fierce. Not only were they larger and faster than their counterparts on Earth, some even possessed magical abilities, making them magical beasts in every sense.
Forest wolves half a person's height, night spiders as large as millstones, swarms of night bats, and the plentiful Tirisfal deer and Tirisfal Glades bears were the greatest threats to wilderness travelers.
The area within five kilometers of Lordaeron was relatively safe, as patrolling town guards kept wild beasts from daring to approach.
A little farther away, however, all sorts of wild beasts began to appear.
After traveling ten kilometers from the city, the party came under attack.
Dozens of forest wolves actually took advantage of the dimming light to attack them!
Fortunately, the royal guards were well trained. They quickly formed a complete defensive square and defended with all their might under the command of Harold, the kingdom knight. Then Mage Nolan and a low-ranking mage named Connie intervened, killing seven or eight wolves with several Fireballs. The royal guards hacked down several more before the wolves finally retreated.
Night fell, and the party finally reached the nearest town.
The town, called Bunolol, was small, with fewer than three thousand residents, nowhere near the size of Brill, the major town to the northwest with a population of ten thousand. Its mayor and sheriff, a baron, received them warmly before ordering someone to take them to the inn to rest.
At that very moment, in a house not far from the inn, several people in different styles of dress were holding a secret discussion.
"The intelligence was wrong. Besides Mage Nolan, one novice mage, one mage apprentice, and twelve Lordaeron royal guards, the escort also includes a kingdom knight, an intermediate Paladin, and a rogue apprentice."
"Timor's wolf pack failed to probe the depths of their abilities. Mage Nolan's spellcasting is stronger than we imagined. The royal guards work together seamlessly, and that kingdom knight is an excellent commander!"
"We've confirmed that the kingdom knight, Harold Coleman, volunteered to join the escort. He's going to Tirisfal Monastery for recruit training with the Order of the Silver Hand! The intermediate Paladin, Basil Luther, is Harold's guide to the Holy Light. He was also the examiner for the Paladin apprentice trials a few days ago, and he's a student of Uther the Lightbringer and a squad leader in the Order of the Silver Hand!"
"Shadow Watcher Corno sent word that the rogue apprentice is named Nicholas Jiang. He very likely knows Baron Soroson's identity and once defeated a novice assassin of our sacred cult. He's no weakling! Corno's orders are to ensure Dudley's safety and take him to Scholomance as a hostage to keep Baron Soroson obedient! As for Nicholas,
"Kill him while we're at it!" "Our forces aren't strong enough. Cancel the original plan. Timor will go to Brill to request reinforcements! In two days, set an ambush between Lordamere Lake and Venomweb Vale! Kill them in a single strike!"
Late into the night, the royal guards took turns standing watch. Jiang Jie lay in bed, frowning, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong.
"Nicholas, are you thinking about those forest wolves?" Harold was still awake too. He had not even taken off his full plate armor, and neither had Paladin Basil.
The mages shared one room, he shared another with Harold and Basil, and the other guards shared another.
"Yes." Jiang Jie nodded. "Something was wrong with those wolves. I got the feeling they weren't trying to kill us, but to test our strength."
The smile gradually faded from Harold's face. He nodded. "Someone was controlling those wolves. Perhaps a mage skilled in mind control, a Shadow Priest, or a hunter adept at controlling beasts. Someone... has their eye on us."
Jiang Jie frowned, feeling uneasy.
He knew that all this was very likely connected to Baron Soroson and the Cult of the Damned.
Aside from the Cult of the Damned, he could think of no one in Tirisfal Glades, the heartland of the Kingdom of Lordaeron, who would dare attack a party as strong as theirs.
Orcs?
No, no. The surviving Orcs had long since been united by Thrall, the new Warchief of the Horde. They now preferred to stay in hiding and could not possibly take a risk at a time and place like this. Besides, those Orcs should have been around the Alterac Mountains, not here.
Ogres? Even less likely. They lacked the brains, and their enormous bodies could not possibly have entered these woods unnoticed.
It could only be the Cult of the Damned.
Jiang Jie knew very well how powerful the Cult of the Damned was. Even the Barov Family, with its tangled connections, deeply entrenched influence, and extensive fiefs in both the kingdoms of Lordaeron and Alterac, had become its servants. How many people throughout Lordaeron had become theirs?
No one knew.
What exactly are they after? They couldn't have mobilized such a force just to kill me. Besides, to kill me, they'd have to get past Mage Nolan, Paladin Basil, and Sir Harold. That wouldn't be easy. Or do they simply want to deal with our group? Or... does this have something to do with that fat pig Dudley?
Jiang Jie could not work it out, but one thing was clear to him:
The journey ahead would be difficult.
"Nicholas, don't worry. The wolves didn't uncover our true strength. Lord Basil didn't act, and neither did I. Mage Nolan only tossed out a few fireballs, and you didn't act either. Whoever those people are, they wouldn't dare attack us in a human town. There are over a hundred town guards here as well. Get a good night's sleep. We have more traveling to do tomorrow." Harold patted Jiang Jie on the shoulder, lay down, and went straight to sleep.
Jiang Jie glanced at Harold and noticed that he still had not removed his armor. His knight's sword lay within easy reach. Clearly, he was not as relaxed as he claimed.
Forget it. With two knights here, so many guards on watch outside, and Mage Nolan's magical wards, there shouldn't be any trouble. I'll get some sleep, as long as I don't sleep too deeply. Jiang Jie finally closed his eyes.