Артас: Возвышение короля-лича

           Muradinwasnotassurprisedasthehumanprincetofindsuchbeings;apparentlysmallclustersofsimilarso-called"icetrolls"lurkednearthedwarvencapitalofIronforge.

           ArthaslearnedfromMuradinthattheundeadhadbaseshere;strange,ziggurat-likestructures,pulsingwithdarkmagic,thathadbelongedtoanolderandpresumablyextinctrace,sincetheformerresidentsdidn’tseemtoobject.Sonotonlydidthewalkingcorpsesthemselvesneedtobedestroyed,theirrefugesneededtobeaswell.YeteachdayseemedtobringArthasnonearertohisgoal.TherewereplentyoftracesofMal’Ganis’sevil,butnoneofthedreadlordhimself.

           NorwasMuradin’squestfortheenticingFrostmournemoresuccessful.Theclues,arcaneandmundaneboth,werenarrowingthesearcharea,butthusfar,therunebladeremainedonlyalegendforalltherealityitheldforthem.

           Thedaywhenthingschanged,Arthaswasinafoultemper.Hewasreturningtotheirmakeshifttravelingcamp,hungryandtiredandcold,afteryetanotherfruitlessforay.Solostinhisirritationwashethatitwasseveralsecondsbeforecomprehensiondawned.

           Theguardswerenotattheirposts."Whatthe—"HeturnedtolookatMuradin,whoimmediatelygrippedhisaxe.Therewerenobodies,ofcourse;iftheundeadhadattackedwhilehewasaway,thecorpseswouldhavebeenraisedinthecruelestexampleofconscriptiontheworldhadeverknown.Butthereshouldhavebeenblood,signsofastruggle...buttherewasnone.