Chapter 18

           Duringthesixdaysittooktoreachthehighelvenlands,ArthasspokewiththeshadeofKel’Thuzadandgatheredmany,manymoretohisside.

           FromAndorhaleastwardhewent,themeatwagonsgrindingalonginhiswake,pastthelittlehamletsofFelstoneField,Dalson’sOrchard,andGahrron’sQuickening,acrosstheThondrorilRiverintotheeasternpartofLordaeron.Risenplaguevictimswereeverywhere,andasimplementalcommandbroughtthemtoheellikefaithfulhounds.Careofthemwaseasy—theyfedonthedead.Itwasvery...tidy.

           TheseArthaswasexpectingtocometohisside;theplaguevictims,theabominationssewntogetherofmanyparts,theghostsofthefallen.Butanewallyjoinedhim—onethatstartled,appalled,andthendelightedhim.

           HisarmywashalfwaytoQuel’Thalaswhenhefirstsawthem.Farinthedistance,itfirstappearedasiftheearthitselfwasmoving.No,thatwasn’tright.Thesewerebeasts,ofasort.Cattleorsheep,thathadbrokenoutoftheirpenswhentheirownersturnedintothewalkingdead?Bearsorwolves,foragingandfeastingoncorpses?AndthenArthasgaspedandgraspedFrostmournetightly,hiseyeswidewithshockanddisbelief.

           Theydidnotmovelikefour-leggedcreatures.Theyscuttled,scurried,movingoverthehillsandgrasseslike—

           "Spiders,"hemurmured.

           Nowtheypoureddowntheslopes,purpleandblackanddangerous-looking,multiplelegsscurryingquicklytobearthemtoArthas.