A drop of blood ran down Arthas's arm and fell down to smack Wigglesworth right on top of her head. Arthas immediately stopped cutting his arm and put the knife down. With one deft move he yanked the kitten off the floor and attempted to wipe the blood off of her, but it only resulted in staining her head even further. To her credit, Wigglesworth did not struggle or even complain.
"Sorry, Wig," Arthas muttered. She meowed loudly at the attention he was giving her. As if summoned, Jasper and Johnny clambered out of the chest they used as a bed and rushed over to attack Arthas's feet.
He reached down to get them, noting that his arms' wounds had already stopped bleeding. It did not matter. He would reopen them tomorrow and the day after that. For now, he was distracted by the dark thoughts that bothered him. All three kittens were purring deeply. Their father lay on the command table, curled up with both eyes closed. He did not care to know what his children were doing.
Johnny kneaded his paws against Arthas's leg and Jasper chewed on Arthas's fingers while Wigglesworth smacked both of her brothers to no avail.
"The solution to our problems!"
Kittens and death knight both looked up as Kiefer strode into the tent, looking pleased with himself. Arthas self-consciously lowered his arms so that the cultist could not see them from his angle.
The cultist lifted a crinkled old map. "I have found a way to get to Icecrown without alerting either the Citadel or Dalaran to an army?" Arthas asked drolly.
"Indeed!" Kiefer slapped a map down onto the table in front of Arthas. It was a strange version of Northrend, but Arthas recognized it immediately.
Nerubian tunnel systems. Bolvar will expect that."
Kiefer shook his head fervently.
"No, not the way we are going. We will be taking the long way around! Not directly to Icecrown."
With that announcement, Kiefer pointed to an entrance close by and started to show Arthas how they would go. It started in the Grizzly Hills and went all the way to the Storm Peaks.
"It will of course be annoying going so far out of our way, but all of the major tunnels near Azjol Nerub and Icecrown have been maps years ago and thoroughly explored. These however are not!"
Arthas thought about it. Annoying indeed. It would be a long march in dim underground tunnels surrounded by the stench of rotting corpses and raw earth.
"Are you sure these tunnels haven't collapsed?"
Kiefer snorted. "I sent some scouting ghouls a few miles in. Nerubians were skilled enigneers!"
Jasper hopped up onto the table and tried to lay on the map, but Kiefer hissed in disgust and shoved him away. Before Arthas could say anything, another figure came into the tent.
Adalger put one hand on Kiefer's shoulder as if they were old friends.
"What's this I hear about bugs and tunnels? I hope you are not claustrophobic, Kiefey."
The cultist gritted his teeth. "Do not call me that."
Adalger made no notice of the cultist and lazily leaned against the table, looking at the map with interest.
"Sure its all well and good, but there's a far easier way to pop up at Ice cream Citadel or whatever you call it."
He pulled out a flask, took a swig, and then offered it to Kiefer. When the cultist gave him a look of digust, Adalger merely turned to offer it to Arthas. He just waved dismissively.
"You have a way to move an entire army?" Arthas asked.
Adalger took another gulp of drink and stuck his hand into one of his pockets. Of all the things he expected to see, Arthas was surprised when the man pulled out...a nut. It was not any that Arthas recognized.
Kiefer laughed. "What is this, some kind of trick?"
Adalger shoved the cultist aside, a smile on his face. He leaned forward toward Arthas.
"Not at all! I'm sure you remember a little trip into a certain tree in Drustvar? Trees make seeds of course. This is the seed of Gol Inath. Only grows one every decade. Planting a seed will create a sapling! A sapling whose roots go down...very deep. Anywhere a tree like this is planted, instant gateway to Thros. I planted one when I arrived. If I were to plant one close to your little castle, well, I think a smart man like you can figure it out."
Arthas nodded in understanding. Kiefer looked skeptical, but he didn't say anything against Adalger.
The Huntsman tossed the nut into the air and deftly caught it again. "Great! Give me a week to pop up there, find a nice little spot and do a bit of gardening."
Arthas and Kiefer watched the man leave, whistling as he did so. Kiefer leaned forward.
"Should I send a portion of our forces into the tunnels just in case?"
Jasper hopped back into Arthas's lap and purred happily. Arthas absentmindedly reached down and kneaded the cat with his fingers.
"No, the Huntsman is trying to prove himself. Let him."
Kiefer sighed in disappointment and rolled up his map. Before he could leave, there was a commotion outside. Arthas picked up Johnny, intending to ignore whatever the disturbance was, but a young draenei cultist came rushing in.
"We caught a paladin, a hyena...and a gnoll?"
Arthas jerked his head up in confusion. "Excuse me?"
"The paladin claims to know you."
Arthas jumped up and flung himself out of the tent. Hundreds of undead surrounded the captives, leering with bloodshot or empty eyes. Drool dripped from some ghouls' mouths.
Three figures were on the icy rock-hard ground. Arthas immediately recognized the silver-grey hyena. The gnoll was quite young. As soon as she saw him, she bared her sharp teeth defiantly and growled. The paladin immediately rushed forward despite his restrained limbs. He got between her and Arthas.
The man scowled, for he recognized the young man too. At first, Arthas was annoyed. This damn boy kept showing up. He would have told the ghouls to rip him apart, but he saw something that stopped him.
The tabard that covered the boy's simple armor was familiar. Something akin to fear crept into Arthas's chest.
"Wolf boy, what the hell are you doing here?"
Ethan Calwood looked up with those bright green eyes of his. "I...I came here to find you."
Kiefer curled his lip up in disgust. Arthas grew intrigued. This little paladin seemed way too attached to him. He kept getting himself involved. That might just end up in his death if he was not careful. Still, the boy had been useful.
Arthas waved at the cultist who restrained the three. "Take them to my tent."
Beside him, Kiefer looked like he wanted to protest, but wisely kept his mouth shut and went off huffing.
The little gnoll growled again. "No want to go to tent!"
Beside her, Ethan put a reassuring hand on the cub's shoulder and whispered in her ear. As soon as Stub was let go, he rushed forward to Arthas and leapt onto the man. Arthas shoved the hyena away.
"Get off!" Stub ignored him and licked the man's gloved hand. Ethan came over and pulled Stub away.
"Sorry! I guess he just missed you," Ethan muttered. Arthas did not care. He let the boy take gnoll and hyena into the tent first. As soon as they were alone, Arthas grabbed Ethan by his soft throat and shoved himself against the weapon rack where Arthas kept his weapons. Ethan yelped fearly. The gnoll snarled and attempted to lunge at Arthas, but the man shoved the girl to the ground.
"Where the hell did you get that tabard?"
Ethan stared at him. "I...I found it."
"Where!"
"Sir Uther's tomb! He...He sent me to find you!"
Arthas did not react for a second, but then started to chuckle. The chuckling turned to uproarious laughter. It was too much. Arthas let go of Ethan's throat.
"It has been a while since I heard such a good joke."
Ethan gasped. "I'm not joking! I went to Sir Uther's tomb for advice."
"And he just showed up?"
The young man bit his lip and turned suddenly sheepish. "Not exactly. I...fell over and found an old tabard."
Arthas nodded, grinning once again. His amusement infuriated the boy and Ethan clenched his fist.
"I know what Uther wanted me to do! He showed me this, the crest of the Menethil family! He wanted me to help Sapphire and you! You just need a little help to be redeemed."
He tried to explain how he asked Uther for help concerning Arthas, how he found the tabard and found out what the blue eagle represented. His delusional idea made Arthas smirk the entire time.
"By the Light, you are amusing!" Arthas snickered. He turned away from the angry boy and went over to his cats. Wigglesworth was rolling around on the cot that served Arthas as his bed. Stub had wandered over and sniffed the kitten curiously. Atleast he did not try to eat her, because Arthas would have crushed his skull under his boots.
"That son of a bitch doesn't want to help me. He's a corpse, at most perhaps a bitter old ghost. You are too stupid to understand what a coincidence is!"
Harsh words seemed to have an effect on the boy, and he looked less sure of himself then he had a few seconds ago.
"Maybe I was wrong, but I still think I should fix you!"
Arthas leaned against a tent pole and tilted his head. "You can't fix what is already perfect."
Beside Ethan, the little gnoll snorted. "You not perfect, you stupid!"
"Chompers, quiet!" Ethan retorted, horrified.
The little gnoll sniffed derisively but did not say anything else to antagonize Arthas. Between the two of them, Arthas was more interested in the aggressive little beast girl. The paladin was amusing but then spoke of "fixing" Arthas. It left a sour taste in his mouth.
The next Arthas spoke, it was a quiet dark whisper. "There will be no fixing me. The second you get in my way or annoy me too much, I'm sure by now you are familiar with my threats?"
Arthas did not give the boy a chance to respond and continued.
"I won't be hurting you first, little squire. You have been useful to me and maybe you can be again. The gnoll? She will be ghoul food. Understood?"
"Yes sir," Ethan nodded, thoroughly cowed and fearful.