that they had come seeking readmittance to night elf society.
With the exception of his accidental leaning on the arm, Jarod was careful not to touch the body. It was already evident what had likely proven the spellcaster’s end—the two jagged slits in his throat indicated a large dagger wielded by an enthusiastic hand. There was also something pinned by a rock to the dead mage’s chest.
Questions filled Jarod’s head, some of them very disturbing. One that particularly vexed him from the start was why the Highborne should be here in the first place. What business had the spellcaster had so near where Jarod lived?
The answer came to him as he studied the ground nearby. Someone had been careful to remove any footsteps, and he knew why: the Highborne had been slain elsewhere and then dragged to this spot. Despite the efforts to cover that fact up, there were still some tiny, telltale spots of what could only be blood. They led toward the east for a few paces before ceasing. From all this, Jarod decided that the reason that the Highborne had been found by him was simply that the assassins had not wanted the victim to be discovered near the place of his demise. Something there would have possibly given searchers a clue to the truth.
It occurred to him suddenly that this was not his task. By rights, he had to report this to the Sentinels or, more to his preference, the archdruid or high priestess. Jarod looked around again, saw no one, and decided to risk leaving the body alone while he searched for someone with authority.
Being a druid, Malfurion was likely somewhere beyond Darnassus, so Jarod headed toward the temple. At the very least, he believed Tyrande would be there, and if it turned out the archdruid also was, so much the better.
“Jarod?”
He stopped at the sound of Shandris’s voice. Flanked by four Sentinels, she, too, headed toward the temple.
“Shan—General,” he responded, trying to regain his composure.
After her initial outburst of his name, she, too, sought to bring things to a more detached level. “Jarod. You have business with the high priestess?”
It took but a moment’s debate before he admitted the truth. “Yes . . . someone has been murdered.”
Her guards immediately tensed. Shandris signaled them to calm down, though her eyes burned at the revelation. “Where? Who?”
“I found the body near my quarters.” He gave her a more precise location. “It was one of the Highborne. I do not know him. There was some note under him, but I did not touch it.”
“A Highborne . . . ” Shandris looked at the guard nearest her left. “Send word to Maiev Shadowsong”—she hesitated a moment as she noted Jarod’s reaction to his sister’s name—“with the details you just heard.” To the guard next to that one, she continued, “Take Ildyri and hurry to where he said the body was located. Keep guard over it until Maiev or her people arrive.”
The other Sentinels rushed to obey, leaving Shandris with just the one guard. The general bade Jarod join her, the other Sentinel following them.
The guards did not hesitate to let Shandris pass. She strode unerringly through the temple to where they found Tyrande.
The high priestess greeted them with a knowing expression. “There has been a death.”
Shandris went down on one knee, the other Sentinel and Jarod doing the same. “Another Highborne.”
Tyrande bade them to rise. “You found the body, Jarod?”
He realized that she had read the fact in his urgent manner. “Yes. Not far from my quarters. I judged that the body had been moved from elsewhere after the murder. I assume to hide facts about the true location. . . .”
“That seems logical to me,” Shandris added. “I have sent someone to inform Maiev and others to guard the body until she or the Highborne do something with it.”
“And we shall do something . . . not only now with Ha’srim’s body, but also with these curs who think the Highborne will stand by and be slain without repercussion!”
Malfurion and a Highborne had entered the chamber from another direction. Jarod understood that this was someone high among the magi, though he doubted it was the leader.
That was verified by Tyrande’s reply. “Do you speak in the name of Archmage Mordent now, Var’dyn?”
“I presage his words, High Priestess! Patient though he is, the Archmage will not let this stand! This lack of progress has been discussed among the Highborne. We would hate to have to make these crimes