A foul stench wafted through the morning air, stopping Malcolm dead in his tracks. He lifted one calloused hand, nostrils flaring as he sampled the rancid scent currents. Dost thou perceive this foulness?"
Tristan's countenance darkened as he drew breath deeply. His noble features twisted in evident disgust. "Indeed, 'tis reminiscent of some wretched creature left to decay beneath heaven's gaze."
"Just so." Malcolm's piercing cyan eyes glinted like steel as he scanned their shadowy surroundings with preternatural keenness. "That stench bodes ill."
No sooner had the gruff words left his lips than a bone-chilling chorus of howls rent the early hours air. The haunting cries resonated from multiple points in the foreboding woodlands encircling them, each note carrying an unmistakable aura o
