The shifting of shadows behind the light of their torches made the forest look as if it were moving. Even in the Borderwoods, there was a cold bite in the air. A blanket of dry leaves matted the ground and rustled underfoot with every step. The bristles of hemlocks were the only greenery.
Human bodies littered the ground. Their torn, bloodied uniforms bore the Nolian coat of arms.
The combined forces of the League and Endenholm waited half a mile back while Leah, Olorus, Hook, and Worth surveyed the c*****e that had once been the Hell Jays' outpost. Leah kept her hood pulled over her nose and mouth as she walked. It was not cold enough for the corpses to have frozen, and their decay was well advanced, producing an unbearable smell. How long these men had been allowed to lie here unburied
