After spending a wonderful night with Jaina, Arthas decided to stay in Stormwind for a few more days; the scenery in the southern part of the continent was definitely worth exploring.
Coincidentally, Jaina had a small vacation opportunity, so Arthas planned to take her to explore the Stormwind Kingdom for a few days.
"Are you sure you don't need me to send guards with you?"
Varian always felt it was unreliable not to send anyone with these two, as their identities were too noble. If anything unexpected happened, how would he explain it to their respective royal fathers?
"Varian, are you worried about the safety of a paladin and an Archmage?" Arthas didn't want to bring any third wheels. "What danger could there be in Elwynn Forest? We're just looking at the scenery and relaxing."
Well, Varian really couldn't refute that reason. He was quite conflicted because Arthas clearly didn't want anyone to disturb his and Jaina's alone time, and sending more people would just seem overly sentimental.
"Alright then, but you have to promise me you'll only stick to Elwynn Forest and Westfall. It's best not to even go to Redridge Mountains; there are still Orc remnants there that haven't been cleared out."
"I understand, Varian. I promise you we won't go to any particularly dangerous places, okay?"
"That's good... Also, remember, absolutely do not think about going to Duskwood and Karazhan. Do not go!" Varian emphasized these two places.
Ever since the corrupted Guardian Medivh was killed by Anduin Lothar, the chaotic energy released at his death transformed the once sunny forest into a gloomy dead zone, and the Sunny Glade was renamed Duskwood from then on.
SI:7 had already lost several good agents there, and now Matthias Shaw only dared to let his spies operate on the outskirts of Duskwood.
Varian, plagued by political issues, temporarily had no time to attend to the residents of Duskwood. He could only send a small number of troops to be stationed at the forest's border to assist the refugees who escaped.
According to reports from a few spies who miraculously escaped with their lives, the largest town there, Raven Hill, had become a ruin, and the graveyard in the forest behind Raven Hill had become a paradise for the undead.
The dead crawled out of their graves, terrifying ghosts floated through empty rooms, and it was said a dreadful skeleton wandered there, mercilessly killing all living beings he saw.
At the southern foot of Duskwood, a group of Ogres who escaped the Orcish Wars also multiplied and thrived there. They were also a group of monsters who ate people whole.
In short, it was not a place for the living to go; who knew what other dangerous things were there.
As for Karazhan, the corrupted Guardian's mage tower, it was an even more ominous place. The once lush valley, under Medivh's influence, had become a barren land of strange rocks, filled with dangerous mutated beasts and dark creatures.
"We're going for a leisurely trip, not an adventure, Varian. You're overly concerned." Arthas certainly wouldn't rashly enter Medivh's tower; that would be no different from suicide.
Although the collections in Karazhan certainly tempted him, now was not the time to raid it.
After bidding farewell to Varian, Arthas and Jaina rode out of Stormwind, embarking on their journey.
Their first stop was the Stormwind Kingdom's most important town: Goldshire. Although this town was also affected by the war during the First Orcish Wars, the rebuilt Goldshire was still as prosperous as before.
They arrived in Goldshire when the sun was high at noon, and walking into the famous Lion's Pride Inn, Arthas and Jaina listened to the lively tavern tunes and found a random spot to sit down.
The tavern was filled with noisy chatter. Jaina looked at the travelers, merchants, and adventurers carrying weapons coming and going, and said to Arthas, "It's really lively here, it reminds me of the taverns in Boralus."
"The Lion's Pride is one of the most famous taverns in the Stormwind Kingdom, and you can hear a lot of interesting news here."
Arthas gestured for Jaina to listen carefully to the conversations around them.
"How's the Fargodeep Mine doing lately? Are Gnolls still running out of the mine?"
"Still the same. They seem to be recruiting adventurers to deal with it, but the pay isn't great."
"The road to Westfall is getting harder and harder to travel, and the price of grain is rising! Damn bandits and Gnolls!"
"Yeah, a mug of ale used to be only ten copper, now it's fifteen—Boss, can you give me a discount?"
"Get out!"
The last part of the conversation made Jaina burst into laughter. She pulled down the hood of her cloak and chuckled, "Are adventurers always this amusing?"
"Sometimes they are quite funny," Arthas replied. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
Jaina thought for a moment, "Stonecairn Lake."
Stonecairn Lake is a lake located in eastern Elwynn Forest. It doesn't have particularly beautiful scenery; only a circle of stone tablets stands on the small island in the lake, with the names of those who sacrificed their lives in the First Orcish Wars carved on them.
The central stone tablet commemorates the fearless heroes who fell during the Defense of Stormwind, while the surrounding circular tablets list the innocent civilians who were victims.
Every year after the Winter Veil Festival ends and spring arrives, the residents of the Stormwind Kingdom spontaneously go to Stonecairn Lake to mourn the deceased.
Arthas nodded, "Then let's go to Northshire Valley first, see Northshire Abbey, and stay there for a night. Then we can set off for Stonecairn Lake tomorrow? Otherwise, we might have to sleep outdoors tonight."
"Of course."
After having lunch at the Lion's Pride Inn, the two continued their journey on horseback, enjoying the scenery along the way. Elwynn Forest is beautiful, with fertile farmlands and dense forests. The mild climate and abundant rainfall make it very suitable for living.
Unless one enters the deep forest, there are no fierce beasts or monsters here. Coupled with the patrols of the Stormwind City Guard and the local militias of various towns, the public order in Elwynn Forest is also quite good.
Jaina sighed, "Although the Stormwind Kingdom experienced a great disaster, now everything is getting better, and people's lives are beginning to return to normal."
Most of the trees that were cut down by the orcs for war supplies have regrown, and the peaceful and serene forest seems to have fully recovered from the wounds of war.
"The ancestors of the Stormwind Kingdom led their people over mountains and rivers to come here. Their fearless and unyielding nature has long been integrated into their bloodline."
When the entire Eastern Kingdoms underwent great changes, the Stormwind Kingdom, due to its unique geographical location and resilient people, became the only surviving kingdom of human civilization.
Who would have thought that the newly reborn, fragile Stormwind Kingdom would become the last bastion of humanity in the next decade or so?
Arthas recounted some of the Stormwind Kingdom's history to Jaina while also introducing its unique culture.
"You know so much, Arthas," Jaina smiled slightly, her beautiful eyes reflecting only Arthas. "Who would have thought that the Prince of Lordaeron was also a historian?"
Arthas was as humble as ever, "I only know a little; I'm still far from being a true historian—"
"Help!"
Arthas's words faltered. Jaina looked at the young prince and frowned, "Did you hear that?"
"It's coming from the woods to the north." Arthas pulled on the reins, guiding his horse onto a small path leading into the forest.
"I'll go with you."
They hadn't gone far when Arthas and Jaina saw an old man struggling to carry a burly man. The burly man was covered in wounds, and his leg seemed to have been bitten by some beast, bleeding profusely. He had already fainted.
When the old man saw Arthas and Jaina riding towards them, a light of hope appeared in his eyes. "Please, save my son!"
Arthas immediately dismounted and walked to the old man's side. A ball of Holy Light condensed in his hand, beginning to heal the burly man's injuries. "Sir, what happened?"
"Thank you, reverend!" The old man quickly thanked Arthas. "My son and I went hunting in the woods, but we encountered a pack of wolves. My son almost got eaten by the wolves protecting me."
"Your son is truly brave." Jaina took a water skin from her bag and handed it to the old man. "Don't worry, he'll be fine."
After Arthas's treatment, the burly man's injuries were mostly healed, though his face looked a bit pale from blood loss.
"He's fine, but he lost a lot of blood. It's best to go to Northshire Abbey to have a specialized priest and physician examine him further."
For Arthas, such superficial wounds on the burly man were not particularly troublesome. The purification of Holy Light could even remove diseases that might be caused by wolf scratches and bites. If it weren't for the burly man's prolonged blood loss earlier, he should have woken up and been able to walk by now.
Arthas thought for a moment and said to Jaina, "Let's just teleport to Northshire. Otherwise, this old man and his son probably won't make it back before dark."
Jaina had already memorized several common teleportation nodes in Elwynn Forest before leaving Stormwind. Opening a temporary portal was not a problem for her.
A shimmering azure teleportation light flashed, and the old man, bewildered, supported his son at the entrance of Northshire Abbey. Then Arthas and Jaina led their horses out of the portal.
A priest quickly took the old man and his son into the abbey for further examination and recuperation.
After stabling their horses, outside the treatment room, the two saw the old man again. Upon seeing his two saviors, the old man excitedly stood up, but didn't know what to say. He suddenly remembered something, fumbled in his coarse cloth clothes, and pulled out a few silver coins, shakily trying to hand them to Arthas.
"Heroes, if it weren't for you, my son might have died in that forest. I have nothing to repay you with. This was money I was going to take to town to buy things. It's not much, but please, you must accept it."
Arthas gently pushed the old man's hand back. "We just happened to be passing by. Even without us, the patrolling militia would have found you. You must keep these silver coins; your son still needs further treatment and rest."
"I... I..."
The old man felt a bit ashamed. They had saved his child and rescued their family, yet he couldn't offer a decent reward. He sighed, "May I ask for the names of you two heroes?"
"I am Arthas, and this is Jaina. We are travelers from Stormwind."
The old man couldn't repay them, so he could only remember their names and, with his family, prayed for Arthas and Jaina at the abbey, wishing them a life of peace and good fortune.