Island of Rodarea II

Chapter 11: The Prophecy of Adam

 

Prothal was waiting for the two outside their rooms. He looked quietly at both of them as they came in, before telling them, “Adam spoke of dreams that he had been having these four nights. He said he saw a messenger from the Eternal One, and the visions he saw,” Prothal paused to take a deep breath, “was the same one that I had but he claimed that a messenger from the Eternal One had told him something else. Theophilia will become ashes in seven days. Four have passed by, and three days are left.”

Ky’Thand shook his head, “Well nothing like a good omen before going back into uncertain battle. I bet the sheriff would just love to hear this forecast.”

Prothal looked at his two friends, noting Ky’Thand’s reaction, before continuing, “Everybody knows Adam the Pious is one man who followed whole-heartedly after the Eternal One, but he tends to spout prophecies that never came true. But his daughter told me today, while he was rambling on how the Eternal One was judging Theophilia because of our sinfulness, that recently half of the prophecies he made had been coming true.

“Now I would normally not believe this old man, but the fact that he has been having the same dreams as I speaks something else. He insisted on having me over to his place for dinner tonight, and to call on my friends as well in case the Eternal One has a prophecy for them. I promised him I will go, but I told him I would not say the same for my friends. Just in case you have got other plans.”

Prothal looked at his two friends again as he finished his speech. The warm sun of the late afternoon had begun to shine in through a window facing south-west, outlining his face, and seeming to paint it an angelic shine. Although not in armour, his weapon was beside him.

Ky’Thand happened to turn his head behind him to the window, and noticed a man coming back from another part of town. The intelligence officer that was present at the briefing was just outside to meet him.

Ky’Thand slipped out to meet him. The man the intelligence officer was talking to had already left by then. He asked the intelligence officer, “What news do you have?”

“Sir, if you don’t mind, I will speak directly to Major Hannibal and the Sheriff concerning the reports requested by them. I hope you will understand my situation. I have a soldier’s orders to follow, sir.” The soldier looked genuinely apologetic.

Ky’Thand then asked, speaking with the unique tone and slang used only by those of the shady underworld, “Are there any Lucky Members of the Silent Hand?” The officer’s blank face told Ky’Thand that he probably did not know what he was saying.

---

After hearing what Prothal had to say and relating to his friends his intention to visit the local Temple of Mystari, Hannibal commented. “Well I will see you all at Brother Adam’s then for dinner? We can relate all we know then.”

Hannibal wanted to say something to Ky’Thand, but by the time he turned around, Ky’Thand was already gone. Looking down the window, Hannibal could see him talking to the intelligence officer. Remembering back to the Sheriff’s comment about men’s trust, Hannibal walked down to see what the intelligence officer had found out at the temple.

---

Ky’Thand was not deterred by the soldier’s obvious ignorance of the Cant. He asked the question again, this time in plain language, “Are there any guild members of the local thieves’ guild?”

The soldier smiled and replied, “If there is, sir, they are pretty much hidden from our intelligence. We are aware of the possibilities of an organised thieves’ guild – but our investigations have not showed us anything other than possibilities, sir. If you don’t mind, sir, I will have to go about my duties.”

Ky’Thand watched the soldier moving into the building he had just quietly slipped out of. He saw Hannibal waving the soldier over and knew that he would report to Hannibal the things he wanted to know. Perhaps he could find the answer from Hannibal later. Mentally, he reminded himself that he needed to stock up on some dry or iron rations and couple of wine and waterskins.

Ky’Thand dropped over to the Woodsbridge Inn, the place where he probably could get the supplies. It is amazing what a good businessman the proprietor was. Besides the inn, he had adjoining shops selling all kinds of supplies for travellers. As he entered, he saw the two trappers and proceeded to ask them if they could tomorrow morning just after sunrise guide them back to the site of the orc encounter.

---

“Soldier, good work this morning,” Hannibal told the soldier, “I was just wondering if you had heard back from your men on what the temple of Mystari may know of the sorcerer and the ruins?”

The soldier shot one look back at the departing Ky’Thand, before answering, “Yes, sir. I was about to brief the Sheriff as well. Apparently, the temple had no such records. So what the man had told us of what he had heard from his late father could probably just be a local story circulating around. We had no way of verifying the story.

“But you may like to know that I had done a little thought on this story, sir. When this man told the story to me, I took a mental note of the fact that orcs were involved. Perhaps the orcs are using the ruins as their stronghold? While I cannot be sure of anything, but if somehow we can capture or track down an orc, we may just be able to find the ruins. If it really exist that is. I understand, sir, that right now we are basing a lot of our work on stories and rumours. Not exactly the best source to look for, if you understand me, sir.”

“Your idea to capture orcs is a good one. Do you know of anyone who could interrogate them in orcish if we did bring them back alive?” Hannibal asked.

The soldier looked a little sheepish as he answered, “I fear not, sir. Nobody has a chance to live among them long enough to learn their language. I just hope that the language of the hands is something universal, sir.”

The soldier looked on behind Hannibal. He saluted him and said, “The Sheriff is waiting for me, sir. If you do not mind, I will have to report to him now, sir.” Hannibal saw from the soldier’s gaze that the Sheriff was probably already waiting for the soldier at the gate.

Hannibal listened carefully to the man’s report and thanked him saying, “Your sheriff picks good men. I commend you on your thoroughness in such a short time.” The soldier smiled, saluted again and walked on after Hannibal returned his salute.

Hannibal had other business too. He returned to his living quarters upstairs, found a spare writing desk and wrote to the Institute of Arcane Studies back in the capital.

Well, the blade has seen major combat one more time. This time on the beaches of the great lake. I was caught in magical darkness but the blade seemed to perform no differently. Against orcs, it killed with each blow and when I fought a Minotaur, it took three or four strokes. However, with the Minotaur each blow tended not to produce any gore, as if the blade was ‘drinking’ it.

Myself, I felt no different than I have in combat in the past. The same fear, excitement, and boost of energy that all men feel as they prepare to kill or be killed. I was not near Brother Prothal’s blade for much of the battle so I can not tell you how his blade interacted with mine.

Leaving the message to go south in the military pouch, Hannibal decided to pop by the Woodsbridge Inn to check on the local happenings. Hannibal carried his weapons, bundled up his plate armour and on his way to the inn stopped at the armourer’s shop to have it repaired.

He spent some time talking with the armourer. The armourer was a friendly old man, who politely chatted with Hannibal, swapping stories of glorious battles and legendary armours. When the armourer assured him that the minor dents and scratches could be easily hammered out and polished in three hours’ time, Hannibal moved on to get more answers to the mysteries before him. Hannibal soon arrived at the inn.

Well, he thought to himself, I might have an opportunity to see what other tale these trappers may have to tell. As he entered, he noticed Ky’Thand talking to the two trappers. He decided to leave them alone for the time being.

At the inn, Hannibal was his normal self. He flirted a bit with the three bar maids, who always seemed to love to serve him, to the general exclusion of everybody else. Hannibal remembered Sam ‘Smasher’ Wayreth, the proprietor, making a jest that if Hannibal came everyday, he would lose all his customers. Still he kept his eyes opened, and generally just listened to what is going on.

While Hannibal ate, he ordered up the supplies he would need for his trip into the wild. “Girls,” he addressed the barmaids, “can you let Smasher know that I’ll be needing some supplies. Two weeks dried rations, including cheese and travel bread; 2 skins of cheap wine and a bottle of his ‘good’ stuff. Also, since I will be taking a horse, a 20 pound bag of oats will be needed.”

Smiling at the maids, he continued, “I’ll be by in the morning to pick it all up, probably while he is serving breakfast to the trappers at sunrise.”

---

The two trappers were obviously pleased to have a chance to earn what seemed like more money. “Of course, of course, Sir Wizard. We would gladly bring you to the place again,” the bolder one said, “But of course…uh…we would lose some of our day’s earning the next day bringing you to the place, so…uh…”

Ky’Thand smiled at the attempt at asking for coin. “Lads, you will be paid well for your work tomorrow and the squirrels and such will be there the next day for your traps.”

---

Both Hannibal and Ky’Thand’s attention were somehow inexplicably drawn to the lone patron by a table at an inner corner of the inn. He had chosen a table with the back against the wall, and he was slowly sipping at the wine placed before him. Two dishes of food lay before him, and he would occasionally pick at it.

There were three things that really pickled the attention of the two friends. The first was the man’s feature. He was Eyondan. And Eyondans, already very rare in Frelandia, were nearly impossible to find in this part of the kingdom. Some patrons stared at him, but most generally ignored him, staying clear of him.

The second thing to amaze them was the implements he was holding in his hand. He had ignored the knife and fork placed before him, and was using two thin straight pieces of wood to pick up the food. He used it so expertly that even Ky’Thand was amazed. It would take him quick some time to use that as expertly as he did.

And the last, of course, was the longsword that lay on the table. Or at least it looked like a longsword. It was a beautiful weapon, curved on one end, with a scabbard made of fine wood and leather. Carvings of dragons and phoenixes ran all over the scabbard. The weapon, interestingly, seemed to have no pommel. Now that he had a chance to look further, Hannibal realised he had seen Taro use this weapon before. It was an Eyondan warrior’s sword.

As Hannibal continued eating his late lunch, he watched and listened to the other patrons. Noticing the Eyondan as he thought about what he had learnt this morning, Hannibal noted that he must be a warrior (which Eyondan was not?) and that to be so far from home he must have a good reason.

Not wanting the barmaids to giggle and probably point at the man, Hannibal smiled to the girls saying, “Hold my table for me will you? I am expecting Brother Prothal shortly. If he comes in while I’m gone, don’t go testing his vows again.” The barmaids giggled at the extra attention given to them by Hannibal. One of them stuck out her tongue at him, in a girlish gesture.

As he rose, there was no disguising Hannibal’s profession to the Eyondan. With a longsword in its black sheath, sword and dagger on his belt, and hilts of throwing daggers in his boot tops, Hannibal was definitely a warrior. Though he wore no armour in town, he walked with the confidence of a man who was formidable in combat armoured or not.

Hannibal got up and went to talk with Smasher at the bar. “Smasher you old war-horse, I see business is still good. A mug of Long River Ale.”

Hannibal traded lies, friendly insults, and gossip with the man for a while then asked the question that brought him to the bar, “I’ve been coming here my whole tour of duty and never seen an Eyondan other than Taro. Have you heard anything about the man in the corner?”

Smasher shook his head, still drying the glass he was holding with a new cloth. Hannibal had noted this practice of his long ago. He must be obsessed with cleanliness, for he used a new piece of cloth for every batch of glassware, before throwing it into the wash. Then he would pick up another piece again for the next batch.

“He just came in yesterday night, sir. He must be a brave traveller, and a good warrior to boot, too. I mean, which Eyondan can’t fight? But to travel through orc infested lands at night – he must be crazy. He left the inn early this morning, and he had just returned. He never talked much except to order food and get the room, but he did pay for his lodgings and food. Oh…he had paid for three days’ stay in the inn – in advance!”

Hannibal tried to make eye contact with the Eyondan, but he did not look up from his eating. Hannibal finished his conversation with Smasher, reminding him of the supplies needed and tipping him the one silver for the ale, made his way back to his table. The Eyondan’s eyes seemed to shift a little to the entrance. Hannibal and Ky’Thand saw Prothal waving to them, and approaching Hannibal to join him at his table.

Hannibal was just sitting down as the maids came back to see if he needed anything when Prothal entered the inn. Swatting them playfully on the behind, Hannibal laughed saying, “Wait till Brother Prothal and Ky’Thand join us.”

Ky’Thand excused himself from the trappers. “Dawn tomorrow, we will be right to go.” Ambling over to the Eyondan, he said, “Welcome stranger, I hope you have found the inn acceptable. My friend over there was marvelling at your blade, I see it is similar to Lieutenant Taro’s.”

If the Eyondan had heard Ky’Thand, he did not show it. He continued picking at the food. The skill at which he used the sticks was amazing. He paused a while to wash down his food with the wine. There was no response from him to Ky’Thand’s words at all.

Shaking his head, Hannibal raised his voice over the nearly empty inn. “Ky’Thand, won’t you join me?”

Then thinking that maybe he could get some answers directly from the other warrior, he called formally, “Great Warrior of Eyonda, would you honour us by bringing your sword and yourself to join us at my table?”

The man did not reply. He continued with his eating, seemingly oblivious to Ky’Thand standing next to him, and to Hannibal’s call to him. Meanwhile, Prothal had already taken a seat with Hannibal. He was obviously a little uncomfortable with the three barmaids around him, all dressed in somewhat low-cut dresses, their bosom seeming to overflow within the confines of their corsets. They continued to giggle as he started to turn red-faced.

Prothal took a look at the Eyondan when Hannibal called out to him, relieved to have to look elsewhere for once. Shaking his head at the Eyondan, Prothal whispered to Hannibal, “Who is he? Is he deaf or something?”

Ky’Thand, getting no response from him, sat down opposite the warrior, a twinkle of mischief in his eye. “It is custom in these parts to answer or at least ask the person to leave.”

Seeing no reaction, Ky’Thand pulled a long slender pipe with a corncob end from his pocket, then a small pack of aromatic herbs. Carefully packing the pipe, he placed it in his mouth, clicking his fingers twice and a small flame lighted the dried herbs, producing a pepper-mint smelling bluish smoke.

After two puffs away, the warrior was still picking at his food, completing ignoring the wizard sitting before him. Ky’Thand said, “Nubnub green grub” between puffs and a juicy fat green lettuce grub popped its head from the underside of a piece of greenery on the plate. Obviously he was enjoying himself.

The Eyondan paused for a while and looked coolly at the grub moving about on the plate. He proceeded to pick it up with his pair of wooden sticks. The grub went ‘poof’ before he could pick up it, however. It really made Ky’Thand wonder if he was actually thinking of eating it together with the vegetables. After all, he had heard that Eyondans had some very exotic tastes.

“Like I was trying to say earlier. Among the warriors serving the local lord is one called Taro, he carries a similar blade. I was wondering how you manage to keep the grip on the blade when no pommel is there to stop your hand from sliding down especially in a bloody and gory encounter.”

As the day started to be lit by the beautiful rays of the evening sun, Hannibal chatted with Prothal, who was still shifting uncomfortable at the smell of the perfume from the women, “Friend, I do not know. Eyondans can be peculiar. Lt. Taro is always polite but it is hard to read a man of that land. He hears and understands fine – Smasher was telling me how he has booked a room and such. For now he chooses to ignore us.”

Hannibal smiled as Ky’Thand tried to get a response from the man and only hoped that the response was not lethal. “He must be good at ignoring people. Ignoring that mage is like trying to ignore that you’re in the centre of a poison ivy patch as you squat to relieve yourself! Hey, the man will talk with us in his own time, if the Eternal wills it right? Enjoy yourself, we have the attention of these three beauties!”

Hannibal concluded smiling at each of the barmaids that seemed to hover around his table. At least until Smasher hollered at them to serve the other customers. At which giggling away, they proceed to pour wine, or carry the food from the kitchen.

Chuckling at Prothal’s discomfort, Hannibal asked, “Did you learn anything else after we parted? Also, has your god granted you the gift of healing? I know Ky’Thand is still hurting and I have minor wounds. Also, I am sure some of the men that came in last night were wounded in the battle.”

Prothal shook his head, “Nothing much, I’m afraid. I was meditating, trying to ask the Nameless One for some inspiration and guidance, but none was forthcoming. I just hope that tonight’s trip to Brother Adam’s place would prove to be inspiration, if nothing else.”

Looking at Hannibal and Ky’Thand, Prothal continued, “Yes, I have prayed specifically for his hand of healing this afternoon. Somehow,” Prothal looked out at the setting sun, “somehow I get the feeling that we may really need it these few days.”

The Eyondan continued eating as if there were nobody else sharing his table. If he had heard what Ky’Thand has said, he did not respond. Finished with his food, he promptly got up, laid down the one silver coin for the common fare, picked up his sword, and made his way to the stairs where the rooms were above.

Chuckling at the complete rebuff of Ky’Thand, Hannibal handed his tip to each of the barmaids and went up to talk with Smasher one more time. “If that Eyondan ever speaks to you tell him that Major Hannibal would like to speak with him about orcs. I shall be back here tomorrow near sunrise if he would like to talk then. Oh, and let him know that another Eyondan has fought with me and earned great honour.”

As the sun began to set Hannibal travelled with his two friends to Brother Adam’s house to hear what the man had to say. On the way to the man’s house, Hannibal stopped at the armoury and retrieved his armour. It took some time, with the assistance of the armourer, for the armour to be put on him. It would look funnier for him to be carrying the armour to Adam’s place than for him to actually wear it there.

Hannibal remembered Prothal telling him about this very first convert of his upon his posting to the Border Defence Force. The town had not really paid anything beyond lip service to Prothal’s god until his arrival. Of course, Remora was not very happy but the town had so far been pretty resistant to conversion, though the townsfolk happily accepted Prothal’s ministering and thronged to hear his preaching.

Adam was a venerable old man who used to be a fortune-teller. He used to have a large family of four soldier sons, but only one of them was married, and had given birth to a granddaughter for him. All of them including his daughter-in-law perished when the patrol was ambushed by orcs a few years ago. Only his young granddaughter lived simply because she was too young for the army. Hannibal had understood that this event created an uproar with the then Major Bluestar, and he had ordered that all possible means be taken to ensure that family members were never together in the same unit, to prevent the reoccurrence of the same tragedy.

Hannibal remembered Prothal telling him happily that day of the very first true convert in Nomad’s Crossing. Inside his heart, he was shaking his head when he knew it was Adam. Not that Adam was a bad person. No, actually he had never been known to even harm a rat. But he was well known in town for spewing prophecies, all of which never came true. All the folks in town had politely put up with him out of respect. Not exactly the best convert for a religion. But Prothal was so happy then, that he was loath to break the news to him. Better to let him discover for himself.

But the latest twists were interesting. The fact that the prophecies sounded somewhat like what Prothal had been seeing in his sleep. The fact that Prothal mentioned about half of Adam’s prophecies was coming true. There was also something heavy in the air that Hannibal just could not put. There was an air of foreboding after the battle that had taken place. Something evil seemed to be poised to strike any moment, and if Adam’s words were correct, the world as he knew it could be in deep trouble.

Chapter 12: Adam the Pious

 

Adam’s residence was just about 20 minutes’ walk from the inn. The red-orange hues of the setting sun coloured the town in a warm and beautiful light, and made it different at times to tell the true colour of their surroundings. The house was a single-storey building sitting on about 1200 yards square of land, fenced by a small hedge barely at the waist height of Hannibal. The grass was well maintained, and a short rock-paved path led about 20 feet to the front door.

Light was streaming in from the two windows facing the front of the house. The sun had by then dipped beyond the horizon, and darkness quickly surrounded the land, lit only by the occasional lights of the neighbouring houses. The three friends saw the figure of a woman turn to look at them from one of the windows. Since the light was behind her, they could not really make out much of her features, but Prothal recognised her as Gina, the granddaughter of the old man.

She gave a squeal and disappeared from the window. The smells of freshly cooked foods greeted the nose of the companions who had by then reached the door. The door was flung open and Gina appeared, calling out excitedly, “Grandpa – Brother Prothal has arrived…and oh…he has brought friends as well!”

A cough was heard, and then voice came from inside the house, “Yes, my dear, I know. Bring them in, and help me out after you’ve served them tea.” The girl turned, an excited smile evident on her face. She said, “Come in, sirs, I will get you something to drink!”

The three companions were ushered to a simple table, with benches on all four sides. Food was already cooked and ready – five sets of them. Adam must have been really confident that all three of them would come. Or maybe he had a prophecy or something? With things happening as they were now, Hannibal just could not be sure.

Hannibal took another look at the food served on the metal dishes, as well of the table and benches. He noted that these were standard army issue, old but still useful. He remembered Colonel Bluestar hearing about the old man’s plight shortly after his promotion, and had promised to give him all the support the army could give. Apparently, the Colonel had kept his promise.

The girl serving them was young – possibly about sixteen or so. In the culture of the desert tribes, or even among the villages, she would be of a marriageable age, but town dwellers normally do not marry as young. Perhaps in another two years, she would be married off.

Gina was not much to look at – rather plain, with long black hair, and small eyes. Her hands and face looked darkened and rough, probably from hard work. She did have a slim figure though, and a wonderful cheerful personality, smiling all the while she was serving them tea. After serving the tea, she smiled at the three friends and said, “I’m going in to get grandpa in, please wait a while.” The long skirt of her dress swished on her ankles as she entered into one of the three bedrooms in the house.

Adam the Pious was blind for as long as anybody could remember. The wizened old man staggered in, his hand on the shoulder of his granddaughter. Prothal immediately raced to assist the old man, bringing him to the table. The old man rested his hand upon Prothal and immediately began saying, “Brother Prothal! You don’t know how much it means to an old man to have you for dinner tonight. You must introduce your friends to me!”

Gina smiled and spoke to her grandfather, “Grandpa, I’m sure you know one of them already. Major Hannibal is quite a famous figure in our town, although not many know him personally.” She smiled shyly at Hannibal. And her eyes noticed the jewellery on Ky’Thand’s neck. But she turned away immediately, probably not wishing to look rude by staring at him.

Ky’Thand noticed that she was not like many of the women he had seen in the towns – she was totally unadorned in jewellery. Not even a plain pin on her hair. Looking at the conditions, he could understand why. She probably could not afford them.

Adam was led to the table and sat down on the table. Ky’Thand and Hannibal sat on the bench to his left, Hannibal nearer to him. Prothal took a seat on the bench to his right, while his granddaughter sat on the same bench as him, on his right side. Adam smiled and looked into the air, his grey eyes seeming to smile as well.

“Yes, your friends, Brother Prothal…may I know who they are?”

Prothal stood up and brought Hannibal’s hand to Adam’s. He said, “This is Hannibal, brother Adam. He is a brave man, one who fights to defend Frelandia against the evils from the Darklands.”

The man’s hand seemed to tremble slightly when he heard the name spoken from Prothal’s lips, as well as Hannibal’s vocation. He turned his head towards Hannibal and said, “Sir…Adam is an old man…he cannot see with his eyes. Would you be so kind as to let me see your face with his hands? Please?” It was almost a plea.

Adam’s hands were trembling as Gina and Prothal assisted him in standing up. Tears began to well in his eyes as he traced the outlines of Hannibal, touching his eyes, his nose, his lips, his chin, his ears, and his bald head. It was uncomfortable having someone touch him like this.

Suddenly, the old man fell to his knees, kicking off the bench in the process. He bowed, his head touching the ground as he cried out, “Your Majesty, thank you for coming to see an old man in his final days! It is such a great honour!”

Ky’Thand almost choked. “Hannibal a king. Ha-ha-ha-ha, next you will tell me I am the dark one who created all this mess we seem to be in. Old man you should stay on the herbal teas not smoke the dream weed.”

Looking to Hannibal, he said, “Do you really think that you could be a king? Your diplomatic skills are the end of a sword.” Shrugging his shoulders, he continued, “Then again many kings have used similar in the past.”

At Brother Adam’s proclamation, Hannibal was struck speechless. As a warrior accustomed to issuing orders while men fight and die; in dire straits or pursuit of a defeated foe; Hannibal was never at a loss for words or unable to command respect. But this was nearly absurd! He could not laugh and make light of a man who had given so much to the military nor could he accept such accolades.

Looking acutely embarrassed, another rarity, Hannibal stopped and stuttered, unable to articulate his thoughts, “Sir…no…I mean…I’m a Warrior…”

After a few tries Hannibal finally could protest coherently, “Brother Adam. You must be mistaken. I am a warrior, not a statesman! I lead 500 men into battle, not a nation. I do not even have royal blood coursing through my veins.”

Hannibal seemed to be gathering his equilibrium back and continued in a gentler voice, “Adam. Is this something you have seen? If so, what else have you seen that may help us avoid the dark days that approach?”

Still on his knees, with his face to the ground, Adam continued, “It is true! It is true! I have seen you in my dreams, Your Majesty! You are the one the Nameless One will use to restore Theophilia after the judgement! Ah…thank you, O Eternal One, for giving an old man to see your chosen one in his last days! Thank you, O thank you, thank you, thank you!”

The old man began to mutter incoherent syllables as Gina looked desperately at Hannibal and Prothal. The redness in her face told the companions a lot about how she felt as she said, “I’m sorry, sirs, my grandpa does speak nonsense sometimes. I hope you do not mind his outburst…” She looked almost close to tears.

Prothal smiled. Having been about Nomad’s Crossing for almost three months, he knew how Adam was like. Giving the girl a gentle pat on her shoulder, he winked at Hannibal and said, “Your Majesty, the old man is still on his knees…don’t you think he would be happy to be granted the…uh…royal privilege of being seated next to you?”

He stood close to Hannibal and whispered, “I know impersonating royalty is a cause for execution, but I think we should be safe over here – after all we are not doing something evil. Something tells me he will remain on his knees until the king himself ask him to rise.” Hannibal could tell that Prothal was trying his best to remain untouched by mirth.

Having regained some of his composure, but still feeling acutely uncomfortable with the role forced on him, Hannibal spoke to Brother Adam, “Brother Adam, arise and sit at table with me. As your future liege I would ask what makes you believe these events will come to pass”

Hannibal sat back down and gently prompted the old man to tell all he had ‘seen’, looking for some clue as to how it all related to the attack on the lake last night.

The old man coughed and began to rise, assisted by his granddaughter and Prothal. Taking a seat on the bench that Prothal had placed back on its upright position, he turned to Gina and said, “Gina dear, go and get that lamb and dress it. His Majesty is…”

Gina interrupted him, an anxious look on her face, “But grandpa…we’ve just killed the lamb two weeks ago, remember? We…”

“Nonsense, Gina! The lamb is still around, did I not hear its bleating just outside?” None of the companions could hear anything, or had seen any lamb as they come in, for that matter. The old man continued, “Now be a good girl and cook something good for His Majesty. We must give him the best we can offer.”

“But grandpa…” her eyes were welling up again, and this time Prothal stepped in. “Uh…of course, of course, now let me go with you to see what we can find, huh?” He winked at the little girl and disappeared with her into the kitchen.

Now the old man turned to smile at Hannibal, his grey eyes focusing on nothing in particular. He seemed to be distracted by something, something that put him deep in thought for a moment. Then he turned his head, first to Ky’Thand, then to Hannibal.

“Ah…I sense that both of you seek after something. No…both of you seek after someone. One who had humiliated both of you. Is Adam correct?” Without waiting for an answer, Adam replied to his own question, “Yes, yes, of course, Adam is correct. Oh, but he is strong. Too strong for you. Only the power of the Eternal One will overcome him. Yes, only the power of the Eternal One.”

Hannibal listened to the old man ramble, sometimes making embarrassingly accurate guesses and other times being unintelligible. However, Hannibal had to ask as Adam seemed to speak about the orc mage. “How can an orc be too powerful for a mage and major in the army, friend Adam? Individually orcs are a nuisance, nothing more! What is to the south Adam, what are we seeking?”

He seemed to be in his rambling moods again. The words of Hannibal seemed to sail past his ears. He continued, “Hear the words of Adam, Your Majesty. That which you seek is not in the north but in the south. Not by the river but by the woods. But even now he is beginning, yes, he is beginning. And soon darkness shall fall. Yes, evil shall overcome Theophilia for the evils that man has done!”

Adam continued rambling on to himself, ignoring the fact that Hannibal and Ky’Thand were listening. “Yes, many creatures of evil are preparing even now. Dragons, werecreatures, the foul undead, the creatures of darkness. I see them rampaging over the countryside! Oh…it is terrible! The woman, her womb split open, to have her child devoured! Oh, the man! Hung on the pikes of the evil as a standard, his brain eaten while he still thinks! Oh…great evil, great evil indeed!

“And in seven days from that vision, Theophilia shall be destroyed! Yes, Theophilia shall be destroyed! Oh…darkness…oh darkness…it is just another three more days to the fulfilment of the vision! Oh, but how wonderful it is – to see the king who shall rebuild part of Theophilia! How wonderful it is! Flanked by men of valour, by men closer than brothers, the sun shone brightly upon his uncovered head.”

The smells of something came from the kitchen. Prothal must be at his cooking again. He always cooked such wonderful food. If Adam had smelled it, he was indifferent. He suddenly reached over and clutched at Ky’Thand’s hand, shouting out, “Remember never to call upon your darkness again, sorcerer! Never, never, ever, call upon the ways of your past again, lest destruction come to you! For power shall be yours through the path of mana!”

As quickly as he clutched at his hand, he let go and began to shake violently. He turned to Hannibal and said, “It is evil, Your Majesty! It is evil! But it shall be the Dark Emperor’s undoing! Yes, it shall be the Dark Emperor’s undoing.”

Hannibal eyed the old man wondering where he was going. Hannibal was not sure what was evil but deep inside he felt that Adam was somehow talking about his blade. Thinking to test his idea he casually slipped the scabbard off his shoulder and laid it on the table to see what Adam did next.

Adam did not seem to notice the blade in front of him, and he continued, “Hear, Your Majesty! In the days when you are lost and seeking information for the next place to go, seek only after your heart. Hear, oh sorcerer! In the days when you are lost and seeking information for the next place to go, seek only after your heart. And hear, Brother Prothal! In the days when you are lost and seeking information for the next place to go, seek only after your heart!”

He seemed to have forgotten that Prothal was not around to hear what he said. But he shouted so loudly that Prothal must have heard him from the kitchen, for his granddaughter ran out, crying and saying to him, “Grandpa, please stop, you are embarrassing all of us! The boys at the market are teasing me everyday. Do you have to embarrass us in front of important guests as well? And you know Brother Prothal is here!”

As if on cue, Prothal came in with a plate of hot food, smiling and saying, “It is alright, girl. We know how he is like. Don’t think too much about it.” He set the food down on the table. Hannibal had always been amazed at how he could turn out something more edible from the standard army rations given. He would have to get him to teach his cooks something.

The old man’s excited rambling seemed to have stopped, for he settled down amidst a fit of coughing, which Gina had to help to relieve. For a while, the only sound that seemed to move about the house was the sound of his heavy, chesty cough. Taking a drink to relieve his cough, he continued, this time more soberly.

“I must say all that I need to say, little girl. I have seen the Eternal One himself, a being of pure light, and he told me that my time to be in the bosom of the Nameless One will be soon, but I shall have the pleasure of talking to the king before I go…”

Prothal gave a smile and put his hand on the old man’s, “Now that is a vision I can be sure is wrong, Adam. The Book of Records left by Brother Joseph told us that no man could see the Eternal One and still live. You are still alive, so obviously the one you saw was not the One-Who-Has-No-Name. Now, let us eat of spiced mutton, and all the good things we thank the Eternal One for!”

Adam smiled as he turned to Hannibal, saying, “You do believe me, don’t you, Your Majesty? Everybody says Adam is mad, but Adam is not mad, no?” Ky’Thand could not help but remember an old Frelandian saying – He who is mad never thinks himself mad, He who is wise never calls himself wise.

As Adam questioned Hannibal’s belief, Hannibal stated with all the grace and etiquette he could muster, “What you say is very hard to believe though some of what you say does ring true. Where to the south should we look to verify your story? We only have a short time to try to avert the destruction of our homeland.”

“Yes, to the south, yes!” The old man began his excited ramble again and started to cough madly, probably choking on his own saliva. His breathing became laboured as he gasped for breath. His granddaughter quickly patted his back, trying to calm him down, and Prothal quickly got a cup of hot water from the kitchen.

The old man sipped from the hot water as he began to calm down. Prothal and Gina looked worried – his face looked almost blue from the laboured breathing. Gina looked at Hannibal and Ky’Thand, then back at her grandfather, before saying, “You should get some rest, grandpa. Stop talking and get something to eat, please.”

Amidst laboured breathing, Adam said, “Nay, Adam is not hungry…he needs to say some…” And the coughing fits came again, needing more hot water to relieve. This time Prothal looked really worried. His gaze fell upon Ky’Thand, then upon Hannibal, and he said, “Uh…Your Majesty, perhaps brother Adam needs some rest, uh…his granddaughter can attend to you, right? Uh…after all she also represents the family…” He gave a few desperate winks to both of his friends.

Hannibal looked with a worried expression at Adam. The old man was nearly killing himself to tell him and his companions something. While it seemed that the man would attempt to speak more, Hannibal wondered if the speaking would not be too much for his heart.

In his mind Hannibal weighed his decision. On one side of the scale was Adam’s life, the other the possible salvation of Frelandia. Did the old man know anything more that would warrant the risk? If there were any truth to what Adam said, did Hannibal want to begin his quest killing an innocent man for information?

Taking a deep breath, Hannibal addressed Adam, “Friend, rest now. I need you to sleep and in the morning let me know anything else that you man see. Your granddaughter can see to the rest of our meal that you have generously shared. We shall heed your words.”

Gina nodded and, together with Prothal, guided the still coughing and protesting Adam into his bedroom, Prothal all the while admonishing him to take care of his body – or how would he be able to see more visions from the Eternal One? The old man seemed to take that well, and soon disappeared into his bedroom.

After Adam had retired for the night, Hannibal turned to his friends. “We must see what these trappers can show us in the early morning light. Gina, care for your grandfather and if he has any other information for us; you can find us at Smasher’s Inn at first light.”

Gina nodded as the four settled down again to the dinner table. The food was good, characteristic of Prothal’s cooking. Gina tried to talk to Prothal about the faith once or twice, and Prothal obliged with a short explanation of the right way of living for someone of the faith. Apparently, Gina had not converted, unlike her grandfather, but it was obvious her interest was being kindled. Though Hannibal could not help but notice that Gina seemed to be gazing more at Prothal than listening to him.

After dinner, Hannibal prepared to leave Adam’s hovel with his friends. He seemed lost in thought as to what could possibly be south. Once outside the land cleared by the town, there was nothing but deep forest. Fortunately, his expedition kit and supplies should be there in the morning and he could depart with Hamish loaded down as a packhorse. Even with his skill he did not want to be riding in uncharted forest for long. Shaking his head one last time he turned to his friends, “I will see you at Smasher’s first thing in the morning. I am planning on being gone from civilisation,” this he said with a smile as he looked around the small town of Nomad’s Crossing, “for quite a while.”

Prothal smiled and patted both the shoulders of Hannibal and Ky’Thand. He spoke up, “Hey, Hannibal – what do you mean, ‘I’? We should change it to say ‘We are planning on being gone from civilisation for quite a while’! After all, we have all fought together for so long, you wouldn’t think we would just let you have all the adventure and glory to yourself? Hey, leave some for us, huh?” He gave a friendly punch to Hannibal, and was about to give one to Ky’Thand but stopped short seeing the brooding mage.

The evening was too weird even for Ky’Thand’s tastes. A king found, a babbling old man, dark forces they could not deal with, a threat of using old skills leading to darkness, and the gall of the babbling fool to tell him he had to follow the path of mana. Sooner they were in the forest hunting down the orcs the better, the sooner the mageling orc was removed from the overall equation the better, was Ky’Thand’s only thought.

Hannibal and Prothal could only guess at what Ky’Thand could have been thinking. Even after being friends for years, there were still many things he kept in his heart, and would not tell his friends about. Sometimes it really made Hannibal worried. But he knew better than to say anything right then. Best to let him sort out his own thoughts.

Hannibal chuckled as Prothal interjected that the three would be going together. “Of course my friend. It is just that heading off into the wilderness seems more like something one your priests might do, not a military man. Well, being a king would be…intriguing I guess, but not at the price of Frelandia! I will meet you in the morning.”

Each of them went to their rooms with different thoughts, and each tried to sleep. Ky’Thand tossed and turned, but could not sleep. He finally got up and walked out of his room.

Hannibal, too, was having a hard time sleeping. He continued to mull over the words of Adam, Prothal’s prophecy, and the battle. Hannibal shook his head and went to his writing desk.

“Lt. Taro,” Hannibal wrote to his long time commander and friend, “If you are reading this then you are about to face an overwhelming foe. Fight with honour and bravery, but preserve your men for the retribution on your foe that will surely follow.

“If your orders do not conflict consider the following as my orders to you. First, preserve your force and harass the enemy at every opportunity on his flanks and to his rear. Slow his progress to the south. Second, recruit men from where ever you can find them. Train them as well as possible to swell your ranks. Third, I believe a new leader will arise, go to his call.

“I hesitate to write even this, but I believe with all my soul that my commanders must know anything that will help them ultimately win and survive with honour.

“Major Hannibal”

Shaking his bald head as he read the letter on more time, Hannibal nearly threw it into the fire, but instead sealed it with wax and his military seal writing on the outside, “Lt. Taro – open before your next major battle.”

Hannibal then took a standard order parchment from the pile in his room, writing to Xavier.

“Report at dawn to Smasher’s Inn for new orders. Be prepared to travel through the woods and bring the supplies necessary to loot a ruin. This will be a small party so the shares in what we find should be rewarding.

“PS: I hope to find that orc who made fools of us all the previous night.

“Hannibal.”

Hannibal chuckled as he read this note to his friend Xavier. It would not be past the thief to ignore the summons, but at the chance to loot a ruin, he would show up. Maybe not at dawn, but close enough!

Hannibal folded the message and simply scrawled an “H” on the outside. Looking into the hall he hailed one of the guards on duty. “Soldier,” Hannibal called reading his rank as second nature, “Please deliver this,” Hannibal handed him the sealed letter, and continued, “to Lt. Taro. Then take this,” he handed the folded note over, “to Xavier. He is probably in some dive so after you deliver both messages consider your self off duty for the rest of the watch.”

Hannibal grinned as the common soldier hurried to finish the task, and headed back into his quarters to get what sleep he could.

Chapter 13: Into the Forests

 

Walking past the supply hut Ky’Thand requisitioned a short bow and two quivers from the quartermaster. Some insurance was what Ky’Thand needed, like sleep venom or similar. Shame this town was so small, but who would know what a trip to the local herbalist would yield? With that in mind, he decided to go over to the local herbalist. At that hour, obviously the store was closed, but Ky’Thand could see light streaming from the windows upstairs, indicating the presence of the residents.

Many persistent knockings brought the herbalist to the door. He quickly opened up the door and invited Ky’Thand in, saying, “Sir, it is late and I am closed…”

“Good herbalist, I am about to ask for a couple of items which you may frown upon or even refuse to have, but for the interests in the crown and what I need to do in the days to come I hope you will be able to provide me.” Ky’Thand interrupted him.

“I need a sleep drug which can be added to ale, wine or water, with little aftertaste if possible. A sleep drug or agent that could be applied to an arrow head, either that or a quick-acting poison. Before you get upset, tomorrow I will be going against a superior force of darkness with but two close friends, I wish to have some surprises that will allow us to complete our necessary task. These couple of requests I have made may just keep my companion and myself alive long enough that we can complete our task.”

Ky’Thand wished to gather as much as he could. Thoughts of tainting the orcs’ water or wine supply was foremost on his mind.

The herbalist blinked a little when he heard what Ky’Thand said. He scratched his head a little, looking first at the bandages that characterised his customer right then, and answered, “Well, sir…I am just a humble herbalist here…I do have a herb that can induce sleeping, but it would have to be boiled in water and taken hot. We call it the Sleep Herb, and the locals use it for insomnia, sir. The onset time is about 15 minutes after consumption. I am afraid I don’t really have anything faster or more subtle.”

He stroked his chin and continued, “Yours is a most unusual request, sir – it is not that I have no knowledge of such drugs. I know of some rare herbs that can be used to induce sleep from an injection, but these are very, very rare. I heard that only those who comes into contact with fairies or the elves has such things. I myself would love to see one of these herbs my father have told me about!”

He looked at Ky’Thand again, “So…er…would you want some Sleep Herb, sir? A sprig boiled in a bowl of water is enough to induce sleep in one person for 8 hours, and they only cost 8 silver, sir.” Herbs were expensive indeed. At 8 silver, only the middle-class and above could afford it regularly, and not many of them were about in Nomad’s Crossing.

Ky’Thand smiled and said as an idea hit him, “So this herb could be added to a stew for instance to get the effect? Master herbalist, I would like as much of your stock as possible bar one or two sprigs for locals, ideally 20 sprigs would be excellent.”

Pulling his coin purse out, he asked, “You wouldn’t have any bandages which have been treated with herbs to speed healing as well would you?”

The herbalist scratched his head again, and replied, “Well…I guess you could possibly try adding it to a stew for the effect, though the stew would taste of herbs! As for the number, let me check…”

The herbalist turned from behind the counter to look at the vast wall cabinet he had installed onto one wall of the shop. Stretching across three support pillars, it was a wooden cabinet with drawers upon drawers, from the bottom all the way to the top. Taking a ladder and climbing up two rungs, he reached out to one of the drawers at the other end and pulled it out. And began counting and muttering to himself, probably doing some mental calculations.

He smiled and looked back at Ky’Thand, saying, “If I keep two sprigs for any other customers that might come in, I should still be able to spare about eight for you. Looks like I would need to hunt around the forests for the herbs soon! And since you asked about medical bandages…”

He climbed down the ladder and squatted down to open one of the bottom drawers. Pulling out what seemed like a foul smelling paste, he grinned and said, “Leeches’ Suckers is one herb that smells horrible, but it would help your wound heal faster, if you do not exert yourself too much! Make sure you get plenty of rest, and don’t let your wounds open again!”

Taking some bandages as well, he began clicking off on his abacus. He grinned as he clicked the last notch, and looked up at Ky’Thand. “That would be 64 Silver for the Sleep Herb, and let us say both the bandages and the Leeches’ Suckers go for 2 Silver altogether. That would be 66 Silver, sir – oh, and by the way, I forgot to tell you, I have to put down your name on the register! The Sheriff made it a law for all buyers of herbs to be recorded. I hope you understand, sir.” He began scribbling down Ky’Thand’s name on the register, and pushed it towards him to sign.

Ky’Thand nodded at the herbalist, placing 10 Gold upon the counter. “The rest is your silence, I wish no one bar the sheriff assuming he inquires, is to know of my purchase. Understand, good herbalist, I like to keep all my affairs quiet and to myself. I dislike things made town gossip. I hope I have made myself clear. Mages who are angry tend to be very destructive. If someone does inquire tell them I was purchasing clean bandages for my chest wound. Thank you for your business.”

And with that Ky’Thand left with his small bundle of herbs and bandages, leaving a decidedly more uncomfortable herbalist fingering 10 pieces of Gold. The open book before him remained unsigned.

X X X

It took a little adjustment to sleep at night again. The companions were so used to sleeping in the daytime, that they each tossed and turned, trying to get some sleep. They were all awake, bleary-eyed but prepared mentally to explore the lands south, before dawn had even touched the land.

The cold early morning wind blew and rustled the hair of his two companions but provided a chill to the exposed head of Hannibal. The three walked abreast of each other, the wind blowing their clothes about, making them seemed larger than life. Each was in his own thoughts, but there was a bond between the three of them – an inseparable bond perhaps of fate.

Prothal was dressed for war. The early morning sun shone and reflected its beams off the various curves of the field plate mail armour that he was wearing. A buckler was attached to his left forearm, and wrapped around the same arm was the helm that Prothal had decided not to wear yet. A long-bow and a quiver of arrows hung across a shoulder, and a leather satchel was strapped across his back. Only the surcoat he wore, bearing the insignia of his faith, made him recognisable as a priest, not a warrior.

And then of course, there was his sword. Now that they were next to each other, both Hannibal’s and his weapon pulsed their greetings throughout the journey. Or might it be a challenge, after hearing what the old man had to say the night before?

Hannibal, like Prothal, was dressed for war. Plate mail that had seen recent combat was buffed to a dull sheen that could be seen in the passing torchlight. Hannibal was armoured neck to toe, though he did wear a sturdy pair of walking boots with the hilts of two daggers protruding from the tops of each. A blue military tabard covered his chest and rippled in the cold morning wind.

Grumbling as the wind tried to snatch the green felt beret off his bald head, he looked wistfully at the full helm that rode on the pommel of his loaded pack horse. Shrugging he adjusted the back scabbard for a blade that seemed to pulse evilly in a counterpoint to Prothal’s blade. His gauntleted hands rested easily near a more conventional long-sword at his waist as well as a viscous looking combat dagger that sat between a large and a small pouch.

The packhorse he led was loaded down with the necessities of travel in the wilderness as well as with the rest of Hannibal’s tools of war. An unstrung long bow and medium shield were readily available on the top of the gear Hamish was carrying.

Hannibal smiled fondly at the horse, a much better companion than his first commander by the same name. Fortunately for the horse, Hannibal did not plan on doing much riding in the heavy wood.

Next to Hannibal was Ky’Thand, the enigmatic wizard with a past. Ky’Thand was smaller and less robust than his friends. His hands were smooth, a little soft yet a wiry strength could be seen. He was dressed in a large cloak with a hood, and under this woollen trousers tucked into long leather boots. A loose linen shirt with a doeskin vest finished his attire. Several blades were secreted about him, and a simple long dirk rested in a scabbard on his hip. Upon his right hand rested his short-bow and the quiver of arrows. He definitely did not look like he was a wizard.

The three soon reached the inn. A stable hand took Hamish away and began loading it up with the provisions Hannibal ordered. Taking a seat and ordering breakfast, they waited for the trappers to arrive. Soon they see the forms of the two men in the distance. They were all dressed up in forest greens and each carried an iron-shod staff. As they came closer, Ky’Thand noticed that each of them also had a dagger tucked into his belt. They smiled at the three friends as they entered the inn and joined them for breakfast.

Ky’Thand’s blue eyes were focused and rarely wandered the room – they currently seemed more intent on the breakfast in front of him. On the floor behind him rested a light pack, a short-bow and 2 quivers. Finishing his bowl of porridge, the bowl was pushed away. “The sooner we start, Hannibal, the better,” was all he said.

Hannibal saw Valena first, from a distance. She seemed to be somewhat hurried, as if bearing important news. Hannibal remembered this little girl, still in her teens, whom the townsfolk referred fondly to as the ‘Protector of Travellers’. Nobody knew where she could be at any one moment, for she came and went as she wished, moving among the forests like one of the creatures of the forest. With their duties seldom crossing paths (the companions were normally at the watchtowers), it was rare indeed for them to meet.

X X X

Valena must have been out of the town for months. No, perhaps not that long, but it was definitely many weeks. She had hurried to the watchtower, the headquarters of the local border guards, only to see it an area of tenseness and heightened security. What she had seen astounded her – bodies upon bodies of dead orcs, horses and soldiers. The troops there were not willing to tell her what had happened, but it did not take a very intelligent mind to guess there was a battle there.

Lieutenant Stonewall was kind enough to tell her that Hannibal and his friends had led a detachment of troops to Nomad’s Crossing to intercept a group of orcs that had disappeared into the forests. Beyond that, there was little information, the officer citing military security as the reason. But the location of Hannibal was the most important – he had to know what she had seen just one mile south-west of the village of Jameson Vineyard!

She had actually intended to go to the Sheriff’s office, after hearing from the guards at the gates that the three friends had been there. The soldier at the guard post of the Sheriff’s office had politely told her that they had left before dark, and nobody knew where they could be heading. It was perhaps the grace of the Eternal One that she had decided to at least stop over at the Woodsbridge Inn for some food. For there, before her eyes, were the three friends.

X X X

The sound of somebody walking down the stairs drew the attention of the three friends. The friends saw that it was the Eyondan they had tried to speak to the day before. Hannibal tried to nod a friendly greeting but he was ignored again. Respecting his need for solitude, Hannibal turned his attention back to Valena. The Eyondan moved over to Smasher, and the companions heard his voice for the first time. “Innkeeper, give me the breakfast of the day.”

It was a voice of one used to giving and taking orders. Without gazing even to look at the five men eating at the table (the only other patrons in the inn), he sat down at the very same table he sat the day before, his back towards a wall. He laid down his weapon on the table, by his side. One of the waiters hurried to serve him tea. Then his eyes shifted slightly again, as Valena entered the inn.

Upon looking at her, one would get the feeling that she enjoyed staying outside much more than being inside. Wisps of golden brown hair fell loosely against her cloak and tunic, and her eyes, vivid blue, looked cautiously about her, surveying the slightest detail. She wore clothes that were all brown – a light but well-tended travelling cloak, a brown tunic and leather breeches, a light brown-dyed silk shirt and calf-length leather travelling boots, tied just below the knee.

She was also armed, with a beautifully crafted long-sword on her left hip and a well-worn short sword on her right hip. A beautifully crafted composite short bow adorned her shoulder, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice. She used a handmade leather satchel made of deer hide to carry her other belongings in.

She gave a quick scan of the room, her eyes darting to everyone that she recognised, before looking slowly at the foreigner sitting alone at a table. She would keep in her mind his mannerisms, and would watch him closely.

When Ky’Thand saw Valena enter the inn, he immediately knew they would be delayed. “Hannibal, make this coming discussion fast, we need to be on our way.”

Ky’Thand turned away and opened his pack, removing an empty wineskin. “Innkeeper, could you fill this with a decent red?” he said, and with a gentle throw the wineskin landed in the innkeeper’s arms. Ky’Thand winked and turned back to see what Valena wanted.

Valena’s attention was drawn to the emerald green eyes that peered out of a handsome weather-beaten and deeply tanned face. Valena’s teacher used to tell her that this type of eyes was ‘the bane of all women’. While those eyes had teased her in the past, she knew that Hannibal’s true love was the desert witch Yolanda. Indeed, while many women of beauty had entered these eyes, none had managed to penetrate his heart.

Valena walked across the large room, and stood next to Prothal, Major Hannibal, Ky’Thand, and the two woodsmen that were with them. She looked to Hannibal as he offered her a chair to sit. “Please join us, Valena of the forests,” he said. Valena accepted his offer, and sat next to the friends she had not seen for over 3 weeks.

She began, her voice sounding a bit winded, “I’m glad I found you, great warriors. I have urgent news for you, Major Hannibal. There seems to be a large massing of goblins and large wolves south-west of the village of Jameson Vineyard. I’ve had a hard time getting any information from Lieutenant Stonewall, but he did tell me a little of what you had done. I am grateful to all of you, friends. Thank you.”

She placed a hand to her heart, in a tradition taught her by her old teacher, before bringing it out slightly. “I’ve had a few run-ins with orc scouting parties near the border, but nothing of this size. It has me worried.”

Hannibal listened intently to Valena’s tale. It seemed surprising that he did not seem that surprised by the news, more resigned it seemed. “Goblins? And wolves. We’ve heard rumours of an orc conversing with goblins then killing them. These good trappers,” Hannibal nodded to the trappers eating with them, “were just going to show us the sight. Maybe your skills could help determine what happened and where the creatures came from and went. We shall leave as soon as Xavier joins us, or dawn plus thirty at the latest.”

The six finished the rest of the breakfast quietly. They each laid down their piece of Silver for the meal, and got ready to leave the table. The Eyondan was still picking at his food with his two wooden sticks when the stable hand sent Hamish to Hannibal, laden with the supplies he ordered. He paid 30 pieces of Gold in total, the rest being a tip to the stable-hand. The stable-hand’s eyes widened at such a large tip, and he smiled and quickly did a very exaggerated job of grooming the horse. Hannibal smiled – he had used up most of his money, but with the pay coming soon from the capital, it should not be a problem.

They were about to move off when who else but Xavier should appear, a grin on his face as he moved off the side-street, already beginning to be lit by the rays of the morning sun. He looked at Valena, then said laughing to himself, “Hey, come on – you guys aren’t going to leave me out, are you? Please don’t tell me you are trying to keep all the gold to yourself! And what have we here? Hey, beautiful, you’ve forgot to bring your perfume with you, you don’t smell too good now you know!”

Hannibal chuckled and whispered so only the companions nearest could hear, “I didn’t think that thief could resist the chance at gold.” Then in a louder voice, he said, “Well met Xavier, we were just moving out. If you need something to eat see if Smasher can give you something for the road.”

Hannibal shook his head at the teasing of Valena by Xavier. It’s a wonder he ever gets involved with anyone, he thought. Well, when he has gold; at least you know where to find him.

“Come on Xavier, I know you and your scouts envy her woodcraft. But since she is travelling with us, maybe we can all learn something.”

Valena had one or two encounters with this man before. She knew that he was a close friend of Hannibal, and was one of the leaders of the scouting units. They had crossed her paths before many times, and she was careful to ensure they kept to their duties. Still, she had heard much about this man, how he kept company with some pretty unsavoury characters. Sometimes she wondered how a man like Hannibal could have him for a friend. And of course Ky’Thand. People do keep strange company sometimes.

The party moved on, letting the trackers lead them to the site of the encounter. Hannibal was not a woodsman though he could survive. He ducked the larger branches but still left many signs of his passing. The heavily armoured Prothal fared little better. Only Ky’Thand, Valena and Xavier were able to follow the trappers easily, Ky’Thand treading where they trod so to hide some of the traffic upon the trail, slowing down the entire party as they paused to wait for him a few times.

Ky’Thand’s backpack hung loose over a shoulder, the short-bow unstrung touching the loamy soil every second step, currently a walking stick. This forest was unlike the streets of the Capital where Ky’Thand used to run. Instead of two and three storey houses, huge elms and oaks towered overhead hiding the glow of the sun, so it became a diffuse light able to see by but not too good in determining the direction of travel. Walking silently in both places required practice and skill, and over the last six month’s since being transferred to Hannibal’s command Ky’Thand had endeavoured to keep his old skills while honing his new. It had been difficult, but now it was paying off nicely.

A rustle to the left dragged Ky’Thand from his thoughts. Another squirrel. It seems these trappers have a near limitless source, what a nice business arrangement, thought Ky’Thand to himself.

After travelling north-west through the wooded area for two hours, they reached a clearing, and the two trappers stopped. They turned towards the party and one of them said, “Well, here is the place, sirs. We encountered the orc killing the goblin here.”

Hannibal carefully scanned the scene looking for clues as to who came and went where. It was not easy, but he picked up what looked like tracks that ended in a fight. He allowed Valena to come to her own conclusions before asking, “What do you think?”

Valena was busy looking around for clues as to the passage of the orcs and the goblins. Her years of being in the forests hunting for these creatures had made her extremely sensitive to their tracks. She easily spotted the tracks, and came to the same conclusions as Hannibal. But she also noticed that the tracks came from the south, and one of the tracks, presumably that of the victor, headed south after. She could not be sure if they belong to orcs or goblins, but they were definitely from a humanoid host. Her keen senses also picked up some greenish blood trails off to the north. There were signs of dragging, and also some four-footed creatures. Probably scavengers feeding off the vanquished.

Valena returned to her companions. “Hannibal, it appears that you were right about the creatures being here. I found some tracks that indicate the beasts came from the south, had a struggle of some kind, and that whoever won also went south. I found some greenish blood and some four-footed tracks leading away from the scene. The forest has a way of cleaning up the messes made by those that do not belong there.”

Valena looked to Ky’Thand and the unscrupulous Xavier. She still did not trust these two, but was somewhat surprised at their skill in the forest. “It was a good idea to help conceal our tracks, Ky’Thand. You have a way in the forest that is good to see.”

At Valena’s comment about the signs to the north, Hannibal looked to Ky’Thand and Xavier. “You two want to check that out? They probably weren’t carrying much but there may be something that helps. Also, if one of the goblins is alive we may be able to get some answers.”

Xavier shrugged and moved casually towards the bushes, in an almost sauntering manner. Hannibal had known him from young – he had that lassez faire attitude about him, even when he was ‘on the job’ as he called it. Others called it worse names.

Ky’Thand watched Xavier move towards the bushes. He moved parallel silently then encircled the bushes entering perpendicular and to the left side of Xavier. His senses alert, he listened and looked intently to the ground expecting a corpse at least, his long-sword in his hand ready to repel any scavenger he might disturb.

Xavier pushed the bushes aside and looked around for a while. Shaking his head, he turned to Hannibal, saying, “The blood trails go into the underbrush – it would be crazy for me to go after whatever has taken it alone! No way am I going over!” His eyes were all rolled up, and there was an expression of incredulity on his face.

Ky’Thand hissed at Xavier, “Stop whinging like some brothel tart and earn yer keep.” Xavier simply sneered and said, “You go ahead and be the hero then!” Ky’Thand then stepped forward into the underbrush weapons ready, for now he had also drawn a dagger in his off hand. His keen eyes saw what Xavier had seen – the trail of blood which continued into the dense forest grass.

Ky’Thand moved quietly forward, following the blood trail into the underbrush. The trail was not difficult to spot, and it seemed quite fresh. Pushing back the grass which came up to his waist, Ky’Thand continued to follow the trail, hoping it would lead to some clues.

At Xavier’s comment about going farther into the wood, Hannibal looked sourly at him and said, “You are not going that far and you ARE a scout. Ky’Thand is with you and the rest can join you in moments.”

“Yeah, yeah, you are always right as usual…” Xavier shook his head, and rolled his eyes up, but did nothing to step forward to assist the mage checking out the bushes.

Seeing that Xavier would not follow Ky’Thand, anger flared in Hannibal’s eyes. “My friend. If you won’t scout, then stand by me and I’ll look for what dragged off the goblins. Proof of their death may be profitable to us in the future. Come with me, now.”

With that Hannibal crashed into the brush after Ky’Thand. Xavier realised that Hannibal was giving him one last chance and no was not a real option. He shook his head and muttered an oath, and Valena seemed to hear him say, “One of these days my lifeless body will be in his arms if I continue to follow this crazy man…” before he too moved in after Hannibal.

Passing quickly by him, Xavier whispered, “Hey, pal – the jingles from your armour are going to make whatever took our little friend off come to us! Stay back and let the pros do the job, OK?” Muttering another oath seemingly to no one in particular, Xavier moved on ahead of him, catching up with the quick mage in front.

Hearing Xavier follow him, Hannibal slowed down allowing him to easily catch up. At Xavier’s suggestion, Hannibal smiled to himself but still with an edge of anger in his voice replied, “Very well, I will wait at the edge of the wood, call if danger threatens.

Chapter 14: Tracking the Forest Denizens

 

It was difficult pushing through the underbrush, but a short distance of less than fifty yards into the dense forest, and Ky’Thand emerged into a small clearing. Cautiously, Xavier drew his weapon and advanced with Ky’Thand into the clearing.

Whatever had eaten the dead had done it well, even many of the bones were cracked and their marrow sucked out. Pieces of hard boiled leather, obviously former parts of a complete piece of armour, were scattered about the place, as were scraps of clothing. A small humanoid skull was intact, as well as bones too tough to crack, like the femur.

Ky’Thand poked and moved bits and pieces around, looking for identification of the goblin tribe, perhaps on the chest plate of the armour or shield and belt with money purse if present. It took about half an hour of careful searching to gather and check through everything. There were markings on the pieces of leather, and it would have to be assembled together (a painstaking task) to see the full pattern. Especially since it just might be possible the pieces of leather scattered around belonged to more than one set of armour.

Ky’Thand came across only one weapon. It was a mace. Other interesting bits included about eight pieces of copper scattered about, obviously the contents of a nearby ripped pouch. Having seen enough, he moved back through the bushes, bringing the pieces of armour for Valena to identify.

Hannibal waited impatiently for his companions to return from the underbrush. Seeing them come back with torn and bloodied remains, Hannibal shook his head and asked the pair, “Well did you find anything of interest? Any tribal markings still intact?”

“Why don’t you ask our hero over there? I was too busy ensuring he was safe to notice anything else! He seems to have an obsession with dead bodies though.” Xavier shrugged, replying in his usual nonchalant way. Ky’Thand had been with him long enough to know his nature. Sometimes he wondered if that was how he survived for so long. But then again, the rate at which he offended people made him wonder too how he survived for that long. But Hannibal needed an answer.

“Scavengers had worked the body over quite well, the pieces of armour, a mace and some copper were the only things of note. I was hoping to get Valena to identify the goblin clan who had been at the meeting with the orc.” Ky’Thand replied.

Hannibal nodded and asked, “Shall I stow the remains on Hamish? I can’t see much reason that we should be burdened carrying it. However, we may be able to talk our way out of a fight if we can let the goblins know what happened.”

Valena looked at her friends, a dark, angry look in her eyes. “So long as these creatures threaten our towns and our livelihood, there will be no negotiations. I have a feeling that there is more to this than what we see. Call it a guess, if you will. Still, let me look at those markings…”

Valena turned to Ky’Thand, and looked closely at the items that he brought from his search. The markings were not clear but the paint was typical of the tribal creatures living in the forests. It was obvious that the markings were meant to signify something, but she could not be sure. Besides tribal markings, she was aware that some markings denote rank as well, like their human counterparts.

Hannibal took the meagre finds and stowed them on Hamish. The light war-horse whiffed at the additional weight but was used to being treated as a packhorse. “I don’t know if we will be able to negotiate but we may save more homesteads turning the goblins against their allies than wiping them out ourselves.” Hannibal answered Valena’s obvious hatred of the humanoid races.

Valena turned to Hannibal, a more sombre look crossing her features. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be so brash about the humanoids. My old teacher and mentor taught that all life is precious, whether it be human, or humanoid. But,” Valena looked again to the forest across the road, where a goblin patrol was possibly hiding in ambush, “he also asked that I protect Nomad’s Crossing from the threats that may come. Vespin had said that there was ‘an Evil wind’ sweeping across the lands, and I intend on discovering what that is.”

Looking carefully at Valena, Hannibal seemed to start at her words. “An evil wind. Prothal has been having dreams and Brother Adam was having visions of the same type of thing. What direction was this wind coming from?”

“He never got the chance to tell me,” Valena responded, “He only said that it was going to be a bleak time for mankind. I got the impression that the ‘Evil Wind’ would be converging from all fronts, land, sea, water, and sky. I don’t know how we can prepare for something like this.”

The two trappers now looked really nervous. Each time a bird called, they would jump and clutch their daggers. One of them finally plucked up the courage to move over and say softly to Ky’Thand, “Uh…sir…we have already brought you here. We have some urgent business to attend to, and uh…perhaps you can pay us now?” The trapper looked at him sheepishly. Xavier grinned and winked at Ky’Thand – he had obviously overheard what was said.

Valena looked at Xavier, and his smug, wry grin. She turned her head in obvious disgust.

Ky’Thand smiled, signalling to the two trappers to follow him back a bit so their talk would not disturb Valena and Hannibal. He produced ten coins of gold each for the trappers, casually biting the edge on one to prove it was true gold.

“Your service was well done. I also wish to give you a piece of advice for the coming days. Tell no one, for if this gets out your lives will be worth little. I ask you to take yourselves and any close ones with some provisions and find a good hiding place in the few days to come. A great force is coming which we will hopefully weaken. I tell you this because when we emerge we will need stout folk like yourselves to help us.”

Ky’Thand looked at each of them, and said, “Swear to me you will heed my words and tell no one.”

Hannibal noted the nervousness of the two trappers but held his tongue. While Ky’Thand was speaking with them he scanned the trees and forest attempting to see what was making them so nervous. Hannibal was well able to command a battlefield but realised that he was not an expert in the woods.

“Valena,” Hannibal asked in a quiet voice, so he would not make the trappers more nervous than they were already, “I can’t believe that woodsmen like the trappers would be so nervous out here. Do you sense anything out of the ordinary? We saw plenty of game so there can’t be too much out of the ordinary. However, be careful as you track south. We don’t want to run into an ambush.”

“I haven’t sensed anything out of place here. But,” Valena looked at the two woodsmen, and noted their every glance and twitch, “these two do seem a bit nervous out here.” Valena glanced at Hannibal, but never let her eyes from the two woodsmen, and continued, “I think that they know more than they’re letting on. I don’t think we should allow them to leave just yet.”

Valena did not allow her eye to stray from the two woodsmen. Her gut instinct was screaming – do not trust them! “I don’t think it was by chance that these two knew where this killing site was. Why would they seek to contact you, if there was not something to gain from it? A little coin will cause a man to do many things, and a lot of coin will have him commit treachery. In my opinion, they need to be kept with us, until we have located the encampment and assessed the situation.”

The two trappers nodded their heads eagerly, accepting the money Ky’Thand gave them while looking around them as if the area spooked them. The bolder one said in a hushed tone, “Of course, of course, we will heed your advice sir…uh…we have to go now sir…”

“Excellent, now safe travels good trappers may your hunting days be plentiful and your years many.” Ky’Thand watched them leave then returned to Valena and Hannibal. “So which way did the orcish mageling go?”

Hannibal pointed South in answer to his question. “It seems hard facts and prophecy are still converging. Let’s hope we can thwart the larger parts of it.”

Absently patting Hamish’ head he answered Ky’Thand. “Our foe travels south. It is odd, but he heads for the same area where Valena saw the goblins massing? They would not take kindly to an orc killing one of the tribe, especially in cold blood.”

“We shall have to pursue. I suggest we go slowly with Prothal and myself bringing up the rear.” Hannibal smiled as he continued, “Neither of us are going to sneak up on a camp, so we can stay far enough back to give you three a chance too.”

Hannibal then took Hamish’s halter and prepared to follow the scouts south into the unknown. As they prepared to leave, Hannibal slipped his light gem into his money pouch, which was nearly empty anyway and made sure his pack was where he could quickly retrieve it from Hamish.

“Yes, our warriors should stay a good distance from us. I also feel it important that Ky’Thand continue to cover our tracks as we pass. Xavier and I will scout ahead and signal with a bird whistle like this,” Valena made the sound of a woodpecker pecking, before continuing, “This will be your signal to stop, draw weapons, and approach slowly. Either Xavier or myself will come back to report what is ahead. That is…” Valena turned to Xavier, “if there are no objections?”

Ky’Thand thought, The gall, a bloody mage and I get to cover the tracks as we pass. I doubt anything would be dumb enough to follow us considering the amount of steel some of our party carries.

Xavier shrugged his shoulders and winked at Valena, “Hey, if beautiful is here with her mighty sword with me, why should I object? Ah, maybe you should take off that armour of yours – it hides your beautiful figure, eh? Not to mention it make a whole lot of noise!” He chuckled to himself and made a motion with his hands, for Valena to move before him. He just loved to be irritating.

Valena just thought to herself. How can Hannibal and Prothal suffer such company? He may have a strange sort of wit, but it would not get very far with her, except perhaps in angering her. Still… Xavier did have some degree of skill in the wood, though she thought his ears were probably playing tricks on him.

She moved well ahead of the small group, quickly and silently, about a hundred yards. Not a single jingle in her armour, or a misplaced creaking of leather, nor even footfalls were heard! The only sound heard was the wisp of her cloak as she passed by Xavier.

Hannibal, being used to following his scouts in battle, but ever anxious to meet the first blows of combat, kept one hand on his sword and the other on Hamish’s lead line as he followed about a hundred yards behind the two scouts. He stayed to the centre of what little trail the two broke for him and Prothal. Many a times, he would lose track of Valena and the scouts in amidst the thick forest, but they would always slow down for him to catch up. It was a good thing they did not get lost.

Valena’s keen senses allowed her to trace the route the two creatures had taken to the area. She noticed that the first creature had also backtracked using the same route. The tracking was easy as the trampled grass left obvious signs, but moving about proved not easy, and the party had to slow down many a times for her to check and be sure that they were following the correct path.

Xavier was very careful as he moved with her. His weapon was not drawn, to prevent the unwanted glint of the sun, but his hand was upon it, ready to be moved into action at a moment’s notice. It was obvious that Xavier, while a good scout, was most definitely not a woodsman.

The faint trampled grass stopped as Valena hit the road. She motioned with her hand to Xavier to halt just before reaching the road. “Let me look alongside the road before we cross it. Tell the others to wait behind you, about twenty-five yards from the road, so as not to attract attention.”

Valena looked up and down the road before proceeding to continue the search for tracks. As the blazing sun began to move near to mid-day, Valena had the chance to look about in better lighting conditions. Just off a little in the distance, less than two hundred yards to the west, was the village of Jameson Vineyard. She found it hard to believe an orc and a goblin could come to such proximity of a village and still not be spotted, but mayhaps they had moved quickly, possibly under the cover of darkness. The clearing where she had suspected a goblin patrol could be about was very near here, approximately just two hundred yards into the forest south.

She could hear her friends approach through the forest, and while she could not see Xavier motion for them to stop, the lack of the sounds of motion should mean that he had done so. Now, Valena thought to herself, came the difficult part. The trail along the road and forest edge was criss-crossed with multiple prints, and it would not be easy to spot the prints on the compacted sand. She knew she would have to attempt to track the creatures again using their prints instead of trampled grass.

After a few minutes, Valena returned to her friends. “There are many different prints along the road and forest edge, and it will take some time to find the ones we seek. Also, there is a small village some two hundred yards of here, to the west.”

Concern crossed Hannibal’s brow as he saw how close to those he was supposed to protect these goblins came. Granted two or three of the creatures would pose little threat to the village, but they could scout for a larger force!

Valena looked to each companion in turn, and a saddened look crossed her lovely eyes. “I am worried that orcs and goblins can pass so closely to a village without being noticed. They must have crossed the road during the eve. I think we should investigate the village before proceeding. Mayhaps someone there has noticed things out of place.”

Ky’Thand moved nearer to the edge of the forest and looked down the road. He turned to his good friend and asked, “So Hannibal, do yer want me to go have a talk with the locals?”

“Leave them be. They are either already dead or safe until tonight. In either case, we can be more use finding that patrol and our quarry.”

It was a cold answer, but one that made military sense. Hannibal was betting that his foe would not try to force the goblins to raid in the day when the light would cause discomfort. Also, two hundred yards should not take that long to check. The group could sweep back to the east if nothing else presented itself.

Hannibal looked to the ranger and asked, “How far are we from the place where you saw the goblins massing? I don’t want to leave the village undefended, however we should proceed if we can strike before night.”

Valena looked at the strong warrior, noting the concern in his eyes. “We’re not far. It’s only about another two hundred yards or so, in the forest to the south.”

Hannibal shuddered at her answer. “Jameson doesn’t have the men to repel a goblin force, let alone a war party with wolves. They shouldn’t attack until night. Let’s see if we can strike at the patrol during the day. We can spend the night in the vineyard if we must.”

“We could easily strike before nightfall,” Valena assured the warrior. “I told an old friend that I would look after these good people, and I will not see them fall to the likes of goblins and orcs!”

Hannibal carefully moved about so as not to obscure any tracks. However he did move to the south side of the road, attempting to determine where the orc might have re-entered the woods, using his tracking skills to find out.

The packed dirt made it really difficult to trace the path the orc took. There were simply too many crossings all over the place, disturbing the barely visible tracks on the floor. He searched carefully, looking for what might be gave him some clues, but there was none for him to find. Perhaps his skill just was not good enough.

Hannibal looked to Valena, “If you can not find the trail of this orc, we should look over the location of this goblin patrol. We should be able to track a whole force much easier than one orc. Obviously the orc wants something from the goblins, we just have to figure out what.”

Hannibal choice was action obviously. If the orc-mage could not be followed then, Hannibal was prepared to deal with the goblins in his area of operation.

“Ky’Thand,” Hannibal called to his friend, “If we meet the goblins in battle, do you have any magic that will allow us to capture them? I would like to question them, willing or otherwise, about that orc.”

Making sure his sword was loose in his scabbard, Hannibal prepared to follow the scouts into the wood in pursuit. Hannibal harkened back to the words of Adam. What he sought was south and to do what his heart told him to do. Well going after the goblins was ‘south’ and protecting the people was what kept him in Frelandia and not with his wife in the northern desert.

Ky’Thand laughed, “Of course, I can stun then into unconsciousness, or web them in a bundle of sticky strands. The question I have is, Hannibal can you speak goblin?” Ky’Thand strung his bow, ready for uses soon on goblins.

Valena moved next to Hannibal, Prothal and Ky’Thand. “I will not slay these creatures unless need be, but Ky’Thand does has a point. Do we know anyone that can translate goblin? Or,” Valena looked at Ky’Thand, “perhaps knowledge of a magical spell that will enable one to comprehend their language? Vespin had a way of understanding the animals, birds and wildlife, but he never did communicate with any humanoids that I am aware of.”

Ky’Thand shook his head, “Such a spell I haven’t had a chance to study, maybe one day soon.”

“Hopefully at least some may speak a pidgin of common and goblin, or the trader tongue,” Hannibal replied, “While I would be loathe to kill them in cold blood, sending them back to the village where they would be hanged would be just as bad. The threat of a town may loosen some tongues.”

“I hope that this is the case. Let’s get going.” Valena pulled her composite bow from her shoulder, absently checking the weapon for any nicks and scrapes. She would make sure that it was ready to be used if needed, before she proceeded into the forest to the south. “I will take a look ahead with Xavier. We have a few hours before sunset, so I suggest we check this out before it starts to turn to dusk.”

Ky’Thand asked, “If we know where the goblin camp is we should attack it in daylight, so we can see and not at night time like our last fiasco.”

“Yes my friend, this time we shall attack with the light,” Hannibal smiled at Ky’Thand’s concern. “Depending on what we learn, we may need to spend the night at Jameson’s Vineyard.”

“I suggest that we have Prothal and Hannibal act as the ‘Anvil of an attack’. Valena, Xavier and I will move around and past the goblin camp,” Ky’Thand continued, “Then with bow fire from three different locations we herd the goblins toward the Anvil- Hannibal and Prothal.”

Hannibal listened to Ky’Thand’s plan then shook his head. “It may work. However, we don’t know how many goblins there are. If wolves are with them, they may decide to rush the arrows instead of taking them in the back. We may want to set an ambush. One or two of you move ahead and fire some arrows while I prepare an ambush. I can camouflage our group to give us the element of surprise. Also this keeps our group together, not split up!”

Hannibal thought back to other fights with the goblins, “Prothal and I will engage, Xavier and Ky’Thand will make sure no stragglers escape, and Valena can act as bait then join the fray where she is needed most.”

Valena patted her short bow lovingly. “The element of surprise is best. However, we still need to determine their size and strength. And sending bow fire from 3 angles would panic them, and give us a window of opportunity.”

She turned to Xavier. “We can circle around the encampment until we meet up again, then let loose a volley of arrows. That should get their attention, and draw them to us. If Ky’Thand,” Valena looked to the mage, “has something in his lore that could be useful, he could aid when we pass by him. Then,” Valena continued, a fiery look in her eyes, “Xavier and I can circle back around, and hit them from behind as Prothal and Hannibal charge in to the fray. If they have a spell-caster among them, it could become a much different situation, however.”

Ky’Thand smiled like that of a predator when his spell list was inquired about. “I have in my repertoire Colour Spray, Web and Flaming Sphere, all useful spells for this type of ambush. If they have an enemy spell-caster, a flight of arrows or a “webbing” will keep him occupied.”

Hannibal listened to the group discuss the planned ambush. He nodded and said, “It sounds reasonable. Get Prothal and I as close as possible and we will hide as you try to drive them to us, if you feel your arrows will do the trick. However, give us a signal to advance if they should instead turn to engage you!”

With the sun blazing overhead, the party set off towards the campsite. There was no path to the campsite – the party had to move as silently as they could through the grass that grew up to the thighs. Trees were also packed closely together, making travel difficult. Truly this was the home terrain of the forest denizens.

Hannibal himself had fought many of these patrols in the past. It was always them choosing the opportune moments to strike. No military commander was able to successfully lead a punitive expedition against them in the thick forests. But the superior training of the Frelandian soldiers had always stood them in great stead during the frequent clashes along the roads, when the bolder forest denizens had attacked.

Indeed, sometimes Hannibal wondered if Frelandia would have become so prosperous if the frequent and well-trained patrols were not about the roads and the Freeway. Even then, travelling was a risky business, for the Crown could not muster the men to be everywhere at once.

Only twenty yards into the forest and the party knew that the original plan was not going to work. The trees made it impossible for the three in front to move too far ahead of Hannibal and Prothal – at most they could be separated for about five to six yards without risking being lost in the forest. On their part, the three in front realised that the two armoured juggernauts following closely behind them were making a lot of noise and giving away their position.

“This is not going to work,” Xavier grumbled to no one in particular, “We should think of a way for us to be further away from the two iron men. What kind of surprise element could we talk about if they could hear us before we reach them?” He shook his head and muttered another oath.

Both Ky’Thand and Valena knew within their hearts that Xavier was right. In order for them to keep their silence, they would have to be at least twenty yards ahead of the other two. But with visibility as it was, there was no way they could be that far ahead without risking the other two being lost. Especially since Valena suspected that even Ky’Thand and Xavier would not know their way about the forests as easily as she would. Much less those not accustomed to stealth.

Valena had gotten lost in the forests once in the early years of her training. It was a terrifying experience, moving around and never seeming to get out. By the time she had come back to the same spot twice, Kaylen was waiting for her, smiling at her frustration. It was only then that she was taught how to look for signs, and to trace her own steps if necessary, to reduce the chances of being lost in the forests.

Hannibal too, was having his own problems with Hamish. The saddlebags tended to get snagged on the branches, and the mare hissed each time its pack got stuck on something. Obviously the horse was not relishing the idea of moving around in the dense forest, but it plodded on with the encouragement given by its master. Valena and Ky’Thand again heard the sound of a loud ‘crack’ as a branch was broken by the horse. That would make it the second one within the short journey of twenty yards.

Chapter 15: The Goblins at the Clearing

 

Seeing that he and Prothal could not stay close on the others’ heels and allow them the chance at surprise they need, Hannibal called them back to him.

“Well we can’t go on like this. Valena, leave us a trail as you move forward and I should be able to follow it. Between keeping us moving in the same direction and tracking you by the 10-minute old trail you leave, the two of us should be able to follow. Now Hamish here may not like it, but he’ll put up with it. One of you wait where you want us to stop for our ‘ambush’ though it may make more sense fighting into the clearing.”

Nodding in agreement with Hannibal, Valena looked into the woods ahead, to see if she could see any breaks through the brush and trees ahead. It was as dense as when she first left it the last time. It was much easier then, as she was alone in her natural element – the sylvan wilderness. Now she had to contend with warriors more at home on the sands of battle than the trees of the land. But the muscle they provided might just be the thing needed.

“Hamish would have a difficult time even if he was not so burdened with supplies. Look at you and Prothal.” Valena winked at the two of them. “Xavier and I will move ahead of the group, with Ky’Thand following about 10 pace behind. This should let us move forward without making too much noise and attracting unwanted attention, and help give us the element of surprise.”

With that said, Valena unshouldered her bow and moved forward with Xavier next to her, and Ky’Thand a little behind.

“I concur, this is a better plan.” Ky’Thand nodded.

“Xavier, if we do get attacked, we should spread out about 20 paces and give them more than one target to go after. With a little luck, Ky’Thand won’t be noticed, and can give the transgressors a ‘heart-felt welcome’.” She smiled again as she said that, her eyes sparkling in the shade of the trees.

Ky’Thand whispered, “Make it 30 paces, some of my spells arc out a fair way in their effect, particularly the ones designed to stun opponents.”

Xavier, having heard what Valena had said, winked and put an arm about the young girl, saying, “Oh beautiful eyes, when an attack do finally come please come and rescue me, for I won’t be a target. I might though,” Xavier grinned a most charming grin, “if you would ask me politely and maybe give me a kiss or something.”

Hannibal saw that very same glint on Xavier’s eyes again, the same as when he was telling tall tales to the barmaids, and charming the skirts out of everyone of them. Sometimes he wondered why some of these women have to fall for someone like him. He still remembered how he had lost to Xavier over that foolish bet in their youth.

Being unaccustomed to being treated in such a manner, Valena pressed her arms outward to break Xavier’s embrace. Valena spoke in a hushed whisper, “You are an interesting man, Xavier, but not a very bright one. If you refuse to help, then you can leave. No one is forcing you to stay here. And,” Valena had since turned around to face the unscrupulous man, “if you think to put me or my friends in unnecessary danger, let me assure you that if it becomes necessary, you will become a target like these humanoids!”

The fierceness in her eyes and her voice let everyone know how she felt. “Xavier, we can use a good scout right now, not an immature child.” With that said, Valena turned and moved ahead of the group.

Xavier made a face of mock shock and faced Hannibal. He pointed to himself and said with stressed incredulity, “A young girl, barely even into womanhood, calling me an immature child?” He rolled his eyes up and threw his hand up in mock despair. “Hey, these are my friends also, OK?” He seemed to speaking more to himself than to the fast disappearing Valena. Smiling and giving Hannibal a wink, he went on after Valena. It seemed like the challenge from Valena was taken up.

With that Hannibal watched the trio move into the brush and then started ploughing ahead. He hacked the most offensive branches out of the way for Hamish. Valena might not like it, but he would explain to her later. Looking to his side, he saw Prothal. Prothal seemed to have changed much after the last battle, when his men suffered great (though not grave) losses. He seemed to be talking less than usual. But he would leave him to his own. Perhaps he would speak more when he wanted to.

Once again Ky’Thand allowed his body to meld with the surrounds, his shadow joining others and his footfalls becoming lost in the surrounding forest sounds. His ears pricked up listening to the telltale sounds of company, his nose clearly filled with fresh forest smells. Just like the streets and alleys, only difference was that the forest was larger, deeper and nearly endless to the sight.

And his keen ears really did pick up a few sounds. The sounds of Valena’s cloak against the bushes occasionally. And other sounds as Xavier stepped on some grass. They were being pretty careless in their movement. Or perhaps they were not even aware of their carelessness.

Valena had already gone some way off the main party, with Xavier by her side. They moved carefully, concealing the sounds of their passage, using the skills that each had learnt – her from her years in the forest, and Xavier? Who would know? But it was disturbing the way Ky’Thand had completely silenced himself. Who was this man, and what kind of a past did he have? No wizard she knew of had such good skills in the forests. Admittably, she did not know many wizards, but this one was really unusual.

I will have to ask Ky’Thand about his skill in the wood when there is a chance to, Valena thought to herself.

With the attempts by the scouting party to move silently through the already difficult bushes, the progress was slow and laborious. But it was only a short while later that Valena spotted the clumps of bushes she remembered marking the spot where the trees parted and a clearing would emerge. This would be the campsite where she spotted the goblins.

Cursing the forest under his breath he wondered when they would get past this fringe and into more passable terrain. Hannibal wondered again how Valena hoped to use a bow in this mess. He would stick with sword and shield. Of course if the press got much thicker, a pair of daggers would be a more suitable choice of weapons.

Hannibal mentioned to Prothal, “I hope we can engage in that clearing Valena scouted. If we must fight in these trees, we will be forced to rely on thrusting weapons or small ones like daggers.”

Hannibal continued forward. He nodded his head and made sure Hamish’s bit and bridle were secure so he could move him forward as needed. Hannibal was not worried about the horse’s nerve, though he would feel uncomfortable leaving him in the wood while he battled. If he could get closer to the clearing, Hamish could be left there.

Valena approached the clearing. Yes, this is it, Valena thought to herself. She glanced over in Xavier’s direction, and made the sound of a woodpecker pecking, for him and Ky’Thand. She moved behind a bush, and surveyed the clearing before moving in. Her composite short bow rested in her hand, and an arrow was nocked, ready to be loosed if needed.

Carefully, she peeped through the bushes that served as cover for her. The clearing was large, with a diameter of about 50 feet across. Sunlight shone through the breaks in the canopy of trees, and only the outer band of about 10 feet did the trees spread out their branches to provide a shade. Shade which some goblins were conveniently using.

From her position, she could see about six of them, lying at one shaded area of the clearing, across from her. They looked like they were sleeping, and she could discern faint snores from one of them. Goblins never liked daylight. It was interesting that they could stumble across a patrol during the daytime. But there were no signs of the large wolves that she came across the other time.

Hearing the sound of a woodpecker ahead Ky’Thand froze and listened intently for goblin sounds. He could only hear the swish of Valena’s clothes as she stepped closer to something. Drawing a pair of arrows one place in his teeth, Ky’Thand nocked the other and stalked forward to where Valena and Xavier were to see what lay ahead. He could see that Valena was looking intently at something.

Xavier turned to look at Ky’Thand. He crept closer and whispered, “Valena seemed to be on to something. I think I will move back to warn our noise-makers. Don’t do anything right now, OK?” He brushed past Ky’Thand, towards where the unseen Hannibal and Prothal should be, possibly quite a distance away. Just like him to avoid any possible trouble. Ky’Thand nodded, and continued forward towards Valena.

When Ky’Thand got to Valena, he whispered, “When we attack take out the outer goblins first so we may have a few rounds of surprise.” He could not see what Valena had seen, but if he had not guessed wrongly, their target should be within sight.

“There are 6 goblins that I see sleeping in the shade some 50 yards from our position. I don’t see any of the wolves I had seen when I was here before. This doesn’t seem right. I think there may be more of them out there, just not within sight.” Valena looked over to Ky’Thand, noting the way he had approached her position. “You’re pretty skilled in the woods, Ky’Thand. You will have to show me how you move so silently some time.”

Ky’Thand shrugged, whispering, “It is a gift I have naturally along with some long training to hone it. I am sure when we have time I can show you a trick or two. Most of it is mental attitude however.”

Looking to Valena, he whispered, “Well do we take them now or twiddle out fingers?” Moving away to the left about twenty paces, Ky’Thand watched the open grove counting the goblins, listening for their four-footed companions. There were no sounds that he could hear indicating the presence of any other creatures. Eventually he found a good position to fire unimpeded from, a pair of dense shrubs with a gap between for firing. There Ky’Thand waited for the ambush to occur.

---

Hannibal and Prothal, meanwhile, was trudging along the forest, keenly following the trail that Valena, Xavier and Ky’Thand had left behind. It was not easy to follow, and for a moment Hannibal was glad of his tracking training. He might not be as good as Valena, but his meagre skills would suffice. From behind a tree ahead, the figure of Xavier popped out.

“OK, this is it, we are at the clearing. Now, I would suggest that you too stop moving about and stay here. We are about twenty over yards to the clearing now, and if we are going to be springing any surprises, you two had better not be around rattling your tin cans away. I will give a loud call if you are needed! Hey, you would probably even pick up the sounds of battle if our little girl and crazy wizard decide they could take on the Darklands and survive!”

Hannibal nodded at Xavier’s description of the battleground ahead. It appeared that his companions had not yet been spotted.

Xavier smiled and winked at Hannibal, and said before he turned to leave, “I will be around with them. I may not be a bowsman, but don’t look down on my knives!” He patted at the bandoleer about his chest, possibly holding a dozen knives, and moved on through the forest.

Settling down to wait, Hannibal commented to Prothal, “Too bad we can’t make ourselves silent and get to that clearing. I much rather fight these with a sword instead of my dagger.”

”I think that in such a thick forest we do not have so many advantages. So I agree that at the first sound of battle we should head towards the opening but cautiously. Since we’ve set a trap for them they might have one for us. We should first see how good the other 3 fare with the goblins and then interfere immediately to help them if they have any problems. I think it is good to give a time lag before we attack.

“And we can go real close since the goblins will be surprised in the heat of the battle. While they are trying to find out what is going on, they would not be paying any attention to any noises from the woods. Either they’ll try to find where the arrows come from or they’ll try to escape.”

Hannibal waited realising that from where he was then, there was little chance he would engage the foe. With some reluctance, Hannibal slung his shield over Hamish’s pommel and drew his combat dagger and a throwing dagger to engage when the opportunity presented itself.

“Prothal my friend,” Hannibal began after pausing a while, “We shall move forward with all speed at the first sound of battle. You and I will be hard pressed to do anything in the thick woods as we will be forced to fight with dagger or spear. Swinging a weapon would be problematic at best.”

Hannibal looked over Prothal to see if he was armed with anything that would be effective in the thick woods. From what he could see, he only had his sword and his longbow with him. Both weapons ill suited for fighting in the woods. If only they were in the fields of battle! Their armour and their weapons would have surely made short work of any foes that stumbled across them!

“Also, how would we stop anyone from simply going around the two of us? We must attack at a point they wish to defend, hopefully the clearing. I am loath to test the battle skills of our friends while we wait behind.”

Hannibal looked in the direction the others went. “Is there nothing your god can do to help us approach closer?”

---

Valena and Ky’Thand heard faint sounds behind them. It was Xavier, and he had returned from warning Hannibal and Prothal. Valena motioned him over. With a cheeky smile on his face, Xavier winked at her and moved over, giving a soft whisper, “Anytime, lovely. Anytime.”

Valena spoke, “Xavier, I’ve seen only 6 goblins and no sign of the wolves I had seen previous in the far reaches of this clearing. They’re about 50 yards distant.” Valena took another look across the clearing, watching if any goblins move, and still whispering, said, “I have a feeling that there may be more of them in the deep woods, just not within sight. What do the two of you suggest? I know that we can take these 6 goblins with ease, but if there are more nearby, we might be caught off-guard. I feel we should move around the clearing, looking for any signs or tracks.”

Ky’Thand suggested, “It is likely there be more further in, but to have them charge across a clearing will make our task easier. I say we shoot to kill the 6 goblins present and see what is provoked. I think it a sounder ploy than being separated when combat comes to us.”

“Agreed. Just be ready to get Hannibal and Prothal if we do get attacked.” Valena pulled out two arrows and set them next to her. She also drew out her long and short swords, and set them next to her. She nocked one arrow back, mimicking Ky’Thand. “Xavier, are you good at throwing those pretty little daggers? Ky’ and I may need your skills if we do get rushed, until we can draw our own weapons.”

Xavier grinned, balancing one of the knives on his hands, remarking cheekily, “Oh…how I wish it is some other pretty little thing in my hands! I won’t throw that away!” He moved quickly away to his own firing point before Valena could shoot back a retort.

Ky’Thand knelt and took a careful bead on the first goblin from behind his screening bush he had made use of. “On the count of three Valena. One, Two Three.”

The arrows flew straight and true. All four pierced into their target with deadly precision, straight into the chest. Both the goblins shot at by Ky’Thand stirred and groaned, while one of Valena’s target lay still on the ground, the other one also stirring. One of the goblins not hit seemed to be waking up in a stupor.

Another four arrows sped on to their targets, fired from their hidden positions. The second arrow from Ky’Thand upon each of his original two targets produced a few convulsions from the creatures before they lay still. Valena’s arrows, meanwhile, had struck one of the creatures a second time, and the goblin that had just woken up straight through the head. Both collapsed.

By now, big pools of smelly greenish blood had started to form. But the last one had sat up straight amidst the killing. Looking at the carnage about it, it uttered a loud grunt of terror and rolled away from its fallen comrades. None of the other five goblins, blood spurting out from the arrows in them, made any motion.

“Damn! I didn’t want them all dead! Ky’, is there something you can do to silence the goblin, or keep it from fleeing before we have to kill it? We need more information…” Valena spoke out to Ky’Thand.

Ky’Thand cursed and said, “Take it out before it summons aid.” Ky’Thand fired again to kill. Valena took aim at the goblin, and let loose another volley of arrows.

The creature was fast, and jumped into the bushes quickly. Ky’Thand’s bowsman instinct told him where to shoot, and an arrow flew into the bushes. The moving bushes probably indicated that he had missed, or else the shot was not debilitating. Valena, on the other hand, was somewhat better. Her skilful shot stopped the movement in the bushes. Valena was quite sure it was a killing shot, but there was nothing she could see from where she was.

Squatting on his haunches Ky’Thand muttered to himself, “Well that certainly didn’t go the way we wished completely.” Turning to Xavier, he said, “Go back to Hannibal and bring him to the edge of the glade here but in cover. Tell him to set up a kill zone in the glade for when the goblins and such come back. I will take Valena forward to further investigate with one of my spells. Now go time is of the essence.”

Xavier shrugged his shoulders and was about to move away when Valena stopped him, to say, “Xavier, tell Hannibal that it might be best to keep his fine steed further back, out of sight of the clearing, but not out of sight of him or Prothal. Goblins are known for ambushing ones such as us, and don’t care about mounts, other than for a good meal!”

Xavier could have, or he might not have heard Ky’Thand, but he definitely made a motion of attention (though somewhat exaggerated, probably deliberate) when Valena spoke. Nodding, he winked to her and blew her a kiss, before moving off into the undergrowth.

Ky’Thand turned to Valena again, as he said, “Valena relax, close your eyes otherwise it can be disorienting to watch your body fade from sight.” Before she could say anything, Ky’Thand had begun to weave a spell upon Valena.

Valena had seen a little magic from her teacher Vespin, and recalled some of his words: “Take heed of magic, for you do not control it, you simply ask it to do what you wish of it.”

She also knew that it was important that they were not spotted going through the foliage, and with a whisper, said, “Let’s do this right.”

Ky’Thand did the same for himself calling upon the forces that his skilful hands and quick mind had taught him – the powers that a woman he loved called upon at one time.

“Now don’t do any offensive action as it dispels the enchantment. Watch your steps as they still give away your presence along with foliage movement and stay away from things that smell well like dogs and wolves. If you get into trouble retreat back to Hannibal’s defensive line. Let’s go have a look ahead.”

Ky’Thand padded off ahead silently, to see what mischief the goblins were up to. Valena, a bit out of her element, tried to listen to where Ky’Thand was headed to, but it was next to impossible. There was not even a rustling of the leaves – so accomplished was he with silent tactical movement.

She then stepped into the clearing, her bow slung on one shoulder, and her short sword in her hand. Hopefully, she would not end up bumping into Ky’Thand, whom she could not see. Valena started scanning the ground before her, looking for any tracks and other signs of creatures passing through the area.

Ky’Thand began searching but stopped as he suddenly remembered something. Damn forgot the communication bit, he thought to himself.

A disembodied voice called out to its invisible listener, “Val use the following to get me or vice versa, all bird calls. Nightjar to return to our ambush point, Cuckoo to get the others to come to them, a Wolf howl if great danger and or discovered. Go it, till then happy hunting, I will stick mainly to the left side of the clearing and the dead goblins, you the right. That way we’ve got less chance of treading on ourselves.”

Valena heard the voice, louder than a whisper, but not loud enough to echo about the woods. But whoever was about the clearing would have heard the voice too. But at least she could guess from Ky’Thand’s voice, where he could be, and avoid having to bump into him.

Tracking a big group of creatures had always been something easy to Valena, and so far she had not met any goblins that attempted to hide their trails. Her eyes spotted the telltale signs of the steps on the forest floor, the broken branches, and the trampled grass. She was quite sure, however, that there were more than just six – there should be about ten of them that came in.

Ky’Thand resumed his stalking forward, stopping briefly at the six goblins to see if they were dead and already starting to stink. He first moved towards the five that were killed in the quick and efficient ambush. They were dead only a while, and while their bodies were not stinking from decay, the stench from their unbathed bodies and their blood did made things unbearable at close range.

Stepping into the forest to look for the final felled goblin, Ky’Thand became careful of the movements of the foliage around him, trying to disturb as little as possible so he would not be detected. Periodically he scanned the trees for lookouts, hoping the goblins were not as well organised as the cursed orcs from a few days before.

---

” There is quite a long time passed for a battle. What do you think? Should we move on? I don’t know but something might be wrong.” Prothal was getting worried at the fate of his friends.

Hannibal checked his daggers one more time as he vainly scanned the brush around the two warriors. “Well my friend, we can’t go barrelling in where our scouts have failed to report! The gods know I want to be in that clearing, but we must wait till we hear something or they return. If they are approaching stealthily, they may be about to capture some goblins. And we need information.”

Hannibal looked at Prothal’s weapons and reached down to draw a dagger from his boot. “Will your god allow you to use this in combat? Your sword and staff will be little use in this brush.” Hannibal offered Prothal one of his daggers.

Hannibal and Prothal then heard the sounds of stirring among the bushes. It was Xavier, moving back rapidly towards them. It was disconcerting how much visibility was reduced – they could only see glimpses of his figure among the trees only at about five yards distant. He still managed to carry a grin.

“Hannibal – we’ve just jumped a few of these fellows over at a clearing ahead. Ky’Thand and Valena wants to do some investigations of their own,” he shrugged as he said that, and continued, “But we will be stationed just outside the clearing, just in case there are more of them to jump us in return. Oh – and leave the horse here. We don’t want him making unnecessary noise do we? Just tie him up or something.”

He turned and prepared to move off. Looking back, he said with a grin, “Now this must be the easiest job ever – a messenger!”

Hannibal followed Xavier still leading Hamish. “The horse comes too, he won’t make much more noise than the two of us and he may be carrying what we need for later.”

Chapter 16: The Goblin Prisoners

 

Valena tried tracking where the other remaining members of most likely a goblin patrol could have gone. Ky’Thand tried to move into the forests without disturbing the foliage, but it was almost impossible. He was aware that the grasses were parting, and being treaded on as he moved. It did make him wish there were a spell he could weave that would prevent that.

The sounds of clanking metal, together with the whinnying of a horse, alerted him to the movements from the north. Valena heard it too. The cavalry must have arrived.

---

Hannibal, Prothal and Xavier soon arrived near the clearing. From their vantage point, they could see into the clearing – which would mean that if the position was correct, any within the clearing could see them too.

Everybody heard it together – a rustling of leaves, and sounds of creatures moving. Valena was in the process of tracking one set of the tracks to a tree, and was close enough to see one goblin jump down from one of the lower branches, into the grasses of the forest. But the disturbances were not just from that one tree – she was sure of that. Some more trees were being disturbed at the perimeter of the clearing as well.

Ky’Thand’s sharp hearing also heard the sounds of disturbances. He had reached the corpse of the goblin by then, however – and for a moment he was undecided as to what to do.

Hannibal, Prothal and Xavier were even luckier. They were close enough to actually have one goblin jump down from a tree, and turning to face them. For a moment it looked at them, hesitation and a sense of confusion registering on its face.

Hannibal struck at the goblin descending in front of him with his mailed fist. His wild swing must have smashed the nose of the creature, for it collapsed on the floor immediately. He turned his combat dagger to hit the creature with the pommel of the handle, if it got up again. Hoping he had stunned the creature, Hannibal then stepped over near it and looked around for other creatures descending from the trees.

Xavier, meanwhile, had taken a step or two away from the engagement and was watching intently the trees, and the clearing. He was holding on to Hamish, although the trained war-horse was not one to be easily frightened by a simple fight.

Valena knew that the goblin near her did not know she was there. I’ll take this one alive, she thought to herself.

With familiarity of herself and her belongings, she silently put her short sword away in her scabbard, and drew forth her dagger, tucked into her belt, instead. She quickly scanned the forest to see if she could see any other goblins nearby. She calls forth the sound of a cuckoo, hopefully alerting Ky’Thand to the goblins. By the time she had finished what she did, however, the goblin had taken off into the woods, to the east. It was obviously fleeing, but whether in fear or in wisdom, she could not tell.

---

Ky’Thand thought, Dammit the bloody goblins are in the trees.

Moving away silently from the dead goblins, about ten feet, he stopped and looked upward to discern exactly where the bulk of the goblin patrol was, and more importantly where its leader was, the larger goblin of the bunch. There seemed to be no more disturbances among the trees. Looking closely, it seemed that two of the largest of the goblins were among those still bleeding from their initial engagement.

Then, Ky’Thand searched with his eyes and ears for any witchdoctor type goblins. There seemed to be none of them, but his eyes spotted a glimpse of a goblin disappearing into the woods, to the Southwest.

---

Moving to the edge of the clearing, Hannibal sheathed his throwing dagger and took over the leash, leading Hamish into the clearing proper. “Prothal, move into the clearing, you can use your weapons there. Xavier, stay behind Prothal and me. Hopefully they will attack from my side.”

Hannibal could not see the scouts, but he heard the noise of movements within the clearing. Wondering what the scouts were doing, and hoping that they were all right, Hannibal moved to the northern edge of the clearing, while Prothal moved to the southern edge. Xavier dragged the unconscious goblin into the centre of the clearing, and held on to Hamish. We had to wait back in the woods to walk into an ambush! Hannibal though to himself as he prepared for what may come.

”My friend Hannibal I know that you’re eager for battle but don’t you think that if we get to the centre of the clearing, we will be in danger since any missiles can hit us and we’ll probably be surrounded? I think since we don’t know how many the enemy are we should first wait to learn what the scouts have learnt.” Prothal spoke up.

“We should move to the edge of the clearing so that we can run to their help. That’s what’s important. Not to kill but to save. I assure you that there’ll be a lot of fighting to satisfy the thirst of the warrior in you. But we have to be careful since the whole expedition is not about fighting goblins but preventing something worse.” Prothal looked at Hannibal with a sincere look in his eyes.

He moved towards the edge of the clearing looking up to the branches of the trees. ”Xavier, do you think you help us sharing your ears and eyes with us so that we don’t get surprised?” Xavier shrugged, still holding on to the horse. His sharp eyes scanned the forest constantly.

Hannibal looked to Prothal, “Well, in the woods they can sneak up on us from any direction and we can not wield our weapons to advantage. In the clearing they would need to reveal their position to fire on us and would only get one shot. We can use sword and shield.”

“Anyway it looks like they are running.” Hannibal ended with a shrug. He thought to himself that maybe with his group as bait enough goblins would stick around to give Ky’Thand and Valena a chance to capture some.

Hannibal called back to Xavier, “Check the goblin and see if he is alive. It may be the only prisoner we get to interrogate. Prothal and I will try to take whatever goblin comes out of the trees. There is some rope in my backpack to tie up the goblin.”

Xavier grinned and went to check on the goblin he dragged to the clearing, and said, “It looks alright to me. Out cold but all right. I will have to tie him up fast, before he wakes up, though!” He began to tie the creature up with the silken rope he took from Hannibal’s pack on the horse.

Hannibal looked over the clearing. He would have to move about and spend some time checking for the tracks. If he was not wrong, they should lead him to the source, and hopefully, some information on the size of the patrols as well. If the patrols were large, the nearby villages could be in peril.

Watching closely for possibilities of more goblins appearing, Hannibal began moving about the clearing, searching for clues of the goblins. There were indeed many marks of passage, many of which he was unable to decipher, but he persisted. His persistence paid off, and he began to understand a few things.

It looked like more than one patrol had been in the area. Apparently, this was a common resting area for the patrols. The most recent trails were made by a large group of goblins, about nine of them – the number that usually made up a goblin patrol. The tracks looked like they originated from the forests, to the south.

Watching for a second to make sure Xavier was tying up the goblin, and also aware that anything of monetary value was probably gone, Hannibal continued to study the tracks of the goblin’s heading south.

---

Damn! Valena thought to herself, and hesitated as she saw the goblin fleeing. Perhaps there are more hiding in the trees, or deeper into the forest.

Valena was torn with what to do next. Head back to the clearing, where Hannibal and Prothal were, or to pursue this goblin and determine where it was heading? Are there more than the ten or so I had first determined were in the area? She thought to herself.

With resolution and determination, Valena skirted the edge of the clearing, moving towards Ky’Thand’s area, but still keeping a watchful eye on the fleeing goblin. With a little luck, there should not be too many more around the immediate area – she hoped. She saw the rest moving in, and Hannibal combing the area, possibly looking for clues.

---

Ky’Thand did a Cuckoo sound, then chased after the goblin headed Southwest, doing his best to stay silent. He was only about five yards into the forests when he realised that the goblin was obviously running hard and fast, and he would have to run after it too to keep the goblin in sight.

---

Everybody in the clearing heard the sound of the Cuckoo, and Xavier looked around, then to Hannibal and Prothal. All three of them knew the familiar call that Ky’Thand liked to use, but only the movement of bushes to the south betrayed his presence. Valena, too, was nowhere to be seen.

---

Ky’Thand swore to himself as the goblin broke into a sprint. He matched the pace, not wishing the goblin to get away and alert others of the presence of invaders in the forest. With an invisible “something” chasing the goblin, Ky’Thand was sure it would wind quickly and his healthy constitution would allow him to overhaul the pesky runner. Shame this was not the back streets of the capital, or he would have used a few short cuts to further close in on his prey.

---

“Xavier, Prothal. Prepare to move out! Our mage friend is pursuing something in the general direction that the goblins went. We better follow to make sure he doesn’t stumble onto a whole lair of them alone!” Hannibal shouted out to the rest of his companions.

Hannibal sheathed his sword and stowed his shield on his back over the ebony blade and again drew his combat dagger. “Xavier put that goblin on Hamish and scout forward. You’re looking for traps this time, the two of us,” Hannibal indicated Prothal and himself, “won’t be sneaking up on anyone. Fortunately their beaten path will make it a bit easier going this time.”

Hannibal pointed out the path to Xavier, “Stay about 5 yards in front, if you lose the path wait for us and I’ll point you on.” But there was something interesting that gave him pause – the cuckoo was also to the south, but it seemed to come from a slight South-west direction. The path the most recent goblin tracks came from went on a direct south direction.

Xavier frowned as he listened to Hannibal’s direction, and said, “Hmm…are you sure you got the right place, Hannibal? The call comes elsewhere, and we better hurry – it sounds urgent. But someone has to look after Hamish and our captive, right?” Xavier gave a smile and continued, “And I cannot run and check for traps at the same time too! How about both of you go as fast as possible after the sound of the call?”

---

Valena could barely discern Ky’Thand’s cuckoo sound while she moved through the dense woodland, but once she caught sound of it, she quickly moved further into the woodland, about thirty yards inward, to support Ky’Thand in what she perceived should be another fleeing goblin. I should have killed the goblin while I had the chance, Valena thought to herself, I’ll make sure to finish the job if I can see it again.

---

It seems that everyone is going on his own way, Prothal thought to himself. Ky’Thand and Valena were nowhere to be found, and Hannibal and Xavier was moving south in pursuit. Somehow, he felt a little lost, and prayed for some insight from the Eternal One, to give him strength to face this somewhat chaotic situation.

“Oh Great One listen to your humble servant. In this hour I feel alone in a dead end. Please give me the strength to face this wall which is in front of me.”

---

Goblins have short legs – Ky’Thand could not help but conclude as he chased after the creature. The creature was fast and in its natural element, but Ky’Thand was faster. Within less than a hundred yards, the little creature was within reach of his invisible arm.

Pulling a throwing blade from his chest bandoleer, Ky’Thand did a trick he had used and practised much of his youth. With the pommel of the dagger, he whipped it over the back of the head in the sensitive area, this usually caused the victim to fall unconscious like a bag of turnips, falling to the ground almost instantly.

Striking at a moving target was very different from striking at a running target, however, and this was especially so when the attacker was himself running. Ky’Thand found himself misjudging the distance between the goblin and his weapon, and his swing fell short.

The familiar feeling of mana draining away from him came about. He did not even need to look at his own hand to know what happened – the mystical binding forces of magic had its own rules, and the weak illusion of invisibility he had woven upon himself had exceed its limit of power.

The goblin seemed to feel something was wrong too, for it suddenly jumped onto the ground, and rolled, before coming to a standing position just a few feet away from Ky’Thand. For a moment, it hesitated as it sized up its opponent. An unarmoured man, wielding only a dagger, and strapping a short bow to his back. Growling, it set its spear and advanced.

Ky’Thand was ready for it. Still gripping the weapon in his hand, he moved with the speed of a lightning, lashing out with its pommel. The action caught the goblin by surprise, and it backed up a little, its nose probably smashed by the attack. It trembled a little as it realised it was facing an opponent it had probably underestimated. It dropped its spear and turned to run away again.

Ky’Thand was not about to let his prey get away that easily. He swiftly brought his weapon down on its head again as it turned its back to him. This time, his sap struck true. The goblin collapsed silently without even a groan. A second ‘cuckoo’ was made to ensure his companions knew his position.

---

Valena heard the signal call by Ky’Thand, close to her position. She must have been moving in the right direction then. She continued and closed towards the source of the signal call. It was a pity one goblin got away. Hopefully, it would not cause too much damage.

---

Ky’Thand crouched down silently and listened to what was happening around him. Satisfied no goblins were nearby he searched the goblin to determine his social level in the goblin life. He could not be sure just how high up in the social ladder it was but it sure was no leader. The spear looked unremarkable, and it was dressed in leather armour. Nine pieces of silver were recovered from its body. Suddenly, his keen ears picked up the sound of moving bushes – somebody, something, was moving quickly towards his area!

---

Hannibal started down the southern path with determination. “I shall lead the horse, Xavier. I need you to scout, in the path where I direct you, for traps! We don’t need to run, just move so we can support Ky’Thand if needed. He is somewhere in this direction and we’ll have to assume that his course and ours will intersect. What we seek is SOUTH!”

Hannibal glared at Xavier knowing his friend was not a coward but also knowing that any show of weakness or indecision would be played upon to get out of work, dangerous or otherwise. Xavier grinned and passed the leash to Hannibal, and said, “Alright, alright! Hey – the professional is here, yes?”

As Xavier finally led off, Hannibal turned to Prothal. “My friend, you have been quiet since we have left civilisation at the road. We shall need your god’s assistance if we are to be successful in our endeavour.” Prothal seemed to be in some form of meditation, and Hannibal knew better to disturb him while he prayed to his god.

“Well, what are we waiting for? His god will look after him, yes?” Xavier called out impatiently to Hannibal. Nodding, Hannibal moved on, attempting to make the best time he could on the Goblin trail, hoping not to get too far behind Ky’Thand.

He heard the second ‘Cuckoo’ about less than a hundred yards in. He stopped to take his bearings to see how far away he was from the mage. He could not be sure but the sound sounded like it was fifty yards at most to the westerly direction. Looking around and only seeing dense woods he shook his head and then shouted, “We’re this way.” A flock of birds, probably disturbed by the loud noise, suddenly took flight and flew off into the skies.

Turning to Xavier, he said, “Now we wait till our scouts report in. Look sharp, there still may be a few goblins with a spine around.” Xavier nodded, and pointed towards the saddle of the horse, where the goblin tied up a while ago seemed to be stirring.

---

Warmth began to fill up in Prothal’s heart again as he realised what he could do at the present moment. “Grant me the power to speak with you wild servants, the ones that are called animals. Give me this in order to protect the whole of mankind and my friends from the evil that’s coming upon us. Give me the strength to carry on with my duty praising your goodness into every creature’s heart. To make them believe in you and to show them your greatness. May be your name and grace live in everyone’s heart.”

He turned towards the squirrel that he had spotted foraging up in the trees, and said in a friendly voice, “Greetings, little fellow! Are you hungry? Don’t be afraid of me. I’m your friend.”

The creature stopped what it was doing, then turned towards the friendly cleric, still munching on the nut it was holding in its small hands. It spoke out, its voice seemingly friendly, “Greetings, big two-legged one! Yes, me hungry, so eating now. You want crunchy food as well? I get for you?”

Prothal could not help smiling as he shook his head and continued, “Have you seen any group of ‘two-legged ones’ similar to me around?”

The squirrel answered as it picked up another nut and started munching again, “Similar to you? No, no big two-legged ones around. But many, many, small two-legged ones like…” Its eyes suddenly widened as it noticed the dead goblins all around it. Somehow, Prothal could sense the fear in its heart as it suddenly turned and ran off.

---

Ky’Thand bound the goblin with the copper wire from his robes, blindfolded and gagged it. Pocketing the nine pieces of silver, he murmured to himself, “Hardest nine silvers earned.”

Ky’Thand was not too worried about the noise coming from behind him – it should be one of his friends who responded to his call. He stayed low in the scrub while dealing with the goblin, keeping a lookout for the approaching person. The thick undergrowth parted as some invisible force pushed them aside. That should be her.

“Valena, keep a watch while I deal with this goblin.” Ky’Thand spoke out to her. He continued searching the goblin’s chest for ritual scars or tattoos, and finding none, he cursed and said, “Just a sentry.”

“Ky’Thand, this being invisible is dizzying. I’m not sure if we weren’t chasing the same goblin!” Valena spoke out.

She looked down at the felled goblin. “Nice work. There shouldn’t be too many more of the goblins in the immediate area. We should head back to the clearing. It sounds like Hannibal is getting restless!” She beamed a beautiful smile to the young man she had not known for that long, knowing full well that he could not see it. Perhaps she could let her distrust of the intelligent man wane somewhat, she thought to herself.

Valena made a final look around her immediate area, looking for any tracks out of place – especially goblin tracks. The vegetation around the area was thick, and it did not look like the place was well crossed by any animal at all. She looked back to Ky’Thand. The quiet enigmatic man shouldered the goblin and had to quickly put it down. Its weight, combined with the armour it was wearing, and all the gear Ky’Thand was wearing, was too much for him. The goblin had begun to stir by this time.

---

Hannibal was getting somewhat worried about Prothal. “Well, Xavier, you get your wish. Take Hamish and the goblin back to the clearing and guard Prothal. I don’t know exactly what he is doing, but go back there and watch him. I will wait here for Ky’Thand. I think I can surprise just about anyone if I’m not moving.” Hannibal finished without humour. Xavier nodded, gave a mock salute, and moved Hamish to rejoin Prothal.

The goblin snarled and started struggling as Xavier approached it. He simply ignored its struggles and led it back to the clearing.

As Xavier moved back to the clearing, Hannibal looked over the trail and found a suitable thicket to hide in. His many years in the military soon showed as he blended in with his surroundings quickly. With his preparations made, Hannibal lay in wait for what ever may come. Ten minutes passed by and nothing seemed to stir.

Chapter 17: Into the Goblin’s Hideout

 

” Come on small one, do not be afraid. You are my friend after all. I’m here to protect and believe me that’s what I will do. I would really like one of these nuts you eat if you have enough.” Prothal called out after the scampering creature.

For a moment everything was quiet as it disappeared into the leaves. There was a light rustle among the leaves, then slowly its head popped out, and it moved shyly out of hiding. It was carrying two nuts, and dropped one to the ground, before continuing to nibble on the other one.

“Many small two-legged ones like those there without life around. They come many times here to close eyes. Sometimes big four-legged ones come too. Big four-legged ones bad – chase us small four-legged ones many times. Sometimes even eat us when we have hot heads.” It continued to nibble on the nut, occasionally glancing at the dead goblins, as if they might come to life suddenly.

“Four-legged one have to go now. Big two-legged one good. Four-legged one tell you secret. Tree here has many good crunchy foods. Crunchy food cures hot head many times. Good crunchy foods. Going now!” The creature scampered off, leaving one of the nuts dropped on the floor, just in front of Prothal. He heard the sound of rustling behind him, and turned to see Xavier leading Hamish into the clearing – without Hannibal with him.

X X X

“Blast yer scurvy bones to the nine pits, yer one heavy bloody goblin,” Ky’Thand cursed. Ky’Thand smiled as the goblin stirred and said, “You were not expecting this yer bloody goblin scum.” It growled at Ky’Thand in return and tried struggling against the bonds but to no avail. Several loops of copper wire made for a strong binding.

Ky’Thand decided to gag it with its own clothing, with his belt holding the wad of cloth in place around its head.

“Ky’Thand, there may be more of them out there, and I don’t notice any tracks of any kind. It’s like the animals avoid this place as well. That has me worried. Let’s get back to the clearing and see what Hannibal and the others have discovered, if anything.” Valena called out to Ky’Thand.

Ky’Thand took out his dagger and rested it on the kidneys of the creature. Using this as an encouragement, he made the goblin move on back to the clearing, half prodding and half pushing it on the way. Valena tried covering up the tracks, but it took too much time, and Ky’Thand, not seeing her, had gone on ahead. She gave up and moved quickly to catch up with him.

X X X

Time seemed to go by slowly as Hannibal remained hidden on what he hoped would be the main thoroughfare for the goblins. It was a game he played all the time during his days as a scout. His eyes went slightly out of focus as he concentrated on listening to travel through the brush. Waiting in ambush as he had many times in the past, his mind wandered while his ears listened for anything out of the ordinary. His eyes looked, preparing to lock on any movements that were not the natural rhythmic swaying of foliage in the breeze.

Hannibal spent his time motionless, ignoring the occasional fly that landed on him. Good thing mosquitoes were not to be found up here in the north. He had quite unpleasant experiences with them at the Central Plains. Still, they were mild annoyances compared to the sudden death that might occur when his prey arrived. He thought back to the prophecy, the premonition that what he was looking for was south, and tried to think what following his heart really meant. It could not be as simple as racing to the desert home of his love, for his duty is to Frelandia and the men he commanded.

All he could do was wait, as his eyes tracked movement and his ears listened for discord in the forest.

X X X

Prothal turned towards Xavier and asked, “Where is Hannibal?’”

He shrugged and answered, “Well, our hero there is trying to make a name of himself trying to kill some imaginary goblins. Or least that is what I would think, having known him for so many years.” He smiled smugly to himself. Meanwhile the goblin, having woken, began to growl and struggle against the bonds.

Xavier looked up at it and gave it a tight slap across the cheek, agitating the creature further. He grinned wickedly and gave it another, even tighter, slap across the other cheek. He winked at it and said, “If you continue on trying to be a hero, you will get even harder slaps!” There was a dangerous edge to his voice.

As if it understood, it went silent but its eyes seemed to gleam with murderous intent. Not that it could do much in its state, nose still occasionally bleeding, and arms all tied up.

Prothal looked around and up to the trees, trying to determine what that was which cured hot heads. The trees looked unremarkable, being filled with leaves and nuts all about. Even the tree that the squirrel was on looked just like any other tree around the area.

”Have you seen any of the others? I think that this place is quite dangerous and we should move on as soon as possible” Prothal asked Xavier, who had now begun to taunt the goblin, tickling it on the ribs, and occasionally giving it insultingly light slaps on the cheeks. The goblin remained silent, occasionally gnashing its teeth in anger. He heard some more noise, and saw Ky’Thand entering the clearing, another goblin with him, all tied up with several windings of copper wiring. Moments later, the grass parted, as if some unseen creature was moving through it.

Upon reaching the clearing, Valena noticed that Hannibal was nowhere to be seen. She spied Xavier and Prothal towards the back edge of the clearing, but no Hannibal.

“Ky, do you see Hannibal?” The voice called out, and all within the clearing heard it clearly. For a moment Xavier looked a little startled, then he grinned and called out, “Hey, pretty, you don’t look nice without your face, you know! Why don’t you come out of hiding and show yourself!”

“Nope, I wonder what mischief the old warhorse is up to?” Ky’Thand ignored Xavier and answered Valena. He did a birdcall to call all together. For four times at thirty-second intervals he made the call so Hannibal could follow. Meanwhile he had pushed the goblin on the ground, still bound. Looking around the clearing, he muttered to himself, “Gotta check those trees further.”

“Xavier, you’re a scoundrel! And your manners are lacking almost as much as your charm! And wit! Still, it might be interesting to see if you can put your skill where your mouth is!” Valena could not resist a sounding retort.

Xavier grinned to himself and gave a hurt expression to nobody in particular as he muttered to himself, “Scoundrel? Me a scoundrel? Awhh…”

The birdcalls would have fooled anybody but the denizens of the woods, Valena noted. She then moved over to Xavier, Prothal, Hamish, and what appeared to be a bound goblin, obviously in anger at being teased and insulted by Xavier. Along the way she looked for tracks or other such signs, but she could not see anything with the cursory search she made. A more thorough one would be in order.

“Xavier, I’m going to take a better look at the tracks in the clearing. Do you know in which direction Hannibal headed in?” Valena called out to Xavier. He grinned and said, “Awhh…I wouldn’t know how to tell you, pretty, but he sure headed somewhere due south of here!”

X X X

Hannibal was disturbed from his vigil by the birdcall of Ky’Thand. Well at least what sounded like a turkey warble did not seem to belong in these woods. Hannibal did not move, just peered through the foliage at the trail. Well the goblins could follow as well as I, he thought to himself.

Hannibal waited in the foliage for another twenty minutes to see what moved about. They’ll be stewing in the clearing, but it will give Prothal time to pray for guidance, was the last thought Hannibal had before he went back into ambush mode.

Again the time passed by, and nothing appeared. He decided that he must have made a wrong judgement – this might not be a goblin thoroughfare after all. Or perhaps they might not be travelling so often through that route. The possibilities were too many to think of at this moment in time. He got up and moved back to the clearing.

The vegetation parted as he moved and soon he reached the clearing, where he saw Ky’Thand, Xavier and Prothal, but no signs of Valena. One goblin was on the floor before Ky’Thand, and the other was on Hamish, where he had last left it. The poor thing was being taunted by Xavier. Just like him to do such a thing. It had been so many years, and Xavier had not changed one bit.

“Valena still scouting? I see we have two to interrogate. Xavier, leave that one alone!” Hannibal barked out to his friend of many years. Xavier grinned and poked the goblin again on the ribs, saying to it, “Someone is here to save you! Just give me a chance and I will give you the tickling of your life!”

Ky’Thand grimaced when Hannibal finally arrived, “Signals are used for a purpose, disregarding them gets people killed. You deal with the goblin prisoners, once questioned I will set them free of their physical confines. If you need me I will be up there checking the trees where the goblins came down. Valena has an enchantment of invisibility upon her currently so don’t be scared of any disembodied voices.”

“Hannibal!” Valena spoke out from somewhere in the clearing, “You had me worried! Next time you decide to wander off, don’t leave by yourself!

“Oh, sorry. You can’t see me, can you? This invisibility does have its advantages, doesn’t it? I’ve been examining the tracks in the clearing while you were away. It will take some time to determine exactly what it is used for. I couldn’t locate any other tracks throughout the forest where I was. I didn’t even see any animal tracks. Very unusual. I have a bad feeling about this.” Valena continued her search for tracks.

Hannibal shook muscles slightly stiff from waiting and told the group, “Well, I waited up their path and it doesn’t appear that any others are coming that way. I had hoped to surprise the rest of the group.”

He shrugged as the he looked over the goblins. Moving to the first lying on the ground, he raised a hand and spoke, “Do you understand me? Where do you come from?” The goblin growled, its eyes burning with anger, but unable to touch Hannibal.

Ky’Thand climbed up the tree the goblin he captured had jumped down from, leaving his bow, quiver and small pack at the base. He looked through the branches, checking for platforms and goblin presence, any sign of supplies.

Unable to get an answer from the first goblin, Hannibal went to the one on Hamish and repeated his query. The goblin remained silent, not speaking. He then asked about the orc mage, “Orc with you? Mage? Where?” Again, there was no response.

“Well,” Hannibal spoke to rest of the group, noticing the movement of leaves as Ky’Thand continued to search at one of the trees, “I don’t know goblin so I guess we will need to take them into the village for interrogation. I suppose the villagers will hang them when they are through.” Hannibal closely watched the goblins while he was speaking to see if they understood what he was saying. It could be his imagination, but the eyes of the goblin on Hamish seemed to change expression a little when he spoke the word ‘village’.

Hannibal’s head snapped around as the one goblin seemed to pick up on the word ‘village’. Putting one hand on his combat dagger he asked, “Village? Where?” The goblin kept silent, anger and hatred in its eyes evident.

“Too bad they can’t help us out here. We could let them go if we get the information we need.” Hannibal continued, his hand still on the dagger.

Xavier retorted, “Hah! You are too optimistic! The village will hang them before anybody would get to interrogate them, and I don’t think they will listen to either the Major or the Brother even if you plead with them not to! You know goblins! Nobody trust them alive for long!”

And Xavier was right. The constant raids and attacks of the goblins and the orcs had made it near impossible to reconcile the humans with them, Prothal thought to himself. He remembered reading something in the records of Brother Joseph, The Legends. The goblins were created by the evil elder races to do their bidding. Many of the older, more experienced priests among the Order of the White Rings had agreed that these creatures, being tainted with the magic of evil, would never be able to turn from their evil ways.

“So did anyone else find anything interesting? It looks like we could take this path south and get to where ever the goblins came from.” Hannibal appeared eager to press on and the group realised that there were very few days left to avert the disasters that Prothal had foretold.

Ky’Thand could not find anything like supplies or platforms or whatever. The goblins must have used these trees as makeshift scouting platforms. The goblins hiding in the trees were probably on watch as the rest lazed away. They were probably sleeping though, Ky’Thand mused, for none of the goblins raised any alarm as Valena and he had approached the clearing – and the watchmen would have seen their movement near the clearing from their vantage points had they been more vigilant in their watch. He suddenly realised how close they were to being attacked in force, in the enemies’ home ground. It took just once lazy sentry to tip the scale to their favour.

Meanwhile, Valena had finished checking through the clearing. The tracks were easy to find, fresh in the forest grounds, they had come from south – where Hannibal had came from as well. Although some of Hannibal’s tracks had mixed in with the creatures’, she was still able to tell them apart, the result of her years of training under her mentor and teacher.

Valena moved further into the vegetation, out of the clearing. She was very sure it was a goblin patrol. They had moved in double file through the path, and two of the tracks seemed to occasionally move further ahead of the main group – typical scouting movements. She was also very sure this patrol had nine members. With six killed and two captured, it meant that one was not accounted for. She returned back to the clearing to report on her findings.

As Valena returned to the clearing and to her friends, she could not help but think of Vespin. Her long-time mentor, teacher, and friend would have told her that “all creatures of the forest are here for a purpose, even those that follow evil. You must remember to see things from all views, and not let what you feel cloud your judgement. You may miss something important.”

‘Important,’ Valena mumbled to herself as she approached Hannibal, who was threatening a bound goblin with a dagger. “Hannibal, you don’t need the blade to get the information you seek.” By then, Ky’Thand had climbed down from the trees.

Valena noticed the goblin look around quickly at the sound of her voice, a panicked look in its eyes. “It’s a scared creature, full of hate for humans. But that is not important right now.” She quickly looked around at each of her friends, even Xavier.

“I’ve checked out the trail to the south where Hannibal had came from earlier. It is definitely a trail used by goblin patrols. I noticed tracks for nine goblins, which is typical for a goblin patrol. We have two in custody, and six dead. One goblin is not accounted for. If that goblin has moved ahead of us south, it will alert its comrades. We can expect a confrontation, and possibly the town nearby being put into danger.”

“Ky’Thand, if you’re willing, I would like for the two of us to scout around the clearing one more time, looking for the goblin not accounted for. It may be hiding, hoping not to be discovered. Otherwise, I suggest we take these two to the village quickly, and prepare for an attack!”

Hannibal looked down at the hand that rested on his dagger, then back at the goblin. “Well, Valena,” He spoke to the air, “Either we prepare the town, or take the fight to the goblins. Why not advance down the trail and hit them today when they don’t have the advantage of darkness. It is only mid-noon, we should be able to get to them before they move out to attack this night.”

Hannibal looked over the small group, “With you invisible, we can make good time on their trail and still bypass or neutralise any sentries. Take another quick look around the clearing then we should move. Either south to the suspected goblin lair, or back to the village”

“I don’t like the idea of advancing southward without alerting Jameson’s Vineyard of the possible threat of a goblin attack first. I am here to protect the people and the forest first, before anything else. But,” Valena sighed outwardly, “we also would have the element of daylight to aid us against any goblin sentries we may come into contact with. Either way, with yourself, Prothal, and your magnificent mount making as much noise as you do throughout the forest, I don’t think that my being invisible will help in matters any. If there was only some way that we could silent our movements.”

We can move southward, and if we come into contact with the goblins before nightfall, we should take them. But there may be more than just goblins. They are known to ride large wolves in battle, and if what I’ve heard is true about the orcs and goblins being sided together, we may be in walking into more trouble than we can handle alone. The decision is yours to make.” Valena looked towards Hannibal, the leader who had often made countless decisions in the field of battle.

Hannibal finally nodded to Valena, “Well, Xavier could take the goblins and warning back to Jameson’s Vineyard. Standing up battle isn’t his expertise anyway.” Hannibal smiled at Xavier, who was grinning, probably in full acceptance of the idea. “The two goblins should lend credence to his warning and the villagers could gather expecting the worst tonight.”

Hannibal looked thoughtful for a moment. “Prothal, can your god silent our movements? Even if it is only centred on yourself as you pray, I can stay close enough to be effected. The others are able to move quietly on their own. This may be our best chance to protect the village. I believe we should attack during the day, not wait on the defensive. Even if only for a short time. Valena and Ky’Thand could scout ahead while we hang back, then when we are near; rush them in divine silence?”

Hannibal was slightly frustrated but not surprised that the goblins were not providing much information. He checked his armour and weapons and prepared to move south to confront whatever waited for them.

He looked to the sky and the goblins again and nodded. “Well unless any others have objections; I say we travel south with all speed. Xavier, take Hamish and the goblins into Jameson’s Vineyard and warn them of a possible goblin raid tonight. We’ll see what we can do about that.” Xavier nodded and went over to the fallen goblin, giving it a kick to make it rise up. With a snarl it did that. He held on to Hamish’s leash, and pointed his sword at the goblin, looking to the four companions.

Hannibal’s eyes flashed with the warrior instinct and the knowledge that if they did not find the goblins the village might be in dire straits. He turned to Prothal, who was quietly contemplating, and asked, “If Ky’Thand or Valena come back and tell us we are close to the goblins, will your god grant us silence so we can quickly move to engage?”

”I think that we should warn the village first before doing anything else like going further south. The village is in great danger and it wouldn’t be wise to leave them in ignorance. Those people need us and we must first secure the children and women before engaging in a battle with goblins into the forest, possibly during night time. I agree that we should be moving fast but we have to protect these people, that is what we’re here for. If while we tracking down these goblins other evil creatures may attack the village. I trust in His Grace that we’ll have time to warn the village and return to our task.” Prothal spoke up.

“Brother Prothal, if we go to warn the village we will be forced to stay and fight a goblin horde at night, with non-combatants everywhere. The village will have few that can effectively help and the four of us will be hard pressed to attack AND defend the others.

“Xavier can go to the village and warn them. The two goblin captives will lend weight to his story. REMEMBER your vision. Do you want to wait another day until we proceed south? An attack now will disrupt their plans. With your god’s help, we may even have a chance to surprise them and goblins fight much worse during the day.

“We go south to protect the mothers and children of Jameson’s Vineyard. Your god gave you your powers to use in defence of our homes, our people, and our honour. You will have to choose how and when you use them. I would ask you to remember the story of the miser who clutched his treasure so tightly that nothing else could be poured into his hands and what he had slipped through his fingers.”

With that Hannibal checked his shield and sword, took his backpack from Hamish and spoke to Xavier, “My friend, you must proceed to Jameson’s Vineyard with all haste. Warn the villagers and use the goblins as proof of your word. Live goblins will be more effective.” Hannibal’s eyes were hard with the realisation that the goblins would die shortly, but Xavier would attempt to at least get them to the village alive. As if understanding his unspoken words, Xavier nodded and began to retrace his steps up north.

Turning to the rest of the group, Hannibal continued, “We must head south to avert what we can, waiting another day only helps our enemies.”

Hannibal headed to the southern track and waited for Ky’Thand and Prothal to join him. While he could not see Valena, he was very sure she was somewhere near, ready to fight alongside them when necessary.

Seeing the resolve in the eyes of Hannibal, Valena also knew it was useless to argue with him over spending more time in the clearing. She turned and moved onwards through the clearing, slowing down and looking back occasionally to make sure Ky’Thand and the rest could follow her. She had to make sure he could see the movement of the bushes, the slight patter of her feet, or risk having the main party get lost.

Time seemed to move for an eternity as the thick forest made the going difficult. The heavy metal armour worn by the two warriors slowed them down, and many a times Ky’Thand had to alert Valena to that fact, getting her to slow down. And already Valena had considered her movement slow enough, with her following and interpreting the tracks.

Occasionally, the sun had a chance to break through the thick tree cover, and Hannibal made quick judgements. The sun was already dipping and a hint of the beautiful colours of dusk had already began to show, when Valena heard something that made her froze. Seeing the movements ahead of him stop, Ky’Thand also stopped and listened, looking back to motion the other two to stop as well so they could hear.

Along the journey, Hannibal could not help but think about his friend Prothal again. He had changed so much ever since the last battle, when men lay dying in his arms. He seemed more quiet, more reluctant to speak, and…for once Hannibal really could not make out of what had happened to a man he had called a friend, whom he had fought alongside for months against the orcs that threatened the travellers in the region.

When they had stopped upon Ky’Thand’s signal, Hannibal and Prothal had taken a quick look at their surroundings. They were surrounded by the same featureless forest that seemed to be everywhere. It was frustrating – nothing could be seen except trees and vegetation. If not for the expert guidance of Valena, they could easily get lost. And Hannibal suddenly remembered Xavier. He had no guide on his way back to Jameson’s Vineyard.

Valena was very sure she heard a bird call very near to where they were. While birds were not unusual in the forest, she had a feeling something was wrong. Then Ky’Thand and the rest heard it too. Not just a bird call, but a series of bird calls echoed through the forest. It was most definitely a signal!

Chapter 18: Discovered!

 

At the call of the birds, and the sense that it was a signal, Hannibal readied his daggers and whispered urgently to Ky’Thand and Prothal. “Well, they know we’re here now. Let’s move with haste and hope when can reach their village and open terrain before they can converge!”

Hannibal thought of Xavier, that man was smart. A few hundred yards following the crushed path of Prothal, myself and Hamish and he would be back on the road. He could make the village in no time then. Though he would probably kill the goblin that was on foot. But that could not be helped, Hannibal shrugged to himself.

Valena cursed under her breath at the sheer number of bird calls. And she knew that she did not have the time to determine just how many were out in the forest.

She looked behind her, noting that Ky’Thand had already had the companions stop, intently listening as well by his appearance. She could see Ky’Thand and the others start approaching her position at a quickened pace. With the foliage being as thick as it was, it would be difficult for her to use her bow. She instinctively drew forth her short sword, and pressed ahead of the others, and moving slightly from the tracks, to the left, to see if she could see any clearings or breaks in the trees ahead. Only trees and thick foliage greeted her sight.

Ky’Thand swore to himself the goblins had them in an ambush rather than the opposite, the lone goblin must have alerted the main force. Looking into the trees around him, he tried to quickly determine which one he would use as his base for when the attack came. Finding one near to him, he quietly climbed it. With his nimble fingers, he quickly scaled the trees. It was all child’s play to him.

The trees around him made it difficult for him to see much. He just might be able to see more of the forest around him, whether there were clearings nearby, if he climbed to the top. This tree was tall – perhaps extending for another five to ten more feet. But the leaves obstructing him would also mean that he could not support any actions down below.

Prothal wonders how they were noticed so quickly. It was sure different fighting them in their natural element. But this was daylight, and goblins generally could not see well with the sun in their eyes. How could they have been spotted so quickly? He glanced at Hannibal and prayed to the Eternal One to let them be winners to one more fight.

Valena looked back at her companions. She could see Ky’Thand climbing up a nearby tree. Perhaps I should do the same, she thought to herself. With that, Valena put her short sword in its scabbard, and began to climb a tree on the opposite side of the one that Ky’Thand had climbed up on. She was wondering why Prothal was staying so far behind Hannibal.

Hannibal continuing to charge forward stopped when he happened to glance back and saw Ky’Thand scurry up a tree – and the motion that had indicated Valena had stopped as well. Looking back to Prothal, Hannibal shouted. “Move or we both die!”

Prothal, having finished his prayer, moved next to Hannibal. Now Hannibal was in a bind. If Valena had stopped, as he believed she had, he would risk getting lost if he tried to follow an indeterminate track. And if he were to try tracing the tracks by himself, it would take some time. And time was not with him, now that he suspected they were spotted.

Looking through the dense underbrush, he hoped Ky’Thand up in the trees realised the futility of trying to shoot an arrow through branches, scrub growth, and leaves. The shooting range was so much reduced it would probably only hit targets a feet away from the base of the tree. It would more likely simply indicate where they were than anything else. Hannibal’s only consolation was that the goblins would not be throwing many missiles at him either.

Valena was climbing perhaps the first fifteen or twenty feet when she stopped, sensing something just up ahead. She was right, it was a goblin, hiding itself such that Ky’Thand, disappearing into the leaves on the tree opposite, could not see it. So this was the vigilant sentry that alerted the rest. It looked like this encounter was going to be different from the one at the clearing the patrol had rested.

The goblin obviously knew it was overmatched in its present situation. Valena spotted a simple bronze mace hanging by a loop on its belt. A shortbow was readied, with an arrow notched. The goblin looked very tense. From where Valena was, it would take another one or two steps of climbing to move to the branch the goblin was at. Suddenly she was glad of her invisibility – the goblin obviously did not even realise she was there, its attention fixed mainly on the tree opposite and the two armoured warriors below.

With determination in her eye, Valena silently moved along the tree. She knew that if she stepped too hard on the branch the goblin was on, it would notice. And, to make matters worse, the goblin most likely had a comrade somewhere further in the treetops watching its back.

Hannibal was a fool to have us fight these goblins in the heavy woodland, she thought to herself. Still…

Valena stepped softly to the branch the goblin was on, and watched it for any quick movement. She silently drew a dagger from her waist belt. As luck would have it, her sleeve caught on to a small branch she had not noticed before, and the resulting rustle had the goblin turn around. Valena could see the quick and cautious twitches of its eyes as it tried to determine if an enemy was nearby, in hiding.

She could not believe she was so close to the creature – they were virtually an arm’s length apart – and she was sure she saw fear in its eyes. Fear mixed with hatred. She could also hear the sounds of Hannibal and Prothal moving through the undergrowth, the steel pieces of their armour clashing against each other.

---

Hannibal realised the danger but decided that leaving Valena and Ky’Thand behind while drawing the goblins to chase Prothal and himself might be the best course. He believed that the goblins would not have pickets out too far from their main encampment in such dense growth, and also remembered that the goblins’ main form of attack was an overwhelming wave. With all these in mind, Hannibal decided to take the fight to the goblin encampment.

He spent a moment to fix the direction of the birdcalls. They had stopped, but the cries seemed to have echoed from all directions – it was difficult to tell their origin. Hannibal decided to rely on his innate sense of direction to keep him moving in a southerly direction. With no attempt to mask his movement, he called to Prothal. “Stay close, if we reach a clearing we can fight with our paired swords. Goblins are fearful creatures, and the light may be enough to slow them down. The TWO OF US are in grave danger.”

Ky’Thand heard and saw Hannibal move to the base of the tree and called out for Prothal. Well if the goblins did not know where we were, now they do, Ky’Thand thought.

His shortbow ready Ky’Thand scanned the surrounding vegetation, looking along the tree boughs and how they intertwined made Ky’Thand smile. He moved along the bough then jumped lightly to the next. Almost as good as the thieves’ highway back home. Using Hannibal’s noise as a cover Ky’Thand moved above him looking for goblin sentries. He would have to depend on the noise the two armoured warriors were making to follow them. Hopefully that would not result in any of them getting lost. Just where was that Valena?

Hannibal hoped that the goblins would think that only the two of them were in their domain. Strapping his shield securely to his back, Hannibal took two daggers and proceeded with his best speed towards the south.

Hannibal moved with purpose away from the trees holding Ky’Thand, with hopes that he would be able to follow shortly. He could not be sure where Valena was, but he believed she would have the sense to follow him. As he moved, Hannibal relied on his hearing for the approaching goblins and used his eyes to carefully watch the way ahead for pits, snares, or other traps (including an ambush) that the goblins might have prepared around their homes.

In an effort to foil those traps, Hannibal decided not to take any obvious path or open areas while he was moving. Not that there were any in the dense forest more like a jungle than any other area. He stayed very close to any large trees he passed, in the hopes that snares and nets could not be effective that close to the trunk. While he never thought it at that time, all those ambushes of his patrols on the roads might actually pay off as he made his way forward, Prothal following.

Ky’Thand tried to follow as best as he could – while the movement along the branches was not as fast as he could move below (having to be more careful), he could more than keep up with the two men of steel below, judging by all the noise they were making. He tried being more careful with his movements, to conceal himself, but the noise trailing away notified him to the fact that he was slowing himself too much. He decided to abandon that idea, but to speed up his movement along the trees to catch up.

He nearly lost his footing once on the branch he was in, but his quick reflexes enabled him to hold on to a branch. Anyone looking would have seen the sudden violent movement on the trees. Nothing much to it anyway – his movement through the trees would disturb the foliage enough for most observers to notice. If they look up, he thought to himself.

The two must have travelled many tens of yards before Prothal felt something strange, and he stopped Hannibal. Stooping down, he brushed away the grass. Hidden neatly within, was a snap-trap, the types used to catch small prey, or – more likely in this case – the legs of a larger prey. If they had moved any faster, one of them would have been the victim of such a device.

Hannibal frowned as he realised something. The trap was made of steel, and the tribes of goblins hidden within the forests should not have the ability to smelt anything like that. The metallic weapons he had encountered them using were bronze. Not that he was an expert in goblin sociology anyway, but it did seem a little strange to him. But there was no time to think of this – for something was amiss. He stood up.

Ky’Thand lay still, for he saw them too amidst a sudden parting of foliage. If only the leaves were less thick, he would be able to see them coming from afar. As it was, the engagement distance was already fixed, and he could not warn his two friends below even if he wanted to.

Coming at them from down south, spread out in rough line, were their enemy. Five goblins riding on what looked like huge nasty wolves, saliva still dripping from the fangs, their tongue lolling in anticipation of the fight.

Hannibal quickly made an assessment of the threat facing him. They wore leather armour, and four of them brandished spears. Hannibal could assess straight away that they could not charge with that weapon in the space they had to fight, but spears were some of the best weapons to use. Another, with markings on his armour different from the rest, wielded a small mace.

The goblins were obviously not expecting to encounter them so soon, and obviously had no idea of Hannibal’s position, or they would have come at them from all directions – the standard goblin ambush tactic. Even though their eyes were squinting from the sunlight coming at them, Hannibal could tell that they were ready for a fight.

Hannibal stood near the snap trap as the goblin riders came into view. Realising that combat would be momentarily joined where the pair was at Hannibal looked around. While sword and shield can be used effectively, the environment would cause both of them, to some extent, to fight separately.

“’Ware the trap.” Hannibal called to Prothal as he dropped his throwing dagger on it to trigger it. While he thought that manoeuvring the wolves onto the trap would be elegant, in the chaos of combat, he and Prothal might step into it as well. Taking up a position near the trap, Hannibal unlimbered his shield and drew his sword after sheathing his combat dagger. That was all he could do as the wolves attacked, spurred on by the goblins.

“I shouldn’t need the power of the black blade yet,” he shouted to Prothal. “I have a feeling that its surprise may be needed later. Let’s take this without your magic. If we can kill them in a few minutes, we may still reach their camp before they are ready…and before others find us.”

”Lead the way Hannibal and may Great One be with us.” The words of the priest rang through the forest, as confident as he had been back when he fought shoulder to shoulder with Hannibal against the orcs at the Great Lake.

Hannibal turned to meet the approaching Goblins. He noticed that the one with the markings different was not attacking but staying some way off – it seemed to be the commander. One of the wolves was fast, and went for him before he could get his shield or his sword ready. His raised his right hand instinctively to ward off the blow – smashing into the wolf’s face as he did so.

Another wolf went for him. They were fast! Hannibal thought as he prepared to bring his shield up to ward against the attack as he readied his sword. His footing was solid and his shield ready to protect. And indeed he stood his ground, as the wolf recoiled from smashing into his shield.

Prothal, too, was swamped by two wolves that attacked. The first he side-stepped easily, giving it a kick on the ribs as it went by. The other glanced off the protective plates of steel that guarded his flank, ensuring that only a jarring sound of bone meeting metal was heard. He returned the favour with Lightbringer – only to have his blow parried off by the spear carried by the goblin.

Fitting an arrow to his shortbow, Ky’Thand aimed for the middle wolf hoping to cause their ranks to be broken up. Where to aim…head, too thick, shoulder, yes the shoulder and lung area. The calculative thoughts of a cold mind sprung into action.

Changing his aim slightly Ky’Thand let loose the arrow, quickly drawing a second, aiming for the same wolf. As if some evil was against him, an insect landed on his fingers, causing him to lose his focus. The two arrows thudded next to the wolf.

Hannibal was slightly surprised to see arrows streaking out but assumed either Ky’Thand or Valena was above him. Smiling he called out to his cover, “Attack the riders, the wolves won’t retreat.” Hannibal quickly ducked as one spear point poked over his head, and brought up his shield to parry off another spear from his left flank. He noticed Prothal also parrying off the attacks of the two goblin riders with his holy weapon.

---

Valena struck the goblin square in the chest with her dagger, going for a more direct approach. The goblin’s eyes widened as Valena suddenly appeared out of thin air, her dagger buried to the hilt into it. It was not even able to make a single gasp, and fell down with a thud to the ground below. She could only hope that it die swiftly.

Valena quickly climbed down the tree, dropping down the last 10 feet or so into the underbrush below. She drew her short sword and moved south as quickly as she could, trying to get her bearings from the noise the two steel-clad warriors were making. With the kind of noise they made, anybody would have heard them. So much for stealth. Then she heard it – the sound of battle close by, and the shoutings of Hannibal! An attack! Valena quickened her steps.

---

Hannibal now aimed at clearing the goblins from the wolves. But the wolves were fast, and even catching them was difficult, much more the goblins. The first wolf snarled and went for him on his right flank – a slash of his sword forced to turn off to prevent its hide from being stripped. The other wolf again went for him, but he had seen it. He quickly ducked under the wolf as it sailed over him. From seeming out of nowhere, a spear poked at him, but his armour held. The iron man seemed almost unassailable.

Prothal too faced another fast one. His swift movement must have confused it, for it bit only air, its motions carrying it far away from him. One goblin took the opportunity to strike from the safety of its mount – its spear also went wide. Prothal smashed at it with his weapon, and he felt it struck something, but there were no blood drawn. The familiar fog of war was beginning to cloud the battlefield again.

Somehow the fog of war had brought Hannibal next to the commander of the goblin patrol, as it prepared to jump off its mount to seek refuge in the bushes. He could see the wide-open eyes of the goblin as his sword cut into its armour, releasing a huge gash of greenish blood. He raised his next blow to finish it off, but as fate would have it, the wolf jostled him a little, and his blade struck only its armour, cutting a chunk of it off. The goblin quickly jumped into the bushes.

Hannibal was about to pursue when he felt his warrior’s sense telling him to turn. His blocked the spear that was aiming for him, causing him to reel a little off balance into the bushes. He turned and stood face to face with the goblin leader. He could see the fear in its eyes as it bravely tried to attack him. A side-step, and a quick move was all he needed. The sword plunged deeply into the goblin, penetrating the armour, and exiting the other side of the goblin.

There was no time to ponder over anything else. Hannibal quickly pulled out the weapon and wheeled to face his attacker. With a swift stroke, he quickly took the rider out from its mount, a huge gash showing on its armour as it fell to the ground, bleeding the green blood that Hannibal was so used to seeing.

Hannibal glanced at his side, and saw another wolf charging at him. He did a quick side-step, and went for the rider again. The rider, however, seemed to be very aware of his trick, and its spear blocked off his blade. For a moment its eyes seemed to gleam with battle-lust, as it sought to claim a prize in Hannibal’s head.

Two spear points went for Prothal on two sides. Indeed the goblins were trying to surround him, but his constant movements made it difficult for them to achieve that. One spear went wide, striking a tree next to him. The other was parried by his shield. The sheer weight of the mount truly gave the goblins an advantage. But they were fighting seasoned warriors. This was going to be one fight Prothal and his friends would win.

The constant insects landing on him made the aiming extremely difficult, and Ky’Thand found his arrow missing the mark again. He quickly aimed and fired again, and again the arrow thudded on the ground next to the goblin. He had never been so unlucky before in his shots.

Valena must have reached the battle-site, judging by the sounds. She parted the bushes a little, and saw the battle going on. Hannibal seemed to be squaring off against three wolves, two of them riderless, even as he emerged from some bushes back into the battlefield. Prothal was faced with two wolves, both with riders, attacking him from two sides.

She could see her friends engaged with these goblins, and the large wolves she knew they would be riding. Now that she had a chance to see more than their prints, she recognised the wolves. Worgs, bred by goblins especially for their intelligence and aggressive natures. She should have guessed as much. They were each as good as, if not better, than a trained war-horse in the hands of the goblins. She drew forth her long sword, noting how light it felt in her hand, and charged into the melee, two weapons in hand, to aid Prothal.

Smiling grimly as the combat continued, Hannibal saw that two goblins were down and the wolves were still attacking. Green goblin blood dripped from his sword as bits of wolf fur and saliva fell from his shield and armour, where the wolves had attempted to breach his defences.

Giving the enemy no chance to regroup, Hannibal moved to engage the wolf with the goblin still riding. His warrior reflexes pricked at him, however, and he turned to face a wolf sneaking up on him. The attack glanced off his armour harmlessly. He turned again as the wolf, its rider egging it on, assailed him. He easily ducked the clumsy blow, and his shield blocked off the spear thrust that followed.

As the wolf passed, Hannibal tried to repeat the same stroke that he used on the other goblins that were mounted. Unfortunately, an inopportune charge from his right from another wolf took him off balance, and he took a step or two to regain his balance – there were scratches on his armour, but the attack had not penetrated. His weapon went wild, connecting with nothing but the thin air.

Ky’Thand cursed fluently while missing each time. Stopping he squashed the couple of flying bugs which plagued him, moved slightly so he was above the melee and aimed at the goblins, then fired. Without the distraction from the insects, his arrow flew true this type, but struck a riderless wolf instead, which growled a little. Another arrow flew, and struck it on its shoulder. Now it growled and began to look around for its unseen enemy. It barked a few times.

Prothal, seeing the goblins were trying to surround him, decided to break their move. HeHeHH charged with the shield at one of the riders trying to knock him down in order to gain some time in fighting the other. His tactic seemed to have worked, for the wolf’s bite connected with nothing except his shield, and retreated a little. ”May Great One help me!” Prothal shouted as he attacked with his blade, forged in the days of old. Lightbringer smashed through the armour of the goblin with impunity, and big gushes of blood oozed out of the injured goblin. It fought to hang on, and managed to. Its spear went flailing wildly, and it was nothing to a trained warrior like Prothal to avoid such a blow.

As Valena sprang into battle, her goblin opponent turned its mount to face Valena, away from Prothal momentarily. It had no chance at all, and Valena’s blow dropped it from its mount, a huge gash across its bony chest. The wolf jumped back as her short sword struck the air where it was. Valena could almost see the intelligence in its eyes as it regarded its new foe. Its clumsy few bites were easily avoided by Valena. She could just feel it within her. The wolf was testing its opponent.

Hannibal took a quick look over the battlefield to see if other creatures were arriving. As the commander of the friends, it was his job to sound the retreat or advance if too many creatures prepared to engage. There was none that he could see, but he noticed one of the goblins jump off its wolf and disappeared into the bushes. The wolf had stood blocking off any advance towards its rider, its eyes regarding Hannibal carefully. These were tactics he had never encountered goblins using, much less a wolf. Hannibal had never fought with a goblin wolf patrol before. If there were more of these assailing his area of responsibility, his troops could be in for a big surprise.

Valena moved with the speed of a wolf itself, catching it quickly with her faster blade, the short sword she was carrying on her off-hand. The wolf yelped in a pain as a gash appeared across its leg, and it began to limp a little. She pressed her attack, and was suddenly sprung upon by a wolf that could jump! It was a trick to lower her guard!

Sharp pain raced through her as she felt the grip upon her left arm, seemingly crushing her bones, and the weight of the wolf as it pinned her to the ground. But her mind was still clear, as she calmly reversed the grip on her other sword, and plunged it deep into the side of the wolf. The warmth of the blood from the creature seemed to mix with hers, and the creature slumped to the ground. Valena quickly pulled out her weapon and stood up. There were ugly gashes on her left arm, and it hurt just to hold her weapon.

Prothal pressed his attack relentlessly, and Lightbringer smashed into the goblin’s skull as it released its grip on its mount, presumably to jump off. The result was a goblin that went sailing a few feet before connecting painfully with a tree. It would need a miracle to survive this one, and Prothal was sure the Eternal One would not be granting any to this creature.

Hannibal could not spare the luxury of thinking about his troops at this moment. He was being assailed on three sides! Twisting to make sure he got as many angles covered as possible, he braced himself for the attack to come. His skill with the shield came in useful, and he felt strongly the impact of the wolves upon his shield. Then he felt strongly the pain from something sharp across his back. He gritted his teeth and blocked out the pain from his head as he turned to face his assailant.

Ky’Thand saw the wolves converging but he was too late. Quickly he let loose an arrow on his target. The third arrow that embedded itself must have hurt, for the wolf howled! It probably also saved Hannibal from a nastier bite, for it caused the wolf to let go instead of holding on. He quickly nocked another and released, and his heart jumped as he realised he released the arrow a little too low. But as luck would have it, he struck another wolf instead. His hands quickly went through his quiver – he probably had little more than half a dozen arrows left.

Chapter 19: The Goblin Fortress

 

In the cloud of haze that followed, Hannibal tried hacking at the wolf that attacked him. Hannibal gritted his teeth as the swing missed its target completely. The wolf seemed to shift a little as his vision clouded, and his second swing smashed into the tree behind it instead. He turned and tried to get his bearings, tried to focus, tried to ignore the chaffing of the padding against his open wound.

Prothal turned to face the riderless wolf, enraged at having lost its master. He raised his shield as it approached, expecting it to jump at him, but instead it ducked and snapped at his leg! Again, Prothal felt that same familiar feeling he had when he was struck by the arrow. He swung his sword at it again, but it had by then released its grip and jumped back, away from the reach of the weapon. Prothal could not believe his eyes. The wolves were fast, and they fought with a cunning unlike the other wild animals he had encountered.

---

Ky’Thand, seeing one goblin run for it, decided to follow it briefly, hopefully getting a shot at it. Darting from limb to limb, he tried to spot the goblin, moving in the direction he last saw it go. All the time Ky’Thand wished he was helping his companions, but he knew if this darn goblin got away, reinforcements would certainly overrun them. Now all he needed was for the goblin to break cover so he could spot it – all the moving grass looked alike to him from his tree cover, and the evening winds blowing in were not making it any better for him.

---

Looking around her, Valena quickly, though painfully, moved to engage a wolf attacking Hannibal. She could not be sure where Ky’Thand was, but knew he was nearby due to a few arrows protruding from some of the worgs. She moved to engage, and the big wolf moved to face her, its big eyes regarding her intently.

It snarled and closed the short distance between them, its eyes full of battle-fury. Valena was prepared for its attack, but not for its intensity. It seemed to ignore Valena’s blades as they brushed by its coat, and again she felt a hit home upon her flank, and the warm gush of blood and pain that told her a wound had been opened.

But the wolf would pay for its attack. Both of her blades sank into the wolf as it brushed past her, and she could feel the shudder of the creature as its life slowly drained out, together with its blood. The battle-fury died from its eyes, and it slumped to the ground. It should never have rushed her. Valena quickly pull out her blades and look around.

Hannibal shrugged off the wound to his back and continued attacking the wolves before him. He had suffered wounds more grievous than that in his course of duty. Indeed his men had always wondered how he took it all. Realising the wolves luck could not hold out forever, he continued the attack. This time, however, he noticed that one of the wolves had just been killed by Valena. She had entered the fray at last.

He turned to face the two wolves as they circled to try for a good attack position. He had to be prepared for their speed – they were really fast. From his left, he caught the movement, and he easily side-stepped the attack, and even gave the creature a kick in its ribs that caused it to retreat to one side, possibly stunned. He pressed the attack quickly, and his sword hacked off part of the creature’s neck, and it slumped to the ground – possibly finished off.

He turned and smashed his shield upon the nose of the other wolf that tried to sneak up on him from the other side. By now, he was used to the tactics these wolves normally employed. The creature yelped in pain and retreated, growling. Valena moved over and stood by his side, and Hannibal could see the blood flowing freely from her left arm, and from her side. She looked quite badly wounded.

Prothal turned to look at the wolf that had just wounded him, as they circled each other, trying to get an advantage. Prothal was surprised a wolf of such blood-thirstiness existed. He should not be – anything associated with the goblins should of necessity be evil.

”Oh Great One forgive this child of yours for he chose the dark side of this world,” was the silent prayer Prothal made as both their eyes locked into each other. The wolf attacked the same time Prothal raised his holy weapon to strike. Prothal could feel the viciousness of the attack as its teeth sank into a joint in his armour, upon his shield arm. The pain was unbearable, and if not for his blade cutting into the wolf’s flank, the creature would have held on.

The wolf jumped a short distance away and circled. Both of them faced each other again, blood flowing freely from the wounds they had inflicted on each other. Prothal could swear the creature’s eyes seemed to have a kind of respect given only to enemies that could hold his own.

As if they knew each other’s thoughts, the two wolves suddenly turned and fled. Hannibal was ready for such a move, and his blade quickly caught it, giving a nasty gash to its hind. Valena, too, smashed at it with her sword, and it slumped to the ground.

Prothal, however, was caught a little by surprise by its move. His sword did cut into the creature, but it was not enough to kill it, and it darted in between the trees, before disappearing into the underbrush, off to the south-east.

---

Ky’Thand could not be sure how long he must have travelled through the trees, but it sure was a lot faster than travelling through the underbrush. He was quite sure that goblins should not be able to move that fast through the underbrush – in fact, he suspected he might actually have gone on ahead of the goblin. Judging from his internal time-clock, quite a few minutes must have passed by. He should begin to back-track, or he would risk getting lost.

The sounds of battle seemed to have stopped for some time. Perhaps his companions have finished off the patrol. It seemed quite impossible for the patrol to have bested his companions, and indeed it would be a dark day for him if that was true. He was about to turn back when something seemed to prick at him. His instincts seemed to be telling him something. On a hunch, he decided to press on south, to the next tree, to see what lay beyond.

He found himself trying to catch his breath. Crumbling walls of a majestic ruin lay before his eyes, as a huge clearing fell before him. He must be at one of the perimeter trees. The walls have fallen in many parts, but they extend very much higher beyond even his vantage point – and he estimated that he must have been about twenty feet or more up, with the tree-top extending above him another couple of feet. The walls could have been at least fifty feet tall!

He observed carefully again – many parts of the compound perimeter were not protected by the walls, as they have crumbled into pieces in many places. Goblins were milling all over the compound, which he estimated to be at least fifty hundred feet square. He was quite sure they had been alerted to their presence, for many of the goblins were ready, taking up shooting positions from behind the cover of huge piles of stone rubble. With the bird-call he had heard, and the sound of fighting that travelled for hundreds of yards, any fool would have known their presence was compromised.

He tried counting the number of goblins. There were easily a hundred of them milling about the compound. His keen eyes saw what looked like a series of steps leading underground, in the centre of the compound. More goblins were streaming from there, preparing for defence. There were also about three sets of five wolves, with their riders. He bit his lips as he saw one set of them moving out, from what looked like gate made out of sharpened stakes, over in southern part of the compound, about two hundred feet from his observation point.

Then he saw them – one goblin, wearing a colourful set of chain-mail armour, and another, next to him, with an elaborate head-dress, coming out of the series of steps in the centre. They were flanked by six big, strong and muscular goblins easily towering over any of the rest. The one with the chain-mail armour barked commands to the rest, as the other watched intently without making a sound. He must have spotted the leaders of the camp.

---

Hannibal quickly sheathed his gore-encrusted blade and grabbed a fallen goblin spear before dashing into the woods in pursuit of the wolf.

“Have Prothal take care of you then follow!” Hannibal shouted to Valena. As he disappeared into the woods, he could be heard calling, “And find that bronze mace.”

Hannibal was hoping the wolf’s wound slowed it enough to catch, but he would be disappointed. Barely a minute in the pursuit, Hannibal knew his prey had got away – he could not even hear the rustlings of the grass. It must have been at least twice as fast, and perhaps even more agile. And, somehow, he wondered – as intelligent, if not more?

Hannibal quickly moved south – he knew there was something to look for down south. The oracles of the old man returned again and again in his mind as he headed onwards, guided by the occasional beam of the fast disappearing orange light streaming from the canopy.

---

Valena could feel the pain, and looked to see just how bad the wounds to her were. She could only look on as Hannibal charged after the last worg. She turned to Prothal, and asked, “Could you look to see how bad these wounds are? I can use part of my cloak to wrap the wound.”

Prothal sheathed his blade and moved silently over to Valena. Now that she had a chance to take a look, she realised that Prothal too, was not in a very good state. Blood flowed freely from within his armour, staining his white surcoat a bright scarlet. But somehow within his eyes, Valena saw only concern for her, rather than for himself, as he approached her to assess her wounds.

“I am going to channel a healing spell to you – it won’t hurt, but you may feel a little light-headed,” he warned as he began to chant a prayer to his god, the god that Valena had heard so much of, but never really got to know on a level as intimate as this priest. Sure, she could feel the touch of the divine in the forests each time she slept, but this was…different. It felt as if another hand was touching her, a feeling of great peace and bliss…almost like she was in her mother’s arms.

When she opened her eyes, Prothal was smiling. Her wounds had mostly closed, and except for aches here and there where she suspected some bones had been crushed, she felt good. She might not be at her peak of health, but it sure felt much better than before.

“Come, Valena, our presence had been compromised. Hannibal is heading south and he would need our support. He is too hot-headed this time – what has happened to his fine military thinking?” Prothal muttered to himself as he prepared to move on, the plates of his heavy armour making a noise that would scare any wildlife. The blood continued to flow, Valena could see, but it would seem Prothal was oblivious to that as they both went into the undergrowth. It was very obvious that Prothal was uneasy at having his friend away from him, and wanted to be by his side as soon as possible.

“Let’s move with all haste then.” She could see Prothal’s determination and concern for Hannibal. She was too. And where was Ky’Thand?

---

Ky’Thand now wished he had a vial or two of contact poison or a pair of lightning bolts. The closest item he had was probably a jar of blue paint. Finding a comfortable spot, Ky’Thand summoned the pot, dipped the arrowhead in, removed it, and put the paint away again.

Carefully Ky’Thand aimed for the war leader in chain, dearly wishing to shoot both but he had not the time. Then he started to slowly chant as if meditating, focusing his thoughts and body. Carefully aiming the arrow at the war chieftain now at his right eye, Ky’Thand breathed in slowly and out.

On the second heart pulse he let his finger go, on the arrow. It left the bow and Ky’Thand, streaking across the clearing. The hum of a lone insect. Ky’Thand waited long enough to see it strike the ground, far away from the chieftain. His presence had been compromised. He then quickly moved back towards where the patrol fight occurred and where he hoped Prothal, Hannibal & Valena were. Hopefully, up in the trees, nobody would spot him. And in the confusion as the goblins milled around, Ky’Thand hoped to be able to escape. No way he would be found taking care of over a hundred goblins by himself.

---

Hannibal moved laboriously through the thick undergrowth. He was sure his target lay near, and was really frustrated at his slow movement. His armour seemed to snag on branches at the most inopportune moments, and he had to slow himself down to make sure he did not fall victim to the traps he was sure they would lay in the area. He was fighting in their home ground. Desperately he cast another look at he sun…it was nowhere to be found, only the brighter shades of yellow and orange told him he did not have much time left.

Then he stopped…he heard something. Moving as quietly as he could, he squatted and moved the last few yards in. What he saw took his breath away.

The crumbling walls of an ancient fortress, at least fifty feet high, lay before him twenty yards away. He could not gauge accurately, but the walls must have stretched for at least two hundred feet from end to end. From where he looked in, a huge section of it (around one hundred feet) in the middle had collapsed into rubble. Two big piles of rubble seemed to be have been deliberated piled up as cover for at least a dozen or so goblin guards, with shortbows at the ready.

There seemed to be plenty of goblins moving around within the compound, but he could not make an accurate assessment due to the many, many piles of rubble obstructing his view. But he was sure more goblins were behind them, arrows at the ready too. From his estimation, he could be facing at least three dozen bow-armed goblins, and who knew what else?

---

Ky’Thand knew this was the place where the fighting had taken place – the bodies of dead goblins and wolves told him that. Then he heard noises and quickly melted into the trees.

It was another group of goblins and their wolves. Another five pairs of them – they must be another patrol sent to check. Or else alerted by the goblin that escaped. Ky’Thand cursed the forests that made it difficult for them to move fast. He watched as the riders dismounted, and the wolves began sniffing around the bodies…and the trees. They were searching for the ones who had killed their fellow goblin and wolves!

Damn, thought Ky’Thand, this situation goes from bad to worse. He moved into position lower, as noiselessly as possible, above the goblins and riders, his mind thinking through the spells within his head. They were still searching, which meant they probably did not hear him as he moved like a cat from branch to branch. Now was the time.

Ky’Thand spoke the words to the spell, feeling the familiar sense of weightlessness as the flow of mana surrounded him. With a final word of command, a burst of multi-coloured lights flew from his fingers, streaking towards a group of goblins and wolves. Ky’Thand had seen the power of this spell Amber taught him, but this time it surprised even him. Three wolves, and their riders, slumped to the floor immediately.

For a moment, the other two just froze in their positions, the goblin riders seemingly not believing what they had seen with their own eyes. They did not even stop to confer with each other, but split up and rode off in two different directions, fleeing into the bushes. Ky’Thand, however, was ready with another spell. The multi-colour spray flashed forth again from his fingers, catching the wolves and the riders as they turned their backs on him. This time, only one goblin fell from its position. The other goblin, with its wolf, had disappeared into the bushes. His third spell caught the wolf again, and it slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Ky’Thand’s dagger made quick work of the goblins and wolves lying unconscious on the ground. The ‘under-powered’ spell, which Amber had taught him first, had become his signature mark of power. With it he had despatched many an opponent. He cursed to himself as he looked towards the direction where the wolf and its rider had gone. They were really fast, and somehow, he knew that there was no way he could catch up with them, with their speed in the forests. If only the goblin was alone – he was sure he could easily catch up with the short-legged creature, like the previous time.

He listened for more disturbances in the forest. He could not be sure, but he thought he heard the sounds of clanging metal off in the distance – they were soft but obvious. They could be his two armoured friends. He quickly looked through the bodies for coin pouches. He recovered fifty pieces of silver in total – these goblins must have got a lot of raiding done recently, or else there must be a silver mine nearby.

The leather armour they were wearing looked quite poorly made, and he left them alone. The spears of bronze, and a single bronze mace he presumed belonged to the leader, he too left behind. But he had got the most important items – enough flight arrows to fill his quiver again. He quickly cleaned off any extra blood and rubbish from the carnage. He then climbed back up the tree, took a healthy swing from his wineskin and wondered what next. Calm again, he listened intently to the forest. The sound of moving metal still carried softly through the forest, and so did the sounds of screaming and shouts. There was a battle going on up north!

---

Hannibal looked towards where the goblin archers waited. Obviously they were not all aiming at him, or knew that he was there or they would be firing already. However, he knew that with the light soon to fail, they would begin to feel more confident.

The same mounds of rubble that were potentially hiding his foes would also protect him if he could race towards them. Twenty yards to the walls, now would be the time to try it. The clock of the prophecy was ticking and retreating and going back would be too late. In the worst case his diversion would allow his friends a chance to penetrate the ruins or escape.

Hannibal prepared himself for the dash of his life. Taking the ebony blade he thought how it would get to drink after all, and behind his shield he prepared to secure the light gem from his desert wife. He opened his pouch a little, just to make sure it was still there, and closed it quickly lest the light streaming from it would alert the goblins. With a range of some twenty yards, the illumination would be seen very easily in the evening twilight.

Taking a few deep breaths, Hannibal burst from the undergrowth and made a tactical movement for the nearest mound. He knew there might be traps around, and he would not be so foolish as to charge towards their position. The noise of his armour, and the light of the sun reflecting off it must have alerted them to his movement, for he could see the commotion, and hear the screams from the goblins. He could see the goblins aiming at him – he could only trust that his wall of steel would protect him.

Hannibal moved in quickly, weaving from side to side, never stopping to allow them a good shot at him. As he closed in, he opened his pouch with his shield hand and took out the light stone he had with him. The light of day radiating from the gem shone straight into the staring, sensitive eyes of his foes. The screams from his opponents were music to his ears.

Just ten feet away from the nearest mound, he would have moved on, if not for his warrior instincts telling him that something was wrong. He quickly pulled his foot back, and rolled to the side. It was a good thing he had not charged – for right in front of him was a ditch, ten feet across, and who knew how deep. It had been cleverly concealed to look like part of the grass surrounding it, and he must have stepped onto its leading section just then. The sections of grass around the ditch looked funny – it was entirely possible that the ditch extended to more than just that section that collapsed, hidden by more camouflage of grass.

Hannibal realised that he was in a bad position – out in the open, with a ditch in front of him too wide to jump, and goblin archers aiming off him at point blank range. Four arrows thudded into the ground next to him, and another four bounced off his armour. He quickly made another roll to one side, and another six arrows landed where he was. Two more bounce off his shield as he raised it to interpose between the archers and himself. Already he could hear the goblins screaming something that sounded like obscenities, but he was very sure it sounded more like they were asking for reinforcements.

---

Valena and Prothal could hear the sounds of battle just ahead, the sounds of screams – surely there was a battle nearby! But Valena had other things on her minds then – with each step they took, she could see the trail of blood that Prothal left behind, seemingly oozing out of many places within his armour. With each step they took, Prothal’s breathing became heavier, and he seemed to get weaker.

Suddenly, Valena heard the sounds of the birdcalls echoing all over the forest again! Prothal’s head turned towards her, and although she could not see the eyes through the helm he was wearing, she could tell his thoughts were the same as hers. There must have been sentries all over the place, and they had been spotted by another.

That would be the last of her worries, however, for Prothal had suddenly collapsed on his knees upon the forest floor. He raised up a hand weakly, to reassure her he was alright, and began to pray, “The god whom I serve, grant now your servant the strength to carry on, for evil threatens many, oh great one – and the lives of his friends hung in the balance! Hear now your servant’s plea, oh great one!”

There was a glow upon the medallion he wore, which Valena knew was an ancient artefact of the religion Prothal swore by. She wondered many times how he got that into his possession, but had never got around to asking him. For a moment, she stopped breathing as she beheld the power granted by Prothal’s god channelled into him, a powerful light of pure white coursing through his body. She saw the flow of blood actually stopping as he bathed himself in the soft white glow.

It was over quickly, and Prothal stood up, and flexed his muscles. He turned to her, and he must have grinned, for his voice reflected it as he said, “Prothal was a fool – may the Eternal One forgive him for not taking care of the body of his servant, clouded as he was in his judgement of the situation. Come, let us be on our way – our position had been very badly compromised.”

The sounds of the metal plates began to ring in Valena’s ear as he beckoned her to move on – towards the north.

Chapter 20: Storming the Fortress

Through the trees Ky’Thand moved silently, keeping to the shadows, listening as he moved for sentries or his companions. He knew they had blundered onto the fort, the question was how many goblins were now trying to kill his friends. Little would they know that he had done so much to protect them from a rearward ambush.

He was certainly happy. His spells had worked and fifty silvers and a fresh quiver of arrows now were his. The most important was that four wolves and their riders were now dead, a valuable asset of the goblin general now robbed from his direction. Perhaps if they survived the night, Ky’Thand would penetrate the fort and open its gates for his companions to enter.

---

Hannibal swore to himself and quickly rolled to his right. Making a dive for it, he got behind the crumbling wall and out of the direct line of fire for the arrows. For a moment there was respite, the goblins screaming away, as he knew they would, their prey within reach but yet untouchable.

Standing and moving about thirty feet to the right along the wall, Hannibal looked up the wall to make sure that nothing nasty was waiting for him up there as well as behind him to make sure the goblins were not sending a squad to capture him. Sheathing his sword he tied the light gem securely around his neck as the pendant his wife’s father planned it to be.

Hannibal took out his bow, tested it then nocked the first arrow. Running back till he was about five yards from the edge of the wall, he then moved out about twenty yards from the wall so he could return fire at any goblins whose heads were up over the piles of rubble.

Only three of the goblins must have been ready for him, for three arrows flew his way before he could fire off his first shot. One flew way over his head, while the other was deflected off his plate armour. The third somehow managed to find a joint in his armour as he readied himself to shoot at the nearest goblin. Hannibal was already accustomed to the pain of arrows, but it must have affected him, for his arrow flew far from its target. A shower of arrows straddled the ground as yet another found a joint at his knee. This time the pain was so bad his next arrow must have flew a mile from its target. His armour held again as another shower bounced off its steel walls.

Hannibal stood his ground and prepared to fire again. He really wondered what kind of foul evils these goblins must have been into, to be so lucky as to strike weak points in his armour twice. The showers of arrows greeted him again, mostly landing on the ground next to him, or bouncing off his armour. Again, he felt the pain as yet another arrow found its mark. His arrow chipped off part of the rubble a goblin was hiding under, causing it to duck. He quickly took a few more steps away, shifting his position to present a difficult target. Still, with so many arrows targeting him, there would be bound to be one that struck – again another in a shoulder joint. The haze of pain was affecting him – he was very sure his next arrow probably missed its target. The thud of an arrow at his feet awoken him again from his haze, and he dodged back towards the wall and away from the rain of arrows he was sure would come again if he stayed out of cover.

---

The sounds of shouts and battle was getting closer, and soon Valena and Prothal came to a section where the trees seemed to be less dense. The sounds of battle were so loud now that they could have drowned out even the sounds of Prothal’s armour. Cautiously, Valena parted the stepped behind a tree and parted the bushes.

Before her was the remains of a once-majestic fortress. Only certain parts of the walls were still up, and even then the masonry was crumbling in certain sections. Large sections of the walls had collapsed into rubble, and it was from on the top of the rubble that goblins – eight of them she could count from her position – were firing away. More of them seemed to be milling around within the walls, from what she could see, but she could not be sure.

She did, however, see Hannibal make a quick dash for the safety of the walls. At least two dozens, if not more, arrows must have been fired by the little creatures, judging from the spent arrows on the ground. From her position, twenty yards away, she could see Hannibal, with at three arrows stuck on the various joints of his armour. He looked like he was hurt.

Prothal, too, had pushed his way to the bushes, to see what Valena was looking at. He looked back at Valena again, and grinned, saying, “Hannibal needs our help. Shall we fire a few rounds to make them duck and think twice, before I move to over to support Hannibal? I think it would be good if you remain hidden, an unknown the goblins have to factor in!”

The gleam on his eyes seemed to return as he unslinged his longbow and prepared an arrow – a sheaf arrow – on it. This was his natural element, the fields of battle – against an enemy he could see and best. He waited for Valena as he pointed the nocked arrow to his target.

Valena drew her bow with skill and grace, and set 6 arrows out in front of her. She placed the points in the soft earth, smiling at the small stand of arrows sticking in the earth near her. She drew one to the bowstring, and nodded towards Prothal.

“Shall we?” A wicked grin, stunningly similar to the one Prothal had just shown her, crossed her lips. She took aim on a goblin with better position, one trying to hit Hannibal, and let loose her arrow. Prothal’s followed. The arrows flew wide, unused to the conditions of the forest. They quickly took aim and fired off another pair. Valena saw hers struck the goblin, and he fell out of sight. Prothal’s too, had fell another. The goblins began screaming as they began to realise they were not dealing with a lone warrior.

It was then that Prothal took up his sword and ran towards Hannibal. Valena took careful aim with her bow and let loose the arrows again. She knew that her position had been compromised, but she had to support Prothal, to give him the necessary covering fire. One of her arrows struck one goblin squarely on the head, and it fell.

Another three goblins took up the positions vacated by the three that fell. In the background, she was sure she could see more of them taking up positions in the piles of rubble further in. There could be at least two dozens taking cover behind the various piles of rubble about the compound, and more were probably behind, in places where they could not fire at them, but could take over from fallen comrades. How many of them were there?

For a moment she wondered why Hannibal had not moved beyond the walls, into the compound, since the way in looked relatively unobstructed. Then she saw the section of the ground that had collapsed, ten feet across, no doubt triggered by Hannibal stepping on it. The goblins had probably dug ditches in the sections where the walls had collapsed. Cunning creatures, they were.

---

Muttering to himself about the luck of the goblins, Hannibal removed the arrows and bound his wounds as well as he was able. He was beginning to figure that it did not make a lot of sense to keep firing on the goblins at the entrance. Hannibal turned and began examining the wall looking for other ways into the city. But something else caught his attention. Arrows. And a familiar voice shouting at him.

The arrows were fired from somewhere within the bushes. His friends must have arrived, although how many he could not be sure. But he could see Prothal coming at him, running towards him with his blade drawn. The exchange of arrows began again.

From his position, he could see Prothal moving and ducking, weaving through the rain of arrows. Three landed on the ground near his feet, and three bounced off his armour. Making a quick break for the safety of the walls, Prothal shouted out to Hannibal when he was by his side, “Valena is supporting us with archery.”

He then turned to look at him, lifting up the visor momentarily to smile at his friend, “Now, Hannibal, you are one bad man – how can you let the battle be joined without me around? Look at you!” He seemed to be almost chiding, yet almost joking.

His smile quickly turned into a grim look. “Looks like more trouble, Hannibal – wolf pack behind you, probably about two hundred feet away.” Prothal quickly moved behind Hannibal, to take up position to face the threat.

Trouble was too mild a word to describe their situation, though – Hannibal saw, behind Prothal, turning the corner of the wall fifty feet away, a pack of five large wolves, the types they had fought before. They stood and snarled at the two warriors. If Prothal had also seen another pack, it would mean they were squaring off against ten of them.

---

One arrow whistled by Valena’s right. The goblins were starting to aim off at her. It was a good thing she had the covering of the bushes – it effectively made her near invisible to the goblins. She saw Prothal dash to the safety of the walls, where the goblins, inside their compound, could not aim off.

As if things could not be worse, she saw something out of the corner of her eyes. Two packs of five wolves each, converging towards her two friends. They had noticed the threats and were prepared to face the wolves though. Another two arrows whistled by, both very close to her. The goblins had got a fix on her position. And another two dozens or so goblins had readied their positions within the compound. There was no way they could fire at the two warriors, so they could very well be aiming for the archer hiding in the bushes.

---

Ky’Thand travelled quickly and lightly through the branches, towards the source of the battle sounds, where he was very sure his friends were engaging in mortal combat with the enemies. He hoped they were not foolish enough to charge into the compound – he had no time to tell them there were probably more than a hundred of them, and that they were already alerted by his missed arrow. Swiftly he moved, like a monkey of the jungles of the tropical south.

He stopped at the place he was sure was near the edge of the clearing. It looked different from the place he perched on the other time, but he was sure he was relatively near, judging by the sounds of goblin war drums that seemed to drown out everything. Quietly he edged on, and cursed as his sleeves caught on a branch. Whatever silence he wanted to preserve would have been gone. Good thing the battle noise would probably cover up everything. He edged on and parted the leaves a little.

He saw the goblins milling around the compound, many of them taking up shooting positions in all directions, using the rubble that had collapsed as cover. Most of them seemed to be prepared to fire into the south. He did a quick count – he was very sure there were more than a hundred of them, fully armed with spears and shortbows and ready to fight. The odds of three men and a woman facing off against them were not very good.

His eyes glanced to the right and caught sight of Prothal and Hannibal, hiding at a section of a wall where the goblins could not aim at them, facing off against a pack of five wolves that had turned around a corner of the wall to his right. He also saw another pack of five wolves, two hundred yards away, turning around corner of the wall to his left, coming at them from the other side. Prothal seemed to have noticed them, though.

Ky’Thand took a look at the area outside the compound and saw, just about thirty feet away from him, a pit that seemed to have opened up on the ground, where the walls had collapsed to allow entry into the compound. One of his friends must have stumbled upon a goblin trap. It was deceptive indeed – the compound probably was encompassed by a ditch where the walls had collapsed, to fool those who thought entry was simple enough. From his position, he could not really see whether there was anybody in it.

He looked into the compound again, and realised where the entrance was. Just seventy yards down to the southern end of the compound, the goblins had just moved aside a huge barricade of stakes, to allow a contingent of at least two scores of goblins in full fighting gear. He could just catch sight of the goblin with the elaborate dress among them, next to the goblin in chainmail. The six big strong goblins surround them tightly. Before he could do anything, they had disappeared into the high walls on the opposite side of the compound, where he could not see them. Their targets were obvious – Hannibal and Prothal, on the other side about eighty yards away from them, around the walls.

Ky’Thand took all these sights and information grimly and prepared his arrows. His friends would need all the archery support they could get from him. Silently he hoped within himself the bad luck that had plagued him would be lifted this time. He drew his bow and aimed for the wolves approaching Hannibal. Two arrows flew and found a target. He quickly prepared another arrow. He would have to be quick, before the goblins got onto his position.

---

Hannibal checked to make sure the light gem was still securely fastened around his neck and turned to Prothal, “Well my friend, it looks like we shall fight back to back as our swords contest once again to see whose light shines brightest.”

Hannibal drew his blade, its pale purple light a direct contrast to the pale white of Prothal’s blade of light. “If your god would grace me with his healing touch we’ll see if we can send these beasts to hell. The goblins were cursed lucky with their arrows.

“We have ten wolves, let’s see how fast we can dispatch them. I’d rather fight in the open than in the woods at night. Our light would only lead them right too us, and in the dark we would stand little chance. Let’s move towards that group and get rid of them as fast as possible. Remember, numbers don’t matter, only three can get to us at a time if we stay back to back.”

The words of a man used to strategies and tactics, and commanding hundred of man, indeed.

With that Hannibal hitched his armour straps tight, tested the grip of his well used shield and waited for Prothal to call what power he might from his gods. Upon hearing Hannibal’s words, Prothal took out Soothenglaace, placing it upon his friend and companion’s wounded arm, and started muttering, ” Oh Great Nameless One, please grant me strength, if it is your wish, to heal this man. If it is your will that he does not fall today, please grant me the strength.”

Energy coursed through Prothal’s body, flowing into the medallion, and into Hannibal’s body. A power he had felt so many times before, and yet each time it awed him, to actually feel a touch of the divine. Hannibal felt it too, as he had felt many times when Prothal’s god had touched him. Sometimes he really wondered at this strange god – who still healed, and still did many things even to those who did not worship him. A far cry from many of the gods he had heard or encountered for sure.

“Hopefully that restores you back to health my friend.” Smiling to Hannibal, Prothal turned to face his share of enemies. Not all his wounds were closed, there were so many, but Prothal knew he needed time to call upon another favour from the one he had gave his heart to serve. “May His Grace forgive us for the killings that’s made necessary today,” muttered Prothal sadly. Rising forth with Lightbringer, he prepared to face the oncoming wolves, while gripping hold of his medallion and muttering a prayer of power.

He was not able to finish off his prayer, for the wolves were fast upon him, and he could feel his concentration slip as the pain raced through his head. He swung Lightbringer at it, but it had by then released its grip and jumped back, eyeing him cautiously. Another few more threw themselves at him, and he instinctively raised his shield, feeling the impact of their bodies against him. He felt pain from his feet as one got through and bit on it, then before he could do anything, another had struck him on his sword arm. He could feel the bones crushing as its teeth bore down upon his arm. He swung his shield at it, but began to feel hazy as the creature quickly released its grip and jumped back. Blood was flowing freely from many places, and he had to prop Lightbringer upon the ground to give himself some support.

---

A hail of arrows greeted Valena, mostly whistling by her, but two found their mark on her thighs. There were at least two dozens of them, and they were aiming for her! It was dangerous, and even senseless, to stay around now that they had found her position. Valena quickly moved into the forests even as another hail of arrows narrowly missed, and finding its mark in her left shoulder. She knew her companions were out of the line-of-sight of the goblin archers, but they could be in deep trouble.

Her movement was quick and silent through her home the forests. Then she heard a sound, a ‘crack’ of a twig. Someone, something, was very near her! She turned around, bow drawn, to face Xavier, with a sheepish face. Hamish was next to him, still on its leash.

“Hello, pretty – so we meet again! Say…you don’t look too good right now – aren’t you glad your handsome dashing hero came here on time? So what is happening now?” He grinned, seemingly oblivious to the throbbing pain on her right thigh, and the bleeding from the two arrows still stuck there.

---

Ky’Thand’s next arrow struck the wolf again, and he held his fire as they engaged his two friends in battle. It would be very risky to fire while the wolves were engaged with his friends, but he would have to take the risk. Hannibal would need all the support he could get. He aimed off his next arrow.

---

Hannibal moved towards the advancing wolves. They were very fast, and would be upon them soon. “Stay close to the wall but look up periodically. We may have to move out if they get above us.” He was barely able to finish his words before the first of the wolves were upon him, arrows sticking out from it – probably Valena’s shot. He raised his shield to block it off and the Ebony Blade sliced through its coat of fur easily enough, raising howls of pain from it. The other wolf snapped at him, but missed, and his kick sent it howling away from him. His swinging sword made the other two wolves jump back to avoid it.

Behind him, he could hear the snapping of the wolves, and the heavy breathing of Prothal. He took a quick look, to see him leaning on his sword, blood flowing freely from many wounds upon his legs and sword-arm. Prothal did not look too good – he was losing blood fast.

Even as the wolves circled them, they backed themselves against the wall. Side-by side to each other, only four wolves in total could come up against the two of them, rather than six. But it still did not look too good. He looked at Prothal again, and his heart sank – his sword-arm seemed to be losing strength, and the blood was starting to drip like a wineskin down upon the grassy ground.

---

From his vantage position, Ky’Thand could see the heavily injured Prothal propping himself on his weapon. Things did not look too good right now. Hannibal was holding his own, but the wolves were already upon them, circling them as they backed themselves against the wall. There was no escape for his friends, hedged in by six menacing wolves.

Ky’Thand has also noticed the barrage of arrows raining upon a position slightly to his left, on the ground. Valena must have been there. He hoped she was wise enough to leave the position – there must have been about fifty arrows aimed at that position. Somehow, he got the feeling he might be next. It was time too for him to move to a safer place. He quickly retreated into the forest. And he was glad he did – the rustle of the leaves, and the sounds of metal striking wood told him that another hail of arrows had probably been aimed there. Some of the goblins must have started to look for the archer shooting at their wolves as well.

He waited a while, pausing to regain his bearings. A little bit of stealth was going to be necessary. With his skills, he would be able to sneak to the entrance and make his way in. Silent as a denizen of the forests, he made his way through the trees. It would probably take him not more than ten minutes to get there, judging from the distance. Hopefully, his two friends would surrender if given the chance – or even it would be a Pyrrhic victory for him indeed.

---

Pain clouded Prothal’s mind as the lifeblood from his veins flowed freely from his wounds. Cursing himself for his mistakes and carelessness, Prothal spoke weakly but hastily to Hannibal, “Cover me.” Hoping that his friend had heard him, pushing the pain to the back of his mind, he dropped his weapon and fingered the medallion hanging from his neck, concentrating on what could be his last request to The Eternal One.

Summoning up the last of his strength, he placed Soothenglaace upon his chest and said, “Great Nameless one, should Your Grace see it fit to grant his servant this small request, please heal him back to health. Should Your Grace feels that his work upon this world is not yet done, please give him strength.”

Hannibal took his weapon and swung it wide as he jostled Prothal behind him. From the angle, the wolves could still get to Prothal, but it was the best he could do, with ten wolves forcing them against the wall. The wolves snarled and circled them, and Hannibal heard the voices coming over from his left. Lots of shouts and snarls, this time sounding more like a language than any wild animal. But he kept his attention on the wolves, for his instinct told him they were about to attack.

And his warrior instinct served him well, as his blade found a wolf that had just launched itself at him. It howled in pain as the Ebony Blade caught it in mid-section, and it began to retreat. Another also snapped at thin air. Hannibal made a quick step towards the retreating wolf, and cut it down – briefly watching it collapse before returning to his position to protect Prothal. Another wolf took the position of the fallen.

Prothal could feel the warmth of power flow through him as the touch of the Eternal One coursed through his body again. He took a step back quickly as a bite snapped in thin air. He turned slightly to his right, and felt the impact of a wolf against his shield. The impact shook him, and he bumped briefly into Hannibal, beside him. His eyes fell upon his weapon, lying on the ground.

Prothal ran his options through his mind quickly. Only two wolves could get to me, and two others at Hannibal at a time. If we could make it to the closest crumble in the wall, the ditches that the goblins dug will reduce the number of wolves that can attack us at a time to three.

With that thought in mind, Prothal said hastily to Hannibal, “Try to move close to that crumble in the wall! That will reduce the number or wolves that could reach us!” Prothal kept a keen eye on the wolves facing him while waiting for Hannibal to make his advance.

Hannibal saw that Prothal could not continue the fight. He quickly tried looking for a gap in the wall where Prothal could get into while Hannibal guarded the front. Not having to fend off wolves would allow Prothal to cast spells to heal himself, or better yet somehow with the help of his god leave the field of battle. There was no place that he could see – to enter the compound would find themselves being assailed by dozens of goblin arrows.

“I don’t think there is any way we are going to get a better situation than this, Prothal,” Hannibal replied. Grimly, he gripped his weapon tighter and prepared to fight on.

The shouts over at his left came nearer, and even the wolves seemed to pause for a while. And then he saw them – a goblin war party that just emerged from the corner over to his left, about fifty feet away. There must be at least three to four dozens of them, if not more. That was the least of his concerns – the wolves began their attack again.

The first one gripped onto his arm, but his armour held. He was able to smash his shield into the wolf when he felt another came. Shaking off the wolf on his arm, he turned to interpose his shield, and felt the shudder as it blocked a blow. By then, the other wolf had released his arm – enough time for the blade to cut into the wolf he just blocked off.

Prothal took a quick step and a feint, drawing off two wolves to smash against each other in confusion. He quickly picked up his weapon. The next one would not be so lucky. Quickly he brandished the holy weapon. He glanced at the pulsating purple of Hannibal’s weapon. Somehow, he did not feel very good about the situation.