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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4497492" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Thanks for the posts, guys. The SH forum's seemed very quiet of late, and I admit my enthusiasm for writing has waned somewhat of late (not related to ENWorld, but to other things). I'm down to only a few chapters stored up so I may have to drop my regular update schedule for a while, we'll see how this week goes. I'm heading out of town for a week starting Friday, but I should have Internet access where I'm traveling. </p><p></p><p>* * * * * </p><p></p><p>Chapter 41</p><p></p><p></p><p>Goblins burst around both sides of the heavy curtain at once, lunging forward into the storeroom with javelins at the ready. </p><p></p><p>Jaron rose up behind a line of stacked casks and shot an arrow into the side of the nearer of the two. The goblin warrior grunted in pain and fell back into the curtain, almost tearing it from its moorings as he fought to recover his footing. His companion surged at Jaron before he could reload, throwing his javelin at point-blank range, clipping the halfling’s shoulder painfully with an impact that drove him a full step back. The ranger grimaced as he yanked the head of the spear free, but then the goblin was almost on top of him, lunging with the thicker, heavier spear he carried in his other hand. </p><p></p><p>But the thrust never landed, as Beetle stepped out from the crates and sliced his dagger across the back of the goblin’s leg. The goblin screamed and fell forward into the crates, blood pouring from the deep wound down his leg to splatter in fat gobs on the floor. He recovered quickly, thrusting the haft of his spear back in a violent jab that would have cracked Beetle’s breastbone, had it connected. But the rogue simple slid to the side, and as the goblin’s thrust went past, he brought his knife up and sliced the already bloody edge across the goblin’s fingers. The warrior cried out again and dropped the spear. He tried to push away, but before he could get free Jaron rose up and stabbed half of the length of his small sword into the junction where the goblin’s neck met his body. Blood jetted from the terrible wound, spraying both halflings as the warrior fell to the ground, his limbs twitching. </p><p></p><p>But the other goblin warrior had regained his footing, and had been reinforced by a pair of cutters, clad in cheap, filthy leathers but armed with perfectly dangerous short blades. The halflings could hear the sounds of battle issuing from behind the curtain, vague cries of pain and rage, punctuated by a frisson of magical energies being hurled about. Faint flickers of silver and color could be seen, but not enough to indicate the way that the battle was going. </p><p></p><p>The goblins moved forward, cautious now, wary of these small but proven dangerous foes. Jaron and Beetle retreated slowly, navigating the maze of barrels and crates by touch and memory and instinct, not turning away from the goblins for a moment. </p><p></p><p>And then the curtain slid open again, and a goblin sharpshooter with a loaded crossbow stepped through. </p><p></p><p>“Take cover, Beetle!” Jaron yelled, leaping back behind a barrel at the same instant that the goblin lifted his bow and fired. The bolt missed him by a hair’s breath, striking the weathered staves of the barrel with enough force to crack the wood. Sour-smelling liquid poured from the breach, forming a slick that spread slowly across the floor. </p><p></p><p>The goblins rushed forward to take advantage, but one of the cutters screamed and fell, clutching at the steel hilt that protruded from its left eye. The other, driven forward more by the presence of its fellows than by a desire to close with these enemies, rushed around the barrel to get at Jaron, while the warrior came around the far side. </p><p></p><p>The cutter lunged with his blade ahead of him, but the sword met only empty air, clanging hard off the stone floor. The goblin, off balance, looked perplexed, but the warrior was already moving toward the back of the room near the door, where another cluster of crates had been left scattered by the lazy goblins. Realizing he’d been spotted, Jaron rose up, using the crate for cover, his sword lifted to parry the goblin’s spear. </p><p></p><p>“Look out, Jayse!” Beetle yelled, and Jaron glanced over his shoulder to see that his situation had taken a decided turn for the worse. The door to the storeroom had opened quietly behind him, and a second goblin sharpshooter had slid into the room. It lifted its bow, and there was nothing the halfling ranger could do but stare at the sharp steel head that seemed to swell in his vision as the goblin yanked on the trigger of his bow.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4497492, member: 143"] Thanks for the posts, guys. The SH forum's seemed very quiet of late, and I admit my enthusiasm for writing has waned somewhat of late (not related to ENWorld, but to other things). I'm down to only a few chapters stored up so I may have to drop my regular update schedule for a while, we'll see how this week goes. I'm heading out of town for a week starting Friday, but I should have Internet access where I'm traveling. * * * * * Chapter 41 Goblins burst around both sides of the heavy curtain at once, lunging forward into the storeroom with javelins at the ready. Jaron rose up behind a line of stacked casks and shot an arrow into the side of the nearer of the two. The goblin warrior grunted in pain and fell back into the curtain, almost tearing it from its moorings as he fought to recover his footing. His companion surged at Jaron before he could reload, throwing his javelin at point-blank range, clipping the halfling’s shoulder painfully with an impact that drove him a full step back. The ranger grimaced as he yanked the head of the spear free, but then the goblin was almost on top of him, lunging with the thicker, heavier spear he carried in his other hand. But the thrust never landed, as Beetle stepped out from the crates and sliced his dagger across the back of the goblin’s leg. The goblin screamed and fell forward into the crates, blood pouring from the deep wound down his leg to splatter in fat gobs on the floor. He recovered quickly, thrusting the haft of his spear back in a violent jab that would have cracked Beetle’s breastbone, had it connected. But the rogue simple slid to the side, and as the goblin’s thrust went past, he brought his knife up and sliced the already bloody edge across the goblin’s fingers. The warrior cried out again and dropped the spear. He tried to push away, but before he could get free Jaron rose up and stabbed half of the length of his small sword into the junction where the goblin’s neck met his body. Blood jetted from the terrible wound, spraying both halflings as the warrior fell to the ground, his limbs twitching. But the other goblin warrior had regained his footing, and had been reinforced by a pair of cutters, clad in cheap, filthy leathers but armed with perfectly dangerous short blades. The halflings could hear the sounds of battle issuing from behind the curtain, vague cries of pain and rage, punctuated by a frisson of magical energies being hurled about. Faint flickers of silver and color could be seen, but not enough to indicate the way that the battle was going. The goblins moved forward, cautious now, wary of these small but proven dangerous foes. Jaron and Beetle retreated slowly, navigating the maze of barrels and crates by touch and memory and instinct, not turning away from the goblins for a moment. And then the curtain slid open again, and a goblin sharpshooter with a loaded crossbow stepped through. “Take cover, Beetle!” Jaron yelled, leaping back behind a barrel at the same instant that the goblin lifted his bow and fired. The bolt missed him by a hair’s breath, striking the weathered staves of the barrel with enough force to crack the wood. Sour-smelling liquid poured from the breach, forming a slick that spread slowly across the floor. The goblins rushed forward to take advantage, but one of the cutters screamed and fell, clutching at the steel hilt that protruded from its left eye. The other, driven forward more by the presence of its fellows than by a desire to close with these enemies, rushed around the barrel to get at Jaron, while the warrior came around the far side. The cutter lunged with his blade ahead of him, but the sword met only empty air, clanging hard off the stone floor. The goblin, off balance, looked perplexed, but the warrior was already moving toward the back of the room near the door, where another cluster of crates had been left scattered by the lazy goblins. Realizing he’d been spotted, Jaron rose up, using the crate for cover, his sword lifted to parry the goblin’s spear. “Look out, Jayse!” Beetle yelled, and Jaron glanced over his shoulder to see that his situation had taken a decided turn for the worse. The door to the storeroom had opened quietly behind him, and a second goblin sharpshooter had slid into the room. It lifted its bow, and there was nothing the halfling ranger could do but stare at the sharp steel head that seemed to swell in his vision as the goblin yanked on the trigger of his bow. [/QUOTE]
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