The remaining Goblins died quickly as Jacith, Dukar and Shae systematically slaughtered the small warriors. Zeladi and Aaron secured the main room and kept lookout. Moving on, Dukar led the group down a narrow staircase down into the basement, the stink of Goblin easy to follow. Several barrels and crates had been thrown away from a concealed door in the northern wall made of sturdy wood bound in iron. A small ram lay discarded in front of it and the face of the door was marked where they had attempted to break through.
Jacith pounded the hilt of his sword against the door. "Friends? The goblins are dead, let us inside, quickly now!"
"Get lost!" A muffled voice answered. "How do I know you're not one of them?"
Stepping up, Shae put on her 'lost little girl' act. "Oh, please let us in sir, I beg of thee! I'm so frightened!"
"Well, ah... I can't, miss, I'm under orders..."
Shae started to cry, turning it on like a tap. "Please help us! Please! They're going to kill me, please!"
There was a long pause before the door opened a crack, revealing a freckled farm boy barely out of his teens wearing leather armour that didn't fit him very well and a rusty short sword. "Quick, get in here."
"Oh, thank-you, thank-you," Shae hugged him for a moment and rewarded his foolishness with a kiss on the cheek. Dukar and Zeladi exchanged a significant look but neither gave away her deception.
Once inside with the door safely barred, Jacith looked down the dark hallway. "Where does this lead?"
"The nest," the guard answered without thinking. "They let us use their tunnels for smuggling."
"Who does?" Zeladi asked.
"The Araena. Countryside's rife with tunnels, as well as a channel that leads to the Undersea. We do a brisk trade with the denziens below, them that don't mind bartering with surfacers of course. But then, those that don't truck with us will with the Araena, so it's a win/win."
"Can we get to the town hall from here?"
"Sure, just follow the corridor and turn left at the next intersection.
"Thanks," Jacith grunted, trying to hide his disgust with the nieve youngster.
"Hey, miss," the guard grinned awkwardly, "when this is all over, can I buy you a drink? I'll treat you real good, I promise."
Shae stroked his cheek. "That'd be lovely, I'm sure. It's the least I could do to think my hero."
They left the dazed guard quickly before the rest of them lost their lunch. Jacith lit a torch for them to see by, holding his blade in the other hand as he led them toward the sound of fighting.
"I can't believe that worked," Dukar growled once the guard was out of sight.
"Be thankful for the gullible fool," Zeladi sighed, "that door was far too well made for us to break down by ourselves."
"I thought he was nice," Aaron offered, still half-drugged from the Sannish. The other four ignored him.
Turning the corner, the group suddenly found themselves at spearpoint. A squad of guards led by a dward formed into twho lines across the room while others seemed to be piling debris in the other passageways, creating rough barricades from anything at hand. "halt," the dwarf ordered, "who are ye?"
"Highway patrol," Jacith answered, lowering his sword, "if you'll allow me to get it, I have a letter of mark from the Baron in my pocket."
The dwarf nodded. Jacith sheathed his sword to pull the letter out of the left hand pocket of his hardened leather trousers. Taking it, the dwarf looked the letter over before handing it back. "Looks genuine enough to me. What do I call you?"
"Jacith," the ranger answered, "and you?"
"Folks call me Rumblerut. Now, by Clangeddin's beard, what the blazes are you doing down here?"
"Taking shelter," Jacith scowled, "honestly, we weren't expecting such a wecome party."
Rumblerut grunted. "Neither were we. We give the Chief a tribute to keep his men out of the tunnels every month, for years. Next thing we know, our envoys come back missing everything below the neck."
Jacith pounded the hilt of his sword against the door. "Friends? The goblins are dead, let us inside, quickly now!"
"Get lost!" A muffled voice answered. "How do I know you're not one of them?"
Stepping up, Shae put on her 'lost little girl' act. "Oh, please let us in sir, I beg of thee! I'm so frightened!"
"Well, ah... I can't, miss, I'm under orders..."
Shae started to cry, turning it on like a tap. "Please help us! Please! They're going to kill me, please!"
There was a long pause before the door opened a crack, revealing a freckled farm boy barely out of his teens wearing leather armour that didn't fit him very well and a rusty short sword. "Quick, get in here."
"Oh, thank-you, thank-you," Shae hugged him for a moment and rewarded his foolishness with a kiss on the cheek. Dukar and Zeladi exchanged a significant look but neither gave away her deception.
Once inside with the door safely barred, Jacith looked down the dark hallway. "Where does this lead?"
"The nest," the guard answered without thinking. "They let us use their tunnels for smuggling."
"Who does?" Zeladi asked.
"The Araena. Countryside's rife with tunnels, as well as a channel that leads to the Undersea. We do a brisk trade with the denziens below, them that don't mind bartering with surfacers of course. But then, those that don't truck with us will with the Araena, so it's a win/win."
"Can we get to the town hall from here?"
"Sure, just follow the corridor and turn left at the next intersection.
"Thanks," Jacith grunted, trying to hide his disgust with the nieve youngster.
"Hey, miss," the guard grinned awkwardly, "when this is all over, can I buy you a drink? I'll treat you real good, I promise."
Shae stroked his cheek. "That'd be lovely, I'm sure. It's the least I could do to think my hero."
They left the dazed guard quickly before the rest of them lost their lunch. Jacith lit a torch for them to see by, holding his blade in the other hand as he led them toward the sound of fighting.
"I can't believe that worked," Dukar growled once the guard was out of sight.
"Be thankful for the gullible fool," Zeladi sighed, "that door was far too well made for us to break down by ourselves."
"I thought he was nice," Aaron offered, still half-drugged from the Sannish. The other four ignored him.
Turning the corner, the group suddenly found themselves at spearpoint. A squad of guards led by a dward formed into twho lines across the room while others seemed to be piling debris in the other passageways, creating rough barricades from anything at hand. "halt," the dwarf ordered, "who are ye?"
"Highway patrol," Jacith answered, lowering his sword, "if you'll allow me to get it, I have a letter of mark from the Baron in my pocket."
The dwarf nodded. Jacith sheathed his sword to pull the letter out of the left hand pocket of his hardened leather trousers. Taking it, the dwarf looked the letter over before handing it back. "Looks genuine enough to me. What do I call you?"
"Jacith," the ranger answered, "and you?"
"Folks call me Rumblerut. Now, by Clangeddin's beard, what the blazes are you doing down here?"
"Taking shelter," Jacith scowled, "honestly, we weren't expecting such a wecome party."
Rumblerut grunted. "Neither were we. We give the Chief a tribute to keep his men out of the tunnels every month, for years. Next thing we know, our envoys come back missing everything below the neck."
