Wicht
Hero
1.2
The Willowcoats lived, or if the worst was true, had lived in a modest but elegant elvish home far enough away from the village to be isolated but close enough to visit regularly.
Bare and Hullifan surveyed their house now from the shelter of two trees at the edge of the lawn. All appeared peaceful from the outside.
Overhead a hawk circled, watching the forest, the house and the elves. It was named Cyarma and it belonged, in a sense to Bare.
“I don’t think Cyarma sees anything,” said Bare.
The two elves scooted closer to the house. Bare scanned the ground.
“Goblin Tracks,” said Bare. He began to slowly scan the ground a little closer.
“I’ll cover you,” said Hullifan drawing out an arrow and nocking it to his bow string. \
“Move quietly,” whispered Bare as he slowly began circling the house, hunched over to better scan the ground. Despite Bare’s warning, the ground around the house did not seem particularly conducive to walking quietly and both elves found themselves struggling to be silent in their movements. To their sharp elvish hearing they sounded both loud and obvious.
Bare circled the house once, puzzled and then reexamined the ground behind the house. He looked at Hullifan confused for a moment. He stopped in front of a window in the back of the house,
“There are goblin tracks going in the front door but none coming out,” he said, “But there are tracks going both in and out of this window.”
“Let me take a look,” said Hullifan, stooping to peer down at the ground. The tracks though meant nothing to him.
“Well, lets go in through the window,” said Hullifan. Bare nodded agreement and Hullifan reached over and slid the window open without even bothering to look inside.
The window squeaked and a pile of rags in the middle of an unmade bed moved. A goblin face looked up in surprise, sleepiness giving way to shock in its beady red eyes.
Thinking quickly, Hullifan started reciting a poem. It was a rather unusual poem but Hullifan thought it might appeal to the goblin and throw it further off balance. To the side of the window, Bare sensing the presence of the goblin in the room readied himself to cast a spell.
“Ohh… He’ll break his legs and arms and bones…” chanted Hullifan.
The goblin simply stared, whether out of complete bewilderment or genuine interest it was hard to say. Bare suddenly stepped in front of Hullifan and stuck his finger forward at the goblin. Instantly a bolt of pure energy sailed through the air and thudded into the goblin throwing it backwards. Hullifan and Bare were momentarily jubilant. But then the goblin moved and rolling off the bed it came to its feet with a javelin firmly gripped in its claws.
“Help! Elvish Wizards!” yelled the goblin as it threw the javelin. Hullifan did not understand what it was saying but Bare did. The Javelin hit the wall underneath the window and flipped up harmlessly into the top of the window before landing with a racket on the floor of the room. Bare lifted up his bow and fired an arrow into the room. The goblin ducked but the arrow struck the bed, sinking into the mattress and spraying up feathers. Hullifan suddenly remembered that he too had a nocked arrow on his bow and fired it into the room. But the goblin was already fleeing towards the door, screaming at the top of his little lungs and the arrow flew behind him.
Bare fired once more as the goblin ran through the door of the bedroom but his aim was high and the arrow flew over the head of the goblin. There was a clatter from within the house as the arrow struck something. Something fragile by the sound of it.
Hullifan cast a quick spell and the sound of running footsteps filled the house. Whatever Hullifan’s intention it did not seem to work and in a fraction of a second the goblin was completely out of sight.
Bare lifted himself up and through the window and into the bedroom beyond. As Hullifan followed him into the house via the window, Bare crept to the door and listened. He could clearly hear the babble of goblin voices.
In goblin Bare hollered through the doorway in the goblin tongue, “There’s no elves. No magic Elves. It was just a leaf!”
There was a moment of silence from beyond and then a goblin voice called out puzzled, “Just a leaf?!”
“What did you say?” asked Hullifan.
But before Bare could answer four goblins came charging into the room carrying shields and wielding morningstars. Hullifan reacted instantly. He spoke and gestured and even as the goblins ran screaming into the room, three of them collapsed on the ground, sound asleep. The only one not to fall asleep was the one who had already fled from the two elves only moments before. This lone goblin stopped in mid-stride and gaped at his fallen comrades and then, once more screaming in fear, he turned and fled from the room.
“Kill them,” said Hullifan to Bare as he moved to look out the door and make sure no more were coming, “Stick them with your dagger.”
The sound of the fleeing goblin running up a nearbye set of stairs screaming was clearly audible.
“Come in goblins, Come and Fight,” shouted Hullifan out of the door in the Merchant tongue. There was no answer.
“My dagger?” said Bare, “Why not my Rapier?”
Bare drew his Rapier and ran one of the sleeping goblins through. Hullifan drew out his longsword and went to help dispatch the other two goblins.
They left the bedroom slowly and cautiously. There were clear sounds of movement both above them and below them. Beyond the bedroom was an expansive living room connected to a kitchen. The stairs up appeared to be over in the kitchen. As they entered stealthily into the kitchen they were met by a most horrible sight. Upon the kitchen table was the hacked bodies of the two elves that had lived in the house. Parts of the bodies were also on one of the counters and it appeared that the goblins had been cooking bits of the elves over the fire, though it was currently out. Flies buzzed about the bloody mess.
With a sickening feeling the two elves turned their eyes away from the horrible sight and looked at the stairs. There were actually two sets of stairs in the kitchen, one going up and the other one going down.
Bare took a moment to look at each set of stairs. There were clear signs of goblins going both upstairs and downstairs.
“You go downstairs and I will go upstairs,” suggested Bare, hefting his rapier.
“No!” said Hullifan, “I’ll get killed.”
“Then we will both go upstairs,” said Bare, “Just do it quietly.”
They proceeded stealthily up the steps. Bare was in the lead. He moved slowly, planting each foot carefully on the step so as to be as quiet as possible. He stepped on the fifth step. It creaked.
With a wince he moved quickly up and off it. It creaked as his foot left it and then creaked again when Hullifan stepped on it.
But despite the noise no goblins rushed at them. Both reached the top of the stairs.
They were on a landing overlooking the living room. There was a rail on the left side of the landing and a wall on the right. At the end of the landing was an open door. Standing in the bedroom on the other side of the door were two goblins, weapons and shields at the ready. The goblins made no move to rush them but stood poised to accept a charge.
“I can take care of them,” said Bare. He shifted his rapier to his off hand and made a gesture and spoke a word.
The two goblins yawned suddenly but shaking their heads they resisted the affects of Bare’s sleep spell with all of their might.
THUD!
A goblin who had been hiding behind the door fell forward, snoring heavily.
Bare stared surprised. Hullifan wasted no time, but with an elvish battle cry he charged forward at the two standing goblins.
One of the goblins was clearly the one who had already fled from them twice. This was the goblin that Hullifan aimed for. His sword swing was a bit wild but it still managed to clip the goblin through the neck. With a burbling cry the goblin fell to the floor, dying.
The remaining goblin tried to stab at Hullifan with the short spear he was holding but Hullifan leapt aside and out of the way. Still in the hall Bare cast another spell. A flash of light exploded in the goblins face, but as chance would have it the goblins eyes were screwed up tight as it stabbed wildly at Hullifan. Hullifan carved wildly through the air at the goblin but it threw up its shield and staggered back unhurt. Then in retaliation, while Hullifan was off balanced, it stabbed forward at him, catching him in the side.
Bare rushed forward to aid his comrade, rapier at the ready but the goblin, excited now by bloodlust dodged quickly aside and then blocked another of Hullifan’s wild swings with its shield. It tried to again stab at Hullifan, using the exact same tactic, but this time the elf was better prepared and turned aside the spear thrust with his sword.
Bare swung down at the goblins head and the goblin cowered aside and out of the way in a moment of panic. It'’ panic was its undoing for it had momentarily forgotten Hullifan. Hullifan’s sword caught it in the shoulder and cut down into its chest. It fell to the ground.
Downstairs the sound of feet could be heard pounding up the cellar stairs. Evidently the goblins in the basement had decided to come join in on the action.
Bare rushed over to the sleeping goblin and ran his sword through its ragged leather armor and into its heart. Its eyes flied open and then it died.
Hullifan stabbed his sword down into the floor at the back of the room and then drew out his bow and nocked an arrow. Bare, taking a cue from the goblin he had just slain hid himself behind the door.
The pounding feet were rushing up the stairs from the first floor now. Hullifan saw five squat goblins running as fast as they could, begin to reach the landing. He fired his first arrow and started to draw a second arrow immediately. The lead goblin lurched and then collapsed in a heap at the very top of the stairs, slowing down his three companions momentarily. It was enough to allow Hullifan to fire off a second shot as the three goblins leaped over their fallen companion and rushed towards the open door. Hullifan’s second shot was wide and sailed off over the railing of the landing, missing the new lead goblin by several inches.
But as the first goblin ran into the room at Hullifan, Bare swung from his hiding place behind the door. His sword stroke was true but not strong enough. It turned on the goblins leather armor and the goblin, enraged turned immediately to face this new threat to its life. Bare swung again though before the goblin could even swing its morning star and this time he aimed just above the armor slicing the goblins throat open.
Two of the other goblins had already rushed past Bare and into the room at Hullifan. They both carried short swords and such was the fierceness of their attack that Hullifan could do little to turn away their sword strokes and both cut him. Hullifan now bled from three wounds and he could feel himself growing weaker.
“No!” he shouted at the goblins but his swing was poor and the goblins scampered easily out of the way.
The final Goblin had stopped to challenge Bare. Bare easily avoided it’s weak attack and then skewered it. As it dropped to the ground he moved to help Hullifan.
Hullifan swung and connected his sword with the head of one of the goblins, knocking it to the ground.
Immediately the last goblin standing threw up his hands.
“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me” he shouted in goblin. Hullifan, not understanding goblin swung at him again anyway. Bare paused for a moment and then remembered the elf bodies downstairs. He lunged forward with his rapier. With a squeak the goblin threw himself sideways and out of the way of both blades. Then in desperation he stabbed forward at Hullifan with his short sword. The sword pierced Hullifan through the chest and he sank to his knees.
Bare lunged savagely at the Goblin, running him clean through and then rushed to Hullifan’s side. Hullifan’s wound was serious and unless something was done quickly Hullifan would almost certainly die.
Bare suddenly remembered the healing potions they had been given before leaving Oakheart. Pulling his out he slowly poured the liquid between Hullifan’s lips. The healing properties of the potion immediately began to work.
Hullifan stirred weakly and sat up.
Relieved Bare stood and began to examine the room more closely. It was evident that a goblin had been making the room his home. The place was a mess. Bare’s eyes strayed to a folded sheet of paper atop the bed. He moved over to the bed and unfolded the parchment. There, clearly drawn, though with a crude hand, was a partial map of Oakheart.
“What!” exclaimed Bare in outrage.
The Willowcoats lived, or if the worst was true, had lived in a modest but elegant elvish home far enough away from the village to be isolated but close enough to visit regularly.
Bare and Hullifan surveyed their house now from the shelter of two trees at the edge of the lawn. All appeared peaceful from the outside.
Overhead a hawk circled, watching the forest, the house and the elves. It was named Cyarma and it belonged, in a sense to Bare.
“I don’t think Cyarma sees anything,” said Bare.
The two elves scooted closer to the house. Bare scanned the ground.
“Goblin Tracks,” said Bare. He began to slowly scan the ground a little closer.
“I’ll cover you,” said Hullifan drawing out an arrow and nocking it to his bow string. \
“Move quietly,” whispered Bare as he slowly began circling the house, hunched over to better scan the ground. Despite Bare’s warning, the ground around the house did not seem particularly conducive to walking quietly and both elves found themselves struggling to be silent in their movements. To their sharp elvish hearing they sounded both loud and obvious.
Bare circled the house once, puzzled and then reexamined the ground behind the house. He looked at Hullifan confused for a moment. He stopped in front of a window in the back of the house,
“There are goblin tracks going in the front door but none coming out,” he said, “But there are tracks going both in and out of this window.”
“Let me take a look,” said Hullifan, stooping to peer down at the ground. The tracks though meant nothing to him.
“Well, lets go in through the window,” said Hullifan. Bare nodded agreement and Hullifan reached over and slid the window open without even bothering to look inside.
The window squeaked and a pile of rags in the middle of an unmade bed moved. A goblin face looked up in surprise, sleepiness giving way to shock in its beady red eyes.
Thinking quickly, Hullifan started reciting a poem. It was a rather unusual poem but Hullifan thought it might appeal to the goblin and throw it further off balance. To the side of the window, Bare sensing the presence of the goblin in the room readied himself to cast a spell.
“Ohh… He’ll break his legs and arms and bones…” chanted Hullifan.
The goblin simply stared, whether out of complete bewilderment or genuine interest it was hard to say. Bare suddenly stepped in front of Hullifan and stuck his finger forward at the goblin. Instantly a bolt of pure energy sailed through the air and thudded into the goblin throwing it backwards. Hullifan and Bare were momentarily jubilant. But then the goblin moved and rolling off the bed it came to its feet with a javelin firmly gripped in its claws.
“Help! Elvish Wizards!” yelled the goblin as it threw the javelin. Hullifan did not understand what it was saying but Bare did. The Javelin hit the wall underneath the window and flipped up harmlessly into the top of the window before landing with a racket on the floor of the room. Bare lifted up his bow and fired an arrow into the room. The goblin ducked but the arrow struck the bed, sinking into the mattress and spraying up feathers. Hullifan suddenly remembered that he too had a nocked arrow on his bow and fired it into the room. But the goblin was already fleeing towards the door, screaming at the top of his little lungs and the arrow flew behind him.
Bare fired once more as the goblin ran through the door of the bedroom but his aim was high and the arrow flew over the head of the goblin. There was a clatter from within the house as the arrow struck something. Something fragile by the sound of it.
Hullifan cast a quick spell and the sound of running footsteps filled the house. Whatever Hullifan’s intention it did not seem to work and in a fraction of a second the goblin was completely out of sight.
Bare lifted himself up and through the window and into the bedroom beyond. As Hullifan followed him into the house via the window, Bare crept to the door and listened. He could clearly hear the babble of goblin voices.
In goblin Bare hollered through the doorway in the goblin tongue, “There’s no elves. No magic Elves. It was just a leaf!”
There was a moment of silence from beyond and then a goblin voice called out puzzled, “Just a leaf?!”
“What did you say?” asked Hullifan.
But before Bare could answer four goblins came charging into the room carrying shields and wielding morningstars. Hullifan reacted instantly. He spoke and gestured and even as the goblins ran screaming into the room, three of them collapsed on the ground, sound asleep. The only one not to fall asleep was the one who had already fled from the two elves only moments before. This lone goblin stopped in mid-stride and gaped at his fallen comrades and then, once more screaming in fear, he turned and fled from the room.
“Kill them,” said Hullifan to Bare as he moved to look out the door and make sure no more were coming, “Stick them with your dagger.”
The sound of the fleeing goblin running up a nearbye set of stairs screaming was clearly audible.
“Come in goblins, Come and Fight,” shouted Hullifan out of the door in the Merchant tongue. There was no answer.
“My dagger?” said Bare, “Why not my Rapier?”
Bare drew his Rapier and ran one of the sleeping goblins through. Hullifan drew out his longsword and went to help dispatch the other two goblins.
They left the bedroom slowly and cautiously. There were clear sounds of movement both above them and below them. Beyond the bedroom was an expansive living room connected to a kitchen. The stairs up appeared to be over in the kitchen. As they entered stealthily into the kitchen they were met by a most horrible sight. Upon the kitchen table was the hacked bodies of the two elves that had lived in the house. Parts of the bodies were also on one of the counters and it appeared that the goblins had been cooking bits of the elves over the fire, though it was currently out. Flies buzzed about the bloody mess.
With a sickening feeling the two elves turned their eyes away from the horrible sight and looked at the stairs. There were actually two sets of stairs in the kitchen, one going up and the other one going down.
Bare took a moment to look at each set of stairs. There were clear signs of goblins going both upstairs and downstairs.
“You go downstairs and I will go upstairs,” suggested Bare, hefting his rapier.
“No!” said Hullifan, “I’ll get killed.”
“Then we will both go upstairs,” said Bare, “Just do it quietly.”
They proceeded stealthily up the steps. Bare was in the lead. He moved slowly, planting each foot carefully on the step so as to be as quiet as possible. He stepped on the fifth step. It creaked.
With a wince he moved quickly up and off it. It creaked as his foot left it and then creaked again when Hullifan stepped on it.
But despite the noise no goblins rushed at them. Both reached the top of the stairs.
They were on a landing overlooking the living room. There was a rail on the left side of the landing and a wall on the right. At the end of the landing was an open door. Standing in the bedroom on the other side of the door were two goblins, weapons and shields at the ready. The goblins made no move to rush them but stood poised to accept a charge.
“I can take care of them,” said Bare. He shifted his rapier to his off hand and made a gesture and spoke a word.
The two goblins yawned suddenly but shaking their heads they resisted the affects of Bare’s sleep spell with all of their might.
THUD!
A goblin who had been hiding behind the door fell forward, snoring heavily.
Bare stared surprised. Hullifan wasted no time, but with an elvish battle cry he charged forward at the two standing goblins.
One of the goblins was clearly the one who had already fled from them twice. This was the goblin that Hullifan aimed for. His sword swing was a bit wild but it still managed to clip the goblin through the neck. With a burbling cry the goblin fell to the floor, dying.
The remaining goblin tried to stab at Hullifan with the short spear he was holding but Hullifan leapt aside and out of the way. Still in the hall Bare cast another spell. A flash of light exploded in the goblins face, but as chance would have it the goblins eyes were screwed up tight as it stabbed wildly at Hullifan. Hullifan carved wildly through the air at the goblin but it threw up its shield and staggered back unhurt. Then in retaliation, while Hullifan was off balanced, it stabbed forward at him, catching him in the side.
Bare rushed forward to aid his comrade, rapier at the ready but the goblin, excited now by bloodlust dodged quickly aside and then blocked another of Hullifan’s wild swings with its shield. It tried to again stab at Hullifan, using the exact same tactic, but this time the elf was better prepared and turned aside the spear thrust with his sword.
Bare swung down at the goblins head and the goblin cowered aside and out of the way in a moment of panic. It'’ panic was its undoing for it had momentarily forgotten Hullifan. Hullifan’s sword caught it in the shoulder and cut down into its chest. It fell to the ground.
Downstairs the sound of feet could be heard pounding up the cellar stairs. Evidently the goblins in the basement had decided to come join in on the action.
Bare rushed over to the sleeping goblin and ran his sword through its ragged leather armor and into its heart. Its eyes flied open and then it died.
Hullifan stabbed his sword down into the floor at the back of the room and then drew out his bow and nocked an arrow. Bare, taking a cue from the goblin he had just slain hid himself behind the door.
The pounding feet were rushing up the stairs from the first floor now. Hullifan saw five squat goblins running as fast as they could, begin to reach the landing. He fired his first arrow and started to draw a second arrow immediately. The lead goblin lurched and then collapsed in a heap at the very top of the stairs, slowing down his three companions momentarily. It was enough to allow Hullifan to fire off a second shot as the three goblins leaped over their fallen companion and rushed towards the open door. Hullifan’s second shot was wide and sailed off over the railing of the landing, missing the new lead goblin by several inches.
But as the first goblin ran into the room at Hullifan, Bare swung from his hiding place behind the door. His sword stroke was true but not strong enough. It turned on the goblins leather armor and the goblin, enraged turned immediately to face this new threat to its life. Bare swung again though before the goblin could even swing its morning star and this time he aimed just above the armor slicing the goblins throat open.
Two of the other goblins had already rushed past Bare and into the room at Hullifan. They both carried short swords and such was the fierceness of their attack that Hullifan could do little to turn away their sword strokes and both cut him. Hullifan now bled from three wounds and he could feel himself growing weaker.
“No!” he shouted at the goblins but his swing was poor and the goblins scampered easily out of the way.
The final Goblin had stopped to challenge Bare. Bare easily avoided it’s weak attack and then skewered it. As it dropped to the ground he moved to help Hullifan.
Hullifan swung and connected his sword with the head of one of the goblins, knocking it to the ground.
Immediately the last goblin standing threw up his hands.
“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me” he shouted in goblin. Hullifan, not understanding goblin swung at him again anyway. Bare paused for a moment and then remembered the elf bodies downstairs. He lunged forward with his rapier. With a squeak the goblin threw himself sideways and out of the way of both blades. Then in desperation he stabbed forward at Hullifan with his short sword. The sword pierced Hullifan through the chest and he sank to his knees.
Bare lunged savagely at the Goblin, running him clean through and then rushed to Hullifan’s side. Hullifan’s wound was serious and unless something was done quickly Hullifan would almost certainly die.
Bare suddenly remembered the healing potions they had been given before leaving Oakheart. Pulling his out he slowly poured the liquid between Hullifan’s lips. The healing properties of the potion immediately began to work.
Hullifan stirred weakly and sat up.
Relieved Bare stood and began to examine the room more closely. It was evident that a goblin had been making the room his home. The place was a mess. Bare’s eyes strayed to a folded sheet of paper atop the bed. He moved over to the bed and unfolded the parchment. There, clearly drawn, though with a crude hand, was a partial map of Oakheart.
“What!” exclaimed Bare in outrage.
