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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wicht" data-source="post: 1167183" data-attributes="member: 221">5. As the giant bees slept soundly the two elves weighed their options.  “Only one of us should sneak into the room,” whispered Bare very, very quietly.  “Which one?”  whispered Hullifan just as quietly.  “I’ll go,” whispered Bare, “I can do it quieter.”“I’ll cover you then with my bow,” whispered Hullifan back.Swallowing hard, Bare started to creep stealthily into the room.  His footsteps were as light as feathers.  The bees barely stirred.  Reaching the honeycombs on the far wall, Bare opened the lid of the jar and quietly and slowly scooped it full of honey.  Then, placing the lid on the jar he started back across the room.  If anything, he was quieter in the leaving than he had been in the entering.  Once he reached the tunnel mouth both he and Hullifan began to slowly and quietly retrace their steps.  They did not speed up until they had exited the bee-tunnel and reached the spot they had entered down into the depression.  Placing the honey jar into Bare’s backpack, they scooted up the climb and only then did they feel able to talk.“We did it,” said Hullifan jubilantly.  “We did it,” said Bare just as excitedly.  They had rested all during the day and so were not tired.  Despite it being night, they could see well enough and instead of making a camp, they decided to simply head straight back towards Oakheart.  Their pace was quick and such was their elation at having completed their master’s set task that they paid little attention to more than setting their feet in the right direction.Thus it was that about two hours after leaving the hive of giant bees, they almost walked straight into a small band of goblins without realizing it.“Stupid Negrit,” murmured a voice a very short ways ahead of them in the goblin tongue, “Stupid negrit gets himself lost and then its us as has to find him isn’t it!”“Goblins,” hissed Bare frantically at his friend, “hide quick!”Hullifan darted behind a tree and Bare darted in the other direction,Just as they were situating themselves, four goblins stepped out from the underbrush not fifteen feet away.  At once the beady red goblin eyes latched onto the figures of two elves trying to hide themselves.”“Stinking Elves!!!” called the goblin in the front of the other three goblins.  All four goblins immediately hefted the javelins they were carrying.At that moment Bare fired an arrow.  It flew through the air and lodged deep in the throat of the one in front who had yelled.  Two of the goblins, a fraction of a second began charging, javelins leveled, at Hullifan.  Hullifan, who had been nocking an arrow looked up just in time to see the two javelins as the rammed into him.  With a cry, Hullifan fell to the ground.  The other goblin threw his javelin at Bare.  But it flew wide and landed in a bush to Bare’s left.  Bare fired a second time and one of the goblins that had been about to stab at Hullifan fell to the ground never to move again, an arrow had lodged in his chest.  The other goblin standing over Hullifan turned from the prone elf and javelin at the ready, charged towards Bare.  Bare dropped his bow, stepped aside from the thrust and drew out his rapier.  The other goblin charged towards Bare as well but Bare, with his Rapier now out, easily parried aside the goblins javelin and then with an easy motion savagely thrust the tip of his sword into the first goblins heart.  With a cry the remaining goblin turned and fled from this elven machine of death and began running eastwards into the forest.  Bare sheathed his rapier and picking up his bow he fired a shot at the back of the fleeing goblin.  His arrow hit a branch and repelled aside, failed to strike.  Bare fired one more time at the receeding figure and missing once more, decided to turn his attention to his bleeding friend.  Hullifan was not dead, but it was a close thing.  With all the ability he could muster, Bare worked to stop the bleeding and then made a bed on the forest floor on which his friend could lay.The night passed slowly for the lone elf, but his diligence paid off.  By morning, Hullifan, though still gravely injured, was strong enough to talk and with the aid of Bare, strong enough to move slowly through the forest back to Oakheart.</blockquote>

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