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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wicht" data-source="post: 1206542" data-attributes="member: 221">1.3Bare and Hullifan spent the night in the second story bedroom of the Willowcoats house, trying not to think about the partially consumed elves downstairs.  They searched and stripped the dead goblins in the room of gear.  The goblin who had been hiding behind the door was equipped slightly better than the others.  For one thing the bow he had been carrying was of a quality make as was his short sword.  He also had a quill and a small bottle of ink on his person, indicating he had been the one who had made the map.    There was a chest in the room at the foot of the bed.  Hullifan, seeing no key for it anywhere smashed it open with his sword.  Inside was a large quantity of golden coins.  They talked quietly through the night of what they had found, making plans to continue in the morning towards the hollow tree that Dargin, the brownie, had mentioned seeing goblins in.  Bare was indignant at the thought of this many goblins infesting his forest home.“They wanted to kill us,” he complained to Hullifan indicating the partially drawn map of Oakheart they had found.  “We killed them first though,” said Hullifan philisophically.***********************When morning came they exited the house and began the walk towards the oak tree in question.  Cyarma, Bare’s hawk companion, fluttered down from where he had perched the night atop the roof of the elvish house and landed on Bare’s arm.  Bare smiled and fed him a scrap of meat from a pouch at his belt.  “Fly ahead,” said Bare to Cyarma stroking the hawk’s feathered head, “and let us know if you see anything.”  Cyarma finished swallowing the small bit of meat and then let out a mild screech of agreement.  He moved his feet back and forth for a moment and then took off into the air.“He will let us know if there are any goblins near,” said Bare to his friend.  The tree was supposed to be only about two miles east of the Willowcoat’s house.  After traveling the first mile with a fair amount of speed, the two elves began to move much more slowly and quietly, aware that if there were goblins they would rather that it was they who surprised the goblins and not the other way around.  Cyarma was the first to spy the goblins from his vantage point far above the forest roof.  His keen eyes made them out nestling in a large hollow spot in a large oak tree.  The hollow spot was some twenty feet above the forest floor.“Cyarma sees some goblins,” said Bare quietly to Hullifan and indicated the direction in which they needed to go.Hullifan nodded and the two of them began to creep low to the ground, doing their best to be quiet and unseen.  They peered through the bushes and then crept a bit further making sure they continued to move quietly.  After a few minutes of traveling in this way they cleared a low rise and saw through the forest undergrowth the tree in question.  It was rather large around and quite tall, a giant in its own right.  Their keen elven eyes had no trouble making out the two goblins sitting rather comfortably in a hollow opening twenty feet above the floor.  The goblins, each armed with a short bow were not talking but were instead peering off into the forest.  They were obviously sentries of some sort.  Fortunately for the two elves the goblins seemed more zealous than skilled in their duties and neither goblin spotted the elves who were not thirty feet away in a straight line from their vantage point.  Bare sent his Cyarma a mental command to keep looking for trouble and then he and Hullifan began a hurried but quiet discussion.“What now,” said Bare so low as to be almost silent.“I could use Ghost sound,” began Hullifan…“Could you imitate a goblin king?”“Ghost sound doesn’t do voices.”“A sleep spell then,” said Bare.“Right,” said Hullifan.Perhaps one of the goblins thought he heard something for he started to look more closely at the forest floor near his tree perch.  But he didn’t have time to spot the elves.  Bare spoke the necessary words and pointed at the goblins.  Both fell soundly asleep at once.  Without waiting Bare dropped his pack, leaped up and ran to the tree which he then began to quickly scale.  Hullifan meanwhile stayed where he was and pulled out his bow.  It was the bow they had taken from the goblin at the Willowcoats.  He fired on arrow at the goblin closest to the opening of the hollow trunk.  His arrow landed squarely in the goblin’s chest.  The goblin lurched from the impact and his body reacted by jumping up from its crouched position.  The effect was such as to cause the goblin to fall out of the hollow.  His head hit one branch on the way down and then he careened into the ground.  Bare looked questioningly back at Hullifan from his spot halfway up the tree trunk.  The falling goblin had barely misses hitting him.  Hullifan smiled wickedly and fired again.  His arrow missed the still sleeping goblin and thudded into the back of the hollow trunk, buzzing from the impact.  The goblin stayed asleep though and Hullifan fired a third shot.  This one struck home and the goblin slumped from sleep into death.  Bare reached the hollow opening with one hand and pulled himself quickly up to it.  He took a quick look at the wooden hole.  It was large enough for two goblins and would be a nice home to a brownie but it was only big enough for one elf.  Bare grabbed the body of the now dead goblin and pulled it out past him and propelled it down to the forest floor where it landed with a thud by the body of its late companion.“It’s only big enough for one of us,” said Bare over his shoulder to Hullifan who had started climbing the tree to join Bare.  Then Bare scooted into the trunk and looked at what the dead goblins had left there.  Neither bow had fallen with its owner nor had the two quivers of arrows resting against the back of the trunk.  In addition to the short bows there was also a rope ladder and a hunting horn.  The bottom of the hollow opening was very smooth, as if it had been sanded and cut into a flat floor.  Probably Dargin’s work assumed Bare.“There’s a hunting horn in here,” said Bare to Hullifan who had by now reached a branch just below the hollow and was able to look in.  “Its probably their alarm,” said Hullifan knowledgably.About that time Cyarma spotted some more goblins.  They were resting in a small spot only about a half a mile from the tree.  “Cyarma sees some more small smelly things,” said Bare to Hullifan.“Small smelly things?”“That’s how she thinks of goblins, don’t ask me why, they are bigger then she is.  I am going to blow the horn.  Then the goblins will come and we can shoot them from up here.”“How many of the goblins are there?” asked Hullifan“My hawk can’t count,” answered Bare with a wry grin, “Not many though.”  Then without a further word Bare lifted the horn to his lips and blew.  The note sounded out loud and clear, ringing through the forest tree tops.  With a wicked smile of anticipation Bare readied his bow and nocked an arrow.  Hullifan looked panicked for a moment and started to try and climb higher.  His foot nearly slipped in his haste and thinking better of it he moved instead to a branch clockwise around the tree and wide enough to hide his form from the ground.  Then so positioned he also readied his bow.  Within minutes a group of four goblins came running through the undergrowth from the south east.  They carried shields in one hand and wicked looking morningstars in the other.  As soon as they were close to the tree Bare and Hullifan fired.  Both arrows struck.  The goblin Bare hit spun from the impact and dropped to the floor.  It was not dead but moved slowly and weakly as if trying to get away .  Hullifan sliced through the shoulder of another goblin with his arrow.  The goblins stopped in surprise.  They had been expecting foes on the forest floor and now they were being attacked from the trees.  The elves fired again.  Bare’s  arrow drove through the one he had dropped with his first shot and pinned it down to the earth.  Hullifan too hit his target, the goblin he had injured.  This arrow was slightly truer and the goblin flew back from the impact, the arrow in his chest.  He did not move again.“There’s more goblins coming,” shouted Bare to Hullifan as he readied another arrow, “Cyarma just saw them.” The two remaining goblins pinpointed the elves up in the tree and in anger they rushed at the trunk to begin climbing up after their assailants.  Bare and Hullifan fired a third time but the new angle threw both of them off and the goblins, hugging close to the tree trunk watched the arrows fly harmlessly past them and started to move quickly to the lower branches.  Unfortunately for the goblins, their desire for vengeance was greater than their skill at climbing and both of them reached an impasse from which they could discern no quick way to get higher.  As they pondered Hullifan’s next arrow flew by them but Bare’s arrow was on target.  The arrow landed into the goblin from above.  The goblin dropped to its knees and then careened off the branch.The remaining goblin looked nervously at its falling companion and then leapt for a higher branch, grabbed ahold of it and propelled itself quickly up to the hollow spot in the trunk.  Just as Bare was readying another arrow the goblin stuck its face in the hole.  The goblin growled and screeched at Bare who quickly let loose of both arrow and bow and drew his dagger from his belt.  The goblin readied its morningstar just as Bare sliced forward with his dagger.  The dagger was quicker than the goblins weapon and sliced into its cheek.  An arrow landed suddenly in its ribs and then Bare stabbed it again.  With a look of helplessness the goblin loosed its hold on the side of the hollow trunk and fell backwards.  It hit the ground on its head and its neck snapped with a sound audible to the elves in the tree.Both elves took deep breathes.“Cyamar says there’s something dangerous with the other goblins coming.  I can’t make out quite what it is, but it scares her more than the goblins do,” said Bare sticking his head out of the hollow and speaking over to Hullifan.  “I have another sleep spell,” said Bare after a moment’s thought, “this is a good time to use it.”“I do too,” said Hullifan, “We can both cast it.”Then, with nothing else they could think of to say, both elves moved back into their positions.  This time though, when the goblins burst through the forest floor they were coming from the north east and Bare realized immediately to his chagrin that he had no way of firing at them from the hollow trunk’s opening.  As he stuck himself out of the hollow he saw that in addition to another four goblins, there was also a fierce looking goblin mounted on a large black haired, red eyed wolf, a goblin worg.  Before the goblins could react to the sight of their fallen goblin comrades both elves let loose with their spells.  Hullifan’s spell struck first and three of the goblins on foot fell to the forest floor.  Hullifan’s spell was about two seconds behind.  The other goblin on foot fell asleep as did the massive looking worg.  The worg’s falling asleep in mid gallop caused its rider to be ejected from its back.  The hefty goblin though rolled with the tumble and sprang straight to his feet, a rage growing in his beady red eyes.  “Stinking Goblin!” yelled Hullifan and drawing his bow back and wrapping his legs tight around the large branch upon which he was perched he fired down at the worg.  The arrow landed in its side and the worg’s eyes flew open.  The great black beasts leapt to its feet in pain and let out a howl of frustration.  The howl echoed from trunk to trunk and up through the leafy boughs.Bare meanwhile was looking for a way in which to get to a position from which he could shoot the enemy.  He peered up above the hollow trunk’s opening but saw no immediate way in which to climb higher.  Frustrated he moved slowly out of the hollow and perching his foot on a branch below began to work his way further out onto the branch in order to better see the foe.  But even though he could see the howling worg now and the four sleeping goblins he could not see the fierce goblin that had been riding the worg.That was because the goblin, who wore a shiny battleaxe on his back, was scaling the tree trunk directly on the other side of Bare.  Hullifan could see the goblin climbing but chose to once more fire at the worg.  His arrow struck and the worg, with two arrows now in its shaggy black body snarled in anger up at the elf.  Bare fired an arrow at it which grazed it, drawing some blood.  The worg snapped its jaws and then turned and leapt away into the undergrowth.Hullifan turned his attention to the climbing goblin, who, he discovered to his dismay, in a matter of seconds had reached a branch which was only a short distance horizontally from the branch upon which Hullifan was sitting.  With a cry of dismay Hullifan fired at the snarling goblin.  The goblin ducked aside from the missile and then with an animal growl it leapt from its branch over to Hullifan’s branch and clutching to it, the goblin pulled himself up and sat down on the branch, legs astride it like a horse.  Hullifan lifted his bow up and hung it on a branch above and spinning his body around he too sat astride the branch facing the goblin and drew out his longsword.  Bare fired one arrow at the retreating worg and then, seeing his friend about to enter into combat drew another arrow and aimed it at the goblin’s head. Hullifan meanwhile sliced forward with his sword, catching the goblin with the tip.  The goblin disdainfully ignored the blow and lunged forward, swingly wildly with its battle-ax held in both hands, holding onto the branch with its legs alone.  The swing went wide as Hullifan ducked back and away from it.  The goblins forward momentum though occurred just as Bare fired and the arrow sailed behind its head, missing by mere inches.  Hullifan, swung again, but the goblin was not to be taken by another such blow.  As another of Bare’s arrows flew past it harmlessly, it blocked Hullifan’s swing with its battle ax and then, with a mad fury in its eyes it punched forward at Hullifan with the head of its ax.  The blow was unorthodox but, under the circumstances effective.  The axe head caught Hullifan in the ribs and propelled him backwards.  Hullifan’s legs slipped and he found himself falling from his perch.  Desperately, letting loose of his sword he grabbed at a nearby branch.  His fingers slipped but it was enough to slow his momentum and allow him to grab a second branchbelow him.  He swung down onto this branch, dangled for a moment, his feet only five feet or so above the forest floor and then let go, landing gracefully, albeit slightly bruised, next to his sword.  Bare, unnerved by Hullifan’s fall missed the wild looking goblin a third time.  The goblin looked disdainfully down at Hullifan and then over to Bare who was about fifteen feet away from it on another branch.  The goblin looked for a way to bridge the distance.  Bare fired again and the goblin, with a movement almost as quick as a snakes moved aside in time.  The arrow sliced by its arm, raising a thin line of blood but the goblin ignored the pain and  moved closer to the trunk in an effort to try and climb across to Bare’s branch.  Hugging the trunk, the goblin quickly proved itself to be adept at dodging arrows.  Bare fired again and then again.  Each time the goblin, watching the elf out of the corner of its eyes, moved just in time and quickly enough so that the arrows struck the trunk and not it.  It snarled at Bare after each miss and continued to look for a way to make it to Bare.Meanwhile down on the ground, Hullifan, knowing the goblins would not stay asleep forever had retrieved his sword from the ground and moved to dispatch them while they slept.  One after another he cut their throats and then moved on to the next one.  As soon as Bare missed with another arrow the goblin screwed up its courage and leapt over to the  branch on which Bare was sitting.  Bare seized the opportunity and fired again.  This time the arrow struck true.  The goblin wrenched the arrow head from his shoulder and scooted forward towards Bare.  It’s jaws were actually foaming with rage and it seemed to have little regards for its own safety as it moved steadily at the elf.  In panic Bare threw his bow down and drew out his rapier.  The longbow fell towards the ground, struck a branch and snapped.  It fell onto the floor in two pieces , held together only by its bowstring.  Bare scarcely heeded his bow’s death but lunged forward wildly with his rapier at the deadly goblin that was moving towards him.  The goblin, gripping its axe now turned aside the blow and swung wildly at Bare.  Bare countered ineffectually and then regaining some of his composure as he ducked away from the next wild swing, worked to focus his mind.  He was in his element the goblin was not.  So reassured, Bare stabbed forward calmly and precisely.  His blade bit into the goblins wounded shoulder and drew forth a fountain of more blood.  The goblin though, wild with fury and seemingly unkillable swung his axe with a wild abandon.  The axe caught Bare in the side and threw him from the branch.  Bare rolled with the fall and neatly caught another branch, the same one on which his bow had snapped.  The elf swung down and then used his swing to propel him up and onto the branch he was holding.  Pulling himself onto the branch he winced and held his wounded side.  The axe had cleaved neatly through his leather armor and into his flesh.Overhead the goblin raged in fury and looked about ready to leap the ten feet over and down to where Bare was now.  But even as he gathered himself an arrow flew up from the ground and into his back.  Hullifan had finished the goblins on the ground off and had retrieved a spare bow from his pack which he had left on the ground next to Bare’s.  The goblin looked surprised for a moment and then he tumbled forward, off the branch and straight to the ground where he landed with a thud.  Bare eased himself down from the branch he was on and onto the ground.“Shall we search the bodies,” he asked  Hullifan with a grin.  They had conquered!But just as the two elves lowered their guard and moved to examine the dead goblins a large black bundle of fur and teeth erupted from the undergrowth and charged straight at Hullifan.  It was the worg, returned with a fury.  Bare reacted almost instantly by drawing his rapier and running to assist his friend.Hullifan rolled away from the worg’s furious attack and then drew his sword.  Bare stabbed ineffectually at the worg.  It was enough though to shift the worg’s attention from Hullifan to Bare.  With a snap of it’s jaws it lunged at Bare and tore into his wounded side.  Shaking the elf for a moment it dropped Bare to the ground and jaws slavering moved in for a killing blow.Hullifan struck it with his sword on his back.  The blow snapped bone but the worg, with the same relentless fury its rider had possessed turned in a flash and bit into Hullifan’s arm.  Bare rolled away from the battle, scarcely strong enough to move.  With an effort he opened one of the pouches on his belt and pulled out a small flask of liquid.  It was the second of the two healing potions they had received before leaving Oakheart.  He popped open the flask and swiftly swallowed the contents.  The worg had released Hullifan’s arm, having torn great amounts of it with its savage teeth.  Hullifan lay on the ground unmoving, shock from the pain and sudden blood loss had caused consciousness to flee.  With a snarl the worg moved in once more to deliver a killing blow to an elf.  Again it was interupted.  Bare, back on his feet, had struck at it with his rapier.  The blow was innefectual but it saved Hullifan’s life for the moment.  The worg in fury and some exasperation turned to once more strike Bare.It slashed at him with its teeth and Bare, trying to ignore the pain of the new wound and stay on his feet slashed at it with his rapier.  The worg in fury snapped back futilely at the blade and then tried to once more tear open Bare with its teeth.  Bare, gathering what strength he had left ducked aside from the deadly fangs and pierced the worg with his rapier between its shoulders.  Bleeding now from four grievious wounds the worg fell to the ground, its sides heaving.  Standing atop it Bare pushed slowly but firmly with his rapier into its heart.  The beast died.Bare moved to bandage Hullifan who was bleeding badly yet from his torn arm.  Then with a mental call to his hawk he gathered their belongings and did a quick search of the bodies.  Out of curiousity he performed a minor incantion over the battle-ax the goblin had been using.  It was clearly of dwarf make.  The ax began to glow.  With a smile Bare tied it to his pack, grabbed the money pouch off the goblin (it clearly was full of coins) and returned to Hullifan.With a grunt Bare lifted his friend in his arms and so laden with packs, friend and gold he slowly began the slow journey back to the village, his hawk flying lookout overhead.</blockquote>

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