Part the Forty-Sixth
In which: spyscribe utterly fails to come up with a clever intro.
The first few days through the woods are quiet and uneventful. After less than a full-day’s travel, Benedic leads the party off of established trails and into an untracked wilderness known in the Confederacy as “the wildlands.” Untracked by humans at any rate.
Reyu is relieved to be back in the woods. She notices signs of deer, raccoons, beaver, puma, and even the occasional bear. She also sporadically notices the marks that indicate that some of the smaller humanoids have passed this way. The odd dwarf, but also goblins. Interestingly, no elves. But no signs are particularly fresh, and she keeps her own counsel.
Mostly, Reyu is looking for an animal to become her adventuring companion. Now that they are out of the city, travel with a wolf would be much less problematic. Although, she allows that the horses might not feel that way.
**********
The group has been traveling for about six days. It’s nearly winter now, and the daylight hours are cold. The nights, as it currently is, are colder. Anvil sits second watch, keenly aware that Kettenek Rising is only a few weeks away. He is prepared to make his celebrations wherever he finds himself, but Anvil must admit that—
Suddenly, three goblins come running out of the woods at breakneck speed through the clearing where the party has camped. The small creatures are yelling at the top of their lungs, brandishing javelins and morningstars.
Behind them, seven more run out of the trees. Then eight, then ten...
Anvil draws his sword, and with a shout to Reyu—also on watch, goes running into the fray.
It only takes a few moments for the rest of the party to rouse, but it only adds to sense of confusion. People are yelling, shouting, and meanwhile wave after wave of goblins continue pouring out of the woods. Reyu takes note of the area where they all seem to be coming from, and casts entangle on the trees across the goblins’ path. Odd, she just has time to think, they didn’t surround the camp before attacking. It’s almost like they’re running from someone. Still, it’s lucky for her, as the spell is able to stem the onslaught. Reyu is quite satisfied to see four goblins caught in the twisting, reaching branches.
She doesn’t waste any more time on tactical musings, and readying her short-spear, faces the horde of goblins tearing through the camp.
Anvil is quickly surrounded by a small mob of goblins. They don’t seem to be hurting him much, but the sheer numbers frustrate him. If only there was a way to attack more than one of them at a time…
Not far away, Thatch has taken the time to mount Bob, and man and horse begin killing the invaders as quickly as they get into range. As Bob stomps one to death, Thatch leans down in the saddle and decapitates two others with a single blow. The fighter can’t hide his grin. Let them keep coming.
Lira does her best to stay out of close-range and fires off magic missles as quickly as she can cast. It feels like she’s barely making a dent.
Hue, meanwhile, takes cover behind the picketed horses and casts freezing sphere, which he begins rolling towards the heart of the fight.
Eva finds herself back to back with Benedic, who is practically frothing at the mouth as he hacks his way through the flood. What is his thing with goblins? she wonders as she thrusts her rapier through one assailant’s chest.
As the fight continues, Reyu notices that some of the goblins are not simple warriors: a few carry slightly better weapons than the shoddy javelins and morningstars wielded by the majority of the mob. One who wears odd bits of bone and other trinkets on a string around his neck chants and attempts to strike Anvil with some kind of spell.
“Anvil!” she shouts.
The Justicar spins just in time to see the shaman coming at him, hand covered in a glowing aura and raised to strike his back. He brings up his sword and with a mighty blow, severs his attacker’s arm.
Dimly, through the clash of weapons and cries of battle, Eva hears faint shouts in the distance—shouts in a language she does not understand. Damn, not more of them.
Reyu also hears the voices in the distance. She, however, can make out a few words and understands the language. The voices are speaking in Dwarven… and are coming from the same direction the goblins were. The last piece of the puzzle snaps into place.
The goblins were running from someone.
A group of someones, in fact.
Who would quite likely be useful allies in this battle.
Except that they’re caught in her entangle spell.
(to be continued…)
So even when you're trying to help the party you nearly kill them! Must be your inner rat bastard at work.
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
