Chapter 27

The group had a peaceful night with no indications from the forest folk that the Goblin tribes of the area had approached. Something Balat confirmed when he communicated with Doriel,

“They’re mostly scouting the areas around the main road, not the route to the south we’re taking,” Balat confirmed.

“Good, though I’m surprised they’d think we’d move along such an obvious route,” Amina replied.

“More likely just ruling it out,” Darras replied. “We’ll likely be spotted today, so expect some fighting and try not to let them get close as they spit poison.”

“I have antidotes for that and the toxins used in their arrows,” Mirion added. “But best to avoid getting poisoned in the first place.”

“Balat and I have masks that protect our eyes; we’ll deal with any sword or knife work needed.”

“That we will,” Balat nodded as the group finished breakfast and most got into the wagon, pulling out their bows in readiness.

The Elven scouts moved out swiftly and silently along the chosen route; fifteen minutes later, the wagon moved out, and Mirion, flanked by Darras and Balat, was driving the team. In the back, the four thieves looked out from behind the unusually shaded covers that made the wagon difficult to spot at a distance, particularly when it wasn’t moving.

“There is a lot of activity out there,” Firios informed Darras when he came to report. “However, much of it seems confused and rushed, as if they are being goaded.”

“I suspect it is,” Darras nodded. “I don’t think whoever is in charge of this Challis is very pleased with his minions.”

“The Royal scouts will be setting off decoy raids and keeping them occupied too.”

“Good, keep them starting at shadows and not looking for us,” Darras replied. “Sooner or later, though, they will run across us.”

“True, but the later, the better.”

Half the day later, a small group of Goblins finally came into contact with the wagon. There was no use of tactics on their part, simply a wild charge from out of a dense patch of scrub where they’d concealed themselves. Unfortunately for them, the Elves had already marked their presence and had made sure the messenger they’d sent back to the main body of the tribe was dealt with. The Elves then added their arrows to remove several Goblins from the rear as Darras, Balat, and the Thieves Guild shot them down from the front as they began their wild charge. None of the Goblins made it into close combat range, the last going down to an arrow from Amina before it got within ten yards of the wagon.

Clean-up was swift; the thieves searched the Goblin corpses for anything worthwhile before being dumped unceremoniously into the same dense scrub from which they’d emerged.

“A few silver nuggets and a gold coin,” Amina chuckled. “Guess they don’t measure success as we do.”

“Probably not,” Darras smiled. “Hopefully, what you got from the tower was worth it, though.”

“It was; though working with you is always profitable, we would never insist on payment.”

“Erren knows this, hence her generosity.”

“Will we be seeing her ... should we survive?” Amina asked.

“Yes,” Darras nodded as the last corpses were hidden away.

That was the start of a series of encounters with various groups of Goblin scouts. Whilst slightly stressful, the Goblins needed to be in larger numbers to trouble Darras and his friends as they moved from one thicket of woods to another, avoiding hilltops and ridgelines where they could easily be observed.

“Their numbers are definitely increasing,” Firios informed the group when they set up their camp for the night. “Though we have misdirected several groups.”

“They also don’t cooperate well with other tribes, and often enough will attack them on sight,” Tinara added.

“Good fortune for us,” Amina nodded.

“So far, yes, but tomorrow it may be bad as we approach the Hollocks, as our routes become limited,” Firios replied.

“Aye, there’s only one pass through the Holloks ... that we know of,” Balat agreed.

“The Royal Scouts found no others, though the Ostelven will likely have had some,” Traskis nodded.

‘They do, but they are sealed with magics neither Balat nor Demala could unlock as yet’, Erren informed Darras.

“So, likely a series of running fights tomorrow?” Darras mused.

“Yes, Darras,” Firios replied.

“We’ll manage, though everyone get a good sleep as you’ll need your wits about you tomorrow.”

“We will,” Amina agreed. “They’ll likely try to get to the horses.”

“That’s why they wear those mithril mail coats and the regular stops to water and feed them,” Darras chuckled. “Light as mithril is.”

“Same as in our garb,” Balat added. “Though without the leather liners.”

“The covers on the wagon are the same,” Darras said. “The sides are high, and you have good cover.”

“Pelegard really came through for us,” Balat chuckled, making the others smile.

“He did; despite all the armour, the wagon is no heavier than others of its type,” Darras agreed.

“Well, it’s likely to be tested tomorrow,” Firios added. “So, make sure you wear your armour, particularly whoever will drive the team.”

“I will,” Mirion smiled. “I have no particular wish to die nor any real skills with weapons.”

“Yet you can use barriers, which will help if they temporarily stop us,” Darras replied.

“As can I to a limited extent,” Balat added. “Enough to get a few into a group and fight.”

“It’s likely enough,” Darras nodded. “Now, eat and sleep, my friends; you’ll need it.”

The scouts had already set out before the wagon left the thicket; Balat had informed them that the forest folk had diverted several Goblin groups away from the woods during the night but that they had detected several Goblin shamans in the area who were guiding the tribal groups.

“Still not cooperating, really,” Amina observed as she glanced over Mirion’s shoulder.

“Be thankful,” Darras replied. “Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Lizardmen and Orcs would have nailed us by now.”

“True.”

The first attack happened within half an hour of leaving the thicket when a large war group of Goblins charged the wagon from over a small ridge. Mirion halted the wagon immediately and moved to its rear. Darras, Balat and the thieves immediately began to pepper the group with arrows whilst Mirion prepared a barrier. Despite several Goblins falling to arrows, the war party rapidly closed with the wagon when the area outside the barrier erupted in flame, immolating the majority instantly. The group in the wagon swiftly despatched the panicking rest, even as Mirion raised another barrier outside the first and drew the air from the gap between the two barriers to extinguish the flames.

“Well done, all of you,” Darras congratulated them.

“Demala got most; they didn’t know we had a fire user amongst us ... or likely where,” Mirion replied.

“Yes, though we need to cool the area around us as we don’t want it to relight,” Darras nodded.

“I can do that,” Balat replied. “Just drop the barriers, Mirion, please.”

Balat then spoke a series of gibberish words to Darras’s ears, though recognised by Mirion, that caused the air to chill and a mist to rise from the ground and flow over the scorched area. Within a minute, the ground was just cold ashes over the topsoil.

“Clever,” Mirion congratulated Balat, making him blush. “No summoning circle either.”

“You need to fix the symbology clearly in your mind,” Balat replied. “I’ve been practising a lot with Lomarris to do it, but can only manage the basics such as hot and cold.”

“Still impressive though, young Balat, there are so-called Elven masters who never reach that stage.”

“Lomarris says it’s mostly due to their inflexible thinking and the way they are taught,” Balat smiled. “Though Mesoli is beginning to make progress teaching the advanced classes at the new university.”

“Yes, her work with Demala is impressive,” Mirion nodded as the group climbed into the wagon and set off again towards the Hollocks in the distance.

“Several large bands are making their way towards you, though they are constrained somewhat by having to keep their distance from each other,” Firios informed the group as he approached.

“Do they know what we did?” Darras asked.

“Yes, Demala spotted a shaman watching through farsight,” Firios confirmed. “She dealt with him, but not before he reported to his tribal elder.”

“How much time before they hit us again?”

“About an hour, this is a much bigger band than the last, almost two hundred warriors,” Firios replied. “I would not advise stopping this time.”

“We’ll take them at the run,” Darras nodded.

“Good, we’ll pick them off as well.”

This time, there was no subtlety from the Goblin warband; they came charging towards the wagon from both sides of the wagon. The concealed Elves were able to take down several, as were the wagon members. Tarmeet was currently the driver with Mirion in the rear to use barriers and heal any injured, and he urged the horses into a gallop towards a set of woods where it was hoped the group could break contact. The mithril chainmail over the horses stood the group in good stead as it prevented any injuries. Nor were the Goblins able to haul themselves onto the wagon easily; their small stature made it extremely difficult for them, and many were crushed under the wagon’s wheels as they fell to their deaths from slipping or a blow from the thieves.

“Demala has located their shaman; she’s going after him with magic,” Balat yelled as he expertly knifed a climbing Goblin, causing it to fall under the wheels.

“Good, they’ll lose track of us ... for a while,” Darras said.

“Only another day and a half,” Balat smiled.

“We’ve been lucky.”

The killing of the shaman by Demala and the excess casualties suffered by the Goblins, who had no answer to stopping or getting into the wagon, eventually meant the attack petered out as the Goblins ran out of steam, leaving a trail of dead and injured Goblins behind them.

“I don’t think they are suited for raiding wagons,” Amina commented as she stuck her head through the front cover.

“You got that right,” Balat agreed.

“They may learn,” Darras warned. “Or there may be a brighter shaman who can block our path.”

“Anyone injured?” Tarmeet asked.

“No, the arrows couldn’t get through the mithril,” Amina replied. “Nor are they Elves and able to hit the gaps from where we shot our arrows.”

“Just be thankful, and we aren’t over this yet,” Darras warned.