food took all attention away from conversation. Both parties packed up and prepared to go their separate ways, seeing as no further information could be traded.
“Thank you for the pleasantries. These roads have been lonely and bare, so it was good to see someone else traveling,” the elf said, bowing again.
“Indeed, and you are most welcome. May your travels be safe and without incident,” Kunya answered.
“And may your duties with the goblins go well.”
The afternoon sun lingered high in the sky as the five continued their trip. Algan recognized the path they shot into the forest with previously and pointed it out. “Are we going down this same path?” he asked, pausing in his stride.
“No. We’re going further north, toward the center of the wood. The lair we cleared out a few days ago was on the southern edge of the forest, and probably a satellite base of operations for their main forces. That might be why we found a sorcerer and a pair of orcs among their numbers.”
“Orcs?” Rusga inquired. “What would they be doing this far away from the mountains? I hope they aren’t thinking of forming an alliance with the ugly little things. Combining goblin ingenuity with orc ferocity would surely lead to nothing but trouble for the wilderness.”
“And for the civilized lands, too,” Kida piped in. “I like seeing the different towns and sampling their taverns! All the different tastes and smells, and the experiences… no two are the same.” She clenched a fist in resolve, her high-pitched voice resonating over the area. “We can’t let them take that away! Forward!”
The other four paused and looked at the half-kitsu's attempt at encouragement in disbelief. Rusga and Riun snickered and couldn’t keep control as they began laughing openly.
“Oh man, you sound sooo fierce!” Rusga spit out between giggles, mocking her squeaky words.
“Yeah she does! She’s ready to take on a whole army of orcs, hahah!” the tribeman agreed.
“I'm serious!” she protested, face contorted in irritation. They paid her change of expression no mind.
“I think that is enough pep talk, young one,” Kunya said, patting Kida’s shoulder reassuringly. She had looked ready to cry, feeling insulted that her enthusiasm wasn't taken seriously. “You are right though. We cannot let this destruction spread further than it has already. Who knows what we would do without good taverns and inns along the roads for weary adventurers?” The half-kitsu looked rather confused, unsure if the wizard’s words were sincere or sarcastic. She seemed glad that someone didn’t laugh though; the little fox was very serious about what she said.
Evening came swiftly as the winter sun lingered in the sky only a few hours more. Though there were no clouds to drop snow tonight, the clear atmosphere sapped what heat that remained from the day. A gentle breeze stirred the embers of a campfire, the remnants of the blaze used to prepare the last meal of the day. Only the rustle of leaves in the brush gave away that something was very wrong.
“Kunya, get up. There’s noise in the forest and no wind,” Kida whispered, nudging the mage.
“Huh? Noise?” she answered, sitting up hurriedly. The chill air had crept into the tent with the kitsu’s warning. “Prepare for battle, we have company.” Her eyes narrowed and she chanted softly to prepare spells for the inevitable. Kida woke the others and they readied their weapons, prepared for an ambush under the pale moon.
The five waited for naught but a second as a half dozen small figures leaped at them from the brush, followed by an equal number of arrows. Kida and Algan caught an arrow each and the others missed as the two warriors moved to intercept the spears aimed for Kunya and Rusga. Riun took the blows to his skin and laughed at their ineffective points while Algan blocked with his shield and armor.
“Die!” one of them screeched in the common tongue, chanting much like Kunya had been only a moment ago. A wicked blue light shot forth followed by a second, one striking each of the warriors. They winced as the spell dissipated but its effects lingered as their bodies were battered by pure energy.
“Augh. Take that mage out!” Algan cried, blocking another salvo of arrows. Riun charged toward where the lights appeared from but found nothing there; his target had moved in the cover of night and brush. A spear found its way solidly into his backside and he grunted in disapproval as he turned about. The goblin’s face, smiling widely initially at the solid hit, dissolved into fear as the barbaric warrior’s adrenaline surged. A great blade, much bigger than any human should use, cleaved his enemy in two and Riun roared loudly in approval of the bloodshed.
Kida grinned and faded into the brush herself. From there she drew a bow of her own and murmured softly, taking aim at one. “ Aahlirmes.” Now, take this, she thought as the arrow released. It flew squarely into the creature’s skull, dropping it in an instant. “Perfect shot!”
“Good job Kida! Now watch me work!” Rusga answered, drawing his own large blade. With far more finesse than Riun he danced into the battle and dispatched two of the foes, neatly slicing them apart. Kunya supported the four with her protective and healing spells, helping to turn possible hits into harmless misses. As their numbers dwindled, what few goblins remained began to flee. Riun chased after them in his frenzy but the others were winded enough and stayed at camp. The tribesman returned after about a minute, panting heavily from fatigue.
“I killed two others. The rest got away in the brush and undergrowth,” he wheezed, dragging two bodies behind him. Kunya grimaced a bit at the sight of their mangled corpses, marred with cuts and scratches from the various thorns and branches that littered the forest floor. The jingle of coins was all that kept the wizard from telling Riun to take the dead creatures away from the camp right away.
“Check them for valuables, then we need to get them away from here. They’ll start to reek quickly, as filthy as they are,” Algan spat out, cleaning the blood from his spear. “We don’t want any scavengers bothering us too.”
“I agree.” Kunya sat down and observed Kida as the kitsu rifled the various pockets and pouches on each goblin. Here and there she’d pull a few coins of various metals from their hiding places. A small pile grew, and she carried it into the tent for counting as the two warriors dispatched the bodies after each searching. Rusga took over watch as Kida was too busy with the shiny coins to take back her duties, while the other three retired once again for the night. The rest of the evening, thankfully, passed without incident. A frosty morning greeted the party and breakfast went by quietly. Kida and Rusga were tired, and the human trio simply wanted to get moving toward their destination. They broke camp after a half hour and headed north once more.
“So… uh, how’d everyone sleep?” Kida asked, testing the waters after about fifteen minutes of travel.
Riun and Algan grunted in response. Rusga was preoccupied with some flying insect, but Kunya had no excuse or distraction. “Fair enough, all things considered. I do wish we could have slept the entire night without an encounter, though, like Algan and myself got to on our first trip. I suppose with more people it is harder to conceal our presence, and having a fire for warm meals probably made us a more obvious target.” The kitsu looked down at the road and frowned. “Oh, no, it is nobody’s fault. I did not object either, and I rather appreciated having the warmth this time.”
“Yeah, that was nice. I haven’t had much company on my travels around here, just this guy mostly.” Kida pawed at Rusga but the catfolk was having nothing to do with this conversation.
“Leave me out of this. You two have your talk and your bonding time, hmph,” he insisted, moving steadily away. He was irritated about something, but it wasn't clear what that was.
“Oh, fine. You’re such a spoilsport sometimes, honestly. Anyway, Kunya, what happens when we get there?”
“We fight, probably. Goblins do not appreciate their lairs being invaded, and unlike the four or five that fled last night we will probably kill most of the ones there. Not many will choose to flee, preferring instead to defend their treasures