Heroes of the Realm Chapter 4: Ambush

Samantha's whetstone sent sparks into the dying fire. The constant sound like a chant to the war god she prayed to. The stars shown down on her little camp, several tents set up around the warmth of the campfire. The only other noise was Bud snoring loudly from a stony outcrop just outside the tents. He was the only one to not have a tent after they retrieved Roland's pack from the nearby forest. He laid completely sprawled out on the ground, as though he were sleeping on the finest silks.

Samantha smirked at the sight of him then went back to her sharpening.

She'd taken the second watch that night, right after Bud. They'd decided that despite their supposedly safe surroundings it was best to keep an eye out in case the farmers decided to come back in force. They would've moved on but between their escape and the ogre attack the party was just too tired to keep going.

Samantha smirked again, this time at the idea that she was in a party, the common term for a group of adventurers. In most of the realms a party was a group designation, like a gaggle of geese or a murder of crows, a way to classify a group that formed together. She'd studied parties in her training, from how to fight with them to what to do if one encountered one as an enemy (Go for the casters first, try to take the healer down if possible, keep an eye on anyone who has a ranged weapon...) but she'd never really thought she'd be in one, especially one not like this. Her and Hugo were both on their first official assignment from the Temple of War, and that's about as big of a party she'd ever been in.

She frowned at the thought of the Temple. She'd need to file a report soon.

A movement in the corner of her eye caught her attention. Cassandra's bright yellow dog, Midnight, poked its head up suddenly with its ears perked. The dog had slept outside of the halfling's tent, and up till now hadn't made a single movement.

Samantha stood up as the dog started barking. A dog like this, she thought, was far more suitable on a farmstead and not out in the wilds. Better to have a mastiff or a wolf hound, no matter how cute and precious his sweet little face was. She'd give him a piece of salted pork to quiet it down.

She heard the arrow before she reached the dog. It feathered the log she was just sitting on, vibrating with the force of the impact.

Samantha spun, sword in hand toward the direction of the arrow and where Midnight was barking. She saw shapes charging out of the woods at a fierce speed, large and loping with a chorus of screams and yells coming from them.

She held her sword in a defensive position, knowing that she couldn't swat every arrow that came at her, but maybe one or two would give her an advantage until they were close enough to strike. As loud as she could, she also yelled to her party "Attack!"

The first beast lumbered into the light. It was a wolf, massive with grey fur, and a goblin loosely tied to its back. Its green skin and yellow teeth shining in the firelight as it swung a crude blade towards the nearest tent. Before it finished its arc, an arrow sprouted from its mounts eye socket, and the beast fell to the ground with the surprised goblin underneath it.

Samantha turned to see Cassandra with bow in hand, patting Midnight on the head.

***

"Aim for the wolves!" Cassandra shouted as she loosed another arrow at another wolf, toppling its rider in the process. Goblins, she remembered, were cowards and would only fight if they felt they had the advantage. If their wolves were gone and they had to face down a party then they would most likely flee.

Of course they weren't facing the full party. Samantha was chopping through both wolf and goblin with glee, swinging her long sword as easily as a farmer would swing a hoe. To her right she saw Roland and Gimini get out of their tents and start fighting as well, with Roland acting as bait while Gimini snuck up behind their targets.

Bud was still asleep where he had been earlier that night.

"Wake up Bud!" she shouted, hoping someone would hear her. She saw Gimini look over and throw something into the air. Just before it landed on Bud it burst into a shower of sparks and crackles, raining down on the sleeping half-orc. Bud immediately stood up with both axes in hand and started swinging at the nearest opponent.

"Thanks!" Cassandra shouted as she fired another arrow.

As arrows rained down on tents she noticed that Talesian had yet to even poke his head out, while Hugo seemed to be rolling around inside his tent swearing about buckles and clunky armor. After loosing another arrow she saw Thayne stumble out trying to wiggle into his skinny leather pants, only to trip over and fall to the ground where a goblin tried to ride him down.

"Thayne!" was all Cassandra could get out before a black tentacle whipped out and grabbed both wolf and goblin a second away from bearing down on the lad.

Cassandra turned to see six more black tentacles springing from Roland's back as he stood just behind the tents, his eyes glowing with an eerie green mist. He had several other riders and wolves in his grasp and with one movement he slammed all that he was holding to the ground. Those that got up ran for the woods.

"Damn!" was all she could get out as the tentacles retreated back into his being and his eyes returned to normal.

"I owe you guys," Roland said, with a smile on his face.

***

Within ten minutes the party was back on the road marching at a swift pace. Cassandra had gone ahead of the party to scout a new place to sleep. Roland walked beside Bud, ahead of Thayne and Talesian with Hugo taking up the rear. Ahead Samantha marched with sword drawn and Gimini stayed on the side of the path just out of the torchlight.

You did excellent, my love. 

Roland was used to ignoring the Voice by now, though he was grateful to have others with him. The voice was easier to drown out when he could hear other voices.

"Soooo... Does this happen to you folks often?" he asked, trying to break the silence the group had fallen into.

You could've taken out all the goblins by yourself, my love.

"This is actually our first goblin attack," said Thayne through a yawn. Introductions were done just after Roland's rescue earlier that evening.

"Let's just hope it's our last, for your sake" said Talesian to the half elf. "The next goblins likely won't give you a chance to pull your pants up."

"I didn't see you in the fight," said Bub.

Why do you ignore me, my love? 

"I was busy prepping the correct spells." Talesian said with a sneer. "Yesterday's exertions have completely drained my magic reserves, and I needed time to prepare the most optimal spells for the battle. The boy would have no such excuse though, for even a poorly trained bard should be able to conjure something useful at a moment's notice, even if it is playing that ridiculous instroment. Leave it up to a half-blood to enter a battle with his-"

Bud turned around and stopped in front of Talesian. "What did you say about half-bloods?"

The entire group stopped. Bud stood there with his arms crossed and his fingers gently touching the hilts of his axes. The tone of his voice had been so calm, so placid you'd almost think they were discussing the weather, but the look in his eyes said volumes more. Talesian stood looking up at him from under his wide brimmed hat, his jaw clenched in fury. Thayne stepped back till he was standing beside Hugo, his eyes darting from Talesian to Bud so rapidly Roland thought they were going to spin out of their sockets.

"Come on, wizard," Bud said calmly. "Tell me what a half-blood would enter battle with."

Just then Cassandra burst out of the bushes causing the entire party to jump but Bud, who stood motionless staring at Talesian.

"I found a place!" she said excitedly, her dog padding up beside her. "What's going on?"

What interesting friends, my love.

"Oh, just a night of not enough sleep and too many goblins," Roland said with a smile. "I'm sure that if we decrease one and increase the other we'll all be just fine. Tell me dear, what is it that you found?"

"I'm not a deer," Cassandra said with a huff. "And I found a farm house, but you may not like it.

A half hour later they stood before a farm house set several yards back from the main road. It was two stories and sprawling with intricate woodwork adorning every piece of exposed wood they could see. The aesthetic was ruined by the numerous arrows sprouting from the structure, and the dead family lying single file outside the open door.

"What in the hells..." Roland said, staring at the scene.

"The arrows are goblin," Cassandra said. "But goblins would never attack a house like this, and if they did they'd have looted it and burned what's left to the ground. Most everything is in tact inside and...."

"...and here it stands..." Hugo finished.

"Is it a trap?" Gimini asked, his dual daggers already out.

"I doubt it," Cassandra said. "Goblins aren't clever enough to leave traps this elaborate. They're usually more of the pits with spikes at the bottom types."

Roland knelt down and examined the bodies. Each one was killed with what looked like a single stab through the heart, perfectly circular as though someone had put a fist into their chests.

"This doesn't look like goblin work," he said after a minute.

Perhaps if they were raised from the dead-

"Well, we need sleep," Roland said. "There must be room inside. I say we stay here and inform the authorities in the morning. No chance they'd hit the same place twice, is there?"

Cassandra shook her head. "No, whatever they were going to do they've done it already. Probably keep some watches just in case though.

Perhaps it's just as well, my love. You need your sleep. 

***

Gimini wandered through the house, the early light of morning peaking through the trees. He was supposed to be on guard duty but he was bored and had begun considering his situation.

It wouldn't take much effort, he thought as he stepped through the sitting room where Samantha laid sprawled out on a sofa. He could easily rob every one of the group then slip away into the morning. He thought about how much he could take as he made his way up the stairs.

He wouldn't need much. Just enough for passage in the next town. Buy a horse or rent a carriage and he'd be gone. They'd never catch him in a million years. He may even be out of the Kind by the time they were up, if he was lucky.

He opened a door into the parents bedroom. On one half of the bed Roland was curled up in the sheets, his long black hair spilling out from underneath his black cap. On the other side was Thayne, still fully dressed including the thin sword he wore on his belt. Gimini smiled at the sight. Obviously the kid didn't want to be caught unaware again.

As Gimini looked at the young half-elf he saw for a moment a child in worn blue pajamas, curled up in bed with a stuffed owlbear in one arm and his dad's belt tied around his waist, with a wooden sword stuffed tightly at his side.

Gimini shook the image out of his head and wiped away a tear. He couldn't rob these people. Thayne thought he was on some grand adventure, like a bard's tale told late at night in a tavern. The reality of the world would hit the lad soon enough, and Gimini decided he didn't want to be the one to introduce him to it.

He walked around the bed and gently opened the nightstand drawer and began robbing from the dead.