A Little Piece of Last Friday's Session
The party emerged from the forest's edge into the lumber camp in the minutes before dawn. This late in the season, there was little enough daylight to spare. At this hour, the lumberjacks should have been moving about, fortifying themselves with a hearty breakfast before the hard day's work to come, but we neither saw nor smelled the signs of cooking.
They stalked between the rows of simple structures. Here, away from the moderating influence of the sea, the weather had already turned cold enough to produce the first light snowfall. In this powder, the ranger was able to read confirmation of the tale brought to them the previous night--a skirmish had taken place here between goblins and men, ending with men marched away in chains toward the great glacier to the north.
"It looks like they've got some sledges with them, heavy-laden . . . with worgs to pull them. I wouldn't be surprised to find the toolshed's been emptied," the elf said. "They've got a few hours head start, but we should be able to outpace them."
"Let's check the huts. There may be more survivors," Naoko said. It was a slim hope, but the monk held onto it anyway.
"Be careful. Goblins may've left a surprise or two," said Tanako, the slimmer of the two fighters in the group. He'd had some experience already fending off goblin raiding parties back in the village, and even had a scar to show for it.
Tanako's advice seemed almost prescient, as Naoko opened the door of the nearest hut and found himself face-to-face with one of the evil warriors in the flesh. Dressed in filthy leather, the creature came to just above his waist. It charged, a deep thrumming issuing from its throat.
Naoko's training took over, as he dropped into a fighting stance and brought his staff to the ready. The goblin's morningstar swung wildly toward the monk's head, but was deflected harmlessly away by one end of the staff. In the same flowing motion, the other end of the staff came around to crash against the creature's ribs.
Seemingly unhurt, the goblin continued his deep-voiced call and circled, looking for an advantage.
"Shut him up, he's calling for help," the ranger said. His personal animus toward the goblins was well-known.
"I'm . . . trying," said Naoko, dodging blows from his diminutive foe. The distraction of Naoko's friends moving in to help seems to have unnerved the goblin, who can manage no better than wild swings to keep the monk at a safe distance. With the timing born of long training, Naoko steps in close just behind one of those swings and thrusts the heel of his palm beneath the creature's jaw.
"Ki-AI!" The goblin's neck snaps, and it slumps to the ground.
In the very next moment, the worg burst from the forest.
"Looks like somebody heard him after all," Tanako said. He tightened his grip on his sword and prepared to receive the beast's charge.
Quote of the Day
Have the courage to be ignorant of a great number of things, in order to avoid the calamity of being ignorant of everything. -- Sydney Smith