a
pretty easy path. If you want to stay totally concealed, there's a drainage
ditch that runs from the edge of town to the eastern river. The banks are tall
enough to conceal us all the way to those buildings over there. Another way
would be to cause a distraction to the east and we could walk right up that
trail to our left. You could also cast a shadow spell over us. With that and
the darkness, I don't think they'd see us if we walked right up to them."
"No spells for the moment,"
Holli replied, and then she revealed the anomaly she sensed in the magic around
the town.
"Any idea of what's causing
that?" Ryson wondered aloud.
"Magic is a current that will
bend to those that know how to use it. While the flow is quite strong, someone
could simply be monitoring the magic in a more active manner as opposed to
passively riding the flows, pulling in all they could muster but not absorbing
it for any use. There also could be an item of enchantment that is redirecting
the magic for a similar purpose."
"And any spell you cast might
get someone's attention?"
"It is a possibility. I can
not say for sure until I understand the source of the disturbance."
"So better safe than
sorry."
"That is my position."
"Okay, no shadow spells. It's
still not going to be difficult to get across the clearing. I'd pass on the
distraction as well, no sense raising any alarms. I would also think the ditch
is a bad idea. We'll get into town, but we'll be covered in mud. Might be hard
to avoid attention that way. The blind spot over there is my first
choice..." Ryson paused and listened deeply, and then sniffed the night
air.
"A sizable pack of goblins is
coming up from the forest," he warned, "but they're across the river,
southwest of our position. They're using the road. Fairly close."
Holli could not yet sense them, as
the strong current of magic flowing in from all directions disrupted her
abilities.
"A raid?" she asked.
Ryson shook his head.
"No way." He was
convinced of that fact, and revealed why. "They sound... drunk."
Holli's expression revealed
disbelief.
"You're going to hear them in
a moment." Ryson explained. "They're not even trying to keep
quiet."
Within a few short moments, the
elf did hear the clamor. She could not believe it, but it sounded as if the
they might actually be trying to sing. Singing goblins was not something she
ever thought she would hear, and once she heard it, she decidedly didn't wish
to hear it again. It sounded more like the anguish of metal grinding against
rock to an unsteady beat.
"How many do you think there
are?" she asked.
Ryson shrugged at first, but then
offered his best estimate.
"Two dozen, maybe even
three."
He paused and sniffed the air
again.
"Wait... there's more...
behind us. They're not using the road... they're between the rivers."
Holli went silent and removed the
bow from over her shoulder. She readied an arrow just in case they were
spotted. She motioned Ryson to remain still and under the cover of thick tree
limbs. Eventually, she heard the rustling of branches and brush at ground level
on both sides of their position. Remaining silent, she pinpointed the location
of four more goblins moving through the trees.
The goblins did not spot either
the elf or the delver. They were actually quite oblivious to their
surroundings. They showed little care to what might be in the forest and even
less concern over the town they approached. They ventured out into the clearing
with total disregard to the guards on the rooftops, and they stumbled onward
through the field without trying to hide their advance.
Once they were out of earshot,
Holli whispered to the delver.
"We can use this. Follow
me."
The elf dropped out of the tree
and quickly chose a path that led toward the town but away from the goblins
that continued to stumble carelessly ahead. She crouched low and motioned for
the delver to do the same.
"Keep to the shadows, but
move low to the ground, as if you are just another
pretty easy path. If you want to stay totally concealed, there's a drainage
ditch that runs from the edge of town to the eastern river. The banks are tall
enough to conceal us all the way to those buildings over there. Another way
would be to cause a distraction to the east and we could walk right up that
trail to our left. You could also cast a shadow spell over us. With that and
the darkness, I don't think they'd see us if we walked right up to them."
"No spells for the moment,"
Holli replied, and then she revealed the anomaly she sensed in the magic around
the town.
"Any idea of what's causing
that?" Ryson wondered aloud.
"Magic is a current that will
bend to those that know how to use it. While the flow is quite strong, someone
could simply be monitoring the magic in a more active manner as opposed to
passively riding the flows, pulling in all they could muster but not absorbing
it for any use. There also could be an item of enchantment that is redirecting
the magic for a similar purpose."
"And any spell you cast might
get someone's attention?"
"It is a possibility. I can
not say for sure until I understand the source of the disturbance."
"So better safe than
sorry."
"That is my position."
"Okay, no shadow spells. It's
still not going to be difficult to get across the clearing. I'd pass on the
distraction as well, no sense raising any alarms. I would also think the ditch
is a bad idea. We'll get into town, but we'll be covered in mud. Might be hard
to avoid attention that way. The blind spot over there is my first
choice..." Ryson paused and listened deeply, and then sniffed the night
air.
"A sizable pack of goblins is
coming up from the forest," he warned, "but they're across the river,
southwest of our position. They're using the road. Fairly close."
Holli could not yet sense them, as
the strong current of magic flowing in from all directions disrupted her
abilities.
"A raid?" she asked.
Ryson shook his head.
"No way." He was
convinced of that fact, and revealed why. "They sound... drunk."
Holli's expression revealed
disbelief.
"You're going to hear them in
a moment." Ryson explained. "They're not even trying to keep
quiet."
Within a few short moments, the
elf did hear the clamor. She could not believe it, but it sounded as if the
they might actually be trying to sing. Singing goblins was not something she
ever thought she would hear, and once she heard it, she decidedly didn't wish
to hear it again. It sounded more like the anguish of metal grinding against
rock to an unsteady beat.
"How many do you think there
are?" she asked.
Ryson shrugged at first, but then
offered his best estimate.
"Two dozen, maybe even
three."
He paused and sniffed the air
again.
"Wait... there's more...
behind us. They're not using the road... they're between the rivers."
Holli went silent and removed the
bow from over her shoulder. She readied an arrow just in case they were
spotted. She motioned Ryson to remain still and under the cover of thick tree
limbs. Eventually, she heard the rustling of branches and brush at ground level
on both sides of their position. Remaining silent, she pinpointed the location
of four more goblins moving through the trees.
The goblins did not spot either
the elf or the delver. They were actually quite oblivious to their
surroundings. They showed little care to what might be in the forest and even
less concern over the town they approached. They ventured out into the clearing
with total disregard to the guards on the rooftops, and they stumbled onward
through the field without trying to hide their advance.
Once they were out of earshot,
Holli whispered to the delver.
"We can use this. Follow
me."
The elf dropped out of the tree
and quickly chose a path that led toward the town but away from the goblins
that continued to stumble carelessly ahead. She crouched low and motioned for
the delver to do the same.
"Keep to the shadows, but
move low to the ground, as if you are just another
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