A "purely tactical" retreat
(Bravely running away)
After a mildly comfortable night in the inn, the group wakes in the morning and eats breakfast (some lose their appetites as Valic informs them of his night with the crone).
"Did she even know what was going on?" Lachlan asks, picking a small piece off a biscuit and trying to stomach something after the more sordid details. Valic stops and looks up and to the side, actually thinking.
"Iunno." He shrugs and shoves another handful of eggs into his mouth. Lachlan curls her lip in disgust and scoots away from the table looking to Kii.
"What's wrong with you?" She asks. Kii has been staring at the bar pouting since they were served.
"I wanted to see the bird again," she responds and lowers her head to the table.
"You two are ridiculous. We should get back soon, we got what we came here for." Lachlan looks at Valic and Garrick who haven't stopped shoveling food into their faces. "Are you two ready?"
Garrick looks to Valic, seemingly for his approval. Valic sops up some of the leavings on the platter with a large piece of toast and stuffs it into his mouth. Garrick does the same.
"Stop." Valic says around the mouthful. Garrick, pouts, but stops. "Yeah, I guess thats fine. But I don't wanna walk." Lachlan nods.
"Probably not a good idea since we appear to have an army of goblins after us." Kii's attention is immediately pulled from the table.
"AN ARMY OF GOBLINS?!" She shouts. A few patrons look over and Valic picks Kii up by the neck of her robes.
"Let's go get some horses."
After asking around a bit, they are directed to the town stables.
A thin, greasy looking human greets them.
"Heya folks, picking up? Renting?" He smiles.
"Yeah." Valic, the wordsmith, responds.
"One for you and your pretty little lady?" He asks, looking to Lachlan. Valic pushes her back behind him as he sees her going for her blades.
"We'll be taking three of them. I'll need the largest one you've got."
They nearly see dollar signs in his eyes as he begins adding it up.
"Let's see, that'll be-"
"I don't think you understand. I said, we'll be TAKING three. One of which will be your largest, strongest horse."
The stablemaster smiles again.
"Oh, I think the guards may have a problem with that." He says and looks behind Valic at a patrolman walking past.
"Oh, I dont think they will." Valic says, brandishing his Helgrym signet. The smile falls.
"This is bullshit." He mutters, turning away to prepare the horses.
"Submit a bill to Helgrym. Add a complaint if you like." Lachlan says when he hands the reins to her. Her grin is so vitriolic, he actually takes a step back.
"Yes ma'am." He says.
They trot to the gate and it is opened for them.
"Be careful, the goblins have been restless since your little stunt the other day." Cpt. Bralok says.
Once they clear it, they set the horses to a gallop straight away.
The goblins don't wait long. Ambush parties immediately try to charge them but the horses leave them in the dust. A loud horn sounds and goblins on riding dogs give chase, but even they are no match for the speed of the horses. Not knowing the extent of the goblin troops, they ride their horses to exhaustion and arrive back at the keep a few hours later.
"Valic, Lachlan, Garrick . . . And who is this?" Dreugar asks as they trot to a stop.
"New recruit." Valic says.
"Swell. Got us some new horses I see. Set you back a pretty penny?"
"There was a sale. Got them for a steal." Lachlan says.
"I'll just bet you did."
"Did she even know what was going on?" Lachlan asks, picking a small piece off a biscuit and trying to stomach something after the more sordid details. Valic stops and looks up and to the side, actually thinking.
"Iunno." He shrugs and shoves another handful of eggs into his mouth. Lachlan curls her lip in disgust and scoots away from the table looking to Kii.
"What's wrong with you?" She asks. Kii has been staring at the bar pouting since they were served.
"I wanted to see the bird again," she responds and lowers her head to the table.
"You two are ridiculous. We should get back soon, we got what we came here for." Lachlan looks at Valic and Garrick who haven't stopped shoveling food into their faces. "Are you two ready?"
Garrick looks to Valic, seemingly for his approval. Valic sops up some of the leavings on the platter with a large piece of toast and stuffs it into his mouth. Garrick does the same.
"Stop." Valic says around the mouthful. Garrick, pouts, but stops. "Yeah, I guess thats fine. But I don't wanna walk." Lachlan nods.
"Probably not a good idea since we appear to have an army of goblins after us." Kii's attention is immediately pulled from the table.
"AN ARMY OF GOBLINS?!" She shouts. A few patrons look over and Valic picks Kii up by the neck of her robes.
"Let's go get some horses."
After asking around a bit, they are directed to the town stables.
A thin, greasy looking human greets them.
"Heya folks, picking up? Renting?" He smiles.
"Yeah." Valic, the wordsmith, responds.
"One for you and your pretty little lady?" He asks, looking to Lachlan. Valic pushes her back behind him as he sees her going for her blades.
"We'll be taking three of them. I'll need the largest one you've got."
They nearly see dollar signs in his eyes as he begins adding it up.
"Let's see, that'll be-"
"I don't think you understand. I said, we'll be TAKING three. One of which will be your largest, strongest horse."
The stablemaster smiles again.
"Oh, I think the guards may have a problem with that." He says and looks behind Valic at a patrolman walking past.
"Oh, I dont think they will." Valic says, brandishing his Helgrym signet. The smile falls.
"This is bullshit." He mutters, turning away to prepare the horses.
"Submit a bill to Helgrym. Add a complaint if you like." Lachlan says when he hands the reins to her. Her grin is so vitriolic, he actually takes a step back.
"Yes ma'am." He says.
They trot to the gate and it is opened for them.
"Be careful, the goblins have been restless since your little stunt the other day." Cpt. Bralok says.
Once they clear it, they set the horses to a gallop straight away.
The goblins don't wait long. Ambush parties immediately try to charge them but the horses leave them in the dust. A loud horn sounds and goblins on riding dogs give chase, but even they are no match for the speed of the horses. Not knowing the extent of the goblin troops, they ride their horses to exhaustion and arrive back at the keep a few hours later.
"Valic, Lachlan, Garrick . . . And who is this?" Dreugar asks as they trot to a stop.
"New recruit." Valic says.
"Swell. Got us some new horses I see. Set you back a pretty penny?"
"There was a sale. Got them for a steal." Lachlan says.
"I'll just bet you did."
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