Gilbert takes the spot closest to the fire, notions for Duchess to come over to him, and fall asleep soon after.
Giving Yui a smile Nestasha replies, "Thank you Yui, I would appreciate that." She looks at their host, "I don't ssupose ou have a tub I could use to bathe in before I go to ssleep do you?"
Walthus scratches his head apologetically. "Sorry, lass. Not much here to bathe in except swamp water."
---------------------
The next morning comes slowly, and were it not for the sounds of chirping birds outside, one could be forgiven for thinking it had not come at all. The canopy of leaves continues to block most of the sunlight from shining through. Walthus' offered room has proven to be more than adequate in keeping the party warm and dry.
"So, ya plannin' on heading out today, then?" The halfling asks as he rouses the party. In a strange turn of events, he's accompanied by three snakes--one with a red, yellow & black coloration, one with a mottled brown coat and one with green scales & a yellow underbelly. The three snakes eye the party with curiosity and caution.
"Don't mind them--Minnie, Hyrgan & Pressi are dangerous, certainly, but they'll leave you alone as long as you're with me and don't make them mad. Especially Minnie." He nods at the red, yellow & black one. "She's got a nasty venom. Poor faceless bastard found that out the hard way."
Awakening slightly refreshed, Nestasha gets up and see the three snakes. Hearing Walthus speak about them, Nestasha nods to each of them in turn, "I rather like poisonss, I'm poisonous too, always nice to meet otherss."
"Aww, who's the beautiful little snake! You all are!" Gilbert looks around in his pack for snacks to leave for the snakes.
"Thank you, Walthus! It's been a pleasure! I hope to meet you again in the future, in less dire circumstances... You know where we can find a hydra around here?", says Gilbert, stringing his bow and checking his lance before continuing. He then pats Duchess and heads out.
"No time like the present! The hunt begins!", says Gilbert, jumping on his horse.
Yui thanks Walthus for his hospitality and wishes him all the luck in getting his teapot cleaned.
Once outside and back on the horse with Gilbert Yui looks back to Nestasha. "Do you still need healing Nestasha?"
Nestasha's wounds don't look much better than before when Yui asks her question, "I wouldn't turn it down, I sstill feel pretty bad."
Helping Yui up, Gilbert takes a mental note from the map, and starts leading the way, lance in hand. "So, everyone confident? We're going to teach these goblins not to mess with Sandpoint again, right!", says Gilbert, trying to raise the spirits.
Her wounds knitting closed at Gilbert's touch, Nestasha leans into him and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek, "Thank you Gilbert, I appreciate thiss."
Gilbert goes red in the face, and mutters something uncoherent, "You're welcome." being barely understood.
Caerwyn wakes and stretches out the kinks from a night on the floor. Looking over Gilbert's shoulder he studies the map. "Straight across the swamp would be quicker, providing we don't get lost. However going out and around via the old fish trail would get us there without that possibility. It would just take us longer."
Once preparations have been made and farewells have been exchanged, the party sets out from Walthus' home to seek the goblin village and put an end to their antics once and for all!
Climbing onto her spot on Gilbert's mount Nestasha replies, "As much as I want to get thiss done, I think it would be wise to take the longer route to avoid the chance of getting losst."
"As much as I'll probably take offense to that, people have a point. Bah! The easy road it is, then! Even more chance to thin the goblin pack before we strike, wouldn't you say so?", says Gilbert, helping the ladies get on the mount, and checking his arrows one last time.
The trail from Walthus' home becomes better lit as the party leaves the swamp to circle around to the old fishing trail. The swamp is oddly silent...
It sounds like there are several goblins running. And they're REALLY panicked.
Caerwyn holds up his hand in a signal for everyone to stop. Cocking his head to one side he whispers "Does anyone else hear that? It sounds like a bunch of goblins...and somethings got them running scared." He pulls his sword from it's sheath and motions for the others to move off the trail before he does himself.
Gilbert lets go of the reins of the horse, nocks and arrow and follows Caerwyn in a safe distance. Duchess follows in the bushes. The hunter's usual jolly face is now an emotionless mask, looking around for prey.
Nestasha slides down and offers Yui a helping hand on dismounting before following the two men stealthily.
Yui follows the boys as well after dismounting, thanking Nestasha for the help.
Her boots make little squishing sounds whenever she lifts them though. Each squish increases the scowl on her face more and more.
They were so nice and pretty and new
-Posted with Wayfinder
The goblins appear to be too panicked to notice Caerwyn's or Gilbert's approaches. Unfortunately, the combination of Yui's boots making loud *sucking* noises as she tromps through the trail and Nestasha accidentally stepping on a few brittle twigs draws the goblins' attention!
Gilbert looks at the goblins and signs for Duchess to attack, as he lets an arrow loose.
An arrow flies from the bush, just as Duchess runs and bites a goblin's leg. The arrow hammers in another goblin's shoulder. Gilbert shouts from the bush, "Leave me a clear line of fire!" as he nocks another arrow.
Caerwyn rushes to attack but in his zeal he mistimes his swing and misses, much to his chagrin.
Gilbert's arrow fells a goblin easily, while Duchess leaps forth and brings another goblin down. She clamps her jaws down on the goblin's leg and starts shaking it violently around!
Gilbert
Goblins
Yui
Caerwyn
Nestasha
Ikoma
Gilbert draws two more arrows and shoots them at the goblins, still from behind the bush.
Gilbert's first arrow flies wide, but his second goes straight through the other back goblin's head. It drops like a sack of flour.
Duchess leaps upon another goblin and starts chomping at its leg as well. The goblin is grievously wounded!
The remaining goblins, seeing their allies get slaughtered with ease, start panicking. The one that hasn't been mauled starts running like all the hounds of hell are chasing it, whereas the one Duchess is chewing on falls over!
"Prosím Vás! Žádné další! Žádné další! Žádné další pes! Dávám! Dávám! Já nechci umřít!" The wounded goblin begs!
"Gilbert, can you call Duchess to heel? He's surrendering and I want to find out what has spooked them this much."
"Heel." Gilbert's tone of voice is cold, but as Duchess drags the goblin back to them, seems to relax the tension a little bit.
"Bah! I was itching for a good hunt! These goblins have a lot to learn about being the predator, it seems. This one is all yours, Caerwyn." He goes on to pet Duchess and takes a position overlooking the way the goblins left, chewing on a piece of jerky.
Caerwyn kneels down beside the wounded goblin and stares intently at him saying "Řekni mi, co má utíkáš tak vyděšená a nelži mi, protože nebudu váhat vás krmit psa."
"Tell me what has you running so scared and don't lie to me because I won't hesitate to feed you to the dog."
The goblin swallows and starts babbling.
"Kostry! Kostry, které chodí! Našel v jeskyni v bažině! Ostraha poklad! Neměl by si ho vzít, neměl by si ho vzít!" The goblin continues to eye Duchess fearfully.
"Skeletons they say. Guarding some treasure in the cave in the swamp. They say they took the treasure and I guess the skeletons took revenge?
Curious little munchkins aren't they?" Yui says, more curious then anything else.
Nestasha looks ashamed at the amount of noise she made as the fight begins, and stands there sheepishly as the goblin is interrogated once the fight is over. She looks to here companions and says, "Sorry."
Gilbert lets Duchess lick the remaining jerky taste off of his fingers and turns back to the rest.
"Ha! Cursed treasures and goblins running for their lives. I say we go and find this treasure. Duchess here would not say no to chewing on a good bone if one decides to be aggresive, and I'm certain you can hold your own."
He then shoulders his bow and goes to Caerwyn, and looks at the goblin with interest.
"Sounds like these skeletons have done most of our job for us. Caerwyn says with grim satisfaction Now all we have to do is finish what they started and then find them and put them to rest."
Caerwyn reaches down and picks the goblin up roughly, holding him within a few inches of his face "Now, little gobbo I want you to run. Run far and run fast for if I ever see or hear of you again I will come visit you in the night...and I'll bring the dog with me." He releases the goblin and watches as it disappears down the trail, his hand unconsciously itching for his crossbow.
"Hah! Look at it run!", says Gilbert, looking at the running goblin.
Watching the scurrying little goblin, Nestasha thinks to herself, Look at him go, I didn't think they could move that fast. Then she heads back to the horses and waits to be boosted back up into the saddle.
The goblin scrambles off into the marsh, trailing blood.
Gilbert looks at the running goblin, his arm reaching for his bow instinctively, then he puts it down. "Shall we go? I'd not suggest hanging around in the swamp, surrounded by bloodied bodies, unless we want to hunt something big. Come to think of it though...", he says, and loses himself in though, thinking of all the predators that could come to this place.
The goblins were carrying:
--1 dogslicer
--1 suit of leather armour (small)
--1 shortbow with 20 arrows
--1 light wooden shield
The goblins in the back were carrying, in addition to the already described gear:
--1 wooden tube filled with 'candles'.
Nestasha looks at the candles curiously trying to figure out why the goblins had them but didn't burn them.
"Well, well, well, what have we here, I believe these are ssome of the fireworkss the goblins were using."
Gilbert looks over the fireworks, and says, "We can give them back to the town! Would be a nice conclusion to our successful hunt here, wouldn't you think!"
He then calls over Duchess and says to the others, "No use sitting around! Let's find these skeletons, and find the treasure!", his arm uneasy on his quiver.
Caerwyn looks at Ikoma before answering "I don't have the heart to kill someone who's surrendered. If you wish to I'm sure you can run him down before he gets too far.'
To Gilbert he says "No, first we deal with the goblins. Then we can go searching the swamp for these skeletons." With that he kneels beside the dead goblins and begins to cut off their ears and place them in his pouch.
Gilbert appears saddened for a second, then he says, "Bah! Why do you even listen to my stupid ideas! Of course, Sandpoint takes higher priority than treasure!" He looks a bit sorry for suggesting they abandon Sandpoint, but then stops and admires Caerwyn for his bladework from a hunter's point of view.
Are goblins are edible?... Why did this even cross my head..., he thinks, looking at the ears swiftly being placed in a pouch, while the rest of the goblin is being left. As soon as Caerwyn is done, he tosses the bodies next to the river bank, retrieving his arrowheads. "I can't let something choke on an arrowhead. That'd be horrible.", he says, after taking the time to take the dented, useless arrowheads out, and then leaving them on the ground.
Afterwards, he begins leading the others on the path again, keeping Duchess next to him as he takes point.
"Well goblins are more fun to observe, so I say goblins! And I need some ears to repay Ameiko!" Yui says innocently