Chapter 2 - Old Foes Appear
As the shadowy figures came leaping, hopping, and bounding out of the bushes, Ulric went cold to his core. Goblins! There had been no Goblin sightings or attacks in over 5 years. Where did they come from? More importantly, where were they headed and what were they up to? If it was just a hunting band, they would likely take some game and leave. However more and more Goblins were beginning to emerge from the underbrush and gather on the other side of Frost River from Ulric and his friends. Ulric and Gideon exchanged worried glances, but dared not make a sound. Ulric made a gesture for Wayland to remain down, but he probably didn't have anything to fear. With the commotion the Goblins were making, Wayland knew something bad had arrived on their doorstep and had no intention of moving until his friends signaled it was safe.
Ulric tried to count the little green bastards. At least three dozen had already gathered, but it was clear from the commotion in the bushes that there were more. After a few more minutes passed, Ulric ran a headcount again and quickly realized there were more than 100 Goblins now gathered on the far bank of the river, and those were just the ones he could see. They couldn't get across the river at this point, so the young men were in no immediate danger, as long as the Goblins didn't spot them and start shooting arrows at them.
"What are we going to do Ulric? We can't leave while they can see us and we can't stay here either", whispered Gideon.
Ulric looked up at Gideon and in a low voice, "We don't have much choice. They have to either move back north up through the brush, or they have to move south along the river bank. They can't ford the river at this point, and I doubt they plan on setting up camp right here."
Gideon nervously gnawed his lip and nodded his head in agreement. They glanced over at Wayland and saw him laying as still as possible, keeping an eye on them in case they signaled him to move.
Suddenly the Goblins broke out in an even more boisterous litany of chirps and bellows. A larger Goblin, at least a head taller than any other, strode through the mass of green bodies and stopped in the center. He began speaking, or at least what counts for speaking among Goblins, and seemed to be their leader. After a short rambling, the throng threw back their heads, whooped and screeched, and turned south and began to lope along in their ungainly run. It took several minutes before the last of the Goblins were out of hearing and sight range. Ulric and Gideon motioned for Wayland and they ran back to where their gear lay on the bank.
"That was no hunting party, that was a war band. Cobblestone Glen is the nearest village from here, however they have to head much further south in order to cross the river. That puts Rosehill within the same striking distance as Cobblestone. I suggest we follow the river south to the old overlook and see if they keep heading south or try to cross the river." The old overlook was once a military watchtower that had been used to keep watch for Goblins, Trolls, and other troublesome groups in the past. It had a large oil and tinder filled brazier in the top that could be seen for miles when lit. Although it was no longer manned by the Arden Army, it was still kept stocked with a small supply of dry goods by the villages of Rosehill and Cobblestone, and the brazier was kept filled with fresh oil. In times of trouble, either village could alert the other of a problem without sending a runner all the way to the opposing village, saving about a day of travel. Even though Cobblestone Glen was inside the Arden Forest, the villagers maintained a well trimmed path through the forest directly to the tower so they could spot the tower if it was ever lit.
"Once we determine their path, we light the brazier and run as hard as we can for home. Whether they are coming for us, or Rosehill, we have to get back and prepare to help drive them off, or gather the men and make haste to Rosehill to support them. What do you think?" Ulric waited as his friends mulled over his words, but he knew they would agree. They had little choice if they didn't want to be responsible for allowing a Goblin war band to traipse through the countryside unannounced.
Gideon looked at Wayland and they gave each other a knowing nod. "What other option is there? I doubt anyone else is out this far at this time, so we have to light the signal and get the warning out."
"Alright then, I say we ditch most of our gear here and come back for it later. We take our bows and other weapons as we may need them, but we can ditch them at any time if we need to lighten our load and speed up. Grab what you need, and let's set out quickly, those Goblins have a good head start."
Wayland already had his bow and quiver. He grabbed more arrows from his pack and filled his quiver as full as possible. Gideon had mostly brought fishing gear, so he grabbed the only weapon he had, which was his staff. It wasn't much more than a walking stick, but as his father was the town blacksmith, he had reinforced it with an iron butt on one end, and iron bands around the center. It was sturdy enough to block a sword blow and crack a head open. Ulric slipped his dagger into his belt and grabbed his spear. With that, the three friends looked at each other, and then turned south towards the old watchtower and set a brisk pace. With any luck, they would easily reach the tower before the Goblins reached the nearest shallow spot in the river.