The party's travel had been easy for days. Few animals or even monstrous threats dared approach with such a large wolf-like Echo circling the carts. Bait find it boring, nothing to shoot. What point of riding shotgun if not use gun? On the plains, his sharp goblin eyes spotted two dog-sized creatures approaching quickly. He readied his musket, finally something to shoot! As they neared the cart, Bait realized something. Dey goblins like him, riding on large goblin dogs. He cursed under his breath as a pair of goblins pulled beside him and gestured to move closer.

"HEY!" The one closest to him shouted. "WE HELP STEAL DIS!" the goblin said as he motioned to the two carts.

Bait pointed his musket at the other goblin. "BAIT ALREADY OWN, NO STEAL FROM BAIT."

"BAIT? CHEESE ACOLYTE BAIT?”

"YES, DAT BAIT."

"BOOGIE SAY WE FRIENDS, BOAR EATERS WANT TO TALK WITH YOU. WE HAVE NEWS ON DOGMOTHER! WE GO GET CLAN, YOU STOP CARTS."

"GOOD, SEE BOOGIE SOON." Bait quickly hopped from the back wagon to the front to find Illaria at the reigns. "Illaria, we stop now. Boar Eaters wish to talk. Dey have news of Dogmother!"

Illaria nodded to her companion and began easing the wagon off from the beaten path so that other wagons could pass them should any come along the same road. Before long, an entire procession of goblins had joined them. Even amongst all the strange goblin activities, like ax fall and other games, the most curious bit was a bronze tub with a canvas cover that several of the strongest goblins carried. Water sloshed around inside the ominous bronze tub as they goblins walked.

Boogie, decorated in the regalia of a goblin chieftain, approached with a similarly decorated goblin woman. Both wore many fangs, bits of shiny metal, and carved bones.

"You say you learn about Dogmother?!" Bait asked.

"We hire wizard in Sha-Laial. He say he find Dogmother. Wizard liar! We going to pay him visit. We gonna stew him for leech combat!" Boogie shouted.

“Is that what the tub be for?” Illaria asked as she leaned against the wagon. “Bait be this normal practice for lying wizards?”

“Bait no Boar Eater. No know.”

“They know that's a crime right?” Mavec asked.

“Doubt it.” Alvec said.

“BEACH COMBAT BOOGIE, BEACH COMBAT.” Another goblin shouted as she ran up to him and poked a finger violently into his chest. "IT SUPPOSED TO BE BEACH COMBAT."

"Beach combat?" Illaria asked as she leaned against the wagon. "Do you be thinking they mean other words boys?" She asked her companions.

"No, Leech COMBAT! Why fight on sand, dat dumb." Boozie said as he pointed towards the tub. “LEECHES MAKE MORE SENSE. STEW HIM FOR LEECH COMBAT!.”

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"Please tell me that tub isn't full of Leeches," Naya exclaimed.

"Make more sense than beach combat!" Boogie again insisted as she pointed to the tub.

"Ok, and how exactly does this be working?" Illaria asked, "Do you be reckoning that you'll push this wizard into the tub of Leeches?"

"Yes, he live he not guilty. He die, he guilty." Boogie insisted. Mavec emerged from the wagon, a lit cigarette in hand.

"Guys, are they trying to say 'sue him?' He asked.

"I think you're onto something," Alvec replied. "But whats up with the leech combat?"

"So, did you guys make a contract with him? Have him sign his name saying he'd help you find Dogmother?" Mavec asked.

"Sign? As in, write name down on paper?" Boogie asked.

"Yeah, that's what that means," Mavec replied.

"No, dat stupid. We bit leather instead!" He said, pulling out a fancy piece of leather with a clear set of goblin teeth marks, no doubt belonging to Boogie, and much further away on a scrap of leather was a very hesitant and human bite mark.

“Guys, if that's a contract, than I think they mean 'sue him for breach of contract'. Stew him with leech combat. Eh? Sounds right to me.” Mavec said.

"What wizard did you hire anyway? Anyone we know?" Alvec asked.

"Clockwizard from the Festival of Blades. Other clock wizard, one you pay to have us play pranks on. He say he can do a... a... locator spell. Find Dogmother, no problem. But no find Dogmother. He just speak gibberish to us and no one able to find Dogmother. We see her get chased into tunnel. Goblins follow her into tunnel, but not able to find Dogmother. Maybe tunnel longer than we expected, but it seem like it ended. NOW WE GO Leech COMBAT STUPID CLOCKWIZARD!" Boogie shouted.

"Bait, do you think you could convince the Boar Eaters to well... not storm Sha-Laial looking to shove Warren into a tub full of leeches?" Alvec asked.

"Why?" Bait asked.

"How do you be thinking the guards will react if they see an entire clan of goblins clamoring for violence?" Illaria asked.

"Easy, dey see us as heroes since we serving justice!" Bait replied.

"Bait, you've been amongst humans enough to know that isn't true." Illaria scolded.

"They would definitely start attacking the goblins instead," Naya said with a shrug.

"It would be kind of terrifying to see a horde of goblins with pitchforks and a bathtub," Sarbie admitted as she looked down at Bait's excited face.

"See?" Alvec asked.

Bait nodded sagely and stomped his feet. "BOOGIE, CHEESE ACOLYTES HAVE REQUEST! You camp near Sha-Laial, but leave getting lying, cheating, dumb, stinky clock wizard to us! We find where Dogmother is, then we go help rescue Dogmother!" Bait demanded.

Boogie looked over Bait for a moment before silently nodding in agreement. "Boar Eaters go ford rivers and make camp outside of Sha-Laial," He confirmed. "Big storm come through two nights ago. Big rain. Rivers overflowing. Goblin clan have no problem, but your carts have too many metal bits, dey sink." Boogie pointed out.

"Look, we didn't have time for prototyping. I was asked to make a stabilizer, and I did it on rather short notice," Mavec exclaimed.

"Can't we just go around?" Naya asked.

"It might take more time, but we should go around. What's our fastest route?" Mavec asked.

Alvec grinned. "The fastest route will take us through Jai-Najan. It's been a while since I've been to visit my family. I know we're in a bit of a rush, but if we're passing through, we can stop and spend the night."

"Aye, I think we can be granting you that request. We did race to the ocean to save mine; the least we can do is stop where we'll already be passing through."