The sky darkness and rain falls onto the camp and its poorly raised tents for two full days. Some even collapse under the weight of it and have to be reinforced with crude wooden beams. It is constant yet not cruel, if we had better materials there would have been no issue.

And as winter approaches the cold doesn't help morale. My men get drenched and I'm forced to stop all training, hunting, and other activities that require them to be outside their tents.

I try not to think much about it, but it couldn't have come at a worst time. If the storm doesn't let up I can't allow the raid to be delayed for more than a week, we risk getting caught during winter as the snow falls either right after the attack or midway back to camp. I wished I could leave some men behind but we will need all the numbers.

As the morning of the third day comes, I awaken and let out a disappointed sigh as the sound of rain invades my ears. I raise from my bedroll and reach for the makeshift fur tunic that Lina made for me, the day following the fight she was regarded much highly by the hobgoblins, who treated her with a little bit more respect.

In turn, she for the first time used the knowledge she possessed and helped improve the tunics with the fur of hunted animals, no easy task without proper tools, but since her clan lived with constant scarcity, she made do with what we had and the first few tunics were made the next day.

I wear the tunic and feel the fox fur warmth me instantaneously. I had grown used to sleeping with little clothes, from back when I lived in the wilderness. The wolf pelt I wore provided good insulation, but it made little difference when I had to sleep atop trees getting hit by the freezing winter wind.

As I open the entrance to my tent I lay eyes on the makeshift roof that was made in the middle of the camp, supported by a tree trunk, and a few ropes, we turned one of the largest tents into a roof so the guards can still perform their essential duty without being bothered much by the rain. I see them sitting on the few stools in camp. The table has been moved there as well as the cooking pot where Tamur is hard at work preparing the blandest of meals.

Jorr and Nojus lean on the table, speaking with each other when the former sees me and waves me to go to them.

"Boss," Jorr says as I join them at the table "What are we gonna do with this?" He looks around, bitting a piece of jerky as he does "Doesn't look like it's gonna stop any time soon"

"And having to stop training may cost us dearly if we are to raid soon" Nojus adds, taking a sip from his waterskin "And traveling in this rain? We can't allow the men to get sick if they are to fight"

It was common knowledge that a raid would be made soon, not because I told everyone, but because we needed to in order to make things work.

"I have been thinking about it" I reply jumping on top of the table and stretching the map, using the wooden jugs to keep it stretched.

"We could attack closer to us, to the west" Jorr leans closer and taps on the closest village "Why don't we go there?"

"It's between the inner territories and the border "I state but quickly note neither of them realizes why that matters, I kneel "The further we are from the more heavily wooded areas, the stronger and more numerous the soldiers, especially now that they are alert thanks to the orcs"

"The other option is going east" Nojus joins in, resting the waterskin on the table and pointing at the village I was originally targeting "The further away the better, right?"

"I meant to attack that one...in fact, I have already seen it from the inside, a year ago during winter I sneaked in and stole food" I look at the map attentively, noticing then something important I was not taking into account "But, if the orcish army was pouring from the valley up north, then logically they would have to go either west or east, and we would have already known if they went west"

"Ha! Waking up to an army of orcs, way to shit one's pants" Jorr shakes his head "So they must have stuck too close to the mountains, followed its embrace to the big castle right there in the chokepoint" He points at it, right where the mountains connect.

"If they meant to do so, why go through the valley and not just head directly?" I ask "Would they force your people to join their army?"

"No, you won't catch an orc near a hobgoblin without trying to kill each other" Jorr frowns " Like oil and water," He notices I look at him questioningly and elaborates "Hobgoblins are either born from two of their kind, or if a goblin impregnates a female orc. They value their women because they have very few of them, and the Lorekeeper of my home told us long ago they had a goblin infestation since they never saw them as a threat. They took many women, raped them, and sired half of the hobgoblin population...the resentment is still warm in their memory, why do you think we never got to grow and form a kingdom of our own? If our clans grew too much the orcs would take notice, so many left to wander far from the valley"

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I think back on my time under Makur's war band, the treatment of the goblins by their men...and his own treatment of them, after all, he did have Fogosh as a commander, and offered to take me to his land. I shake my head slightly, there are more pressing matters at hand.

"Then why go through the valley and not directly through the chokepoint? Is the castle there impenetrable?"

"For what the men have told me, they brought almost their entire army, I doubt they would be stopped by a single castle, just look how far it is from the cities and villages, is this map wrong?" He does make a point, why is it far away from the border of the kingdom?

"Death lives there. No army would dare try to cross it" Nojus speaks up, his tone somber.

"Death? As, Death itself? Didn't take you for the religious kind" Jorr says with a short chuckle, Nojus remains serious.

"I'm not, this is a fact. The monster Dante is the only thing in that castle. So old that the oldest of my people during the war for freedom over a century ago remembered it since childhood. Unkillable, dressed in white, a vestige of the old world they said. It culled my brethren and butchered many of our strongest heroes, forcing us to flee to the Tsardom."

"Damn. I suppose that explains it" Jorr shrugs.

I, meanwhile, have no reason to doubt Noju's words.

"So they would have been forced to go between us and the mountains, in order words, right through this village " The spot I meant to attack, which meant we only had one real option "Then we have to go east, it's the only place we have left"

"A glorious battle for sure, hard, but it will also harden our men for the struggles to come" Nojus seems satisfied, his chest swelling.

"A costly battle, we have barely trained our men enough, and if successful, we may lose so many of us that it may not be worth it" Jorr frowns, glancing at the nearby guards.

"But the only battle worth fighting. If we succeed, that village will be much richer than any from the border" I look at both of them for a moment, before focusing on the village that will make the difference between my war band staying together, or slowly breaking apart for lack of a proper camp "Ynnerglass will be our target"

They nod approvingly as I retrieve the map. Tamur shouts for everyone to eat and soon those who wish to get a serving of soup either sit around or return to their tents. I grab a serving that comes with extra meat and return to my tent to eat in solitude. I sit on my bedroll crosslegged and quickly finish the serving.

My eyes rest on my war picks and the bow. This was the first time I left my tent unarmed except for the fist fight. I have made everyone get along better and made it easier for the raid to be organized, but if I can't put a bit of trust into my men then I'm not using the war band to its full potential.

A part of me feels naked without a weapon. For so long I have always held a spear or hatchet. Always expected the next enemy to try and take my life...the only time I didn't think about it was right before the humans attacked Makur's camp.

Then I think of Nojus and Jorr. I fear betrayal but know I can't lead this camp without them, and I constantly wonder if my fears are just a delusion...regardless, I suppose they are my two commanders even if I haven't said that out loud. I suppose that also doesn't help my distrust, they make me think of myself and Fogosh and make me wonder if one of them plans to do as Fogosh did.

I pick up on a scent that I immediately recognize as belonging to Lina. And soon after she peeks through the entrance of my tent, I gesture her forward and she enters. Her face is bruised, but no longer swollen. She seems unsure about something and quickly sits in front of me, I remain silent waiting for her to speak her mind, and it takes her a bit of time to pick up on this.

"Chief, I came to request that I be trained with the bow and arrow"

It's a request that takes me a bit by surprise even if I don't express it. Her relationship with the hobgoblins in the camp has improved, but funny enough, things with her own people are still the same, mocking her after she trains with the rest of the men under my watch. And not only would making her change the spear and shield for a bow and arrow make her useless for the incoming raid with the little time she has to train, but I also know her true strengths lay in the use of the spear.

"Why?"

"My people use the bow for as long as they existed. And I want to honor my ancestors by doing the same" She speaks with apparent certainty.

I don't believe her.

Her diligence during training goes beyond duty, she doesn't express it but she doesn't need to. I can see it clearly with how she thrusts and swings, by the focus she has. She likes the spear, and even if I decided to grant her request, there is a problem.

"There are no more bows, so no. You will keep training with me" I see her glance at the bow near me "No" Is all I say and she looks dejected for a brief moment before something seems to come to her mind.

"I can make more" This catches my attention for a moment, but then she quickly elaborates "Or rather, just one more bow. Women in my clan were in charge of pottery and craftsmanship. I can use some of my hair and some wood to carve a bow for me to use"

Someone is adamant. If she can make another bow then that is something I want to see and if keeping her in high spirits lets me see more of her abilities then I can let her stay in the back for the raid.

"Fine, you can speak to Nojus, and let him know to not bother complaining, he will train you" My words seem to have little effect on her. She doesn't seem happier, she just thanks me and gets up to her feet "But first, bring me the spear and shield I gave you"

This does have an effect. It is subtle, but her eye twitches, she opens her mouth slightly as if about to say something, but does nothing, she nods and leaves. Soon after she brings me the objects and rests them on the floor, leaving for good without a word.

I don't believe her words, and I know she is hiding something, but it's not my problem, so I focus instead on what's to come. Taking out my map tracing with my fingers the path we should take to reach the village...I remember that the paws I found on the dirt next to the stream were headed west as well.

We may find that shapeshifter when we march west.