The soft leaf litter cushioned Yaric’s footsteps as he stalked through the forest. Early morning shadows cast the low brush in deep shadow, creating the Illusion that the day had not yet fully dawned on the forest floor. Birds fluttered through the tree branches, their calls and birdsong echoing around the forest. The dark forest floor was silent.
Eight days of scouting had netted nothing so far. It was Yaric who had found two of the camp sites that they had used over the past few days, but he had not caught any food yet. There was prey; Yaric occasionally caught fleeting glimpses of deer, just before they darted off into the undergrowth. He even spotted boar more than once, but he didn’t dare try to kill one with a bow, and his short sword wouldn’t be much help either.
So far, four of the nine scouts had provided all of the food caught. Cormac and Rupert had hunted deer every day without fail, while Chelsea and Delmar had each come back empty handed only once. Cormac had once made two kills in a single day. All four had hunted before, and it showed. None of the others had made any kills yet, not even Lauren.
Hunting food was not their primary purpose; scouting camp sites and screening their classmates was. But it was the most visible and most obviously appreciated benefit, so there was a lot of pressure on those not bringing back food. The students marching together had no other tangible way of noting the scouts’ contribution, meaning that each scout was judged purely on how much food they brought back.
Yaric was determined to contribute to the meals as well.
It didn’t take long for the sun to rise high enough to breach the tree cover, and soon the forest floor was lit by dappled rays, making it much easier to spot prey. Yaric had just crested a ridge, and was looking out across the foothills. The mountain loomed on the horizon, dark and imposing. The lower reaches were heavily forested, but the trees were gradually replaced with grass and small bushes as the steep slope climbed higher. Slightly past the halfway point, a massive, jagged cliff face of very dark rock pierced into the sky, the scale of the 2-mile-high cliff face dizzying even from this distance. It formed a giant black tooth that jutted out of the hilly terrain, tall and alone, the only mountain for miles around.
Dragon’s Fang.
The view was spectacular.
Looking down, Yaric found that the ridge dropped down in a short but very steep slope, before opening into what looked like a valley. Trees obscured much of the ground, but the terrain seemed to be much flatter than anything he had seen in the last couple of days, before rising back up into steep hills around the edges. There was also a stream flowing down the center, visible through gaps in the trees and flowing directly toward Yaric for much of the way.
It was a promising location for their next camp site, so Yaric started making his way down the slope. Slipping and sliding down took less than a minute, leaving the forest painfully silent when the noise of his descent ended.
It only took twenty minutes of hiking to put Yaric in earshot of the stream. He slowed down once he could hear the water up ahead, and stalked forward even more carefully. Picking his way around a dense thicket of tall brush, Yaric painstakingly inched his way toward the more open ground he had seen along the bank of the stream.
It was good that he did. Three deer were beside the stream, barely 20 yards away. None of them seemed to notice his presence, as they continued browsing on the small bushes nearby. Yaric inched back around the thicket and drew an arrow with agonizing slowness. Nocking the arrow, he inched his way forward again, keeping low and moving as slowly as he could. Once the deer were back in sight, Yaric readied his bow, quicky drew back, paused a second to line his shot, and released.
The deer all tensed at the sound, lifting their heads suddenly as the arrow shot towards them. Yaric was already reaching for a second arrow when the first arrow arrived. The arrow had flown true.
His target staggered to its side, before dropping where it stood. The other two deer bolted as Yaric dropped his bow and jumped out from behind the thicket, running to the downed deer while drawing his sword. It was all over in an instant.
Even better, the site was perfect. The river clearly ran down the entire length of the valley. Yaric was able to see at least two miles upstream, and the terrain was much more open and easy to traverse. As long as there was a decent campsite further upstream, they could make their way down here and continue the march along the bank. This would also allow them to march further than anticipated.
Yaric prepared the carcass as best he could. The scouts had all been given a crash course on how to prepare their kills, but this was his first time actually doing it. There was no need to haul the entire carcass back to the class when much of the weight would be cut away. And cutting it up also made the load much more manageable.
“No need to cut it up right now,” Yaric thought, eying the crest of the ridge he had made his way down earlier. 'I’ll hang the whole carcass somewhere safe. Everyone will be marching this way later; they can come to the food.'
Yaric found a good spot on a tree branch and used his rope to pull the carcass up. Then he quickly started to jog further upriver, determined to scout the entire path he planned to suggest.
It really was a fantastic find. There was a grassy clearing four miles upstream, surrounded by low brush. The camp would be much easier to clear than their last few had been, and when finished the camp would be easier to defend as well.
Yaric hurried to get back and make his report. Half an hour later he jogged past the deer, finding it still hanging as he’d left it, and soon he was making the much more difficult trip back up the ridgeline.
“High Mage Strenger!” Yaric called, approaching the students. He spotted Sven leading the column near the front, armed with his sword and shield.
“Prospect Yaric, are there any problems up ahead?” the High Mage asked as Yaric drew near.
“No sir, everything has been clear. But I have found a potential campsite. It will also make the march easier.”
Yaric quickly explained what he had found, and the High Mage agreed with him. There was some concern that it was too far to reach and still have enough time to set up the camp, but marching the last four miles along the open ground beside the stream was expected to compensate for the extra distance. Having a campsite that was so much easier to set up would help as well.
Yaric gave them directions and ran ahead - he still had his scouting duties to perform. He brought the carcass down once he reached the stream and finished dressing the deer. Then Yaric hurried ahead to the campsite. Four other scouts were already there and waiting, including Lauren.
“You actually caught something?” she exclaimed, spotting the meat bundle on his back.
“A deer,” he grinned. “Now I’m ahead of you.”
“Don’t get a big head now, I can still kick your ass.”
The scouts started working together to measure out the new camp, and had already marked the boundaries and tent locations when the rest of the scouts joined them. The full team spent an hour cutting down trees and creating a firebreak before the main column arrived, after which the entire camp was finished just 90 minutes later.
“All right everyone, settle down. Before we start your next lesson, I have an announcement to make. We are less than five days away from where the last known kobold attack took place. It is unlikely that there will be another place like this for us to make camp for the night, so we have decided that we will be staying here for two more days. While this is to give you all a chance to rest before fighting kobolds, make no mistake. You will be improving this camp and training your skills while you rest. Your instructors will give you your orders tomorrow.”
“Now, your next lesson. Today we will be looking at stirges; what they are, the kind of threat they pose, and how they are dealt with. The first thing you must…”
The lesson was followed by dinner and an early night. Yaric and Sven had the last shift before sunrise, so they quickly went to bed. The guard duty was just as boring as always, and Sven woke their replacements up just as the sky was starting to lighten.
Yaric made his way out of camp, carrying two spears in addition to his bow. The edge of the valley was thick with brush, and made ideal territory for boars. It didn’t take long to find them.
A small family of boars were snuffling around the thick undergrowth, only 40 minutes from camp. The sun was barely over the horizon when Yaric stalked around, making for a more open group of trees. He placed a spear further back, then positioned his second spear closer to the boars, just as Cormac had taught him. Then he waited for one of the boars to move into a better position for a shot. Finally, the opportunity came, and Yaric’s arrow pierced the hide of a large boar, striking right behind the shoulder.
The boar charged, enraged and squealing all the way.
Yaric ran.
He made it back to the tree he had placed the first spear in front of and grasped the shaft. Adrenaline pumped wildly as the bushes exploded outward, the wounded boar bursting out and charging straight for him. Yaric stood his ground despite every instinct shouting at him to run, raising the spear point at the last moment.
As he had planned, the boar ran itself through, but it still continued its charge. The spear was not designed for hunting boar, so Yaric immediately abandoned it as Cormac had suggested, and quickly dashed around the tree and further back, picking up the second spear he had left for this purpose.
His heart thudded loudly in ears, audible even over the boar as it smashed its way closer. Having a long spear protruding from your body made it difficult to move quickly through the forest, slowing the boar down dramatically. The sounds soon stopped however, forcing Yaric to stalk forward slowly and investigate. He held the spear in a white knuckle grip, his entire body tensed and ready to spring back.
There was no need. The boar had lost too much blood, and Yaric found it lying halfway between the two trees where he had placed his spears.
There would be bacon for breakfast.
Dressing the kill took longer than the deer had, as it was much heavier and harder to handle. There was correspondingly more meat though, and Yaric actually struggled under the weight of all the food. His nerves were still stretched taught, and his hands had a slight tremor, even after making it back to camp. He received a hero’s welcome though, making the entire ordeal worth it.
The rest of the day was spent enhancing the fortifications and sparring each other. Most were a bit rusty after spending so much time travelling, but everyone soon got into the swing of things. The scouts were sent out periodically to patrol the area, and later in the day to hunt. Everyone got a chance to recover from the weeks of marching, as well as to get back into form for the upcoming battles.
The camp was completely transformed by the time they left on the morning of the third day. The ditch in front of the rampart was now five feet deep and laced with stakes. Each entrance had a bridge over the ditches, and the top of the enlarged ramparts now had stakes dug into the ground in front of the barricade. Small lookout towers, 8 feet high, stood just behind the ramparts, giving an even better view around the camp. The surroundings had been improved as well, with all of the brush being removed right up to the tree line.
The students were proud of what they had built and were sad to see it go. But they also knew that they were soon going to be in real combat. No more training and practice, their lives were going to be on the line. Every student was alert and watchful as they filed out of the camp, looking ahead with nervousness and grim determination. All of them had their eyes on the tree line. They were nervous, but filled with anticipation, determined to complete their first mission.
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Three more days of marching had brought the 5th years right to the edge of where the kobolds were believed to be. This 4th day would be their last one before they would start encountering kobolds, and Yaric knew that finding prey to hunt would become very low priority. If the kobolds had left anything to hunt in the first place that is.
That is why he was now stalking along a game trail, hoping to get one last chance to boost the food supplies. It was very overgrown along the edges, but the trail itself was remarkably well marked. Yaric was hoping that a trail this well used would provide a good hunting opportunity.
The forest had gone quiet. Birds seemed to have disappeared, and the incessant buzzing of insects had abated. No air moved through the leaves, everything was quiet and still, so when Yaric stepped forward onto some branches hidden beneath the dirt on the path, the loud CRACK sounded like an explosion.
Yaric jumped, then immediately dropped into a crouch. 'I’m too on edge,' he laughed to himself.
Up ahead, Yaric spotted a rust red snout peak out through a bush, sniffing inquisitively.
'Whatever that thing is, it was obviously too stupid to run when it heard the noise. Now it’s dinner!'
Yaric nocked an arrow. Another snout extended from a much closer bush, and then another. Looking back, Yaric saw several more, before stone spear heads poked their way out. Following right behind one of them was a very short, reptilian looking creature, dragging its long tail behind it.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
'Kobolds!'
The kobold spotted Yaric, who was still standing motionless in shock. It let out an earsplitting screech and began charging down the trail, spear lowered and ready to run Yaric through. The bow twanged as Yaric fired the arrow he had already nocked, sending the arrow streaking down the trail to strike the kobold an instant later.
Further cries to his rear let Yaric know that there were many more, lining the trail in both directions. Yaric had no time to think. He plunged off the trail, running down hill and hoping that his weight would give him an advantage. Branches whipped at his face as he barreled through the undergrowth. The sounds of breaking branches all over the forest signalled to all that the kobolds were chasing.
Yaric angled back as much as he dared, but if he angled too far, the kobolds that were already between him and the main column would be able to cut him off. He made a wide circle as he ran, trying to get around the kobolds that were moving to intercept him.
Running down hill had helped him gain a lead, but he was soon forced to run back uphill, allowing the kobolds to start to gain on him.
A small group of kobolds crashed through the brush to his right, slightly further uphill. They were blocking his escape.
Yaric turned to his left, running along the slope now, trying to get more of a lead. The kobolds above him were keeping pace.
Shooting at them was now useless. Either due to their small size, or because Yaric was so out of breath, every arrow he shot went wide. Stopping to shoot only helped them gain on him.
Yaric eventually circled around the hill enough that he now had to run slightly downhill to get back to the class. He ran down as quickly as he could, and all of the kobolds were now to his rear as he ran up the hill on the other side.
This time he was able to get off a few good shots. Having kobolds run uphill toward you made for a much better target, and Yaric managed to hit eight more before he continued his retreat. The bodies tumbled back down the hill as Yaric’s chest heaved. He turned back up, slipping on the loose leaflitter as he scrambled to the top.
Cresting the hill, Yaric took a second to look back. Every open space he could see was swarming with kobolds, and most bushes were being whipped around by passing kobolds as well. He fired two more arrows, hitting one, before turning to run again.
Twenty minutes later, Yaric’s legs were burning as he pushed his way up yet another slope. He was slightly faster than the kobolds, but they had a slight advantage when running up hill and used their numbers to try herding him where they wanted him to go.
That wasn’t an option for Yaric, which forced him to move right through the kobolds on two separate occasions. Each time he had stowed his bow and drawn his sword, before suddenly changing direction to crash through a group of kobolds that were heading him off.
Yaric was thankful that he had been forced to wear his armor. Sven wasn’t able to carry two full packs, so Yaric had worn his armor every day since starting his scouting duties.
It had saved his life.
Diving straight through a group of persuing kobolds was chaotic. Yaric deflected the thrust from the kobold in front of him and slashed its throat as he ran past, but his sides and back were peppered by its friends. The sharpened wood had skittered off his armor, and the stone spear heads had only left grooves.
The expedition finally came into view, winding their way down through the trees on the opposite slope.
“HEY! KOBOLDS!” Yaric cried, waving his sword in the air. People started to stop and stare, and Yaric heard a few indistinct shouts sent back in reply.
“KOBOLDS! INCOMING ATTACK!” he shouted again. His breath was coming in great gasps, limiting how much he could say.
Yaric didn’t know if they heard what he said or if they just spotted the horde of kobolds that started cresting the hill behind him, but there was a flurry of activity from his class.
Students near the front stopped, while those further back hurried forward to form their lines. Packs were being passed to the rear while the students who had been leading the column rushed to the sides of the formation.
Yaric was struggling to keep ahead of the kobolds by the time he had made his way up to meet his class. He pointed to one of the students in the front like as he had been taught, and the student and those around him immediately raised their spears, letting him through. Yaric held his sword up as well, pushing through the rows and to the safety of the rear.
Meanwhile, the forest behind him exploded into a cacophony of screeches and guttural cries. The kobolds had spotted the defenders.
They threw themselves at the line in whatever order they arrived, attacking the closest students. Everyone was nervous and a little scared, but the circumstances were almost perfect. The kobolds were attacking uphill, making the job of the spear wall easier. They were also more spread out than usual, due to the chase, limiting the number of kobolds engaging the defenders at any one time. Lastly, the trees had helped to disrupt them even further, resulting in even less pressure.
Fears started to drop away as the spear wall easily kept up with the pace of the attack. The slope of the hill even helped to keep their path clear, as many of the bodies were naturally sent rolling back downhill. Soon it was just like training.
Until the wider spread pursuers arrived.
The trees that had been so useful in disrupting the kobolds charge had also slightly broken up the defensive line. Now those same trees disrupted sight lines as well.
Kobolds that had swung wide while chasing Yaric were attracted by the sound of the battle. They came in from the side, and were able to approach very close due to the trees. The nearest kobolds were already 20 yards away when they were first spotted.
Sven and his team moved to intercept, leaving Yaric scrambling to find a shield so he could join. In the end he settled for his bow and ran up to the flank to join the defense.
Yaric was barely able to score a hit with one out of every two shots, despite the close range. The kobolds were small and thin, and they moved very quickly. Yaric also had to keep his friends in mind as they protected the flanks. Still, he kept up his barrage, thinning their numbers as much as he could.
The biggest problem on the flanks became their complete inability to retreat. They would normally have been able to take a few steps back while fighting, which would prevent them from being overwhelmed by a numerically superior enemy. This was impossible now, because they were protecting the flanks of the spear wall. Pulling back would mean opening the rear of the spear wall.
Yaric soon dropped his bow and took up his sword again. He had no shield, but he hung back behind the other defenders and killed any kobolds that managed to get around them. Those were mostly kobolds armed with clubs, as kobolds with spears tended to try and keep more of a distance. Club wielders, however, kept trying to get right up to the defenders, and whenever they managed to move around the shields, they found Yaric waiting to run them through.
As chaotic and tense as the battle had been, it was over in less than 10 minutes. Having opponents running into your spear to try kill you was scary, but enemies like that didn’t tend to last very long. They either overwhelmed you right away, or wiped themselves out.
“Everyone hold your positions!” High Mage Strenger called out. “You may rest where you stand! Raise your hands if you have any injuries that need tending to.”
Yaric and some of the students defending the flanks were called forward.
“I need each of you to make a sweep through the forest around us. Make sure there are no more kobolds. Report back as soon as you can.”
They were obviously dismissed, so they quickly discussed a basic plan and set out. Yaric and two others made for the opposite hill, looking to get a good vantage point in the direction the kobolds had come from. The rest went off to the left and right.
There was nothing in sight. The forest had fallen into absolute silence since the battle had ended, and nothing stirred for as far as they could see. Antonio Hidaka, a tall elf, volunteered to stay and keep watch while the others went back to report.
“Sir, there is no sign of any more kobolds,” Yaric said breathlessly.
The others had returned already, and apparently their reports were the same, because High Mage Strenger immediately turned to rest of the expedition. “You may all leave your positions now. Get some trail rations and some water, we will eat quickly before we move on. You won’t have an opportunity to eat for some time, so don’t waste it!”
Yaric started searching for his pack, but jogged up to Sven when he waved him over.
“Here, our packs are together. High Mage Strenger asked that you give him a report on what happened, but I’m to tell you to bring your rations with you so you can eat at the same time.”
They both made their way over to the High Mage and were quickly joined by the rest of the staff. Yaric had only just finished explaining what had happened when Antonio started calling and waving his sword. That got everyone’s attention quickly.
The students scrambled back for their weapons and formed up. Yaric picked up his bow and made his way around the spear wall, hoping to get better targets with the kobolds coming straight up hill.
There were a few moments of silence as everyone waited. The situation wasn’t clear, since Antonio hadn’t left his hilltop. He was still standing right at the top, peering intently down the hill. Finally, Antonio turned to his side as he gestured for someone down the other side to hurry up.
Lauren and Rupert crested the hill beside Antonio, not even slowing down. Antonio joined them in running down the hill. They made it thirty meters before another swarm of kobolds came over the top. This time they spotted the defenders early, screeching and crying all the way down the hill.
Lauren and Rupert both made it through the lines and collapsed on the other side.
Yaric got off four shots, taking out four kobolds, before one of the instructors came over.
“You’re wasting those arrows. The spear wall will take care of all of them. We need you to go and rest up with the others,” he said, pointing to Lauren and Rupert. Admonished, Yaric made his way around the back of the spear wall and joined the two exhausted scouts.
“You also got ambushed?” he asked Lauren.
She just nodded her head, remaining silent for a moment. “Got ambushed by kobolds…” she panted, “Rupert heard… he came to see… joined me running.”
Yaric nodded to Rupert in thanks. “Same here. They ambushed me earlier; I only just made it. We already killed all of those kobolds.”
Yaric went to fetch his canteen, and he picked up some rations while he was at it. The other two accepted them gratefully, gulping down the water before starting to eat. All against the backdrop of screeching kobolds and the sounds of battle.
The fight didn’t last very long. These kobolds had been much more bunched, obligingly running right into the defenders. Antonio and the others made their way out without being told.
“Not you, Prospect Yaric,” High Mage Strenger said when Yaric moved to follow. “We need you and the others well rested. In a few minutes we will be launching a rescue mission, and I need the scouts to be able to move ahead quickly.”
“A rescue mission sir?” Yaric asked, alarmed.
“Yes. There were nine of you scouting. You don’t think you were the only three to run into kobolds, do you?”
Yaric paled and quickly moved off to get a fresh quiver. Then he sat down with Lauren and Rupert to wait. It didn’t take long. Arrows that were recoverable were salvaged, swords and shields were equipped, and the expedition was reorganized into a much wider column.
“The students who were previously covering our flanks will now be screening our advance. You three need to range further ahead and see if you can find any sign of our missing scouts.”
They had barely set out when Cormac arrived. He ran straight up to High Mage Strenger to report, “Sir, I’ve spotted kobolds. There are large hunting parties roaming in multiple locations. They are much closer than we expected, less than two hours march.”
High Mage Strenger just smiled. “You did a great job spotting them without being seen yourself. Our other scouts were all chased back here. But perhaps you missed the dead kobolds amongst the bushes at the foot of this hill?”
Cormac looked to the bottom of the hill, turning red. “Sorry sir, I was overly focused on delivering my report. It won’t happen again.”
“Relax, you really did do well. Now join these three. They are going ahead of our expedition to try and find our other scouts. Even if nothing has happened to them, they will need to be warned.”
Cormac joined them as all four jogged down the hill and back towards the kobolds. They decided to spread out slightly, but to stay close enough that they were always within earshot.
Half an hour later they heard the sound of excited kobolds coming from the right. All four of the scouts regrouped, and they slowly crept forward to see what was going on.
It was Delmar. He was stuck up a tree, with kobolds surrounding the trunk in very large numbers. The sword in his hand was still red with blood, and more kobolds tried climbing the tree even as they watched, desperate to get to Delmar. His sword stabbed down at the helpless and unarmed kobold, sending it plummeting back down into the horde.
“Look!” Rupert whispered urgently, pointing higher up the tree. ‘There’s someone else in the tree as well.”
“It’s Chelsea,” added Rupert. And there’s a third – someone else is on the other side of the trunk.”
“Let’s go, we need to bring everyone else here,” Lauren said, creeping back and out of sight.
It only took 20 minutes to find the expedition, but it took another hour for everyone to march back. High Mage Strenger wasn’t taking any chances. No one knew how many other groups of kobolds were roving in this area of the forest.
The good news was that the last two scouts had already found the expedition. They hadn’t run into any kobolds and had just come back to report on possible campsites for the night. Having every scout accounted for raised morale significantly, and every student was now eager to mount the rescue.
High Mage Strenger called for a halt when they were 300 meters away. The initial plan was to form up and advance in formation, but the High Mage took note of how favorable the terrain was. The ground here was level and almost flat, with just a slight downward slope towards the trapped scouts. There were also a lot less trees, which meant that the spear wall could be formed without any interruptions. The hill became a steep slope on their right, with good visibility all the way down, where it ended one the banks of another small stream.
“I am changing the plan,” High Mage Strenger said quietly. “We will remain in position here. I want the remaining scouts to move forward and engage. You are to fire one volley of arrows. Make sure they see you, then run back here. Try to funnel them toward the middle if you can. This time we will be the ambushers.”
The class cheered softly at the last statement. They were itching for the fight.
Yaric jogged away with the others, the only sounds being the shuffling of the students in the defensive lines behind him, and the distant cries of the kobolds ahead.
Yaric soon found himself peering through some branches. The kobolds were still swarming at the base of the tree, and their numbers seemed to have grown. He carefully nocked his arrow and drew back the string.
All six let their arrows fly simultaneously, followed by Cormac and Rupert shouting.
“Hey! Bastards!”
“Over here!”
The kobolds swiveled their lizard-like heads as one, their loud calls instantly going silent. It was shockingly eerie watching a massive horde of kobolds stare back at you as one, each and every one standing like they were made of stone. A few quiet screeches broke the silence as six kobolds dropped.
Pandemonium erupted.
The scouts turned tail and ran, followed a moment later by a furious horde of blood thirsty kobolds. They sprinted back for the line, not bothering to look back. This time it was the spear wall that indicated where they should move through, as the center of the line all kept their spears raised while the others dropped theirs in preparation for the fight.
Yaric and the others pushed through the center, and not 3 seconds later the sound of battle exploded behind them. The fight lasted five furious minutes, with kobolds launching themselves relentlessly at the spear wall while the students pushed them back.
The silence when the battle ended was jarring. The line was checked for injuries while the scouts jogged forward again to check on their friends in the tree. None of them had moved, too afraid that the kobolds would come back and catch them on the ground.
The whole expedition cheered when they were led back to the site of the battle, already on the way to becoming the new campsite.
Most students were busy moving the bodies of the kobolds, while others were already measuring out the camp. The river at the bottom of the hill was not that easy to reach, but the instructors were prioritizing the defense of the camp over the convenience.
Two hours later, the camp was finished. Piles of kobolds were burning outside, and students were making their way up and down the hill to fetch water. Everyone was excited, having just fought their first battles, but there was also a lot still to do.
Weapons needed cleaning, food needed to be prepared, and extra defenses needed to be built. The entire camp was buzzing with activity.
The sky was turning red when Yaric made his way out of the camp, looking carefully to find the tallest tree nearby. He was tired, and still in his armor, so climbing the tree took time and multiple stops to rest. The view over the tree line was more than worth it though. Miles of forest spread out around him, the hills gradually growing larger and larger as they approached Dragon’s Fang. Some were almost big enough to be called mountains themselves.
Yaric squinted in the diming light. Wafting up over the treetops were thin columns of smoke; lazily drifting clouds that dotted the landscape. Yaric counted eight before the light got too low for him to be certain any longer.
Eight kobold villages - eight just in their area. Eight that he could see clearly without moving from his tree.
'High Mage Strenger needs to be told immediately!'