The ranger was hiking his way east through the forest, left hand resting on the pommel of a loaned guardsman sword strapped to his side. Even after walking for nearly 2 hours he still kept up the pace. A pack was strapped to his back, filled with camping supplies. Twice a month he would make his way out to the edge of the kingdom’s border. It was arguably the most important part of his job. Inside the kingdom’s borders the wilderness was (mostly) safe. Sure there were still bandits, outlaws, and the odd dangerous monster, but the recent decades of peace and prosperity caused more new towns to be established, and old ones to grow. With increased guard forces and plenty of mercenaries to stamp out any remaining dangers. Slowly the land was becoming safer with each passing year.
The wilds outside the borders however, seemed only to increase in danger. As monsters were pushed out and away from the mainland, they would congregate as their populations grew. Now they were encroaching on the edge’s of civilization. Vern heard many tales of monster attacks increasing in frequency and aggression along towns near the kingdom’s borders. Bands of trolls, families of manticores, flocks of wyverns, threats that would take a whole company of rangers to deal with, let alone one. But he was grateful for the circumstances he found himself in. He had help from an unlikely source. With it, protecting the land and the village was not as daunting as it would be alone. Despite that, he was still the first line of defense between the wilds and the village he swore to protect.
It wasn’t long till he came up to the border marker, a large stone pillar. It not only separated the outer wilds and the Kingdom’s land from east to west, but also stood at the tree line that separated the forest to the north from the plains to the south. Vern slid the pack off and slumped down next to the pillar, resting his back against its smooth stone surface. Digging into the pack he fished out a leather canteen filled with water and a crisp apple, taking the moment to rest.
Several minutes passed as he sat, taking another bite out of the apple, attention drawn to the map laid out in front of him. Pebbles were dotted across it, used as makeshift markers, denoting key points of interest to visit. Suddenly his eyes flung up as he noticed a low rumbling sound coming from the distance. Putting an ear close to the ground he strained to listen. The rumbling quickly grew louder at an even pace.
“North?” He bolted up, eyes trained on the forest in front. Then he saw them, 4 large figures, dashing through the forest, sprinting directly towards him. Springing up he dashed behind the pillar, pressing against it. The rumbling grew louder, deafeningly so. The 4 creatures sprinted right past the pillar, kicking up dirt and dust before skidding to a halt, stopping 20 paces away. As the dust settled he could make out the figures. Dark skinned masses of fat and muscle, long painted tusks jutted out each side of their large snouts. Spade shaped ears flapped as they snorted and grunted. They were boars. And atop each one of their saddled backs sat their riders. Goblins.
Green skinned, long pointed ears, short yet muscular, clad in furs, the goblins displayed sharp smiles as they stared down the ranger. The leader of the group kicked the side of their boar, nudging it forward. It slowly trotted up to Vern before stopping several feet away. On the boar the goblin was at eye level with the ranger. He observed the figure in front of him. It was a female goblin, with wild brown hair, tied behind her head, a sheath full of spears slung on her back, pointed ends sticking out over her right shoulder. Her left ear was pierced with simple metal rings and a long curved tooth. Large deep green eyes stared back into his, unblinking. His tense shoulders relaxed as he recognized the person in front of him.
“Hello Zee.” He greeted with a relieved sigh.
“Vern!” The gobliness’ voice was slightly scratchy yet cheerful. She hopped off her boar, stepping closer as she spoke. “How’va been? It’s been some moons since I last sa’ya!”
“Oh you know! Other than surprise heart attacks from cheeky goblins I've been well.” spoken in an exasperated tone, hand across the chest.
“Aw camah! We hads to have a lil fun wisha!” She waved her arms excitedly. “Ol Bamah here picked on ya smell from a ways away! Ishnt that right my big shmelly babbeeee.” she cooed, cupping her boar’s face in her hands. Bamah happily squealed in delight.
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Vern knelt down to her level, “I was wondering when you all would show up! Good hunting lately?”
“Mmhph!” Zee said, turning back the ranger. “Yesherday we hunted a big ol chichen snake!”
“You mean a basilisk?”
“Yeh! Though it turn poor Biin into stone. Guu spent the whole dusk chippin him out.” She swayed rhythmically side to side, finger tapping her chin as she recounted the events. “And then Boh used the fetters to makka dress for Chief’s lil girl!”
“Well it sounds like everyone is doing alright then! I’m glad to hear.” Vern responded with kind sincerity. “What are you doing out here then?”
“Oh!” the goblin exclaimed, halting her swaying. “Soh I rember today ish the day you come to walk the uhh bored ore? So I got my hunting group to look fo’ya!” Her hands balled into fists next to her face, hopping in excitement.
“Really? Why were you looking for me?” Vern inquired, tilting his head to the side.
“Caush I wanna!”
“You wanna what?”
“I jush wanna!” She protested, hands on her hips and eyebrows furrowed in frustration. “Why can’t i jush wanna do things I wanna do?”
Vern realized that questioning the goblin’s line of reasoning wasn’t going to go anywhere. If she even had one to begin with. “So does the tribe have a big stockpile of skin and hides ready to trade?” Changing the subject.
Zee dropped the frustrated expression, replacing it with a smile. “Mmhph! Boh’s been savin them, he wansh to bring them to your village next full moon.”
“That’s great! I’ll make sure to let everyone involved know when I get back.”
The goblin tribe was in fact Vern’s help out here. The tribe and the village had come to an arrangement. The tribe would hunt the dangerous monsters outside the border, keeping their populations in-check and away from the humans. In return the humans would trade for the monster's hides in exchange for tools, food, medicine, and metals. The relationship between the human village and the goblin tribe was still tenuous at best, but no man can deny the positive effect their green-skinned neighbors had in keeping them safe.
Vern stood back up. “Well anyways, it was nice to see you again Zee, but I need to get moving.”
Zee’s eyes widened in shock, ears drooping. “What?! Soh soon?!”
“Yeah I'm afraid so, I have a lot of ground to cover.” He explained, gathering up his belongings. “Besides, don't you need to go back home too?”
The goblin looked towards the ground for a moment, seemingly lost in thought, before turning around and hopping back towards the rest of her hunting party who were waiting patiently nearby. Looking up Vern observed Zee communicating with the other goblins with a series of grunts, yelps, and indistinguishable words, gesturing back to himself and her boar. She finished the exchange in a nod in agreement with the other goblins.
“Bamah! Hwakah!!” One of the goblins shouted, Zee’s boar turned in acknowledgement and followed the others as they rode away, back the direction they came.
“Where are they going? Vern asked.
Zee had her back turned to the ranger as she waved after the group, watching them leave. “Home.” She replied, before turning around, walking back to him.
“And where are you gonna go?”
“Wishu!” She boldly proclaimed. Left hand on her hip while she pointed the other up at Vern’s chest.
“Why?” He narrowed his eyes in confusion.
“Caush I wanna.” She grinned, crossing her arms.
Vern closed his eyes and slowly shook his head in disbelief. “Okay, but I have a lot of ground to cover, and I can’t slow down so you’ll have to keep up with me.” He explained, leaning down to pick up his half eaten apple.
Before he could reach it, Zee swooped down and snatched the apple right out from under him. She looked up at him with a toothy smile, satisfaction gleamed in her eyes. “You mean keeping up wisha big slow human like you? Eashy Peashy!” She sassily remarked before taking a big bite out of the apple, snickering as she did.
Vern gave a soft chuckle before standing up straight, slinging the pack over his shoulder. “Alright, let’s move.”