Chapter 17 Down to go out...
The darkness was fine for me, I could see well enough, even if it was slightly strange how the lack of light made everything a sort of monotone, it was, however, more of an issue for my companion.
Serena held onto my tail as I stalked forward as quietly as possible, each step placed carefully to avoid any sound. Serena, on the other hand, placed her booted feet down as quietly as she could, which was to say it was noisy as all hell. Which was to be expected when every other step she tripped on some stalactite or uneven surface of the cave floor. I attempted to appraise hr of any of these coming her way but the issue was while I could tell her she still couldn't see it coming and even knowing it was approaching she still managed to trip over it. It was not in anyway her fault, seeing as it would be next to impossible to not get caught on each and every step, but it was much much too noisy. Sighing I paused and felt her run into my back.
“What is it? Why have we stopped?” She whispered into my ear I suppressed the urge to spontaneously start purring when I felt the warmth of her breath on my ear and her face pressed up against mine…
“She does not think this will work,” I whispered back to her. “She thinks we are making to much noise, she has an idea.” I pulled off my backpack and slipped it on backward, the pouch hanging off of my chest. Reaching back I grabbed the meaty thigh of one of her legs, my paw only twitching slightly as I felt its warmth beneath my fingers and pulled it up around my waist.
“Wha-”
“Wrap your arms around Rin’s shoulders,” I Interrupted her and she did so, leaning forward I grabbed her other thigh and hoisted her onto my back. I was used to carrying large loads, when I hunted the Juji I would often carve the best pieces wrap them in the pelt and carry them home on my back, moving quickly. If the load was balanced I could carry almost twice my weight and still move at a good pace. As I leaned forward I felt her press her chest against my back and I wrapped my tail around her middle, as extra protection to keep her from falling off. “Stay low as she will be moving fast,” I instruct, and feel her tighten her legs around my hips.
Mmm warm.
Starting forward at a fairly decent pace, using both my front and back paws on the ground we made our way towards the branching path in good time, each of my paws falls quiet, almost silent.
The operative word being almost…
As we neared the edge of the split I slowed down, moving at a more sedate pace, standing there was still that goblin, or perhaps he had traded shifts with another, I didn't know, seeing as every goblin looked exactly the same to me… I felt Sarena’s fingers tighten in my fur as she saw what was left of Alaina and Harland, her breathing became shallow and her heart started pumping at a speed that was rather dizzying. Slowly she sat up and pulled out a doll, holding it in front of her I watched as she twisted the neck of the doll, with such force I thought she was going to rip the poor thing’s cloth head right off. There was a sickening crack as her eyes flared purple and I glanced back to see the goblin standing there, his head twisted almost fully around. Slowly as though held by invisible hands he laid down on the ground, the staff still glowing and pulsing, not yet activated.
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It was activated by a blood sacrifice after all, and if there was no blood…
“She wonders why the shaman would have set up a trap that could have been so easily circumvented by your magic, did you not duel with her?”
“The trap wasn't for me, but rather for you, hence why they placed the bodies right here on display, they haven't seen me in over a week, they likely think I am dead, I have been put out of mind,” nodding my head she slipped off and I follow her as she picks up he warlass stick, walking towards the cave entrance she snapped the stick in half and hurls it towards the keep’s interior, before grabbing me and pulling me back into the cave we had just come from, once there she pulls me into a deep shadow and hides me behind her, seeing as I am white and therefore much easier to see in the dark, and once again casts the spell that hides our scent.
It doesn't take long, soon an army of goblins immerge from the cave leading down, they stop and sniff the air like animals, each one dancing or chattering or doing something else, but they all part ways when the shaman pushes through, her eyes tracking left and then right before falling on the dead goblin and the broken warlass stick. Slowly her eyes track over to our hiding place, and I can't help but hold my breath. Closing my eyes in an attempt to keep any and all reflection from shining back at them I listen as she barks out a sharp set of orders in whatever language it is that goblins speak, and much to my relief the sounds of countless feet headed towards the basement of the keep.
Slowly I opened my eyes and watched as Sarena rose to her feet, creeping forward over the cave floor, this time much more silently due to the low amount of illumination that spilled in from the main cave entrance. I stood up and followed her almost literally following in her footsteps, as she made to look out the passageway I grabbed her by the hand and pulled her bodily back. Slowly I stuck my face forward and sniffed. The air smelled of goblins, but as I turned my head down the tunnel I could also smell something else, something sweet.
Fresh air…
“She is the scout,” I said, looking back at her, all she did was a smile but she did fall in step behind me. We didn't have much time, I doubted it would take to long for them to realize that we had not gone up that path, moving forward as quickly as possible we pushed deeper into the goblin’s nest. It was a risk, one we would have to take, goblins by nature were unorganized mobs, meaning they tended to just all rush at an enemy, even with a shaman their grasp of squad tactics and just tactics in general left a lot to be desired, unless you were against them, then it was simply perfect.
As we pushed deeper into the cave the air grew steadily thicker, like we were walking into an area thick with campfires and cooking fires, which was exactly what it was. Down below, at the base of a good 50 foot wall that the tunnel opened up on was a camp, built in the shelter of a large cave opening, beneath us on the hardpacked earth were hundreds of mud and stick huts built haphazardly, none of them in any sort of order, each one just heaped next to the rest.
The cave itself was a massive thing, about half a mile wide and almost one across it had a ceiling that stood over two hundred feet above the ground floor. The years of campfires had marked the stone above a sickly black. There was a row of cages, some containing animals, others containing what looked like women, most naked and hardly moving likely members of past groups sent here by lady Brandmount, the ones unlucky enough to not die. I wanted to run down there and let them all go, in fact, I started to step that way, but a warm hand on my shoulder stopped me. Looking back I saw a sad set of amethyst eyes looking at me. “We don't have time,” she said, and as if to punctuate her point a wolf’s howl echoed out of the cave behind her.
The cages were off to the right side, almost at the far wall, we might be able to get to them, maybe free the women, but she was right, if we did that then we would once again be surrounded by the goblins. There just wasn't time… closing my eyes I nodded, she was right, so we did what we had to.
We fled towards the entrance...