The Militia returned late the following night, all of them spattered with blood of their prey; Corai had taken to joining them in the field as well, saying that fighting was “A great deal of fun! Almost as much fun as trade!” With that statement he solidified no matter what he was always going to be a businessdwarf first. Feral issued a blanket order to bring in the bodies as their usual precaution. They did report something curious however.
A hobgoblin caravan from Silveni Fimaca has arrived.
Corai seemed overjoyed at the chance to ply his trade; the others were somewhat more leery of the greenskins. Feral told them to set their fears aside however, as any wagon-leading merchants were contacts of their friends from home. Mantis meanwhile, said that a small herd of giant boar had made an appearance, and wanted to hunt them down for more food and crafts. Feral approved of the mission and sent them on their way; if they succeeded, they'd feast like kings this Obsidian.
The militia streamed out, weapons in hand. As they marched into the herd's midst, several scattered away making various snorts and other noises at the presence of dwarves in the snow. The group quickly surrounded and engaged a sow; She was only average in size, but still a gigantic creature by Dwarven standards. Wax struck first, shattering and breaking away one of its tusks as it charged by him into the waiting blades of Corai and Mantis. Corai managed to land a slash which took away one of it's legs (much to Mantis's annoyance) and Usi caught up and planted his pick in its side While Osprey lept upon it and slammed his daggers home in its remaining back leg. The beast flailed helplessly on it's side until Corai delivered a deathblow stab through it's skull. “A fine kill! This big gal will make a good roast!” Corai said happily. “Rest not, more swine seek to die.” Wax said in his strange combat manner.
The group split, Osprey and Corai quickly falling upon another boar While Mantis skulked off into the light snowfall alone. Osprey and Corai continued swift persuits, bringing down two more boars in rapid succession as Mantis felled two in her own lonesome hunt. Not long after however, as they chased a boar through the grass, a horrifying event happened.
An ambush! Curse them! [I evidently forgot to take away crossbows from the goblins. How I have no idea but they will die all the same.]
Marksmen led by a goblin slave driver had opened up on the militia. Usi being closest, seemed to change almost immediately, moving in such fluid and rapid motions that before the others even realized hat had happened, the enemy leader and one of his cohorts lay dead and the rest scattered. [I blinked and he killed the lasher and one of the marksgobs. Kinda freaked me out.] “Usi my boy, that was truly a stunning display of what humans would all sheer badassery!” Corai said happily, patting the Battleminer on the back. “Congratulations later. Everyone remain on alert, more may come.” Mantis said, sheathing her Falcion carefully. “We have the merchant guard to deal with anything else.” Corai said, poking the disemboweled remains of the goblin slave driver. “That may be, but we will do a better job of protecting our own.” Mantis shot back, motioning for the rag-tag militia to follow her beneath a still-standing larch to shelter themselves from the light snowfall and wait, though before they went, Usi looted the dead marksgoblin of his helmet and breastplate, as did Corai and Mantis of the slaver driver with Corai taking the breastplate and Mantis the helmet. When Mona asked Corai why he took it, he said rather simply “Because it's shiny of course! Why else?” Suddenly Mantis went rigid and began looking around as if she'd been jabbed by an unknown assailant. “Something isn't right.” she muttered almost inaudibly. “Besides the greenskins in our trade depot?” Wax said jokingly. “Silence! Listen....” They did so, but only the distant caws of crowfolk could be heard. Suddenly the could faintly hear cursing coming from over a snow drift. The squad moved silently through the snow following Mantis' lead. They spied a group of goblins, knee deep in snow: several goblins armed with pikes and one with a hammer made of some kind of iron. One of the pikegoblins had blundered into an animal trap, and had blown their squad's cover.
Mantis looked each over carefully. None but the leader had a shield, and all only had as much protection as their vital organs demanded; a fatal flaw against a dwarf armed with a falcion. “Right then. These fools can't defend as well as they could using those cumbersome pikes. But we're going to gut their leader. That should scatter the rest. If we can kill more, good. If not it matters little if they flee.” The others nodded and looked over the drift, seeing the goblins fumbling with the locks on the cage. The group took a deep breath and made their move.
It ended rapidly with the goblins left in a frozen snowy blood spattered mess. Mantis felled one alone, while Osprey and Corai killed one together, Osprey cutting out its legs while Corai delivered several blows to it's chest and sides shattering bones through its copper armor before a thrust of bright red incindium through the opening in the goblin's helmet finished the hapless invader. Mona, Usi, and Mantis however, struck individuals. In two swift parries and a counterstrike, Usi let out a yell of triumph, his icy blue pickaxe spattered with the blood of his victim. Mantis suffered some nasty bruises from a shaft to her midsection when her opponent ducked a slash, but she too stood victorious over her enemy, who had been quickly liberated of their extremities. Mona relentlessly battered her foe, punching him in the face forcefully enough to send their front teeth flying in all direction. She looked up momentarily from her woozy foe and called out “Corai! Watch out!” as the goblin hammersergeant charged from behind as he tried to wrench his sword from the dead pikegoblin's head. He was too late to respond, suffering broken bones in his right leg as the hammer struck home. He went to break Corai's other leg, but was grabbed by his helmet and thrown off balance by Mantis, who quickly swung and rendered the goblin's shield arm limp and useless. Corai, not letting broken bones get in his way to surviving the fight and winning, tried to swing again, but his slashes and thrusts were awkward at best and failed to find a make as Mantis Shoved him over Corai. The fighter righted himself quickly, and swung low at Osprey who had joined Mantis in saving the injured merchant-soldier, giving a rather unpleasant bruise and sending Osprey on his face. However, the opening was enough: Mantis swung and hacked away the goblin's hammer arm at the elbow. Osprey, agitated at being sent into the snow face first, stabbed the goblin in the foot, his cries signaling something important being damaged. The goblin fell on top of Osprey while Mantis delivered a blade to his upper arm, slicing away most of the meat like an expert butcher. The goblin's flailing caused him to kick Corai in the side of the head, Corai letting out a curse as he felt his ear tear in places. “Come on and kill him already before he decides to tear my beard off!” Corai said angrily. After nearly a full minute of carving away more pieces of the goblin who refused to lie down and die until blood loss claimed him, Corai passed out, his last utterance being “Jus' send someone when ya git tha chance...” the pain causing a mild bit a slurred speech as he faded into unconsciousness.
Wax sat up, dazed and confused. In front of him stood a highwood he hadn't noticed before, the bark about his face level having been cracked.
[Two ambushes ina row with Corai suffering a broken leg but us otherwise winning. We also had a massivly succesful boar hunt, with Mantis bagging two solo. Dunno what the hell Wax was doing during the second ambush, hence the written explanation of him running face first into a tree and not realizing what happened.]
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Topic: The Story of Limulid, Goldenrocks. - Retired (Read 49424 times)