Of boredom and greed.
It had got to us all. The monotony of sitting of only working. We cowered at the threats of the outside but we still strived to conquer it. The hideous goblins of nightmares had come again and again and brave men had fallen to their blighting piercing steel. But we looked down into the valley and thought it was safe. We had looked at the lake and though how we could easily force the waters around keeping us safe, if we worked quickly. Who knows what we could have achieved then, with the wood we needed oh-so badly. We could have built a castle or a hall of wonder. A barracks to house champions!
But as we carved a small ramp down the cliff to the east that kept us safe we didn't realize that our own industry and greed would take us over.
When we had dug down we mapped out the man made river between the two lakes that would protect us as the rivers to the west had. As a miner began to dig we looked out to the dropped belongings from braver men who had fought outside our poor village. Some few began to venture out sure that the nightmares were only that, nightmares. Legends of the past even though our guards the spearmen and the archers who had shot down countless foes still bore the scars of those times. Before we knew what was happening a fearsome goblin jumped out before a dog found him. His hooked nose had a fearsome ring in it and he grinned fearlessly. We began to run but a few were caught by their bolts as they flew amongst the trees.
Terror gripped us but the warriors knew better. They ran to the small ramp that had led us into this mess. The spearmen jumped down and stood ready while the the bowmen checked their bows and stood above waiting. We ran past them and they looked grim, they knew they were hopelessly outnumbered, doomed to die. The goblins came almost in a single file. The archers tried to pierce their armor. Some fell to the bolts but others charged at the guards protecting us. The spearmen struck around them, the goblins were surprised at their ferocity and began to retreat. All of the guards had survived the short battle but the bowmen's quivers were empty. They chased after the last of the fleeing goblins with knives and the buts of their crossbows.
With out bolts we were at the mercy of anything and we knew fresh horrors were close at hand. Our guards abandoned us telling us to keep the gates open incase something should happen and to finish the moat. But even as we worked to save some of the goods lying so tantalizingly outside our gates our foes once again attacked. Only one guard had stayed behind to guard the diggers and the others were caught out side. One of the bowmen was cut down and several peasants as well. One or two of them managed to kill goblins and we again managed to push them back. We fought with our lives unarmed and without armor but we stood till out comrades could run to our aid.
Though we lost several good men and women we hadn't learned from our mistakes. The gates still hung open but we neglected to close them we had to finish the rest of our work even though there were few hands between us. Once again horrors of the night surprised us. This time a group of kobold thieves. Their arrows flew through the gate when our clerk spotted them. Renowned for his swordsman ship he ran to pick up and abandoned weapon calling to us. A bowman ran to help but for him and one of the farmers it was too late. He killed many but he fell like all the rest; the bowman took out the last of the kobolds as they tried to flee. He died valiantly but by then we had no more space in our tombs or our hearts for the dead, we only had to survive.
One of the spearmen offered to help us work as we were so few. A week went and our work was taken up by viscous storms but to out surprise some men came out of the forest asking for work. We needed it badly and we had no shortage of food or drink so we let them stay. We finished the ditch but we needed wood badly to repair the damage from the storm. We knew that the goblins would come again but we were lulled by their absence for such a time. But they came again alright.
Once again they caught us off guard trying to salvage some wood. They came in several packs along the river surprising one of the bowmen and some workers. Our men once again ran out to help but were too late. As the stragglers ran over the bridge we locked the gates. Just in time to see a supply caravan from the capitol run into one of the squads of invaders. They were butchered on the spot. Merchants tried to pull their wounded donkeys to avoid the prick of goblin iron but they were all cut down. The guards tried a last defense but it was hopeless. We sat watching as fellow humans were killed. The goblins luckily realized we would not try to go out side of the village for a while so they left, probably to report to an evil war lord that was sending these terrible creatures against us.
Yet again we were forced to leave our safe place to get supplies. This time the goblins weren't so merciful. They seemed to attack whenever we stuck our necks out and every time ambush a few, until there were none left. This time we were wiser. We locked the gates not even waiting for the fleeing farmers hoping to be saved. They all died out there friends and old grudges alike. The few soldiers of us left mustered at the gate knowing how few us were left we may as well as fight. We stood ready and let the gate swing open. Like a string had been suddenly pulled the goblins began to run towards us. We looked at each other one last time, at the scarred faces hollow with guilt and sorrow.
We at first pushed them back desperately but even so some fell. We knew it was desperate. The archers quickly ran short of bolts. The spearmen quickly had their spears pulled away from them and their shields shattered. A war veteran survived and me a cook who had taken up a crossbow and a couple more. I ran up into the gate house and slung a couple more arrows at the fleeing goblins. But I saw more came to help them. I looked up at the sky and realized it was near the time when pilgrims came to worship at the shrine to Tequil the trout of nature and wind and as I looked out at the forrest I though I saw some grey clad figures wandering through oblivious of the danger. They were beset by the foul green skinned fiends and died quickly. We struggled to open the gates but by then it was too late.
The spearmen limped back as I grabbed a quiver abandoned by another. I climbed up waiting. Again we knew we would die. Two fighters stayed at the bridge as the oncoming hoard approached. I flung arrows at the oncoming goblins but they seemed to throw them off like grass. I had no skill at the bow and my arrows often fell short as I struggled to pull back the winch. I heard the cries from below but could do nothing as the goblins ran under the gate house. I watched as below me the great spearman who had defended us before I had even been born was swarmed and stabbed at and strangled by the long deft fingers. I saw him die piteously But I could do nothing. The other spearman ran out of the hall to help but he too was cut down. I was lucky they didn't see me and as they left leaving the dead bleeding in the road I let my last arrows fly. Some found their mark but they must have seemed a feeble out cry of some ghost to them and they left leaving me alone but alive.
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All true. My poor human fort finally crumbled after several years of being picked off by ambushes. Never once had a siege though.
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Topic: Of boredom and greed. (Short story)[40d] (Read 806 times)