[funny thing about that, TapeNoot...]
"Oh gods,
yes," Taup Caudata said. "Excuse me." He jumped down from the wall and ran to the ramp, disappearing belowground. I shrugged.
One of the elven horses was lame, or carrying a heavy load--at any rate, it was moving much slower than the rest. I leaned anxiously over the ramparts, gauging the merchant's progress. The goblins were getting too close for comfort...
To hell with it. "Close the gates!"
"
Close the damn gates right now!"
The lame horse stumbled over the sandstone bridge into Soaplanterns' walled enclosure, a pair of mounted goblins only yards behind, furiously goading on their cave crawlers. With a clunk, all three bridges of Soaplanterns rose. Some mounts made it in and onto the cage traps; their riders fell off. Two free hammergoblins got gingerly to their feet and glanced around, realizing they were now trapped in the empty gatehouse.
"Your friends are below," I said to the frightened elf. "I suggest you join them."
One of the mounted goblins pulled his monster to a spinning, squealing halt in front of the gate. The other cave crawler riders clustered close about him, guarding him.
"Dwarves!" he shouted in a strong, harshly accented voice. "Give us the elves!"
"That one's not armed, look," Lafiel said.
"You hear!" the goblin shouted. "Give the elves to us! Or we will kill you!"
"Good girl, Bessie," Taup Caudata said, patting the catapult.
Eleven levels below ground...
My new office down in the phyllite layer was much roomier. I invited Nevyn, Endok, Dr Kosotham and Peregarrett in for an emergency meeting; I would have asked Taup Caudata, but he was having too much fun with Bessie.
"All right, let's talk," I said. "Who is Atu Smunstustran? Dr Kosotham, do you know?"
"Unfortunately, yes," the doctor said.
"...
Twinklewitch?"
"That's the Dark Tower to the east. Apparently it sounds a bit better in goblin: Todosta. Anyway, this gentleman is... well, a hero. As brave a goblin as you could imagine. He's the reason they've got those wild cave crawler mounts--nobody else has ever tamed one. Certainly not to ride."
Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Endok turned round and opened it, revealing a stooped, gangling form.
"Will you trade with us now?" the elf said.
Greedy tree-huggers! "Don't you think this is a bit of an awkward time?" I said angrily.
"Listen," the elf said. "You must
listen. Liebiles has come to us many times, at first with promises, then with gold, then with threats. He has his cave crawlers, but they are not enough for him. We knew all too well that if he gained command of the skies, nobody could stand against him--so we refused him. And now at last he attacks, trying to take by force what he could not win by words. Come up and trade with us, dwarf. We were bringing her to our Queen, as a gift, but we will give her to you freely now, if you save us from him."
"Give... what are you on about?"
Author
Topic: Ubenudil, Soaplanterns - Soapmaker's Guild Fort (Read 57040 times)