Chapter 2: Goblin Ambush

The Loud Boys in the Lost Mine of Phandelver, a D&D report

At first, seeing the dead horses sprawled pathetically across the path was unsettling. For Jake and Kila, this was their first job as hired guards, and although they knew to expect violence and death it was another thing to be confronted with it. Uayak, however, was a seasoned mercenary, and he quickly jumped off their cart, pulling Jake off the tray bed with him and hissing at Kila to come down. In the shadows beneath the tall, gloomy trees, they held a conference.

“Did you see the arrows?” said Jake, slightly hysterical. “Someone shot those poor horses! What monsters!”

“I’m more concerned about the large log blocking our path just behind the horses,” said Uayak practically. “It’s probably an ambush.”

“Why would anyone want to ambush us?” said Jake.

Uayak managed to hide a look of incredulity. “For the same reason we’ve been hired to protect these goods… Look, I’ve got a plan. I’m going to hide in the trees. Jake, what spells do you have? Kila, you good with a sword?”

“Um… I have Burning Hands…?”

Kila took the longbow off his back and started to string it. Uayak shook his head, then nodded. “All right, we’ll range it. I don’t think they’ve seen us yet, otherwise they would have been attacking already. We’ll need to get a bit closer. Kila, you keep driving the cart closer and then stop when they start attacking. Jake, you get ready with those hands of yours.”

“What are you going to do?” said Jake, taking out a small palm sized book covered in indecipherable scrawl and flicking the pages rapidly.

“I’m going to hide in the cart and wait for an opportunity,” said Uayak, and grinned.

Jake kept flicking and Kila smiled back uncertainly. Uayak sighed.

“All right, let’s go,” he said, and hopped back into the cart, pulling the tarpaulin over himself.

“Wait!” cried Jake, tugging at the tarpaulin. “I want to hide too!”

Uayak sighed again.

Kila climbed back into the driver’s seat, stowed his strung bow underneath and took up the reins. The oxen responded wearily, as oxen do, and started reluctantly along the path. As they drew closer to the massive log obstructing the way, movement was visible behind it and in the forbidding trees to either side. Then the rustling resolved into four goblins: two standing atop the log, one in the trees to their left and one slightly in front of the log on their right. They were wearing poorly kept leather armour and were smeared with mud and grass.

Kila pulled on the reins and the oxen stopped with relief. One started nosing around for grass. The goblin on his right raised its scimitar and ran screeching, straight for him. Kila drew his great sword from its scabbard propped against his seat and stood, waiting, until the goblin had almost reached the cart. He raised the sword high and swung it in a sweeping arc, splitting the goblin cleanly in two. A spray of blood misted around him but somehow he dodged it as he reached back for his longbow.

The two goblins on the log, seeing the fate of their comrade, screeched in anger and jumped down, brandishing their scimitars. Jake wriggled out of the tarpaulin and climbed onto the driver’s seat. Holding out his hands with his fingers fanned apart, he muttered mysterious syllables and with a ripple of his fingers from the smallest to the thumb, fire burst from his palms and flared through the goblins. The goblins squawked and dropped their weapons, trying to beat the flames off the exposed parts of their bodies. The dry log suddenly caught fire as well, and a beautiful blaze sprang up behind the goblins, effectively cutting off their retreat.

The goblin in the trees, seeing the carnage before him, was trying to sneak away, but to no avail. Uayak swiftly stood with his bow nocked and the whistling of an arrow ended the goblin’s life prematurely.

Kila quickly shot one of the flaming goblins, which had been screaming in horror and pain, and the other succumbed to its burns and fell to the ground. Within seconds, the quiet of the forest had returned as though no combat had ever disturbed it.

Uayak jumped off the cart and started picking through the bodies. “What happened to ranging it? Never mind. Leather armour,” he muttered. “Does anyone remember how much leather armour sells for? We’d better take the scimitars as well.”

“Are you… desecrating the dead?” asked Jake.

“No,” said Uayak. “Desecrating the dead is when you cut them up and do horrible things to them after they’re gone. I’m just… helping them with distributing their inheritance.”

“You’re looting them!” said Kila.

“Yes, I suppose that’s the technical term. Here, you’re stronger than I am, carry these swords. Hey, look at this…”

Around the other side of the log, the earth was scuffed and marked. This was an area in frequent use. A path led off into the trees, and there were snaking trails where two bodies had been dragged away. The three men stood and looked at the path, which meandered into the darkening forest.

“You don’t think they could have kidnapped our employer, do you?” said Uayak.

“There’s travellers along this path all the time,” said Jake. “The chances aren’t likely. Probably some other unlucky souls.”

“Those horses look a bit like the ones the dwarf and the human rode away on though…” said Kila.

“No, they had three horses, remember?” said Jake. “There’s only two here. Couldn’t have been them.”

“Yeah, okay,” said Uayak. “Let’s get this stuff into Phandalin and get paid then. Don’t want to get caught out for another night.”

They all helped to roll the log enough to allow the cart past, piled back into the cart and continued on their way, oblivious to the third dead horse lying a little way further down the smaller path. Its saddlebags had been taken, but the mark on its saddle was unmistakably that of the Lords’ Alliance- the same mark that had been on Sildar Hallwinter’s shield. The same Sildar Hallwinter who had been accompanying their employer.

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Here is Chapter 3!

And in case you missed it, here is Chapter 1!