The trip through the pass took the better part of the day. They reached the western side an hour or so before sundown. From the pass to the Marketplace, humans were supposedly safe from any goblin attacks. The Marketplace was considered neutral ground as both sides desired the continued trade and prosperity the place brought.
As they descended out of the narrowness of the pass, they saw how the hills at the mountain’s base were thickly forested. The sparkle of water could be seen far off beyond the hills a little to the left of the pass. It had to be the larger of the two lakes depicted on the back of the key.
After leaving the pass, the road meandered its way through the lower hills until it finally reached a point where the Marketplace became visible. It was a large area with several permanent structures wherein the trading between the two races could take place. Over a dozen wagons sat in a caravansary on the side closest to the pass, testament that other traders were already there. That wasn’t too surprising seeing as how trading goes on here shortly after the snows melt in the spring until the first snows come again in the fall.
The Marketplace wasn’t enclosed by any sort of wall or fence. Rather, there were totems spaced every twenty feet or so on the goblin side. They seemed to be warning the humans that their presence was not welcomed, nor tolerated.
Riyan wondered how they were going to pass through the line of totems and enter the forest without anyone the wiser. All their lives they have heard of the ferocity of the goblins.
A contingent of Byrdlon soldiers were present down below. Also moving around the Marketplace area were shorter individuals who walked with a loping gait. “Goblins,” Bart told the other two.
Riyan’s eyes widened when he realized he was seeing goblins for the first time. They seemed to be quite a bit shorter than the average human, being around three to four feet in height. The goblins were wearing clothing similar to what you might find the average person on the streets of Wardean wearing. It surprised Riyan at first, but then he realized that he really didn’t know what to expect in regards to them.
The trail continued its winding way through the hills, all the way to the main square of the Market place. The main square was a large area which the buildings bordered on. It has been kept relatively clear as the bulk of the trading goes on in the buildings.
Bart said his goodbyes to the guard with whom he befriended when the wagons headed over to the caravansary. “Maybe we should go there as well and mingle,” suggested Chad.
“Probably wouldn’t be a bad idea,” said Bart. Several of the soldiers were giving them a curious look.
Making their way over, they were soon among the wagons of various merchants who have come to trade. It appeared that whatever trading had been going on has come to a halt now that it was getting close to sunset. The merchants and their guards were returning from the buildings with a line of porters following behind carrying goods.
Riyan found them a location at the edge of the caravansary where they could set up camp. It was near enough to a caravan so they hopefully would be considered a part of it, while at the same time not so close as to cause the people of the caravan concern.
While they set up camp and got a fire going, they looked toward the buildings in an attempt to see a goblin. One of their neighbors noticed what they were doing and told them that at night, the goblins returned to the forest. In the morning they would return at sunrise.
“Would be interesting to get a closer look at one,” commented Riyan.
Keeping his voice low so as not to be overheard, Bart replied, “In a little bit you may get your wish.”
“How are we to get out of here?” Chad asked in a hushed whisper.
“Later tonight when everyone else is asleep,” Bart explained, “we’ll slip out.”
“Won’t the soldiers stop us?” Riyan asked.
“Maybe,” he admitted. “But I doubt it. I think they’re more here to keep order within the Marketplace than to keep fools from passing through the totems.”
At that Riyan glanced over towards where one of the totems stood not ten feet away. The menacing visages carved into the wood seemed to warn of dire consequences should their warning not be heeded.
As night settled in, they prepared for a quick nap before they took off. They left their horses saddled with most of their equipment still secured behind the saddle. They got questioning glances from those around them about that but no one said anything.
They took turns at watch while the others slept. Riyan took the first one, then Chad. It was during Bart’s turn that the camp grew quiet as even the latest night owl finally went to sleep. There was at least one guard in every caravan that remained awake to keep watch. Even the caravan beside them had a guard.
When Bart felt that the time was right to make their break, he woke the others. The guard on watch in the caravan next to theirs took note of their preparations to leave. But apparently three fools who planned to pass through the ring of totems weren’t enough for him to bother with. When they headed out, he grinned as he nodded and gave them a wave. Riyan waved back.
Bart took the lead as they rode from the Marketplace and passed through the ring of totems. Riyan felt a tremor of foreboding as he passed between them, almost as if the totem’s faces were actually staring at him. The feeling of foreboding stayed with him until the Marketplace had disappeared in the trees behind them.
To the west was the closest lake, the larger of the two. From there they would have to follow the river northward until they reached the smaller lake. If the markings on the key were any indication, what they were looking for lies on the western shore of the smaller lake. All they had to do now was to pass through goblin territory without being discovered.
The night was eerily quiet. Nocturnal creatures could be heard throughout the forest as the three companions slowly made their way through the dark forest. Shadows surrounded them as the light from the moon above barely managed to filter its way through the forest’s canopy. They dared not travel very fast else they would risk giving away their presence to any goblins that may be in the area.
Bart tried to keep them on a fairly westerly heading, but the forest wasn’t like the city. His bump of direction that was infallible within the city, didn’t feel quite as reliable out here in the forest now that the sun had gone down.
They rode in single file along what Riyan soon realized was a game trail. Bart was in the lead while Chad brought up the rear. Every once in a while one of their horses would snort or make some other noise and Riyan’s heart would almost freeze in panic as his mind imagined goblins rushing out of the forest to attack. But no such attack developed.
It was about a half hour since they left the Marketplace when the smell of wood smoke began to be noticed. Shortly after that, the sound of guttural speech came from down the game trail ahead of them.
Bart signaled for them to stop and had the others come in close. “You two stay here,” he said. “I’m going to go ahead on foot and see what’s going on.”
“Be careful,” warned Chad.
“Don’t worry,” he assured them. “Just stay here and be quiet.” Dismounting, he handed his horse’s reins to Riyan then disappeared down the trail towards the voices.
Riyan glanced nervously to Chad. “Goblins,” he whispered. Chad nodded in reply.
As he left the other two behind, Bart was feeling a bit nervous. The tales of goblins he had heard all his life painted them as a blood thirsty savage race that would sooner eat you than look at you. Any number of the sagas dealing with these creatures always had despicable acts of mayhem and carnage attributed to them. So now that he was approaching what could very well be a war party, he felt decidedly nervous.
Moving forward, he stepped as carefully as he could so as not to make any sound that would give away his presence. The sound of the goblin’s voices grew louder as he edged closer. Finally, a light appeared through the trees ahead, just a little to the right of the game trail.
He continued wo
rking his way closer until he could see a small encampment of goblins set off the game trail a ways. When he was close enough to make them out, he was shocked to discover that they weren’t wearing any clothes. A few of them sported jewelry of one kind or another, but as far as clothes went, nothing. Bart just shook his head.
The goblins were sitting around a roaring fire near the center of the encampment. There were a couple buildings nearby, the architecture was slightly different than what he was used to. They were long and squat with a chimney rising high at either end. Having grown up on the streets of Wardean, he could tell that they were very well crafted.
Turning his attention back to the goblins themselves, he didn’t think they were too concerned about the possibility of humans being in the area. They looked rather relaxed as they spoke to one another in their guttural language.
He crouched there among the trees and watched them for several minutes before coming to the conclusion that they were no immediate threat to him and the others. He started to back away. Once he felt he was far enough away not to be heard, he turned and quickened his pace back to Riyan and Chad.
“There’s a group of them ahead,” he told them upon his return. “Maybe fifteen or twenty.” He then briefly described the buildings he saw and the fact that they were naked.
“Naked?” asked Riyan in disbelief.
Bart nodded. “As the day they were born,” he affirmed.
Chad shook his head. “You would think they would get cold at night,” he said.
“Perhaps,” shrugged Bart. “But I think we need to give them a wide berth. Once on the far side of their encampment we should start looking for some place to hole up before dawn.”
“Yeah,” agreed Riyan. “We don’t want to be moving around during the day.”
Bart nodded then took the lead as he led them from the game trail and entered the forest. He took it slow and steady, always working to maintain their distance from the goblin encampment.
Some time after they circumvented the encampment and left the voices behind, they came across a small stream flowing in the general direction Bart figured the lake to be. Realizing this would lead them to where they wanted to go, he altered their course to follow the stream.
Despite keeping a constant lookout for a place to hole up, all they encountered as they made their way through the forest were trees. No suitable place of concealment presented itself. Bart finally came to the conclusion that when the sky began to lighten, they would most likely be forced to find a dense copse of trees where they could hide throughout the day.
They followed the stream for another hour before it emptied into the lake. The twinkling of the stars above reflected off the surface of the water, giving it a dazzling appearance. Across the lake on the opposite shore, they saw the unmistakable sight of a goblin settlement. Not a large one to be sure, but a settlement nonetheless.
Before they arrived and saw the goblin settlement, they had thought to go around the southern shore and then follow it north. For the area indicated on the back of the key was on the western side. But if they did they would risk encountering that settlement and the goblins inhabiting it. At least a dozen lights could be seen coming from the buildings over there.
“Perhaps we should head north from here,” suggested Chad.
While standing at the water’s edge, they gave the route around the eastern shore of the lake a careful look. Unlike the western shore, it was dark and looked deserted. “Around to the east it is,” announced Bart.
As they progressed around the lake, Riyan kept glancing to the lights on the distant shore. Almost as if he expected pursuit at any minute. But nothing developed and the longer they followed the shore, the fainter the lights became until they could no longer be seen. The sight of the settlement had seemed strange to him. After all, weren’t goblins little better than beasts? Wild and dangerous who’s only thought was that of killing any human they came in contact with? A shudder ran through him at the thought that so many could even now be in close proximity to them.
A thought flashed through his mind and made him shudder. If they were caught, it would be the end of them. The goblins would use their claws and teeth to rip their flesh, and they would use their skulls to drink their blood in dark rituals.
He tried to banish such unpleasant thoughts by concentrating on Freya. And how her father was going to welcome him home with open arms once they found the parts of the key and opened the King’s Horde. Oh what a glorious day that would be.
“We better find somewhere to hole up soon,” Bart suddenly announced.
Snapped out of his reverie, Riyan realized the sky to the east was beginning to lighten behind the peaks of the mountains. He definitely didn’t want to risk being out here in the open once it became light. The bloodthirsty goblins would definitely find them and attack and… Enough! You’ve got to stop thinking about such things! he admonished himself. Turning his attention to the forest, he tried to locate someplace where they could hole up until night returned.
The stars began to fade with the coming of dawn, and still they hadn’t located a very good spot to hide in. When it grew too light and they no longer dared to ride so exposed along the shoreline, Bart led them into the forest.
Still no spot presented itself that was very suitable for hiding throughout the day. Finally they decided on an area fifty feet or so from the shore where the trees were slightly thicker than the rest of the forest. It wasn’t great, if a goblin should pass by even as close as the shoreline, they would be seen.
“Keep the saddles on,” advised Riyan. “We may need a quick getaway.”
“If we’re discovered,” said Bart, “it’s unlikely we could ride fast enough to get away.”
“Let me have my illusions,” Riyan said as he turned to him. “Please.”
Bart could see the worry in his eyes and nodded. “As you will. I’ll take the first watch while you two get some sleep.”
They both agreed to that and after a quick meal of cold rations that were beginning to grow stale, they laid down and tried to go to sleep. Despite the fatigue that he was feeling, it took Riyan some time before sleep came. When it did, it brought nightmares of being chased through the forest by demonic, fire breathing goblins with red eyes the color of hellish flames. He was glad when Chad finally awakened him for his turn at watch.
Throughout the day’s watch, the only anxious moment any of them had was during the middle watch. Chad was pacing around the forest doing his best to keep awake when the sound of many goblins moving through the trees came to him. Fearful that they might be heading in their direction, he snuck closer only to find that the group of goblins was gathering branches and dead wood. For what purpose Chad was unable to find out. He was simply happy the goblins weren’t approaching any further to their camp. After ten minutes of foraging for wood, they departed back to the east.
Before the sun hit the horizon at the end of the day, they were awake. They talked in hushed voices about what they should do once night set in. They decided to continue following the shoreline northward until they came across the river that flowed from the second lake further to the north. Once they found the mouth of the river, they would have to discover a way of fording to the other side. For the area they wished to find lay on the western side.
“I’m surprised we’ve made it this far,” commented Chad. “This area doesn’t seem too densely settled by them.”
“Thank goodness,” Riyan said nervously. Aside from that one settlement on the southwestern shore of the lake, the forest has been fairly empty of them.
“You’re not worried are you?” asked Bart with a grin. When Riyan only glared at him he added. “This is the meat and bones of adventuring.”
“I’m having the time of my life,” replied Riyan rather unconvincingly. To be honest with himself, he had to admit that this wasn’t exactly the glorious expedition that he had anticipated. He also hadn’t planned on being scared most of the time either. But the last thing he was g
oing to do was admit that to Bart and Chad.
“Me too,” agreed Chad. Only from the way he said it, it sounded like he genuinely meant it.
Once night had settled in enough for the stars to begin filling the sky, they mounted their horses and returned to the shore of the lake. The trees weren’t nearly as dense there so it made for an easier ride.
They followed the edge of the lake for several hours almost due north before they reached the point where the shoreline turned back to the west. Another hour of riding brought them to a large river flowing into the lake.
“Think this is the one?” Chad asked.
Bart considered the size of the river and nodded. “It has to be,” he stated. “Couldn’t imagine another river of comparable size in the area.”
“Can we ford here?” Riyan asked. Then he took a better look at the river and saw that it was over a hundred feet wide and moving quickly.
“Can’t tell just how deep it is here in the dark,” Bart said. “It might be a good idea to follow it north a ways before we attempt to cross.”
“Would be shallower,” agreed Chad.
So with Bart once more in the lead, they turned northwards and followed the river as it wound its way through the forest. Along the way they came across several smaller tributaries that flowed into it. By the time Riyan figured midnight had come and gone, the river had narrowed to only about fifty feet. It was still a bit too wide to attempt to cross.
When the sky began to lighten several hours later, the river was still around fifty feet across though it didn’t look nearly so deep as it had earlier. “Let’s find a place to hole up until nightfall again,” suggested Bart. They kept a lookout for a thickening of the trees and a short time later came across one that was slightly better than the previous night’s.
After they entered the thicket and were settled in, they left their horses in the thicket and worked their way back to the river. They wanted to see if this might be a good place to ford come nightfall.
They stayed within the treeline until the sun’s rays were seen hitting the tops of the trees. “Alright,” Riyan said. “Let’s find a place to cross.” Once they made sure that the area was clear of goblins, they moved to the bank of the river.
First thing they did was to fill their water bottles. After that they started moving upriver and searched for a place to ford. They needed to find an area where the river widened. That would indicate the water’s level would be lower and thus make the crossing easier.
A half hour after they began hunting for a place to ford they came to a bend in the river. At that point, the river widened to a width of about a hundred feet again. They knew this was the place to ford, not only because the water would be shallower, but because of a road that emerged from the trees on their side of the river and went to the bank of the river. On the other side they saw where it resumed before reentering the forest.
“A road?” asked Riyan.
“Looks like it,” said Bart.
“Why would goblins have a road?” he asked.
Bart turned and looked at him like he was an idiot. “Probably for the same reason we have them,” he explained. “To get from one place to another.”
“But, they’re goblins,” stated Riyan.
“So?” asked Chad. “They need them too.”
Riyan couldn’t argue with that logic. It was just so unexpected to discover them to have roads, and well maintained ones if the one they saw in front of them was any indication.
“If there’s a road then that means they could be around,” Bart said. “We better get back to the horses.”
Turning around, they returned to where they left their horses. There they had a meal of rations and settled in until dark. Watches were in the same order as the previous night with Bart taking the first one.
Throughout the day nothing much happened. They slept, took turns at watch, and when the sun began its descent to the horizon, made ready to leave.
When the stars were out and the forest was once again dark, they left the copse of trees and followed the river back to where the road forded the water. As they drew near the road, they slowed to a crawl. Due to their uneasiness about being in this area, every sound of the forest seemed to herald the approach of goblins upon the road. When at last they came to the bend in the river and saw the road in the moonlight, Bart brought them to a sudden halt.
“Wait here,” he said as he dismounted.
Chad was about to ask him why they stopped when he waved for him to be quiet.
Moving forward, Bart edged closer to the road. He had heard something and wanted to make sure it was safe before they rode to the ford. Before he made it to the road, he heard the sound of rapidly approaching horses coming down the road on his side of the river. He froze for just a moment before dodging behind the trunk of a nearby tree.
He peered around the trunk and saw half a dozen goblin riders appear riding small ponies. They slowed their ponies to a walk as they came to the bank of the river. While they crossed, Bart got a good look at them. Each had on what looked like leather armor with a shortsword at their hips. Across the back of each rider were small curved bows and a quiver of arrows.
Bart stood there in the shadows as the riders forded the river. It wasn’t until they had crossed and disappeared into the forest on the other side did he turn around and head back. When he reached where the other two were waiting for him, he told them of the riders.
“Ponies?” asked Chad. When Bart nodded, he added, “At least our horses would be able to outrun them in an emergency.”
“That’s true,” agreed Riyan.
“Come on,” Bart said as he swung up into the saddle. “We better get across before more show up.” Leading them forward, he brought them to the edge of the road. There they paused for just a second to listen for any other approaching riders. When they failed to hear any, Bart turned toward the river and headed for the ford.
They took the crossing slowly. The water didn’t reach much more than a foot up their horses’ legs and wasn’t flowing all that rapidly. It was an easy crossing and once on the other side they kept to the road. It was risky to keep to the road, but they felt that if they stayed alert for approaching riders, they would be able to leave the road in time. Besides, they could make much better time on the road than if they slugged their way through the forest.
The road entered the forest a short ways before turning to the right and began following the river northward. They continued to follow the road, all the while very aware that a band of six armed goblins had passed this way just before them. An hour later the road began to turn more westward, leaving the river behind.
They followed the road to the west for a short distance until they were certain it wasn’t gong to return to its northerly trek. “We’re going to have to leave the road if we wish to continue following the river,” Bart announced.
“Nothing for it I guess,” Chad said.
As they began to turn and head into the forest, the night erupted in a bright flash of light to the west, followed a split second later by the sound of an explosion.
“What was that?” exclaimed Chad as they looked to the west where a glow blossomed into the night.
“I don’t know,” replied Riyan. “But I think we best get out of here.”
“I’m with you there,” agreed Bart.
They kicked their horses into motion just as a cry ripped through the night. “That wasn’t a goblin,” Riyan said as he came to a stop.
“No,” replied Chad, “it wasn’t. Sounded more like an old man’s.”
“He may need our help,” Riyan said. All thought of danger to himself vanished when he realized another needed help.
“We don’t know that he’s even still alive,” argued Bart. Just then, a crackling sound followed by another explosion broke the stillness of the forest.
Riyan turned his horse and bolted down the road towards the glow in the distance.
“You’re going to get us all killed!”
hollered Bart after him. Then to Chad he said, “Every goblin within miles will know something’s going on.”
“Can’t let him face this alone,” Chad said as he kicked his horse into motion and raced after his friend.
Bart mumbled a few choice words under his breath before he turned his horse and quickly followed after.
Riyan raced down the road as the glow progressively grew larger. When he came close enough, he discovered the glow to be a fire. The trees were beginning to catch and the fire looked like it was about ready to grow out of control.
Zzzt! Zzzt!
From out of the forest near the growing fires, the sound came to him. He looked to see what it was, but the smoke was obscuring the area quite badly. He turned off the road and moved into the forest as he began working his way around the fire to whoever was there. Behind him, he heard Chad and Bart arrive and begin to follow him into the trees.
Zzzt! Zzzt!
The sound came again, this time he could hear a goblin cry out in pain.
Moving quickly, he finally worked his way around the spreading flames and could see the combatants. A dozen goblins were ringed around two figures as they loosed arrows from their bows.
A circular glow surrounded the two men who were being attacked by the goblins. One was an older man, the other was a youth about Riyan’s age. The glow surrounding the two men deflected the goblin’s arrows. The older man gripped a gnarled staff in one hand and was dressed in a robe that glowed with sigils of power. Obviously this man was a magic user.
Zzzt! Zzzt!
The man sent two red bolts of energy flying from the hand not gripping the staff into the body of one of the goblins. The goblin was thrown backwards off his feet and hit the ground hard. He didn’t get back up.
Riyan assumed the younger man must be the magic user’s apprentice. He saw him wave his arms and suddenly two of the goblins were encased in a greenish substance that allowed them no freedom of movement. At the same time, a yellowish light surrounded three more of the attacking goblins. The older magic user had his staff pointed at them and the tip glowed yellow for a brief moment before returning to normal. Riyan watched as the three goblins became immobile and toppled to the side.
Realizing the two humans down below needed his help, he quickly dismounted and pulled his sling from off his belt. Bending over, he picked up four stones just as Chad and Bart came to a stop behind him. The heat from the fire was intensifying as the flames began engulfing more of the forest.
“We can’t stay here,” Bart urged him. “The fire is growing out of control.”
“Then leave,” replied Riyan. Turning to the battle, he started working his way closer as he put the first stone in the sling’s cup. There was no way he could turn his back on fellow men. The horrors of being captured by goblins that have plagued him since leaving the pass were no fate he could leave anyone to face.
Through the trees and smoke, he kept his eyes on the goblins as he moved into a better position. A crack of a branch beside him announced Chad had joined him. He had his sword out and his face was grim as he nodded to Riyan. “Let’s go do this,” he said.
He finally reached a point where his stones would be less inhibited by the limbs and trees. Bringing his sling up to a quick spin, he launched the missile towards the nearest goblin. The stone flew true and struck the goblin in the side of the head. The blow knocked it off its feet and to the ground. “Good shot,” he heard Chad mumble next to him.
Then another goblin suddenly put his hand to his neck and pulled one of Bart’s darts from out of its flesh. The creature glanced around before suddenly dropping to the ground.
The other goblins soon realized the magic users had help and scattered. Those that were trapped by the green goo and lying frozen on the ground were left behind.
“Look out!”
Riyan heard Bart yell as he rushed into the clearing. He was waving his arms and shouting a warning for the magic user and his apprentice to get out of there. Then a tree engulfed in flame that was leaning heavily towards the magic users suddenly gave out with a thunderous crack. Its trunk split and the upper branches fell towards the magic users.
The older of the two saw the fiery hell coming towards them. Moving quickly, he grabbed his apprentice and threw him out of the circular glow surrounding them. The apprentice hit the ground and scrambled away as the tree landed on top of the protective glowing shield in a shower of sparks.
“Master!” the apprentice yelled as he came to a stop and saw his master trapped beneath the burning tree.
Upon striking the circular glow, the trunk of the tree broke in two at the point of impact. The fiery brands the impact sent flying began smoldering in the dry brush of the forest’s floor.
“Bart!” yelled Chad as two of the goblins returned with their short swords drawn.
Bart turned and saw them appear at the edge of the clearing as they charged forward with bestial cries. He threw one of his darts and struck a charging goblin in the chest. The goblin took two more strides before he fell to the ground. The other goblin continued its attack.
Drawing his knife, Bart braced for the attack knowing his end was near. Then all of a sudden, Chad bowled into the goblin and knocked him to the ground. They both got back to their feet quickly and faced off against each other.
Bart opened the rolled leather that contained his darts and started to pull out another.
Clang!
The goblin struck out at Chad who brought his sword up to block the blow. When the goblin’s short sword struck Chad’s, the force of the blow knocked the sword out of his hand. As he watched his sword go flying, Chad tried to backpedal quickly to avoid the goblin’s next strike.
The goblin moved incredibly fast as it pressed forward to attack. Chad watched as it came and raised its sword for the blow that most assuredly would end his life. Then all of a sudden, the side of the goblin’s head exploded outward from the impact of another of Riyan’s stones.
The apprentice had moved as close to his master as he could before the heat from the burning tree grew too great. “Master!” he cried out.
Riyan moved closer to the apprentice and could see his master clearly inside the glowing protective circle for the first time. His master had an arrow through the right leg and another protruded from his side just above his left hip.
“It’s not going to hold,” the master said weakly to his apprentice. From where Riyan was standing he could tell the man was in a tremendous amount of pain. Blood stained his robes and more kept flowing. The man obviously wasn’t going to last much longer.
Reaching into his tunic, the apprentice produced a vial and held it towards his master. The master saw it and shook his head. “The shield which keeps the burning tree from me also prevents the vial from passing through,” he said sadly. “Go on.” Then for the first time he saw Riyan standing there. “See that he gets out of here,” he said as he locked eyes with Riyan.
Not knowing what else to do, he nodded.
“Here,” the master said to his apprentice. He tossed his staff through the glowing circle towards him. “Take Wyzkoth,” he said. Then he glanced at the glowing circle around him, “Won’t last much longer. Remember what I taught you.”
“Yes, master,” replied the lad, “I will.”
“Riyan!” Bart hollered, “We can’t stay here.” He pointed over to where the goblins had been frozen.
Riyan glanced over to them and saw that they were beginning to stir. He went to the apprentice and placed his hand on his shoulder. “We must leave.”
The apprentice turned to Riyan with his master’s staff in his hand. “I can’t leave him,” he said in anguish.
“You don’t have a choice,” replied Riyan.
Then the shield surrounding his master gave out and the burning tree crashed down upon him. They heard him shriek as the fire touched him then there was nothing but the crackle and roar of the flames.
Bart and Chad joined them. “Come on,” Bart said. C
had was putting his recovered sword into his scabbard.
The apprentice nodded. Rushing over to the side of the clearing, he grabbed two packs that were lying in the midst of what must have been their camp before the goblins showed up. Then he joined the others as they raced from the growing inferno.
“They’ll be after us sure as anything now,” stated Bart.
“With any luck they won’t know in which direction we fled,” offered Chad.
“Let’s hope,” said Bart.
Back where they left the horses they found that they were no longer there. A quick check in the direction away from the fire turned them up. They mounted quickly and Riyan offered the apprentice to ride with him. Once he was up behind him, they rode quickly away from the raging fire. Pushing onward, they made the best time as they could to put as much distance between themselves and scene of the battle as quickly as possible. Behind him, Riyan could hear the apprentice sobbing at the loss of his master.
Chapter Seventeen
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