June 20th - Late Morning - Attack!

After leaving the Adventurer's guild hall, Kane, Lord Glade and I left the city. It was still early so the normally crowded streets were fairly easy to navigate and the scent of sweat and unwashed bodies was less noticeable.

Turning to Kane, I asked, "Isn't this a glorious morning?" I spread my arms wide in a stretch and smiled happily.

Kane handsome face lit in a brilliant smile of his own, "Yes, it is wonderful. I can think of anywhere that I'd rather be."

"How 'bout in a bed, asleep?" Lord Glade growled from behind us.

I turned to tell him that he should go find a bed if he wanted one so bad when he grimaced.

"My father ordered me to be here, Miss Adamare." He snapped. My mouth tightened involuntarily from irritation and I faced forward again.

Soon we passed out of the city gates and onto the meandering road to the countryside. Grain covered, rolling hills greeted my eyes from the front and sides. The waist high grasses were still growing and green from the late-coming spring. It was an awe-inspiring sight.

We pressed on still further and the farms became fewer and fewer. The neat fields gave way to meadows and strands of willows and deciduous trees.

This made sense. The farther from a city the farm was the harder it was for an ordinary farmer to protect. Monster roved farther away from the cities. There numbers were proportional to the distance from the city.

Kane and Lord Glade were wary now. I didn't think we were far enough from the city to warrant such alertness, but they just wouldn't listen when I told them that. With a sigh, I tried to maintain my happy eagerness, but I just couldn't with such tense people around me. I fell to a somber, grim state like Lord Glade and Kane.

Two hours later, it turned out their wariness was smart. I began smelling the coppery tang of blood and then, we saw wet, red stains on the dirt path. They led off to the left into a coppice.

I glanced at Kane and wordlessly we began leading our horse down the blood trails to the woods.

"What? Where are you going? Don't you know it's a trap?" Lord Glade shouted.

I looked back at him, "Of course, it's a trap, Lord Glade. But something or someone still was injured and may yet live. We have to find out." I faced forward again and followed Kane.

As we approached the thicket, the sounds of feet scrabbling on bark reached me along with high-pitched chittering. I grimaced as the scent of urine and sweat reached my nose.

Kane turned to me sharply, "It's goblins. Stay behind me." He ordered.

Goblins may be low-level creatures but they attacked in mobs of at least fifteen and they were, as humanoid creatures, quite fond of females. I swallowed hard and drew my daggers. I would rather die than let them take me prisoner and with my reduced magic capabilities, I may end up doing just that.

As I mentally prepared myself, I stole a sidelong glance at Kane. We'd never discussed our relative levels. I wondered what level he actually was, since I'd yet to see him level up.

Kane's horse passed unmolested into the trees but when my own horse slipped under their bows there was terrific shriek. Four goblins launched themselves from the trees to rain down upon us.

Kane's horse reared and he struggled to maintain his seat.

Activate Light Shield! I thought wildly. The gold-glowing shield winked into existence around Kane, just as the three goblins would have hit him.

The fourth slammed into me and toppled me out of my saddle. I lost my daggers when I landed. The pain from my back hitting the ground had forced my hands open and my daggers skittered away.

The goblin landed on top of me. His long, clawed fingers wrapped around my throat, choking me. As I tugged at his hands, I heard more screeching cries and many pounding feet from all sides.

My vision started going fuzzy and I let off tugging at the goblin's hands. I scrabbled in the dirt for my nearest dagger. My fingers caught it.

Wrapping my hand around the dagger's hilt, I drove it into the goblin's eye. It screeched in pain and reared back, clutching at its face.

I kicked the goblin in the chest and pulled out the dagger in one smooth move. Coughing I looked for my next enemy and my other dagger. I saw Kane dismounted fighting six goblins at once, while Lord Glade was fighting four.

Immediately, I sent a Shadowbolt at one of Kane's six. Three goblins rushed me. The one that I'd injured was dead on the ground.

Hurriedly, I avoided the three goblins and saw my dagger lying between two trees. I rolled toward it and grabbed it, before jumping to my feet again.

I charged back into the fray, slicing, stabbing, and unleashing Slashes.

Several minutes later, I paused and looked around for my next attacker. I saw two of the foul beasts running off through the trees. My bloodlust was so strong that I would have charged after them, if not for Kane grabbing me. Silently, he shook his head.

The blood trails still led off into the trees. Although, from the lack of noise, I was pretty certain all we'd find were bodies. Still, we had to check, so the three of us made our way further into the coppice.

The sight made me sick. Kane patted my back as Lord Glade checked the travelers' belongings for anything to identify them. Then Lord Glade gave them a makeshift burial to prevent further defilement, and the three of us returned to our journey in silence.