Chapter 3 A Panther, Kobolds, and Gold; Oh my!

"Black Whiskers!!" Lila had hissed loud enough to wake the others. She watched the movements of the big dark cat and aimed her bow. She shot where she thought she'd have a perfect shot for it's shoulder but it anticipated her move as it dodged the arrow and leapt closer to their camp. Riswynn; barely awake, blocked Nim from the creature's view as Disia reached for her great axe that was lying next to her. Lila and Disia took shots and swings, each one a miss or barely injuring it. With each dodge, it circled to the other end of their camp keeping a keen eye on Nim as she frantically searched for something in her backpack.

"The creature is tortured," Nim said as she rummaged through her bag in the dark. Riswynn kept her body in front of Nim, watching the beast as it continued to avoid attacks and inch closer to Nim.

"Something isn't right with it. Something or someone is controlling it in a way. There's a presence about it. It's not right." Nim continued as Lila finally was able to land an arrow into its hind thigh. It whimpered, growled slightly, and once again began nearing towards Nim. Finally Nim found what she was looking for. She pulled out an amulet with a sun engraved onto it. With the amulet in her hands she raised it to the night sky and began chanting in her main tongue. Another arrow injured the beast as a white glow began to emanate around Nim. Soon the small camp was bursting with a white light. Nim continued chanting faster and soon the shape of a man in a robe holding a staff appeared next to her.

"My God, Pelor," Nim said softly.

"Please, guide us and deliver this animal from pain." The man stood for a moment, white lights pulsated around him and the group. He turned to look at Disia who was closest to the beast. Slowly he glided over to her, the white glow following him. With one hand pointed towards her, he aimed his staff. White light split from the man's staff and danced around Disia. The blades of her great axe glowed white for a moment and within seconds she knew what to do. The beast continued to dodge Lila's arrows while Disia anticipated its movements and finally found a spot to strike. Disia swung her axe around with amazing speed and just as the blade touched the beast's neck; the beast exploded into a million pieces of black fur. A dark presence formed for a second where the beast was and then was gone. And in the moment the beast disappeared, the white glow around their camp had too. Nim fell to her knees in pain.

"No," she grunted reaching one hand towards where the beast had been.

"Nim, are you alright?" Riswynn asked as she helped her to lay down.

"Oh, I'll be fine. It took a lot more energy from me than I had expected. I just need to rest." She answered slowly. Riswynn looked at Disia who was looking at the blade of her weapon. She then turned her head to Lila who was returning her bow to her back, a look of shock on her face.

"Lila?" Riswynn prodded. Lila turned her head to her, being brought back to reality.

"I've never really seen magic before." She answered shyly as she climbed down from the tree. Riswynn nodded at her, as Lila sat down with her back to the tree.

"Disia, you think you can keep a lookout now?" Riswynn asked. Disia looked up from her blade and remembered where she was.

"Oh yeah," she replied.

"I don't think I could sleep now anyways," she laughed.

"That was some amazing magic, Nim. I feel weird, but good." Nim just smiled at her and nodded.

Disia took a seat next to Lila while Riswynn comforted Nim.

"There's no need to fuss over me," Nim said, gently smacking Riswynns hand.

"I just need rest. That was my first time with a blessing spell, let alone summoning an image of my God. It took a lot of energy from me, is all." Nim forced a smile while Riswynn covered her up.

"Still," Riswynn continued.

"I will keep an eye on you."

"We all will," Disia mentioned from beside the trees. She then turned to Lila, who was relaxing against the trunk of one.

"Why did you shout 'Black Whiskers'?" Disia asked her. Riswynn looked over, curious in the conversation as well. Nim had already fallen asleep.

"Oh, well that's the name we use where I come from. Black because of its fur, and whiskers well, because it has them. In my home though, they are normally not so aggressive. Sometimes we make family with them. Umm, as you would say, pets?"

"That one was tainted." Riswynn said.

"In Brine, we call them Panthers," she continued. Lila nodded as she hugged her knees to her body and leaned her back against the tree. It was slowly becoming easier to be reminded of home and not send a sharp pain through her chest. She closed her eyes with the thought of home and the old days, with a smile on her face.

The third day of their expedition started off with warmer weather and no wind or precipitation. The trees continued to get thicker and darker, and the sight of the sky above vanished quickly. After a few hours of walking, the temperature seemed to drop. A chill filled the air, yet no wind was present.

"Something doesn't feel right," Nim announced. Riswynn and Disia halted, and turned to face Nim.

"She's right," Lila spoke quietly. "I don't know what it is, but there's something odd about this part of the woods."

"We're getting closer to the middle of the forest now. Lila can you stealth ahead and check it out?" Riswynn asked. Lila nodded as she set down her bag and straightened her weapons. She glanced around for a second until she took off towards a tree and climbed it.

As still and quiet as a mouse, Lila went through tree top to branches to tree top until she spotted a clearing not far from the group. Six kobolds chatted away near the river path around a tiny campfire. Lila's eyes darted to the small gold chest between two of the kobolds. A smile came across her lips.

"I hope she's alright," Disia said, a worried tone in her voice. Riswynn and Nim continued to watch the trees for any signs of Lila.

"She'll be fine," Riswynn replied. I hope. A few more minutes of patiently waiting and worrying, Disia grabbed Lila's bag.

"Let's look for..." Disia began as Lila jumped down from the exact same tree she climbed. She held out her hand to Disia,

"My bag back," she said. Disia smiled and reached to hug Lila. Lila shrunk back from her while trying to grab her bag.

"Sorry," Disia began. "I was worried you were lost, or hurt, or worse." Riswynn smiled as Disia continued to try and hug Lila, eventually giving up and handing Lila back her bag.

"What did you find?" Nim asked after a few moments of Lila rummaging through her bag to make sure everything was still there. With all eyes on her she dreaded telling them what she saw.

"I found the path of the river bend," she began. "Not far from here. There's a small clearing in the woods with six kobolds huddled around a campfire, chatting away. Two of them guarded a gold chest." She smiled at the image of the gold chest. Riswynn eyed her.

"Hmm," she mumbled. "What interest would kobolds have in Cronemoor Forest?" She asked more to herself than her companions.

"What do you mean?" Disia asked.

"Well," Riswynn began. "Kobolds are very rarely seen in this forest. They have no intentions in here because it is usually filled with positive energy and magic. I am quite curious now." She turned to Lila,

"You're sure it was kobolds?"

Lila nodded in response.

"Yes, we have them from my land as well, except these were a bit skinnier and lighter in color."

"Alright then," Riswynn nodded. "Let us head into this clearing and find out why they are here."

Once again they headed deeper into the forest; Riswynn and Disia in front with Nim in the middle. Lila walked at the back but not too far. It wasn't long before they came upon the encampment Lila mentioned. Sure enough, six kobolds stood around a meek and slowly dying campfire. Two stood close together at the back of the group with a gold chest between them. The other four talked excitedly to one another in a language Riswynn knew of, but didn't understand.

"Draconic," Nim whispered as quietly as she could. The others turned their heads and nodded at her. Riswynn and Disia stepped forward in view of the kobolds, and the moment they did, the kobolds stopped talking. One of the four stepped closer to Riswynn and Disia, a small snarl forming on his lips.

"Dwarves." It said in a low voice. Riswynn moved closer to him.

"Nomoare closir." One of the other four said.

"My name is Riswynn Ungart from the mountains of the Bundushath Spires."

The kobold continued to curl his lip.

"I was wondering what business you have here, in Cronemoor Forest?" Riswynn continued on.

"Nottare Mastur," growled one of the kobolds next to the gold chest. Disia slowly reached behind her shoulders and grabbed her great axe.

"Hold," Riswynn said to her as she slowly reached for her own shield.

"Lillun," screamed the other kobold by the gold chest, running towards Lila catching her off guard and stabbing her in the gut. Lila had never been stabbed before, that she could recall anyway. She collapsed to her knees in pain, clutching her stomach. Three of the kobolds danced towards Riswynn and Disia, shouting in Draconic. Disia parried two of their hits with her great axe while the third was able to damage through some of Riswynns armor. Nim, shocked by the sight of blood pouring through Lila's hands as she lay on the ground, was unaware of a fifth kobold as it slingshot a rock to the side of her head.

"Nim!" Riswynn shouted as Nim fell unconscious to the ground, a trickle of blood running down her cheek. Reaching into one of her many small pockets, she frantically digged and pulled out a ruby colored liquid in a tiny vial.

"Disia, do something!" Riswynn screamed as she rushed over to Nims body, uncorking the vial and letting the liquid touch her lips.

Nims eyes began to open and her hands reached instinctively for the vial as she gulped down the rest. She searched the ground for her Holy Symbol, after a few seconds her fingers grasped around it and she hurried over to Lila.

"Come on, you stupid mangy mutts!" Disia growled as she sweeped her great axe at the three Kobolds.

Nim placed her Holy Symbol on Lila's cut and began chanting in Elvish. Within seconds the cut had slightly healed, and the blood vanished. She then raised her arm in the air, pointing at Disia with her Symbol and began chanting once again. The same white glow they had seen the previous night returned once again and swirled in a circle on the forest floor until it reached Disia. Again it surrounded her, a trace of red within the white this time, and as she swung her axe the white glow slowly faded.

"Are you alright now Nim?" Riswynn asked as Lila, obviously feeling better already, began shooting arrows at the pack surrounding Disia. Nim nodded as she watched Lila, making sure her healing spell hadn't failed. Riswynn looked back at Disia; who was grunting as she avoided hits, took hits, and gave hits. She began walking up towards Disia to help her while Nim began chanting in Elvish.

Elvish words formed around her as she performed the most basic spell she was taught, Sacred Flame.

"Ouch," she cried, shaking her fingers. Her spell had failed and she burned herself.

Riswynn took a few hits while Lila flawlessly landed arrow after arrow on the kobolds. One by one they fell, and eventually so did Disia. Nim continued to attempt her Sacred Flame, each time the words appearing above in Elvish, each time burning her fingers.

Dammit . She swore under her breath in Elvish.

"Now's not the time to mess things up, Nim." She yelled out loud.

One last attempt, and a burst of fire came shooting from her fingertips.

"Awesome!" Lila screamed. As the flame almost hit Riswynn and hit the last remaining Kobold.

Lila did a tiny whoop no one seemed to notice as she tucked her bow back behind her and ran quickly over to the chest. Nim rushed right over to an unconscious Disia and began her healing spell once again.

"Is it locked?" Riswynn asked as Lila opened the chest and ran her fingers through gold coins. A smile came over her face as she picked up a handful.

"Lila? What's in it?" Riswynn was watching her closely, concerned. By now Disia was sitting up admiring Nim's handiwork.

"Sorry," Lila stuttered. She had forgotten where she was for a moment.

"It's gold!" She exclaimed, picking up a handful to show them.

"Gold coins? Wonder what they were doing with that many?" Riswynn wondered out loud.

"Maybe it has something to do with the same reason as to what they were doing here in the forest." Nim mentioned.

"How many coins?" Disia asked.

"I'm not very good at counting." She said, handing her the chest.

Disia began counting, while the others made plans to stay in the camp for the night.

"Twenty coins total." Disia finally spoke up after the other three tossed the dead Kobolds into the river.

"Five each then." Riswynn said smiling at Lila.

Once again Lila took a spot against the tree, while the other three slept for the night. Or so they thought.