As one, the heroes dashed back into the cave mouth, only to see a horrifying tableau before them. Pouldan had indeed found a dry ledge, but it happened to be right next to the chained wolves he’d spent some time pelting with crossbow bolts. Pouldan clearly realised his danger, as he was clearly trying to cast a spell as three wolves pounced on him, crossbow bolts protruding from their muzzles and shoulders. Unfortunately, the wolves’ rage lent them speed and they fell upon him before the arcane syllables left his mouth. Down he went, squealing, under a torrent of fur, fangs and claws.
Although Dulron and Og charged forward with Abba providing supporting bow-fire, by the time they managed to kill or drive off the wolves Pouldan lay lifeless upon the floor, hand outstretched in a last ditch effort to save his life. Sourly, Og dispatched the last of the wolves whilst Dulron administered a farewell blessing to their fallen comrade. Although he had been an odd sort, obsessed with things that more stable personalities might consider deeply distasteful, he had been their companion after all.
Ever pragmatic, Abba pushed past Dulron and explored the remainder of the cave. As expected it was foul with the stench of the captive wolves, but Abba also noted a sort of small passage higher up in the eastern wall, a pile of what appeared to be discarded rubbish at its foot. Nimbly, and with as much stealth as he could muster, he scaled the slimy cave wall and peered into the cavern beyond. Dimly, he could see a pool of light, with dim shapes moving here and there. Listening carefully, he could make out the harsh goblinoid tongue and the snarling of more wolves. Swearing quietly, he slipped back down and relayed his findings to his comrades. Briefly considering making a rapid exit, they finally settled on exploring the rest of the cave; after all, they’d slaughtered goblins with ease before, and wolves had proved no obstacle as long as they stuck together.
Carefully, the three moved further into the cave system, recalling they’d seen a further group of goblins in an opening to the west. As they moved, a dull roar filled the air and became louder the further they went. Their fight with the wolves hadn’t caused anyone to come and investigate, and Dulron felt the acoustics of the cave combined with the roar of water would mask any sounds of combat provided further enemies weren’t too close by.
As they crept up the narrow passage leading to the western cave, a dull rumble came from below their feet as the unstable rock began to give way! Nimble as ever, Abba skipped forward to safety whilst his companions were knocked off their feet for the second time in as many hours! Luckily, both Dulron and Og escaped with only cuts and bruises. However, their grumbling at Abba’s smirk quietened down as they approached the goblin cave. Urged on by his companions, Abba stole carefully forward and glanced around the corner. Within, he could see the cave bending out of sight to his right, but immediately in front of him he could see a group of some six goblins clustered around a couple of cooking fires, greasy smoke filling the upper part of the cave before finding some way out far above. As always, rubbish lay everywhere in the cave, and Abba took particular note of the chewed humanoid bones strewn here and there; clearly, captives were used for more than just ransom.
Deciding that delay could mean discovery and more foes to contend with, the companions once more charged into the fray, surprising the goblins as they lay around and squabbled as usual for their kind. Rather than keeping together, however, the heroes were so keen to take the fight to the enemy that they split up, to Abba’s great consternation. As a result, they took some grievous wounds before the goblin leader took advantage of a pause in the battle to parley. As his minions stood back, a slightly larger goblin came into view around the corner of the cave, holding a wicked-looking knife to the neck of a middle-aged human, of noble bearing despite evidently frequent beatings. In harshly-accented Common, the goblin leader demanded a parley or he would kill his captive. As Og and Dulron looked at each other, holding the various wounds they’d taken, Abba took matters into his own hands; there was no way he was parleying with some stinking goblin! In a moment, he’d sunk two arrows into watching goblins and the battle began again.
This time, the fight was over quickly and the remaining goblins lay dead. Whilst Abba and Og searched the filthy bodies, Dulron checked the body of the unknown man…and discovered he was alive! Whilst Dulron bound the man’s wounds, he also noted another figure emerging from the darkness at the rear of the cave. Readying his hammer, he tensed…but then noted that it was another male human wearing dirty robes and bearing the marks of goblin hospitality. As Abba and Og approached, the stranger identified himself as Kang the Mysterious, a poor traveler who’d been unfortunate enough to end up in the goblins’ clutches. As he scrabbled around and retrieved his belongings from a pile of rubbish, the three companions exchanged a knowing look; another mage, no doubt. Perhaps this one would have a better sense of self-preservation than Pouldan at least.
Realising that they needed to catch their breath before moving onwards, Og and Dulron took the opportunity to bind their wounds and take some food whilst Abba moved off to scout the nearby area. Moving north and east, the floor rose steeply until Abba caught site of a bridge spanning the stream some 20 feet above the stream they’d splashed through earlier. Of most immediate interest, however, was the bored-looking goblin standing on the bridge. Evidently intended to be a look-out, the foul creature seemed more interested in the contents of its nostrils and its nutritional value than what was happening around him. For the time being, Abba was content to let him carry on his nasal excavations whilst his comrades rested. Settling back against the wall, Abba watched and waited…
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