Jeff Inlo - Pure Choice

As if to punctuate its sentiment, the scout pointed back over its shoulder.

"Forest back there!"

Okyiq's eyes shot open at what he saw as not only open defiance of his will but a mocking gesture of disrespect. He ascended to command because he was larger and stronger than the other goblins… and he did not take kindly to dissension. He struck with a closed fist at the top of the scout's head and sent the smaller creature sprawling into the dirt.

"You don't tell me what's mine and what's not! Humans cleared forest for their town. Forest here first. That makes them part of forest… part of my forest. I take what is mine. Humans have supplies I want. We raid tonight!"

The large goblin, however, would not completely disregard the anxiety of his followers. Certainly, the monster understood how to maintain discipline through terror. Okyiq's bulk gave him a natural advantage over those that followed him, but even with meager intelligence, Okyiq knew how to lead, at least to a degree. Too much fear of repercussions and too little regard for authority led to desertion.

As a few of his lieutenants cringed at the angry display, Okyiq used his scant wisdom just enough to follow the display of strength with minor appeasement.

"So you fear the human archers on the wall?" Okyiq demanded of the goblins near enough to hear. "You think they will shoot us all down? Do arrows fly only one way?"

The other goblins tilted their heads in apparent confusion.

The goblin leader continued with a devious smile.

"If they're on the wall, then they are open to us. What keeps us from firing at them?"

A few of the goblins began to nod, but not the majority.

"We have short bows, crossbows, and plenty of bolts and arrows. Should we forget what we have?"

Without waiting for an answer, the large monster picked up a stick and drew a small circle in the dirt and then a curve just below it. He called his lieutenants to gather around. He sneered but with slightly less hostility than he offered the scout. He demanded that those nearby try to pay attention-something difficult for any goblin, but not impossible.

"This is wall around human town. We raid here!" Okyiq used the end of the stick to point to a section of the circle which corresponded to Burbon's southern gate. "Door here is closed, but we climb wall, kill guards, open gate."

The hulking creature paused and waited to see if any of the surrounding goblins dared to object. His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched tighter. He allowed his expression to communicate his intentions if any decided to oppose him.

Knowing they would receive the same treatment dished out to the still dazed scout, the subordinate goblins held their tongues. They might not have wanted to face human archers, but they had no desire to face Okyiq's fury, either.

Pleased with the silence, Okyiq then threw out the only bone he would offer, the one adjustment to help ease his followers concerns, but he knew it would suffice.

"But… not all of us will go to gate. Only part of us will go here." Okyiq jabbed the stick further into the dirt. He continued to direct the goblins' attention to the bottom of the circle that represented the southwestern portion of Burbon's contiguous wall. He then pulled the stick back and pointed to the curve he drew below. "This the hill rest of us can hide behind. We have enough short bows and crossbows. Stay behind hill until I say, then go to top of hill and fire at humans on wall! They will die and not see what we really want."

With a grunt of satisfaction, the leader jabbed the stick into the ground back at the point of the circle that represented the southern gate.

"This is where small party goes first. We climb wall, open gate, get more of us inside, take supplies, leave. Humans die, we live. We get food and weapons."

Certainly it wasn't a grand strategy, just a simple diversion added to a basic raid, but for the group of goblins, it radiated with pure brilliance. Okyiq added one more tactical aspect of goblin genius.

"We wait for rain. Coming soon. When rain starts, I give signal. Harder for archers to see us."

In a downpour, it would also be harder for the goblins to target the archers on the wall, but even had they thought of it, none of the lieutenants dared to make the claim. It was safer to simply nod and snicker.

Ryson moved eastward to the location where a second river rogue had been spotted. Again, he found the creature's scent quickly. He tracked the monster as he moved along a rather straight path. The rogue must not have been concerned by its surroundings as its trail passed through the center of a wide road.

The delver still traveled near the northern gate, but the streets and alleys were darker in that particular region. The area contained the large storehouses for food supplies brought in from the farms that covered the lands to the northeast. Lantern posts were not as common and most of the buildings were dark.

The second river rogue was easier to spot than the first, actually standing out in the open, banging against a locked warehouse door. It probably smelled the food stored within the confines of the structure and decided to force its way inside.

Ryson pulled to a stop and waved his sword high above his head to signal the towers. He remained a safe distance from the building which held the river rogue's attention while he scanned the area for any security personnel. Other than the rogue's poundings, the streets remained quiet and empty.

Unfortunately, his movement created a flashing beacon that caught the rogue's attention. The delver knew the guard towers would signal foot patrols to move into the area, but he couldn't be sure from which direction they would arrive. Not wanting them to unwittingly step into a dangerous situation, he decided to remain the new focal point for the beast.

Ryson raced forward and came to a halt about three arm lengths away from the rogue. He twirled his blazing weapon and leapt to his right and left. He kept calling out to ensure any arriving guards would hear him, though he knew they would not miss the flashing display of his sword.

The rogue found the delver's actions first distracting and then enraging. Like an angered bull, it charged at the sparkling blade. It slashed as it snarled and spit, but its claws found only empty air.

Ryson continued moving the sword in nearly every direction as he carefully danced backwards, coaxing the monster away from the building and out into the open street. The rogue was deceptively quick, even on dry land, but Ryson found no difficulty in avoiding every swipe. Once he managed to direct the beast into the center of a wide crossroad, the delver took quick glimpses in each direction and spied a group of oncoming soldiers.

Before the rogue could spot the guards, Ryson sidestepped to his left. By coaxing the creature to follow, he turned the monster's back to the soldiers' approach. He shouted louder at the rogue, making sufficient noise to block out any sounds that might alert it to approaching danger from behind.

To their credit, the guards understood the delver's intentions, quieted their movements, and prepared the iron net to swoop down upon the rogue from behind. They spread the strands of chain across the road, and once in position, they darted forward catching the creature in the center of the net.

Ryson leapt to the side and allowed the soldiers to wrap the mesh around the rogue with a sweeping motion. He helped secure the chains to ensure the rogue's arms could not break free. With the monster no longer a threat, he turned to the squad leader.

"Nicely done."

"You set it up for us," the squad leader offered.

"Any further sightings?" the delver asked.

"Last information I received was just three sightings of rogues inside-including this one-and two outside the wall."