Jeff Inlo - Chain of Bargains

Stepping up beside the elf, Ryson turned his curiosity upon the rock as well. The break in the ground that allowed access to the deeper tunnel was defintely of different construction then the mine shaft itself. The walls of the lower tunnel were almost smooth. The quality of the work was beyond anything a human could have completed, let alone a goblin. Ryson didn't wish to speak, but he felt compelled to whisper his observation.

"Dwarf mine."

"I know," the elf replied. "It's not very old, but the access hole is newer and that was dug out by goblins."

Holli frowned but said nothing further. She motioned for Ryson to follow her as she stepped lightly down the shaft deeper into the mine. As she passed several sleeping goblins, she checked on them carefully to ensure the sleep was deep. Satisfied with the spell, she knew the goblins could be wakened, but it would take an effort.

Continuing to stalk down the tunnel in dim light, Holli examined many areas of the shaft. She inspected the ground they walked upon and the shaft ceiling overhead. She noted the support beams and the tunnel offshoots that led to mineral deposits of silver and even some diamonds. None of the deposits were vast, but the mine itself continued on for untold lengths. The digging around the veins of silver were inefficient and not the work of skilled dwarf miners. Holli believed that the dwarves might have started the mine, but had abandoned it, which allowed the goblins to take control.

At least one of the mysteries was now coming into focus. It was true goblins were not miners, and they hated to toil, but digging through dark corridors to obtain easy riches was something within their character. They didn't have to excavate the shaft-that work had already been performed for them. They simply had to steal what was there for the taking. Goblins were not patient creatures, but if a number of them spent a full cycle of the seasons exploiting the mine, they could have extracted substantial wealth.

Believing she understood the purpose of the goblins in Huntston, Holli was left with the chore of linking the mining operation to the other issues within the Great Valleys. She did not believe in luck or coincidence. The goblins were directed to the mine, perhaps by Prilgrat. She couldn't conceive why, but there were many inconsistencies about the regional steward.

Still, if she could link Prilgrat to the Huntston mine, she might finally have leverage over him. It was during these considerations that Ryson took hold of her arm.

"We have to get out of here now!" He kept his voice as low as possible, but in truth, he was no longer worried about waking up any of the goblins around them. They would all be awake in a matter of moments.

It wasn't fear that Holli saw in Ryson's expression, but there was clearly a desire to run. The elf didn't wish to ignore the delver's alarm, but she needed to understand the severity of the danger.

"What is it?"

"Goblins… hundreds… maybe thousands, coming at us very fast."

That was all she needed to hear. She took the lead as she raced back up the shaft toward the platform under the warehouse. They moved faster than any goblin ever could, but she soon understood Ryson's overwhelming need to escape the cramped tunnels. When she reached the ladder, she couldn't see the goblin horde, but she could feel them. The tunnel shook and dust began to fall from the walls. She climbed the ladder as if it were on fire and the flames licked her heels.

Ryson followed her. He continued to glance down the angled decline of the shaft, but thankfully the mass of dark creatures he knew was coming remained out of sight. He had seen legions of monsters before. It was never a heartening sight. How there could be so many always left him questioning his sanity.

Upon reaching the top of the access hole in the warehouse floor, both he and Holli pulled violently at the ladders. They had to break them from anchors but they managed to release them and pull them all up out of reach of the coming horde. They threw them against the far walls of the building, hoping to keep them as far out of reach as possible.

"That will only slow them temporarily." Holli advised. "They will climb upon each other to reach the top. We have to get out of here."

Before she left, however, she grabbed one of the bound and unconscious goblins they had left topside and threw it over her shoulder. She quickly raced to the door and broke out into the open. Once outside, she scanned the area for guards. She saw them in the distance, still at the bridge. She could not locate the guard captain, but she imagined he was near or on his way.

Ryson nodded to the guards as well.

"Do we warn them?" he asked.

"By the time we explain what happened, the horde will be within their sight. I do not wish to lose this prisoner, so we head to the trees to the south."

Ryson didn't like leaving the soldiers without any warning, but he knew Holli was right. The guards weren't going to act with any efficiency. He knew that from their past encounter. They'd ask questions and the delay would waste any good intentions. Better for them to see the horde and act accordingly rather than dispute what might have happened within the warehouse.

Ryson and Holli raced over mostly open ground between the buildings that covered the southwestern section of Huntston. They moved with haste, but they continued to peer over their shoulders to watch the warehouse behind them. They both waited for the inevitable rush of the horde through every door and window of the warehouse, but such an eruption never occurred.

"They're not coming out," Ryson noted.

Holli allowed a few more moments to pass, but even she had to agree. The monsters had ample time to extract themselves from the mine and exit the warehouse, but they remained out of sight. It didn't make sense, but not much had.

"Perhaps they are satisfied with securing the warehouse," Holli offered. She couldn't explain why, but she certainly wasn't going to go back to find out. Rather than agonize any further over the issue, she focused on her newest objective. "Let us get to the trees."

The horde never exited the warehouse. Even as Holli and Ryson made their way across the southern clearing that separated Huntston from the trees, they kept watch on the area by the western bridge. They listened for conflict with the guards, as well as for unrest among the townspeople. No commotion erupted. Not a scream of fear, not a shriek of hysteria, not even a curse of anger. The town remained as it had been when they entered… under control.

Ryson couldn't believe what happened. He knew the horde had barreled up out of the depths of the mine. While running from the building, he could hear them climbing up into the warehouse and filling the very rafters. He wondered if the walls could hold them all, but not a single goblin exited the building.

"What do you make of that?" he called to Holli.

"They were willing to protect their sanctuary, but not willing to invade the town. It seems as if certain areas remain off limits to them, as do certain behaviors."

Holli offered no other explanation as they crossed into the trees and she turned her attention toward finding a secure spot to question her prisoner. The goblin over her shoulder began thrashing before they made it into the Twin Rivers Forest and it was struggling against its bonds. Disregarding the frantic movements, Holli selected a tall white elm and hoisted her prisoner high up into a tree. With near disregard to the goblin's safety, she flung it onto a thin branch.

The goblin's hands and feet remained tied. It could not take hold of any surrounding branches to secure its position. Losing its balance on the thin limb, it tottered to one side and almost plunged to the ground through numerous branches that would have shattered its bones.