Azareth nodded. "Would you like an escort on your gathering, Lady?" he asked.
Esmyrelda shook her head and stepped back. "No, that's ok. I enjoy the alone time. Besides, you'll just frighten away all of the animals if you go bulling through the forest with me, and they're the best part of the walk."
"Will we see you again?"
"I'm certain you will, if you stay in Winterhaven for any amount of time. My grandmother and I go to the Market Square to sell her poultices about once a week." Esmyrelda nodded. "Good luck on your travels, and finding your friend. I'm sure he will be happy to see you all. He hasn't received any visitors that I know of since he's been here."
"Thank you for your assistance, and be careful in your travels!"
The young girl bowed and flickered into the forest, disappearing as soon as she was beyond the tree line.
"Fascinating girl," Angus said, watching her go.
"She's a bit to young for you, isn't she?" Azareth asked, glancing sidelong at the wizard.
Angus shrugged and smiled. "Maybe. But I can always hope, can't I?"
"When my people aren't allowed to mate with anyone outside of our tribe," Bergeron said. "Anyone who does not follow the teachings of Salmirissa is impure, and not worthy of mating with me."
"And how long before you can go back to your tribe to find a girl?" Geldon asked.
"At least 100 years," Bergeron replied, looking down the road. "Shall we continue on to Winterhaven? We are losing daylight."
"Always got your eye on the prize, don't you Bergeron?" Angus chuckled, slapping the massive reptilian on the shoulder. He drew back his hand, wincing.
The travelers continued on their way, and before too long, they could see the smoke from the chimneys of Winterhaven rising high and lazy into the air, dissipating against the clear blue sky. Their steps lightened, and the talk stopped, as all of them saved their breath to get to Winterhaven as fast as they could.
It wasn't even an hour after they left Esmyrelda that Geldon's steps faltered. "Wait," he called to his companions. He cocked his head to the side, looking around. "Listen."
Bergeron put a massive hand on the hilt of his longsword, eyes narrowing and tongue flicking out between his sharp teeth. Angus naturally stepped behind the hulking warrior, running in his head through all of the spells that he had memorized. Rock formations on either side of the road rose 15 feet in the air, providing perfect areas for an ambush.
"What do you hear, little one?" Bergeron hissed.
"Nothing," Geldon replied. "Not a bird, not an insect, nothing. Something scared..."
Four small red reptilian humanoids cam screaming out from behind one of the rock formations, charging Bergeron, who pulled his longsword from its sheath and responded with a cavernous roar of his own, startling a flock of birds from the trees a hundred yards away.
"Kobolds!" Azareth screamed, drawing his mace and stepping forward.
As Bergeron swung at the leading kobold, Geldon stepped backwards, away from the battle. As one of the kobolds, intent of Bergeron, rushed by, Geldon darted forward and drove his dagger deep into the kobold's flank. The kobold screamed and whirled, slashing at Geldon, but the rogue was rolling and out of the way long before the kobold reacted. Bergeron took advantage of the kobolds injury and swung a heavy striking, removing the kobold's head. But this opened up his flank to the other kobolds to attack with their spears, and in an instant, he was stabbed three times. But the combination of his armor and scaly hide protected him from serious injury, and he was able to knock the kobolds away and step back into a defensive posture.
As Geldon and Bergeron tag teamed the kobolds, Angus raised his arms and began to speak quietly, calmly in the language of magic. "Thorin ash tull angulad frigidus!" He pointed at one of the kobolds trying to get around the flank of Bergeron, and a cone of freezing air erupted from his hand, striking the kobold in the chest, instantly freezing his armor and numbing his hands. The kobold shrieked and shook himself, trying to get rid o the effects of the spell. Before Angus could prepare himself for another spell, however, a rock buzzed past his ear, clipping his upturned collar. Angus dropped to the ground, looking around. Another kobold was standing near one of the boulders, putting another rock into his sling.
"Geldon!" Angus yelled. "Slinger! Over there!"
Geldon heard and looked around, then nodded, running as fast as he could toward the slinger. At the last moment, the slinger saw him coming and changed his aim, but it was too late. The rock didn't even come close. With a cry of defiance, the kobold turned and ran from Geldon, disappearing around the rock formation.
Angus, with a a glance toward Bergeron and Azareth to make sure they had the remaining kobolds under control, stood and ran around the other side of the rock formation.
Azareth, meanwhile, stepped up beside Bergeron, swinging his mace at the kobolds. He heard a roar behind him, and spun, just in time to see a much larger kobold, brandishing a short sword, come sprinting around a rock formation to the south. Azareth prepared himself to meet the newest charge, but the kobold ducked his initial attack, and swung backhanded, tearing into Azareth's thigh. The cleric stagger, limping, and spun, launching his own attack at the kobold. But this kobold was much more adept at battle that the other three they were battled, and matched Azareth's attacks with competent defense, keeping Azareth on his toes. Bergeron, press on all sides by the kobolds, sensed the distress of his friend and redouble his attack.
The kobold closest to him didn't even see the sword stroke that removed his arm, nor the massive hand that grabbed him and launched him against the side of the rock he'd been hiding behind. The other kobolds hesitated at the sight of the ferocity, and that was when one of them was hit from behind by a magic missile launched by Angus, who had seen the arrival of the new enemy and paused long enough to launch another attack. Bergeron again took advantage of this distraction to dispatch another kobold, and then is was a small reptile versus a very large one. It didn't take long.
Meanwhile, Geldon managed to catch up to the slinger. "You may as well just give up!" he shouted, jabbing forward with his dagger. "We're going to kill you if you don't."
The kobold laughed in his face, lunging forward with his own dagger, backing Geldon into one of the rock formations. "I'ssss not ssscared of you'sss all, no," the kobold hissed. It ducked to the ground, snatched a rock, and threw it, close range, into Geldon's face. Geldon dove away, and the kobold ran again, filling his sling with a rock. He ran into the forest, but Angus was there, casting a Ray of Frost. The kobold slowed, and Geldon was able to jump onto his back, trying to cut his throat. The kobold shook him off, launched a rock and Angus, and ran again.
Bergeron and Azareth were double teaming the large kobold, but he was a smart opponent, and kept using the rock formations to prevent them from using a flanking movement. Both the cleric and the paladine were using the support of their Gods to enhance their attacks, but the kobold was strong, and was able to prevent a single, final blow from the massive sword of Bergeron.
But finally, determination and perseverance paid off, and they were able to wear him down into a corner. It was Azareth who made the killing blow, crushing the kobold's skull with his mace, calling out to Bahamut to strengthen his strike. The shower of blood that erupted from the kobold's skull led credence to the idea that the prayer had worked.
Angus and Geldon had back the slinger kobold into a corner, and it was only a short moment before he too was cut down. As he fell, he screamed "I'sss sssorry, Irontooth!"
"Who's Irontooth?" Geldon yelled, but it was too late. The kobold was dead.
They searched the bodies, taking the sling, some exploding globes for it, and 34 pieces of silver.
"What should we do with the bodies?" Geldon asked.
They all thought of Esmyrelda wandering through the forest.
"We hide them over in the underbrush, in the forest," Angus said. "And then we go down to Winterhaven."
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