Druids of Miminar

Chapter 2

 After we clean up from supper, Dad comes out of his room in his leather armor with a curved sword strapped onto his belt.

He tells me he's a hunter, but by his armor I doubt the claim. Though from the amount of times I've seen him bloodied and bruised, I think he's a guard or a sword for hire. "Is this necessary?" I say looking at him worried.

"It is. If we encounter more they're likely to attack us, I don't want to be unprotected. You said you heard them mention camp, how many did you run into?"

"Four."

He curses under his breath. "Then there's going to be a lot more. When I tell you to stay behind me, do it. Understood?"

I nod.

"Alright lets go." He says, gesturing me to lead.

I pat my belt making sure I have my hunting knife, finding it secure. "If we do run into goblins, would it be better if I had something better than a knife? Like one of your swords?"

He chuckles. "Only when I think you're ready."

"But you always say that. " I retort.

"Lets go." He says heading out ignoring my protest.

We head into the woods and glancing at dad at his armor and weapon, I wish I had something more than a hunting knife. Though I'm happy, for once I'm the one leading dad.

After a few hours heading south as the skies begin to darken, I head to the quicksands first to orient myself. When we get there a number of ravens caw heralding our arrival. After turning around a bend they scatter into the canopy above where I stop dead in my tracks at a grotesque sight.

Bruised, pecked and clawed with dried blood, all four goblins are there dead. Some of them have eyes missing while others with conspicuous attempts to lodge them free.

"Sunn." My dad mutters.

"I didn't mean to kill them I meant to escape." I say staring in disgust, almost in disbelief.

"You're more important than them. Thank the gods I taught you about the quicksands." He bends on his knees and looks closely at the goblins. "When did you find them?"

"Early this morning."

He mutters to himself. "That makes sense; it explains their droopy eyes. Sunn, goblins are nocturnal. They were tired when you found them. If they were more active you wouldn't be alive."

I take a moment to let that in, and utter a curse beneath my breath.

"Anyways Sunn, we need to go"

Shaking my head to get rid of that image I start walking. It wasn't a moment later when I jump hearing dad shout my name.

"Sunn!"

I turn around and look into his worried eyes.

He gestures to my legs. "What happened?"

"Two of them scratched me."

"Yet you didn't tell me about it. Sunn, your injured, you should have told me, I need to bandage them up."

"Dad, it's nothing serious."

"Sunn!" He shouts as he closes the distance, putting his hands on my shoulders, turns me around to look me in the eyes. "You were injured by the goblins, if they were awake they might have fatally injured you. You know the things out in the woods are dangerous, you know there are things that could kill you. Sunn, along with finding something dangerous, tell me if you were injured by something dangerous. This is not up to debate, you know I care about you."