The Unfortunate Events of the Cook and the Madman

A Goblin Ambush

They kept good pace for a few hours, the road becoming more wooded, branches scraping along the wagon side, the wheels becoming lodged a few times on larger rockss. Bale had offered to burn a path through the thicket but Poppy turned the offer down, fearing that may give a bit too much unwanted attention. Bale had considered this for a moment, like he didn't understand where the problem was nor the problem in creating a forest fire. The halfling went to argue her point when Bale held up a hand to slow them.

"What's that over there?" He asked, gesturing to a clearing in the woods to the left of the road. It looked to be an abandoned camp site; an old fire surrounded by litter and some large shapes, were those horses?

"Bandits? Could be remnants of an attack?" Poppy thought aloud nervously.

"Could be, could be." Bale started to head into the clearing. He kicked a few bits of litter, it looked like looted bags strewn everywhere.

"Bale!" hissed Poppy, he didn't respond. "Bale, get back here." She hissed again, she knew he had heard her but was still looking around. She let out and exasperated sigh and jumped from the wagon, grabbing her pack. "Go on a little further and park up, we'll be back for you soon. If we're not back by morning head to Phandalin." She told Errick, he nodded and grunted in response.

Poppy quick walked over to Bale who was stood over two dead horses, her heart sank in sadness for them. She went to talk when Bale shushed her and genstured to the brushes and woodland around them. He had noticed it at first but Poppy could see now, there was something in the thickets.

"Goblins," he said with a wry grin. "Bush goblins, I bet they have crabs."

No sooner had he finished his words did an ugly, stout green creature burst from the tree line, screeching and gnashing it's wide mouth showing an array of sharp little teeth. It beelined straight for Bale, zigzagging, swooping up and round, plunging a short carved dagger into Bale's side. He roared in pain, grabbed the blight by it's hideous little face and flung it to the side like a rag doll.

As a second goblin made a run for Poppy, she unsheathed her sword and made a middle stance, facing it head on. As it got closer she quickly lowered her blade, adjusted her bearing and cleaved the goblin in half, bringing the sword up with a barbaric yell.

A third goblin burst out from the bushes now, flailing it's arms, screaming and yelling heading for Bale who was on all fours trying to focus on anything but the agonising pain, grasping for something at his belt. The bandaged man rolled into the goblins path at the last second, tripping it over and sending it flying. "That's gonna smart in the morning," Bale groaned.

He uncorked a small vial with his teeth, downed the contents and waited a few moments for the healing properties of the potion to take effect. Rising to his feet, a wicked look crossed his face as he drew his ornate dagger.

The first goblin had regained it's composure and was making tracks back for Bale, screeching once more. Bale was the quicker one this time; ducking, almost dancing around the goblin. His wrist flicked a few times and the deed was done. The goblin slumped down, blood spraying from many deep cuts, viscera spewing forth.

The third goblin who had been watching from it's prone position caught glimpse of the wicked smile upon the bandaged man's face. Scrambling to it's feet, it raced back to the treeline they had come from.

"Where you going buddy?" Bale let loose his dagger and it buried itself deep into the back of the fleeing creature, so deep it burst part way through the front of it's chest. The goblin sank down to the ground, blood gurgling in it's mouth as it took a slow death. Bale withdrew the dagger and sliced, quick sharp across the goblin's throat.

Poppy blew a sigh of relief, that was very unexpected, and goblins no less! She wiped her sword then sheathed it and began to inspect the goblins corpses and abandoned camp-site for anything useful.

Bale was crouched down next to the first goblin that had attacked him. Poppy came up next to the bandaged man, for once she was eye to eye with him and got a good close look at his face as he busied himself searching the body. She now noticed that he was wearing a mask, she hadn't noticed it in the tavern nor on their travels but there it was. It was a fine white porcelain mask with intricate etchings marring across the smooth shell. The mask fit Bale so well and was so thin that it just looked like pale skin, but now she was up close she could see how it sat around his eyes. Why the mask? Why the bandages? She was torn with asking when Bale thrust a small coin purse in her hands.

"Here you go, spoils of battle," he grinned under the coverings. Poppy opened the fine purse and out tumbled some silver coins, she began to separate them when Bale waved her off with his hand.

"You don't need the money?" She thought to the card game, of course he needed the money. Bale reached round to his side and shook a leather pouch, it jangled gleefully. Poppy's eyebrows furrowed in angry confusion. He had money, the swine! "What spoils will you get from battle then?"

"Oh, I have one or two ideas," he replied, laughing as he drew his sharp dagger. Poppy never took him as an ear collector but then she didn't really know him at all.

The halfling walked away, leaving Bale to what ever it was he was going to do and began to thoroughly inspect the area. She picked her way around the two goblins, finding a few more fine coin purses filled with silver pieces. The purses looked elven made with fancy elvish stitching, definitely stolen. She went to try offer Bale the money again but the ripping and tearing sounds coming from over his way was enough to sway those thoughts.

The goblins bore no sygils or banners, nothing to indicate which pack they may have belonged to. Poppy kicked one of them in frustration, let out a sigh in an attempt to calm herself and went to look at the horses.

Both horses had many black feathered arrows sticking out of them, funny none of the goblins that had attacked had bows on them. She gave a cursive glance to the tree line and then back to the horses. They had been dead about a day or so, poor beasts. Poppy took a step back and studied the horses for a moment before an ice cold feeling ran up and down her body and settled hard in the pit of her stomach.