-----A puzzled expression came over the old man’s face as he said, “Well, I ain’t sure. I ain’t had a lot o’ time t’see what be keepin’ company in this god forsaken place.” With an angered look not focused at Whisper, the old one added, “There be lots o’ people kept up here in these rooms. Don’t rightly know if’n there be a storeroom, but there oughta be somewheres.”
-----The Woodelf frowned. Another prison. And most of these prisoners did not seem the type to be able to fight back.
-----"Are there soldiers or guards being kept prisoner?"
-----“Now what kind o’ question is that? . . ” the old man begins to ask before stopping himself. Then, understanding takes his features before he says, “Ah . . . I see what ye be a’ askin’. Th’ only guards n’ soldiers I been seein’ is them damn goblins. As far as regular army o’ Ravenhold, I hears they’re north a’tryin’ t’conquer as much as they kin fer that lowlife Sintor.”
-----Whisper sighed. And then sat back on his haunches to look at the old man.
-----The weight of oddly curved dagger hung heavy where it was sheathed, almost as if it knew what he was thinking. He leant forward again.
-----"I can not rescue you, or your people. But perhaps, if the guards were dead..." Whisper did not finish the sentence, leaving the statement open for the old man to fill in himself.
-----In the meantime, he thought of how he could stalk through this town, and thin out the ranks of the enemy Horde. And he remembered the flask of oil in his satchel, and how flammable the barn with the livestock was. Of course, there was the other barn to consider...
-----Whisper’s statement leaves the old man with a startled look on his face. Even in the dark, it was possible to imagine the old one’s face losing some of its color.
-----“Now see here!” he gasped at Whisper. “I don’ know if ye really gots the grasp on things here about! The people here . . . they really got us by the gonads!”
-----The old man then struggles to move closer to Whisper as he continues, “Ye see, they gots all o’ our families . . and they gots us all split up! Down by the river, the orcs gots all the strong younguns pannin’ the river for gold. T’keep ‘em from fightin’ back, th’ hobgobs keep th’ rest o’ th’ families here in th’ town.”
-----He shakes his head defeatedly as he says, “Lordy Joren knows where they be keepin’ me sweet Martha n’ me two grandsons, while they gots me daughter Mara Lou workin’ the river. And Mara Lou ain’t no slouch neither! If’n she’d take a mind to, she’d bust open some o’ them orc heads. But she don’t! We don’t! Cause if’n there’s trouble, someone in our family’d pay fer it in a bad way.”
-----The old man calms himself somewhat before saying with a final tone, “So no thank ye, sir. Don’ be a’killin’ any guards. I don’ want me family t’suffer more than we has.”
-----It never failed to astound Whisper. The capacity for a people to endure... oppression. After a fashion.
-----He sat back again, and his eyes narrowed. It was true. The Goblinoids were effectively holding the people hostage and with a knife to the throat. And nothing short of spilled blood would see them free.
-----His hooded head nodded slightly. He would find no help here. And the chaos he would be able to inflict would likely cause the wasted death of these people.
-----So he rose smoothly, and returned to the window. He did not look back, and simply sought egress from the inn.
-----Quietly Whisper stole from the window and descended the outside wall of the inn. Off toward the town gate, less noise was heard now as the commotion seemed to long die down. Hopefully Raven and the others were well out of harm’s way. More hobgoblins appeared to mill around and Whisper had an increased sense of danger. The soldiers that patrolled around looked much more alert as if expecting more trouble this night.
-----Quickly the Wood Elf took to the shadows of a smaller vacant-looking shop off to one side of the main road. From his vantage point, he could get a better view of the village of Ku. Including the three largest buildings, Whisper counted sixteen buildings that probably belonged to businesses or craftsmen of this once human collective.
-----As Whisper peered out from his dark cover, a flurry of activity suddenly occurred. On the road, a detail of about a dozen hobgoblins came marching up the road. Just as they were to pass in front of Whisper by a few yards, they were met by a group of riders on dark horses. The riders were darkly cloaked but it was apparent they were heavily armed as well as wearing armor. Somehow Whisper could detect the riders were human.