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-----“By th’ Redeemer’s good grace,” Dilton says, his rough low voice slightly mimicking the shouts of hobgoblins in the area, “ye canna go it alone wi’ these hobgobs! Take some o’ us warriors wi’ ye!”
-----“Aye,” Strolum adds as he faces Sol, “ye need some o’ yer own guard fer keepin’ up wit’ this rabble.”
-----Sol snorts wryly as he answers the two fighter's concerns, "Ye ferget, I'm going t'be fighting alongside many of our hobgoblin allies. However, Jyan, Jeilin an' Lovan will need yer support should th' opportunity arise t'break th' kids out o' that deathtrap. They are our priority. I'm going along wi' th' hobbies fer show, an' t'make sure the orcs an' hobs mess each other up as much as possible. I think I may well be safer than you."
-----He had to admit it to himself, calling a soon-to-be battlefield safer than staying in town a safer option sounded strange, but he had a feeling it was likely to be true.
-----"We'll see if there's a way to free the children, hopefully without starting a bloody battle," Jeilin replies, not too hopefully in fact, to Sol. "And make haste if the hobgoblins win; they seem too trusting of accusers for our own good in the end. Go with the starlight upon you."
-----The Zanyrian priestess then straightens and glances at the others who are staying, her voice not rising above a whisper. "Let's become less conspicuous now."
-----Not that Jeilin’s suggestion was difficult to do. In the square before the tents, hobgoblin soldiers were beginning to assemble with a strange silent zeal. At least forty of their number carried polearms, while another troop arrived armed with morningstars. The first troop to line up carried swords and bows. The captains moved about ordering their troops into formation although with lowered voices so as not to alert those who should not hear.
-----A while later, the three hunters make their way to the edge of the village. They had ambushed a second patrol of hobgoblins and done as much as they could to hide all of the bodies. Now, they raced across an open field keeping as low as they could while making for the shadows of a neglected farm house.
-----Peering around the seemingly abandoned dwelling, they could see that they were about thirty yards from the start of the village proper. Beyond, a smaller two story dwelling faces away toward the middle of the village square. The largest source of bonfire light comes from the middle of the square, but not from just one fire. Various fires are lit silhouetting the mass movement of hobgoblin troops stationed here.
-----The hunters pause long enough to make sure that there are no soldiers patrolling around the village home, although many can be seen moving along the road toward the square.
-----Finding the way clear, Raven leads the other two across to hide behind the closer dwelling. Peering around it, they can see the square quite clearly now. There, many tents have been pitched, obviously for the hobgoblin army and its leaders. Off to the right of the square stands a large building which resembles an inn. In the center of the square, the hunters notice that many of the humanoids are gathered there as if ready for an attack.
-----Finally a huge armored hobgoblin arrived at the front of the formations with many bodyguards about him. This was the first time the other adventurers got to see the chieftain named Morosh. Nodding to his companions, Sol quietly joined the hobgoblin leader. As the disguised Gorian approached, one of Morosh’s guards stopped him drawing attention from the Chieftain. Seeing the armored ‘Commander Ulthang’, Morosh grunted and instructed the Commander to march behind him between some of the bodyguard.
-----Morosh then growled some orders too low for the adventurers to hear. As he turned, the entire troop began to follow the Chieftain and his bodyguards as they moved along the south side of a large structure which must be an inn. The last Jeilin and the others saw of Sol was the Gorian marching behind Morosh almost squeezed in between two of the guards.
-----As the last of the troop left the village square, they saw that about that many hobgoblins remained in the village, although their number was greatly scattered between different buildings and locations. Gone was now the sound of humanoid rampaging replaced by a heavy uneasy feeling in the air. The guards around the inn and the barn structures seemed tense and alert as if waiting for some kind of trouble. Even a few of the soldiers moving along the trails seemed to sense some change to the routine.
-----“Aye now,” Strolum muttered beneath his leather cap, “where t’start?!”
-----Moving closer to Jeilin, Jyan points toward the large inn building. “That is where Whisper said that the old men were kept,” he said, “perhaps on the top floor.”
-----To the north side of the square, he pointed out a large barn surrounded by humanoids. “It is there I believe he said children were kept.”
-----For now, Lovan remained silent; though he looked skyward and whispered something under his breath.
-----The scholar looks pained with indecision for a moment. She replies to Strolum, "Whisper hasn't started anything yet - let's look closer at this rigging at the barn, and the guards who might set it alight." And to Jyan: "You said the priests are now confined to their buildings. Did the hobgoblins mention precisely which ones?"
-----“No, he did not,” Jyan replied downcast.
-----As they approach the barn, they can see nearly a dozen guards surrounding the place. Around the bottom perimeter of the barn, the wood looks stained with a blackish tar-like substance. Off to one side, a couple of hobgoblins stand by a smaller bonfire.
-----Dilton points at it and croaks, “If’n we could be a’findin’ a ways to put out that fire o’ least keep ‘em from gitten at it.”
-----Lovan continues to stare at the sky.
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