Into the Green 1


    What was pain? cknail contemted the awful nature of the feeling as he led the way through the forest. Agony coursed through him. His injuries ached from walking but it was more than that. Something had been taken from him, and he knew he would never get it back.


    The absence enraged him. How dare they take what had been his! Herad had been his chieftain and Saeter had been his one and only master! cknail wavered slightly as hate boiled through him. Rage filled him to such an extent that it seemed to want to burst out from his insides like vomit, and he had to fight the urge to scream and rip apart the nearest bush or human scapegoat.


    The survivors of Werricks attack meekly followed behind the hobgoblin. There were thirteen of them, but Geralhd and Khita were the only ones cknail knew very well. Scamp was also following meekly behind Geralhd.


    It had only been a few minutes since they had fled their old base. None of the humans were scouts so they didnt question the path cknail had chosen. They reeked of mind-dulling fear and sweaty defeat. cknail ignored their weakness and forged on ahead.


    Did you see Varhs? Scamp asked cknail as he run up to his side.


    No! cknail hissed back with barely contained fury.


    The little goblins eyes were huge and shiny with tears. He looked both terrified and sad. cknail had to resist the urge to kick him. His pain was so much worse than Scamp''s! What did the spoiled little goblin know about suffering?


    Herad was dead. His chieftain had seemed invincible but she had fallen inbat after being betrayed. He had thought her cleverer than that. How could someone so ruthless and powerful die?


    Very little of her band remained after her demise. Vorscha was probably dead by this point and so was Saeter. The memory of his masters fallen body enraged cknail again.


    Even Red Dog had died. That wasnt fair! cknail had wanted to kill him, and he had been saving him for a special asion!


    The hobgoblin snarled and squeezed his fists together. He had to fight to keep his rage in check. The idea of living without his master was... distressing. Did he want to stay with this other remnant of his tribe? What would be the point in that?


    The humans behind him were weak and useless, especially Khita. Most of them had injuries that made them next to useless in a fight. Leaving them would increase cknails odds of survival, but where would he go after that?


    cknail had never really understood Saeter. His masters pink head had contained many weird human thoughts, but the hobgoblin had respected him. He had owed the man so much; Saeter had made the hobgoblin who he was.


    Vorscha had also been aplete idiot, even if she had been strong. Why sacrifice yourself and look after useless people like Khita? cknail didnt get it.


    It was Herad that cknail had actually understood the best. The bandit chieftain had ruled as a hobgoblin would... just better. It didnt take much imagination for him to know what she would have wanted him to do. Werrick had to die.


    Was that what cknail wanted, though? Killing the human named Werrick wouldnt be easy. It was possible a sneak attack might work but it would be risky and gain cknail nothing. He would still be alone and surrounded by enemies.


    Other strategies would require he seek out help. The humans that he was travelling with right now had been ovee by fear and were useless. It was annoying how cowardly humans could be.


    He didnt want to travel all by himself, though. That sounded really boring!


    Besides, the clumsy humans had one significant use. They served as a meat shield that would attract any attacking predators. That was important, because out here in the Deep Green there were a lot of things that liked people-sized meals.


    A scent reached cknails nose. The hobgoblin stopped and stared off into the trees for a moment. He recognized it.


    What is it? Khita asked him nervously.


    Stay here. Ill be right back, cknail replied as he stomped off into the bush.


    The hobgoblin sniffed the air as he ducked under a branch. After a quick look around he located the source of the scent. It wasing from a cluster of roots at the base of a nearby tree. The tree itself was huge and its trunk rose up into the canopy where it blocked out the sun.


    Come out, you idiot. I know youre under there, cknail hissed impatiently.


    There was a shuffling noise and a secondter a head poked out from the space between tworge roots. It was Elyias, and he didnt look all that happy to see cknail. What a stupid human.


    Elyias looked pale and scared. His eyes didnt meet cknails and he kept looking off to the sides. He seemed both afraid of the hobgoblin and everything else as well.


    Oh, its you. I heard something and was afraid it was some sort of monster... other than you. Is it safe now? he asked nervously.


    A frustrated sigh escaped cknail lips. What kind of idiot hid in a stupid ce like that just because they had heard some noise?


    Instead of replying cknail stepped forward and grabbed the mans shoulder. With a quick tug, he hauled him out of his hiding ce. The young man was too petrified by fear to put up any resistance.


    There are some more people this way. Come with me, cknail told him.


    Thank the gods. I was afraid that I was going to be stuck alone or with just... someone else, Elyias whined fearfully.


    The stupid minion had obviously run off into the forest all by himself as soon as Herad had been defeated. He wouldnt havested a day if cknail hadnt found him. Elyias owed him another favour now.


    It was only a short walk back. Elyias trailed after cknail with a relieved expression on his face. They got a few looks as they approached the spot where the hobgoblin had left the others.


    Oh, a straggler. The bastard is lucky you found him, one of the bandits said as they spotted Elyias.


    Ah, him. Hes that kid that kept losing at dice. Why do we want him? another male bandit remarked disdainfully.


    We already have Khita. He wont be any worse than her, cknail exined.


    The hobgoblin wasnt quite sure why he had bothered going after Elyias. Had it been just out of habit? No, it was because Elyias was his minion. He had lost too many tribesmen today to give up any more. Anyone that tried to take what was his would have to pry it from his wed hands!


    True enough, the man replied. I guess he may as well join us.


    Hey! Khita eximed. Im a better woodsperson than any of you asses!


    All the survivors started talking amongst themselves, but cknail took back his position at the front of the group and started walking again. He didnt care about what they said.


    Um, cknail. Maybe we should stop for a second? Geralhd told him as he hurried over to the hobgoblins side.


    The hobgoblin turned to look at the man. He was standing right behind cknail with a nervous smile on his face. There were mutters of agreement from the other humans as well.


    We need to keep moving, cknail hissed in response.


    I understand that, but we dont even have a n. Where are we going? Geralhd asked him.


    Were headed away from the people trying to kill us, cknail exined condescendingly. That should have been really obvious to everyone.


    Yes, but that doesnt tell us where we are headed, Geralhd countered.


    Out of morbid curiosity, cknail decided to ask and see if any of the humans had something in mind. He stopped walking and turned towards them.


    Where do you want to go? he asked them.


    Geralhd and the others started talking among themselves. Unsurprisingly, none of them had any good ideas.


    We should probably head in the same general direction as the road. Its not like theres anywhere else to go, someonemented.


    But if we get too close someone might stumble onto our trail, another replied. Werrick probably has a lot of men out looking for us.


    This discussion went on for a few minutes before cknail lost patience. He grunted in annoyance and started walking again.


    Hey, where are you going? Geralhd asked the departing hobgoblin.


    There is a ce Saeter and I sometimes used as a campsite this way, and it will be dark soon. Follow me if you want. I dont care, cknail grunted without stopping.


    After a few more seconds of arguing everyone decided to let him lead the way.


    Despite all the dramatic events that had unfolded less than an hour ago, the forest was the same as always. cknail was still struggling to hold back the rage he felt but around him things were almost tranquil.


    They were walking a path the hobgoblin had used many times before when hed gone out hunting. Birds sang in the trees off in the distance. Leaves rustled as small animals scampered around out of sight.


    The canopy overhead was porous on this trail, so the undergrowth was thick. As cknail was stepping over a fallen log, a crunching sound reached his ears. It hade from a fair distance down the trail behind him, and it was swiftly followed by a dull snap.


    Instantly, cknail''s heckles rose and he turned to scan the forest in that direction. He didnt see anything but he knew something was there.


    What is it? Khita asked him.


    The concern in her voice disturbed the hobgoblin. He looked her and the other humans over. Some of them were wounded and they all looked exhausted.


    I think someone is following us, he told her loud enough that everyone could hear.


    Fear immediately appeared on most of the bandits faces. Several of them twitched and threw nervous nces backwards. cknail watched them and frowned. It was unlikely they would be useful in a fight. Their retreat had broken their spirit.


    What do we do? someone asked with barely concealed panic.


    No immediate answer was provided by cknail. He took a few seconds to mull over his options. He looked up at the sky overhead. It was starting to get dark out. The sun had almost reached the western horizon already.


    I will go back and see who it is. Keep following this trail until you reach the end, cknail told everyone.


    He then exined to them how to get to the campsite he had mentioned before. As soon as he was done most of the humans started hurrying away. They wanted as far away from any form of pursuit as possible.


    Are you sure you dont want help? Khita asked.


    cknail snorted disdainfully in reply. Khita was incapable of being helpful. There was no way she could move through the forest unseen.


    No, Im just going to take a look, scout stuff, he lied.


    The redhead nodded and without another word headed after the others. cknail watched her go for a second before stepping off into the bushes at the edges of the trail.


    Before he coulde up with a n he needed to find out who was tracking his party. He had only heard one person but there could easily be many more.


    Luckily, it was getting dark out now. In just a bit it would be too dark for humans to see properly, but he wouldnt have that problem.


    The forest was silent as cknail slipped through the trees. He headed away from the trail and then began moving parallel to it. With great care he kept to the shadows and out of sight. It was important that he not be seen, but he had to keep an eye on the trail.


    Almost immediately, he heard another crack as someone stepped on a twig. The hobgoblin froze and went perfectly still. There was movement along the trail. From his hiding spot behind a fallen log, cknail studied the source of the noise. It was a group of humans.


    Saeter would have found their movements sloppy but it was much better than that of most humans. They moved carefully and only the asional sound betrayed their presence as they followed the trail and the signs left by the survivors of Herads band.


    The enemy scouts were dressed much the same as Herads rangers had been. Most of them wore hunters cloaks and dirty leather clothing.


    Seven of them were visible. cknail didnt think they had any scouts out or backup nearby. They wouldnt want to split up in unfamiliar territory.


    Even without reinforcements, that was more than cknail would usually want to fight. However, this wasnt a normal situation and he really wanted to kill something.


    The hobgoblin considered running ahead and getting some help from his human allies, but he quickly discarded that idea. They would be too scared and tired to fight properly, and they would only give him away. Alone, there was no way the pursuers would be able to detect him before it was toote.


    However, the most important consideration was the rage. Every second cknail watched the enemy, images of Saeter dying filled his head. He had been helpless before, but now this group of foolish humans had left the safety of their pack and entered his domain. There was no one to hold him back from taking his bloody vengeance.


    cknail turned away and headed deeper into the woods. Once safely out of sight, the hobgoblin broke into a run. The trail curved up ahead so he could cut across the forest to get a lead. There was a good ambush spot down the trail he wanted to take advantage of.


    After whipping through a patch of bushes, cknail jumped back onto the trail. He didnt stop moving. He kept running for several minutes until he came to the ce he remembered.


    A huge tree had recently toppled across the trail here. The fall of the towering giant had opened up the canopy but the undergrowth hadnt had time to thicken yet. Except for two more tall trees there was no real cover along this part of the path, and one side of the trail was blocked by a rocky ledge that was twice as tall as a man.


    cknail slipped his backpack off and hurriedly began his preparations. First, he pulled out some rope and started setting a trap. He emptied his backpack, filled it with rocks from the ledge, and then tied the rope to it. With that done, he threw one end of the rope over a thick branch overhead and then scrambled up the other tree.


    He chose a sturdy limb that was over a dozen feet up and stretched over the path as his hiding spot. The leaves of the tree made him almost impossible to see from below. From there, he made his final preparations and strung his bow.


    Nothing happened for several long minutes, until there was a faint rustling noise. The first scout appeared below cknail and began carefully walking down the path. He didnt look up, humans almost never did. It was a weakness of the species.


    Soon, the rest of the party followed their leader out onto the path. The hobgoblin grew excited as he watched them. When they were directly below the trap cknail grinned and cut the rope.


    The only warning the men below got was a slight rasping noise as the rope rubbed against bark. Surprised faces looked up just in time to see the sack of rocks drop on top of them.


    Cries of pain were quickly followed by a sickening crunch as the heavy weight smashed into two men standing in the middle of the enemy formation. It knocked one man aside and hit the other dead on, crushing him.


    The other humans panicked and threw themselves to the sides, away from the danger. cknail didnt give them time to recover or figure out what was happening. He already had his bow drawn back and immediately let loose an arrow. It sank into one of the scouts backs.


    The twang of the bow was muffled by themotion caused by the first attack. It took several moments for the hobgoblins enemies to realize another one of theirrades had fallen and how.


    Ambush! To cover! a hooded scout ordered as he dove off the path and into some bushes.


    His fellows were quick to scatter and seek the closest cover as well. None of them seemed to know where they were being attacked from but they knew the general direction from which the arrow hade.


    The man that had been knocked aside by cknails trap was trying to get to his feet. He was struggling and had obviously been badly hurt. cknail reloaded his bow and shot him in the back. The man flopped down back onto the ground and went limp.


    There were no more easy targets, so the hobgoblin dropped his bow and dashed further out onto the tree limp he had been perched on. He jumped off the branch, caught another one, and then threw himself sideways.


    Branches whirred past cknail as he flew through the air andnded on an unsuspecting enemys back. The hobgoblin was not wearing boots so that he could climb easier. The long ws on his hands and feet sank into the mans clothes and then the flesh beneath.


    There was a shrill scream of pain as the man copsed under cknails weight. A shock went through the hobgoblins arms as they both hit the ground, but the hobgoblin caught himself. Without hesitation, he quickly drew his knife, reached around, and cut the stunned mans throat.


    There were three enemies left, and they were scattered around the ambush site. This was going to be easy! Bloodlust rose within the hobgoblin and tinted his vision red. He almost spasmed with the need to bite and tear into his prey. It was time to make his enemies pay for what they had done.