Hearts and Homes 8


    The sound of rushing water grew louder, as cknail tracked the deer he had shot through the vibrant green forest. Khita was right behind him as he ran along the edge of the stream. cknail knew he was going the right way. The beasts muddy hoof prints were in to see, and the scent of its blood was thick in the air. The smell excited cknail. Hunting down wounded prey was always a red hot rush. He wanted to drop down to all fours so he could sniff the earth as he moved. He suppressed that urge but he couldnt stop himself from salivating in anticipation of running down his bleeding prey. There was no escape from him now. Soon, the deers sweet flesh would be his to feast upon.


    The creek he was followingy at the bottom of a shallow gully, and it continued to wind its way past rows of short evergreen trees until it suddenly ended up ahead. cknail approached the spot where the water disappeared into thin air and looked down. There was a cliff below him and the stream at his feet rushed over its edge and became a roaring waterfall. The white water fell for thirty feet or so before mming into a wide pool below. Mist spread out from the base of the waterfall and washed over the pools rocky shores. The air here was cool, humid, and full of energy.


    Khita walked over to cknails side and started to say something, but the hobgoblin elbowed her in the stomach and she shut up. He was scanning the scene below carefully and he didnt have time for the redheads stupidity. A momentter, he looked away from the pool and to each side. The forest continued on his left but he saw no sign the deer had gone that way. To his right, the ground sloped downwards and there was a path down towards the bottom of the cliff. Almost immediately, he spotted a stter of dark red blood on a rock there.


    "This way, he hissed quietly to Khita as he headed after the deer.


    The roaring of the waterfall drowned out almost all the other noises. Even cknails long sensitive ears were a little deafened, so the hobgoblin was wary. He carefully observed his surroundings for movement as he stalked forward into the rocks. It wasnt until he reached the bottom of the incline that he spotted something. Something brown was poking out from behind arge triangr rock. cknail crept silently over to get a better look and got ready to draw his sword, just in case. However, the identity of the object soon became obvious. It was the deer. It had copsed at the base of the rock, and its still chest indicated that it was no longer breathing. cknails arrow was still sticking out of its now blood-stained neck.


    We got it! Khita eximed happily when she walked up behind cknail.


    We? the hobgoblin grunted in reply. It seemed like the hunt was over. He was almost disappointed that it hadnt been more exciting. Some real struggle from the prey would have been nice.


    Lets get out of here before somethinges to try and steal our prey, cknail told Khita as he scanned the nearby trees suspiciously. The deer was his prize now, and he didnt want some big fatzy beast stealing it.


    It took a fair bit of time and effort to get the deer carcass back to camp, but most the effort was Khitas, so cknail didnt care. This was the reason he had allowed her toe, to carry things. On the way, the pair spotted a few deposits of grey y along the stream bank. It seemed like procuring y wouldnt be hard. Now they just needed to figure out what to do with it.


    That wasnt cknails first concern, though. The priority was skinning and butchering the deer he had just brought down before it went bad. He also wanted to use this opportunity to teach his minions, so he rounded up hisrger followers. Khita was already with him so he went and found Gob and Elyias.


    They watched as cknail dragged the carcass over to an empty spot near the drying rack and got to work. First, he slit the dead animals throat and hung it up so that the blood would drain out. Blood went bad quickly and would taint the meat. Next, he took out a knife and began to cut the skin away from the flesh. He had ns for the pelt so he tried to keep most of it in one piece. The bloody work quickly drew a small crowd of curious goblins. cknail ignored them, and when the hide came free he put it aside and started to butcher the animal. His knife split open the animals guts and he reached in to pull out all the organs.


    Gob diligently watched everything cknail did. Goblins usually just ripped their prey apart and nibbled them down to the bone so this was all new to him. Khita had done simr things a few times before when she had been learning from Saeter but Elyias was a city boy. He scowled in disgust as cknail worked, especially when the intestines were pulled out and dumped into a steaming pile on the ground.


    The final step of the butchering was to cut the carcass up into smaller pieces. cknail used his long knife to cut off the deers hunches and strip the flesh from the bone. When he was done there wasnt much left of the deer but its detached head, squishy organs, and bloody bones.


    See, even idiots like you can do it! cknail told his minions as he plucked the eyes from the animals skull and slurped them down. They were the nice and chewy reward for his hard work.


    I will remember everything you have done, great chief. A hundred deer will beid at your feet, Gob replied as cknail nodded happily. That was the kind of enthusiasm and drive he liked in his minions.


    Ha, cknails right, you two are dumb as bricks, Khitaughed. For some reason she thought she had been excluded from hisment.


    I hate you all, Elyias cursed.


    However, cknail had already turned away and was busy nning his next job. Having all this fresh meat in front of him just reminded him that he still needed to figure out how to make bowls. The deers bones would have added vor to a stew.


    Do any of you know how to use y? he asked the others.


    You mean baking it to make pottery? Elyias replied uncertainly.


    The young man didnt much know more than Khita, and Gob just stared uprehendingly at cknail and shrugged. cknail groaned. Of course, none of them were useful. As usual, he was going to have to do everything himself.


    You need to go back to the humans and find one that can make bowls from y, the hobgoblin told Khita.


    And what do I do when I find such a person? Khita asked.


    Learn from them, or if its too hard bring someone who knows back with you. I can meet them.


    What if they dont want toe?


    cknail frowned thoughtfully before replying. I can talk to them at the vige, but if they try to keep y making secret from me then I will sneak in and grab them when it gets dark. They will talk.


    Sounds like a n, Khita answered as she smiled and rubbed her hands together gleefully.


    Why does that excite you, and whose side are you on? Elyias asked in disbelief.


    My own. I dont owe anyone anything, Khita snorted. This caused cknail to nce her way.


    Except maybe cknail. Weve saved each others lives more time than I can count, she quickly corrected herself. cknail was sure she couldnt count very high, but he let thement go.


    The young redhead didnt waste any time in heading back to Shelter. cknail sent Scamp and a couple goblins with her to keep her out of trouble and so that she could send him a message if they needed to meet upter. When she was gone, cknail let Gob get back to his own projects and started tanning the hide of the deer he had caught.


    With Elyias help cknail scraped the remaining flesh from the underside of the hide. When all the flesh and fat had been removed they took it to the creek and washed it thoroughly. The hide was then stretched out the drying rack and tied in ce so that it wouldnt shrink. That was all they could do for now since it would take a few days to dry.


    Since Khita wasnt back yet, cknail decided to wander around and see if there was anyone that needed bossing around. After yelling at a few goblins that werezing around he stumbled over to where Gob was working. The other hobgoblin had finished training the overseers and teaching goblins basic skills, so now he was building a structure of some sort.


    Gob had been sending out goblins to collect materials for a while now. He had built up a stockpile of twine, bark, and poles made from slender trees, and now he was using them to create a longhouse. cknail had seen the small one Gob had created at his old tribesir, and this new one looked like it was going to be a fair bit bigger. He already had the frame of the building up. Poles had been stuck into the ground, bent to form an arch for the roof, and tied into ce. They werent all up yet, but when they were therge strips of bark would be tied to them to form walls. The finished building would be afier ce to sleep than in a cave.


    While Gob was working cknail decided to procure some of his materials in order to build himself a bed. A few pieces of lumber would make the frame and he could pile some dry nts on top to soften the surface. Gob looked up but didnt say anything as cknail begin to drag several poles away. He put them down near the entrance to his cave and then used the axe to cut them up. He had just about finished when Scamp ran over.


    Khita found some people who know the thing you want to know, the little goblin eximed excitedly as he ran in a circle around cknail. They want to meet at the vige.


    Scamps bbering wasnt very clear but he probably meant that Khitas mission had been sessful. It was good that they apparently didnt need to kidnap anyone, but cknail still had some concerns.


    How many people? cknail asked.


    Um, she didnt say, Scamp replied as he stopped running in circles.


    The hobgoblin nodded and went into his cave to grab his backpack. He opened it, put on gloves, wrapped a red scarf around his face, and pulled his hood up. If he was going back to the vige then he needed to disguise himself. When he had finished dressing, cknail hid a few extra daggers around his person. He didnt trust the humans of the vige and wanted to be ready to fight his way out.


    With that done, cknail headed out into the forest. He jogged through the trees at a steady pace until he spotted something out of ce. Several sets of paw prints crossed the trail he was running along. cknail took a second to crouch down and study the tracks. They definitely belonged to a pack of wolves. Normally that wouldnt have bothered cknail too much, but one set of prints was muchrger than any he had seen before. cknail looked up and scanned the forest around himself nervously. Only when he was sure there was nothing nearby did he lean over and sniff the ground. There was something off about the smell of the prints as well. An out of ce mineral scent simr to that of Mahediums workshop lingered where the animal had been. Disturbed, cknail got up and studied his surroundings again. He didnt like this development, but the forest seemed normal, so he got up and began running again. Just to be safe, it would be a good idea to start sending his minions out in groups now, especially Khita, at least until he wouldnt be med for her death.


    The rest of the trip to the vige was uneventful. cknail reached the area of clear ground that surrounded the vige. He eyed the front gate suspiciously for a few moments before sauntering out of the woods and crossing the fields. There was no point in being sneaky.


    Open up, cknail shouted as he pounded on the door.


    Gods above, man. You dont need to raise such a ruckus, the guard replied as the entrance swung open.


    Im here to meet some people, and not to do anything unfriendly or suspicious, cknail said as he stepped inside. He was out of practice when it came to talking to humans.


    So Ive been told, the man replied as he gestured for the hobgoblin to go on.


    cknail didnt need any further invitation. He quickly walked past the man and into the vige. There were a bunch of small houses lining the main street and an older woman bustled by, but he didnt see Khita anywhere. The young redhead was supposed to be waiting for him. Where was she?


    Feeling very annoyed, cknail concentrated on listening for her voice. At first he didnt hear anything, but then he heard augh that sounded like it hade from Khita off in the distance. The hobgoblin scowled and stalked towards the source of the noise. He slipped into an alley between two homes so that he could stay out of sight. Another closer burst ofughter allowed cknail to pinpoint Khitas location, so he lengthened his stride. A few secondster, he turned a corner and saw her standing in front of a shed thaty behind a house, and she wasnt alone. cknail recognized the faces of the three young humans the bandits had used as hostages when they had first arrived at the vige.


    Ya, Ive been in around a dozen battles and killed at least twenty men, Khita bragged. She was facing the three smaller humans and there was a proud look on her face.


    Really, that sounds so terrible, the blonde girl gasped in surprise.


    Nah, Im not afraid of anything, Khita replied dismissively. It was all the other bandits that were terrified of me and my sword skills!


    cknail remembered Khitas sword skills quite clearly. He had trained alongside Khita under Vorscha, so he knew that when she had a sword in hand Khita was most dangerous to herself.


    Did you ever see any real magic? the taller blonde boy asked. He sounded excited and curious, but he was looking to the side as if trying to prove that he didnt care all that much.


    Sure, I saw tons of magic! Khita answered. Our band had a mage and a few Vessels. The mage was always throwing ming balls of fire around.


    Vessels are real? I thought they were just exaggerated stories, the youngerd with short brown hair remarked.


    Of course they are real. Youve even met one, Khita replied as she rolled her eyes.


    With sudden haste, cknails hooded form stepped out of the shadows and headed for Khita. She had said more than enough already, and it was time to shut her up before she revealed something important. He was almost directly behind her so she didnt see himing, but herpanions did and they froze in surprise.


    Eeep, Khita squealed as cknail ced a hand on her shoulder.


    She spun around to see who it was and only rxed when she recognized cknails distinctive clothes. An awkward smile forced its way onto her face.


    So youre not afraid of anything? cknail chuckled as he stepped up beside her.


    I wasnt afraid; I was just on guard, Khita countered.


    cknails the only person who can sneak up on me like that. We both trained under the same master ranger, she quickly exined to the others.


    Greetings, Mister cknail. Khita has told us a bit about you. You probably remember me. Im Joan, the blonde hesitantly interjected in order to introduce herself. She gave him a friendly nod.


    Shes been more than a little vague about you, though. Why do you hide your face all the time? Its bloody suspicious, the older male asked as he red at cknail.


    Dont be rude, Hassiol, Joan told the blonde male.


    Why shouldnt I be rude? Its weird how weing everyone is being to these neers. Some of them seem dangerous to me. I mean look at him! he replied.


    Youre one to talk. Youve been trailing after Khita like a hound, the youngerd countered. cknail remembered that his name was Avis.


    I have not! Anyway, Khita isnt the problem here, Hassiol protested.


    The youths bickering didnt seem like it was going to end any time soon, and cknail didnt have all day. If they had been goblins he would have just smacked them around a bit, but they werent, so he delegated.


    I came here for a reason. Shut these younglings up and take me to the person who knows how to shape y, he hissed quietly at Khita.


    Ah, thats Joan. Dont worry I have these young fools eating out of my hand. Ill shut them up and get her to show you the trick, she replied.


    To cknail, Khita didnt seem all that different from them. Hassiol was the same height as her and probably weighed more. cknail held his tongue though, and Khita quickly got the two boys to quiet down.


    Why do you want to learn this stuff, anyway? Joan asked as she led the way over to the shed.


    Um just normal human reasons, cknail quickly replied.


    Right Hassiolmented suspiciously. He was now ring at cknail again so the hobgoblin must have said something wrong.


    He broke his favorite bowl and wants to rece it himself. cknail is all about self sufficiency and he has a lot of free time out there in the forest, Khita interjected.


    Ah, that makes sense, Joan observed cheerfully as they all stepped inside.


    There was easily enough room in the shed for the four humans and the hobgoblin, even though there was a small table in the center of the room and arge shelf stood against one wall. Joan went over to the shelf and picked up arge chunk of dry y. She carried it over to the table and began to exin how to use the material and shape it.


    I used to make a lot of little pots and cups from y when I was a little kid, because it was a lot of fun. My parents would bring me the stuff and help me fire it, she told everyone as she smiled brightly.


    cknail watched and listened carefully. Joan rolled up her sleeves and then crushed the clump of y into dry powder. She then added a bit of water to rewet it and began rubbing it between her hands to make a ball and several long cylinders. The bowl began to take shape when she had ttened the ball to make the bowls base and ced several rings of y on top of it. After that, she smoothed the y out with her fingers until it looked like a real bowl.


    Now you just need to fire the y. Here in the vige we use a kiln but you dont need one. You can use a fire pit if you know what youre doing, she exined as she held up her little grey bowl.


    That seems easy enough, Khita observed. She sounded confident but cknail was sure she hadnt been paying attention during half the lecture. He would have to make sure he remembered everything.


    Its just dirt. Why are you all staring at it? Scamp asked from where he was standing next to cknail.


    The little goblin was peering up over the table at the unfinished bowl in Joans hands. Everyone turned to look at him when he spoke up. No one had noticed him approach, but he was the center of attention now. cknail groaned. Things had been going so well