It Echoes Onward 5


    Although cknail stopped every time he heard a twig break and studied every bush for signs of vering monsters, he and the others made it back to the goblinir without an incident. None of them were picked off by giant wolves, not even Khita. cknail didnt understand how she had survived so long.


    The base was much the same as they had left it, which was unsurprising since less than a day had passed. After doing a quick patrol to make sure nothing suspicious was going on, cknail retired for the night. He was feelingzy after so much walking.


    When he woke up the next morning and went to grab some breakfast, there were signs of new construction going on. Over by the y-works the hobgoblin Imp was busy constructing a building of his own. It looked like a smaller version of the longhouse Gob had built, except round. Out in front of it, Ferrar was busy digging a small pit, while goblins piled y up beside him into a huge heap. As was normal for a project involving goblins, it was chaotic mess as goblins ran about in every direction. Half of them were so dirty they looked like mobile piles of mud. Only around Imp was there any sense of order. The hobgoblins presence cowed the nearby goblins.


    What are you doing? Why do you need so much y? cknail asked Ferrar as he wandered over to take a look. Was the goblin going to fill the hole with y and bathe in it? cknail knew Ferrar really liked y, but that seemed silly and impractical.


    Building a furnace, Ferrar answered as he continued to dig energetically.


    Out of y?


    Yes, fire hardens it. Fire is great! You use y and fire to make more y and more fire. You can never have enough! I need more fire! Ferrar exined as he gestured energetically at the empty hole in the ground and the pile of y beside it.


    This seemed dumb to cknail, but what did he know? He was only the smartest hobgoblin ever to live.


    And you can use it to make food? cknail enquired in a firm tone. It was important to keep everyones priorities straight. He was the leader.


    Yep, that too, the goblin replied absent-mindedly without looking up.


    cknail rolled his eyes and looked over at Imp for a few moments. The hobgoblin was still busy building the hut and ordering goblins around. Feeling assured that none of his nearby minions were cking off, going crazy, going crazier, or nning to kill him, cknail yawned and went to find some that were. He wanted some excitement.


    Eventually, he gave up and decided to head back to Shelter. He had promised to deliver some goblins to them, and that sounded like it would be pretty amusing. After rounding up Khita and a pack of goblins, he headed out back into the forest. Khita was basically part of his disguise. Most of the people in the vige seemed to like her, for some reason. However, they also nned to solve their goblin problem by importing more goblins, so they obviously werent that smart.


    After the walk through the woods, cknail and Khita met up with Tannin inside the gates. As promised, they brought a pair of leashed goblins with them. cknail had chosen them because they both looked big andzy. Thus they wererge enough to fight off other goblins and not energetic enough to get into trouble. They had both volunteered  after being grabbed and leashed - when they had learned that they would be getting free food without having to do anything to earn it.


    So these are the critters, eh? Tannin mused as he studied the goblins. He looked and sounded skeptical.


    Yes, I trained them myself, cknail replied. He had smacked them aside the head and told them to behave. That counted as training.


    Do they obeymands?


    A few simple ones, like sit ande.


    And having them around will keep other goblins out?


    Yes, goblins are very territorial.


    These new guards were probably some of the same goblins that had been causing the problems in the first ce, but cknail wasnt going to mention that. In his experience, there were a lot of things humans were better off not knowing. It would only bother them.


    After exining a few things and promising to deliver more goblins if the current pair worked out, cknail and Khita headed back. As they emerged from the trees around the goblinir they were presented with a great view of the clearing. Work was being done on building a second longhouse, Imp was building his own small hut, and there were almost a dozen fire-pits scattered around the camp. However, the biggest change was the wall. The barrier of wooden stakes now stretched around almost half the exterior. The clearing had changed drastically since cknail had shown up. It used to look like an empty cluster of rocky hills. Now it was beginning to look like a proper base.


    Feeling proud of himself, cknail decided to stroll around. It wasnt like he was busy, anyway. Imps hut was the most novel change so he decided to check it out again. It also wouldnt be a bad idea to make sure Imp wasnt plotting anything dangerous. cknail was still expecting an attempt on his life.


    As he walked over, cknail spotted a heap of stuff piled outside the door of Imps home. None of it looked like it had been made by goblins hands. There was a pair of iron pots, some ss jars containing random powders or creams, a small pile of silverware, and a live chicken in cage. The terrified bird stared at the hobgoblin with mad eyes. What did Imp want with a live chicken? Was it just a snack or something else entirely? cknail had no idea, but he doubted it was part of an assassination attempt, unless Imp nned on poisoning it...


    The hobgoblin chieftain looked around for a few seconds, before creeping up to the door and peering inside. He didnt want to interrupt Imps work, or walk into a trap. At first nce, there didnt appear to be anything suspicious going on inside. Imp was busy hanging things from the ceiling and storing things on crudely made shelves. However, after looking closer cknail recognized some of the items. He saw a metal scale and a ss jar from Mahediumsb! Imp had been carrying that stuff in his bag, but cknail had taken that bag away from him and hidden it after Imp had be a hobgoblin!


    Hey, where did you find that? I hid that bag! cknail asked as he stepped inside and frowned.


    Imp jumped slightly in surprise and then spun around. He then studied cknail for a quick second before answering. My bag? I found it in a hollow tree. I just followed my nose. It has a strong smell.


    There was a friendly expression on Imps face as cknail glowered at him. Damned hobgoblins, cknail didnt like it when they used his own tricks against him. He wished he could ouw it. It wasnt fair.


    Did you want it back? Imp asked respectfully.


    No, you can keep it. Im a generous leader, so you can consider it a gift, cknail replied. Imp would have already taken out and hidden all the important things anyway.


    Since there was nothing else to do here, cknail decided to leave. He was a little disappointed. Neither Scamp nor Imp had tried to overthrow him, and didnt seem to even want to. What a bunch ofyabouts! What kind of hobgoblins were they?


    On his way out, cknail spotted Ferrarstest project. The pit he had dug had been filled in by a mound of y that rose several feet into the air. There was a big hole in one side and another at the top. Ash was spilling out of the bottom hole. It looked like Ferrar had been burning things in the mound to harden the y. cknail quickly lost interest in the mound and wandered off. It was just y.


    Since cknail had no idea where Scamp was, he went to talk to Gob instead. There was no need to even look for him, since cknail could hear him yelling orders every once in a while. Gobs voice led cknail over to the newest section of the wall. The other hobgoblin was busy supervising the construction, as he had been ordered. Gob was very obedient. cknail needed more hobgoblins just like him.


    Good job keeping the goblins in line. Youre doing great work, cknail congratted the other hobgoblin.


    Thank you, supreme leader. I live to obey, Gob replied as he turned and bowed ever so slightly. The gesture caused the hobgoblin to lower his eyes submissively. He had just been watching the goblins working on the wall.


    Good to know, cknail replied happily. Im looking for Scamp. Have you seen him around?


    Hes over by that hill. Hes sleeping, because I punched him out and tied him up.


    Oh, did you get tired of his stupidity? One of cknails eyebrows rose in surprise. He could understand if that was the case.


    No, he tried to bash my head in with log. He was helping me build the wall and I turned my back on him, but I kept my ears open, Gob exined as he wiggled his long green ears. I let him live as youmanded.


    Good job, cknail replied with even more cheer. Maybe there was hope for Scamp yet!


    Both of the hobgoblins had earned a reward. He would take them hunting for big game. That was a fun activity that they could all do together! There was nothing like killing things to help hobgoblins bond. It was also one of the few jobs left that only cknail could do, so if he trained some recements then he could ck off more.


    After getting directions, cknail went to fetch Scamp. He found the other hobgoblin at the base of a nearby hill. Just as Gob had said, he was tied up by ropes. One of them even ran around his head and through his mouth so that he couldnt talk. Scamp was lying on his back and staring at the sky, but he looked over and started fidgeting when he heard cknail approach.


    You tried to kill Gob, hes my second-inmand, cknail used Scamp as he leaned over him. Youre not good enough to rece him. Try it again and Ill boil you alive.


    There was a muffled whimpering sound as Scamp nodded desperately in agreement, so cknail sighed and began untying him. A few minutester, he led the two other hobgoblins over to his cave and had them wait outside while he grabbed some things. When he returned he was carrying three bow staves.


    These are for you, cknail told them as he held two of the weapons out. Were going to go hunting.


    He then taught them how to string and maintain the bows. One of the bows was for cknail himself. It was the one his master had given to him in Daggerpoint and it was made from a weird type of wood that was very hard and flexible. The other two bows had been taken from enemies, or enemies that had used to be friends until they werent.


    Once they had fired off a few practice arrows at a log, the hobgoblins headed off into the forest. They were mostly there to learn from cknails amazing skills, so they could practice uracyter.


    If you shoot anyone in the back it wont stop me from tearing your limbs off, cknail warned Scamp.


    I would never do that, boss! Im loyal and obedient, Scamp replied nervously. He had been eyeing Gob and ying with his bow when the other hobgoblins back was turned.


    With a disdainful huff, cknail led them past the creek. They jumped across its muddy banks and went deeper into the Green. Most animals worth hunting avoided the area around the goblins camp.


    The trio trudged through the greenery before stumbling upon a fresh set of tracks. cknail took the time to point them out and give the other hobgoblins some tips on tracking. He then told them to be quiet and started following the trail.


    A few minutester, cknail spotted a flicker of movement. Most of the trees here were huge things with smooth grey bark and trunks wide enough for several people to hide behind. They were fairly widely spaced apart, but row upon row of the trees stretched out in front of the group, and clusters of thick roots grew around the trees bases. Around a hundred feet ahead, a herd of deer were walking between the trees.


    There were about a dozen of the graceful beasts. Their brown spotted coats camouged in with the dark ground and bushes. They would have been hard to make out if they had been holding still and hadnt been walking. At the head of the herd was arge stag with magnificent antlers that were over a foot long. The stag looked warily around in every direction as he led his herd through the woods.


    cknail raised a hand and motioned for the others to be silent, and then started to creep through the trees. He wanted to slip around the herd and cut them off so he could get a better shot. It was a maneuver that humans would have had difficulty doing, but hobgoblins were naturally stealthy and this was their element. They simply had to follow their primal instincts. Hunting and creeping up on unexpecting prey was what they did best.


    Scamp and Gob fell in behind cknail as he hunched down and scampered quietly around the deer. asionally, one of the beasts would nce over in their direction, but none of them noticed the approaching predators. The hobgoblins moved with an eerie precision and quiet that surprised even cknail. Sometimes he forgot that Scamp and Gob had been born in the wild. Even if they hadnt been taught by the greatest ranger ever to live like he had, they had survived on their own in these very forests for years.


    There was a thick tree positioned ahead of the herd and a bit to the side. cknail snuck up to the trees trunk and hid himself behind it. The other two hobgoblins joined him a secondter. The grey behemoth easily concealed all of them, and cknail quickly peeked around it. The deer were still headed towards them. If they didnt change course they would pass within easy bowshot of the hobgoblins hiding ce.


    As they waited, cknail prepped his bow and drew an arrow. Scamp and Gob copied him. Once ready, cknail rxed and waited for the right time to strike. The stag wandered within a hundred feet and started to walk past the tree. The herd was moving parallel to cknails group now. Every step now carried the lead deer further away.


    From behind the tree, cknail chose a target and drew his bow back. He would leave the stag alone and aim for one of the closer does. The hobgoblin could already taste the sweet deer flesh. He grinned wickedly as he let his arrow fly. The projectile zoomed through the air. It closed in on the doe''s nk, and then passed under it. There was a thud as the quivering arrow sunk into the ground. cknail had missed.


    Turtle shit, he cursed to himself. There must have been wind or something.


    The noise and sh of movement from the arrow alerted the deer. The herd all perked up and then began to run off into the trees, away from the hobgoblins. That was when another arrow whirred past cknail and hit the nk of one of the fleeing deer. The animal crumpled onto the ground, and the other deer left it behind as they dashed out of sight.


    cknail turned around and saw Scamp holding an empty bow. There was a big happy grin on his face.


    I set that up for you, cknail told him tly. It had probably been beginners luck.


    Thanks boss, Scamp replied. He was still smiling, and that annoyed cknail.


    Since you shot it, youre carrying the carcass back, he told Scamp.


    Gob helped tie the deer to a long pole and then he and Scamp began carrying it back to base. As they walked, cknail told them stories about Saeter and taught them little tracking tricks. If it looked like the other hobgoblins werent paying enough attention then he kicked them in the ass, hard. He would tolerate no disrespect towards his old master.


    It hadnt been so long ago that cknail had been the one learning this way. A feeling of sad nostalgia came over the hobgoblin. He missed his master.


    It was starting to get dark by the time they returned to the goblin camp. The main cooking campfire was burning and so were a few of the smaller ones, like where Ferrar was busy firing y. The little goblin never seemed to stop burning things. Sure fire looked pretty and all, but there were other things to life.


    The hobgoblins dropped the deer carcass over by the drying rack. The nearby goblins watched with interest and a hungry gleam in their eyes. The smell of blood was strong. Just as cknail was ordering Gob and Scamp to prepare the meat, Elyias marched over. The goblins scattered out of his way as he walked up to cknails side.


    What is it? cknail asked. Something must have happened. Elyias almost never sought him


    out.


    I was doing my rounds and I found four sleeping goblins with signs of growing horns. Thats what you told me to watch out for, the young man answered anxiously.


    Elyias had been ced in charge of watching the goblins for signs of transformation. He had been a natural choice for the job, since he wasnt a goblin himself, he was already paranoid about hobgoblins, and it didnt take much in the way of intelligence.


    cknail arched his back andughed. The shrill sound rang out above the camp. Goblins fell silent and looked his way with both curiosity and fear. Even Elyias looked ufortable as the loud inhuman sound filled the air. cknail ignored them and shared his joy with world. Behind him, the campfire crackled and threw light up against the hills.


    Finally! He had waited so long. Things had been going infuriatingly slowly, but now his scheme was starting to pay off! He needed hobgoblins and now he was getting them. They were the entire reason he had bothered building up this grimy little base. He needed the goblins to be well fed and feel secure so they would transform.


    Stillughing, cknail contemted the future. It was time to move on to the next part of his n. Vengeance against Werrick would be his. He needed to rip the man apart with his own two hands. No one took what was his.