Jamari005
From ToEE
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Day 5.
Morning.
Couldn't sleep last night. Too eager to head onwards. I can't believe we're hanging around for another day! Got out of bed before sunrise, slipped on my cloak and wandered out into the village. Definately no night-life in this little hamlet.
Spent a wonderful hour or two wandering around in serenity. Ah, what lovely air, and the forest scents so fresh and clean. Some time before sunrise I heard some wailing in the direction of the church so I ran over to see what was happening, by the time I got there the wailing had ceased. I tried to open the church doors to ask if everything was okay, but the doors seemed bolted from the inside. I retreated to the trees and waited to see what would happen next. Within a few moments, to my mild surprise, I saw Garadull meandering towards the church. Considering his sedate pace I guess he probably missed the earlier wailing.
All of a sudden the church doors burst open and a goblin ran out. I whistled low to the goblin hoping he'd run either towards me in the trees or away from the road where Garadull was walking up but the stupid critter ran straight down the road and into Garadull! Garadull must have said something to him although I couldn't hear what, but the goblin eased and allowed Garadull to cut off his bonds. Garadull then pointed away from the town, roughly north west and the goblin ran off that way.
Garadull then walked into the church, filthy, blood-stained ropes in hand, stayed a bit and wandered off. I followed wondering what he was up to. I don't travel as quietly as Ilona can but I suspect that I could have been riding a herd of stampeding elephants and Garadull would still have not heard me considering how much attention he was paying.
He dumped the ropes around a rusty plough and laughed. Stupid idiot. A child could tell that those tracks weren't made by an injured goblin! Goodness, didn't he notice that the goblin was naked and shoeless (and had much smaller feet than he did)?
After Garadull headed back to town I was left in a bit of a quandry. One of my companions had assisted the goblin's escape, and tried (badly) to disguise the direction of the goblin's flight (as if the goblin would have run right through the middle of town!) If anyone had seen Garadull and noticed what he did we're going to be in great strife! Do I assist Garadull by tidying up after him or do I go and report him to save the rest of us?
Obviously I helped him out. Idiot! I picked up all of the ropes, hid them in my clothes (ick, ick, ick), "aged" Garadull's tracks and ran north to the fields to the miller's house. Where the river narrowed I attempted to jump the river but slipped and fell in the mud. The miller came out to see what the problem was and I apologised for the noise and explained I was just exploring. He laughed and said that he'd often wished for a brige nearby. He kindly gave me a bucket and assisted me rising the bulk of the mud off my clothes. I thanked him and wandered on.
Having ruined the chance of using the ropes as Garadull had intended. I wandered north into the forest edge and buried them. At least they don't smell like blood anymore. I walked back along the forest edge shivering in the cold towards the church, at least the sun was warm and my clothes started to dry. Slipping past the church I disguised the goblin's tracks and my own. This took me quite into the day. Eventually when I was happy that I'd made reasonable efforts to save the goblin's neck I wandered through the city and into the inn for a late breakfast. Finally exhausted, I slept for a few hours.
Afternoon.
Woke up to find the village in a panic because a goblin escaped. No real idea of which way it ran off. Damn! Forgot to make false tracks after all. Bother! Still noone suggesting that my exercise over on the other side of the town might have anything to do with it. Good to hear.
Noone wants to talk about the Temple place. They seem to expect that the vengeful goblin is going to come back and murder them in their sleep. It'd almost be what they deserved. Refusing food and drink and poking sharp sticks at prisoners while you decide when you're going to kill them isn't exactly civilised behaviour! Apparently the rest of the goblins have been executed because this one escaped. At least they're out of their misery now.
Encountered Garadull at the Trading Post. Too cross about goblins, ruined clothes and his idiocy to spare him the time of day.
Evening.
Wrapped in a warm blanket while my cleaned clothes and hair dry. So sick of all these towns folk and my blasted companions who all think we should hunt down this poor goblin and bring him back to be killed too!
I wonder if they understand that good and evil isn't black and white.
Off to the battle tomorrow.
