"They're te." Kea told the small spherical white owl on her dark ste shoulder.

  It hooted and rubbed a rhythm into her shoulder which meant something like 'How te?'. She hadn't had time to study the whole of Voel's weird communication system, and it wasn't incredibly robust either.

  "I don't know, it's not like we set a time but they said in the evening." Kea shifted her loose tight bck travel leathers as Voel replied.

  'Why leave?'

  "They wanted me here, I-" She whimpered at the sharp cw in her shoulder. "I trieeed Voel, but despite having capitalized the big mans time I don't think they trust me." She winced as the sharp cwed response came.

  'Bad fuck.' It might have been a question not a statement, but Kea took it as a statement.

  "I am a fantastic fuck I'll have you know. It's just..." She sighed as she considered how much to say in response.

  A soft warning hoot drew her attention up as she looked into the darkness. She stood, knees shaking as she drew one of her metal clubs. She scanned the darkness carefully, looking for anything out of the-

  "It friend."

  "GAH!" Kea whirled and would have cracked the small, metal cd goblin who snuck up on her.

  Should have really, but the goblin moved quickly despite her armor and ducked the club. A hand came up to hold her, steadying her before she could fall. So strong! Maybe if Temate didn't come back tonight...

  "I friend too." The goblin Sioh snorted and smiled mockingly at her.

  "Well excuuuuse me miss 'I wear a vardwolf skull around everywhere'!" Kea pointed a finger at the vardwolf head wrapped over her head.

  Very well made for a wild goblin craft. Admittedly everything she'd seen these goblins make was of surprisingly high quality. Even the tents just a few feet away, which were two weeks ago patchwork hides salvaged from their tribes home, had been fixed up nicely. The old hides and leathers were repced with thick cured and processed hides from the ith.

  Sioh didn't reply, simply smirking and then turning to the darkness beyond her and waving. Kea turned, unable to stop the shaking in her body despite knowing there's supposedly no danger. She was not good at this, Voel had been right. She should have taken some survival or combat courses first.

  She had, but only basic introductory stuff, she should have gone further. If she had the dark, shadowed figure prowling in the dark of the trees would not terrify her so. She might have remembered a little gremlin woman shrouding her in a tree branch before fighting the very goblin she stood next too. If she had not been so terrified, had remembered such events, she wouldn't have stepped back.

  If she hadn't stepped back, she wouldn't have tripped over the branch as big as a log back home that she'd been sitting on moments before. She wouldn't have fallen backward and thumped her head on the ground, her fuzzy head being the only thing keeping her from passing out.

  "Owwwwwww" She groaned out.

  Her misery was immediately rewarded by the cackling of Sioh, and the shrieking ughter of a small, brown furred gremlin. She sat up rubbing her head to see shadow fade from around Surrender as she grasped her stomach and ughed at Kea. For her part Kea could only blush in embarrassment. She really, really hadn't prepared for this mentally.

  A few minutes ter they were gathered around a fire. Kea in her travel leathers, Sioh with armor gleaming in firelight, and Surrender. In nothing but a tight clinging tunic and pants that left little to the imagination. Kea couldn't help but examine the gremlin closer than she really should.

  "If Chief fights, we fight! Especially if goblins need help!" Sioh argued, a few other goblins nearby grunting and shouting in agreement.

  "Yeah, we fight for Chief!" Fraar hefted his club above his head and shouted.

  Several other goblins mimicked his motion. A cnging sound filled the air to silence the rowdy goblins and Kea turned to see Qinq. Oldest of the male goblins after Chiel, banging two of Temate's metal cooking tools together. When he'd gathered everyone's attention he looked to Surrender.

  "Big Surrender, what Chief want?" He asked in his thick, almost wet voice.

  "Thank you. Chief say stay, must have supplies ready for new goblins, and daog and seillean." Surrender replied. "Chief say at least 50 new goblin, as many daog, but only a few seillean. Need sleeping rolls, tents, travel bags and things."

  "That... That a lot." Sioh grumbled. "We very few, what happen if new cause trouble?" She asked looking to Surrender.

  "Chief handle." Surrender said with a perfunctory nod.

  Kea started to shake her head, expecting anger or frustration from the goblins. Instead they seemed satisfied, Sioh stood up and immediately directed some of the goblins to bed to hunt in the morning. Others she set to guard duty and still others she assigned to the first cycle of working what hides they had.

  "How long?" Sioh asked when she was done.

  "At least week. Not know yet, if longer I or other come back in week to tell more. You in charge." Surrender said as she stood. "Chief also say, be safe. Be smart."

  Sioh nodded towards the silhouette of Surrender as she slunk into the dark. Shadow's clung to her form making her practically invisible to Kea's eyes. Kea was still impressed by that, Surrender's [Power]s alone made her valuable. The fact that she seemed to be the least valuable of the four made them an awesome group.

  "You craft?" Sioh's grunted question drew Kea's attention back to the goblin.

  "I'm sorry?" Kea replied with mild confusion.

  "No sorry, if not craft can hunt? Fish?" Sioh continued.

  "I uh... I can hunt yeah, Voel was teaching me. OW No I will not go after them Voel it sounds bad!" She shoo'd the small snowball of feathers off of her shoulder receiving a hoot that was almost certainly meant to be rude.

  The small owl flew off in the direction Surrender left in and Kea took the opportunity to fling a pinky finger at it. Not as if he could be watching her through another right now, he had to be too far away to control more than one here.

  "Anywaaaaaay." Kea turned back toward Sioh. "Just tell me how I can help!"

  Kea quickly learned that what Voel taught her, and what the goblins did, were two different types of hunting. Voel had shown Kea how to set track, how to set traps, and how to lure animals. That was certainly part of what the goblins did. The other part was the big difference.

  Voel had three rules for hunting.

  "A-One. Never hunt a predator. A-They are dangerous, especially when cornered or weakened and one wrong step." The gesture he had made stuck with Kea.

  The goblins moved in groups of three, four including Kea. The very first thing they fought was a pack of vardwolves! Six of the rge, green furred creatures were gathered around a gleamhorn they'd just taken down. Two wounded by the rge golden hued scoop like horns atop it's head.

  Audio signals were sent to draw in the second group of goblin hunters and as a team of seven they quickly set traps. Pitfalls deep enough to trap a vardwolf, whiptraps with rapidly carved spikes the size of spears, and even a net snare at one spot. One team of hunters went around to the opposite side of the creatures while Kea and her team hid near the traps.

  From high up in a tree the three goblins took aim with carefully carved, stone or metal tipped spears. These spears they carried with them on hip mounted holsters which, until now, had confused Kea. Seeing them mounting the tree, feet pnted as if the trunk was the ground, she understood.

  The hip holsters left the spears out of the action space of the goblins as they took aim. Strange wooden half tubes with cups to hold the butt of the spear held in one hand. The other cwed hand pointing outward to guide their aim. With a heft the spears flew down.

  Only one nded in one of the feasting beasts below, but it got their attention. Immediately Kea saw the other benefit of the holsters. The now three wounded vardwolves bounded toward the lifted goblins. As they did so the goblin trio in their roost reached over and cupped a new spear in their throwers with ease.

  Using the same motion of drawing back to aim, they unholstered a spear from their hips. Then in fluid continuation they hurled the spears down. Immediately moving to repeat the motion. With next to no effort they dispatched the three vardwolves who charged them.

  At the same time the vardwolves three uninjured companions grabbed their kill and worked in terrifying unison to haul it away. Directly away from the three attacking goblins. Directly towards the traps. Directly towards the goblins hiding near her. Directly towards her.

  Kea began to shake in fear, remembering Voels warning about the dangers of predators. That was until they ran over the pitfall, the front vardwolf falling directly in and dragging it's own kill onto it. As their companion was pinned to the bottom of the pit the other vardwolves panicked and fled in separate directions.

  One ran directly into a snare, flinging up just slightly off the ground. With that Chaft and Pebba came running out, silently stabbing the beast over and over through the gaps in the net. The other came running directly at Kea and immediately spotted her.

  The rge, verdant vardwolf lowered it's self for the pounce as it began loping towards her. It's intense focus almost broke her, or rather it did but instead of fleeing her legs gave out beneath her. It bayed in it's angry frenzy as it leapt towards her.

  Right through one of the paths of a whip trap. Which was triggered by Hema, who dashed into the space and jabbed the trigger with her spear. With a violent whoosh several heavy, rough spears whipped directly into the beasts side and head. In an instant, it was dead.

  The st vardwolf whimpered in the pit beneath her as she looked down. It's pathetic whining tugged at her heart, and perhaps because they saw this the goblins urged her to finish the creature. Crak shoved a long spear into her hand and urged her forward.

  "Go! You helped set trap, you should get kill!" She grinned with encouragement as Kea took shaking steps forward.

  After only a moments hesitation she jabbed the spear into the creature. It took her three jabs with the weapon before the beast ceased moving. She felt sick, not with the idea of killing the creature because that was fine. All the fear and shock of what happened came roiling through her at once.

  She threw up behind a tree with the one armed Hema patting her back, as the others retrieved their kill.

  The second rule Voel had was "Never directly confront a beast. Let it bleed and kill it from afar. Confronting a wounded animal is a quick way to die."

  Another things the goblin did often was directly fight a creature they felt they could take. This seemed to be some sort of mating ritual Kea noted. It almost always preceded the goblin going off with another for the evening into a tent. It was also, Kea noted, usually the male goblins who did it.

  Most commonly it seemed to be Qinq who would try and take on something like a vardwolf. But every goblin tried at least once throughout the week. The most notable of the events occurred on the third day of their preparation.

  Kea had been given a reprieve from helping with the hunting, staying close to camp to assist the foragers. This mostly consisted of the heavily pregnant who could not travel far, such as Hema. They mostly focused on gathering herbs, mushrooms and some of the rare pinefruits which had fallen from older trees.

  Kea and Hema were travelling together, a bit distant from each other but close enough to help if need be. Kea had not expected to be the one needing help, no one ever expected to be that person. She was gathering mushrooms around the base of a tree when she found something strange.

  A small hole, fresh if she'd guessed right, dug right beneath the trees roots. She probably could fit through it if she squirmed in. She turned away considering a shout for Hema to see if she knew what it was. Before she could a shuffling noise drew her attention back to the hole.

  With a squealing leap something furry leapt at her from within. A rge cw caught her, cutting deep into her arm and sending her sailing nearly 5 feet away. She tumbled with a scream of pain, and immediately heard Hema shouting and coming towards her.

  She lifted herself up and thrust her club out as the creature scurried towards her again. It wasn't very rge, she noticed, maybe only slightly rger than a goblin itself. Deep brown fur was thick across it's body as it's elongated form shifted across the ground. Her club connected as she sent a [Jolt] down the metal club.

  The impact wasn't too great, but the [Jolt] was enough to cause the creature to veer off. Kea tried to lift herself with her arm only to colpse on the ground. When she looked down four rge gashes covered her limp arm, destroyed by the impact of the creatures cws into her.

  Shock was the only thing that kept her from screaming in pain.

  She took another swing as the creature slid quietly towards her across the forest floor. It's rounded head opened revealing a terrifying set of sharp teeth that chomped on the end of her club. Despite the [Jolt], or perhaps because of it, the creature jerked and flung the club away.

  As it came closer towards her Kea began to shout and push backwards throwing anything she could find at it. Each bounced harmlessly against it's glimmering dark coat as it rushed her.

  THUNK

  A spear smmed into the forest floor between them and the creature reared away. Slithering across the ground as if it was swimming through the earth. Hema came slowly running forward, one arm reached out to grab the spear as she pnted herself in front of Kea.

  Kea wanted to tell her to run, but her throat was dry from shouting and panic. All she managed was a choked 'Hema' causing the goblin to look back at her. She grimaced and nodded towards Kea and the creature moved in that moment. Taking advantage of her distraction it lunged forward.

  With a surprising agility for such a currently heavy woman Hema shifted on her feet. The spear slipped up as Hema stepped into a side pose with a jab up towards the creature at the st moment. With a clean thrust the creature was impaled through the throat with both it's own momentum, and Hema's strength.

  And sure, technically that didn't break the rule since they weren't hunting, but Kea had not been so attracted to somebody in that moment. As Hema smoothly unsheathed the spear from the creature's neck, spun it in one arm, and pnted the tip in the ground. All so she could turn to Kea with her one arm outstretched.

  "Let's go get heal stuff." She said.

  Kea could have swore she was glowing at that moment, and not with the glow of a new mother. A soothing calm took over Kea as her fear fled with Hema's surprisingly strong pull to lift Kea to her feet. She would learn ter the creature was known as a viel by the goblins.

  Rare, dangerous creatures known to kill vardwolves and even ith on their own. Goblins idolized the creatures for their abnormal strength compared to their size. Hema's tent was set aside for one of the new goblins as a new tent was put together with the creatures naturally hydrophobic hide.

  The third rule Voel had for hunting was "Never take more than you need." The rest was left to the wilderness. To feed the pnts if it decomposes, or to feed weakened creatures who could not currently hunt for themselves.

  The goblins always took the whole carcass, every part. Though Kea was also not certain this broke that rule either. After all they seemed to use every part. Hides were used to make new clothes and tents, or to repair said things. Meat was used for food obviously, sinew for thread and bones for... Well all three.

  In some instances bones were charred and mixed to form frames to set tents onto. In some they were made into spears, bdes or other weapons. Scraps or pieces too small for that were broken down to make accessories and embellishment on tents or clothing. And the marrow was used to fill out stews and soups, much to Kea's surprise.

  She had never eaten so much meat, much preferring vegetables and fruits, as that week. It was honestly quite filling and the goblin Fraar, who mostly ran the cooking, was quite skilled. It was te in the afternoon of the st day before they should hear something when the new norm she'd adapted to was shattered.

  With lightning speed Gief returned from his hunt alone, face set firm as he sought out Sioh. The two began to speak in rushed goblin tongue but Kea didn't need to know what they spoke to understand Sioh's face.

  Confusion.

  Anger.

  Shock.

  Worry.

  "Is something wrong?" Kea asked as she watched the goblin woman's face go through a gamut of emotions.

  Sioh whirled over to her and chewed on her lip for a moment before replying.

  "Other tribe coming. Catch Qinq and Chaft, demand submission challenge." Sioh growled.

  "Oh that's... Bad." Kea said and Sioh looked at her nodding slowly.

  "Very. Chief not here." Sioh grumbled as she thought. "Also small tribe."

  "What... happens if Mate isn't here when they get here?" Kea asked.

  "They demand submission challenge. No Chief, no challenge, they win and demand submission." Sioh began to pace back and forth. "So we have fight or surrender and join."

  "Can't one of you take the challenge?" Kea asked curiously.

  Sioh shook her head slowly frowning. "No Bigs, only Chiel Big."

  "But they don't know that." Kea pointed out and Sioh shook her head violently.

  "Goblins know. Big's special, goblins know if goblins Big."

  Kea looked over towards the rge, bulbous egg set in the center of the camp and frowned.

  "How bad is it?" Kea asked.

  Sioh's frown deepened as she pulled the wolf head down to hide a furrowing brow. "Very."

  "How very." Kea pressed.

  "If submit they kill Chiel, not want fight. The take you prisoner, do bad things maybe, maybe not." Sioh's hand went to the sword hilt at her hip and gripped it firmly.

  "Oh." Kea muttered. "So what will you do?" She asked after a long pause.

  Sioh thought for a long time as she fondled her bde. She looked over toward Gief and the two shared an unspoken conversation. Brief, the kind only close friends and allies could share. Something Kea envied greatly. Gief nodded and moved toward the rest of the camp, shouting in goblin words.

  Sioh turned to look hard into Kea's eyes. "We fight. You?" Sioh asked.

  Kea grimaced and looked down at her still healing arm. Set in its makeshift sling and sthered with the strange warm green paste Pipuck made in abundance. She looked back up to Sioh and sighed.

  "Not like I'll get home alive alone like this. Gods where is Voel's stupid bird."