Rosch and his warriors didn't stop. They dashed forward, trying to catch up with the others. Most of Randan's side went right after the meeting of the family heads, but Bog and Leonard's warriors rested for a bit, too. They went together, but not with Rosch. They were already getting suspected by Randan to have made an alliance against him.
They could feel his dislike towards them. First, he did make those groups because he didn't want internal conflicts, now he probably just made it worse.
The more traditional beings on one side against the more open and free minded beings on the other side.
Rosch became a new family head and the other family heads didn't know his view on things, now they surly do, which became dangerous in Randan's eyes.
But for Randan, right now, the Nightwalkers seem to be the greatest threat. He accepts their alliance as long as they produce results out of it. And they do, they have killed most Nightwalkers in the first wave of the enemies attacks.
Rosch and his warriors ran for half a day and it seemed as if the idea to attack them and lay traps in the enemies way was the right decision.
They ran in smaller groups and didn't care about formation, which would give them time. This half day could easily mean two days for the enemies with the Goblins interference.
Only half an hour later the first Goblin mixes were seen. They dug in the ground, cut down trees or hung up spikes with thin wires on the ground.
Rosch and his warriors started to slow down, because they didn't want to die by one of the traps lay down by their allies.
But they didn't have to worry, since the ones they saw before were the first. Meaning they would meet the enemy soon.
And like Rosch thought. Another half an hour the first screams were heard.
Rosch didn't knew, who it was but it wasn't just one scream. In the entire forest the sound of skirmishes were heard everywhere.
Some started and some went silent after awhile. Rosch gave his warriors a sign and those understood immediately as they started to spread out even further.
Every group had around 10 beings and they had a good mix of Elves and Goblin mixes. The instinctual noses of the Goblins mixes and magical eyes of Elves would give a good combination in this forest.
But after the others disappeared and Rosch was alone with his 10 warriors, two arrows hit them instantly, one graced Roschar's cheek and hit a tree behind him while another hit one of his Goblin warriors between the eyes, killing him without even realizing what happened.
"FUCK, WE WERE ALREADY SEEN. GET BEHIND A TREE!!", Rosch suddenly shouted, while running behind a tree. His warriors did the same.
"What the fuck? I didn't feel anything. And I can detect almost anything in a radius of 50 meters, if I use my magic power up to 100 and more possible. Furthermore those that don't move I can detect, too with my magic. I am probably the only Nightwalker, who can detect everything. This can only mean that the marksman are much further away. ", Rosch though, his chest raising up and down fastly.
Rosch showed some signs again, and his warriors understood those instantly. They meant that they had to move. Those marksman won't stay at one place and fire. They will change locations frequently.
" Chiefling, I saw some silhouettes going towards the left. I would guess they are already changing locations.", a red haired elven warrior said to Rosch. Rosch just nodded and thought about the situation.
He suddenly pointed to the left and showed four fingers and than to the right and showed five fingers. In an instant two teams where formed with Rosch and the red haired Elven warrior as leader. One going left the other team going right.
"Gorker trained them really well. They could do every sign I did till now.", Rosch thought while getting a bit emotional. He shook his head and tried not to think about Gorker for now.
Rosch and his warriors ran towards the left while the other team went to the location where the enemy shot from before.
They ran towards trees, while changing directions. It almost looked like zigzaging into the enemy, which worked.
Rosch had to deflect two arrows, while his warriors were dodging or holding a shield in front of them.
"TWO ARE IN FRONT OF US AND ANOTHER TWO IN FRONT OF THE OTHER TEAM.", Rosch suddenly screamed, as he got closer and closer. The sudden information let his warriors ran even faster, while the marksman got scared and tried to move away from their current location.
They wouldn't have been found out, but with Rosch it was easy to find them as soon as they closed in.
And just like that Rosch went around a tree, surprising two Elven warriors. Their eyes were huge, as they saw death approaching and Rosch didn't hesitate, as he decapitated them in a second.
A moment after Rosch finished two screams were heard from the side the other team came from.
They jumped their enemy together, piercing the Elves from almost all sides.
The red haired Elven warrior lead his team back to Roschars and they waited for new orders.
Rosch on the other hand took a deep breath.
"So it started and we lost already one of us. Listen my warriors. Try to survive. I know shit happens through ambushes and such, but if you are hurt, turn around and flee. Right now nothing is more important than surviving. We don't have the numbers to act heroically. ", Rosch suddenly said reminding his warriors. While he knows the Elves will listen to his orders, the Goblin mixes will, too but sometimes their instincts or rage take over and they lose their heads. That is why he says it every time he can.
His warriors bowed and acknowledged Rosch. For them it seemed like Rosch was a good and caring leader, which he is if you compare him to the rest of the Goblin mixes, but he is thinking about the future, too. Rosch wants to deal with Randan and the Hobgoblins as fast as possible. And for that he needs warriors.
The day seemed to go well. Rosch didn't lose anyone anymore. And he hoped his other warriors were doing as well as him.
But what annoyed him was that almost only scouts were fighting. The main army wasn't seen till now.
"Or did they guess, what we were going to do? This seems weird. Their are to many small skirmishes. How many scouts did they bring along?", Rosch thought.
The light was gone already, because the conifer trees were blocking the red light of the late sun.
Rosch knew, now the Elven scouts would disappear and the Nightwalker scouts would appear.
One hour went by, another again. But only an Elf or maybe occasional a Nightwalker got killed by Roschar's group. Something seemed wrong. Why won't they attack?
The Nightwalkers would be in their element, but nothing happened.
"Chief, should we make some bird calls? It may bring us unwanted attention, but somehow I feel uneasy.", the red haired Elf asked Rosch, with a worried expression. He was a veteran under his grandfather and if he felt the same thing Rosch did, something truly was wrong. Rosch nodded, but before the Elf could make a sound, another loud and depressing bird call sounded from the far west of their position. Rosch eyes went wide because that was the call for being as good as annihilated. One of his groups will die and not by a small margin, no it was complete annihilation of the team and nobody should come closer as a warning, is what that sound means.
Rosch, who heard that suddenly jumped up in shock, it seemed as if he knew what was going to happen.
"Fuck, we feel in their trap.", Rosch suddenly said, shocking his warriors.
All of them looked in the eyes of Rosch, as he became a bit ashen.
"T.. They halved their forces. One is fighting and holding us here, while the other half is taking a long detour to attack our village. They read us like an open book.", Rosch suddenly said, while exhaling for a long time right after the sentence.
"Make the bird call for retreat. We should still be able to get back before the others. But protecting the village just with us, is almost impossible. One group of ours has to stay. Best the one furthest to the east. They should be the safest. They need to warn all the other family heads and groups. ", Rosch said, looking at the red haired Elf. He nooded and instantly made the bird sound. In an instant Rosch turned around and left with half the team.
The other half would stay till they heard a sound back from another team and than like a chain, one after the other would retreat. Till the last Sound, which would change and sound differently. It means to stay and warn the others.
This bird calls were perfect, without giving to much information to the enemies. It was a good idea to implement them from their hunting system into the military system.
Rosch was the fastest and angriest. The Nightwalkers were underestimating them for such a long time, that they suddenly took them seriously to such a degree that they used tactics, which Vilcet didn't see coming.
"So this is war? Grandfather was right. You have a plan, but that is just a guideline. What is important comes after that and how you react to certain events.", Rosch said to himself, as he went faster and faster even triggering a trap. But he was so focused that he could dodge with a light side step. A huge spiked log flew passed him, as he accelerated quickly again.
Everywhere around the forest beings looked scared or shocked.
"What the fuck are those bird sounds? Is someone closing in on us?", an enemy Elf shouted to his subordinates.
Somewhere else near the shouting Elf.
"Fuck those bird calls made them more alerted.", Randan suddenly said as he closed in on his enemy. He right now was in his element, taking out smaller enemy groups with ease.
Meanwhile Flatch, Luchs and Gerhard, who slowly retreated in different intervals thought the same.
" What the fuck is going on? We didn't even start and have to retreat already? Did something terrible happen? ".
Meanwhile far to the west.
Zeke, the commanding Nightwalker stood over ten corpses of Goblin mixes and Elves. He had a smile on his face.
"Finally some revenge. To think that some of those dirty animals would still go so far of the path to the demon cave. Luck is on their side it seems. That bird call just now could mean danger for us. All of you. Don't think about sneaking anymore. Now we just have to be fast and brutal. ", Zeke suddenly said, while stepping on the heads of the dead enemies of his. He truly hated them. He even had to acknowledge them as somehow strong. He had to use tactics against some animals. Dirty, annoying animals in his eyes.