Day 27
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The Bluefang goblins are still here. It seems they were ordered to reclaim the area to provide food for some other larger goblin group. Supposedly, there are more chiefs and a king back where they came from.
How do I know this? Reconnaissance! That's right. Sun Tzu's know your enemy and all that good stuff. Basically, I'm winning the information war here.
Using my Eyebats, who are thankfully very silent flyers, I've kept constant watch on the goblins living on my roof. I've also made use of mice and Bunnyrats to infiltrate their camp. Why? To listen in on conversation. I lost several of my little spies but it was worth it.
I've counted around 20 or so goblins, half of them still runts, all armed with what looks like an odd assortment of scavenged weapons. Most of the larger tough looking ones have rusty swords or cleavers, the small ones have daggers or crooked spears. I've counted only 3 that use bows, including the chief Bluefang who has both the shiniest sword and the biggest bow.
As much as I'd like to set my critters on them and pick them off a few at a time using my gobs, I can't risk the humans finding out.
The Eyebats I released into the forest recently provided some important intel too. Rangers. A whole group of them, at least 5 or 6, maybe 7. Hard to tell really, as some are quite skilled at hiding and they all wear green cloaks over their standardized leather armor.
Each one armed with quality bows, a large quiver of arrows, and 2 short swords. That's not including any daggers, throwing knives, or other stuff that could be hidden under their cloaks. Evidently more professional than the crew my gobs ran into.
I'm not surprised to find them really. In fact, I'd been hoping to spot them ever since 2 of them were claimed by the dungeon for sweet sweet stacks of DP.
Now don't get me wrong. I have no plans on killing and absorbing this group. Humans are especially problematic because they will be missed, and stronger enemies will come snooping.
Sure you could deal with them too, but that would lead to stronger humans coming to investigate what happened, and they won't leave without a good answer either. Dealing with them to would just be the continuing the endless spiral until the strongest humans come and stomp all over whatever is causing trouble.
That would be a major inconvenience, if not outright dangerous for a little dungeon like mine. Ok it would be suicidal at my current size. Unless I'm absolutely sure nobody will find out it's best to leave any humans alone.
So... my plan involves them leaving satisfied. Nothing to see here. All problems taken care of. And by problems, I am referring to my noisy upstairs neighbors. I wouldn't mind having them killed off with a borrowed blade. I just need to orchestrate things nicely.
Listing out my goals, I start my planning session with the gobs.
1- The humans need to win a battle so they can go home and give the all clear report, that they have eliminated the potential threats in the region with extreme prejudice. I doubt they would leave any of their fallen behind for me to absorb unless they are forced to flee.
2- The humans must not spot any of our gobs, or suspect that I exist. That means my gobs stay in the cave, working their way downwards. At most, I can use small expendable critters.
3- The bluefang goblins need to go, they are the scapegoats for what happened to the 2 dead rangers. Preferably they go violently. Preferably with their bodies left behind so that I can have them absorbed.
4- DP for me. I want a lot, like a ton. This is a risky opportunity and I'm going to make the most of it.
5- I want weapons. My little gobs are making do with homegrown or rusty stuff, and there is a lack of bows and arrows.
As I sit in my hidey-hole looking over the list I had Berry'wart write out using his paper and charcoal, ideas start flowing.
I start the simpler ones immediately.
——— POV: 3rd person ———
Sebastian pulled the hood of his cloak further over his head in order to keep dry but knew it would hardly help. Wiping away the droplets from his eyebrows and nose that threatened to drip into his eyes he sighed and looked around.
The constant drizzle and fog that blocked anyone from seeing past 30 feet had come suddenly and lingered for the past few hours and put a bit of a damper on the mood amongst the rest of the ranger troop too.
He saw himself in how miserable the bat in the tree nearby looked. Wings wrapped tightly around with body, until water dripped down its fur onto its face caused it to scramble to wipe its face before turning back to look at him.
"I'd forgotten how uncomfortable this line of work was," he grumbled to the seasoned veteran walking beside him who only nodded with an amused smirk.
"What? Didn't you also recently retire from more active field duty for a desk job?" Sebastian continued, "you can't tell me you missed this!"
Bod Keeneye wasn't thrilled about being sent on this mission either. He'd finally taken the step to shift to a safer more comfortable desk job, and now he was stuck cleaning up after some overconfident rookies who made a mess and died. Did they even consider the amount of paperwork they caused him with that? Mission failed report, 2 death reports, liability and blame analysis, applications for trauma counseling sessions for the lone survivor at the local temple, and a strategic emergency response proposal that had to go through 4 rounds of edits and revisions before it was finally accepted. To top it off, they even tasked him with co-leading the task force.
Looking over at Sebastian rubbing his soft slender hands and blowing on them to keep them warm Bod felt a little better. Sebastian seemed to say something as he pulled his hood down, but Bod had stopped listening a while ago so he just smirked. Most of what that old secretary did on this trip involved complaining and his protege spooking the local farmers.
Relations with the more rural members of society was tense as it is without any rangers stirring the pot. That secretary hadn't been out enough to know how things are done.
Keeping watch he responded a minute late to the question directed at him.
"No, I don't miss the weather, and I was hoping my field days were behind me, but after all that paperwork I just got thrown at me it's good to stretch my muscles a bit."
Sebastian hadn't really expected an answer, so the conversation died out in awkward silence.
The rangers soon ate their rations and set up temporary shelter for the night. 4 would keep watch while the other half slept until they'd switch in a few hours.
Bod found a large tree, climber it and hid in the branches. Leaning against the trunk, he had a good vantage point and wouldn't be easily surprised. Next to him, a small bird also sat perched on a limb.
The weather wasn't good for the birds, so it didn't seem weird until Bod realized the bird wasn't afraid and never stopped staring at him.
Remembering his previous experience, he shivered a little. Creepy forest with its creepy critters.
"Shoo! Go on! Stop staring!" He tossed a a pine one at the bird starling it and causing it fly off. His satisfaction was short lived as he soon spotted the same bird perched just a little above him. It was staring again with its head cocked to one side for a better view.
"This damn forest"
Distracted by the critters around him, he didn't pay much attention to the forest floor.