Tect had spent nearly a week with his clan but now it was time to leave again. In Campbell County the hardest months of winter were January, February, and March. The south starts warming up after the winter solstice and the warm moist air pushes north making huge blizzards of heavy wet snow. Tect was hoping to get moving as soon as possible since it was hard to tell what state the village was in right now. The other goblins all felt the same sense of debt to the old smith, one of the few townsfolk who ever sent them any food, and they all began to prepare vegetables and meat for Tect to transport in his spatial bag.
"I can't thank everyone enough. I intend to stay with the old man until spring so that I can learn more about skilled trades, but come spring I will be heading to Gribadir to petition Lord Campbell to outlaw slavery." The goblins all cheered for Tect though secretly many wished he would just stay here with them.
"What if the Lord refuses to end slavery?" Tornia a small goblin that has been doing much of the weaving in the village asked.
"If I can't convince the lord to end slavery then I'll just have to tear down the walls of the slave pens and do my best to lead the goblins back here. But I don't like our odds of survival if that were the case." Tect smiles sadly at the admission.
Tect goes around thanking everyone for their efforts before he gets to Moidra.
"You know you've been doing a great job here Chieftain. The village is really coming together, by the time I get back it'll probably have a full stone wall, school, and jail cell for holding Shota." Tect and Moidra laughed, Shota did not.
"It would be further along if you were leading them. They would dig up mountains if you asked, I can't even get Shota to shut the outhouse door while using it."
"Hey if you ate as many sex peaches as me you'd want that door open too. It's a damn health hazard." Moidra scowled at him, "We are not calling them that for the last damn time!"
Tect couldn't help but laugh at his friends bickering. "I hear peach wood is great for cooking wild boar and chicken."
Moidra smiled, "You don't say, and here I was just thinking that there are too many roosters in Eldrin's farm."
Shota's jaw dropped in horror, "Don't you touch my babies you witch!"
Tect's cheeks were sore from smiling so much lately, he really would miss these two alot. " Before I leave I want to give you both something, Erdrin too if he's around."
"Erdrin should be watching over his animals with his wolf. Shota can go get him if you like." Moidra was quick to offer. Shota just shot her a look but he would go if asked.
"No it's fine, I'll head by there on my way out. I'll give you guys your gifts first." Tect pulled out a rolled up animal skin. He had used the ashes of his campfire and the cows brains to tan a piece of hide, then used a burning stick to etch a map on the hide using Azulaks memories. "This is a map of the Mountain Heart. I've marked a few places you may want to explore, one is a medicinal herb garden, and the other is a vault of emergency supplies. Hopefully you can find some medical equipment or armor there."
Moidra hugged Tect, "Thank you so much, we have been lucky so far but that can't hold. Just the herbs alone will make a huge difference."
Shota was shifting his weight back and forth from foot to foot, clearly excited, "Whatcha got for me boss?"
Tect laughed at Shota's lack of patience, but pulled from behind his back a shining red dagger. "I figured if I am gone then that makes you in charge of keeping everyone safe, so I made you a new dagger."
Shota's eyes were starting to tear up, "It's so damn cool, I'm gonna go stab something right now." and he immediately ran off.
"He's such a baby sometimes." Moidra just shook her head. "Thank you so much for everything Tect. When you return I promise I'll have a house ready for all the new members of the tribe and you. Take this with you too." Moidra squeezed Tect's shoulder, shoved a leather bag into his hands, then walked off. She too was having difficulty holding back the tears.
Tect walked slowly towards the pastures where he would find Erdrin. He too seemed to be having trouble with his eyes and wanted to get it under control before he saw Erdrin.
Tect had seen Erdrins motley herd on his first day but just as the others said, everytime you see it it seems to grow. This time he seems to have added a few chickens.
As Tect approached Erdrin waved at him, "Hey Tect, You leaving already?"
"Yeah Erdrin I am, you'd know that if you ever left your animals." Tect Laughed.
"I'd love to, but they are little shits and if I don't keep an eye they will wander all over the damn place."
Tect laughed again, "Yeah, I bet it's a hassle. Why haven't you built a fence to keep them corralled?"
Erdrin shook his head. "Too many goblins to house, to waste wood on a fence. I'm no good at building or weaving or scouting. Best thing I can do is herd the things so others can have the wood."
"Fair enough I suppose. I have something for you, kind of a going away present I guess. Azulak told me only someone with beast taming magic could use it, but maybe with your talent it won't matter that you don't have magic." Tect held out the Rock Elemental egg.
"Well that's a nice shiny rock, thanks Tect." Erdrin took the egg but Tect caught his face twitch.
"Sorry, I forgot you took off for chickens and didn't hear about my trip. It's the egg of a rock elemental. If you can hatch it and tame it you can train it to do things, it can even change shape as it grows. I saw one that looked like a giant, had hands and everything."
"Hmmm I guess that would be handy. God knows I could use a big strong pack animal. How do I hatch it, and tame it?
"No clue, normally you'd use magic. You'll have to figure it out. Sorry." Tect Shrugged.
Erdrin sighed, "Well worst case scenario I now have a hot rock for making sheep stomach stew."
Tect laughed at the thought of the egg being used to cook mutton, then said goodbye to Erdrin, and Basil, the wolf.
It took a few hours at a decent jog but by mid day Tect had reached the Western Gate. He approached the side of the gate and saw a small metal square with a red light.
"Hey Gate Construct can you hear me through this?"
The red light flashed, "Yes Administrator Tect, I can."
"Has your system power been restored?"
"Yes main power is restored, and Secondary storages are up to 30% Main Power system are currently showing 89% capacity and can run at current levels for 3 years, Gate systems will b e active for 9 years if secondary storages are able to reach 100% capacity."
"That's awesome. Do me a favor, can you set things so that the door will open if any goblins approach, so long as there are no humans within a 2 mile radius, unless I am here and say it's ok."
"Updating protocols now Administrator. Is there anything else I can help with?"
"No gate, that should be fine. Can you open a small passage just for me to leave, then close it after I've gotten out."
With a hiss a doorway appears to Tect's left. He can feel the cold air pouring in from outside of the caldera. Luckily the snow isn't too deep yet, and Tect begins the walk back to Nadteifelt.