When Bane reached back to the tribe a feast was prepared. The whole village had come under the night sky for that day's dinner.
Bane had been to such a congregation quite a few times. But he had still not been able to get used to it. For someone who had travelled but with a party of not more than 6, eating in such a large group still feels surreal.
Perhaps it was because of the new prey that the goblins had caught but the mood in the tribe was livelier than usual.
'Do they not care about the goblins that died?' Bane asked himself.
In the end, even if they were goblins they were their own kin. But instead of grief the atmosphere was more so of a joyous nature.
Perhaps it was the excitement that the cold winters wouldn't wipe out the clan anymore. Or perhaps it was happiness born from purely the fact that more goblins had survived the hunt than was originally expected.
Bane didn't know.
But he sure was surrounded by goblins who were grateful to him for the last hunt.
"Newbie was amazing. Griguek. When I was of your age I could hardly hunt like that!"
"Yeah..." Bane smiled a meek smile as he watched the goblin praising him with meat still stuck in his mouth.
A score of so goblins were eating alongside Bane as they praised him of his achievement.
As if that wasn't enough another goblin walked unto Bane from the other side not giving him any rest to eat his fill.
"Thank you brother, I owe you my life."
Bane tilted his head as a fairly distinctive voice showed his gratitude instead of a praise.
Bane stared into his eyes.
His demeanor against Bane itself was quite different than the rest.
When it came to others, they were treating him as mostly as a fellow goblin who had done something great for his age. They mostly referred to Bane as 'Newbie' or 'New Born' or as such. That seemed to have become his nickname somehow even though Silvia had already given him a name.
But when it came to the goblin in front of him, he was the only one who referred to Bane as 'brother'. Not to mention that his attitude was that of respect rather than anything friendly.
"You are?" Bane tilted his head.
Bane was having a bit of a difficulty since most goblins looked the same.
"I don't have a name like brother. I am one of the foot soldiers working under Gam. Griguek."
"Of course you are."
'Owes his life, he says? I don't know I saved many goblins actually. I can't say who this one is.'
Bane took a closure look. There was no way he could be sure, but he looked somewhat like the goblin who he had specifically pulled away from out of a paw swipe. If it was that much of a help then it was understood why he would feel the way he was.
'If its him. Maybe I can rely on him?' Bane thought.
Bane was more worried about humans than bear or hunts now. But the surroundings goblins around him didn't seem to be interested in those talk and were more focused on food.
Perhaps Bane saw a companion in the goblin who held gratitude for him and invited him to eat together with him.
"Griguek. Griguek."
The surrounding goblins seemed to be disappointed upon the star of the night to leave as they grunted in displeasure but Bane payed them no heed.
"Say, do you remember where our tribe used to live before migrating here?"
From what the information Bane had collected so far, it seemed that the humans females that Bane had killed were captured at the goblin's last tribe location instead of anywhere around here.
And when they moved out looking for more food and finding a means to survive for the winter the goblins had ended up in this place.
Of course the captured woman were taken along as well.
Through the days Bane had learned that it wasn't just human women that the goblins had captured. There was also a ghoul and three lizardmen among them.
'And judging by their actions the goblins seem to be more worried about food now, instead of women.'
Winter was gradually approaching.
Of course, mating and food were both important for their survival. But food took priority in such a weather.
The goblin accompanying Bane wore a complicated expression on his face as he pondered for it more.
He seemed to have lost all his interest over the chunk of meat that he was holding onto his hand as he pondered for more.
'He looks dejected somehow.' Bane thought.
"I am sorry, brother. I can't remember anything. Griguuuuuuek"
The goblins looked down.
Bane sighed in disappointment.
"Can't really on goblins for information, can I?"
Bane was trying the best he could but the goblins weren't the most intelligent species out there. Most goblins don't even want to talk about their old tribe location as they found it boring. And even those that were willing to talk didn't remember much.
"But..."
Bane ears perked up with a light whisper from the goblin sitting beside him.
The goblin pointed towards towards the opposite direction the sun was setting dying the sky orange while at the same making it see through enough for the stars to be visible.
"I remember coming to this place from that way. I am not sure about anything else, but I am sure you will get to know something if you ask the scouts."
'East huh?'
The goblin was pointing towards the forest. That means that they came out of the forest from that location as they entered into the grass field.
But even if that was the case, it didn't necessarily mean that they were travelling straight west through the forest.
"I guess asking scouts makes sense."
The bad thing about scouts was that they were difficult to get an appointment with.
Bane was mostly a foot soldier, a newbie at that. Goblin scouts were a rank higher than himself and directly listened to the command of the goblin Sherman.
'They should have skills for locating and finding directions too.'
As time passes by, Bane was getting more and more used to his body and skills. There were highly influenced by his base race.
Limit Break was definitely something he had got from Silvia.
But Bane was quite sure that he would have got none of thw weapon mastery skills or even 'Danger Sense' had he evolved into a goblin dwarf instead.
'Those would have a completely different skill tree. So if goblin scout works like how it sounds then they should know the way back.'
Bane couldn't get a grasp on them, but with his current contribution, maybe he could?
He turned towards the goblin.
"I am not acquainted with any of the goblin scouts. Can you help me meet up with one of them? Griguek."
"SOrry, brother. They command directly to the sherman so..." he continued dejectedly at feeling useless. "But I am sure that if you ask the sherman he will help you on the matter. You hunted the prey quite spectacularly this time after all. The goblin sherman favors strong hunters. He might even help you evolve into a goblin warrior too!"
'Goblin warrior huh? I am not so sure about that.'
Bane couldn't help but notice that there was no race like that amongst the ranks. Had there been then he would have had a far easier time in the recent quest against the forest bear. When it came to higher ranks there were just goblin archers and goblin scouts.
But then again, would a goblin be wrong about his own race?
"I see. I will talk to the Sherman. Thanks ah..."
"Brother! Griguek. You can call me brother."
"Yes. Thanks brother. But can you guide me to the Sherman?"
"Of course. Griguek"