Stretching my legs and arms I pulled my armour on taking my time buckling each piece properly. Grabbing my weapons I began making my way up to the surface.
Finally crossing the final layer of mud I broke through to be embraced by the waves of warm sunlight now radiating over the camp. Looking to the sky the sun was just a little past the middle. I'd been asleep for around 6 hours or so.
The camp was much livelier than when we had first arrived. Rats came and left through the gates with many mingling inside the walls.
It seemed I was one of the first from my group to have woken, that or they had gone somewhere.
The crisp winds I despised the night before now came as a refreshing breeze sweeping through the camp.
Today would more than likely be a peaceful day. At least that's what I assumed. After the attack last night on the last fort it would be unlikely for us to make any forward attacks today.
A deep rumbling disrupted the serene and calm day.
Hunger had struck once more.
I began searching for food but found a distinct lack of it.
"Hey yous" I pointed to one of the random rats huddled around the campfire
"where can I gets some foods" The rat looked fearful before quickly switching to a confident facade
"I ain't fuckin gots any, Go hunts for yous own"
An aggressive little bastard. I am hard tempted to gut him where he stands but I doubt his friends who now looked equally as angry would just accept it and although I could carve my way through some of them I'd most likely die if I fought this many.
So I am to hunt for myself it would seem.
Memories of the deep growls and muffled screams as rats were dragged into the darkness from the midnight march were still fresh in my mind.
However, a rats gotta eat.
Steeling my resolve I began to head for the main gate.
Without much trouble, I passed through and began trundling towards the forest.
The stupidity of my plan only now began to dawn on me. I knew nothing about hunting.
Several ideas crossed through my mind ranging from fiendish derangment to logical ideas.
My first being what if just follow a more experienced-looking rat, wait for him to catch some food and then kill him and eat both? Win Win but both wins are for me.
My second idea was to just ask one of the more experienced rats for help but then what would I be eating for breakfast tomorrow if not a rat feast?
I snuck into some of the bushes and waited head down. Looking down at my distinct white armour I grabbed some mud and smeared it over the once clean white surface.
Now better camouflaged I waited. Several parties went by until finally, one more elderly-looking rat ventured out on his own. Strangely I recognized this rat. It was that bastard from earlier. The hunt was on.
I keep downwind of the rat slowly crawling from vegetation to vegetation remaining out of his beady little eyes by relying on my nose to follow him.
After almost an hour of circling around, he finally stopped. A different scent had also entered my nose. A rabbit. He was also waiting downwind of the rabbit most likely planning on stalking it until he could get a clear shot to kill it with his slingshot.
I began moving closer. If I was to get both I would need to be fast and deadly. I would need to leave no room for error.
The older rat crept closer to his prey and subsequently, I crept closer to my prey.
Finally, he came back within sight as I slithered through the bushes. He had posted himself in a tree overlooking a small clearing. In the clearing, the rabbit stood unaware.
Taking out a small rock he gently placed it in the sling and pulled back on the leather. I watched in baited silence until finally.
Thump. The rock hit the small rabbit in the head smashing its brains across the ground. Dead on impact.
The now excited older rat dived down from the tree and pushed all his attention onto his new catch.
Like a snake, I gently crawled up behind him. Pulling my smaller knife I leaped on him from behind. A look of shock and immense fear flooded his face as his mouth twisted into a screaming face. However, no scream emerged.
My knife had long since been slid deep into his throat tearing out his vocal cords and throat.
Bubbles of blood formed as he desperately tried to push out a scream. Three seconds later he was dead.
As much as I would have loved to take him back to camp that would raise unwanted questions. So I began to feast. My wildest of instincts took over as I tore through his flesh and innards and sawed through his bones.
A brutal and gruesome sight. While cannibalism was accepted for rats it was often frowned upon within clans. But I did not care. After the long night before the welcome feast was a bountiful treasure.
I ate my fill before dragging the carcass along the floor and leaving it in a different clearing. Adding long claw marks to some of the remaining flesh. If the body was found it would be an assumed hunting accident with an animal.
I strung the rabbit to my armour before washing off in a stream nearby. Finally, I followed the older rats' tracks back to the camp.
A most successful expedition I thought as I slinked back into camp.
I had been out for two to three hours and so many of the rest of my troop were already wide awake. It seemed Thassius and a few others had gone on similar hunting trips.
Itch sat solemnly by the fire. A strange look was reflected in his eyes.
I approached him before taking a seat next to him.
"Yous are too be front runners ins the war"
He began talking before I even had the chance to ask.
"Our task over the next few days is to hunt down and kills a general of the goblin King Thorn. Vrogg the thrasher"
"Sounds fun" I say trying to lighten the increasingly darkening mood Itch seemed to be taking.
"I'm glad yous think so, for it will be yous who are in charge, I have been stationed to bes with the rest of the clan ands prepare an attack ons one of the two major goblins clans Thorn has under his controls. You are to brings the head of the goblin general to us to use as a fear tactic to break the goblins in the settlement."
No longer would I be able to hide behind the decision-making and orders of Itch. This operation would be commanded and done by the elite guard. Me and Thassius now had full control of the honour guard unit.
"Vrogg currently resides in a camps just North ofs here bys about a day march. He is encamped there with a unit of his own, yous are to wipe both out"
"The lord did not skimp on our first mission" I said in a joking manner receiving a unamused glare from Itch
"yous are to depart tomorrow morning. Be ready"