The Goblet of Maridoc
Prologue
It was late in the morning when Jaina walked to the outside of the village. She brushed back her long blond hair past her slightly pointed ears. She then bent down and carefully examined the fresh set of footprints on the ground that led away from the village of Two Creek.
Jaina stood up and secured her studded leather armor that covered her slender form, and then her hazel eyes looked ahead. "Goblin tracks," she whispered as she reached back for her longbow and knocked an arrow. For a week, reports of goblins and bugbears have been drifting through Two Creeks. Jaina and the other rangers have been alert day and night, anticipating any attack. She hated bugbears, and at the tender age of forty, Jaina had become a season killer of bugbears, as well as goblins.
Behind her, Jaina heard a twig snap. She turned in a flash, ready to release her arrow. A young woman stood over the broken branch wearing a white cotton dress. She was a beautiful girl with long and thick blond-brown hair with blue eyes.
"Eliza what are you doing here?" Jaina asked with a sigh of frustration.
The young woman named Eliza put her hands on her hips and replied," Jaina, I was wondering where you were. I thought you said you were going to take me horseback riding today."
Jaina didn't hear all of what Eliza had said. Her ears picked up the sound of several footsteps coming towards them. "I will take you riding later," she responded quietly," but you need to go back to the village now and warn everyone." She turned around and spotted a goblin carrying a short sword. Jaina kept her arrow ready in case the goblin turned back. Then the goblin yelled to his comrades behind him to capture the girl.
"Jaina!" Eliza cried in an irritated voice. Her shout caused Jaina to jump and release her arrow. The arrow soared in the air, and flew into the goblin's neck.
"Hey Guznut is down," shouted a bugbear in goblin tongue just as the goblin scout fell over. When he and another bugbear came in her sights, Jaina drew her long sword and short sword. Both weapons were beautifully crafted with steel pommels and green leather handgrip.
"Eliza run!" Jaina yelled, then stood ready as two bugbears came running at her.
"Grab girl," one of the bugbears ordered," and hurt woman with bow." The bugbear tired to move past her, but Jaina stood in front of him. She slashed her long sword across the bugbear's face, then she swung her short sword hard, making a deep cut in his chest.
The other bugbear tried to make a quick grab for Eliza, but Jaina was quicker. She drove her left shoulder in the bugbear's side, knocking him to the ground. When the bugbear stood up, Jaina's long sword came in at a lower arc, slicing open his knee. Jaina finished the bugbear with a quick stab of her short sword into his heart. She looked over at Eliza, who was paralyzed with fear. Three more bugbears appeared where the goblin scout had fallen. "Don't just stand there, leave!" she cried to the young woman.
Eliza nodded, but before she could run, she felt her limbs freeze in place. She couldn't move any part of her body. She couldn't even scream for help.
A pale skinned man in black robes appeared in front of the bugbears. He was bald with a thick white beard and obsidian eyes. His eyes focused on the ranger, and he began chanting another spell.
Jaina found herself overcome with drowsiness. She felt her eyes getting heavy, and the rest of her body getting tired. The bugbears walked back her and grabbed Eliza. She wanted to help the young woman, but instead her body slowly slumped to the ground. The last thing Jaina saw before going to sleep was the man in black robes walk over to her and place a piece of parchment under her chin.