"My nephew Gareth, and his friend Cullen came over to the Hill last week," said Ganth. "They did not return. Did you see them, by chance? A dwarf and a human child."
The sisters shook their heads. "No. We haven't had any visitors in three months. Certainly no dwarfs, or children."
The cleric sighed. "Do you think the hobs might have captured them?"
"It's certainly a possibility. They're always roaming the paths on the Hill, keeping watch for intruders. There are hobgoblins, goblins, and some bugbears, too."
"Do they live in an abandoned monastery?" Bloom asked. "Or is that another legend?"
"No, that's true. There is an old monastery up here, abandoned centuries ago. The hobs have moved into it. If they captured your nephew and his friend, my good cleric, then we can almost guarantee that is where they've taken them."
The dwarf's eyes glittered fiercely. "Do you know where this monastery is, good sisters?"
The ladies smiled pleasantly. "That we do, Sir Ganth."
"Will you lead us to it? Or at least tell us where we can find it?"
"We will, for the right price. That is the key bit of information that everybody seems to want."
The dwarf stared at the sisters, his face turning red as he fought to master his emotions. He spoke slowly and chose his words carefully.
"I am a dwarf, so I can understand the love of metal, gold in particular. But my nephew and his friend are merely children! Do you truly seek to profit from their misfortune?"
Deft grinned, turning his face away from the cleric. Dwarfs loved gold as much as anyone, and hated parting with it.
"We're awfully sorry, my good Ganth. And being a dwarf, I hope you understand. We really have no other source of income, besides the selling of information. And we can't make any exceptions. But because you seem a noble dwarf with a good head and heart, we'll give you a good price. We'll tell you what we know for seventy five gold pieces, which is half of what we would normally settle for."
Ganth's face froze, and he didn't speak. His eyes glittered fiercely as he stared at the old women, trying to keep his rage from exploding.
After a minute he turned to his companions. "My friends, I will agree to purchasing this information, if I may be able to deduct the cost from the share I promised to you upon the commencement of this quest. Are we in agreement?"
The cleric's eyes went to Bloom first. She grinned impishly back at him. "I'm all right with it, since it's no coin out of my pocket, so to speak. As long as we split any other treasure we might find equally among the four of us."
"Five," Deft cut in. "You forgot to include Twix."
She smiled sweetly and batted her eyelashes at the fighter. "Did I now, Deft? As I recall, we were to split the reward three ways, not four."
"And we will," the fighter said. "But I think it's only fair that Twix should get a share of any extra treasure we might find. After all, he's risking his neck along with the rest of us, isn't he?"
The thief glanced at the halfling, who was cheerfully chewing on his fourth piece of spice cake.
"I suppose so," Bloom sighed.
Ganth continued his conversation with the sisters. "My dear ladies, we are agreed to pay you the sum of seventy five golds. But I must regrettably confess that I do not have that exact amount upon my person at this moment. But I can give you twenty five golds, plus a Potion of Healing."
"We'll take it," said Linda. "And with this information, we have a proposition for you. We'll give you two magical scrolls and two bottles of magical potions to aid you in your quest. In return for this, at the end of your successful endeavor, we will meet you back here, where we will claim as payment for these items we give you, any one single item you have acquired in the course of your adventures."
The party went silent again. Here was the ulterior motive, Deft thought to himself.
"Anything in particular you're looking for?" Bloom asked innocently.
"Why, yes, there is one piece we wouldn't mind getting our grubby little paws on, so to speak. About ten years back, a party of adventurers came to our door. In speaking with them, we learned that the party's magic-user had in his possession a Rod of Cancellation. The party went on their way, never to return, alas. Your good goblin will already know this, but the rest of you may not, so we will tell you. A rod looks like a sturdy metal stick, usually between two or three feet long. Some have a metal ball at one end. This rod was made of iron. If you come across it, please secure it, for that is the one item we would take above all others."
At the mention of the rod, Runt choked on his tea, and spent several seconds hacking and spitting while his eyes watered with a vengeance. Bloom heartily thumped him on the back, while the goblin tried to say something. His voice came out as a wheezing croak.
"I have no use for some magic rod," Ganth said. "I agree to your terms. What are these potions and scrolls you are to give us?"
"A Potion of Gaseous Form, a Potion of Invisibility, a cleric scroll containing the spells Cure Light Wounds, Detect Magic, and Protection from Evil, and a magic-user scroll with the spells Web, Detect Magic, and Magic Missile."
"I would like to speak," Runt croaked, finally finding his voice. "If we find this Rod of Cancellation, we cannot simply give it to you in exchange for the potions and scrolls. The market value of this type of magic item is at least fifteen thousand gold pieces. The value of the potions and scrolls you're to give us is not even close. If we find this rod, we might be willing to sell it to you, taking into account the value of the potions and scrolls you've said you'll bequeath to us."
The sisters glanced shrewdly at each other.
"Aha!" said Bella. "You know your magic items, good Master Runt, as any magic-user worth his salt should! It is agreed then. If you procure this rod, we'll bargain over the price later. Just remember to get it if you see it. The hobgoblins won't know what it's good for, since they aren't typically magic-users. Although I could see their king possibly using it, as a badge of office."
"We were not planning on meeting their king," Ganth said. "But we'll do what we can."
"Surely, good Sir Ganth."
"I was looking forward to meeting their king," said Twix. "That's the reason I'm here. Like I told you all before, I'm a hobgoblin hunter. And there is quite the price on the head of a nasty old king called Bash. Old King Bash they call him. He was set up around one of the village on the outskirts of Dinard, but he since moved on, when a few bounty hunters came looking for him. So I'd be very interested to see who is running the show in the hobgoblin camp. If it's Old Bash, I'm going to become one wealthy bard, plus take my revenge."
"Revenge for what?" Deft asked.
Twix sighed. "I grew up in that village, the one that Bash lived near. It was called Barnyard. Five years ago, Bash and his goons attacked my home. We tried to fight, but they wiped out nearly the entire village, including my family. So you can understand why I want to crack this King Bash's head open and eat his brain."
The cleric frowned at the halfling. "Our mission here is to get my nephew safe and sound back to Fort Gaston. If you want to go after this hob king, that is your business. But don't expect any help from me."
"We can talk about this later," Bloom sighed. "But since it seems we're done here, maybe it's time we were on our way. The longer we sit here drinking tea, Ganth, the longer your nephew is in the hands of the enemy."
"Yes," said Bella, "you should probably get going, now that you've had a nice morning snack to bolster your resolve. I will go and fetch the potions and scrolls."
While the magic-user went upstairs, Ganth produced a Potion of Healing from his backpack. The liquid inside the clear vial was a sluggish purple. The dwarf stared at it moodily. He would just have to hope that he made out better in this deal than the sisters did. And with the business of the Rod of Cancellation, he knew he'd have to wait until the end of the adventure to truly make that determination.
Bella soon returned with the potions and scrolls. She held up one glass vial with a pale, pink, clear liquid in it. The other was a larger bottle with a black, sluggish concoction inside. "This pink one here is the Potion of Gaseous Form. This other, the Potion of Invisibility."
She set them on the table, and placed next to them two scroll tubes, fashioned of some white wood, with cork stoppers.
Ganth set down his Potion of Healing on the table. He pulled the cork out of one of the scroll tubes, and removed the rolled piece of vellum inside. The sheet was some three feet long, reinforced with leather strips every foot or so. The cleric spread the lambskin paper flat on the table and looked at the writing. It was done in a strong hand in black ink. The dwarf was surprised to see that he could read the writing. Usually, a newly written scroll was undecipherable to any reader, unless they cast a Read Magic spell upon it to make the writing understandable. It appeared that the sisters had already done this at some point.
The other tube contained the clerical scrolls, which were written out as generalized prayers to a clerics' higher power.
"We should divide these things among ourselves," Bloom said. "In case we get separated."
The cleric nodded his head. "It is a sound idea, Bloom. But I should at least carry this scroll of clerical spells, and Runt the other. As for the potions, you should take the one of Invisibility. If anyone ends up using it, it should be you. And the magic-user should take the Potion of Gaseous Form. I have three Potions of Healing in my pack, and Deft also has three. We shall divide them up amongst us."
"We should also stop at those magic bushes and pick the rest of the raspberries," Twix said. He turned to the sisters. "I only took a two dozen before, but now there are more of us, and we'll be doing a lot more than fighting one ogre, I'm afraid."
Linda smiled at the halfling. "That is quite all right, Twix. As I told you before, feel free to pick as many as you need. That bush is quite magical. If one were to pick all the berries on it, in a few days, it would be full once again."
"Ladies," said Ganth, rising from the table. "I thank you for the refreshment, the potions and scrolls, and all of your help. But before we depart, one last thing remains. You must tell us where this monastery lies, and how to find it."
"Of course. If you take the eastern path out of our glade here, and turn left onto the path that runs northwards along the eastern side of the peak, you'll come to a long pond. But be wary, as that way is guarded by hobgoblin soldiers."
Bloom laughed. "Yes, we've already seen them. We were up that way just before we passed by your home on our way to slay the ogre."
"Beyond the tents of the hobgoblins, at the northern end of the lake, lies a waterfall in a small clearing. A path runs northwest from that clearing. It leads into a large, grassless area northwest of here. There is a trail in the northeastern edge of that clearing, which will lead you directly to the monastery."
"If you want to bypass the hobgoblin guards," said Linda, "my advice is to travel north directly from here, through the forest. That way you can avoid the guards by the lake."
Ganth bowed in his most respectful dwarfish manner. "My infinite thanks to you both. And now, we must depart. My nephew Gareth awaits!"
"Before you leave," said Bella, "I can heal any of your injuries."
"Bloom and Ganth are hurt," Deft said. "Anyone else?"
"Not a scratch," Twix grinned.
Bella moved over to Ganth and put a wrinkled hand on his forehead. She touched a small silver medallion around her neck and spoke a quick prayer. The dwarf felt the pain in his head recede. He bowed again.
The old cleric did the same with Bloom, healing her injured leg.
Fully healed, rested and revitalized, the party gathered their gear and prepared to leave. The sisters saw them to the door, and regaled them with some parting words.
"Farewell, good luck, and come back soon! Remember our deal, and keep an eye out for that Rod of Cancellation, or any other interesting magical items! We'll be waiting for you with more tea and spice cake!"
The sisters waved from the door as the party departed, heading east. Twix took the lead, his bow nocked and ready. He knew the way to the clearing with the raspberries, as he'd come that way earlier.
The group passed by the Hill's summit, and the bard called a halt. He spoke in a low voice. "Up ahead is the path that leads to the huts of the guards. The trail runs for a furlong before it enters the clearing, and that's where two guards are. Since the trail curves, and the underbrush is so thick, we don't have to worry about them seeing us, but they might hear us, if we don't keep quiet. I just wanted to warn you."
Ganth clapped the halfling on the back. "And so you have, good Twix. Many thanks."
They soon reached the trail that led north to the pond, and passed it by. The path they traveled turned slightly to the northeast. After walking for half a mile, they began to descend a gradual slope, and saw another trail that bisected the one they were on. Twix led them to the right, and they reached the glade of the magical berries after several minutes. They picked the remaining dozen berries from the bushes, and then divided up the healing potions, berries, and scrolls amongst them.
This done, they retraced their steps back to the sisters' cottage. Deft glanced into the eastern window as they walked to the north side of the clearing, but he couldn't tell if the sisters were watching their progress or not. He supposed it didn't matter either way.
They moved into the trees at the northern end of the clearing, and spent the next half mile pushing their way through the ferns, bushes, and thorns. They finally emerged onto the trail the sisters said led to the grassless clearing.
They turned left, and walked for another half mile. The ground sloped gently downward, and after ten minutes they emerged into the clearing. It was immense, running more than half a mile north to south, and two furlongs east to west. There was no growth other than a few clumps of scraggly grass. Most of the ground was cracked, dry earth, and the forest surrounding the glade seemed especially quiet, dark and foreboding.
They walked to the northeastern edge of this desolate place, and found the trail leading east, just as the sisters had relayed. They stopped and had a hurried conference. Ganth decided to send Bloom down the trail to investigate. If she ran into trouble, she was to promptly shout, and they would come to her aid.
The other sat down to rest, except for Twix. The bard walked westward along the treeline, and soon came upon an area where bunches of thorn bushes had started to grow along the edge of the clearing. The bard noticed several smooth, square, white stones lying amongst the thorns.
The bard squeezed in among the thorn bushes and knelt down to examine one of the stones. It looked like a gravestone. There was writing carved into its face, but it was too weathered to be read. The halfling went to another, and was surprised to see that the ground in front of the stone had been excavated, to a depth of about six feet. The grave was empty. Feeling a shudder run through him, Twix moved amongst the forlorn and forgotten graveyard, examining more markers. It seemed that one out of every three graves had been dug up, and it had been done recently.
The bard suddenly heard the sound of something crashing through the underbrush. He stood up and turned to see four creatures coming at him from the west. They looked like naked humans, but their skin was pale and they were badly emaciated. Their tongues were long and black and hung from their fanged mouths, and their hands ended in long, sharp, black claws.
Twix turned and hurried through the thorns, breaking free into the clearing. He ran as fast as he could to the east, shouting a warning to his companions.
The other turned in surprise to see the bard running towards them. Four creatures burst out of the trees in hot pursuit, but they were slower than the halfling, and couldn't catch him.
"Ghouls!" the bard cried.
"Oh, crap!" Deft said.
The fighter gulped and watched the monsters chase the halfling across the field. At least there were only four of them, although that was enough. Ghouls were undead creatures who feasted on human flesh, whether it was dead or alive. They were cunning, fearless, and extremely dangerous. They attacked using their filthy claws and fangs, which caused their victim to become paralyzed and unable to move. When their pray fell, the monsters devoured them alive.
"What do we do?" Deft cried, his voice rising in panic. Ganth hefted his shield and mace.
"Run, or fight. They are quite far away. I will bet you can stick them full of arrows before they even get to us. Runt, do you have a spell that will deal with them?"
The goblin nodded, his bulging eyes on the approaching undead. "I have my Web spell, which will entangle them in cobwebs. The webs will last for half an hour, but I can't cast it until they're within range. But I might not be able to entangle all of them."
"All right. Shoot your spell off when they are within range. If that does not work, I shall attempt to turn them away. Hopefully Deft will be able to slay a few, if not all of them, before they reach us. As a last resort, we run east. We can easily outdistance them, although they are tenacious and may continue to pursue us for miles."
Deft put an arrow to his bow. "It's a shame that this rumor turned out to be true!"
"Shoot, man!" the dwarf cried. "What are you waiting for?"
"They're too far away! I need to wait for them to get closer!"
"Do not wait too long!"
The fighter sighted on the lead ghoul, which was only about ten feet behind the running bard. He counted down the seconds, and when half a minute had passed, he started to let fly with his arrows. He just hoped he didn't accidentally hit Twix.
His first arrow struck the lead ghoul in the chest. His second missed, but his third took the thing in the throat and dropped it. He only had time for three more shots before he would be forced to drop his bow and draw his sword. At least the Flame Tongue was highly effective against undead. They might get out of this after all. But if the ghouls managed to paralyze one or more of the party, things would take a tragic turn.
Deft's last three arrows missed. The ghouls were only thirty yards away. The fighter threw down his bow and drew forth his sword, commanding it to burst into flame. Runt ran a few feet in front of the fighter and the cleric, and pulled a ball of cobwebs out of one of his belt pouches. He chanted and waved his hands around in a strange pattern.
"Wait!" Deft shouted. "You'll hit the bard! Twix! Get out of the way!"
The fighter hoped that the goblin didn't catch him in his spell. The ball of cobwebs flew from the magic-user's hand, streaking towards the ghouls. At the last second, the bard veered to the right, moving out of the line of fire of the spell. The ball hit the lead ghoul and exploded into a twenty-foot wide mass of cobwebs.
The undead thrashed and gnashed their teeth, trying to pull themselves free of the sticky fibers. Deft ran up close to them, and he and Twix fired arrow after arrow into the horrid creatures.
They each fired eight arrows into the ghouls. Twix killed two and Deft slew the last. The four moved quickly into the woods around the trail that Bloom had taken. They crouched down in the undergrowth and sat silently, staring out into the dead field to see if they could spot any more ghouls.
Deft patted Runt on the shoulder. "Good job, my friend," he whispered. The goblin grinned, chuckling softly.
"That is how one deals with the undead!"
The fighter smiled. He would have never thought that he would be friends with a goblin. But he was glad that he was.