30th Day of Early Spring 768 n.c
The group of twenty three retraced my path from last night, all of us trooping through the forest to the clearing and then out towards the kobold's hill. The grassy area out the front of our farm looked like the farmer's common on a tenday, with carts and horses everywhere. Malkarov and I were at the head of the group, walking about twenty feet forward of the main party.
"Firstly, It's because I've already been out here so I know where I'm going," he explained as we walked to my unvoiced question, "and secondly because we are both able to cast Invisibility in case we come across any kobold guards. We have already planned for the main group to hide should they see me… or not see me as the case may be."
"That makes sense," I agreed, "do you expect there to be kobold guards, during the daytime?"
"Of course," he said, "just as the town has been placing guards of a nighttime since the kobold attack, the kobolds will likely be placing guards during the day," he gestured to my side, "may I see the blade that your Mother gifted you with?"
I drew the sword and started to hand it over to him, but he stopped me, "hilt first, you always hand a sword to someone hilt first to show that you mean them no harm."
"Oh!" I exclaimed, bringing the sword back towards myself and spinning it around, "just like a knife?"
He took the sword and held it appreciatively, "It's very well made."
He ran his hand along the flat of the blade as he spun the sword around to hand it back to me, did you cast Detect Magic on it?" he asked.
I felt surprised, I hadn't even thought to, "Mother had only just given it to me before I came out of the house. Should I?"
"Give it a shot," he suggested, "try casting while walking."
I held the sword and cast Detect Magic, almost tripping over my own feet in the process. The sword glowed vibrantly and runes all along its length became visible. Malkarov glowed quite brightly next to me with all of his enchanted clothing and jewelry. One more thing surprised me, with the scabbard that held the sword also glowing.
I looked at Malkarov who just smiled at me, "I thought so," he said.
"Not just the sword, but the scabbard also!" I said excitedly.
"Likely a sharpening or cleaning enchantment," Malkarov told me, "both are very common for scabbards. It might prove useful to study the rune schemes used to see if they are similar to the standard ones used. We will finish off the last of the runes this tenday and we can start studying some rune schemes! There are a great many apprentice-work magical items out there, this ring for instance," he said, holding up his left hand and pointing to a plain silver band on his middle finger that was still glowing to my enchanted sight, "was my own apprentice-work. Quite a clever bit of work, even if I do say so myself. It's a more simple variation of a Detect Magic rune scheme, if I touch the ring to an enchantment rune then the ring will vibrate a little. But it only works if it physically touches a rune, it didn't activate when I held the hilt but did when I touched the blade."
"I'll be able to make something like that?" I asked eagerly, I liked the idea of making my own magical items.
"Certainly!" He said, "it's a part of every apprentices education, even apprentices with an affinity for Elementalism would make a basic apprentice-work item. I made this ring during my apprenticeship and I made these shoes when I petitioned to continue my studies with a Master Enchanter."
"What do your shoes do?" I asked.
He grinned at me, a very wide smile and stopped to point behind us, "see? No footprints!"
Indeed, trailing behind us I could only see my own footprints in the dirt track.
"That's incredible!" I exclaimed.
I looked over to Malkarov as we got closer to the kobold's hill, wondering when he was going to halt the group. He did moments later, stopping and holding up his hand with his fingers together to indicate 'stop'. The group of townsfolk slowly made their way up to us. They spread out in a semi circle around us. It was a wide assortment of ages, ranging from seventeen year old apprentice clayworker Wil Craddock to his fifty-five year old farmer grandfather Tarvid Dorrigan.
"We are almost at the clearing," Malkarov explained, "ahead is the hill with a cave entrance on this side. I'll make myself invisible and go to investigate then I'll return here and let everyone know what I've seen."
I felt Malkarov cast his Invisibility spell and he disappeared from in front of us. Some of the townsfolk (Wil especially) reacted with shock, one of them even made a warding sign that was definitely not taught by Father Mattias. I waited patiently, unconcerned by the forest denizens and comfortable in my knowledge that there wouldn't be any kobolds nearby to ambush us. Many of the townsfolk turned around to look out into the forest, weapons ready as they were nervous and jumped at every sound. Eventually I heard an out of place noise, the click of a twig snapping or a branch rubbed against. I looked straight at the path ahead where the noise came from but could not determine it's source. I frowned and cast See Invisibility and Malkarov suddenly appeared right where I was looking, he was studying me thoughtfully and I immediately knew his suspicions. I cocked my head, looked at him in the eyes and he realised that I knew he was there.
I didn't dispel See Invisibility, but I could tell when he dispelled his Invisibility from the gasps of surprise behind me. Shuffling behind indicated that everybody had moved back into a huddle again but I watched Malkarov as he strode towards us, his eyes boring into mine.
"It looks like the kobolds might have rebelled against their leader," he said once he came up next to me and I turned around to face everyone, "a large kobold with more intricate markings than the usual ones is lying dead in front of the cave. The entire tribe of kobolds appear to have gone."
Most of the townsfolk were elated at the noise, but one or two of them seemed a little disappointed. Perhaps they were looking forward to revenge against those who had attacked them? We all strode out into the clearing that contained the kobold's hill, the townsfolk a lot less jumpy knowing that there were no kobolds nearby.
I was surprised that there was only one body and I wondered what happened to the other kobold. As much as it made me suspicious, I discounted it as good luck that a bear or some such must have come across an easy meal.
Malkarov and I stood out the front of the cave (coincidentally right at the spot I was standing last night when confronting the kobolds), some of the townspeople entered the cave to explore but it didn't interest me.
"If the kobolds have moved closer towards some of our towns, I shall have to notify the Baroness," Malkarov said to me.
"I think I saw some tracks leading southwards," I replied helpfully, "I daresay they will be way up in the mountains by now."
"Hmmmm," he mused, "tracks you say?"
"Yes," I answered, "it looks like the whole tribe packed up and walked that way," I said, pointing towards the path they used to flee.
"Well, that is good news," Malkarov said woodenly and I got the distinct impression that if a third person were nearby, they would see us both as untalented actors in a badly written play. I actually giggled a little out loud and Malkarov rolled his eyes at me.
"I would be very interested to know what happened here last night," he said, "perhaps we could puzzle out possibilities when we get back to the tower?"
"They went this way!" Came a shout from our right and we both turned to see Master Jorganshard pointing excitedly off towards the south, down the path the kobolds had fled.
People came out of the hill cave, Wil Craddock especially looked a bit dirty with mussed hair as if he had been crawling into a tight dirty space.
"Come on, let's follow them!" Master Jorganshard shouted, "Let's chase them down!"
Some looked to take him up on his encouragement, moving forward to join him.
"No!" Commanded Malkarov loudly, "they have fled! Late last night, mostly likely, and it is doubtful they will be back. Easthaven is safe, they will not bother us again. We should head back to town and inform the Mayor."
Master Jorganshard strode up angrily, shaking his mattock, "but we know which way they went! We can get them! We can make them pay!"
"You can go," Malkarov said, "I cannot stop you. But as for me; I am under command to make the town safe and safe it is... From this threat at least. I will do no more without command by the Mayor."
Master Jorganshard let out a frustrated roar, his face screwed up in fury and swung around to stomp back the way we came. Those townsfolk who had stepped forward to follow him nervously looked around and shuffled back to join the others who had stepped out of the cave.
"Well now everyone," Malkarov said a bit more calmly, "perhaps it's a good time to get back to our horses and back to Easthaven. We should be able to make it in time for Father Mattias' sermon, which I do not doubt will be a very apt one indeed."
As we slowly made our way back to the path to Shard's clearing we heard a scream of anger and fear from ahead. I ran towards it, heedless of Malkarov's presence or ensuring that the townspeople followed. The scene that greeted me when I burst through a copse into a grassy glade was a bit of a surprise. Master Jorganshard was on his knees, clutching a bleeding arm close to his chest, mattock forgotten on the grass nearby. Next to the weapon was the body of a giant warg, it's head caved in. Four other wargs were spread out in front of him, all growling and one with bloodied teeth. Their growls ended simultaneously with my arrival in front of them and their terrifying sounds turned into terrified sounds. With pained yowls and widened eyes they turned tail and fled as fast as they could into the forest.
I ran up to Master Jorganshard even as Malkarov burst through behind me.
He took a look at the sight before him and ran up to Master Jorganshard, withdrawing a strip of cloth from a pocket of his robe. He quickly and efficiently wrapped it around the wound. From another pocket, he withdrew a potion bottle which he held to Master Jorganshard's lips.
"Drink," he ordered, and Master Jorganshard drank. Instantly he relaxed and the pained look disappeared from his face to be replaced by one of wonderment.
"What was that?" he asked.
"Sister Tera gave me a potion of healing before we left," Malkarov told him, "she didn't wish to come herself, but could not in good conscience leave everyone without assistance."
"What happened here?" he asked me.
Before I could come up with a reasonable explanation, Master Jorganshard spoke up, "I came in here to let out my frustrations, but I surprised a group of five wargs. I managed to kill one of them but one of the others bit me on the arm. I punched it in the head and it let go, but they were ready to close in for the kill. Just then, Sharein burst through behind me and used her magic to scare them all off!"
The townsfolk that had followed Malkarov heard Master Jorganshard's story and all murmured appreciatively.
"Well now!" Malkarov said, "Good work Apprentice Sharein! It's good to hear you using the magic that I'm teaching you for the benefit of the community!" The exaggeration he placed on the words left no doubt in my mind that he, unlike the townspeople, did not entirely believe the farmer's story. With no wonder! What sort of spell had Malkarov taught me that could possibly have made four wargs run away from me in fear with their tails between their legs?
