Golinar frowned. "I thank ye fer your advice, my good guard. I used ta travel the road up and down to Silverymoon all the time, back when I was coming these ways a lot. But that was a year ago, or more. Conditions must have deteriorated."
Indeed they must have since last he was here. He wondered where his companions from that time had gone. How much trouble they might possibly have gotten themselves into was anyone's guess. However, now it was time to go to Silverymoon and their libraries, goblins or no.
"Well master dwarf, you'd better hurry if you don't want to walk in the dark. Silverymoon is many hours away, and the sun is westering." The guard spit out her straw and glanced toward the eastern hills.
"Aye, yer right. I dinnae mind a jaunt in tha dark, and a few goblins have ne'er stood between me and where'er I was headed. But I dinnae wish ta find the inns closed ta me, and no ale ta wash the dust down. A good day ta ye". Golinar turned down the road and left High Hold.
And of course there were goblins. The path had run on along the river, at first under the shadow of the Moonwood, which gradually gave way to rocky outcroppings and gulleys. Among these the shadows deepened as the sun gradually sank. Chirping birds echoed fow a while along the road, and then fell silent. Golinar was deep in thought when he heard grating, squeaky voices, recognisably goblin, nearby. He stopped and peered ahead. Two figures where darting in and out among bolders about fifty yards down the road. It seemed to him that they were arguing.
"Bah, they're too busy setting up an ambush to notice their prey", he thought to himself. He crouched and moved behind a rock to better scan the situation. There were no others to be seen. "Now maybe we'll see how the hunters like becoming the hunted." He readied his sling.
The first shot missed and whistled past one of the goblins. They both immediately froze and stared down the road. The second shot struck home, and the goblin yelped. The other one pointed at Golinar. With a cry they rushed toward him. There was no more time for sling shot. Golinar drew his axe and readied his shield. He stepped out and stood broad legged in the road.
"Come on and get it, ye goblin dogs!" he cried in dwarven. They were on him in an instant. With great swings of his axe he kept them at bay as they tried to circle him. As he shoved one with his shield, he swung round and caught the other one squarely in the chest. The goblin toppled to the ground. As he recovered his stance, the other one stabbed his thigh. The tip forced the mail apart and sank in deep. The pain was searing. Golinar jerked back and took up a defensive stance. The goblin yelled and leaped at him. The scuffle went on for a few minutes, but finally Golinar's axe split the goblin's skull and sent him rolling in the dust.
Golinar stood a while panting, leaning on his axe. Then he felt the blood warming his left legging. He unslung his backpack and rummaged for some bandages, and sitting on a stone he bandaged the leg wound.
"Two goblins will nae stand between me, ale and a good book."
Some hours later a gold dwarf was seen limping into Silverymoon.
