Chapter 1: Nightstone

Nestor lays back, his heart easier knowing that you are going after the children. You and the old man have grown close over the last few months, so leaving him behind in pain is difficult, but you both know the children need you more.

You run along the path and soon begin to hear sounds ahead that are unfamiliar in the forest...the thud of booted feet and the whimpering of children.

The sound of booted feet stop at your words, and you hear a warbling teenage voice call out, "Chanler, no, run! They'll kill..." before being suddenly silenced.

You hear some muttering and then a coarse voice replies in broken Common, "You yell, we kill tall ones. Take small tasty ones. Run away. Maybe kill you!"

Chanler steps forward through the forest, his torchlight casting dancing shadows on the trees, until it illuminates the sickly complexion of a small but heavily muscled man. He sneers at Chanler until the magic of the bard's words transforms his expression and he repeats, "We should let them go."

Just behind him, Chanler can see the group of terrified children, surrounded by 5 other green men. Goblins, the bard realizes; though he has never seen them before, they are unmistakably a match for descriptions he has heard many time. The other goblins begin shouting at their ensorcelled leader, who responds by yelling and shaking his sword at them. They subside into disappointed grumbles. One asks a question pleadingly while holding a small halfling girl by the arm, but the leader cuffs him and pushes him off along the path. The other goblins seem enormously confused, but the leader gives Chanler a nod as they disappear into the gloom.

The children crowd around, and one of the teenagers takes the torch so that Chanler can more easily carry the child. Another ushers the children into a group, with the smallest in the centre, as they make their way back along the path. Before long, another torch can be seen bobbing through the trees ahead.

You hear cries of joy and relief as the three adults run into view, the fathers grabbing up their children and hugging them desperately close. All of the children begin crying again and the careful order is shattered as they mill about.

Morak nods to you, "Well done, lad. Don't know how you did it, but well done." He peer around into the inky forest, "But we're not out of the woods yet."

Morak rumbles, "He's not with you?" The children begin to cry.