might be. He did not have to wait long.
Alex saw the first goblin warrior approaching stealthily. He stood his ground. Suddenly, the goblin spotted Alex and shouted something to his fellow goblins. Stealth was abandoned as the goblins surged forward. Alex scanned the charging goblins looking for any that might be archers. As long as no arrows were about to fly towards him, Alex stood in the center of the clearing and waited for them to get closer.
“Drop the shield,” Alex said softly to Jenneva.
Jenneva immediately complied. When the first goblin reached the edge of the clearing, Alex let fly his first Lanoirian Star. It caught the grotesque goblin in the center of his head. The goblin’s momentum carried him to within several paces of Alex before crashing to the ground. Alex ignored the first goblin as soon as he had thrown his Lanoirian Star. He stood calmly and dispatched two more Lanoirian Stars as the rest of the goblins entered the clearing.
The goblins, seeing only one adversary, charged recklessly. The goblin bodies fell quickly as Tanya and Arik began throwing Lanoirian Stars as well. When nine goblin bodies littered the floor of the clearing, the goblins realized that they were facing more than one opponent. Confusion and fear gripped the goblins as they frantically searched for the other humans. Half of the remaining goblins surged forward, and half decided to retreat. The Rangers grabbed their swords.
Alex, Tanya, and Arik converged on the goblins. Prince Midge soared down out of the trees and darted before the goblins’ faces as they approached the Rangers. The close flying creature temporarily distracted the goblins, and the Rangers used that to their advantage, their long swords reaching out to thin the ranks of the attackers. Distant screams drifted eerily through the trees as the unicorns tore into the retreating goblins. In moments, it was all over.
“Get a body count, Tanya,” ordered Alex. “Darok, go with her. Jenneva, pack up the campsite. We are moving out right away. Arik, help me ensure that they are all dead. Retrieve our stars as well. I think we will be needing all that we can get on this trip.”
“That was a dangerous maneuver, Midge,” admonished Arik.
“It was helpful,” shrugged the tiny fairy. “It is not as if my tiny sword would do the goblins any harm, and they were moving too fast for my sleep spell to help. Besides, they could not swing their swords so close to their own faces. What harm could they do to me?”
“How about swallowing you?” suggested Arik. “They did have their mouths wide open.”
Prince Midge’s green body paled noticeably as he pictured getting swallowed by a goblin. “I will come up with a better plan next time,” promised the fairy prince. “I wish you had not mentioned that possibility, though. Fairies have very vivid imaginations. I shall have nightmares tonight for sure.”
“Imagine how the poor goblin would feel,” chuckled Alex as he retrieved some Lanoirian Stars. “I sure wouldn’t want Prince Midge inside me with a sword.”
“Especially if your skin was the only thing between him and his Bringer,” giggled Jenneva.
Prince Midge grinned at the merriment as the unicorns returned to the campsite. Tanya and Darok were right behind them.
“It was a party of twenty,” Tanya reported. “It was a hunting party, but I do not know what game they were after.”
“It may have been game,” shrugged Alex, “or it may have been us that they were after. We will take no chances tonight. We will ride several hours further north and try to camp again.”
* * *
Mandal and Hortice watched as Bin-lu and Wylan sparred. When the match was over, Bin-lu and Wylan rejoined the rest of the gypsies who were driving the herd northward.
“You are both excellent fighters,” commented Mandal. “Do you practice every day?”
“We try to,” nodded Wylan. “Alex says that daily practice is necessary to keep your edge over the enemy. I
Alex saw the first goblin warrior approaching stealthily. He stood his ground. Suddenly, the goblin spotted Alex and shouted something to his fellow goblins. Stealth was abandoned as the goblins surged forward. Alex scanned the charging goblins looking for any that might be archers. As long as no arrows were about to fly towards him, Alex stood in the center of the clearing and waited for them to get closer.
“Drop the shield,” Alex said softly to Jenneva.
Jenneva immediately complied. When the first goblin reached the edge of the clearing, Alex let fly his first Lanoirian Star. It caught the grotesque goblin in the center of his head. The goblin’s momentum carried him to within several paces of Alex before crashing to the ground. Alex ignored the first goblin as soon as he had thrown his Lanoirian Star. He stood calmly and dispatched two more Lanoirian Stars as the rest of the goblins entered the clearing.
The goblins, seeing only one adversary, charged recklessly. The goblin bodies fell quickly as Tanya and Arik began throwing Lanoirian Stars as well. When nine goblin bodies littered the floor of the clearing, the goblins realized that they were facing more than one opponent. Confusion and fear gripped the goblins as they frantically searched for the other humans. Half of the remaining goblins surged forward, and half decided to retreat. The Rangers grabbed their swords.
Alex, Tanya, and Arik converged on the goblins. Prince Midge soared down out of the trees and darted before the goblins’ faces as they approached the Rangers. The close flying creature temporarily distracted the goblins, and the Rangers used that to their advantage, their long swords reaching out to thin the ranks of the attackers. Distant screams drifted eerily through the trees as the unicorns tore into the retreating goblins. In moments, it was all over.
“Get a body count, Tanya,” ordered Alex. “Darok, go with her. Jenneva, pack up the campsite. We are moving out right away. Arik, help me ensure that they are all dead. Retrieve our stars as well. I think we will be needing all that we can get on this trip.”
“That was a dangerous maneuver, Midge,” admonished Arik.
“It was helpful,” shrugged the tiny fairy. “It is not as if my tiny sword would do the goblins any harm, and they were moving too fast for my sleep spell to help. Besides, they could not swing their swords so close to their own faces. What harm could they do to me?”
“How about swallowing you?” suggested Arik. “They did have their mouths wide open.”
Prince Midge’s green body paled noticeably as he pictured getting swallowed by a goblin. “I will come up with a better plan next time,” promised the fairy prince. “I wish you had not mentioned that possibility, though. Fairies have very vivid imaginations. I shall have nightmares tonight for sure.”
“Imagine how the poor goblin would feel,” chuckled Alex as he retrieved some Lanoirian Stars. “I sure wouldn’t want Prince Midge inside me with a sword.”
“Especially if your skin was the only thing between him and his Bringer,” giggled Jenneva.
Prince Midge grinned at the merriment as the unicorns returned to the campsite. Tanya and Darok were right behind them.
“It was a party of twenty,” Tanya reported. “It was a hunting party, but I do not know what game they were after.”
“It may have been game,” shrugged Alex, “or it may have been us that they were after. We will take no chances tonight. We will ride several hours further north and try to camp again.”
* * *
Mandal and Hortice watched as Bin-lu and Wylan sparred. When the match was over, Bin-lu and Wylan rejoined the rest of the gypsies who were driving the herd northward.
“You are both excellent fighters,” commented Mandal. “Do you practice every day?”
“We try to,” nodded Wylan. “Alex says that daily practice is necessary to keep your edge over the enemy. I
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