As Anneleigh approached the camp at the
Narrowing Trail Waykeeper Sera came running down the road to greet her.
“Did you find Darion alive? I have been anxious for news since the moment
you left.”
Anneleigh nodded. “He was too weak to make
the trip with me, but I assured him you would not let him die once you learned
where to find him.”
A huge smile broke out over Sera’s
face. “I had given up any hope of
finding him when he didn’t return. I’ll
organize a rescue party for him immediately. “
Waykeeper Sharla, too, had noticed
Anneleigh’s return and joined the small group.
“Without the power of their venom,” Sara
continued, “these goblins should be no match for the Waykeepers.”
It was now Anneleigh’s turn to smile; she
loved being the bearer of good news.
“It is even better than that! Almost all of the goblins who were down in The
Deeps died together in that explosion. Some
may have survived, but using Darion’s knowledge of their mistrust, I was able
to knock out a good handful, including three of their leaders. You will have very little opposition when you
travel that road now.”
“I have never seen such a blast!” Sharla
said. “The Vigil be praised! That explosion echoed through the catacombs
of The Deeps. No doubt, we have struck
fear into the hearts of those who remain.”
When Sera left to prepare the rescue party,
Sharla led Anneleigh to the fire to warm and dry while she recounted the full
chain of events.
“The Vigil was right to send you! You’ve crushed the goblins’ morale and they
are running scared! I can handle things
from here, but you should report to Furtho Dragomir in Gloamwood Pines. He’ll want a word with the one responsible
for exterminating the goblins.”
Anneleigh rose and gave Sharla a warm
hug. “Be safe. Even though many of the goblins were destroyed,
few remained after the blast. I do not
know if they will regroup their forces.
At the very least, you now know what they require to create their
venom. That may make all the difference.”
The news of her defeat of the goblins in
The Deeps spread fast. When Anneleigh
returned to Gloamwood Pines she was not greeted with the same taunts and stares
she had met on her first visit. Dragomir's home was perched atop one of the highest trees in Gloamwood Pines. Anneleigh looked up at it from the ground and
was surprised to see it stretched even higher than the low cloud level that
blanketed the village. She began to
climb the winding staircase. It wrapped
itself around the trunk of the tree, spiralling so tightly that Anneleigh began
to feel dizzy. She held the sturdy
railing and put her head between her knees, having used this trick in the past. Instead of relief, she felt her uneasiness grow
as she saw the ground far below through the slats on the ramp. She took a deep steadying breath and looked
skyward. Although she could only see the
ramp directly above here, the overhanging foliage of the tree was very
near. She knew she must be near the top.
When at last she reached the end of the
ramp and found a small, level landing she was surprised to see she was not
alone. On the platform stood a very
formally dressed man being fussed over by two eagerly nodding servants.
The man nodded at the two servants and
shooed them away. “So, this is the
legendary Rogue, Anneleigh? I’ve already
heard a hundred different tales of how you filed the goblin plot. But it is not the means that are important,
it’s the ends. With the goblins on the
run, the people of gloamwood can breathe easier.”
Anneleigh smiled. Something about this man wasn’t right, but
she could not put her finger on it.
“Your deeds call for a celebration, my
friend. It has been too long since we
had cause to celebrate.”
He walked to the edge of the platform with
a small bell. “All of Gloamwood should
know there are still heroes standing against the darkness.” He rang the bell and stepped back to allow
her center stage. As Anneleigh stepped
forward spectacular fireworks shot up from the ground. Because of her height, the fireworks seemed
to bloom directly at eye level. From
this platform she was able to look out over the whole of Gloamwood pines.
“Enjoy this time, Anneleigh. The people of Gloamwood Pines are in your
debt. With the goblin plot filed, my
people know a sense of clam they have not had before you arrived.”
Anneleigh smiled but was still unsure. “Who
are you?” She asked with caution.
“OH! By the Vigil, I forgot, we have not
been introduced. I am Furtho Dragomir,
Mayor of Gloamwood Pines. Gloamwood
Pines was once the jewel of the wood, but now it serves as a long refuge from
the horrors that assault us each day. My
people are distrustful of outsiders and believe your presence worsens the rifts
that plague our forest. It may be
superstition, but regardless, the more strangers that enter this town, the more
trouble seems to appear. And as I’ve
told Sanctum, I will not have them use my town as a base for their military
operations. I will not provoke the
goblins into a full scale attack on our citizens simply so they can wage war.”
Anneleigh nodded and forced her smile to
remain constant. She drew her attention
back to the fireworks to allow herself a moment to think. She now realized what about the Mayor stuck
her as strange. In one breath he referred to the horror of
Gloamwood, the curse she had heard about, and the goblins. Yet she knew, deep in her heart, the goblins
were not responsible for the curse.
They, like the Goblins of Silverwood, only attempted their own, separate,
plot alongside an even larger distraction.
A Mayor who is so concerned with a possible war with the goblins must
surely have realized they are not, or rather were not, the greater threat.
The fireworks faded and Anneleigh returned
her attention to Mayor Dragomir.
“Take these precious moments, Anneleigh,
and hold them close. They come seldom
and far between. Again, all of Gloamwood
thanks you for your service here. Allow
me to express the gratitude of all the citizens of Gloamwood Pines. Speak to our sheriff to see if there is
anything you might need from our armory.
Consider this our humble effort to contribute to our own defense through
your actions.”
Anneleigh shook the Mayor’s outstretched
hand and had the overwhelming feeling of being dismissed. She left the Mayor’s company even more
confused than she was before. Why does
the Mayor seem so ready to believe the end of the goblin threat will also mean
an end to the Gloamwood curse. Although
she had no firm idea on where to begin searching, she felt a determination growing
and knew she would root out the mystery before she left Gloamwood.
The winding pathway was not nearly as hard
to manage on the decent. When she
finally reached the bottom she remembered she had one last stop to make in
Gloamwood Pines before she could continue on her journey. She made her way to the apothecary on the
outskirts of town and knocked on the door.
“Gwyddon,” Anneleigh asked, “have you ever
heard of a forest protector named Laria?”
Gwyddon nodded. “Were you able to speak with her? “
“I was, but she was weak. She told me she would seek me out again when
she grew stronger.”
Gwyddon smiled. “She may have devined the future. We have discovered another Forest Alter near
the Guardian encampment in Tearfal Run.
It could be another way of communicating with Laria, or maybe her
sister, Delilath. Perhaps the Vigil
would bless your presence at this alter as they did at the last.”
“It seems today anything is possible.”
Anneleigh said.
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