Getting everything ready for the journey actually went rather smoothly, to my surprise. Though, I suppose I shouldn't have been; If Lagdon was anything, it was efficient. The prince had bags packed, rohgek saddled, and people assembled by early the next morning. He had insisted that Draxly and Brillum accompany us on the journey, as well as several other men, mostly goblins. Indeed, it was rather impressive that the two foxie males managed to impress Lagdon enough that he viewed them as two of his best men. Though as reliable and true as any of my people, it was just a fact that the hobgoblins and the goblane were natural on the battle field, while the foxes were far more agile than tank like.
I thought the number of guards were a bit over kill but did not protest. After all, it made Lagdon feel better about all this, and it also meant a lot more muscle if it came down to us having to relocate the kobolds. So it was a win win. Besides, I am sure that Lagdon's cautiousness will be needed more than once over his life time of looking out for me. I was a bit of a handful after all.
With us was just one kobold, the leader. The others were exhausted and in all honesty, pretty useless in a fight and not very good with manual labor either. I had them set up with lodging in the estate and the leader agreed to take us to his village and to introduce us to his leaders. I thought he could do with a good rest as well, but we really did need him in order to have a smooth entry into the kobold village. other wise they would just see it as an invasion of goblins aided by the foxes, and the last thing i wanted was for the kobolds to be put under anymore duress.
And so our procession of about fifteen or twenty people set off for our mission. My people would not let me disappear, however, and it ended up being some huge send off; like I was a queen about to journey to another kingdom to greet another royal. It was embarrassing, but it did feel good, knowing that my people worried and wished the best for me.
Nord gave Lagdon's rohgek a finale pat and wished us safe travels, adding that Lagdon had better keep me safe. I rolled my eyes and bade that he be sure to keep everyone in the estate safe, which made him chuckle, but agree all the same. Between him and the ever dedicated Trixie, I was sure my home was left in good hands. With any luck I would be back home in less than a month, back to organizing books and listening to they prayers of my people.
Our trip to the kobold village would likely take about a week to do. We were a large group and even though the rohgek were reliable mounts, they were better climbing mountains rather than going cross country. Either way, it was at least as far from my estate as Gurten was, and we had to circle around Lake Silver (Apparently named after my hair when i got irritated that so many places did not have names around here. I really should have known better than to let the monster's name things. Still, taken out of context it was a pretty name so i just agreed with it.) on top of it all as well. Maybe, one day, we would get some boats for the lake, but none of the monsters I currently knew were exactly knowledgeable in boat making.
So I prepared myself for an uncomfortable week in the saddle and sleeping in the dirt. The dirt I actually didn't mind so much, as it was like camping and before coming to this world I never went before. But, just like the rohgek were not meant for long distance travel, neither was I. At least not long distances in the saddle of an awkwardly loping, stiff backed and spine covered dog/pig. Maybe a real horse would have been more comfortable, I had no clue.
We travelled along the lake in a semi beaten down path that was, at least, a little better than a game trail, while the kobold leader- Who I learned was called Sill, and was a promising young man in the kobold village- told me more about his village and the horror they now faced.
According to Shill, before the Specter appeared some time in the last few years, the village had been quiet and relatively peaceful considering it sat right on the border of the Dark. They had a few run ins with the strange monsters there but, really, most of them avoided exiting the forest at all costs. What the kobolds mostly worried about was being discovered by Aeros or one of the many intelligent monsters that had pledged themselves to him. To be discovered would have meant extermination after all. But the kobolds were lucky, not only did they make their town next to a forest that most avoided, but they also lived rather close to the Barsole border. If monsters were going to keep away from any where, it would be those two places.
I rather thought the fact that Aeros had pulled away from his duties and left most of his people to fend for themselves, also played a big part in them staying hidden. Most of the monsters had their hands full just surviving day by day, and none had the urge nor motivation to go hunting down kobolds. Apparently they didn't get much weaker and non-threatening than a kobold. Even humans posed more of a threat then a village of the small, dog faced people.
Shill took a while to open up, no doubt still afraid of myself and the others. I could understand that. I may have gotten a little desensitized to being surrounded by what would be considered higher tiered monsters like the foxes and goblins, but it was all very intimidating to the kobold. But once I started to convince him to talk he was a fountain of information. Most of it was not very critical, but it did make me smile to hear about the simple lives of the kobolds. In fact, despite the way the kobolds looked, the way Shill described his village, it reminded me of human life. He spoke of the dramas amongst the families and about food shortages, and even money problems.
Money hadn't really been anything that crossed my mind in the last few months. I asked Nord about the goblins trades and their trading partners once, and he said that they worked with bartering more than any kind of money. Though some times precious metals were exchanged, but very rarely, especially during these more difficult times when a good crop was more valuable than a bar of gold. Apparently, money was more of a human concept, and something a few of the demi-humans delt with it too.
As we neared the kobold village I felt myself suppressing a smile. My body was sore, I was more than tired of endless travel, and I found myself realizing just how spoiled I was by the estate cooks (not that the goblins and foxes had great talent in the culinary arts, but it was still much better than trail tack and unseasoned rabbit meat.) but I still managed to find amusement in the form of my three main guards. Poor Lagdon, Draxly and Brillum were currently at the front of our rohgek pack with the very diminutive Shill -riding in front of Brillum in his saddle by the way- had full come out of his shell and was positively chatting the men's ears off.
I was seated with Lagdon and saw his grey skinned hands positively strangling the reigns. Draxly had his eyes focused forward, black ears pinning back, glaring at every tree like he pictured it falling on the kobold, cutting off any further prattling about how Miss So-and-so was think of marrying into Mister Not-so-rich's family and the whole village was in an uproar about it. And Brillum? Oh, my poor red fox friend! His face was turned up to the clouds, pinched in soul crushing pain, eyes squeezed shut, while the oblivious kobold sat calmy before the Foxie. I could tell he was setting up a prayer, perhaps forgetting in his despair, that the land god who received those prayers was seated less than fifteen feet from him. I could feel the buzz of his desperation in my very soul.
Well, it was a duty of mine to do what I could in answer to my people's prayers. At least I thought it was. And so I decided to take pity on the foxie, and directed the kobold to more serious matters.
"Shill, just double checking, but are you sure that- if it does prove necessary- that the mayor will approve the evacuation?" I asked.
The kobold turned his pale face my way and he nodded. Behind him I saw Brillum's shoulders slump in relief, his eyes opening and he mouthed 'thank you.' to the sky. I saw as he realized what he had been doing, and he cringed before shooting me a sheepish and embarrassed glance. I tried not to laugh.
"No, Lady Enna." Said the kobold with his reedy voice. "I don't perceive any issues in that regard. Some of the older kobold may complain, but they will leave. Temporary displacement is better than death, after all. Besides, Your offer is enormously generous. It is an honor to be hosted by our land god!"
"Well, I don't know about that... but I would like to have a look at this 'Dark' as swiftly as possible when we arrive. I have already been sensing some unease around the lands here, I am sure if I can get a bit nearer I may be able to get a clearer read on what this Specter is..."
Over the last two day I had been able to sense the large forest that scared so many. I was sure that once I got better at this job I would be able to keep a better eye on all my lands, but for now I could only properly sense about a two day ride from my own body. I was able to get a sense of farther places, with practice, through my connection to the foxes and goblins, but it was still rather vague and I defiantly got better reports from the visitors to the estate.
As it was now, I could clearly sense the weighted presence of the Dark as we were very, very close. It was kind of like a looming storm cloud drawing ever nearer. It was not a negative feeling, but it was one that made me nervous. But what I did not like was what I could sense -just barely- from within the Dark. I could only assume the thick, oily, and dese sensation was that of the Specter, or at least a disturbance in the natural flow of the area. I hoped that If i could get just a little closer, preferably withing the Dark it self, I could get a better read on it. the storm cloud that was the Dark was like a dampening buffer, muddling my senses from this side of the tree line.
I heard Lagdon grunt, unhappily, behind me and I rolled my eyes. "I didn't say I wanted to go spelunking." I sighed, patting the man's much larger, four fingered hand, reassuringly. "And you and the others can come, just to be safe. I don't need to go in deep, just a few feet will probably do."
"Probably..." I heard the hobgoblin grunt under his breath, disbelieving. I was some where between amused and irritated by the prince's attitude. He clearly thought I was overly reckless. Though I couldn't see how.