Goblin Lands

To accomplish Shiro's goal of reaching the Giant's knee Mountain range by going through the Holy Kingdom required some… Creative trail work.

Getting to the mountains that served as the Goblin homeland as well as a buffer between the Holy Kingdom and Deepwoods was the easy part by winged beast. After that they would access the Goblin trade route through the village of Mountain's reach.

'Though' Shiro thought to herself as she gazed up the goat track that clung to the mountainside, 'Trade route is a very generous designation."

She turned to Ezma who was checking the straps on their luggage goat, a creature the size of a pony, and asked "Remind me again why there are not dwarves in this mountain range?"

Ezma chuckled, having expected that question at the first sight of the trail, before responding "This mountain range is simply to young for their tastes. The Giant's Knee is reported by their lore keepers to be the only remaining section of the oldest range on this continent. Some of us younger races even speculate that it is not natural rock at all but the remains of one of the giants. Hence the name in our language."

Shiro considers that "What is the name in Dwarvish then?"

Ezma shakes her head "I would need a pipe organ to even begin to attempt the word in their tongue."

Shiro raises an eyebrow at that "Dwarvish voices are that deep?"

Ezma nods "Deeper even."

Aspen approaches the pair from where her, Willow and Hassium were consulting with the village leaders to administer through magical means last minute instructions to their domains. While they were proud of how well things had gone without them, all things considered, they could not help but mother hen a little since there would be no communication opportunities until they reached Dwarven lands.

"As we expected the Holy Kingdom is pressing harder than ever into the lands surrounding Dawnwall.' Aspen says grimly, 'which means we should be able to pass through without anything more than a border patrol."

With feeling more like herself lately and some coaching from Hassium, Shiro's empathetic magics and abilities had flourished to the point where she could read the emotional currents around her like breathing.

Shiro reached out and took Aspen's hand "And we get it easy because your kinsmen are fighting and dying.' She shakes her head sadly 'Not a very fair trade for anyone."

Aspen gives a wan smile of appreciation. That had been another thing that has changed, during one of the days where they could not travel due to a rain storm the group had got to talking and the Elves off handled mentioned a relationship practice that, while not common, had a long and respected tradition of helping manage having love shared among many.

Despite both Shiro and Ezma still hurting from Lily's absence they plied their friends with questions long into that night, drinking up the ideas and hopes.

"It really comes down to communication to the point that will feel like oversharing when it comes to emotions and no goes." Willow had advised.

As a bit of homework the Elves had assigned them to make notes about everything and the next time the party got the chance they would go through them together in a kinda of group project with Aspen and Willow playing referee.

In the mean time the Champions finished their business and were walking over to where their guide sat leaned up against his goat with a pipe streaming smoke. Scraggly white hair tufted on his head and his gridded blanket like garment was checked with reds and tans, a bow the size of him visible on the goat's saddle, a dagger like a spike peaking out of a sheath in the top of his high socks. In the hour or so Shiro and Ezma had been killing time, while Willow and Hassium had been busy, they had also seen a great cat fully the same size as the Goblin's ram mount wander up to him lounge a bit with him then disappear again.

With those who hired him approaching, the goblin roused himself and nudged the ram with the toe of his boot, the beast's shoulder coming just to Shiro's nose, as opposed to the pack goats that firmly matched her shoulder to shoulder.

"Aigt then lovies,' The goblin spoke in a thicker accent than any Shiro had heard in this world yet, 'This be no ween trip through the woods, so an I says 'jump' yea jump afore yea ken ow igh. Aye?" This last Shiro assumed was a question by tone at least and looked to the others for an answer while the Goblin emptied the contents of his pipe and stowed it.

Everyone nodded slowly and the Goblin beamed "Then I ken we be agoen." and he swung himself up on his goat before turning it towards the trail head in a soft canter.

Bemused, while also wondering where their riding goats were, the group fell in behind.

The morning sun was fine on their backs, the breeze was refreshing, and for those who did not mind the drop the view was fantastic. This break in the mountain range had clearly been ignored by the Holy Kingdom as a viable route into their lands due it being nothing more than a sheer drop below the plateau upon which sat Mountain's Reach. Making it thus impossible to climb up from below without great risk and only in small numbers.

Shiro frowned at the though, turning to Aspen who walked closest, "If the humans cannot not come up in force what prevents the armies of the Elves from descending like hawks upon rabbits?" She asked.

Aspen sighs then snatches a rock form the trail, hurling out past the ledge they traversed. For a few moments the rock sailed through the air as expected, before being yanked upward at tremendous speed quickly leaving sight. She gestures down the sheer rock face "The same steep angles that prevent climbing push the prevailing winds from the sea straight up here, anything that ventures to far past the edge is lost. As you can see." She gestures vaguely in the thrown rock's direction.

They continued along the trail, on average it spanned wide enough to accommodate two goats shoulder to shoulder. Around midday they came to a village, perched on a large ledge with only two obvious exits, where their guide insisted they stop for the night "Sure enow we could be gettin on a might further, but beggin ye pardon by me ken around yander wanning light ye feets be half down the tumble afore ye ken it yeself. So by ye leave we be stoppen now."

As they entered the village a startled shout arose as one of the denizens charged across the remainder of the trail between the group and the village.

Everyone tensed as the goblin threw itself at Ezma's feet.