FC0 - CH 1: Goblin Raid

[JadedDM]

"Damn it," Lindsay says. "This isn't working. Go, get your mother. Hurry!" he commands. "There isn't much time left!"

[HorizonsDream]

Tavi stands and runs out of the barn to get her mother. "Mom! Quick!" she calls out to her, completely out of breath. "Renegade is having trouble and I can't calm her!"

[JadedDM]

Aubrey quickly whips off her oven mitts and apron, and hurries after Tavi to the barn. By the time they arrive, though, Lindsay is walking away, shaking his head. He pulls off the gloves and throws them to the ground. "Too late," he says. "We've lost them both." Without another word, he walks right by them and heads outside.

Visibly upset at not only losing the foul, but their only mare, too, Aubrey goes after him. Tavi is left on her own.

[HorizonsDream]

Tavi watches as her mother and father walk off, leaving her behind. She just stands there for a moment in stunned silence. For a moment there, things were starting to look up, and suddenly everything came crashing down. This new baby was suppose to be a blessing to the family! Turning she walks out of the barn just so she can lean up against the wall, wiping at her eyes as tears start to form. "It's not fair," she mutters softly to herself. "Just one good thing, that is all I ask."

After letting go of a few tears, Tavi starts walking back inside the house. Her head is bowed as she steps inside. She did the best that she could, and she failed.

[JadedDM]

The rest of the day passes sullenly, but without incident.

Aubrey returns to the house after awhile and makes sure the girls finish all of their chores. But their father does not make an appearance until that evening. The girls aren't sure where he was or what he was doing, but when any of them asked their mother, all she would say is that he 'needed time.'

Dinner lacked all of the cheer and mischief of lunch, as everyone simply ate slowly and said nothing. There was nothing to say. Without the mare, the ranch was more or less doomed. Nobody could bring themselves to put it into words, largely because there was no point. They all knew it. There was nothing that could be done.

Soon, it was night. Physically and emotionally drained, Tavi's grandmother, sisters, and mother went to bed. Only she and Lindsay were left up to make sure the barn was locked and the animals were all corralled up. Renegade was left where she was for now. Lindsay would dispose of the body the following day, most likely. He had not said a word since Renegade died, though and seemed to have an empty, far-away look to him while he worked.

[HorizonsDream]

"Are you okay?" Tavi asks softly as she helps close the door to the barn. She knew the answer was no, but she needed to ask anyway. This man was her father after all! "I...I really tried my best. I'm sorry," she added, taking this up as if it was all her fault because she couldn't calm the horse.

[JadedDM]

Lindsay looks at her with no recognition at all, blinks, and seems to snap out of it. "Huh? Oh...uh, yeah, I'm fine, Sweet Pea. And it wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault. Sometimes these things just happen. The Arbiter always tests us, tests our faith. We have to make sure we keep faith that things will work out in the end. All right?" he asks, putting a hand on her shoulder.

[HorizonsDream]

"...All right," Tavi says. There was no way she was going to admit that her faith in the Arbiter was fading. What had He ever done for them? It was hardship upon hardship, and it never seemed to end. "Hey, I'll finish up here, okay. We just have to lock this up anyway, so why don't you get some sleep?" she says with a small smile.

[JadedDM]

Lindsay nods absently. He kisses her on the forehead again, then heads off to bed, leaving her alone.

Tavi had been right. Today had been different. Just not in the way she had hoped.

[HorizonsDream]

Once Lindsey is inside, Tavi quietly opens up the barn door and walks inside. She knew that her family was doomed at this point without their mare, and something needed to be done. Tavi also knew that she was probably the only one in the family that had the courage to do something about it. She didn't know what exactly 'it' was, but she was going to do it.

Quickly, she grabbed all of her father's old gear, including his shield with his family crest upon it (a black horse with wings on a white background), and walked out of the barn. Like she promised, she locked it up.

Walking back to the house, she placed all of the gear outside near the door. Walking inside quietly, she quickly gathers up an old backpack, only to find twelve gold pieces inside. Thoughtfully, she pockets two of the gold pieces, and places the rest upon the table for the family.

Finally, after gathering food, her wineskin (which she fills with water), she steps back outside to gather her weapons and armor. She puts on the armor as quietly as possible, grabs the lantern from the barn, and then leaves the ranch without even looking back. "Sturnheim, here I come," she says to herself.

[JadedDM]

Tavi set out on foot, the lantern and the scant moonlight the only light she can see by. She knew that just to the south of the ranch was the Sturnheim road. Presumably, if she follows it, it will take her to Sturnheim to the east.

She doesn't get too far, however, before she hears some noise up ahead in the brush. There's an audible crack, like something stepping on a dry branch. Then she hears someone say, "Shhhh!" and a smacking noise, as if someone had been struck. A moment later, there is another smack. Then the grunting of two people rolling around, wrestling. Whoever they are, they are certainly not being stealthy anymore.

[HorizonsDream]

Tavi takes a couple of steps back upon hearing the noises. She took the time to place her hand upon her long sword, just in case, but it didn't seem like whoever was there was too concerned with her now. Stepping up closer to where she hears the grunting, she peaks over the brush to get a glance as to what is going on.

[JadedDM]

Peeking over the brush, Tavi shines the light of the lantern in that direction. There are two short men with red skin, pointed ears, and squashed faces on the ground, wrestling with each other. Tavi has never seen one alive before, but once after a raid, she sneaked out of her room and found one of their corpses that Lindsay had killed. These were goblins.

The goblins were wearing leather armor and carrying small maces on their belts. Their shields had been dropped nearby when they started fighting. At the bright light (especially bright to a goblin's eyes) shining at them, the two goblins froze like deer in surprise. One even had his fist raised to punch his companion, but it just hovered in mid-air as it blinked wildly at the lantern's light.

===========================

Surprise Roll (1d10): 4, and a -1 because the goblins are horsing around and not paying attention, so success. The goblins are surprised.

[HorizonsDream]

"Goblins," Tavi hisses as she pulls her sword out to point it at the two of them. She didn't know if she was a match for two goblins or not, but that didn't stop her from acting brave. "...Goblins that might be able to help me, providing they wish to survive the night," she says.

[JadedDM]

If the goblins can even understand Common, they don't seem the least bit intimidated by Tavi's words. Instead, they both scramble to pull out their maces and go pick up their shields while gibbering to each other in their own language rapidly.

============================

Party's Initiative (1d10): 2
Enemy's Initiative (1d10): 6

(Party wins!)

._.t._._._._._._._._.
._._._.O._._._._.b._.
._._._.b.b._._._._._.
._._._._._._._.t._._.
.b._._.1.2._._._._._.
._._._._._._.b._._._.

O - Octavia
1 - Goblin 01
2 - Goblin 02
b - Bush
T - Tree