Events+of+Zarantyr+9-10,+998YK

With the dawn attack by the Goblins and hobgoblins repulsed, the party took stock of their situation. Outnumbered, hurt and far from the nearest safe haven, they decided to evacuate the Murnie homestead and make best speed for New Cyre, through the snowy plains. Quickly, Faye brought Plow back from the brink of death, and the others did what healing and repairing they could, and they set off with Veldar's porter and one horse.

They hadn't gone more than a few miles before Draco and Corwin noticed they were being paced by Goblins riding Worgs. Finding a small thicket of bare trees on a small hill by a frozen-over stream, the party tried to make a stand. There were a total of seven raiders: four carrying crossbows like the ones taken from the previous battles, two wielding swords and the last a spellcaster and leader-type.

A couple of the party were slightly injured, and the two captives -- a Goblin from below the well and a Hobgoblin archer from the dawn attack -- tried to escape. Plow knocked the captive Goblin out, and the Hobgoblin couldn't shake his manacles. Meanwhile, Draco, Colden and Corwin met a couple of riders in melee. Draco dropped one, but the others were closing in, and the leader had summoned a Magmin, a creature of fire, to menace them further. Suddenly the leader barked out an offer of terms, in Goblinoid, that only Draco understood: "Turn over Guurgal's Shaft, give the captives to us, and you may live!"

Draco guessed the Goblin meant the old-looking, broken runecarved stick they had found in the woodpile, and held it up. The Worg riders pulled back, still alert, as Draco and the leader had a quick, tense negotiation. The leader threatened to kill them all and take the stick anyway; Draco thrust the stick at the hungry-looking Magmin, threatening to use its body to set the stick on fire. The leader backed down slightly, and called off the riderless Worg and let the Magmin disappear. Draco reluctantly handed Guurgal's Shaft to the leader, the Hobgoblin captive took up the unconscious Goblin in a fireman's carry, and the Goblinoids made a hasty retreat back towards the Murnie homestead and the hill beyond.

Defeated, the party pressed on, making pretty good time through the day. After a quiet night spent hunkered down in an empty homesteader's cabin (they had apparently chosen to winter in New Cyre or some other town), they set out again on the 10th. A short time later they hit the Orien trade road leading north and east from New Cyre to Kennrun (on the Darguun border some 200 miles away). The road sped up their journey, and except for one Kennrun-bound salt caravan, all was quiet. They reached New Cyre after dark, quickly got rooms at the Gem Saloon, and Faye went alone to see Prince Oargev.