CHAPTER SEVENTEENTHE TRIO’S FIRST BATTLE Garrick looked out at the road before him as he pulled off the ring that hung around his neck by a leather cord. The rock he sat upon during this traveling break with Elias and Cerelene was nothing like the chairs at the Temple of Unfaltering Devotion or even the Sleepy Kettle and Yard, where he had been only days ago, but it was comfortable enough.

  After taking a drink of water, the mercenary pulled his sword from his scabbard and cut the cord. Holding the open ends together in one hand Garrick sheathed his sword and started to tie the cord with the ring around his scabbard.

  “A good luck tradition for when you are on a job?” asked Elias, cordially.

  Garrick ughed. Then the mercenary lifted up the Holy Amulet that was still around his neck out from underneath his tunic.

  “No my friend,” answered the mercenary. “I have a little more to wear now.”

  Garrick looked from Elias to Cerelene, who was standing on the trunk of a tree that had been all but blown over. Be it from bad weather or perhaps the result of a wizard’s spell, the tree trunk was snted at a forward angle, but was still firmly held in the soil by its strong roots. Whatever the case, the elf maiden was petting Azure, who had perched on one of its limbs, having just returned from scanning the grass for her food.

  “Ah that is true mercenary,” replied Elias, from the rock he was sitting on across from Garrick. The Knight of Providence began to dig the tip of his sword lightly into the dirt absentmindedly and then continued, “I assume then, perhaps, the ring was from a loved one? It seems too small for your fingers. Was it your mother's...?”

  Having not been asked a question about the ring for many years now, Garrick was silent for a moment. When he looked up again after finishing the the knot, he saw that Cerelene was now looking at him as well. Then Garrick took a breath.

  “It is my wife’s wedding ring,” revealed Garrick. Then he rubbed the tips of his fingers over the gold band. “Or was, now that she is in Elion’s Embrace.”

  Elias dug the tip of his sword hard into the dirt and stopped. The knight’s regurly jovial and stoic face became somber. “I am sorry my friend. What happened?”

  Garrick was silent again. As he started to open his mouth, Cerelene nded in front of him and Elias and cursed under her breath.

  “Elias, you are not only older than me, you are a Knight of Providence. Have you no tact?” scolded the elf maiden. “Garrick will tell us when it is time.” Then she turned and nodded at the mercenary and finished, “If there is a time.”

  “Cerelene...you are right,” replied Elias, his eyes fixed on the young elf maiden. Then the knight turned from Cerelene back to the mercenary. “Garrick, I am sorry.”

  Garrick raised his hand up and waved it slowly, first at Cerelene and then at Elias. “No, my friends. It is okay. It has now been many years since her death.” Then Garrick returned his gaze at the elf maiden. “Cerelene, I appreciate you looking out for me.” After standing up, Garrick helped Elias to his feet and csped his shoulder. “Good Knight of Providence, do not worry. I know your heart is always in the right pce...”

  Suddenly, there was a sound in the brush and all three companions went for their weapons, but stopped and sighed as Onyx quickly trotted over to Garrick. The mystic wolf had finally returned from the river. The river that had not only refilled their water skins, but would lead them to Maldrin’s forest cottage sometime over the next day.

  Onyx looked up at Garrick, then jumped, growling, onto the rock that the mercenary had just been sitting on. The mystic wolf looked at Garrick again, growled louder, and then turned his gaze up above the trees.

  Elias and Cerelene joined Garrick and Onyx in looking above, and they saw a strong gust of wind blow the top of the trees forward. A few seconds ter they watched as a giant red dragon flew by and roared. Azure, still in the tree, screeched loudly in surprise, but luckily was still able to hold onto the limb she had perched onto with her strong talons.

  “Firebaugh,” spoke Elias sternly, as Cerelene jumped up and ran up the tree for a better look.

  Suddenly, they all heard loud cries of fear and yelling further out in the direction they were headed. The sound of bushes being crashed through could soon be heard. Every second the sound was louder. Something was coming towards them and fast.

  Garrick pulled his bow from his shoulder and nocked an arrow, ready for what was coming their way. Elias lifted his shield and gripped his sword tightly, his eyes darting from right to left, scanning the row of bushes closest to them.

  Cerelene pulled her bow from her shoulder and scanned the ground from the tree. After she grabbed an arrow from her quiver, Garrick and Elias heard her yell out half of one word. “Gob...!” But the rest of the word was lost in the loud commotion coming their way. Then the elf maiden released an arrow and quickly nocked another.

  Garrick and Elias watched as six goblins ran out from the bushes before them. The green monsters' faces changed from the terror of seeing a sovereign dragon, into surprise, upon seeing two well-armed humans and a mystic wolf directly in front of them.

  Garrick released his arrow. The first goblin's head jerked back and promptly fell dead. The mercenary released another arrow and it hit another goblin in the shoulder, but it kept coming. Garrick dropped his bow and unsheathed his sword for close combat as Elias shoved the goblin to the ground with his shield. Then an arrow flew from above and nded in the goblin’s stomach. The green monster struggled for a moment and then went limp.

  Two of the final four goblins surrounded Elias. The knight stood his ground, waiting to counter his attackers, while the remaining two goblins rushed Garrick, one a few seconds after the other. With his sword, the mercenary knocked away a crude yet formidable club from the first goblin and kicked him to ground in time to bring his bde up again and parry the sword of his other attacker.

  Knowing that he now couldn’t overpower the mercenary, the goblin jumped back, but when he did take a step forward, Onyx leaped from the rock and took the green monster down. The goblin grabbed his sword lying next to him and tried to bash the mystic wolf with its hilt, but the jaws of the animal upon him were too quick. The goblin did his best to defend himself, but he was simply outmatched.

  Garrick looked from Onyx to the first goblin, who was starting to rise. While the mercenary began to stalk his remaining enemy, the two goblins that faced Elias were smarter and worked together. One rushed from the right and the other from the left. The goblin on the right swung his sword, while the goblin on the left leaped at the knight with a dagger, and just as an arrow from above struck the dirt where he had just been. Though the goblin had cheated death, it was only for a moment as he then fell on Elias’ long sword, that the knight had skillfully thrust into the air after blocking the other goblin’s attack with his shield.

  With the odds now even, Garrick swung his sword fiercely, moving his remaining foe back, unknowingly, to a tree. After the goblin‘s momentum instantly halted, the mercenary swung his sword, knocking the bde from the goblin’s hand and ran him through. Then together Garrick and Onyx rushed toward Elias, who was still battling the final goblin. But as the knight lifted his sword for a final attack, an arrow from above smmed into the goblin’s back. After watching their final enemy fall lifeless, Garrick, Elias, and Onyx looked up into the wind blown tree and saw Cerelene lower her bow and take a breath.

  As the elf maiden started down the tree, Azure took flight. Garrick picked up his bow and rubbed Onyx’s head lovingly. Elias sheathed his sword and looked down at the goblins at his feet. After thanking Elion for his protection in battle, Elias opened his eyes to see a fsh of brown feathers and when the Knight of Providence looked up, he saw that Azure had not only located Cerelene’s errant arrow, but picked it up and then dropped it to her, as the elf maiden walked toward him and Garrick. After Cerelene finally joined the two men, the falcon circled around and nded on her shoulder.

  Garrick looked around at the six goblins and then at Cerelene and smiled. “They had us outnumbered, but your arrows from above certainly changed those odds quickly. In the end, these six goblins didn’t have a chance.”

  “You mean eight goblins,” corrected the elven archer. “I put away two before these crashed through the bushes.”

  “Even though you took away one of my kills, I will still say well done, elf maiden!” excimed Elias, as Garrick knelt down to look at one of the goblins.

  “What do you think mercenary? Scouts? They are far off from The Goblin Caverns, for sure,” inquired the knight.

  “Perhaps if it was two or three, maybe even four. But eight? I don’t think so,” answered Garrick.

  Cerelene looked at the clothes the dead goblins were wearing and then at the weapons that they carried. “Their clothes are ragged, yet most of them have well made swords.” Then the elf maiden walked over to another of the bodies and picked up a dagger. “This is elven made. It is not as well made as the one the High Priest gave me, but it is of my people. There is no doubt.”

  “Deserters,” said Garrick. “They most likely picked up these weapons as they fled a battle.”

  “I think so as well, mercenary,” replied Cerelene. “The goblin king can be relentless in his war with my queen. He drives his warriors hard. I would feel sad for them, were they not so evil. Whether it be one goblin or an army, their acts of violence and treachery never end. We are lucky that we knew they were coming.”

  The three adventurers were quiet for a moment. Then the sound of a falcon screeching broke the silence. As Azure took to the air, Onyx started to trot ahead of the elf maiden and two men.

  “One thing is for sure. This will not be the st time we see goblins on this quest,” stated Garrick after getting to his feet. Then the mercenary looked up again at the sky. “I would say we have at least a few hours left until nightfall. If you two are rested enough, I say we get moving.”

  Elias and Cerelene both nodded in agreement. Then the elf maiden counted her remaining arrows, as Elias attached his shield to his back.

  “We not only survived our first battle, we came together as well as any knights I have commanded...” began Elias after he took a few steps. When the trio walked past the final two goblins in the bushes, the knight kept his gaze straight ahead and then announced,

  “...and tomorrow we add a wizard.”