The prospector's return, and a fresh threat...

I awakened to the sound of the dwarven prospector's clumping boots. I'd hidden my fire away in a small alcove above the main cave level with a natural chimney, but I knew already that it was not going to be a permanent place for me to stay. I could only get in up until I became slightly larger than a largish average human, which I didn't know how long I had before that happens, but I was well aware that I'd grow too large for the entire cavern one of these days. Deeper into the cave system I could see the bat's coming home to roost so I guessed it must be around dawn. I was glad of my coat of blue fur in that moment, because the air in the cave had become fairly cold without my fire, a chill 45° Fahrenheit or so, I estimated.

The prospector hadn't come this deep in yesterday, I thought she wouldn't today either, but I guess I was wrong. I watched her move around this room, slinking down to hide among the rocks and and stalagmites of the cave floor. She was looking around carefully, but clearly also was headed deeper into the abyss of the caverns inner recesses. I followed along, staying well outside of the Light cast by her torch. As we headed further and further into the bowels of the earth, I started to get worried about her. She was beautiful for a dwarf, and I wanted her badly, but I didn't dare to reveal myself, quite yet. We must have gone at least a mile or two down Into the darkness over about two hours or so of climbing and trekking through caverns, caves, passages, and galleries, all the while hearing various scuttling and scratching in the dark indicating something was alive down here, though I wasn't sure what. She occasionally pried small crystals and such out of the walls, inspecting them with a Jewilers loup. After a while I noticed that there was a faint light up ahead which wasn't cast by her torch. She moved closer and so I moved closer, realizing that light this far down must be dangerous in some manner, and I was right.

As we got near to it, she seemed more-and-more uneasy, but by the time she decided that she needed to turn around, it was already too late. Out of the shadows melted six goblin warriors. They looked to all be young males, full of piss and vinegar and overconfident in thier victory. They were not counting on ME.

So as they square up and the prospector hefts her pick ready to make her final stand, I put into use that special monster power I got from Carnachias' and Melanoche's hair being sewed through my core, and drop a whammy on them in the form of a paralysis effect. As it takes hold of all but one of them, I call out to the prospector, "Run Mrs Prospector, I'll hold them off!" Leaping forward an unsheathing the retractable cat-claws on my fingers and toes. She doesn't need to be told twice and heads back twards the surface at a 'scramble', "Be careful, don't fall into any of the chasms we passed on the way down!" I call after her retreating back, then turn to deal with the last goblin. "Allright, Greeny, let's dance!" I snarl, but unfortunately he has other ideas, and turns to run into the deepest parts of this cave system.

"Get back here coward!" I call after his retreating back while I extended like fifty war tentacles to stab the other five to **** on the way past. Unfortunately, he quickly manages to lose me in the twisted passages this deep underground, and I head back for the surface with only some Experience and a handful of "pot metal daggers" to show for my troubles, even that light we had been following having been doused right after the fight.

Still, all-in-all a successful morning's work. As when I get back to the entrance to The caves I find that it's only early afternoon. I haven't smelled any blood on the way back, and I've been following the prospector's footprints off-&-on, so I am sure that she's gotten out okay, but this does leave me with most of an afternoon to kill and no idea what to do with it.