To the swamps!

You grab your materials from the hollow tree and begin the long trek to the swamps. Its a difficult journey, with the terrain turning more and more hostile and the Players in the area being higher level as well. You're not interested in anything like a fair fight, and do everything you can think of to avoid their attention.

You eventually manage to arrive at your destination. The plants in question stand out from the other bland green-brown reeds and twisted bushes that are typical of this area, No doubt to highlight their importance for new Players. Every now and then a barren tree lifts its limbs forlornly to the grey skies. Currently its night, and many of the Players that might be frequenting the area have gone off to rest.

You climb one of the trees, a task made more difficult by its slimy bark, in order to take a good look around. It looks like there are one or two Players off in the distance, based on a series of magical explosions that are lighting up the horizon, but that there are none within the immediate area. Its possible that someone is there under an Invisibility effect or otherwise hidden, but you're willing to trust your mighty Goblin senses enough to take a gamble. That being the case, you begin to string out a number of traps and snares along the most likely paths to approach the bushes. You just hope that she hasn't already passed through.

Much later, as the sun begins to rise over the distant mountains, you stand up and dust your hands off. Its been a big pain, but you're pretty pleased with the results. The lack of trees means that you can't set up the kind of trap that let you finish off the Gnome Ranger earlier. Instead you've set a number of trip-lines, snares, foot-traps, and even a pit or two. You've also taken advantage of the local flora and fauna, slathering a number of thorn-bushes with toad excretions and some bugs that gave you a fearsome stomach-ache when you tried to eat some your first time exploring the area.

Now, you climb up the lonely tree in the area. You take a page from the squirrels you've seen in your forests back home and make sure to avoid highlighting yourself against the quickly-lightening skyline. Its much more difficult with the swamp tree since it doesn't have its leaves, but you've rubbed some of the grey mud that pervades the area over yourself to help blend in. The ability to see who's coming outweighs the chance of discovery.

There isn't much to see, to be honest. Its patches of wiry swamp reeds and grey mud and foul-smelling water as far as the eye can see. Occasionally the undergrowth will rustle and you'll perk up, but its only a snake or rat, with an occasional alligator looking for it's next meal. Oh, and a cute elven Ranger! She is stalking through the bushes with an arrow at the ready, her eyes fierce and bright and everything you remembered and more. Her low combat stance happily serves to emphasize the roundness of her well-toned backside and the full fist-sized breasts standing proudly against her soft green top. Her movements are liquid and 'Thunk!'

An arrow appears quivering just beneath your nose, and you are so surprised that you fall out of the tree. This is just as well, as another arrow passes through the space that you just occupied. You've been seen! You drop to all fours and lizard-crawl your way away, hastily putting a few of your traps between you and her. That was way to close! A fierce grin splits your face involuntarily. Despite the danger of the situation, you're about to take a step closer to realizing your ambitions.

"Better clear the area out before harvesting the herbs." you hear a delightful voice mutter somewhere near by. Tense minutes pass, with each stalking the other. A few arrows fire through the underbrush as she tries to flush you out, but none come as near as the first couple. You almost giggle in anticipation as she approaches a poisoned thorn patch, and find a rock to throw at her. It works, she's startled and turns too suddenly, scoring her arm lightly on the hooked barbs. However, she simply sniffs at the wound before sniffing dismissively. "Who the hell tries to use a sleeping poison on an Elf?" She asks rhetorically. Huh, elves are immune to sleep effects? Why doesn't anyone tell you these things!?

She shoulders her bow and draws an elegantly-curved blade in its place. She charges in the direction that the rock came from and you are left scrambling to escape. Stealth is impossible, and you are hard-pressed to keep a bush or rock between you and that dangerous-looking blade. She might have caught you several times, but she seems to be holding back a little. No doubt she expects there to be more of you, as goblins rarely travel alone. She triggers a foot snare, a loop of vine that snaps shut and tries to drag her off of her feet and into the bush it is attached to. A flick of her blade severs the line before it can do its intended job. What does it take to stop her!?

You had slowed down to see if the trap would work, and when it does not you are left dangerously exposed. You dive down an embankment but still take a slash to the leg. A bright-red line briefly crosses your leg before disappearing, and your HP drop by a third. If you hadn't leveled up as much as you have, you'd be dead! One or two more of those, and you'll be finished! You skitter around another bush as she leaps lightly down the embankment with some sort of windmill kick that looks as impressive as hell and comes too close to your head for comfort. Abandoning cleverness, you run full-out in a last-ditch attempt to save your life. Yours is the flight of the ****!

Apparently you've managed to really piss her off, because the Ranger is following you hotly, razor blade raised over her head to glint dangerously in the morning light. You're going so fast that you fail to realize where you are until a snap draws your horrified attention to your foot, which has just hit one of your own trip-lines. You face-plant right into the mud, and there is absolutely nothing to prevent the female elf from splitting you like a pea-pod. You close your eyes and whimper, waiting for the end to come. There is a loud crash behind you, but snicker-snack **** doesn't come. You wait a breath, then two. Still no ****. Instead, there is cursing in a melodious tongue. You're not sure what she's saying, but you're pretty sure its cursing.

Opening one eye, you take a chance and check on what's going on. To your shock, you see that the troublesome girl has fallen into one of your pitfall traps! You had covered it with reeds to conceal it, with a frame of springy branches to provide structure. It was just enough to support your weight, but the slightly larger and more heavily armed Ranger fell through. The trip-line that felled you was originally intended to send someone falling headlong into the pit, but it was set up with the assumption that they would be approaching from the other direction. Now, the springy branches seem to have trapped the struggling elf , leaving her suspended at armpit depth. She is still waving that sword around menacingly, but can't seem to get very good leverage against the black wood holding her in place.

This is your chance! You scramble to your feet and dive into the bushes off to the side. There's no way you're going to get within reach of that flashing sword. Even stuck where she is, she's way too dangerous to take lightly. Instead, you drop low and hide yourself in the bushes again. You reflect that this is becoming a way of life for you, but push the thought aside as anticipation nearly overwhelms you. Inch by inch, you stalk closer to your intended prey, circling around behind her and off to the side where even if she sees you coming it will be difficult for her to reach you with her blade-arm.

Her struggling is bearing fruit, and she is beginning to free herself when you make a mad dash. She hears you coming and tries to twist around, but the flexible branches prove to be very resistant and she just misses you. You slam down with your spear shaft and the blade goes spinning into the bushes as you strike her wrist with a solid blow. This leads to a frenzy of blows that she is simply unable to defend against. Time slows as you strike the last blow, and just before the **** animation you slap a hand on the top of her head and shout "Pet Capture!" Her **** expression falls away and her eyes go distant and blank. You hold your breath as you watch her intently. Did it work?

After a few moments, she seems to come to and she directs a look at you that combines bemusement and frustration. "Huh. I should be upset with you right now, but I just can't seem to manage it. So that makes you my master now?" Joy lights your features, and you are beginning the first shuffling steps of the Goblin Victory Dance when distant voices interrupt your moment.

"Hey, is everyone all right over there?" A deep male voice calls, way too close for comfort. "Lets spread out and check. Maybe its a hot chick!" the voice continues. Curses! Not only an interruption, but a party of heroes from the sound of it. There's no way you can take them on right now.