Give Them A Chance To Let Him Go.

I took a deep breath and popped up and fired a warning shot landing a few inches from the foot of the goblin nearest Torvald and drew a second arrow and nocked and drew it quickly.

"That was a warning shot. I won't miss a second time." I said pointing at the goblin near Torvald. I could feel my fingers trembling. "Cut him loose."

"Fuck you human. You don't have the balls..." The one nearest to Tolvald said and I put a second arrow into his foot. He fell onto the ground screaming several choice words at me. I quickly drew on the other two by the campfire. "I will say it again. Cut him loose."

"Okay." One said as he drew a knife but held both hands up and walked over to the tree where Torvald was and began to cut into the ropes. He was almost free when I heard a noise behind me. I turned just as a fourth goblin was coming at me from behind. I fired as he leaped into the air at me and caught him in the shoulder. I fell backward as he swung his sword grazing across my chest. I rolled down the hill landing on my back. I heard some of my arrows splinter in my quiver. He jumped at me driving his short sword downward with both hands. I just barely managed to grab his wrist as his sword stopped inches from my face. I was stronger but he had the leverage being on top of me as we fought for control.

"Shoot him." The goblin said as he glanced up. I looked to see one of the bastards had a crossbow pointed at me. I moved my head quickly as I let go of the goblin's left arm. The sword thrusting into the ground beside my head. I drew my ax from my hip and managed to take out the one on top of me's leg and rolled onto my side using him as a shield as the crossbow bolt went into his back killing the bastard. I got up as he went to reload and threw my axe hitting in the face before he could. I looked around for the fourth one as I grabbed the sword. I found he was already being dealt with as Torvald had a length of rope around his neck strangling him despite the fact that Torvald was still tied up. The Goblin's body went limp and Torvald let him go, the lifeless goblin dropping to the ground. I panted looking around for more, but other than the one on the ground with an arrow in his foot, I didn't see or hear anything else. I walked over and grabbed my ax and gave it a tug but had to place my foot on the dead goblin's chest to pull it out.

"You good?" I asked as I walked over to Torvald and chopped at the rope behind him.

"Yeah. A little bit banged up but still breathing thanks to you."

"Thank Arwen. She had a feeling you were in danger. I just happened to be the person dumb enough to come looking for you." I shrugged finally cutting the last rope. I checked the cut on my chest that pretty shallow luckily and not very big as it ran across my peck.

"I am glad you did." He smiled and walked over grabbing the crossbow off the ground then the arrows off of the dead goblin. "Little bastards dropped out a tree onto the back of my wagon and conked me on the head before I even got a shot off. I woke up tied to the tree there." He reloaded and walked over to the one on the ground who got up and tried to limp away but he didn't make it very far. It was clear that it was personal since the goblin had enjoyed torturing Torvald. "We should get out of here. There were others who made off with some of the cargo and I rather not be out here when they come back.

"You'll get no argument from me." I nodded. I grabbed the sword the goblin had tried to skier me with just encase I found myself in need of one again. Luckily the goblins hadn't unhooked the horses so we managed to make a pretty quick exit. They would most likely have waited till nightfall to take the wagon somewhere more secluded then try and sell what they could to someone they knew. The would have most likely gone to someone in the city, at a considerable discount.

The guards stopped us at the gate but they seemed to know Torvald. He told them what had happened and they sent us on our way. We pulled the carriage around the back and into the stable. I helped unhook the horses and get them into the stalls. We went in through the back where I heard a woman's voice singing. As we came into the main room I saw the elf named Arwen singing. Despite the tavern having a full house, not a soul other than her made a noise. I had heard the song before but never sung more beautifully.

"Torvald," A voice said behind us. We turned to see the barmaid Astrid. "What happened to you?" She said touching his head making him wince as he pulled his head back.

“Ran into a few goblins on the road. I got hit on the head. I escaped luckily thanks to your friend here.” He shrugged.

"I am just glad you are okay,” Astrid said hugging him for a few seconds before she looked up at me. “Are you hurt dear?" She looked at my chest.

"No ma'am. Nothing major." I said. Luckily it wasn't very deep and the bleeding had stopped on the ride back. It would be another scar to add to the list.

"Helga?" Astrid asked as she peeked her head out.

"What happened to you two?" Helga said as she came into the back.

"It's a long story." Torvald shrugged.

"There will be time for that later. Helga, can you show our guest up to his room?”

"Yes. Please follow me," Helga said and led me out into the tavern and up the staircase to the upper floor into a spacious room for a tavern. "Here we are. There is a washstand over there so you can get cleaned up. I will get you some food and bring it up."

"Thanks." I smiled. She went to leave but stopped and turned back and gave me a hug. It stung a little because of the cut but it was offset by the feel of her large breasts against my chest.

"Thank you," she said as she held on for a few seconds before letting go.

"Your welcome." I smiled. She nodded and headed back out closing the door behind her. I heard the commotion from the tavern below which meant the elf had stopped singing. I pulled off my shirt was pretty much ruined now because of the blood so I used it to clean up the cut which stung like a hell, but an infection would be the worst.

"Come in," I said when a knock came at the door. To my surprise, it was the elf and not Helga.

"I brought you some food." She said sitting it at a little desk.

"Thanks." I nodded.

"I can heal that for you if you like." She smiled.

"You're a healer?" I asked.

"A bard by trade but I learned some healing from my mother." She smiled as she came over.

"Be my guest," I said. She bit her lip as she looked at my chest and tentatively put her hand over my wound.

“Mendus,” she chanted under her breath and I saw a soft light. A few seconds later she removed her hand and brushed away some dried blood where the wound had been. It left a small scar but the pain was gone. “You have some magical power within you,” she stated.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"My name is Arwen and I should be thanking you. I was glad the Goddess brought you to us to save Torvald."

"Are you two an item?" I asked teasingly.

"No, but not from a lack of trying repeatedly on his part."

"I can see why he tries so hard," I said looking her over as she blushed. For an elf, she had a nice figure opposed to the more slender physique I had seen on the few elves I had seen.

"Thank you." She blushed again. "If you will excuse me. You will want to eat before it gets cold," she said and made a quick exit closing the door behind her. I sat down and ate not realizing how famished I was until now. The food wasn't too bad. It wasn't moms cooking but it was better then any of the taverns I had stayed at during my trip and the mead was good. I went down to the tavern to listen to Arwen sing

“Hey, handsome,” Helga said and gave me a smile and a wink as she passed by carrying drinks to a table. The place seemed to be packed as there was not an empty table in the house. Far too many for there to be rooms to rent, though some looked more like working folk come to have a drink.

I found a spot at the bar. I hadn't noticed it the first time but Arwen seemed taller as the area behind the bar was raised up so she could see eye to eye with the patrons though I imagined very few looked her in the eye with those big tits of hers.

“Hey, hero. What can I get you?” Arwen smiled as she put both hands on the counter and leaned over showing off her cleavage.

“Mead please, plus I'd like to pay for my food,” I smiled reaching for my coin purse.

“Keep your coin. I owe you more than a few drinks and food for what you did for me.” She put up her hand and shook her head. She poured me mead and set it down in front of me which I gladly took and drank some.

“Here. For you. Sorry that it's all in copper,” Astrid said as she held out a handful of coin.

“I can't take that.” I shook my head.

“Please. It's the least I can do after what you did for us,” she said taking my hand and putting the coins in my palm, then closed my hand holding it with both of hers. I nodded and put the coins in my purse. “Consider the room yours as well. I have another favor to ask of you.”

“Name it,” I said putting the coin away in my coin purse and took a drink of my mead.

“I wouldn't be so quick to say yes, but you found my Torvald so you are the only the one who could probably help. I spent a considerable amount of coin on that load. Several gold in fact.” She said make me almost on my drink. I had never even seen a gold coin. A few silver here and there but never gold.

“That much?”

“It's undistilled. We have to water it down some for human consumption.” She smiled. I wondered how much a gnome could drink then considering they where about a third smaller than humans.

“The goblins made off with some of the more expensive kegs. They aren't the smartest creatures but they seem to have good taste when it comes to drinking,” she said. “Torvald said they had a small cart and took off into the woods and not the road.”

“They might have a hideout near there,” I replied and she nodded. Made sense. They wouldn't need the cart since they had the wagon unless they planned to make several trips back and forth. They most likely took what they wanted and would sell the rest. Even with a hand-pulled cart, they couldn't have gone too far through the woods.

After awhile Torvald stood up and told everyone the story of what had happened. I could not contest to his part of the story when he was ambushed though from the wound on his forehead he had to have put up somewhat of a fight as for the rest there were more goblins then I remembered and a lot more swordplay as he embellished the story a little to make me look like more of a hero then I was.

It took a while for the crowd to die down but eventually, they did. I went up to my room and pulled off my shirt and laid down on the bed. It was soft, unlike a few inns I had crashed in during my trip. I laid there and replayed the events that had occurred in my head. If I had been one second slower I would have been dead I thought as I touched my chest. I just laid there trying to drift off to sleep as a soft tap came at the door.

"Come in," I said. A second later in came Helga with a lantern in hand.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" she asked.

"No. It's Okay." I said sitting up.

"I just wanted to come to see if you needed anything else." She smiled.

"No. Thank you miss."

"Please just Helga." She smiled and set the lantern down on the small table.

"I am good but thank you, Helga."

"I wanted to thank you for what you did for my brother. He can be a pain in the ass sometimes but I still love him. Most humans wouldn't have done what you did on the word of an elf.” She said sitting on the edge of the bed.

“It was nothing.” I smiled.

“Mom told me she roped you into going back looking for the kegs the goblins took. I wanted to ask a favor as well.”

“Oh.”

“The goblins took a lute from the wagon that belonged to Arwen's grandmother. She wouldn't ask you to do this herself with her elven pride but her grandmother meant the world to her and taught her to play. You saw how many people came in tonight just to hear her sing.”

“Indeed. She has a lovely voice.”

“We wouldn't have half of the business we have now if not for her. It would mean the world to her if you could find it. As well as to me. I know it is silly to ask you to risk your life for some silly piece of wood but she is a dear friend to me.”

“I will look for it.” I nodded. I was going that way anyway.

“Thank you. I can give you some coin for your troubles unless you would like some more immediate compensation.”

“What do you mean?”

“You can't spend the coin if you get yourself killed.” She smiled and touched my chest and rubbed it softly.

“You don't have to do that.”

“No, but I want to all the same. I won't be offended if you say no, a little disappointed maybe but it never hurts to ask."