Progress and surprise

At first Thora is a little skittish around other goblins, but that's understandable given her past as well as how they look at her. With you at her side she knows she is safe and on the tour of the farms she relaxes as more and more of her attention is directed to the problems of food and irrigation.

You can tell she's surprised by what your farmers have accomplished, much of it based on third hand information from you or your father's contact with humans. Your farmers are equally surprised by her suggestions for different crops. Thora has extensive knowledge of which plants grow best in different soils and what plant rotations will keep the soil productive year after year. You knew some of the basics when the tribe began farming, but this will be a great help.

She also suggests changes to the way the farmers lay out the animal pens. Little differences that both save on lumber and make it easier to move the animals around. The farmers are very practical and halfway through the tour she has won most of them over.

She's just going over a way to expand a holding pond when one of your scouts runs over a nearby rise, signalling. It seems your estimates for finding slavers were a little high. Signals were relayed to your more distant scouts and one signaled back. There's a group of slavers camped not two days from your camp.

You feel safe in calling off the tour, knowing the farmers have already got many weeks of work ahead if they want to improve the land. Many changes won't be possible until next year's planting, but some can be made right now. You know you're going to have to convince Thora of your plans for captured slaves. It isn't going to work without her. On the other hand it might be a good idea for you to lead the raid in person, both as a show of strength and to make sure everyone sticks to the plan.