The Find 27.

Autumn.

Morning. At the northern end of the pit. That's the ancient city of Dalphene. Also known as the City of Ruins.
"Shit" mutters Zam the mercenary who winces after another arrow thuds into the pile of dirt and sand he's taken cover behind.
He glances away to his left, and sees Hilmik the dwarven warrior wrapping a length of cloth around the upper part of his right arm. Where an arrow went through his armour.
The young dwarf form the Colevar Mountains looks his way, and nods his head to signify he's alright.
Then Hilmik, who is behind another pile of dirt and sand, holds up three fingers to tell him how many they're facing.
"Great" sourly mutters the teenager from the city-state of Kuradum, who was hoping that there was just one archer who was shooting at them.
He then flinches as a crossbow bolt skims along the ground just to his right. Before hitting some of the rubble, piled up a bit further back from where Zam has taken cover.
The young mercenary who joined Maygam's company in the summertime.
Looks back and spots Farnill glancing around a rather large pile of dirt and sand. Much bigger than the one that Zam is crouching behind.
The teenage mercenary holds up three fingers to tell Farnill how many have ambushed them.
The experienced mercenary from the kingdom of Nastell, who is an above average archer himself. Infact one of the best in Maygam's company.
Nods, then points to where one of the ambushers is, then to where the second one is.
Farnill after holding up three fingers, shrugs his shoulders to indicate that he doesn't know where the third one is.
Zam looks over to where Hilmik is, and sees that the young dwarf originally from the Colevar Mountains, has been watching Farnill too.
The dwarven warrior shrugs to show he doesn't exactly know where the third one is either.
Hilmik gestures to a spot, then waves his right hand back and forth to show that the third ambusher is somewhere in that area.
Zam winces, as he realises the third ambusher must be lying in wait to see if either he or Hilmik try to move back to where the others are.
For if they do, they'll be open to attack from the right side by an ambusher he assumes has either a bow or crossbow.
After Farnill tells him what's happening, Almard the mercenary quietly tells him "See if you can take a shot at the two who have pinned the dwarf and the youngster down".
"And the third?" quietly asks Farnill the mercenary.
"I'll take care of that one" is the quiet reply of the mercenary who hails from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum.
"Just keep those other two occupied" quietly says Almard, who by his position in Maygam's company. As the helper to the second in command, Uren.
Finds himself in charge of the small group who are attempting to get out of the pit. By climbing up and out of the giant hole in the ground via the north wall.
"Melmear stay with Farnill" quietly says Almard the mercenary, who then looks at the sixth member of the group, before adding "Imraness you're with me".
The mercenary from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum then nods for the former church guard from the city-state of Eweteets to follow him.
With his crossbow loaded, Zam looks back at Farnill, and sees the older mercenary looking at him.
The teenager from the city-state of Kuradum, who was unable to get into his nation's army.
And was briefly in the city guard of Kuradum, before he was kicked out. For stealing the crossbow he's now got.
Nods his head in understanding as Farnill mouths at him to shoot at the first ambusher.
"Can you shoot at the first one from there?" quietly asks Zam as he looks over at Hilmik who is just five yards away to his left, behind another pile of dirt and sand.
"I can" is the quiet reply from the dwarven warrior, whose crossbow is loaded too.
"He's behind the pile of sand and rubble, directly inline with your one" quietly says Zam.
"I know" quietly says Hilmik, who then sourly adds "The bastard shot me remember".
The dwarven warrior then mutters something in his own language that the young mercenary from the city-state of Kuradum doesn't understand.
Then the two of them lift up their crossbows, and glance around the piles of sand and dirt they've taken cover behind.
While behind the larger pile of sand and dirt a bit back from them. Farnill draws back his bow before he steps out to one side, to take a shot.
Meanwhile Almard the mercenary, with Imraness following closely behind him.
Is heading away to the right, to the east, at an angle. Trying to keep as many of the piles of dirt, sand and rubble between them and the ambushers as possible.
The mercenary from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum winces.
When behind him, Imraness mutters "Fuck that was close". As a crossbow quarrel passes over the pile of debris they've just gone by.
They stop behind another pile, and Almard says "Look" and points further to their right.
Where a goblin, well it's head at least, is sticking up out of a hole in the ground.
"Hey" quietly says the mercenary who is Uren's helper to the goblin, who is looking at them in surprise.
"You know where those archers are?" asks Almard, who knows the trio who have ambushed the group are mercenaries and not goblins. As Hilmik the dwarf informed the rest of the group who was attacking them.
The goblin blinks, then nods his head and points.
"Well, at least we're going the right way" is what Almard hears Imraness mutter behind him.
Guessing that the goblin is digging tunnels to locate ruins under the ground. Almard quickly asks the goblin "Your tunnel go that way?".
The goblin nods, then figuring what the mercenary who hails from the unruled lands near Kuradum wants to do, he says "You too big boss" followed by "This new tunnel".
He looks around, and points then says "You need an older one like that" followed by "Then you can go underground".
The goblin quickly adds "Not that one though, it goes south" he then points to another pile of dirt and rubble, and adds "You want the one behind that one" followed by "That'll get you close to them mercs up ahead".
"Thanks" says Almard with a nod of his head, then he tells Imraness "Let's go".
As they hurry to get behind the next pile of sand and dirt. Almard realises the goblin is a mercenary or an adventurer.
No doubt trying to make a living on his own, as so many others do down here in the City of Ruins.
The mercenary from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum knows that the goblin is definitely not a wild one.
As wild goblins are always in groups, and that many of them hardly speak the common language.
And the fact the wild goblins who live here in the ancient city of Dalphene, and in the ground that surrounds it.
Tend to run away when they encounter others. Or if they've got the advantage of numbers, they'll likely to attack anyone who they'll come across.
Dirt Digger, or Charles as he prefers to call himself. As he doesn't particularly like the name that was given to him on the farm in the city-state of Eweteets, where he was born and grew up.
Watches as the two men, mercenaries by the looks of things. Hurry behind one of the nearby piles of dirt and sand.
Charles, who is a solo adventurer. He never used to be. As he was part of a group of adventurers who arrived here in the City of Ruins last winter.
Is the last of the group he arrived with here in the ancient city of Dalphene.
The others are all dead. Having been killed by others who are also down here in the giant hole in the ground.
Charles, or Dirt Digger has survived by himself since the summertime.
When the remaining member of the group was killed by a bunch of wild goblins who came across the two of them, digging up here at the northern end of the pit.
The goblin originally from the city-state of Eweteets was lucky to survive that encounter himself.
Having run down one of the myriad of tunnels that crisscross the very north of the City of Ruins.
He was followed for some distance, but he managed to escape the wild goblins, who didn't particularly know this part of the pit that well.
Now Charles eeks out a living up here at the northern end of the giant hole in the ground.
Digging tunnels and holes, occasionally finding old artifacts. Which he then sells down in either the neutral zone, or the villages and towns at the southern end of the giant hole in the ground.
The goblin hears the two men enter the nearby tunnel, that will take them north.
Charles, or Dirt Digger shakes his head, then ducks back down into the tunnel he's in.
Picks up his shovel, and resumes digging, sending dirt and sand up through the hole in the ground, he was just looking out of.
"Missed" says Zam the mercenary "Same" says Hilmik the dwarven warrior.
Who reloads his crossbow, which the teenage mercenary from the city-state of Kuradum, is doing too.
The two of them quickly look back, after they hear the thrum of Farnill's bow, as the experienced mercenary lets another arrow fly.
They hear a scream of pain from someone in the direction they're shooting at.
"Clipped one" says Farnill the mercenary, who is behind a large pile of dirt, sand and debris a bit further back from where Zam and Hilmik are.
Looking at the experienced mercenary from the kingdom of Nastell, who is glancing around the large pile of debris.
Hilmik hears Farnill quietly say something, that only the dwarven warrior can hear.
The young dwarf from the Colevar Mountains nods, then he quietly relays to Zam what Farnill just said.
"The right side, our right" quietly says Hilmik the dwarf to the teenager who hails from the city-state of Kuradum.
"He always shoots from that side of the pile he's behind" quietly adds the young dwarf, whose clan hold is on the northern slopes of the Colevar Mountain Range.
"Right" quietly says Zam, who after a few moments, he quietly asks the dwarven warrior "Ready?".
Hilmik nods that he is, then he and the young human mercenary glance around the right side of the respective pile they're each behind.
Unlike Farnill and his longbow, the two of them just need to hold their weapons around the edge of pile of sand, dirt and debris, each of them are crouching behind for cover.
After a few moments they see movement where they're looking at. And they shoot off the bolts in their weapons. And are rewarded with the satisfying thud of their quarrels slamming into cheap leather armour, and the flesh beneath it.
"Two more to go" murmurs Zam the mercenary as he along with Hilmik the dwarven warrior reload their crossbows.
Bent over, almost in two. Almard the mercenary stops, then quietly says "You hear that?".
Behind him in the low tunnel, Imraness listens carefully then quietly says "I do" followed by "Must be just ahead".
The merc from the unruled lands near the city-state of Kuradum nods in agreement with the former church guard from the city-state of Eweteets.
Then he continues on his way, walking in a crouch, followed by Imraness.
They don't go much further, just fifteen yards or so. When they find a hole in the ground above them.
Almard, stands up a bit, and peeks out of the whole, and has a look around.
After a few moments, he ducks back down and quietly tells Imraness "They've got one of them" followed by "He lies about a ten yards that way". As he gestures in the direction he saw the body lying.
"There's one more to the right" quietly says Almard, who continues with "He's still shooting at the others" he then adds "I want you to shoot him".
The mercenary from the unruled lands from near the city-state of Kuradum then explains "The third one is away to the left, hiding behind a large pile of rubble" followed by "I'll deal with him".
The former church guard from the city-state of Eweteets nods, then quietly says "Ready" in reply to Almard asking him "Ready?".
The mercenary in charge of the small group, stands back up, and slowly hauls himself up out of the hole in the ground, trying to make as little noise as possible.
Once he's up and out of the hole, Almard keeping low, moves quickly away to the left.
While Imraness stands up with his crossbow, and once he's sticking out of the hole in the ground, he quickly looks to the right, and shoots off a bolt from his crossbow.
"You hear that?" quietly says Hilmik the dwarven warrior.
"Hear what?" replies Zam the mercenary who is reloading his crossbow.
Then they, along with Farnill and Melmear, hear Imraness call out "It's clear!" followed by "We've got them!".
"Thank the gods for that" loudly mutters Zam the mercenary, who along with Hilmik, as well as Farnill and Melmear.
Make their way forward, where they find Imraness and Almard, who have killed the other two ambushers.
"I've got a feeling we'll encounter their like all the way to the very end of the pit" quietly says Almard the mercenary, who then adds "Come on, let's get going".
And they continue their way northwards on this cold, autumn morning down here in the City of Ruins . . . . . .