Mila didn’t take long to return, unseen, to the rest of the crew. “Looks like we’ve found the place. There’s a rock built dais at the far end of the chamber, with chests set on it. Only a dozen guards right now.”

  Ashlyn let out a breath of relief.

  “But we have a problem. There’s a high balcony on this side of the chamber. They have twenty archers posted. As soon as we enter the room we’ll be sitting targets.”

  “Shit on it,” said Larik. “Any way to neutralise them?”

  “There are steps going up to the balcony in the chamber. But it looks like it can also be accessed from the rear.”

  “Makes sense,” Randall said. “One of these tunnels will likely take us there. Have you been listening?” he asked his cousin.

  “Aye, I heard,” Lurin said. He fingered Stone Speaker, as if communicating with the piece of rock. He pointed to a tunnel. “That one is most likely to feed the balcony.”

  The tunnel was opposite the one they waited in. It would mean crossing the empty space to get to it.

  “If I get up there, I could set off an explosion. It would give cover to those entering the chamber on this level.”

  “How long would that take?” Ashlyn asked.

  “Not long,” Lurin said.

  “Quite a while,” Randall corrected him.

  “It would also bring every goblin in the area onto us,” Larik said. “I don’t think an explosion is the answer on this occasion. I think six of us take that tunnel, pray to the gods it’s the right one, and take out the archers. The other six enter the chamber, neutralise the guards, and take the treasure. Then we get out of here. And it has to happen now, before the denizens of the dungeon return. It’s highly dangerous, I admit. The alternative is retracing our steps and getting out of here.”

  The squad looked at one another.

  “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” Pecs suggested.

  No one advocated leaving. It seemed they were decided.

  “What about crossing to the tunnel in the open?” Ashlyn asked.

  “I’ll set up with my bow in one of the tunnels,” Tree suggested. “If they see you, I’ll distract them.”

  It was a solution, but a dangerous one. And Ashlyn thought it more than possible that they’d need Henning's medical skills. “Bletcher?”

  “Yes?” He turned his innocent blue eyes to hers, seemingly oblivious of the preceding conversation.

  “What if you crossed with them, and asked the gods to persuade those goblins that they don’t see you?”

  He nodded. “I could try.”

  “Then let’s do this,” Larik said. “Same two groups as before. We’ll head for the balcony. Tree, you’re backup to Bletcher if it doesn’t work. Ashlyn’s group: wait for us to get there before you move.”

  Larik led his team off. Ashlyn watched and waited, desperate that the goblins who guarded the tunnel exits didn’t turn around and spot them. The six figures crept across the space. They reached the tunnel Lurin had identified, and there was no challenge from the goblins. Not for the first time, Ashlyn was left wondering what difference Bletcher’s magic had made.

  Their squad mates disappeared into the tunnel. There was nothing left for the remaining six mercs to do but wait.

  Ashlyn held in a frustrated sigh as Rilie Rumblewind began to spin her sling once more.

  “Look yonder,” Randall murmured.

  This isn’t good, Ashlyn realised. The goblin guards in the tunnels were talking loudly with a group of warriors. The residents of Strong Club were returning.

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  “We need to get to the chamber now,” Mila said, “while they’re distracted.”

  “But the others aren’t ready,” Randall said. “They have archers in there.”

  “It’s now or never.”

  Randall pursed his lips, but nodded his assent. “Alright.”

  They left their hiding place in the tunnel, crossing towards the pillared entrance to the chamber. The cavern echoed with the noise from the animated goblin conversations. But Mila was right—the goblins weren’t looking their way. She signalled for them to line up flat against the outside wall. The Livanian slipped into the room, then re-emerged with a grimace. It wasn’t safe for them to enter yet.

  Crap, thought Ashlyn. We’re going to have to stay like this. As soon as those goblins stop their jabbering they’re gonna see us standing here like a bunch of fopdoodles.

  Ashlyn stared at Greenblade’s hilt, a sickly feeling in her stomach. She knew that when its light signalled the return of the wargs, they were done for.

  Jaelin, leaning against the wall while holding his spear, suddenly looked animated. He gestured that they should enter the chamber. He must have heard something. Ashlyn could hear nothing except those damned goblins. But she nodded her assent anyway. There was no one she trusted more.

  The dwarves readied their axes, and the halfling placed a bullet in her sling. Ashlyn followed Mila into the room.

  ACTION ROUND

  Ashlyn got her first look at the chamber. A stone-built dais had been constructed at the far end. Several braziers on the dais emitted light and smoke into the room. This was where the dozen warriors stood guard over the goblins’ treasury.

  Meanwhile, Jaelin was proved right: above them, the second crew was on the attack. They had found their way to the balcony that ran across the length of the chamber, arriving from Ashlyn’s left. The twenty archers stationed there were perfectly placed to eradicate any attempt to cross the open space to the dais.

  Tree led the assault, using his bow to thin the ranks of the enemy. Except his arrows failed more often than they should have. When he was done, the scout had only killed one, and brought a second down to 4 hit points.

  The rest of his companions would have to take on the goblins in hand-to-hand combat: but at this rate, too many archers would be free to shoot, tearing through the ranks of the Apples.

  Ashlyn realised they had to do something. The treasure, and the goblin warriors who defended it, weren’t their priority right now. “Rilie, target the archers,” she shouted. “Mila, go up and help them.”

  The steep angle didn’t bother the halfling, who struck with all three shots. She left one goblin unconscious and another with a light injury.

  Mila made her way to the stone steps and climbed towards the balcony.

  Ashlyn, along with Jaelin, Randall, and Lurin, moved towards the dais in a line. She and Lurin were the only ones who carried shields, so it wasn’t a shieldwall. Hopefully, it was enough to protect Rilie.

  On the balcony, The Hoffmeister took an action to advance and engage with the nearest goblin. Where Tree had faltered, Georg’s attacks were deadly, his expertise with the Spear of Riposte allowing him to rip through the goblins’ defences. Four lay dead when he was done, and the balance of the fight turned a little in their favour.

  His friend Pecs followed him into battle, strong enough to hold a pike in one hand, with a shield in the other. He matched The Hoffmeister’s achievement, killing two and knocking out another two. It left ten archers alive, two of them injured.

  Larik was the last merc to move before the goblins had their turn. He had further to go to reach the archers, and less action points. His mace and shield combinations killed one goblin and took another down to 13 hit points.

  His opponent had little option but to strike out with its bow stave, which failed to penetrate The Bludgeoner’s ring mail armour on any of its three strikes.

  That left eight archers free to target the Apples. Six mercs were targeted.

  The twelve spear goblins on the dais hesitated, talking in their harsh tongue. They eventually made the obvious decision, which was to attack. They moved to the end of the dais, jumping down to the floor of the chamber, and advanced on Ashlyn’s position.