The trail is clear and other than some minor retracing of steps the two rangers manage to follow it without too much difficulty. It does take time however and it appears that the party only slowly close the distance.  Elmo estimated that the goblins have at most a four-hour start.

Eventually the tracks join a regular trail allowing faster movement. After a while it widens out enough for two abreast.

The trail leads on and it about two hours before dusk as the party enters the wooded scrubland that mark the foothills of the Kron hills.  They are sure that they are close to their quary.  They have traveled in comparative quiet though the mutterings of Vestan and the chink of chain mail can sometimes be heard.

Suddenly from ahead and screened by the trees and scrub can be heard voices.  They are raised in argument in the guttural language of the goblins.

OOC:
For now all you can see are bushes and trees ahead, with the trail, now significantly wider bending around to the left and out of sight.

you are now all at full hps and those with spell abilities have memorized their spells. Can you pm me you spell lists please?

Also can we have a marching order? Elmo will be with you unless you decide to leave him in Hommlet.

[Private to Arek Blackiron; Felicia Florette: You can bearly understand the cursed goblin tongue as the volume raises and falls:

shrill goblin voice "...telt ya thar gifts fra Lareth! Ye cin do onythin’ eat em ef ya want!........Ah’d bet, yoong and joocy!"

deep voice, "....eat ya too, ya runt! Sa why....elf gie us gifts, eh? Thars ane...... gifts fur nought.  Les ave a gander et em happen we'll le' ya gaw ef thur guid."

]

"I'll go ahead and see if the goblins have finshed their meal, shall I?" asks Vestan in a quiet but sulkly voice. "They're probably arguing about who gets to mop up the gravy."

Ronalt nods to Vestan, "I will circle around the otherside so to give them goblins a crossfire to deal with."
"Vestan your priority is to get to the kids and get them out of the goblins safely."
"If you hear an owl hoot or the goblins start screaming, bring the battle to the goblins."
"Any questions?" Otherwise Ronalt skulks off to circle around the left side of the goblin "camp", bow in hand.

Vestan looks at the ranger with an amused glint in his eyes. "Get then out of the goblins safely? Wouldn't it be better to wait and let nature take it's course?"

With a soft chortle he slips off into the undergrowth to see what's actually happening over in the goblin camp.

As the others prepare to head off Elmo says, "Don't we want to scout it out first? I don't understand gobin but one of these voices sound like something bigger."

OOC: OK Elmos in... I need my NPC.  Should have made this clear, there is one high pitched whiny voice and one low pitched one.  Of course someone who spoke goblin might actually know what they are saying.....

Felicia's eyes flutter shut for a moment as a spell springs to mind and she feels the vibrant energy of magic flow through her being.  Opening them, she looks to the warriors for their direction ready to assist.

"Move it boy, they're talkin' 'bout eat'n 'em!"
They definately needed Vestan and perhaps Ronalt to circle around. Arek doubted there would be time for a proper scout but at least they could cut off the goblins retreat and maybe even snatch the children while the rest of the party attacked...
"Ready yourselves. We might 'ave ta charge 'em at any moment!"

Adia-Ny brings his crossbow up, and quickly cranks the cord back, easing it at the last into the lock so that the click is minimized and hopefully won't be overheard.  Slipping a bolt under the spring, he looks up at Ronalt.  "Do you want me to come with you?" he asks in his quiet, calm voice.

"Follow Vestan and try to keep him from trouble." Ronalt suggested.

Yesil stood next to Arek, her sword already unslung and the heavy weight of the end of its blade resting in her left palm.

Her wiry, compact frame was a strange contrast to the squat, broad dwarf.  She'd decided that where Arek went, she would go.  At least until better options presented themselves.

"Be quick," she muttered to Ronalt.  Whether it was an order or a her way of wishing him good luck was uncertain.

Adia-Ny looks over at Vestan and then back at Ronalt.  He rolls his eyes.  "You want me to do what?!?!"  he asks with a grin.

The party quickly arrange their approach, Vestan and Adia-Ny circling to the right, Ronalt to the left.  They see a large clearing ahead and it quickly become apparent what the cause of the commotion is.

In the clearing are three goblins, one holding a sack that seems to be moving. But it is the other creatures that command you attention. Three ogres are in agrument with the goblins. As they watch one of the ogres reaches into a second sack and pulls out a struggling boy of about five years old. The boys screams of terror are loud enough for everyone to hear.

The ogre lifts him up and dangles him by one arm, turning him around. He teurns to the other ogres and says something and the all make some sort of snorting noise, possibly a laugh. Intent on their prey, there are oblivious to the stealthy approach.

That is until Adia-Ny steps on a dead branch that breaks under his foot with a loud crack. All the monsters look round and one of the goblins squeaks out an oath and points straight at the monk. The nearest ogre a horrible grin on it's face starts to move towards the edge of the clearing and Adia-Ny, saying something over it's shoulder as it moves.

OOC: you didn't think I was just going to let you sneak up did you?

apologies for the ASCII map again....

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*-scrub/woodland .-path   -clearing

Y-Yesil          F-Felicia
R-Ronalt         V-Vestan
A-Arek           E-Elmo
Ad-Adia Ny

g-goblin         O-ogre
s-sack           b-boy

[Private to Arek Blackiron; Felicia Florette: The first ogre says "...nice and fresh, won't even need to cook it!" the other could not be understood.]

With the ogre concentrating on the lummox tailing him, Vestan uses all his possible skills to attempt to fade into the enviroment and sneak as quietly as possible to the east. He's attempting to make a wide circle to the north east.

Ronalt seeing the battle plan go south, he sends a volley of arrows at the ogre holding the boy.
"Attack."
OCC: Bow attack 1 unmodified 9 dam 1
OCC: Bow attack 2 unmodified 18 dam 2

If able Ronalt puts another round of bow attacks before drawing his longsword and entering the clearing