The Iron Teeth

The Road North 4

After a few minutes of walking through the woods Saeter turned to Blacknail and gave him an appraising look. The goblin was nervously scanning the woods around him for threats. He couldn't see any, but that didn't mean they weren't there...

"Well it's obvious you're no forest creature; you're shaking like a leaf. I'll have to start your training out slow then. Just follow me and be quiet unless you want a smack. You'll get used to being out in the deep green, you're a goblin after all," Saeter explained to Blacknail.

"I follow master quiet like," whispered the goblin in response. He could do that; he snuck around places all the time. Saeter grunted in affirmation before moving out. His long strides carried him quickly over the ground as he headed deeper into the emerald forest.

Blacknail hurried after him. He made his best effort to keep up and make as little noise as possible. He stepped gently, avoided twigs and leaves, crept over logs, and kept low to the ground. Just as he was about to congratulate himself on being so quiet he realized he had a problem.

His legs were too small and short! His master with his long strides was quickly leaving him behind. While Saeter could walk casually Blacknail had to jog. Where Saeter stepped over logs and mud he had to jump. He couldn't do that and be sneaky at the same time! There was no way he was going to be left behind though so he pushed his pace.

Blacknail managed to keep up, but as they moved deeper into the woods a cloud of insects begun to gather. Soon a black buzzing swarm had formed around them. Well mostly around Blacknail. His master was protected by his thick long clothes. Meanwhile Blacknail's loincloth did pretty much nothing. The flies and mosquitoes seemed to prefer the goblin for some reason as well. Probably because Saeter was kind of old and skinny so he probably didn't taste very good.

Blacknail tried to swat the flying pests but there were far too many of them. As a goblin he had thick skin but the bites were still painful and annoying. His frantic motions failed to deter the swarm but they slowed him down and caused him to start to fall behind again. He had never seen, or felt, so many mosquitoes. He hissed angrily at the swarm but it apparently wasn't very impressed because it just continued biting him.

"My blood, go away!" Blacknail barked angrily at them. Luckily he knew a way to protect himself. Looking around he spotted a muddy puddle.

The goblin then gleefully jumped in and started to roll around. The wet sludge was so cool and soothing as it enveloped his skin that he squealed in happiness. The stupid bugs wouldn't be able to bite him through all the mud! After coating himself fully he got to his feet... and found his master staring down at him.

"By all the hells, what are you doing?" Saeter asked him sounding dumbfounded. A look of surprise and disgust was plastered on his face. Blacknail was pretty sure he was in trouble. He gave his master a begging look and his best puppy eyes.

"There were biting bugs..." he told his master in his most pitiful sounding voice. Saeter gave him a light smack on his head and pulled him out of the mud by his ear.

Blacknail had to lean into his master and hop rapidly to lessen the pain in his ear as Saeter pulled him. When he had been dragged well out of the mud Saeter looked him over angrily, but then sighed in resignation and let him go a second later.

The goblin winced at the pain in his ear and began to rub it carefully. It hadn't really hurt him that much though and he expected further punishment. However his master didn't seem that angry with him anymore. Instead of hitting him again Saeter reached into a pouch at his side and withdrew some plant leaves.

"This is Flybane," he told Blacknail as he handed several leaves to the goblin. Blacknail sniffed them and sneezed as their strong bitter smell invaded his nostrils.