The night was chill, .. down at the rolling hills that shaped up the feet of the mountains there was a single summit where a fire was crackling.. A red glow shone upon those that stood around it, despicable and powerfull beings as they were in their own right. The nature of this people was shown in the senseless destruction of the terrain they had caused. Trampled flowers, .. trees with the marks of iron tools still on them.. and then the one chopped down tree that now served as a seat to a good number of them. "Yes, it will be good business down there in the vales! Very good business!", a sly figure said with the corners of his mouth up, showing mean glee. This goblin stood opposite of a powerfull warg, the strongest of the pack that sat and listened, marked by his black fur and eyes full of intelligence that few animals would possess. The warg answered in his own language, raw and impatient from hunger, "Many sheep? And no men that protect them?" At the mention of sheep many tongues licked lips on both sides. At the mention of them being defenseless plenty of yellow, glistening grins showed in the crowd. The goblin-chief made a gesture as it leant his head sideways, speaking in a soothing and no less persuading tone, "Likely they scattered from a bigger herd and have gotten lost.. probably those large birds that nest in the mountains have picked off a few and then decided they had enough with what they could get.. Plenty yet left for us to take! About a hundred!" The large warg opened his maw and saliva dripped freely from it's lips, .. Instinct and wit yet warring, "So you say...Could be a trap!" "No no! They do not risk their cattle, ..espescially not with winter about to approach! We took a look and there is not a man for miles around, my boys even took the effort to go look from the old outposts!" .. "You can even see the herd from right up here!"
The goblins took their time to look, their eyes were well adjusted to the dark and had no trouble seeing there the herd of sheep. Most of which were sleeping, there even seemed to be cows amongst them or oxen, it was uncertain from the distance they stood at. The wargs had to resort to their noses and this seemed to bring interest, many tails wagged excitement and teeth were showing in malicious snarls.. "I smell no fear..", the warg said, "They do not seem to know we are nearby.." The goblin-chief responded and hid a smile, knowing the beast it's appetites were taking over control now that it had smelled prey. "They shall not, for the high grass will keep our approach hidden until it is too late for most of them to get away!! We shall have some good eating by the end of the night!".. The warg kept sniffing, "I smell no danger on the wind either, no strange scents.. Let us go then, with haste!"
With only the faint light of the moon to show for it, so the goblins mounted on the wargs' backs.. With heads low they stalked through the high grass where no more pinetrees grew and a great meadow was laid out before them. They had to resist the urge to cut and chop at the grass, for it slapped wetly in the faces of those that came behind others.. A few complaining gurgles rose up from some throats. A few more lowly goblins were forced to come behind the wargriders, for there were too many of them now that had snuck from their caverns. As they went a goblin without a nose murmured to the others, "Good that we left the High Passes,. there has been report that some of the boys have had troubles with the wargpacks up there. They had a bit of an argument and the wargs chewed them up good!" Low giggles followed while they clutched tighter on their crude spears and curved swords.. One of them was more nervous though, "Not what I heard.. They said that some were chopped up with the axe of a giant, literally into pieces!" Another felt the need to boast, "Ha! I heard they were crushed like bugs.. some giant made large smears out of them on the mountainwall!" The others looked at the last in disbelief, only the fearfull one seemed to believe it and turned even paler. "Shh, what is that?", one of them suddenly whispered.. "Heads down, seems like we shall be having some fun this night..". No-nose's eyes went from left to right frantically as they laid themselves in the grass, ready to jump forward and be on the herd..
"Strange, I was thinking just the same!!", a loud and deep voice rumbled from behind them, "Never thought I would be of a same mind as goblins of all things!" They all turned around, startled they looked at a bearded face that had snuck up behind them, down wind you might say, for no warg had scented him. "A man! .. Boys overhere!", the fearfull goblin screamed at the top of his lungs! It was no surprise then that soon the trampling of hooves on the ground sounded and the prey fled the ambushers right there and then.. It did not take long before the bearded man found himself opposite of wargs and goblins when they heeded the call of an ambush.. The goblin-chief still sitting on the large warg spoke up. Noting the man was alone , he saw a ripe target to work out his frustration on, "What foolish man faces a pack of wargs and goblins alone! Hahah! Get him boys, but do not kill him yet! We shall roast his feet for a little while first Hahah!"
The man frowned a moment and then he rose up... and up.. and up, even the goblins on warg's back had too crane up their necks and there was no pair of eyes of theirs that was not filled with terrible awe of this figure! It was as if he had grown taller than any man should by some spell .. They just stood there frozen, while he lowered his judging gaze. The young tree they had chopped down earlier was held in his large hands, "You goblins and wargs are queer beings, .. If you treat this land well, there is much you can gain from it. Food, water, fresh air,.. but you lot despoil everything for your foul pleasures. Take what you want and leave nothing for another, to then go back in your dirty holes and forget all you did and plot to cause trouble elsewhere. You then even try to kidnap some of my herd, no doubt intending the worst things with whomever you could get your filthy paws on!", the man's voice was losing it's calm now and many goblins swallowed .. One of them piped up, "We will go back to our homes then and leave you and your herd yes? We did not know it belonged to anyone!" .. The man turned his head and suddenly laughed loud and menacing in his own mirthfull way!, "You have been found by me and thus it is for you lot too late to scatter with your tails between your legs!!" .. The goblin-chief squeeled, "Why?" .. The tree that had served as a seat earlier that night was lifted high by powerfull hands and held as if to be swung like a club, "Because I hate wargs, their goblin-friends and you must pay TOLL!"
A terrible howling and screaming echoed in the mountains that night and it was only at first light that the valley was once again quiet, but for the chirping of birds and the bleating of sheep.
