"Unbelievable" Raffles muttered, for maybe the fifth time in as many minutes, as he watched the three goblins bickering.
"It's wearing my hat... my actual hat" almost trying to convince himself that what he was seeing was real as he crept closer...
"Ow comes you strutting around like the Goblin King with that 'at on eh?"
"Shut up, you're just jealous... it wouldn't look as good on you anyway" responded the hat wearer curtly
"I dont reckon it counts as official uniform" sniffed another
"What you reckon, and what actually matters aint the same" the hat wearer hissed. His patience obviously wearing thin. This had been going on for a while.
"Well I fink..."
"That's it, I don't want no more of your nonsense" the hat wearer tossed the much discussed hat into the roughly constructed shelter that served as a lookout post.
"We'll settle this the goblin way" he spat advancing on the other two.
Raffles inched still closer... could there be an opportunity to be reunited with his favorite hat?
A scuffle broke out amongst the goblins... he was getting so close...
"Oi, you lot, stop it" another, deeper, more guttural voice barked.
Raffles froze, as a larger goblin strode round the side of the shelter, and glared at the three brawling goblins... their milling arms and legs coming to a sudden stop.
"What has got you lot so fired up that no-one is doin' any watchin'?"
A sullen silence followed.
The larger goblin glanced in the shelter.
"Your getting a better class of traveller coming by here, looking at this loot"
One advantage of being tasked with lookout duties near the road, evidently, Raffles mused.
"That's a fine 'at... the type of 'at that would suit a goblin of rank... like a captain" he said, almost to himself.
"That's 'andy" one of the goblins sneered having overheard.
"Wot was that?"
"Nuffink, nuffink captain"
"Good'... now get on with doing some watching"
The Goblin Captain picked up the hat, and pulling it roughly onto his head, strode off... Raffles assumed to continue his 'inspection' rounds.
The three goblins turned on each other again...
"That's your fault, now none of us as the 'at"
Scuffling ensued.
Raffles decided to make the most of this opportunity to see what else was in the shelter, managing to sneak in and grab a couple of leather pouches, a rather tarnished dagger and small wooden box and make his escape as silently as the mist that swirled around.
The day was getting on, so he headed straight for where he thought the road to be, and to his only slight surprise, found himself safely scrambling up the last bank and heading towards Bree in just a short while.
He was getting better at this.
