The Outpost

Varian trudged up the muddy path to the outpost, Elric at his heels. His hand found the sword at his hip, thumb absently rubbing the pommel. The girl’s terrified face lingered in his mind, a haunting reminder of the night’s events.

“Sleep at all?” Elric mumbled, stifling a yawn.

“No. You?”

“Same.”

The two men stared at one another in silence for a long moment. Beyond them loomed the outpost’s wooden walls. The outpost was little more than a fortified camp, but it had served as a barrier against the unknown for decades. They passed through the gate, nodding to the bleary-eyed sentries on duty. A few soldiers milled about in front of their tents.

Alden waited outside the captain’s quarters, leaning on his spear. The young guard’s face was a mask of worry.

“What’s happened?” Varian asked, dread coiling in his gut.

“Riders. From the frontier villages.”

Elric’s voice rose, sharp with alarm. “Goblins?”

Alden shrugged, misery evident in every line of his body. “They’re inside with the captain. That’s all I know.”

The Captain’s Orders

Varian squared his shoulders and rapped once on the weathered door before pushing it open. Captain Aldric stood behind his desk, two men in mud-spattered cloaks before him.

“…found three more dead cows,” one was saying. “Throats cut.”

Aldric glanced up, his face grave. “Varian. Elric.” He waved them forward.

“Goblins?” The word hung in the air, suddenly too loud in the cramped room.

“It seems so.” Aldric stroked his bearded chin, lines of worry etched deep. “These men found goblin tracks near the bodies. But no sightings.”

“They killed three cows?” Elric asked, brow furrowed.

“Yes,” the cloaked man said, voice rough with exhaustion. “But they didn’t take them.”

An uneasy silence fell. Varian’s heart quickened, the girl’s scream echoing in his memory. He stepped forward, words tumbling out.

“Sir, we had an incident in the village last night. A girl, attacked near the square.” He described her terror, the eerie absence of any visible assailant. As he spoke, he watched Aldric’s face grow more somber.

“You found no tracks? No signs?” “None, sir. But the girl was… she kept staring at the forest…”

Aldric nodded slowly, his eyes dark with understanding. He dismissed the cloaked men and turned to Varian and Elric, shoulders sagging under an invisible weight.

“I’ll be honest, lads. This is bad news.” His voice was low, heavy with responsibility. “But we mustn’t rush into anything. Panic is the enemy now.”

“What do we do?” Elric asked, tension evident in every line of his body.

The captain straightened, his voice taking on a familiar note of command. “Double the watch. Patrol in pairs, never alone. I want a full search of our borders.”

“We’ll need more men,” Varian said, mind racing through the implications. “The outpost is already short-handed.”

“I know. I’ll get some from the village. Elric, see to that.” Aldric fixed them with a stern gaze. “But listen well - no one goes into Grukmar territory. Understood? We watch, we guard. Nothing more.”

“Yes sir.” The words tasted bitter in Varian’s mouth. Grukmar territory. The very thought made his skin crawl.

Preparations

“I know.” Varian’s hand found his sword hilt again, the familiar weight oddly comforting.

They walked the outpost border in grim silence, checking the simple wall for weak spots. It seemed a flimsy defense against the vast, brooding forest. Varian’s eyes kept flicking to those dark trees, searching the shadows between the trunks for movement, for threat.

By midmorning, they had gathered a dozen men, sleepy villagers clutching spears and axes with white-knuckled grips. Some looked barely old enough to shave, fear evident in their wide eyes.

Varian faced them, mouth dry. “Right. You all know why you’re here.” Blank faces stared back. He swallowed hard. “There’s been trouble on the frontier. Attacks. The captain needs extra hands to patrol our borders.”

Whispers rippled through the group. Varian raised his voice, injecting a confidence he didn’t feel. “We’ll be working in shifts. Four-hour rotations. You’ll have an experienced guard with you at all times. Keep your eyes open and your wits about you.”

He met each man’s gaze, one by one, willing strength into them. “Any questions?”

Silence fell, heavy with unspoken fears. He nodded quickly. “Good. Elric will assign your posts.”

The Waiting

He walked away, Elric’s soft instructions fading behind him. The sun climbed higher, a cold eye peeking through scudding clouds. Varian paced the village edge, every shadow suddenly suspect, every rustle of leaves a potential threat.

The day crawled by, an eternity of watchful waiting. As dusk gathered, Varian found Elric in the armory, carefully honing his blade.

“All quiet?” Varian asked, tension coiled in his gut.

“So far. You?”

“The same. It feels wrong. Like the calm before a storm.”

Elric tested his sword edge against a calloused thumb. “Captain’s orders were clear. We watch and wait.”

“I don’t like this waiting,” Varian growled, frustration bubbling to the surface. “If there are goblins out there…”

“What? You want to go hunting? In Grukmar?” Elric shook his head, voice sharp. “You heard the captain. We don’t cross that line.”

“And if they cross it first?”

Elric met his gaze. In his eyes, Varian saw his own frustration mirrored. “Then we’ll be ready.”

Night Watch

They took first watch together, walking the wall as the sun sank in a blaze of red and gold. The forest crouched in eerie stillness, not even a breath of wind stirring the leaves. They patrolled in tense silence, senses straining. Every snapping twig made hands leap to hilts.

As true dark fell, they lit torches. Varian peered into the growing gloom, imagination conjuring eyes looking back.

Elric paused. “Do you believe the stories? About the Goblin rituals?”

Varian shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Fireside tales. Meant to scare children into behaving.”

“The captain takes them seriously.”

“He has to. It’s his job.”

“But you don’t?”

Varian looked out at the trees. “I believe something evil lives in that forest. Maybe the goblins find it. Maybe it finds them. Either way, only a fool would go looking for it.”

Elric grunted, then froze. “There! Did you see that?” He jabbed with his torch.

Varian squinted. The torchlight cast a small pool of illumination, barely cutting the shadowed bushes.

“I don’t - wait.” A flicker of movement, there and gone. Varian drew his sword.

“I don’t - wait.” A flicker of movement, there and gone. Varian drew his sword.

They stood ready, barely breathing. The night hung perfectly still. A branch cracked, the sound like thunder. Varian whirled, heart pounding against his ribs.

A shape burst from the trees, racing toward the wall. Elric shouted, lunging. His torch swept down -

And a terrified rabbit scampered between the posts, vanishing into the underbrush.

Elric sagged, laughing shakily. “Looks like we’ve found our goblin.”

Varian didn’t smile. He stared into the forest, the night breeze cold on his face.

Slowly, he sheathed his sword and turned away.

Uneasy Rest

They finished their walk and stumbled back to the barracks, stiff with cold and bone-deep weariness. The outpost lay silent.

Elric paused outside the long, low building. “Varian. The things we heard as boys…”

“I know.” He clasped Elric’s shoulder, feeling the tension there. “Get some rest. Tomorrow will be what it will be.”

But rest proved elusive. Varian tossed on his narrow bed, mind racing. He saw again the girl’s tear-stained face, the old trees cloaked in shadow, their branches reaching like grasping fingers. When sleep finally claimed him, it was filled with looming shapes, glinting eyes, and the coppery stench of spilled blood.

Dawn Brings Dread

Dawn broke grey and gloomy. Varian rose, body aching, exhaustion a lead weight in his bones. He forced down a bowl of watery porridge and walked out to the yard. Elric waited, face drawn and haggard. He looked as if he’d slept as poorly as Varian felt.

“Patrol’s back,” he said shortly. “They found something.”

Varian’s stomach clenched. “Show me.”

They walked through the outpost gate, Elric leading the way. A knot of men clustered near the tree line, voices low and tense. They parted as Varian approached, revealing what lay hidden in the damp earth.

Tracks, long and spread out. Inhuman. Elric crouched, tracing one with a finger.

“Goblin?” Varian asked, though he already knew the answer.

Elric nodded grimly. “Found them ranging half a mile along the border. Looks like a scouting party.”

Cold fear settled in Varian’s gut. He stared into the forest, the trees suddenly more menacing. Goblin scouts, testing their defenses. Looking for weakness. It could only mean one thing.

“They’re coming,” he murmured. “Gods help us, they’re finally coming.”

Elric rose, his face hardening. “Then we’d best be ready to meet them.” He turned to the gathered men. “Back to your posts. Sharpen your weapons and keep your eyes open. Those goblins won’t catch us off guard.”

The men dispersed, muttering darkly. Varian remained rooted, gaze fixed on the dark spaces between the trees.

How long? How long had they lurked there, waiting? What horrors did those shadows hide? He thought of the farmers carving their fields from the wild land, planting crops within sight of that evil treeline. Brave foolishness, or blind ignorance?

“Old gods protect us,” he breathed. “I fear a great evil is stirring in Grukmar.”

He felt Elric’s hand on his shoulder, the grip tight with shared resolve. “Then it’s our duty to stop it. Whatever crawls out of those trees, we’ll stand against it.”

They walked back through the outpost gate.

The shadowed treetops hid a thousand nightmares.