Over the following days, the column advanced north, moving farther and farther away from Graymont. The road worsened as they ventured deeper into the region, with stretches where the rains had turned the ground into mud and others where the roots of the trees had begun to lift the stones that had once formed the road. The carts moved slowly, and on more than one occasion the soldiers had to get down to help push when a wheel became stuck.
However, that was not what drew Edmund's attention the most. Along the way, they began to find the remains of small, abandoned settlements.
Several houses had been reduced to black, smoking structures, while the few buildings that were still standing showed marks of blows and cuts on their doors.
Edmund ordered the column to stop for a few minutes and observed the place from a distance. Jhon approached on horseback and followed his gaze.
"Greenskins?"
"That's right," Jhon replied. "Even the bandits don't dare wander through these lands."
Edmund remained silent for a few seconds before looking at the houses again and making sure that everyone else etched the image into their minds. Even if it had been his father who was responsible for failing to protect these people, it could also have been his fault for not wanting to change Graymont's situation in the past.
No one spoke much as they passed through those places. The soldiers had grown up listening to stories about how dangerous the north was, but seeing the results directly was very different from hearing rumors in a tavern.
On the third day, the landscape began to change. The mountains rose increasingly closer, and the road began to narrow until it became trapped between enormous walls of rock. The vegetation was denser, and the trees covered much of the sky, while ancient stone structures occasionally appeared among the slopes. Some had completely collapsed, while others had been reclaimed by roots and moss.
When they finally reached the enormous pass that led toward The Vaults, Edmund understood why that region had been considered such a difficult land to control for so long. Before them, the mountains opened up, forming a natural entrance into a much larger territory, filled with valleys, passes, and ancient dwarven structures.
"Home sweet home," Brogur murmured.
Brogur spat on the ground at the comment. "I'd rather be a desert dwarf than an Empire dwarf."
The column slowed its pace as they advanced through the pass. The soldiers kept their hands close to their weapons, and the scouts spread out slightly from the group to check the surroundings. Edmund had barely traveled a few hundred meters from the entrance when Ellaria stopped and raised a hand. The column froze almost immediately. The elf remained motionless, watching the bushes covering one of the slopes.
"There's movement."
Edmund dismounted from his horse and approached carefully.
"How many?"
"I'm not sure yet."
Victoria took out a spyglass that was almost a family heirloom and crouched beside a rock, observing the same area for a few seconds. "At least forty. Maybe more, and they're goblins."
Jhon began ordering the soldiers to prepare their weapons, but Edmund raised a hand.
"Wait."
Ellaria looked at him.
"What is it?"
"I can't tell them to waste ammunition on simple goblins."
"It was about time. I adore the smell of a forge, but if there are things I love more than anything, it's the smell of the blood of those filthy creatures." Brogur was the first to climb down from the cart.
The goblins appeared a few seconds later. They were a small warband of warriors, dressed in pieces of leather and stolen metal, armed with spears, rusty knives, and clubs. Some carried improvised shields made of wood and hardened hides. They had seen the column and were advancing quickly, probably convinced that these humans would be easy prey.
Ellaria waited until the first one came completely out from among the rocks. She aimed her crossbow, and before the goblins could prepare themselves, the bolt pierced his throat and sent him falling backward. The second fell immediately afterward, followed by a third. That was the limit of bolts her crossbow had before needing to be reloaded.
Brogur charged at them without worrying about his surroundings and crushed the heads of two of them with a single blow from his mace. Then he charged toward another and continued crushing heads while Ellaria tried to cover his back.
The remaining goblins quickened their pace, avoiding the furious dwarf, and Tristan advanced to meet them. He did not need to run. He waited until the first one tried to attack him with a spear, stepped out of its trajectory, and cut the shaft with one sword before piercing its chest with the other. The next tried to take advantage of the movement to attack him from the side, but Tristan spun on his own axis and the blade passed through the goblin's neck before he could complete the strike. Two more tried to surround him, and Victoria entered the fight at the same time, throwing a dagger at one of them and driving the blade of her rapier into the other's abdomen.
The goblins began to retreat, but by then they had already lost any chance of reorganizing.
There was no formation, no complicated tactic, nor any prolonged exchange of blows. It was simply an overwhelming difference in power. The goblins attacked in disorder, and the four adventurers responded with precise movements to each of their attempts. When the one who appeared to be their leader gave the order to retreat, Brogur fixed his eyes on him and charged with his entire body, knocking him down and striking his head with his fists until he crushed it.
The battle had ended before the soldiers of Graymont had even taken ten steps.
Jhon remained silently observing the battlefield, somewhat impressed by what he had seen. He took pride in being able to handle five goblins without problems, but beyond that, he would need help. Edmund did the same. He had drawn his revolver in case something went wrong, but he trusted the abilities of his companions.
Ellaria began recovering her bolts while Tristan and Victoria tried to pull the furious dwarf away, who continued beating the crushed head of the goblin.