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Chapter 5.48 G is the fifty-first chapter of Volume 5, and the 4th chapter of Book 9, Tears of Liscor.

Synopsis[]

Rags' decision to spare the human lordling yesterday percolates through the tribe. Many don't understand, but the goblins who'd survived and been part of the Flooded Waters tribe before they'd departed from around Liscor remember: There were humans that mattered, that changed, that were worth saving. But the forced march still takes its toll, and even hobs start to lag. Rags motivates them by shame, by outpacing them even with her short feet, and by making use of the bag of holding she'd looted before to carry some of their burden. Soon enough the whole tribe races, leaving the humans herding them struggling to keep keep up.

Finally the tribe is put to a halt at a nondescript spot on a plain, ahead of the humans' schedule even, where they previously had doubt they'd arrive on time. They set out to camp, but within hours, gradually, Rags, her lieutenants, and all the other hobs notice a pressure, a warmth, coming from the North. A black and green tide crests the horizon: the Goblin Lord's army approaches. After only a little time it's clear that the army won't stop there, and Rags orders her tribe to break camp and get ahead of the army, to let them gain on her tribe, but to keep them separate, with arms if necessary. Among the Goblin Lord's army are also the Tremborag and Garen Redfang with their Mountain City tribe.

As can be expected, the chieftains' and Goblin Lord's forces differences come into conflict, only kept from open battle by Lord Tyrion's main army driving the hundreds of thousands of goblins before them. Still, Tremborag and Garen almost fight with Rags, but Goblin Lord Reiss intervenes in time, but soon enough the human army starts a bombardment to break up the scuffle before it can grow. Rags orders her tribe to the front of the marching tribes, aided by her skill and Skill, still keeping to her orders to keep the tribes separated.

Later on, once they all camp, the Flooded Waters Tribe keeps their separation by force, with Rags worrying about spies among the goblins. Garen's Redfang faction keeps up their provocation until he himself joins in. He accuses her of betraying him; she in turn accuses him of betraying his goblinhood by his actions at the Mountain City Tribe. On the issue of the Goblin Lord, Garen accuses him of being a slave and a traitor. Rags throws the last part back in his face and he backs down.

On the human side, Tyrion organises the human army he's leading, dealing with politics and nobles, marshalling his forces both lagging and ahead of the army. When Lord Pellmia's requests leave from the army for him and his son, but not his soldiers, Tyrion is surprised. Given that Pellmia fought the Goblin Lord with distinction, he didn't think Pellmia lost his nerve; regardless he's able to convince the lord not to leave, but instead lead the infantry in the rear instead.

The following day, once the tribes are on the march again, Reiss and some his lieutenants get to Rags to talk. He insists in joining her on foot and talk that way instead of staying in place, knowing the humans would start bombarding them soon enough, showing unexpected concern for Tremborag's Mountain City tribe goblins; they are all goblins, his people. As they move, Rags calls him out on his supposed slavedom and his use of the Undead. Reiss argues that using undead goblins saves living ones, a point that Rags cedes, and he admits he has a master, but before he can continue Garen intrudes on the discussion. He calls Reiss out on his betrayal and slavedom, and Reiss in turn illuminates some the history shared between them, how they had shared plans: Reiss to lead, Garen to fight. And Reiss knows that Garen found the keys to Velan's legacy in the High Passes, a fact that Reiss never passed on to his master, despite the concerted efforts to look for it. Garen, despite being a terribly, abysmally bad liar, denies any knowledge of any key.

Characters[]

Locations[]

Creatures[]

Items[]

  • Bag of Holding
  • Huge Wooden Club
  • Redfang
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