Ylva Talks to the Fairies, part 13: A Narrow Escape

That could have gone better.

Things are fairly peaceful in the Greenwood right now.  Turgut is officially the leader of all the tribes.  We still have our agreement with Gallia though, and the enchantress showed up to talk to us.  Lord Vexil has gone mad.  We explained something of what had happened with the White Witch of Gallia, but not really understanding what happened myself, I don't think it was a very clear explanation.

Some of the forest fae also showed up, to warn us that some redcaps had now gone to join up with the wendigo.  At some point we would have to deal with them, but that didn't necessarily mean having to fight them.  I don't want to fight my own people.

We came up with a plan where we would hide our tribes' forces and lure the hobgoblins into an ambush, while the enchantress arranged for a distraction at the walls of Gallia, and we would sneak in and try to deal with their leadership.

Well, we tried.

We got in without attracting attention, following Vared's lead.  I enlarged Turgut and we went in to fight.  We were up against a formidable enemy - the lead hobgoblin and his pet wolf, the lesser wendigo, and some kind of devil.  Yes, a very impressive beard, and he stuck it right into Aunold.

What happened?  Well, the wolf got blown up by Aunold's first fireball.  Turgut took on the lesser wendigo, and a joint effort between Aunold, Vared and me dealt with the devil.  But the hobgoblin leader was horrific.  He managed to knock out Vared just with the power of his words.  And he almost killed all the rest of us with some kind of necromancy.  Aunold was taken down, and the only reason I survived was because I was just outside the spell's range.  Turgut, being undead, was healed rather than injured by the spell.

I ran.  Or rather, I flew, shouting to Turgut to run away.  We were in no state to fight this creature.  We got Vared and Aunold back, with some help from the enchantress.  Now we have to decide what to do next.  The hobgoblin siege will hopefully be broken with our tribes' help, even with their leader still alive.  But there is still the wendigo.

I know, you want me to be the leader.  The child of the forest.  It's not what I sought out, but if we are able to fight the wendigo then Turgut's obligation will be complete and he will be no more.  Someone has to step up then, and I will not say no to you.  But that will only happen if we succeed where our ancestors failed.  I don't know if I'm ready for any of this.  But I have to try.