They didn't even make it to the outpost before encountering trouble.

Jasmine spotted movement within the treeline, immediately signaling for Claire to stop. Claire yanked the reins as Ursa burst out of the carriage with her axe at the ready. Claire dropped from the driver's seat, placing herself between the treeline and the horses.

Claire could hear their panic behind her as they sensed the danger. Their hooves tore at the road as their restlessness grew. Claire didn't dare turn to calm the two down, she had to keep her eyes on the treeline.

A deafening silence exuded from the trees. No birds singing, no movement, and no signs of life. Just the pounding of Claire's heart in her chest and the horses behind her.

Thwack

Jasmine released an arrow that snapped Claire out of her growing panic. A sickening thunk followed, then a crash.

Whatever she hit was perched in a tree.

Ursa moved first, bloodlust radiating from her like heat. The warrior approached the trees, fearless, her muscles tense with anticipation. She let out a war cry just as the first wave revealed themselves.

Goblins. Small, sickly green creatures littered the treeline. Their makeshift weapons and clothes vaguely resemble human creations. Their faces were covered in blemishes and warts, with yellow eyes that pierced through the thicket.

Ursa charged, letting out another war cry. The goblins swarmed to face her as Jasmine launched a volley of arrows, thinning the horde. But just before Ursa could reach them, a wall of flames erupted before her. The intense heat ignited a dozen of the creatures, with their cries echoing across the forest.

If the traffickers didn't know they were coming, they did now.

Ursa wasn't going to let fire deter her, she leapt through it without hesitation. Her axe cleaved through the first unlucky goblin it found, another's body embedded in the axe's head. Ursa swung the goblin's body, using it like a warhammer.

Goblins weren't strong monsters individually, it was their numbers that made them dangerous. Ursa was quickly surrounded by a group of them as they prodded her with their spears. Her body was enveloped in white light, a mix of healing magic and Ana's ward.

Ursa's warcry quickly turned into manic laughter. The berserker slammed the body stuck to the axe into another, ditching her axe for the moment. She readied her fists with a wide, predatory smile.

Claire stayed by the horses, her shield raised. They were her main priority and their lifeline. They were whinnying behind her, restlessly fighting against their restraints. Claire tore her eyes off the fight before her. She surveyed the trees behind her.

Glowing yellow eyes peppered the thicket on the other side of the road. More goblins appeared as she realized they were surrounded.

Claire let out a sharp whistle, piercing through the battlefield. Ursa's red eyes snapped to attention on her mid-haymaker. Reluctantly, she retreated. She grouped up, covered in the smell of goblin blood and growling. She wasn't happy her spree was interrupted.

"Ursa, listen." Claire commanded. "Protect the horses. Let Elsie and Jasmine thin the horde from a distance. You can go wild if they approach."

Claire could see reason within Ursa's red eyes. The berserker huffed before nodding. She slung her axe over her shoulder and paced. Claire watched her patrol around the carriage, looking for any brave goblins.

"They have archers!" Jasmine cried out from above. "Ana! Ready a ward to the right, Claire watch the other side."

Claire readied her shield as a chorus of arrows was released. In a blinding light, Ana's ward was before her, protecting the horses. Claire took her shield and circled the carriage.

"Elsie, strike those archers!" Jasmine barked as she readied another arrow. This one was different, the metal tip was replaced with one of Lily's paralytic potions.

She let it fly, aiming for the formation of archers. The vial shattered upon impact, and a cloud erupted from the vial. The goblins were caught off guard as their bodies froze. Elsie now had a clear target.

A wall of ice erupted from the ground, encasing the archers.

Jasmine tilted her head, "I expected more of a bo-"

Crack-Boom.

She was cut off mid-sentence by Elsie's lightning. It shattered the ice and everything within it.

"Fucking amazing," she muttered.

"Thank you!" Elsie's voice rang from below. "Ana and I came up with that."

Jasmine let a laugh escape her as she released another arrow. The horde was thinning, but not fast. Elsie's mana would deplete soon if they didn't hurry, even with the magical enhancements. Jasmine slowed her breathing, with it her thoughts.

Something was off.

These goblins were too organized. They were moving in unison, flanking the carriage on all sides. The archers from before, as well, all had a vague sense of organization. Jasmine scanned the trees between arrows, observing them.

Something, or someone, was controlling them. Maybe a chief or a shaman, an elevated goblin with actual intelligence. But after meeting Samira, Jasmine wasn't ruling anything out.

"This is weird," Claire said. "Why aren't they swarming?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Jasmine yelled from the top of the carriage. "Elsie, stop burning mana!"

"Should we make a break for it?" Claire asked, finally calming the horses down.

"No. They've got traps up the road. Probably behind us too," Jasmine said. Her voice sharpened. "This is a bottleneck. They're herding us."

Ursa let out a huff, her eyes dimming. Her growls stopped. She rested her axe against the carriage and took a deep breath.

"Someone is guiding them," Ursa said as she tossed her top off. Claire couldn't stop herself from staring for a second too long before snapping back to focus. "I'm getting bored."

"Wait," Claire cut in as Ursa reached for her waistband. "We need to think about this."

"This is the fastest way," Ursa said, undoing her shorts. "I can tear through them faster as a wolf."

"Yes, but what if that's what they want?" Claire retorted.

"They're goblins. Even the smart ones aren't that smart." Ursa said, pulling her shorts down. Cracks grew on her skin, revealing hair beneath it. It was too late, Ursa was transforming.

Claire took a deep breath, channeling her confidence from their previous night. "Ursa. Stay."

It was too late to stop the transformation, but Claire's words reached her wolf. Ursa's eyes widened, and her ears folded. Ursa's wolf sat unmoving.

"Good," Claire said, keeping her tone serious. She rested her hand on the wolf's back and knelt beside it. "Ursa, you need to listen to me. Got it?"

Claire was mimicking Jane's tone with their shepherd dog. Short, serious and commanding. It was working on the wolf as she lowered her head. A faint whine came from her, then a nod.

"Good," Claire said, petting the wolf's back. "Now, can you find their leader? Any different smells? Any weird noises?"

The wolf's ears perked up and it sniffed the air. It could smell the goblins and the blood that stained the environment. There was too much around them for it to focus. Claire rubbed the back of its neck, encouraging the canine. These goblins smelled different, something familiar. It burned her nose.

"Go on, find it."

She took off. Sniffing the battlefield and the corpse, the smell nagged at her. She could smell more of it coming from a goblin she had pummeled. She sniffed around the corpse, the smell overwhelming now.

The wolf sniffed again, confirming the smell. The burning smell of alcohol was on this goblin. On its clothes and still on its lips. Yet that didn't sound right. She prodded the belt of the goblin with her nose, searching for the origin of the smell.

Ursa's tail shot up and she let out a growl. Claire stood and watched as Ursa bit down on something. It returned swiftly, dropping a flask before Claire.

Claire's eyes widened at the sight. "How did goblins get alcohol?"

She heard gasps from inside the carriage as Jasmine appeared beside her. The two examined the flask which was far too intricate for goblins. Jasmine picked it up and emptied the liquid.

"Alcohol?" She muttered. "Did they steal it?"

"Good job, Ursa," Claire said. She was answered with a lick. The wolf licked her face, leaving a trail of slobber.

"Maybe," Lily's voice came from inside. She stuck her hand out of the carriage. "Hand it here, let me analyze it."

Jasmine handed it off and returned to her post. She was shaken upon seeing the design of the flask. Her mind raced with ideas. She was interrupted by Ana's voice.

"C-could someone have given it to them?"