It took her a moment to take all of that in. "Kog-I... thank you. It really means a lot to me. It will be as you say." Not that she had much choice in the matter. Few other goblins were able to help her, and even fewer were willing. Koglan was the only one who had both the desire and means to provide for her children, even though she'd bring in some cash as soon as possible.

"Just be aware that it will be a while before I can dance again. Months, even. Bells and jangles will help me to stand out, I guess. If it helps, I can get you a sample of what they look like. Human merchants sell them for a pittance and it's not like I have absolutely nothing left to trade for them. I doubt they have anything in goblin size, so your help is needed. Thank you again." Much of her previous confidence had melted away these last few months. It wasn't just the changing state of her body which provoked the shift; her attitude was also impacted by the need to actually be responsible for someone other than herself. For quite a few goblins other than herself. Potentially dozens over her fertile lifetime, in fact.

She leaned back in the chair for a moment, careful not to fall. She set the chair forward again and took a sip of the water Koglan had poured for her. "If it's not too much trouble, may I have a bit of food right now? There's one more thing for us to discuss. I don't know how many sons I will have- odds are very good that I have at least one on the way- but since one of them will be your apprentice someday, you'll have to pick which boy will later serve in the smithy along with you. If he looks like a tiny version of you, he's probably your son. I-I was sure to only mate with males who looked as little like you as possible. The warriors I lay with had much darker skin than you and different hair colors from each other, when they had any at all. It should help to tell which is likely yours. For the tribe's benefit, of course." Siwa wasn't entirely certain that was the motive. Monogamy was unnatural for a goblin, but a desire to have at least one child from a specific mate while at the same time sleeping with others wasn't considered too strange.

The old craftsman smiled abit, "Dear sweet child." He chuckles, "For you are compared to me. Even without the, well investment in your litter, I'd have helped you I think. Other goblins out there only look out for themselves sometimes. But I am getting on in years, I see the grand picture these days. Alone, a young gobliness and a large litter, yes it would be hard all alone." He nods, "There is no pity in this, respect and hope yes, but no pity."

He sighs, "Food yes, drink is good but Food should have been one of the first things I offered you. Where are my manners. You're eatting for many now, or so I'm told by the wisegoblins of the tribe." He gets to his feet and briefly crosses down the short hallway leading to his hut.

There's the sound of clangs and what might be a knife hissing through something. It doesn't take long, but soon Koglan returns to the smithy, a fresh made bread trencher in hand, atop it, sliced apples, a wedge of yellow cheese, abit of dried and salted meat, and a bowl of pease pottage, likely Koglan's breakfast rewarmed slightly. He sets the trencher on the table in front of Siwa, "Here you go Siwa, eat well. There is more if you wish."

It had been three whole months since the incident regarding Griz, the magically enhanced orc, and the ominous dragon pendant. The pendant itself, along with the runed dwarven shortsword, were kept in the shaman's hut for safekeeping. And that was the end of that.

No orcish warband came to avenge their fallen brother, no magical curse/plague befell their village for having the pendant, and, most importantly, no adventurers came looking for the pendant.

It was peaceful.

"Remember, may your prey be beast or person, getting the drop on them almost always guarantees a kill." Griz whispers as he nocks an arrow and draws it back ever so slowly. Making sure that the deer was more focused on the pile of berries he left in the open rather than the goblin hunters hidden in the canopy above. He stays deathly quiet, going so far as to not even breathe at the moment before he loses his arrow. It embeds itself into the creature's upper body. It lets out a pained bawl before dashing off deeper into the woods. "A good clean hit." He says with a smile as he turns to face his hunting companion, Breden. "It won't make it far. Care to show me how good you've gotten with tracking?" Griz asks the younger goblin. Hoping that he'd been helping the younger hunter improve himself during the times he'd asked him to tag along while hunting for the tribe.

@BigPapaBelial

Siwa bristled a bit at being called 'child', although she knew Koglan meant not harm by it. She was going to be a mother soon. In fact, by goblin standards, she already was a mother, since she had clearly conceived younglings in her womb. Still, there was no point in biting the hand which, quite literally, would be feeding her and her family.

"Yes, that looks good. It's plenty for now. Thank you again, Kog" she began to eat, only realizing how hungry she had been once the food started going down her throat. While she had periods where food was scarce before, she absolutely couldn't starve with so many children in her. Her only consolation was that she didn't have to wait nearly as long as human women did to give birth.

"Kog, before I go, when I have given birth... and you want a son of mine to apprentice under you... what sort of things will he have to do? Will I be able to see him every day after he starts working here?"

@Searat

Breden nodded and spoke as they walked. Three months was worth at least a year to a goblin, and he had learned much. "Let's see. There's a trail of blood, but it doesn't go very far. The deer must have crossed the stream and walked some distance in the shallow water before coming out of the other side. A wounded deer couldn't have gotten very far, but it must have exited the stream in a spot not too steep for it... here." Sure enough, the bloody trail resumed.

"Now, we can follow this, but only so far, as you said. The blood won't stain the dark ground the same way it does the leaves. Since this soil is soft enough for hoofprints, the deer will have left- yes. I got this, follow me." Sure enough, they came upon a wounded deer in a forest clearing.

Griz couldn't help but smile at the younger goblin.

To think that he had grown so much in just a little over a few months. Breden had great potential to be a great hunter and Griz was proud that he was able to help him on his path. Though upon encountering the stream Griz balked and grew slightly pale. The trauma of being swept away and nearly drowning was still rather fresh but he had to keep composure for the sake of keeping Breden focused on the task at hand. They were on a hunt for the sake of the village and leaving a wounded animal to suffer longer than necessary would upset the Nature Spirits. Keeping a brave face, he resisted the urge to make a dash out of the water and kept following Breden's lead. Sure enough, they encountered their mark once again.

Griz gave Breden a nod to convey the feeling of pride he felt to the up-and-coming hunter. "Excellent job, Breden. Now for the true test." Griz then produces his bow and arrow quiver and hands it to him. "Take the shot, young hunter. May the Ancestor Spirits guide your hand."

@Searat

"May the ancestor spirits of good archers guide my hand indeed" Breden took the shot, hitting the deer in the side and bringing it down, mortally wounded. Its death came not even a minute later. "Thanks for letting me use your bow. Looks like the ancestor of someone who could shoot an injured deer was looking out for me. Maybe I had a father who was good at this. Or grandfather or something." Breden walked over to the deer and took out a small knife.

"So, how are we dividing this? Half and half?" He had brought it up with Griz earlier, but the discussion about how to split the quarry was delayed, as the point was to teach Breden how to hunt, not to talk about dividing the meat which they hadn't killed yet.

"Maybe, Breden. Maybe." Griz says with a chuckle as he takes his bow back from the younger goblin. "But you've got potential. So, chin up! You've got your whole life ahead of you." This wasn't empty flattery to help raise the young hunter's self-confidence. He'd hunted with goblins older than he was that still have difficulty with tracking down a wounded prey. Breden not only managed to keep track of it on land but even when the trail ran cold still managed to find it.

Griz then approached Breden just before he began dressing the now dead deer. "Half and half is fair. You want help with the deer?" Griz held no doubt that Breden could have done the whole deer by himself but they were burning daylight and Griz really disliked the idea of toting a freshly killed deer in the middle of a dark forest when all the nocturnal predators come out to play.

Koglan sat and drank his sweet water while Siwa ate. He watched her and nodded slowly, "Remember Siwa if you grow hungry my hut and forge are open to you. Come by any time you wish. Ignore any looks any of the other goblins give you. You are always welcome here." He took another drink and stood as Siwa began to leave. Her question though was something he had felt coming.

For a moment Koglan thinks, "It will be a long time before your son can even work the metal that a smith is known for using. From the start he will be fetching me tools, I will teach them about the fire, about how metal reacts to it, of how to properly handle the billows and the forge. For months he will spend time here everyday watching and fetching tools. Then after months learning how to smith the essentials of a tribe. Things like nails, shovel heads and utensils. He will have spent atleast 8 months in the forge doing those small jobs as an apprentice before his master, myself, would give him the job of creating his journeyman project, which is to forge his own tools, tools that he will use throughout his journeymanship, where he will learn how to forge weapons, small blades and arrowheads and armors. And finally after another 8 months, I as his mentor will give him the job of creating his masterwork, creating a weapon, or a piece of armor that will solidify his style and his name as a master smith."

He nods, "Through out all of this there will always be time for you to come and visit him. In fact I fully expect you to come and teach him about life in the tribe. For is that not the job of the mother? I can teach him the ways of the smith. But I was taught the ways of the tribe by my mother." He chuckles, "He will be my son and apprentice, but he will also be your son still. I cannot take that away from you Siwa." He nods and smiles, "I have spoken on this. You may still come and go after the birth to see our son. Yes." He nods, "Is this to your liking Siwa?"

@Aristocles

@Searat

"Yeah. We'd better get this meat back to the village before the scavengers get it" Breden had lost enough food to scavenging animals before to know that it was a real problem. The two goblins took one side each and hauled the fallen deer all the way back to the village. It wasn't easy work, and both had worked up quite the sweat, and an appetite. Still, there was more work to be done. On the way back, several female goblins turned to look at them. They had expected Griz to bring back this type of quarry, but Breden was another story.

"Is that-"

"Looks like him."

"-didn't think he had it in him."

"Wonder what else he's got."

"Think he'd hunt for me if we paired up for a night?"

Breden only picked up snippets of the conversations, but he got the gist of it. It felt good to be wanted by females, even though their desire was better described as interest at this point. Trying hard to focus, he turned back to Griz.

"So, we gonna cut this up in your hut? I don't have the blades you do."

@BigPapaBelial

"That sounds fair. As long as you teach him how to do the things you do. I mean- I want my boy to have a good life, and that I'd have at least one son of mine who isn't going to be at risk fighting or hunting. Not that I wouldn't be proud of a son who's a great warrior or a hunter- I want that- but I also don't want to risk losing too many of them. You should know that I've accepted that I'm probably going to live to see a few of my children die before I do, assuming I live even a few years more. And yes, that setup you described is indeed to my liking, thank you."

She smiled at him. "And of course, I will be sure to avail myself of your food and drink, for the good of my family. I have spoken on this."

As the two passed by the seven goblinesses he too overheard snippets of the conversation the group had regarding them. It was good to know that at least some of the females were recognizing Breden as a possible mate. Griz would have given the young goblin a pat on the back for achieving that but they were both busy toting around a dead deer. A few moments of silence passed before the younger goblin asked if they were going to cut up the deer at his place. "Yep. Got a flint knife that cuts well." Griz says offhandedly as they made the turn towards the back of his hut.

Sparse as it may have been, it gave them more than enough room to butcher and skin the deer. "Alright give me a second." The older goblin says as he tied a rope to the deer's lower half and climbed up a small tree to lay the rope across a sturdy branch so that they could hoist the carcass up with relative ease. "Breden, get the knife and the big wooden bowl from inside my hut while I tie the rope to secure the deer."

@Searat

Breden got the knife and bowl. "Here you are. You sure that will hold it?" He saw the veteran goblin string it up, as he had surely done to prey many times before. "Guess it will." They proceeded to butcher the carcass, working quickly to get at the meat while it was still good. They both knew they'd have to cook it if they wanted any of it to be preserved. Although goblins could safely consume meat which was more rancid than what humans could tolerate, they weren't devoted carrion feeders like vultures. Hence, they still had to keep in mind the dangers of spoiled food.

"We should eat some of this stuff as soon is its off the deer, but if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to cook some of it. Maybe we can do that together as well. You showed me how to start a fire, after all. Or how to start one effectively, at least."

"Well sure. Let me show you a trick the older hunters use when they need to make a fire quickly." Griz says as he helps Breden set aside the meat, fur, and bones of the deer. He takes the flint knife and his reforged iron dagger and gestures for the younger goblin to follow him to the firepit near the center of the area. "Trick is that if I scrape the back of the flint knife with the iron knife, it'll make sparks." Griz then demonstrates the trick and well enough he manages to make sparks in a short span of time. "Why don't you give it a try?"

While Breden would get the fire started, Griz would assemble his smoking rack. Griz also ties long sections of bark to tie onto the thing so the smoke wouldn't dissipate quickly or be affected by the stray gust of wind.

Koglan smiles, "There now you are getting it. Your children will be formidable! With you as their mother Siwa, you may well bear the next Great Generation." He chuckles. then rests back in his chair suddenly, looking a little pained. He hums and rests an arm on the table top, "you say you are prepared to see your children die before you. I know, that this is likely the last litter I may help bear." He groans, "I'm old Siwa I know this. I'm 17 years old now. I may end up rushing our son through his apprenticeship, so there is a Armor and Weapon Smith to take over after me. I may still possess the muscles of a Smith, but the rest of me is old." He unconsciously flexes his arms, shoulders and chest muscles, the ropes and cords of powerful muscle rippling.

He smiles, "But I will be glad to know that though in a few year old age will take me that I will have left things for our tribe to remember me by. And will have finally passed my skills on to a goblin worthy of working this forge." He groans, "I'm fully ready to know that any of the children I have helped bear will outlive me. I don't have long." He chuckles then smiles, "But I will go out strong! I won't stop! Not until all the strength has left my arms and the ancestors finally call on me to take my place among them!" He crowws these last words, for a moment looking young and hale.

He stands up then looks out a window as a few young goblin girls walk by, overhearing, "Did you hear? Bredan and Griz came back and what a catch. Brendan looks to be coming along well." Koglan's eyebrows rocket up and he grins, "Interesting." He looks back to Siwa, "My pardon Siwa, but I think I have a new project to tend too. On your travels. If you happen to see Bredan can you ask him to come to my forge the day after tomorrow? In the morning if he can. I think he's earned something. Finally." He nods. then hums, "And Griz too maybe. That repaired knife of his well it might need to be replaced." He bows to Siwa, "If you could at any rate dear girl."

@Searat@Aristocles

@Searat

"Thanks! I don't remember the last time I used something made of iron before" Breden knelt down and rubbed the flint against the metal of the knife. All this did was to wear down the flint. "Oh, I need to strike it!" He did so, quickly creating some sparks. It took a while, but a flame started before too much longer. "There we go! Thanks, Griz!"

They cut the meat from the carcass and put it on the rack. It gave off a rather strong smell, something which could be detected several huts over.

"Is this was success smells like?" Breden chuckled. "I just hope I can pull this off on my own, and soon. Not sure if I could've taken that deer down without you."

@BigPapaBelial

She couldn't help but chuckle. "There's nothing that great about me. I've done things I'm not too proud of. No one died, I mean, and I didn't stoop to selling my-" she let it hang there for a moment. "- but I have had a few nights with human men before. It was just- they were so much larger than goblin males and I was curious. You should know that about me, but please don't tell anyone else. The shaman doesn't like it when we waste our urges on infertile pairings. Those are supposed to keep the tribe going, not be for selfish pleasures." There was a pause. "Although I suppose it feels good to confess it. And you were far better than any human man. They've got size, but that's the only thing."

She waited for Koglan to finish speaking first. "17 isn't so old that you won't have time to train an apprentice to take your place, and you may get the chance to help out some other ladies before your time comes, don't worry." Her ears perked up at the news that Breden and Griz caught something.

"I'll have to go see them soon, then, and I'll ask Breden that. Thanks again!" She moved in to Koglan and gave him a kiss. "It's best that I be on my way in just a bit. We've both got a lot to do. And if Breden really did just get back from a hunting trip, he could probably use a good rubdown."

"You're welcome and don't sell yourself short, Breden. You've come a long way from where you were three months ago. And if you still doubt your skill, then keep this as a reminder." Griz cuts a long segment of his cloth arm wrap with his dagger. "A reminder of the lessons you've learned. A reminder of all the hardships you've overcome through diligence and hard work. But most importantly, let this be a reminder that you're stronger than you let yourself know." Griz then hands Breden the segment of cloth, long enough for him to wrap it around his arm or make it a headband if he so pleases. He lets the young goblin process what he's said before talking once again.

"It's going to be a while until all the meat gets smoked. Care to help me bring the bones and blood to the shaman's hut to leave it as an offering to the Spirits?"

@Searat

"Three months is a long time. I've got maybe 20 to 25 years in this life. Still, if you really think it was a good job, I won't question it." He checked on the meat for a moment before Griz spoke again.

"And yes, I'd be happy to make an offering. Not sure how we'll move the blood, but the bones are easily given. It's good that I have something to offer for a change. Oh, and thanks for the cloth. Might be useful as a bandage or something. Are you sure that we should leave this much meat alone? Some hungry passer-by might be tempted to take a bit of it if we're not here."

Ashe being Ashe, she didn't sleep that night working on a new type of potion which could explode with small sharp splinters when thrown. Midday she realised she was still needed ingredients to make more than the trial potion she managed to brew.
Her life in the village was hard at first, most goblins seemed primitive at best to her and the language was hard for her to learn but as with most things that needed one's intelligence, she managed to learn it to some degree. While everyone being wary, as goblins were mistrustful creatures, Ashe managed to truly be part of the village when she proved her knowledge of alchemy.

Stepping out from her laboratory, which basically was a small place where she could brew her potions in peace, she spotted the perfect people to help her with trial and ingredient gathering.

Griz and Breden. Both being hunters, they were perfect for her plan. Goblin children were running around. That was something she was not been made to do yet, being a stranger, having children with the other goblins but in the end, she'll have to do it.
Approaching them, she bowed her head, as she was taught when interrupting two people talking, she said :

" Hello Griz, Breden. I'm in need of help.
I think I managed to make a new weapon for the tribe but I need to see it tested in battle or on one of your hunting trips.
I'll explain on the way how to use it and I'll have to accompany you as I'll need to see the results myself.
Hope you don't have any problems with that. ".

"Then let them take what they need from the rack. Besides, a whole deer would be too much even for the two of us." Griz chuckles as he hands Breden his share of the bones. The blood, however, would have to wait as they couldn't possibly tote around the bones all the while carrying a large bowl filled to the brim with blood without great risk of spilling it. Once they have gathered their respective shares, they leave the back of Griz's hut.

On their way to the shaman's hut, they encountered the newest addition of their tribe. An al-ke-mist, whatever she calls herself, by the name of Ashe. A strange gobliness that arrived at their village over a winter ago and one that had more human characteristics than Griz was comfortable with. But, despite her eccentricities, she was a helpful addition as she helps the village with her brews and concoctions. Much like the shaman but less connected with their religion. "A weapon? Interesting. What do you expect it to do?" Griz says as he keeps walking to the hut, expecting her to follow them while explaining the details of her weapon.

@AsheTheReborn@Searat

"I suppose so. Still, I'll need to take the same amount of meat as before. Half a deer will be enough for me for a while, as long as I keep it as fresh as possible" Breden remarked. "There's no telling when my next successful hunt will be, not counting squirrels and other tiny prey." He took the bones and followed Griz to the shaman's hut. The shaman wasn't home, although another goblin was.

"It's that new girl, the one with the heavy clothes." At least she had the good sense to eschew footwear, an article of clothing goblins had a hard time imagining how to make let alone using. He set the bones at an altar near the shaman's hut and turned to listen to Ashe.

"A weapon? Might be useful. I'd like to help. You don't want to use it on either of us, do you?"

@Searat@Aristocles

Seeing them carrying the meat and bones, Ashe could only think one thing. Goblin religion which didn't make sense to her, like most goblin things, but understood the grasps on it well enough not to anger anyone.
Like most inventors, she didn't believe fully that such powers existed and they would've they would simply be creatures with greater technology than anyone else.

Ashe chuckled slightly at Breden's words, while she was accepted in the tribe, not many expect for maybe the shaman, understood what she did and that made her scary.
" This one ain't for you, haven't made a poison yet but when I do, you'll be the first to test it. " joked Ashe, a small smile on her face.
Turning to the experienced hunter, Griz, she proceeded in explaining the details of the weapon.
"It's pretty simple. If you add some special powder with a bit of nightshade and a few splinters then proceed into putting some rope and burning it, it should technically, explode and throw the splinters in every direction.
I need to test it but I can't do it here in the village. Too many kids around. Too dangerous. "