Gala suddenly realized the goblins fighting her look frightened. She was appalled and carefully lowered her flail.
Arachne tried to go to Gala, but seeing that Aloysius was going to try a risky dagger shot, wisely hung back. The mage took careful aim and threw his dagger. The good news was that he hit; the bad news was he hit Jana. The dagger struck the woman in the back of the neck and fell to the floor.
Now ignoring the goblins, Gala dropped her weapon to the ground and began examining Jana's wounds.
Kaileer dropped his club after handing the torch off to Pug and took out his bow. Pug moved to engage the goblin in physical combat, but the little bugger stabbed the gnome deeply in the left leg with his short sword. Pug collapsed to the cave floor, blood spurting from his injury. The torch clattered to the floor and sizzled out in the dampness. The cave was plunged into darkness.
Gala, absorbed in either bandaging or curing Jana, did not answer. Needing light, she called upon the power of Lathander, to light her way to bandaging Jana, no matter how much of a target that made her.
"Damn it!" Jana yelled as the dagger hit her in the neck. She muttered another "dammit" as the torch went out, then shut up so she could listen for movement. She blinked in surprise as Gala illuminated the area, her eyes widening further as she saw that the priest had dropped her weapon. "I'm fine," Jana said, blood streaming from her three injuries. She staggered just a bit, then returned to as menacing a posture as possible.
About that time, a voice speaking in broken common filtered through the cave, "Why you do this? We not hurt no one. Two years live in peace. You come, try to kill us." The voice then changed tongues to speak quietly in goblin.
"No you're not." replied Gala mildly, "we may have made a common mistake in assuming all goblins are evil. And I'm not going to hack down any creature so terrified to fight me. So I may as well bandage you. Put up your weapon. I don't think they'll harm us."
In a slightly louder voice, "Can you speak Common? We apologize for our rash actions. It was foolish of us to blame all creatures for the actions of ones we had previously met. Kaileer, did you say you could speak to them? Everyone, please stop fighting."
Jana glared at the nearest goblins, but lowered her mace. She continued to hold it, not quite willing to let it get out of her hand just yet. "Dammit," she said quietly, and no one in particular. She glanced briefly at Gala, then returned her eyes to the goblins. "Okay," she said to the priest, "whatever you say." She took a step back and muttered darkly, "I assume you'll be miffed if I kill the idiot who threw a knife at my back."
"Yes, I'm afraid so," replied Gala, "just not your day, is it?"
"Sure as hell seems not," Jana grumbled. She gave a warning snarl to the goblins, just to keep them honest, then grinned ruefully at Gala. "Thanks," she said, as the priest dealt with her injuries.
Aloysius looked sheepishly at Jana. "Er, I didn't . . .I mean, the dagger . . . .ah, it looked like . . . .damn. My apologies, Ebon-, uh . . ., Janathell. Generally, my blades fly true."
Still looking somewhat embarrassed, Aloysius picked up the offending dagger and placed it back in his bandolier.
Aloysius cursed himself under his breath after tagging Jana with his dagger. Upon hearing the voice from the dark depths of the cave, as well as Gala's response, he withheld fire with his second dagger. After Gala spoke, Aloysius said, "blahblahblahblah?"
Kaileer shook his head, "Not can talk goblin, Pug talk goblin...", he said, glancing at the gnome to see how badly he's wounded but keeping the goblin in front of his arrow.
Right after the voice from up ahead spoke, a voice from behind spoke, "Gala...Kaileer...It's me Azrun. Is everything ok?"
Gala's light came into effect, once again allowing everyone to see. Several more blue faced goblins stood in the cave now, and one was awakening those that Aloysius spelled to sleep. All of them blinked hard against Gala's light. One was dressed in what were probably very attractive robes to a goblin, but they looked tattered and gaudy to everyone else. He held a staff. The other goblins held either clubs, axes, or short swords and were dressed in various pieces of leather armor.
"I speak your speak," the goblin in robes tells Gala. He does not indicate in any way that he understands Aloysius.
Gala, about to answer, spied Pug.
Pug was in no shape to translate for anyone. The spreading pool of blood on the floor near his unconscious body that no one had been able to see in the darkness answered that.
"Gala!!....Kaileer...Are you guys ok?" the voice that had called a couple of minutes earlier from behind them called again, echoing through the cave.
"Someone go get Azrun. He's the diplomat. I'm just the priest." Gala smiled though her brow furrowed worriedly as she tended to Pug's wounds.
Aloysius watched as the sleeping goblins began to awaken. "Uh.....mighty goblin shaman, as a token of goodwill, I release your, uh, people, from my mighty magics."
The magic-user then turned towards Gala as she tended Pug. "Oh dear, Galaret, mayhap we have acted hastily?"
Arachne looked up at the interruption. She appeared to stifle quickly a slew of replies before contenting herself with a dry, "Per be..." Then she returned her attention to what was really important.
Having backed off from trying to aid Jana, Arachne averted her eyes when she saw that Aloysius's vaunted dexterity (ordinarily superlative, whatever else one might want to say about him) let him down in close quarters. Her averted vision fell on Pug, just as the latter got stabbed and dropped the torch. She started toward him, but the light went out and she realized that there was an annoyed goblin with an already-bloody dagger somewhere ahead. She froze in place waiting for her vision to adjust and listening to the polylingual patter around her. When light resumed, she completed her return to Pug's side and set about doing what she could about his injury. Others, she decided, could attempt any repairs diplomatic with the goblins.
Arachne yielded way to larger woman -- somewhat. In addition to simple size, the light to see Pug by was her doing. Arachne sighed and got to whichever side of Pug Gala didn't want. And she conceded Gala the lead expertise regarding bandaging the wound -- if that was still necessary after the Morninglord was through with the gnome. But Arachne kept her own healing hands on Pug as well.
Aloysius looked down with concern at the fallen Pug. "Wilt good Pug revive?" he asked with a slight shake in his voice.
Arachne didn't look up. "Would you please...just...go....away?" she asked quietly. Her voice cracked.
Taken by the emotion in Arachne's voice, Aloysius remained silent. Suddenly feeling very helpless, he moved over to the far side of the cave and leaned against the wall.
Gala stood, deeply saddened by the loss of the small gnome. She knew that Arachne needed time to grieve, but there was little time to spare with the goblins looking at her for an answer. She nodded to Aloysius at his query, then pulled him away from Arachne.
To the goblins. "We both have paid for our mistake in blood. We do not wish to harm you. Is there a way we can make things right? I feel we need your knowledge, and perhaps we can aid you in some way in return." Gala's face is uncharacteristically sober, tears barely held in check. "Aloysius, would you light a torch please and get Azrun? This is really his area of expertise, not mine."
The magic-user's eyes widened with fear as the realization struck him. Trying desperately to whisper, he said to Gala, "hath Pug passed?" Each word stuck in his throat as he tried to get them out. His eyes begged Gala to tell him that it just wasn't so.
Gala motioned for Aloysius to please be silent. Close to tears herself, his obvious distress warred with her need to try to negotiate with the goblins until Azrun got there. "Will someone please get Azrun?" she pleaded, "Anyone?"
"We are looking for those that take the sheep. We seek to find why the Mire grows in this area." Gala looked desperately back for Azrun.
Kaileer shakes his head sadly. "Pug not stay here... I take see sky." The ranger picks up the fallen gnome gently and takes him outside the cave and to dry ground (if there is any), waiting for Arachne to come with him.
Arachne, who still had her useless hands on Pug's body, was startled when the dead gnome first moved. She began to speak, but stopped almost immediately, instead watching Kaileer silently. She stood up and followed the elf outside.
Aloysius watched as Kaileer gently lifted Pug's body from the cave floor. The magic-user's faint glimmer of hope that Pug would rise and once more share his infectious grin with everyone in the cave flickered and disappeared forever. Covering his face with his hands, he turned towards the cave wall, his shoulders visibly shaking as he unsuccessfully tried to fend off the sobs that rose up within him.
Azrun looked through the gloom as Kaileer hoists Pug's body up. Azrun looked at Lasiar, "I hope you got a few more prayers, friend. Cause I need you to pull them all now. Come on." Azrun tugs Lasiar down the passage to the group.
He quickly looks around surveying the situation, "People....Lasiar.....Lasiar....people. Now lets look at our friend, Pug."
