Chapter 13 - Preparation 

The moment I got into the game I called everyone to gather around the fire. The fireplace has become a place of gathering, whenever there was an important topic everyone would gather and discuss. This time I needed to discuss the coming event.

"Ok, since everyone is here now I would like to talk about something. I feel like sometime today we will have some uninvited guests. It has been a week since the goblins' last attack us at the cave and we have not heard of them since. I have a feeling they will be coming for us today which was why I prioritized defense and weapons. Where they will come to attack us? I don't know so I want everyone to be alert. The forest and below us are the only places where they can attack us so just for today we will not be going out. We will use the supplies we have hoarded to get by and prepare for the attack. Any questions?"

I see everyone will worried expressions and after letting everyone digest the information, Robin raises her hand.

"I know defending this place would be good but what if we attack them first? If we attack them we can bring the fight to them and at the same time if it goes bad we can retreat back to behind the wall."

"I would love to attack them however, we don't know where the encampment is and how far away it is from us."

I reply to Robin and I was surprised by her suggestion. Her suggestion correlates to one of the objection completions and it would most likely be the one worth the most.

"Ian, if I may interrupt. I think I know a general direction of where the encampment is."

Oscar raises his hand and speaks out after I finished talking. I give him a surprised look and then a curious look.

"The encampment is in the forest. I saw tracks of goblins yesterday as I was out foraging for mushrooms. I didn't mention this because it was a little further out than I usually go to find food. Naturally, I didn't think it would be a problem but now that I think about it I went to that location before and I didn't see any goblin tracks."

"Wait, if that is the case then...The goblin tracked you."

I got a dumbfounded look from Oscar. I explain what I meant to him as well as everyone else.

"If you didn't see the tracks the first time you went to pick mushrooms in that area but see tracks the second time there are a couple of possibilities that happened. One, after you walked in that area and left a goblin walked towards the same place and found your tracks. Two, they are in the area originally and you going to the area was a coincidence. Three, the tracks are a bait and they are luring us towards that spot to ambush us."

The first two points I said made sense to everyone but once I said the third point they all froze. David and Owen swallow their saliva nervously, while Howard let out a long sigh and Robin did a low whistle. Oscar had his mouth open not knowing what to say and the rest stayed silent.

"At least this shows they are coming from the forest and not from below us. We can prepare our defense for the forest side. We need to first light up the area. On the top of the walls, we should prepare torches and nearby it replacement torches for when it goes out. The only people that can use a bow and arrow are Robin and Howard so we need you guys on alert and shooting from above the wall. The ones on the front lines will be Owen, Luke, Oscar, David and me. While Lucina and old man Hus will be lighting torches when needed and passing more arrows to Robin and Howard. Is this ok with everyone?"

Everyone nods towards me and starts to move to prepare for the attack. We have no idea when we will be attacked so the faster we move the better.

Howard moves some of the bigger rocks near the wall as a replacement stand allowing him to look over the wall. He also moved a rock further away for Robin and then gets started in placing torches on the top of the wall. The torches were made of thick wooden sticks and tree resin wrapped at the top with dry grass and vines. Once a spark from a flint sets off the flammable material it burns for an hour before needing to be replaced. Lucina gathers extra torches and arrows placing them at various points near the wall. Old man Hus gathers the armor and weapon he placed inside the mud house and starts to equip us with them.

[ Stone Spear

Attack: 3

An improved version of the makeshift spear.

Made by Hus ]

[ Stone Ax

Attack: 3

An improved version of the makeshift ax.

Made by Hus ]

[ Wood Chest Plate

Defense: 3

A wooden log carved out to fit the chest of the wearer is tied around the body by vines.

Made by Hus ]

[ Simple Bow

Attack: 1

A bow made from an elastic piece of wood and a thin vine as the string

Made by Hus ]

[ Stone Arrow

Attack: 1

An arrow made from stone and wood

Made by Hus ]

I armed myself with a stone spear and equipped the wood chest plate. I also took a goblin knife for extra measure. Owen and Oscar took a spear and chest plate while David took the ax but since he was too big the chest plate could not fit him. Luke took two knives even though I told him to put on a chest plate he said it was too bulky and hard to move in. It made sense to me as a gamer since Luke's stats were leaning towards agility making him more of an assassin or thief rather than a warrior.

I had the lowest stats compared to everyone else so I made sure that the equipment I put on was secure.

"Owen, Oscar, David and Luke. It will be fine. Trust me and trust each other. Always call out your position and what you are doing. If you engage with the enemy shout out that you have and when that happens if you are free then go help. I will stand at the front, behind me will be David and Owen and at the very back will be Oscar and Luke. We will stand in a triangle-like formation at the gate."

I walk away from them but stop to look back after a few steps.

"I trust you guys with my back that is why even though I am the weakest one out of all of us, I will stand in front of you. I will show you a brighter tomorrow."