Korlash was taking his armor off after a long shift during guard duty. He may have been captain, but he still worked like the others. He traced his scar and listened to the rain outside. It was a like a mire outside the town, with the rain as heavy as it was. He was almost finished taking off his chestpiece when he heard the noise.

Thunk thunk thunk.

The noise sounded familiar but Korlash couldn't discern what it was. It sounded again and he heard guard voices yelling outside.

"Troll! Troll incoming!"

Korlash put his armor back on as quickly as he could and yelled to jin, who was rummaging through his food. "Jin! Stay here!"

Korlash grabbed his blades and ran outside, ready to face the incoming troll. What he saw next made his knees weak. Not one, but three trolls running into town. Korlash unsheathed his blades and faced the incoming trolls.

Jin froze at the strange noise, midway done with pawing through Korlash's larder. She had become very fond of cheese since she'd first tasted it, and she just knew her sometimes-friend would have some. While she didn't recognize the sound as dangerous, the yelling outside sounded afraid. When Korlash told her to stay, she knew it was trouble. Why was she to stay when she could help? After quickly stuffing a hunk of salted beef in her mouth, she grabbed her dagger belt and headed out the window.

Scrambling to the roof was just as easy as walking for her, and it gave her a better vantage point. "...wha?" Her eyes widened at the sight of the trio of trolls. She'd never seen a creature so massive. It would likely be difficult to take down. The problem was, she had gotten to know that Korlash had a thicker skull than most boulders. He wouldn't stop trying to hurt them until he was unconscious- or dead.

Silently, she crouched on the wet roof. The rain didn't bother her much, but it would make it harder for her to fight well. She would hold until she could figure out how to help.

Feeling the urge to fight, korlash rushed at the trolls. He thought up a plan and realized that trolls were dumb as rocks. He scrambled up the first troll like he would climb up a tree. He took out a throwing knife and flung it at the troll.

"Oi you big rock swing here!" Korlash yelled, angering the second troll.

The second troll swung at the first, and Korlash swung off the first troll. Merely seconds after jumping off the troll, the club came smashing down, cracking the first troll's skull and killing it.

With the second troll blinded, Korlash turned to the third and readied his blades.

Jin flinched as the troll's club came swinging down toward Korlash. She knew he wouldn't be stupid enough to get himself killed that easy, but it was still a close thing.

She swore under her breath, a Goblinish equivalent to 'idiot', which was her secret nickname for Korlash sometimes. The third troll was facing off against her elven friend, but the second that he'd blinded was swinging it's club wildly. It was hitting buildings, and people were screaming. Jin sighed faintly. She may not be entirely welcome in this city, but that didn't mean she'd watch others die.

She took several steps back from the edge of the roof, and concentrated. She pulled her magic from the pit of her belly, like she'd been taught by the shamans. With a burst of energy, she sprinted toward the edge and pushed off with all her strength. Her magic poured from her, willing the air around her to propel her further- right onto the blinded troll's head.

"Hey, bad-looking!" She drove her dagger right into it's eye, causing it to roar in a way that nearly jostled her free.

Korlash saw jin's scene and became really angry. "I told you to stay inside!" He yelled as he provoked the third troll into swinging at him. He barely dodged it, but planned it as he ran up the troll's arm, driving both his blades into its neck, and swinging outward, severing the head from the neck and letting the blood spray on him. As the corpse fell to the ground, he slid down it, finally landing on his feet. After landing korlash ran to catch jin who looked like she was about to fall.

Jin grunted as she gripped the troll's sparse hair, using that and her still buried dagger to keep herself stationed. "Sorry, don't understand." She willed her magic again, pushing herself into an aerial twist. Her dagger twisted in the troll's eye as she moved, and as she came forward closer to the troll's ugly, bleeding face, a second burst of wind drove her forward at a blurred speed. She drove her dagger down, right into the troll's throat. That set the troll swinging in pain, knocking her off hard and sending her hurtling toward the ground, too dazed to will the winds to save her. Instead of hitting the cobblestones, she landed on something warm and sturdy.

"Oh." She looked up at her savior, who was a frustrated looking Korlash. "Hello." She smiled with all the innocence of a young girl.

The troll finally fell to it's knees as the dagger made it bleed out.

When she first fell into his arms, Korlash glanced around. He sighed when no one was looking in their direction. He seethed with anger at jin.

"When I say stay put, I know what I mean," whispered Korlash, "You may know how to fight and I know you know. But you're still a criminal and if they see you they will chase after you. Not only that but I'll be cast down and looked upon as treasonous!"

Korlash was still worried that the guards would come near him so he put jin down and motioned her back towards his house.

Jin nodded very slightly, and hastily rushed off toward the house. She took a long route around, just to make sure to shake off anyone who may be after her. Once she was sure no one was after her, she went into Korlash's home through the window. Hopefully he would bring back her dagger for her. With a sigh, she looked at her remaining weapon, which was covered in troll eye goo. She'd have to wash it... but suddenly she was too tired to stand up straight. "Nngh..." She slumped to her knees, only barely catching herself from falling outright. Her ears were ringing and her vision was going black, and she had enough time to get her dagger out of the way before she fainted.

After Jin had run off, Korlash went around checking with each guard making sure everything was alright. When he walked near the second troll's body, he noticed Jin's dagger sticking from its throat. He yanked it out and after one look deemed it ruined. "Better buy her a new set." He muttered.

"Captain! Captain!" Yelled a recruit. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine." It's not like I'll go down that easy." Replied Korlash with ease. The recruit saluted him, and he saluted back and walked off.

Korlash came around to the shopkeeper, who was staring in awe. "Hey I need a set of your best crafted daggers." Korlash paid the money and walked back to his home. When he opened the door he found Jin dlumped over on the ground.

"Jin! Jin are you alright?" He asked even though he knew she wouldn't answer. He checked her breathing and heartbeat. Both were fine. She must have been tired from the fight. He picked her up and laid her in his bed setting the new daggers next to her on the table rest, and walked outside, guarding her sleep until morning.

Jin awoke, surrounded by warm softness and a somehow familiar scent that she liked. She opened her eyes as she became truly conscious, looking around at where she was. She'd never slept in a bed before... Maybe there was something nice about it. The blankets were warm, and softer than the ground, certainly. She got up, and wobbled, nearly falling over as her head started to spin. "Mm... too much... magic." The shamans had warned her of this when she was training. If you used too much magic, the spirits would take the remaining energy from your body and soul. It was possible to die from a big enough magical spell. Luckily, bodies could be helped. Food and medicine and rest. Souls, too, but she hadn't understood what they'd told her about how...

She made her way slow out the bedroom door, calling out. "Korlash?" Looking around, she suddenly realized that there was only one bedroom in the little cabin, and it was his. So that was the scent... "Korlash, I-" Her vision wavered and she found herself sitting down in the middle of the room. "...I... need help."

Korlash could hear Jin and made out the last of her words asking for help. "Jin? Are you... are you awake?" He asked, slowly opening the cabin door.

He saw her sitting on the floor, looking as if she was about to cry. "Jin what's wrong? Are you alright?" He went and sat on the floor next to her, bringing her some cheese.

"Here. Eat some food. You seem like you need it more than I do." Jin didn't seem to notice the daggers so he grabbed them and sat them next to her. "Your dagger was ruined in that troll's throat so I got you a new set." He prepared to listen to her story.

Jin looked down at the new daggers, her dark eyes lighting up with curiousity. She picked them up and studied them this way and that, balancing them in her hand. They were wonderful just to look at and hold, she wondered how amazing they would be to fight with.

With a happy smile, she looked up at Korlash. Even with them both sitting, she had to crane her neck a bit to do so. "Thank you, friend." She took the cheese from him and hungrily started eating. Manners weren't her strong point- human manners, anyway. With a mouthful of cheese, she spoke.

"I used too much magic. They told me it could hurt me. I just did not know because I have never used so much so fast. I came home and then I..." She frowned, searching for a proper term in the human tongue. There wasn't one in her head, so she tried to explain. "Er... went to sleep. Very quickly. On the floor." She took another hungry bite of cheese.

Korlash looked at jin eyeing the daggers. he was glad she would enjoy them. They cost him quite a bit, and the shopkeeper was severely angry at him. Korlash then heard a knock at his door. he got up and answered it

It was a guard he knew. the guard looked like he was holding back tears. "Captain. By order of the king, you are required to come to the castle. you are accused of treason, and are to be executed by the end of the week."

Korlash couldn't believe the news."What? but why? I haven't done anything wrong. I just rescued the town from a trio of trolls!"

The guard showed him the list. on it were a list of crimes. among them read endangering the city, and harboring a criminal.

When he realized that not only would he be executed but jin would be caught and possibly executed, korlash grabbed her and her daggers and swung her up on his back. he sprinted out the door,In order to avoid the guards chasing after him. he swung up onto the roofs, knowing where each archer would be present. he knew the entire workings of the system. he could avoid everything. and now he would be leaving all of it. he finally reached the gate and sprinted out the gate doors, leaving the others in the dust. in one final act of defiance, one last guard loosed an arrow at him, piercing his arm and causing him to cry out. Korlash knew not where to go, but it would be anywhere but here.

Jin didn't know what to think as Korlash came running in. There was fear on his face, along with determination. He swung her up on his shoulder with ease, and then they were running. She didn't know what to say, what was going on, but when she saw that they were being chased by guards- guards that wore the same sort of uniform Korlash wore- she knew something was very, very wrong. All she could do was kick up more dust behind them with a careful windstream, making it harder for the guards to keep pursuit without getting dirt in their eyes.

She didn't see the guard with the bow, and Korlash's cry of pain caught her by surprise. They were out of the gates and still moving, but where could they go? With a mild frown, she thought about it, and then pointed east, toward the forest. Some of it was easy to traverse, but the deeper you got in, the more dangerous it was. The city would have to spend plenty of time sending people after them if they didn't have an experienced hunter...

She wasn't perfect, but she knew how to travel rough terrain.

"Head to the trees, Korlash!" She didn't know why they were running, but she had a funny feeling in the pit of her belly about it.

Korlash was running still when he heard Jin's idea to head for the trees. He turned and sprinted at the trees. The moment he touched the trees his forest memories came back and he clambered up the trees gracefully. He leapt through the the trees, swinging around and getting through them. As soon as he felt safe he put jin down and ripped the arrow from his shoulder.

"So you were talking about magic," inquired korlash, "where did you learn it from?" He had seen magic in his childhood village, but he never had the gift for it. Maybe if he had behaved more, they would have given him the gift of it. He tore off his shirt and wrapped it around his shoulder, stemming the heavy bleeding. "Anyway, what are we going to do now? we are fugitives. we have nowhere to go. At least I really don't. You may have somewhere. any ideas?"

Jin tried to settle, but her heart was racing and her ears were primed for any sound of pursuit. "I learned magic from the shamans. They taught me." She helped him tie off the wound, and was already looking around for certain plants. They could prevent it from getting worse. Even a wound that didn't bleed could still kill.

"Why did they chase us away, Korlash? I... do not understand." She could always go back to the caves, go home, but... she would be a failure. She'd left to seek something great to bring back home- and all she had was Korlash and some lovely daggers. "I... I cannot go... home. Not yet."

"I... I don't know anymore. I really don't." Korlash put his head in his hands. He couldn't believe it. What had he done to deserve this betrayal? He had even protected the king a few times. why did the king want him dead? He just couldn't understand it. He wanted to cry, but he needed to be strong so they could keep traveling.

"I know a village a few miles north of here. It may be a last chance effort to get to and be safe for a little bit. but be warned. It is a elf village and it'll be possibly dangerous with the large animals around. If you want to leave to go to a different town and live peaceful, you can. But I have some things to clear up." Korlash said, lifting his head.

Jin listened to him, reaching out in a shy way to almost touch his shoulder. She stopped an inch away, unsure. Certain manners and customs were strange to her, still, and she had no idea what the rules for touching were among friends. Back home, she would have been hugged until her ribs creaked if she showed such a hurting heart. Goblins weren't too afraid of touching each other. Male, female, adult, child... it was really all the same. But Korlash was different...

His plan upset her a bit, though, and she folded her arms across her chest.

"You saved me. And you would leave me alone again? I will go with you." She smiled, showing all of her teeth. "Someone will have to keep you from being 'b'ak daer, and so I will do it." It was an insult she'd learned from the older women of the tribe, usually when discussing their husbands. It basically meant 'idiot man' which encompassed all forms of male stupidity at the same time. It was also what she called Korlash. "Besides, we must find a vl'ko dorr flower, for your wound. It will help to heal."

Korlash responded to Jin's suggestion to find the flower. "No. Too much time. I trained a lot of these men myself. They know how to navigate almost anything. They may not be as skilled, but rhey can definitely track us easy. We need to move on and hurry."

Korlash swung jin back over his shoulder and climbed down the tree.

"We need to move quietly. We'll move through the forest to avoid detection. Are you ready to move on?"

Jin felt an odd feeling in her belly as Korlash picked her up like she weighed little more than a sack of rocks. "I am ready. And I can climb, you know, I am not a child." She smiled a bit at him, teasing. "In fact I am faster than you, most like." He hadn't once caught her stealing. Maybe he'd made her unsuccessful in her theft, but in the end, it was she who came to him.