The next morning, as though nothing had happened, the caravan set out as usual.
The only surprise was that the mage accompanying the Ranger Squad emerged from a female Ranger's tent.
Myra of the Dawnblade was long accustomed to this sort of thing. He merely gave the mage named Karin a knowing smile, then directed the caravan onward as usual.
The caravan soon passed through Tranquillien. Ahead lay the Forest Trolls' territory!
Even Myra grew cautious. They only needed to hold out for another day before reaching Eastern Lordaeron, a safe haven beyond the Trolls' reach!
Karin, however, was not nervous at all along the way. He simply wandered leisurely around the caravan.
"Host, a large number of humanoids have been detected approximately 1,500 meters ahead!" The All-Knowing Eye's voice suddenly rang out in Karin's mind.
Karin quickly jumped onto a wagon and looked ahead... A dense forest stood 1,500 meters away, indeed an ideal place to hide.
"Can you determine their numbers?" Karin asked quietly.
"The distance is too great for an accurate count..."
"Oh!" Karin said calmly. "Then let's get a little closer!"
After the caravan traveled another thousand meters or so... the All-Knowing Eye spoke again. "An accurate assessment is now possible. The humanoids are green-skinned, hunched creatures, numbering between 350 and 500!"
Karin nodded, jumped down from the wagon, and walked over to Myra.
"Mr. Myra, I suggest you stop the caravan and prepare to defend yourselves!" he warned.
"What are you saying, Master Karin? This is one of the areas where Trolls are most active. We must get through as quickly as possible!" Myra said, puzzled.
Karin did not answer. Instead, he scanned the people in the caravan, then asked, "Where are your two bodyguards?"
"They... wait... I don't think I've seen them for two hours!" Myra exclaimed. "Where did they go?"
"Just as I thought!" Karin nodded.
He turned to a Ranger beside him. "Lend me your sword!"
The Ranger was Morgan, whom Karin had taught a lesson over a month earlier. Before he could react, Karin had snatched the longsword from his waist.
"Master Karin, what are you doing?" Seeing Karin draw the sword and approach a wagon, Myra hurried over to stop him. "These goods all belong to Mrs. Hoffman! I can't afford to answer for even the slightest damage!"
An invisible Mana Shield knocked Myra aside... Without hesitation, Karin slashed straight through the thick black cloth covering the wagon!
"These are..." An uproar swept through the caravan.
The wagon was actually loaded with a pile of stones... granite, and very hard granite at that.
No wonder the wagons were so heavy!
"How can this be... Hoffman clearly told me there were expensive magical gems inside, and that I mustn't damage them..." Myra muttered.
Every wagon was forced open. Without exception, they were filled with virtually worthless granite!
"Why have us transport these things to Stratholme?" Myra still looked utterly bewildered.
"Mr. Myra, you've misunderstood one thing. These stones are merely a cover! The real cargo on this trip is you... or rather, us!" Karin said.
"We're the cargo?" The confusion on Myra's face deepened.
"That's right!" Karin nodded and explained, "Your drivers, you yourself, and our Ranger Squad assigned to escort you-we're all the cargo on this trip!"
"And the buyers are the Trolls hiding in the forest ahead!"
"Mr. Karin, are there really Trolls in that forest?" Orissa the Ranger came closer and asked quietly.
"You can test it."
Orissa took out her longbow and loosed an arrow high into the sky in an arc... A shot like that could indeed reach the distant forest, but it was unlikely to do much damage!
The Trolls' discipline, however, was truly abysmal! At the sound of the arrow, green-skinned monsters burst from the forest one after another, clutching all manner of weapons and roaring as they charged toward the caravan.
"The Troll count is complete: 413 in total, including six spellcasters!" the All-Knowing Eye reported.
The swarming Trolls scared every member of the caravan witless!
They did have weapons and some ability to fight back, as well as a Ranger Squad to support them... But against so many Trolls, any resistance would probably be futile.
Karin looked at Vereesa, who stood on the other side, and reminded her quietly, "Miss Vereesa, it's up to you now!"
Vereesa nodded. Already prepared, she took a signal flare from her pocket.
The signal flare shot into the sky...
Footsteps rang out in perfect unison behind the caravan... Myra turned to look, and his eyes widened!
They appeared to be elite Rangers from Tranquillien, and their numbers looked no smaller than the Trolls'! Not only did they appear behind the caravan, but large groups of elite Rangers also emerged to the west and east, encircling the Trolls.
Even the Trolls, stupid as they were, had to realize something was wrong. But now they had nowhere to flee... This was an encirclement and annihilation!
Most members of the Ranger Squad, and even some members of the caravan, had already rushed forward to join the attack on the Trolls.
"Mr. Karin, aren't you going to join the battle?" Orissa asked quietly beside him.
"No... If I can sit back and get carried, why fight myself?" Karin shook his head.
Orissa did not quite understand what he meant by "get carried," but she stayed beside Karin rather than charging forward.
About an hour later, the battle ended. The surrounded Trolls mounted a counterattack in the final moments, but the Rangers' arrows soon turned them into pincushions...
Few Trolls escaped. Most were either killed or taken prisoner.
"A shame those two traitors got away!" Myra said regretfully... He was certain his two "bodyguards" had left early precisely to tip off the Trolls! Yet neither of them seemed to be among the piles of Troll corpses.
"Do you mean these two?" A pleasant voice came from the forest.
Then an agile female Elf emerged from the forest, with Myra's Dwarf "bodyguard" following behind her!
On his back, the Dwarf carried the corpse of the bald human "bodyguard"... Two arrows had struck his chest, both in the same spot: his heart.
The Dwarf carrying the corpse trembled so violently that even from that distance, Karin could sense the terror within him.
The female Elf swept her gaze over the people in the caravan, and a faint smile touched her lips.
"Well done, Vereesa!"