LibashLibash waited in the barracks with the rest of the military. All of their friends had already retreated to the lower levels and were awaiting the return of their captain. All of them were outfitted with mismatched gear, as would be expected from a fortress that had never waged battle before. Their previous mayor had elected to close off Honeywine from the rest of the world every time a siege came upon them. Months they spent behind their bridge and moat. Each time they would wait out the goblins and return to life as normal.But, as Tirist told it, over one-hundred goblins had arrived with their trolls and no intention of leaving. They spent nearly a year inside the fortress and everyone was getting restless. Libash knew that this conflict would not end without blood, but he was ready. He was a warrior to the very core.Alongside him stood many other brave men and women. Sigun Degelodkish and her silver spear, Litast Dumatoddom who was perhaps the best archer to come out of Honeywine, Ilral Uzollilar, Kulet Athelritas and finally Besmar Kozothrazes, his rival. In the fortress there were two famed swordsmen, Libash himself and Besmar. It was not a rivalry founded of spite, but respect for each other. Both knew the others talents and both worked to rise high and perhaps to Swordmaster, if they were lucky.“Libash!”Libash shook himself from his thoughts and turned to his commander, Cog Amasoslan. “Commander,” Libash tipped his head down.“At ease.” Cog smiled. He had arrived in Honeywine only a few months before in the middle of summer yet was already appointed to commander ahead of Libash or any others who had been there longer. Yet the young man had a certain charisma about him that Libash and the rest respected and so they allowed him to lead the Noiseless Ramparts with no issue. “I am only inspecting the troops before we head out to battle. This is the first time any of you have really fought an army, I am told.”Libash felt embarrassed to admit it. “Eighty years and I have not put my sword to flesh.”Cog only laughed, “Not even to the dreaded vampire mayor? I heard silver works well against them. Or was that werebeasts?”“That is werebeasts. And we’ve not seen a single one in all the years Honeywine has stood. At least that is what Dakost has said.” Libash himself had not been in Honeywine for more than a year yet he felt more pride than anyone in the fort.“Then I suppose goblins will have to do for now.” Cog’s voice went solemn. “They are evil creatures, but crafty. Do not let them get behind you and keep near your allies. If you stray from anyone you will die.”“Of course,” Libash bowed, “you remember the same.”Cog laughed, “Naturally. I’m the commander for this squad, I have to remember to stay behind the rest and tell everyone what to do.”“Never heard of anyone taking kindly to a craven commander,” Libash retorted.“Ah, then it seems I must fight on the front with the rest of you and risk having my beard and head cut short. Good luck, Libash, I shall see you on the field soon enough.” Cog laughed once more and walked amongst the rest of the troops, chatting them up and laughing with them.Libash stroked his beard and returned to his thoughts.He was impressed.Moments later he heard the sound of numerous feet running down the stairs. All of the dwarves turned their attention and drew their weapons. If the goblins have made it across, then we will send them all back!Instead, they all were relieved with the sight of five familiar faces. Three of which were soldiers. Everyone threw down their weapons and ran towards the captain of the guard and the rest, embracing them and laughing. But none of those returning shared in the laughter. Instead they were coldly silent, the young girl broke into tears and Geshud fell to his knees crying.“What happened?” Kulet asked.Avuz only shook her head, “We lost several of our own up there, including a small boy.”The doctor wailed, “The boy followed me to his own death. I only live now because of him!”Libash wanted to console the man, but he was always poor with words and could not think of anything. Instead he was led away by one of the new recruits along with the little boy. Avuz shouted for them to return to their lines and they obeyed. She took the spot in front of them all and took her axe from its loop.“The goblins will never leave us alone; that much is clear. We cannot hope that our stores will last forever while they raid the countryside and make our home seem undesirable to outsiders. So we will fight!” Her words rang through the hall and not a single one of them spoke out of turn or interrupted her. “For years Honeywine has stood and it will continue to stand. But only if we take the fight to our enemy and eliminate them here and now!”The army cheered and raised their weapons.“We are dwarves! Strong and as hard as the earth we dig. Drink and industry are our lives and tonight we will show them the hammers were craft with and drink from their skulls!” They cheered again. “For Honeywine and The Hot Ship!”They repeated “For Honeywine” as they ran through the halls and up the stairs to the surface. The light was blinding yet it felt comforting to Libash. His silver sword shone brightly and he stood at the front with several dwarves standing beside him. Besmar put a hand on his shoulder.“This shall be the day they remember us for,” he said.“May the best dwarf win,” Libash said with a smile.“Whoever gets the least amount of kills has to buy the drinks for tonight.”“Deal.”“Drop the bridge!” Avuz commanded. The great wooden bridge that separated their home from the outside world dropped with a creak and a heavy crash.The twisted green faces of the goblins could be seen from the distance. Amongst them stood great hulking trolls, twice the size of me with horns protruding from their mouths and teeth the size of Libash’s arm.The goblins charged, screeching and howling. Arrows from both sides flew and the dwarves protected themselves with their shields. Goblins fell from the arrows or fell into the earth below as traps captured them. They did not give up, even as their comrades fell, the goblins continued onwards with their trolls making it past the bridge first.With great hulking arms the trolls threw aside dwarf after dwarf. But they did not break. Besmar was first to break ranks and charge with three recruits following after him. With only one slash Besmar sundered limbs from the trolls and finished them as they fell. Libash followed in, yelling and watched as the oncoming goblins began to grow unsure of themselves.The goblins had mixed with the dwarven lines and chaos surrounded them all. “Push them back,” Avuz yelled. And the dwarves set to do just that.The first to approach Libash was a short thing, but fat with red hair and gapped teeth. It chuckled as it came at him, speaking in unfamiliar language. It lunged towards him and Libash met its sword with his own and with a single fluid movement took its arm off and its head right after. Kulet was beside him, strike goblins left and right, impaling the ugly goblin heads on her spear and breaking skulls with the shaft.Another goblin approached, this one seemed more formidable as it swung its whip around. Libash ran forward to meet it. Another dwarf reached the wretch first and was felled in a single swing as his helmet caved in and cracked his skull.It swung again, this time for Libash but the whip hit his shield instead. Their distance closed and Libash drove his sword through the goblin’s chest. It screamed and tried to claw at him. He twisted his sword in the goblin and split it in two as he swung it hard to the side.“Reform the lines!” He heard Avuz call and he did so. They were fewer now, four were lost and another was gone. “Where is Kulet?” Avuz screamed.“Libash, you were beside her, where is she?” Ablel asked.He tried to think quickly. Kulet had never been far, yet somewhere on the field he lost her. He looked around the field and saw nothing but the few goblins remaining ahead.Avuz’s answer came in the worst form.Across the bridge stood a fat ugly creature a silver hammer rest on its shoulders and a horrid deformed head, held by its hair, in its hands. Half its face was crushed in, but the other half was familiar, it once belonged to Kulet. Her beauty forever tarnished.he remembered.The goblins ran forward once more and the dwarves met them, the chaos starting anew. Libash cut his way through the goblins to get to his target and avenge Kulet. Besmar kept up with him every step of the way. The fat bastard stood in the middle of the field, swinging its hammer side to side and knocking anyone that dared face him to the down.It saw Libash and Besmar’s silver swords and laughed in joy. “Shiny!” It screamed with joy, slobber coming from its mouth. It charged with surprising speed and swung its hammer at Besmar. He caught it with his sword and Libash followed with a quick swing at its fat legs, missing as the goblin stepped back.Besmar stabbed at chest, but the goblin swung again and threw Besmar to the side against the wall before turning its attention to Libash.It swung to the side, missing, and once more, and another miss. It then raised its hammer high and with all its strength swung it down towards Libash. He stepped to the side and lopped its arm off. Gore and blood covered his sword and the ground under him and the fiend howled in pain and swung its hammer furiously once more. Libash was taken by surprise and tried to block but was flung to the side with the fat goblin following after.“Never stray!” He heard someone yell. The goblin turned and Libash saw silver pierce through its stomach. The goblin’s scream was the worst thing Libash had ever heard. “It goes for goblins as well!” Cog said as he split the goblin’s head open with his shield.The rest of the goblins stopped where they stood when their fat leader fell. They were quiet for a moment then panic set in and they all ran back across the bridge. The rest of the cage traps caught some runners while the rest of the dwarves followed after them. The trolls were not as panicked, but were overwhelmed as axes bit into their knees and dwarves climbed over them as they fell to finish them.But Libash was concerned with something else. He ran to the wall beside his friend and watched as blood spilled down his armor. “Besmar! Besmar, tell me you are ok!”Besmar looked up and grunted. “Shut up and help me stand,” he said.Libash took his arm and helped Besmar rise. The dwarf shook himself and picked up his sword. “What a bloody mess. And what are you staring at? This isn’t my blood, it’s all the damn goblins.” Besmar turned Libash back to the field and they joined the rest as they gathered the bodies.Thirteen dwarves were laid on the ground in front of them. Avuz frowned as she looked at the young boy she could not save.“These thirteen gave their lives for the sake of our fortress,” she said. “It would be a sin to bury them with all the rest when their deaths were given for others.”“I’ll speak with Dakost and have the miners dig out another tomb,” Ablel said before taking her leave.“They were heroes,” Litast said.”All of them.”“We will sing of them tonight,” Libash said.“Aye, and we did a far greater number on the goblins,” Besmar reassured her.The civilians began to return from below and started gathering the dead of both sides. They stripped everything from the corpses, down to their socks. Chairs were brought out and the soldiers finally rested themselves as they watched the rest do their work.“Our first battle, and certainly not the last,” Avuz said.“No reason in thinking about the future,” Tirist replied, “what matters the most is what we do now. By that I mean cleaning up and getting ready for dinner.” She laughed and slapped her stomach.“I believe we had a little wager on that.” Ilral looked at Besmar and winked.“Five,” Besmar announced.“Three,” Ilral said proudly.“Four.” Libash looked at Ilral and smiled.“Wasn’t there anyone else in the damn bet?” She complained.“Just us three,” Besmar said laughing. “Thank you for the drinks! Oh, and that will be for all the men.”Ilral mumbled to herself and walked away.Besmar continued laughing and turned to Libash. “And I suppose that means I beat you as well,” Besmar was happy to say.“Avuz or Ablel probably got the same,” he said.“Then that makes me better than them as well. Perhaps I should look into being made champion,” he laughed again.“You’re too happy after this,” Libash frowned.Besmar stopped laughing. “If I do not laugh for those who died, then I will cry for those who died. I would rather not cry. We are dwarves. We are hardier creatures than that.”“Perhaps, but holding it in like that is not much better.”“I shall certainly cry on the day you die,” he said.“And who’s to say you will outlive me?” Libash laughed this time and Besmar smiled.“Then we will die together and weep we fall,” Besmar replied.Libash took his friend by the arm and they both stood. “Then let’s hope that day does not come any time soon. Come, we have alcohol to drink or I fear we’ll never make it through the next day.”Besmar nodded and the two headed back into the fortress. The gloomy air that filled Honeywine was lifted and Libash felt happier for it. He walked past the crowds of dwarves trying to claim whatever they could from the dead goblins and laughed. The drinks that night were the sweetest he had ever had.----Finally, I got a new chapter up. It's been awhile, but things have been busy and I tirelessly edit. Though I do less editing for Honeywine, perhaps that shows. Sadly, I lost my notes I wrote for this as well so I have to go off my memory as best I can for this. It's pretty good though and not total BS.