The night air over the plains was cold enough to bite. Abe moved low through the tall grass, the moonlight silvering the edges of his armor. His goblin assassins crept in a staggered line behind him, their breaths soft and measured. Ahead, the faint flicker of campfires marked the Bear tribe's first supply line.
They had chosen the shallow crossing of a stream, carts lined in a rough circle with oxen tethered inside. Thick bodied warriors lounged by the fire, the sound of their voices rumbling like distant drums. Even from here Abe could see the gleam of iron weapons resting on stumps and logs.
He signaled for his goblins to fan out, then slid forward through the grass. The plan was simple: strike fast, hit the carts, burn the supplies, and vanish. But as Abe rose from the grass and rushed the first guard, a heavy arm intercepted him.
The Bear warrior was massive, his frame blocking the firelight. His axe came down with a roar, the blade biting into the earth where Abe's foot had been. Abe countered with a slash aimed at the man's ribs, but the axe haft swung up, knocking his blade aside.
A shout rang through the camp. Warriors scrambled to their feet, grabbing weapons. Abe tried to break through to the carts, but each step was met by another wall of fur and steel. His goblins fought hard, darting between the larger bodies, but the Bears' sheer strength was overwhelming.
A heavy strike caught Abe's shoulder and drove him to one knee. The pain flared bright, but the sharper sting was the realization that they were losing. Two goblins fell to the ground and did not rise.
He rolled back, barely avoiding another crushing blow. His breath came in short bursts. Charging in had been foolish. These warriors were ready for a fight, and brute force was not his strength.
Abe slipped into the shadows behind a cart. He closed his eyes, calling on the skill he had barely tested. Camouflage.
The world around him shifted. His skin and armor darkened, blending with the deep black of the night. The warmth of the fire no longer touched his form. He moved, and the grass seemed to swallow him. The shouts of the Bears grew uncertain.
Sliding behind a warrior, Abe drove his blade into the man's back, the strike silent and final. Before the others could react, he was gone again, weaving between carts and striking from angles they could not predict. But it was too late to save this raid.
He signaled a retreat, melting into the darkness. The surviving goblins followed, their faces grim. The first supply line still stood, the flames of the campfire mocking their failure.
By dawn they had circled wide, approaching the second target. This one belonged to the Lizard tribe, and it was smaller. The camp sat on a rise, their carts stacked with barrels and sacks. Tall, thin figures with scaled skin lounged in the shade of makeshift awnings. Spears lay ready at their sides, but their posture was lazy.
Abe studied them from the cover of a low ridge. The memory of the first fight burned in his mind. Rushing in had been the mistake. This time he would move like the night itself.
He signaled for his assassins to wait, then slid forward alone. Camouflage flowed over him, his form melting into the dusty earth and sparse grass. He moved in a wide circle, coming at the camp from the far side.
The first Lizard guard never saw him. One moment he was watching the plains, the next his throat opened under a silent blade. Abe caught the body before it fell, lowering it into the grass. He moved to the next, each kill quick and unseen.
By the time the first shout went up, three guards were already dead. The Lizards grabbed their spears, but confusion clouded their movements. Abe slipped through the carts, cutting the straps and spilling sacks of grain into the dirt. He jammed a torch into a barrel of oil, the flames leaping high before the Lizards could react.
One lunged at him with a spear. Abe ducked under it, his blade flashing up to sever the warrior's jaw. The next tried to pin him between two carts, but Abe slid low, disappearing under the frame before slashing at their legs.
The goblins joined in, slipping from the grass with blades ready. They cut down any who got too close to the burning supplies. Smoke rolled across the camp, and with it the cries of the Lizards turned to retreat.
Abe watched the flames take the last of the carts. This time, there was no failure. This time, they left nothing for the enemy to salvage.
He sheathed his blade, the Camouflage skill fading as the firelight touched him again. The rush of the hunt still sang in his veins, but his thoughts were already on the next move.
The flames still burned behind them, sending smoke up into the night. Abe crouched on the ridge with his goblins gathered close, all of them watching him with still, dark eyes. None of them spoke. They never did.
Abe pointed toward the far fire where the Bear camp had been. "First fight," he said slowly, tapping his chest, "bad. We fight too loud. We get hurt. We do not get food. That is bad."
He let his gaze move over each goblin. They stayed silent, breathing slow.
"Second fight," Abe continued, pointing toward the smoldering wreck they had left behind, "better. We move quiet. We hide. They look here—" He tapped the ground beside him. "But we are here." He pointed to the other side. "They die."
The goblins stared, some of them blinking slowly as if chewing on the thought.
Abe held his hands up, miming two shapes. "One stays. One moves. When they look at the move, the stay kills. Then we go back in shadows. Then we burn."
The goblins tilted their heads slightly. Their stillness told him they understood in their own way.
"We do that again," Abe said. "No fight big. No noise. We make them bleed, make them scared." He pointed to his chest again. "We do small fight. Many small fight. Then big fight easy."
He straightened, his eyes catching the faint light from the distant flames. "Sleep now. We go again soon."
The goblins began to slip into the tall grass without a sound, their shapes vanishing like mist. Abe stayed behind for a moment, watching the fire eat away the last of the enemy's stores.