I lurked in the shadows a few heartbeats longer and waited to see what the door guards would do. But other than whispering to one another and scanning their surroundings suspiciously, the six goblins did nothing else.

I sighed. I wouldn’t be getting out through the metal door. The door guards, it seemed, were too well-trained to abandon their post. Feeling the press of time and sense of danger drawing closer at my back, I turned around and raced back the way I had come.

While I padded through the passage, my eyes scanned the darkness for danger. The bell was still clanging, and the sleeping goblins were surely rousing. They will begin hunting me now. Soon, I expected the passage would be flooded with goblins.

I had no concrete plan—yet. But I knew I had to get out of the main tunnel. My first thought had been to head back to the maze, but after only a second’s consideration, I realized how foolish that would be.

The alarm must have been raised when one of the patrols discovered the guards I had slain. Even now, more goblins were surely massing at the guard station to block off my retreat into the maze. Heading to the guard station would be suicide—as would attacking the door guards.

With the only two exits I knew of sealed and guarded, I had few options remaining. There is only one surefire way I’m getting out of this, I thought. And that’s killing all the goblins.

New sounds began filling the air: the thud of feet, and the cries of goblins hollering to one another as they tried to figure out what was going on. As yet, the ruckus still sounded far off, and I couldn’t spy the tell-tale glow of approaching torches.

I calmed by racing thoughts and slowed my steps. I had some time yet. This was not the time to get careless, or let an errant goblin surprise me. I drew my swords from their sheathes. Then with my senses extended, I padded forward again.

I reached the first side room leading from the passage without incident. Sidling up to the wall next to the entrance, I listened intently. I heard no signs of movement from within. Cautiously, I ducked my head around the opening and studied the interior.

The room was empty and cluttered with junk. It appeared to be a storeroom of sorts. But more importantly, it was only a few yards in diameter. Too small to hide in, I thought. If the goblins searched the room, it would not take them long to spot me.

Moving away from the room, I crept to the next opening in the passage. It was only a few yards ahead. Placing myself next to the entrance, I strained my ears again. This time, my sharp hearing picked up a rumble of sound too indistinct to identify. I frowned. Is that whispering?

I peered around the edge of the wall. The room was large. Its walls extended off into the distance, and in the darkness, I couldn’t make out their far ends. What I could see of the interior was filled with sturdy wooden tables. On each was piles of leather and blood-stained furs.

My gaze flitted across the room, trying to pinpoint the source of the sounds I’d heard. But whatever the source, it had fallen silent. I hesitated. The room was certainly large enough to hide in, but the noises worried me.

I glanced down the passage. The ruckus was getting louder. There was no guarantee that I would find a better place to conceal myself, and every moment longer I dallied, the odds of me being spotted in the passage increased.

Decided, I slipped into the opening.

Staying on the edges of the room, I walked clockwise through it. All along the left wall, I found a set of large metal racks. Pieces of hide were stretched out on them. Seeing the skins, I realized the room’s purpose. This is a tannery.

I continued my slow circuit of the room. The back wall was stacked from floor to ceiling with rows of wooden cages. Most were empty, but two were filled. And their occupants were glaring at me with pale yellow-eyes.

Two hostile entity have detected you! You are no longer hidden.

I bit off a curse, and took a few hurried steps away, hoping to conceal myself again from the piercing gazes of the imprisoned beasts. But it was no use.

You have failed to conceal yourself.

Despite me being shrouded by room’s deepest shadows, two sets of hate-filled eyes tracked me unerringly. “Damnit,” I muttered. This would not do. Not at all. If any goblin entered the room, I was in deep trouble.

The noise I had heard earlier had started up again too. This time I recognized it for what it was: growling.

I returned the beasts’ glares with one of my own. They had both risen to their feet and were pacing the confines of their cages. The creatures looked like wolves, but I hesitated to label them as such. For one, they were unnaturally large. The smaller of the pair was four-feet-tall, and the larger topped my own height.

For another, their gazes bore an uncanny intelligence. While the menace in beasts’ eyes was obvious, their gazes bore something else too, something much harder to identify. They stared unblinkingly at me, almost as if considering the threat I posed and finding me wanting.

I shuddered. I didn’t want to entangle with the beasts, whatever they were. Best to leave while I can, I thought and began retreating from the room.

On my shoulder, I heard Gnat mumble something that I didn’t quite catch.

I paused. “What did you say?” I whispered.

“I said,” Gnat repeated, “smart choice. You don’t want to tangle with dire wolves.”

“Dire wolves,” I mused. “What rank creatures are they?”

“Rank one,” Gnat answered. “Those doggies are not just large and mean, they’re smart too.”

My eyes narrowed. “Smart? How smart exactly?”

“Not as smart as me. Obviously,” Gnat said, “but intelligent enough to judge a threat, and know when to flee.” The familiar paused. “It’s a wonder really, that the goblins managed to capture a whole pack of them.”

My gaze flitted between the hides stretched out on the racks and the caged dire wolves. It was clear that the goblins were using the beasts to create their hide armor, and after having been forced to watch their packmates being skinned, I didn’t doubt the two still-living wolves hated the goblins.

But what about me? Would they associate me with their tormentors? “Are they clever enough to tell friend from foe?” I murmured.

Gnat cocked his head to the side. “You want to free them, don’t you?” The bat snorted derisively. “That would be foolish. Dire wolves are dangerous. If given half a chance, those doggies will eat you alive.”

“Just answer the damn question, Gnat!” I snapped, out of patience with my familiar as I felt the press of passing time. Soon the goblins would be here. Whatever I decided to do, I had to do it quickly. “Can I trust them not tell me apart from the goblins?”

Possibly,” Gnat said grudgingly. “But don’t count on them sparing you even if they do,” he warned.

I bit my lip as I considered what I contemplated. Killing all the goblins on my own was a tall order, and I could do with some help, but how much aid could the two wolves provide? After all, they were only rank one creatures.

Pensively, I studied the creatures again. They were still staring at me. Both beasts’ ribs poked through black coats matted with blood, and now that I looked more closely, I could see the limp in the gait of the smaller. They’re injured and half-starved.

Gnat was right. Mad with hunger, there was no telling what the wolves would do if I freed them. It isn’t worth the gamble, I decided. Better to find somewhere else to hide.

Resuming my retreat, I head towards the exit.