Arlene ran ahead for a while before slowing down. I have left Maapu and Theko with instructions to pack. Truth be told, I could trust Theko to complete the assigned task all by himself. I have trust in his capabilities. I needed Maapu to chaperone the other goblins. They seemed to consider Maapu as their unofficial leader.

“A proper preparation guarantees nine out of ten victories.” Vitalia proclaimed. “And we are going to prepare.”

“Do we have enough time?” Arlene questioned. Her words were filled with uncertainty.

“Get some Valerian flowers. Arlene. For my spell to take its effect, I need a few ingredients. I have already noticed a few Perigord truffle Mushrooms. They are in hard to reach places but not for the fae.”

“So we are going to bring gifts to the dire boars?” I finally spoke.

“As a matter of fact, yes. What else were you expecting Magistra Rylonvirah? We create a trap, get them weak and force them to do our bidding?” Vitalia fluttered excitedly as she uttered those words.

“So anything else expected of me?” I volunteered, not wanting to be an unproductive member.

“Your aid would be appreciated Magistra. But not required. This is an exercise for my Ward.”

Without waiting for an answer Vitalia disappeared like a mist under an early morning sun.

*****

As we brought the last of the truffles, Arlene had already fed a few of the truffles to the dire boars. Even though I was aware of dire boars from various campaigns and even clashed with a few in my time, this was my first time, seeing them closer, in their wild untamed habitat. Up close, the dire boars looked even more impressive.

The sounder consisted of seven wild dire boars. A small number for a Singular but considering the fact that these are dire boars and voracious eaters, a local ecology would not sustain a bigger group. Their fiendish tusk and teeth were clearly meant for goring an opponent rather than biting. The elongated nasal cavities and protruding cheekbones added to their terrifying appearance. Contrary to the protracted face and stalwart body, the top of the head was disproportionately small. No wonder, they were never considered intelligent war beasts. Obviously, given an option, the dire boars would not be my first choice of a pack animal.

Arlene gently stroked the biggest of the dire boars. She started from the protruding cheekbones and gingerly made her way to the nose. She then held her hand close to the nostrils for a while, allowing the dire boar to take in her scent. Once she was sufficiently satisfied, she went back to stroking the muzzle. She continued her ritual a few more times before extending her arms around the dire boar's neck. She made a small hushing sound while patting the dire boar.

The ranger seemed pleased with her progress when she went to hold her hand against the dire boar’s nose. This time instead of holding her hand, she waved her hand to and fro. The dire boar for its part followed the motion of Arlene’s hands. She then stepped a few steps to the left. The dire boar turned its head in the direction of Arlene again. The half-elf then moved a few paces to the right and the dire boar twisted its neck towards Arlene.

Vitalia might have sensed me watching the scene before me with awe. She leaned closer and said, “Valerian has drastic effects on small brains.”

Arlene moved backwards a few steps but the dire boar refused to move. Its strong limbs are firmly rooted to the ground. Sensing its hesitancy, Arlene made a few coaxing noises. After a few calls, the dire boar forfeited its stance and slowly moved towards Arlene. She tried the same manoeuvre a few more times and after feeling pleased with the progress. She turned her attention towards the second beast.

Arlene went through the same process with the second dire boar and soon enough she was the proud tamer of two dire boars.

*****

Our return trip was quick. With Arlene walking the two tamed dire boars, and the goblin’s bouts of enthusiasm at having two of these feared beasts in the party brought renewed effort in packing. By the time we reached our temporary camp, the goblins with the exception of Taltil were all well prepared for our oncoming venture.

Arlene quickly saddled our paltry belonging to the dire boars. I left Theko with instructions to find Taltil and bring her back to the gypsy settlement. Arlene, for her part, provided Theko with additional instructions on reaching the location. I made a minor mental note to myself to assign Theko with Arlene in the future since they seemed to synergise well with one another.

Arlene checked the knots of the saddles once again by applying force on either side. She then did a small pull and tugged the knots to be certain. Once she was pleased with the condition, She took the initiative and gave the call to move forward.

Even though Maapu was not amused at receiving orders from the Half-Elven Ranger. His prejudice had more to do with the attitude rather than her ancestry. Since Arlene had tamed the two mighty beasts, none of the goblins dared to question her authority. After seeing no opposition from my side, Maapu resigned and decided to follow the dire boars with a slouching walk.