Dink jumped when Axion flicked the reins, causing the cart to start rolling forward. He was too busy admiring Estra's ass in her tight travel pants. She gave him a knowing smile as she caught the side of the bench to haul herself into her seat. Dink broke out of his reverie when the cart violently bounced over the rut in the road formed by the filled-in trench.

When they passed Tahlea, she took the opportunity to climb into the back of the flatbed. Dink glanced after Riva in time to see her disappear over the hill in the distance.

“Can we go any faster? Riva is getting a little too far ahead,” Dink requested.

“Only one way to find out. Yah!” Axion replied.

He used the reins in his hands like a whip against the mule’s flank. It let out an aggrieved hee-haw before boosting its pace. The cart began unpredictably bouncing on the road as they increased speed. Dink hissed in discomfort at the jolting around in his seat.

I hate riding in farm carts. They’re always a literal pain in the ass. If we rescue that merchant, they owe me a cushion for this.

A short time later, they crested the hill. From their new vantage point, they could see Riva waiting for them beside a burned-out break in the gorse hedge. They neared Riva standing outside an abandoned field filled with tall grass. On the other side of the field was a dense woodland. They pulled up beside Riva who stood on the opposite side of the creek.

“What makes you think they went this way, how is anyone supposed to get a cart across there?” Dink asked.

“I have no doubt that they took the trader’s wagon this way. From these imprints, it looks like they made a makeshift bridge out of some planks. They took them to avoid suspicion and cover their tracks. Look at that grass, something bent them. Like a wagon passing through,” Riva replied, pointing to the overgrown field.

Dink hopped down from the cart before nimbly leaping across the creek. He crouched down at the edge of the field. He could see faint wheel tracks leading into the grass. He measured their depth with his fingers to confirm.

“You’re right, these are wagon tracks. Murkuk, grab your bang stick. We’ve got some pests to eliminate,” Dink said, standing upright. Murkuk obediently retrieved his staff and hopped down from the cart to join him.

“Hey, you’re not keeping them all to yourself. I need some exercise too,” Axion complained, climbing down from the cart. He reached below the bench, unhooking an enormous double-headed axe mounted underneath.

“Who’s going to watch your cart for you? The bandits will see it coming across the field from a mile away. In fact, there’s already a good chance they’ve already seen us,” Dink teased.

“Let them watch me. They can’t outrun one of the Beastfolk. We’re bred for contest,” Axion declared, proudly thumping his chest.

“Ha, I think you’re confused as to what kind of contest you were bred for, lionman. The bedroom comes to mind after seeing those show muscles. I don’t think they’re suitable for real combat,” Dink retorted with an amused snort.

He didn’t wait for a response or see what they would do with the cart. The pair of Goblins entered the overgrown grass with natural ease. Only a slight shuffling of the tall stalks marked their passage through the field. Riva slipped ahead of him, giving him a flirtatious glance over her shoulder. Smiling as she caught him goggling at her well-rounded ass.

“Heh, like what you see, husband? Try to keep up,” Riva said, playfully wiggling her hips.

Dink swallowed back his saliva at her display, chuckling disparagingly at himself. She was dressed in tan hunting leather paired with a white blouse. She wore a matching tailored jacket that hugged her figure with leather padding on the shoulders and elbows. She mischievously laughed after seeing his expression, blowing him a kiss before disappearing next to the tracks. She somehow managed to blend into the environment without effort.

He looked to Murkuk at his side. Murkuk gave him a predatory grin. Dink silently shook his head in response, causing Murkuk to deflate. He perked up when Dink pointed toward the tree line. The pair stealthily moved through the grass, crossing the field without being detected. At the tree edge, they discovered two horses hitched to a branch. The Goblins’ ears twitched, they could both hear voices coming from people hidden in the woods.

“We hit the jackpot this time, Rex. The next patrol won’t be through her until tomorrow morning. We may be able to net a few more big fish before we have to fill in the trench again tonight,” a nasally voice said.

They looked at each other, enormous grins slowly forming on their faces. Dink slowly unsheathed his bastard sword while Murkuk raised his staff. They crouched low to stalk closer. The horses caught their scent in the breeze and became restless. Their alarmed sniggering alerted a sentry nearby.

"Hey look, there's a cart pulled up on the road over there. I think that's two women sitting alone in the driver's seat. One of them looks pretty young, but she's developed in all the right places. Today couldn't get any better!" The sentry exclaimed.

He stopped within arm's reach of Dink, completely oblivious to the presence of the two Goblins. His companions rushed to the edge of the woods to see for themselves. He was close enough for Dink to get a good look at his face. He was bald-headed with weatherbeaten skin, but otherwise no distinguishing features.

"I told you guys this is a great spot, didn't I, Rex?" the nassally man from before said. Dink was able to put a face to the voice.

He was an ugly man missing the majority of his teeth. He had thinning, ginger hair with a wispy beard and warts growing on the side of his mouth.

"Yes, you did, Clarence. If we're lucky, we'll be able to stay here for a few weeks. Jodi's gone above and beyond this time by spreading her legs for the Chiset patrol sergeant. It's a pity I had to kill him for fucking my woman, but we did get his uniform and a list of patrols for the next month. I wouldn't dare bring us out here, otherwise," the person Dink assumed was called Rex replied.

He was the man wearing the patrolman uniform from the spell earlier. Of the assembled bandits, he was the one with the most chance of passing off as a patrolman. His salt and pepper hair was unkempt with a clean-shaven jaw. He was otherwise ordinary in appearance, except for his striking steel-grey eyes.

There's still one missing. That's a good sign the merchant is still alive. He will be keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't escape.

Dink temporarily ignored the men in front of him to search for the scent of the last man and the merchant.