Chapter 5: Blood and Bone

The air hung heavy with the stench of stale ale and unwashed bodies as the party emerged from the Redbrand hideout, their rescued captives in tow. Mira Dendrar, Thel's widow, stumbled through the moonlit woods, her face etched with grief and a fierce protectiveness over her children. The youngest, a girl no older than five, whimpered softly, her eyes wide with fear. A boy, a few years older, clung to his mother's leg, his gaze darting nervously into the shadows.

Hanef, ever the compassionate cleric, offered a reassuring smile. "You're safe now," he rumbled, his voice a balm in the night. "We'll see you back to Phandalin, and you can start to rebuild your lives."

Freya, ever the pragmatist, kept a watchful eye on the treeline, her hand never straying far from her sword. "Let's not linger," she grunted. "The Redbrands may have more surprises in store."

Eldon, however, had other plans. His gaze settled on Droop, the goblin they had reluctantly freed from the Redbrand's clutches. "Now, about our little green friend," he began, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Seems to me he owes us a debt of gratitude."

Preci, her heart overflowing with empathy, shook her head. "Leave him be, Eldon," she pleaded. "He's just a lost soul, like the rest of us."

Eldon scoffed. "Lost soul, my arse. He's a goblin, through and through. A thief, a liar, and probably a cannibal to boot."

The argument escalated, voices rising and tempers flaring. Finally, Preci took matters into her own hands. She reached into her pouch and pulled out a necklace of goblin teeth, a gruesome trophy from their earlier encounter.

"Here, Droop," she offered, her voice soft yet firm. "This looks like something you might want. Maybe it'll remind you of where you came from."

Droop's eyes widened in recognition, a flicker of pain crossing his gnarled features. He snatched the necklace, his sharp teeth bared in a snarl. "This was mother's!" he screeched, his voice a guttural rasp. Before anyone could react, he lunged at Preci, sinking his teeth into her hand.

Preci cried out in pain, but her expression remained surprisingly calm. "Go," she whispered, her voice barely a breath. "Find your own path, little one."

Droop hesitated for a moment, then turned and fled into the depths of the woods, his goblin heart torn between gratitude and fear.

With the captives safely returned and Droop gone, the party made their way to Halia Thornton's manor, their pockets jingling with their hard-earned reward.

Back at the Stonehill Inn, they were met with a surprise: Duli, the cart driver they had saved from the ambush, awaited them with a humble offering of copper coins and trinkets.

"A small token of my gratitude," he stammered, his eyes filled with sincere appreciation. "You saved my life, and I'll never forget it."

Hanef accepted the gift with a gracious nod. "It was our duty to protect you, friend. May your journey be a safe one."

As they settled in for a well-deserved rest, the inn doors burst open, revealing a battered and bruised Sildar Hallwinter. His eyes scanned the room, filled with a frantic desperation.

"Where is Iarno Albrek?" he demanded, his voice raspy and urgent. "I need to find him, now!"

The party exchanged uneasy glances. Eldon, ever the quickest to grasp the situation, stepped forward.

"Iarno Albrek is dead," he declared, his voice laced with a hint of satisfaction. "We killed him."

Sildar's face contorted in a mixture of rage and grief. "He was a traitor," he spat, his voice thick with venom. "He betrayed Gundren, betrayed me, betrayed Phandalin!"

He then recounted his harrowing tale of capture and escape from the Cragmaw goblins, his voice filled with determination.

"I must return to that cave," he declared, his eyes blazing with a renewed fire. "I must find Gundren, or at least avenge him. Whoever is with me comes. Whoever isn't...well, that's their choice. I’ll need to prepare and I’ll return here within the hour. "

He offered the party a hefty sum of 200 gold to aid him in his quest. The adventurers, weary and battered, hesitated. But the lure of gold, the promise of adventure, and the chance to right a wrong proved too tempting to resist.

They had one hour to decide. One hour to choose between rest and retribution, between safety and the unknown dangers that awaited them in the goblin-infested depths. The clock was ticking, and the fate of Gundren Rockseeker hung in the balance.