Odarin the Good Wizard

Odarin rarely ever made a mistake in his life because he always thought things through before he acted on what needed doing ...but this time he really cocked things up. He had been checking his map and visiting places he had been before to see if they had changed while he was away and this one area had.

It was a beautiful dark dense forest with quite possibly the best mushrooms he had ever eaten so as par normal he set up his tent, camp fire, comfy chair and was about to conjure up some food when he heard a noise. It wasn’t a broken twig or the tell tale rustle of a branch, it had a sound that can only be produced with and by magic. Odarin’s ears were trained in all manner of sounds and this one he knew very well.

He was not alone and judging by the sounds of it he was surrounded on all sides by some one who was equally adept at magic like him. Slowly he sat down in his chair and placed his wand by his side and as the sun was setting he grabbed his staff and gently tapped it once on the ground and at once the surrounding area was light up with a very bright green light and at once he knew who he was dealing with.

Goblins.

At least thirty that he could see and maybe a few stragglers back into the forest awaiting the outcome of what was about to happen. Odarin spoke gently and clearly to the throng that had gathered around his campsite....

“To whom do I have the pleasure of addressing as the leader of the group that quite convincingly have me surrounded?”

No response.

“Come on...I know you are there I just heard one of you fart” said Odarin cheerfully taking hold of his wand tightly with one hand and his staff in the other with its bright light beaming into the forest around him.

Still no response.

But just when Odarin was about to ask another question. There was a voice not 1 inch from his right ear and it cackled....

“Name is Zaag...and you are on my land without permission Wizard so let go of the wand in yor ’and then lower the light from the staff you are ’olding and everything will be just fine... unnerstan?”

“Perfectly” and Odarin and he did exactly as he was told. Slowly the voice who spoke to him walked around Odarin’s comfy chair on the forest floor and stood before him gloating like a cat who had just found a mouse and was ready to pounce.

“A Wizard no less lads....well... aren’t you in a bit ova pickle den long shanks”

“Depends on how you look at it really” said Odarin doing some quick thinking inside that acutely hyper sensitive Wizard brain he was in possession of.

“Ow do yoo figa dat den?” laughed Zaag and instantly his throng of bullies all laughed and walked into the clearing Odarin had made before he set up camp. He was right, there were 34 green nervous Goblins hanging off every word Zaag said to Odarin and awaiting the next course of action to be taken. Now Goblins can do a limited form of magic usually to procure food torment each other, animals or other humans. So Odarin knew he had them all there with one swipe of his wand he could turn them into field mice. But Zaag was armed with a rather large knife and Odarin really didnt wish to have it jammed between his 3 and 4th rib if he could help it.

“It would be so nice to share a meal with some one other than myself...you see I don’t keep company and its usually just me on my lonesome and the creatures who live in the forest...and they don’t say much in all honesty” said Odarin trying to appeal to Zaag’s need for food and empty stomach.

“Yoo wanna eet wid us?” said Zaag with a hint of venom in his voice.

“Yes I would if you don’t have any other prior arrangements?” said Odarin gaining time and Zaags confidence with each sentence he uttered.

“Wodooya think boys...we let ’im feed uz?” asked Zaag of his followers.

“I'd be happy to make a beautiful dinner for you all as a way of apologising for being here with out your permission...would that be ok with you Zaag?”

Now Zaag was confused and this wasn’t good. He used a lot of own magic to sneak 34 of his comrades up and around Odarin with the intention of ending his life there and then and absconding with his wand and staff to use for himself and now he was caving in so he yelled at Odarin...

“Wad if we wanna eet yoo insted?” yelled Zaag at Odarin because he wasn’t used to having some one be so nice to him after he crept up on them. He was used to fear and some one trying to make a run for it and Odarin jumped back a bit with how loud Zaag yelled at him.

“Are you unsure that I can feed....1...2..3...4...5...6...7....I’d say about 34 of you in one sitting?”

“NOooo....becoz yoo R a Wizard and they can do imprezzive magic”

“Then why don’t you make yourself and your colleagues comfy and let’s get started” and just as Odarin said that he clenched his wand and staff and the green light went out and he became invisible. A clever ruse to stun and scare the entourage of Goblins who had all sat down ready for a cracking meal only to be yelled at by Zaag to stand up and find “Dis Wizard!!!”

Odarin had taken 5 steps backwards in the dark and was behind a hug oak tree listening to the ruckus Zaag was making screaming directions this way and that, hearing Goblins swear falling over each other and none of them knowing where Odarin was. From behind the oak tree Odarin pointed his arm into the clearing whilst invisible, waved his wand into the clearing and three huge candle lit tables with all the trimmings appeared out of nowhere and the Goblins stopped dead in their tracks and stopped looking for him...even Zaag as well.

On the three beautiful mahogany tables with chairs for all were......hams, roast chicken and turkeys, salads, red & white wines ( all laced with a sleeping potion in them but Zaag didn’t know that and neither did his groupies), pate, fresh baked bread and three huge drums of bread and butter pudding with sultanas and custard for each table.

It was Zaag who sat down first and commenced devouring the first ham and ripping the hot bread open...then his bunch of misbegotten followers followed suite and sat down to eat.

There was a blur of hands and grotty long sharp finger nails tearing and shredding their way through the food and a blistering pace then they decided to try the wine and toast Zaag for supplying the food they were enjoying so every glass was filled and every Goblin raised his glass and shouted at the same time....

“TO ZAAG...TANKS FOR DA MEAL...” and all of them, with the exception of Zaag who just held his huge goblet of wine, downed a huge glass of laced wine and then smashed it on the table after they finished it.

Zaag didn’t look happy as Odarin now circled the throng of greedy Goblins scoffing their food, while he was invisible, and using a great amount of stealth to get away from his captures.

“DiS AiNT OVA WiZARD...YOU OWE ME A DET...AN i INTEND TA COLLECT OK?” yelled Zaag as he watched the entire three tables of Goblins collapse right before his very eyes at the same time. Some backwards in their chairs, some on to the tables but the only Goblin awake and

extremely pissed off was Zaag and he heard a voice off some distance away say in the forest...

“You have to catch me first....good night” And the chase was on...