"From the sides, from the shadows, from recesses that previously appeared to be merely irregularities in the rock, the goblins revealed themselves. There were many—more than twenty, perhaps—low, angular bodies, eyes reflecting the fire of the torches they carried. Some brandished knotted clubs, others stones already chosen for throwing. Among them stood out a few with better weapons: short swords of worn metal, makeshift spears with irregular tips, sharp enough to kill. The siege began without haste, as if that outcome had been rehearsed."