Entry 41: Cabin in the Woods

by Hayley Thomas

Dear Diary,

The woods embraced us with their familiar silence as we set up camp for the night, the crackling fire our only company under a sky littered with stars. Morning came quickly, and after a hearty breakfast that warmed us from the inside out, we packed up and pressed forward. The forest seemed to stretch endlessly, its secrets tucked away in shadows and rustling leaves.

Not long after we broke camp, we stumbled upon a fresh trail. The marks were unmistakable—a large group had passed through recently, their passage churned into the earth by the heavy tread of boots, horses, and the pawprints of dogs. Yet, oddly enough, we hadn’t heard a single sound from them during the night. The silence gnawed at me, but with no clear reason to follow, we left the mystery behind and pressed onward.

A little further along, something else caught our attention. Alistan, Luke, and I spotted another trail cutting across our path—this one far more sinister. The vegetation along it was shriveled and brittle, as though whatever had passed through had leeched the very life from the plants. The air felt colder here, and an uneasy stillness hung over the place. My mind leapt to Cornu. Was this his handiwork? The thought made my skin crawl, but we shook it off. We had a mission, and we couldn’t afford to get sidetracked.

As the sun began its slow descent, Tommel broke the quiet, his voice laced with relief. “We’re close,” he said, his steps quickening. The forest seemed to thin out ahead, and as we moved cautiously, voices reached our ears—low, gruff murmurs that didn’t belong to any friendly woodland creatures. Gael volunteered to scout, his movements as silent as a shadow slipping between the trees. I sent Fiachna, my ever-watchful raven, to join him, her dark wings disappearing into the canopy above.

What they reported back chilled us. At the base of a small hill stood a camp, its inhabitants a disciplined group of hobgoblins. Not the ragged, disorganized kind you’d expect in the wilds—these wore uniforms, their movements precise, their weapons sharp and ready. Above them, nestled into the hill, loomed a small fortress. It looked like the cabin we were searching for had grown over the years, evolving into something far more formidable.

This wasn’t just a stray band of hobgoblins. This was an army. And they were guarding the very place we needed to go.

We waited patiently as the day wore on, hoping the hobgoblins would pack up and move on. Instead, when the sun dipped below the horizon, they broke their camp and filed into the fortress, claiming the ruins as their shelter for the night. It became clear they weren’t in any rush to leave, and after a quiet debate, I suggested we try to talk to them. As the only one fluent in goblin, the task fell squarely on my shoulders.

The tension was palpable as we stepped into the clearing. Almost immediately, their watchman sounded the alarm. A flurry of movement followed as hobgoblins scrambled into defensive positions, but none of them drew their weapons or advanced. That was... promising, I supposed. Swallowing my nerves, I called out in their language, keeping my tone calm but confident.

The leader, a burly hobgoblin with a scar running from his ear to his jaw, stepped forward. Our conversation was curt and to the point. They explained that they were merely using the ruins as a temporary campsite, with no real interest in us or our business. After a tense pause, they grudgingly agreed to let us share the space for the night.

We accepted their offer with a mix of relief and caution. Though they didn’t seem openly hostile, something about the disciplined way they moved and spoke put me on edge. I advised everyone to keep their guard up—there was always the possibility they were soldiers from the Neverhold, scouting or on some unknown mission.

Once inside the fortress, Tommel took a long look around, his brow furrowing as his eyes scanned the stone walls and remnants of the structure. “This is it,” he finally said, his voice heavy with certainty. “The cabin. Or... what’s left of it.”

Time had not been kind to the place—or perhaps it had simply evolved. What once might have been a humble cabin was now almost unrecognizable, swallowed by stonework and reinforced into something larger and more imposing. Yet, amid the ruins, something stood out, catching all of our attention—a dormant portal.

It was eerily familiar, its faintly glowing frame identical to the gateway to Immerglade we’d encountered in the Bramble long ago. The sight sent a ripple of unease through me. What connection did this place have to the fae realms? And more importantly, what would opening that portal reveal?

Hoping to ease the lingering tension between our groups and show some gratitude for their hospitality, I decided to part with a keepsake I’d been carrying for what felt like forever. Pulling the dusty bottle of Halberd Hard Cider from my pack—a bottle I’d lugged around for five long years—I offered it to the hobgoblin leaders.

Their reaction surprised me. For a moment, they just stared at the bottle, as though they couldn’t quite believe I was handing it over. Then the leader with the jagged scar cracked a grin, showing sharp, uneven teeth. With a grunt of approval, they accepted the cider and, in return, handed me a bottle of their own brew—a harsh-looking moonshine that smelled potent even through the sealed cork.

The exchange seemed to soften the atmosphere, and I allowed myself to hope that maybe, just maybe, my instincts were wrong about them. Still, unease lingered at the edges of my mind as I curled up next to the well for the night.

The stone at my back was cool and solid, but I couldn’t quite shake the nagging feeling that something about this whole situation was off. The hobgoblins hadn’t shown any real hostility, but their military precision and the peculiar circumstances of their presence here kept my thoughts restless. I stared up at the canopy of stars above, hoping my gut was wrong this time.

Continue reading...

Entry one: The trials

Entry two: The bramble

Entry 3: Rosebloom

Entry 4: Hearts and Dreams

Entry 5: of ghosts and wolves

Entry 6: Hillfield and Deals with Fae

Entry 7: mysteries and pastries

Entry 8: The scarecrow ruse
6th of Lug, 121 Year of the Tree

Entry 9: A betrayal of satyrs
7th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 10: The fate of twins
8th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 11: Cursed twins
10th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 12: Loss and despair
11th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Hayley's rules to being a Witch

Entry 13: the price of safety
12th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 14: A golden cage and fiery tower
13th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 15: A trial by fire
14th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Entry 16: Keralon
15th of Lug, 121 year of the Tree

Letter to Luke 1

Letter to Luke 2

Letter to Luke 3

Letter to Luke 4

Letter to Luke 5

Letter to Luke 6

Entry 17: I shall wear midnight
1st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 18: peace in our time
2nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 19: Caern Fussil falls
3rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 20: I see fire
4th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 21: Cultists twarted
10th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 22: Ravensfield
14th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 23: The Hollow Hill Horror
15th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 24: Burn your village
16th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 25: Ravensfield burns
17th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 26: There will be blood!
21st of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 27: A happy reunion
22nd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 28: The embassy ball
23rd of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 29: The fate of Robert Talespinner
24th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 30: A royal summons
28th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 31: of Dogville and Geese
29th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 32: A boggle named Pim
30th of Nuan, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 33: A deal broken
1st of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 34: The cost of doing what is right
2nd of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 35: A dish best served cold
9th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

entry 36: Cornu returns?
10th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 37: A letter from Amarra
11th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 38: The case of the (not) missing villagers
14th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 39: A curse broken
15th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 40: Into the Lorewood
18th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 41: Cabin in the Woods
19th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 42: Myrdin and Anaya
20th of Aran, 126 Era of the Tree

Entry 43: Into the Immerglade
21st of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree

Entry 44: A tale as old as time
22nd of Aran, 127 Era of the Tree

Entry 45: The truth
23rd of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 46: Luke's Ordeal
24th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 47: The festival
26th of Aran, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 48: Trouble at the Cathedral
2nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 49: Quinn's court
4th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 50: onwards to Latebra Velora
5th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 51: Where is my cow?
6th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 52: Here be dragons
7th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 53: Dragon hoard with a side of scarabs
8th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 54: Leave the basilisks alone
9th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 55: Return to Ravensfield
10th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 56: The needs of the many...
11th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 57: Dreams of Sister Willow
12th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 58: wetlands be wet
13th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 59: Baron Perenolde
14th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 60: Talebra Velora and the lady Morenthene
15th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 61: Cypria
16th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 62: Dragon takes Knight
17th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 63: Return to Talebra Velora
18th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 64: Your presence is “requested”
19th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 65: I stand alone
20th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 66: A day of normalcy
21th of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 67: Into the Neverhold
22nd of Brigan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 68: The Warg King

Entry 69: Chased by birds

Entry 70: Whitewail

Entry 71: Nimmerhold

Entry 72: The menagerie
29th of Gobu, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 73: To the library!
30th of Gobu, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 74: The people's tournament
First of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 75: Nimmerhold party
First of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 76, The return home
Second of Mannan, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 77: A week of peace
10th of Mannan

Entry 78: The tomb of the First King
11th of Mannon, 128 Era of the Tree

Entry 41: Cabin in the Woods

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