That evening, in the human command tent:
"They refused?" Commander Elric Stonewall studied a detailed map of the settlement, marking defensive positions based on visual reconnaissance. He looked unsurprised.
"Yes, sir." Captain Thorne stood at rigid attention. "Their spokesman rejected the terms entirely. He was... quite direct about it."
"Describe him."
"An hoggoblin, sir. Adult male, probably mid-thirties in human equivalent. Military bearing despite species. Spoke Common fluently with minimal accent. Showed no intimidation when facing our numbers."
"Interesting." Elric marked another annotation on his map. "A goblin educated enough to speak Common fluently. Trained enough to have military bearing. Confident enough to laugh at four thousand soldiers. Either remarkably brave or remarkably foolish."
"Permission to speak freely, sir?"
"Granted."
