Bok'Shir watches on wondering what Muck is doing, and more importantly, why. He gives the Ooze a questioning look, which turns a bit more suspicious as Penley arrives, but whether Muck can read it is another matter.

"Blik go first", he whispers once again, this time more stubbornly, "Not Bok'Shir".

Muck looks at Blik and says, "So... Penley was thinking since we're such good friends maybe we should keep you safe." The goo points a pseudopod off toward the distant forest. "You should probably just go run as far away as you possibly can until all this trouble is over, okay?"

"Bok'Shir not go first. Blik go first", Bok'Shir tells Muck insistently. "Why Penley want keep Blik safe? Should want keep us safe".

He looks between Muck and Penley, not knowing what is going on, but feeling like his suspicions have just been proven true.

Bridgette is confused by Bok'Shir's reaction...

"If it's that big a problem then I can go first," she says to the kobold soothingly. "I guess that's only fair since I wasn't there at all for a while."

She looks at the others, then she puts a hand on Bok'shir's shoulder gently.

"Come with me... let's talk for a moment," she says with a friendly smile.

Bridgette wants to talk to Bok'Shir out of the goblin's hearing before she explains what is actually happening.

"Bok... is it okay for me to call you Bok?" she asks. "Here's the thing... dragging around a prisoner is just slowing us down, and he already told us everything that we needed to know. Muck just put him under a charm so that we could get him out of our way while we finish our business here."

Bok'Shir wanders away from Blik, Penley and Muck with Bridgette, leaving the cave mouth, and nods when she asks if she can call him Bok. As she explains what is happening, his expression changes from suspicion to realisation as it all dawns on him.

"Thought Penley plotting. He not tell true. Thought Penley, Bridgette and Muck want Bok'Shir go into danger. Like old masters wanted", he explains. "Bok'Shir minion. Bok'Shir expendable. Shut up Bok'Shir. That what they say", he tells the Half Orc a little sadly.

It is strange, because the way he speaks makes him seem less intelligent than the words he uses does. It is possible he just hadn't had many people to talk to in the past though. Or none that didn't hit him and tell him to be quiet.

Bridgette kneels next to the kobold and puts her hands on his shoulders.

"Bok... you are NOT a minion," she says earnestly. "Just like I am not a slave. Not anymore, at least. You are your own person, and I don't want you to let anyone tell you otherwise."

A reddish tint appears on Bok'Shir's blue scales as he blushes slightly at the kind words of Bridgette.

"No, not slave. Not minion", he repeats, pointing first at Bridgette and then to himself. "Bridgette right. Sword right", he adds, and then seems to realise he has said something he hadn't meant too.

"Mean, now can fight for self. Fight for self friends", he says holding up the sword. "So, Penley not plot at Bok'Shir?", he asks, still a tad suspicious of the Tabaxi.

Bridgette can't help but chuckle at the question about Penley.

"Okay, I'm not entirely sure what Penley is up to myself," she admits. "But no, he wasn't plotting against you a minute ago. We were just trying to figure out what to do with Blik; Penley wanted to talk about him without having him right there next to us."

"Ah, good, good", Bok'Shir says relaxing, surprised to find that he trusts the half-orc.

"Let go in cave totally. Protect other. No go first", he suggests cracking a toothy draconic grin. He equips his shield and stands up as straight and tall as he can, for his diminutive size compared to Bridgette, like one of the soldiers he has seen before.

"I ready".

Blik looks a bit unsure about leaving you behind. Being good friends he wants to go with you, but then Penley offers to walk with him to go find some food as when you leave the cave you will all be hungry, and also, the goblins might want some more food too. 

The other three of you enter the cave simultaneously, no one more a slave than anyone else. I assume you will be going back to the pools and crossing the bridge to the eating cave? But please do confirm before I post that (the bodies have not been discovered in your short rest)

(OOC: Happy to head as you have suggested)

Bok'Shir watches Penley and Blik wander off, before turning to Bridgette and Much.

"Stick together, yes?", he suggests as they once again enter the cave, heading in the direction they now know as leading to the eating area. His sword and shield are equipped just in case.

(OOC: Agreed. That's what I figured.)

Muck walks along with the others. "For sure! Here we go!"

"Of course we'll stick together!" Bridgette replies with a smile. "Alright, let's save the damsel... er... dude-sel? Whatever. Let's just go help our guy out so we can get back to our job."

You find the eating cave. This large cave is divided in half by a ten-foot-high escarpment. A steep, natural staircase leads from the lower portion to the upper ledge. The air is hazy with the smoke of a cooking fire, and pungent from the smell of poorly cured hides and unwashed goblins. You notice 7 goblins in the cave (two with bows just about visible on the map on the upper level. The two with shields are wearing chain shirts and look stronger than the three with axes (who in reality also have shields. I just used free images already on roll20 that were visibly different)

You have been noticed. Party initiative higher so you three take your turns.

Combat started.

Aha. No sign of our guy?

You can only see the front edge of the upper level currently. He might be on there still. Or Blik lied. Or he has been moved/killed. Who knows? (I do) 

Bok'Shir's eyes scan the room, counting seven goblins, all armed.

"Uh oh", he whispers to the others, as he makes an instant and possibly foolish decision. He sheathes his sword and sends a bolt of force at the closest bow-goblin.

"Stay behind, Bok'Shir protect", he says to the others holding his shield up.

Free Action: Sheathe sword
Action: Eldritch Blast at closest bow-goblin - To Hit: 14+5=19, Damage: 3 [force]

(OOC: I assume it hasn't been an hour yet, so Bridgette can still have her hex up)

Bridgette glares at the goblins... she didn't want to hurt Blik since he was a helpless prisoner at her mercy, but these goblins are an obvious threat. If she and her companions want to save their contact, they're going to need to get through these bloodthirsty bandits...

Bonus Action: Bridgette casts moves her hex to the goblin that Bok'Shir just attacked (giving it disadvantage on Dex checks).

Action: Bridgette unleashes an eldritch blast at the goblin

Attack - Nat 1... not bothering to roll that damage.

Muck stands behind the others, as instructed by Bok'Shir calling out to the goblins as the bolts of force fly from his companions, "Oh, hi guys! Sorry for all the trouble. We're just looking for our bosses, Lundgren and Sylmar. Have you seen them around here anywhere?"

Action: Ready an Action

Readied Action: Shouting, "Hey! Cut it out!" and casting Eldritch Blast at the first goblin he sees attack.

Trigger: Muck seeing a goblin attack .

To Hit (for the inevitable triggering of the readied action): 15

Damage: 10 force

Quote from Mister_Whisker>>

(OOC: I assume it hasn't been an hour yet, so Bridgette can still have her hex up)

(You all took a long rest outside so it been an hour. But also means you got your slot back to just recast it)

The nearest bow goblin takes a hit but is still standing,

The ones on the floor run towards Bok'shir being in front. The first one swings, but before it can connect, gets hit by a shouting Muck as a blast goes through its chest. It just about gets chance to look down at the hole in its chest before it collapses dead. The other three run up and take swings, the larger one taking two (though the second is sloppier).

Goblin 2: Nat 1
Goblin 3: 7 to hit
Big goblin 1: 19 to hit, 4 damage. Followed by 12 to hit.

Then the two with bows fire. One at Bridgette (10 to hit) and the other at Muck (22 to hit. 6 damage)

The one on the stairs (Big goblin 2) throws a javelin at Muck (7) but it goes wide. They then run up to the top out of sight behind the bow ones.