Gruntor will crest the hill and move towards the ogre, throwing his handaxe once he get's in range and immediately drawing another one.....

Attack: 22 Damage: 7

The ogre dies to a flurry of blows. The hobgoblins turn, still supicious towards you. The leader asks Nasaar:

"You don't have an insignia. What's your unit and rank, outsider?"

Serit is startled to see the small skirmish and ducks reflexively as the bolts come there way. He moves his head back and forth following the shouted yells and walks simply behind his companions as they rush to aid the hobgoblin skirmishers. He eyes the hobgoblins warily as he waits for the small battle to finish.

"Bah." Nasaar says at the mention of unit and rank. "I'm not of the legion." he tells the hobgoblin. "We..." he gestures to himself and his companions, "are more of a special forces type of unit." He grins. "We fight the humans though, which I believe is the main thing, right?"

The hobgoblins look at you with suspicion.

"We are no orc tribe, to fight with or against random outsiders. Allies need to properly integrated into the chain of command, recruits need to be assigned to proper units, while enemies need to be defeated.

You will follow me to the fortress where the commander will decide what to do next."

"Where do bodies go?", the firbolg asks, pointing a flaming finger at the dead ogres.

"Can return to nature through fire?"

"Maybe so, maybe not so." Nasaar says with a shrug of his shoulders. "Not all allies have our sense of loyalty and honor, and not all allies fight as we do." He informs the hobgoblin. "Even you are likely smart enough to realize that, and I have my serious doubts if all of your allies allow themselves to be given a unit and follow your command structure." he glances to the others though. "Shall we go with him or not?" He says frankly, not bothering to hide the question from the other hobgoblin.

"Let's go meet. We need to talk to this Commander anyways." Vrakskan says calmly. 

He turns to the hobgoblins. "We just want to talk. Guide us to your Commander, and we'll do just that."

He glances at the firbolg, but does not answer.

Gruntor smiles at the Hobgoblin, a toothy grin.  "Have fought ya hobs before.  Have fought humies before.  Did no need chain command then, and don't now.  But we smash them hummies  together is good and Gruntor happy."

"Yes. This one decides nothing. Should talk to one who decides." 

The firbolg snuffs the flame and kicks the sides of his goat, which bleats and ambles forward.

"Yeah, burn the lumps, let them become ash. As for you all," Serit says as he points to the hobgoblins, "We will go just keep your hands where we can see them."

The hobgoblin nods.

"The decision is for the commander to make. As for the ogre corpses, do what you want."

Responding to Serit:

"Our hands will be on our weapons of course, as per the military code for expeditions."

The hobgoblins then help the injured one to his feet and are ready to set out.

((Since we are going, the firbolg follows on goat. Ogres aren't his problem, he was just offering.))

Gara would take a moment to search and examine the corpses if possible.

(Investigation 9 + guidance 2)

Serit scowls at the hobgoblins but stays back by Gara until he is finished searching and then follow up the group.

Quote from Bhuraelea >>

Gara would take a moment to search and examine the corpses if possible.

(Investigation 25 + guidance 3)

 They are both ogre corpses. There's nothing particularly unusual about them. One of the ogres has a very very crude map of the moutains, with the big hobgoblin fortress marked. The other sack with a collection of trinkets, among which are some minor silver valuable worth around 50 silver. The ogre also has several strips of fabric, which you can conclude are trophies. One strip of fabric draws your attention. It's a tough grey fabic with a dark grey rim, which reminds you of religious humans who tried to attack you on the way back to ald bear.

Upon hearing that the hobgoblins follow a code that has them keep their hands on their weapons, he follows suit and tries to imitate their pose with his greataxe.

Giving a shrug Nasaar falls into line, though clearly not marching like his fellow hobgoblins, nor with his hand on his weapon.

I‘ll take the map, the fabric from the humans and the trinkets. And then i follow the group.

You approach the hobgoblin fortress. It is located close to the mountain top, on the north side of the pass, well out of sight of anyone from the south. Several towers appear to look over the pass. The fortress seem build from large stone slabs, in a somewhat crude, but certainly effective manner. Very little wood appears used in the constuction making the fortress unlikely to catch fire. Behind the main walls you see a tall inner citadel, parially built into the mountain.

Your guides approach the front gate.