Harm stood as time passed, slowly turning and looking at the goblins that surrounded him.

Rebo eventually broke the silence. "You are all witnesses. Our clan has a new chief."

Chattering began among the gathered, some whispering, others talking boldly. The noise of their voices hurt Harm's head.

His breathing was laboured as he stood. Florence's blade still dripped with the blood of the chief. He had no idea what to do now.

"Rebo. Can we talk?" Harm asked.

Rebo turned to Harm. His eyes still showed his hatred as he stepped towards him. "What human?"

"I know you just used me to get what you wanted, but as you stated, I am the new chief."

"You are," Rebo smirked.

"Then what now?"

"What do I care, human?" he shrugged, glaring at Harm.

 "I guess you want to remain as my second in the clan? And my name is Harm."

Rebo squinted slightly. "I don't care what your name is. You are a human and the chief. That's all," he said as he turned and moved away.

Harm looked around at the gathering. He was at a loss for what he should do now. He really had no idea what being a chief meant after all. Dafu stood near the rear of the group, his group of younger goblin hunters crowding around him and chattering excitedly.

"Dafu," Harm called.

The goblin looked towards Harm, his eyes opening in alarm. Dafu turned, looking behind him at the others, then back at Harm before raising his hand and pointing at his chest.

"Yes, you, Dafu," Harm said.

Harm saw Dafu visibly gulp, his Adam's apple bouncing violently as he slowly approached, moving through those in front of him. As Dafu approached, he broke into a sweat. Harm assumed he thought he was about to be expelled or executed or something else macabre would happen to him for capturing Harm.

Still holding Florence and wearing his armour, Harm looked much more threatening than he had when they had captured him in the wood. 

"Yes, chief," Dafu said, stopping short of Harm. 

"I need your help," Harm said, his eyes penetrating the goblins.

Dafu was shaking, not just sweating now. His voice quaked as he replied. "Help?"

"Yes. I need your help. I have no idea what being chief means. I am guessing you have been a clan member for a long time?"

"I have always been in a clan," Dafu replied nervously.

"Good then. You know what needs to be done."

"No. I just do what I am told. I don't make decisions."

"You don't need to make a decision. I need you to tell me what a chief does. Not what to do," Harm sighed.

Rebo had walked off and entered one of the huts. Harm heard raised voices inside and looked over. He watched as Rebo appeared, a sack over his shoulder. He walked back towards the group that still stood by the chief's hut.

"Who's coming?" Rebo asked, looking at them.

"Where?" a goblin asked.

"To Murgo’s clan. He will take us in. I am not staying in a clan with a human chief."

Several of the goblins glanced from Harm to Rebo and back, and a group of eight or so started to make their way towards various huts. Harm watched them as they returned, also carrying sacks. 

"Anyone else?" Rebo called. When no one moved, he shrugged. Come on. We can reach them before the end of the day if we go now," he said, turning and starting away towards the rear of the clearing, the opposite direction that Harm had been brought from.

Dafu sighed.

Harm looked at him as the group moved off. "What's wrong?"

Dafu glanced at Harm fearfully. "Nothing, chief."

Harm was frustrated. He still didn't know why he had challenged the chief in the first place. All he had wished to do was get released. He knew that goblins rarely killed others. If they did, it was normally in self-defence. However, it appeared that they were quite happy to kill each other for the position of chief.

Harm looked at Florence again. If he wanted these goblins to listen to him, the way he stood was not going to help. He bent and wiped Florence's blade on the leg of the dead chief, cleaning the worst from it, before returning her to her inventory. Then he triggered Equip again, and his armour vanished. 

The man standing there now, wearing slightly ill-fitting clothes and a leather jacket, no longer posed the threat he had moments ago.

Harm noticed Dafu's face relax slightly. "Dafu. Gather everyone in the clan. I need to talk to them all."

Dafu moved off to where the various groups stood, and then he spoke to his hunting party, and two of the members started to run into the nearby woods. Harm frowned, watching them go.

Dafu approached Harm again, seeing the look on his face. "They have gone to get the scouts. You asked for the whole clan. They are the only ones missing."

Harm raised his eyebrow as he looked at the gathering. He waited as the goblins who had left reappeared not long after, trailed by others. A further six goblins' looks of shock and consternation on their faces, they slowed their approach, seeing Harm. He towered above all. Only the chief had been anywhere near his height.

"Okay. First thing. My name is Harm. No one needs to call me chief. Second, I'm unclear about your expectations, so I am happy to discuss your thoughts. A third thing, can someone dispose of the stinking remains of the old chief? His stench is making me feel sick. And finally, for now. I don't expect any of you to stay if you don’t wish to, and I won't hold it against you. You are free to come and go as you wish. If you wish to stay in the clan, that would be great, but if not, no action will be taken against you. Also, while I get used to what is needed, Dafu here will be my second," Harm said, pointing to Dafu.

Dafu balked and coughed violently. "Chief," he replied in shock.

"Rule one. My name is Harm, remember."

"Harm," Dafu replied.

"Right. The hogling is going to be spoiled if it isn't eaten soon, so everyone needs to eat, and then we can sort things out afterwards."

The goblins just stared at Harm in shock.

"Can we all eat?" Dafu said.

Harm frowned, looking at him. "Yes, why? What is so strange about that?"

"The chief never lets all of us eat. He selects those who can, from how well they do."

"What?" Harm said in surprise.

"Meals are earned," Dafu said.

Harm looked at the hogling; it had been a large boar by all accounts, and there was more than enough meat to feed all the goblins that remained. He took a headcount as he thought about it. There were twenty-seven of them. Some looked physically more able than others, and a couple of them looked decidedly weak and underfed, now that he considered it. No wonder he was such a fat bastard. Harm thought.

"Everyone eats," Harm repeated. 

The group didn't need telling twice as several dived at the hogling.

"STOP," Harm shouted, the goblins freezing in place.

"I said you can all eat. There is enough for everyone, so no one needs to fight over food. Line up and wait to be given some."

Two goblins had tumbled onto the floor fighting, and they both stared at Harm. "I said, get in a line."

Slowly, the goblins followed his order. "Dafu, you hand out the meat."

Dafu blinked at Harm before running to the spit, taking a large knife, and starting to cut slices from the roast.

Harm shook his head in dismay. If this was how they lived, how could they ever say rules didn't control them? He turned and walked to one of the chairs by the chief's hut, the body of the old chief still lying where it had died. I'll let them eat first, he thought as he sat down.

It was like watching organised chaos as the goblins feasted. It was apparent some hadn't eaten fresh hogling in a long time, as the looks of pleasure crossed their faces. One of the goblins from the initial party that had captured Harm walked towards him nervously.

"Thank you for the food, Chief."

Harm looked at him and forced a smile. "It's Harm, not chief."

"Harm," the goblin said before turning and hurrying away again. 

Once they had eaten, Dafu walked to Harm. "Harm. What now?"

At least he hadn't been called chief again. "Do what you usually do. I need to get to know what happens here normally so I can decide what is best for the clan."

Harm sounded much more confident than he felt. He was out of his depth. He didn't have the first idea where to start. Most of the goblins were adults, although a couple did look rather young. The group consisted of about half male and half female goblins, looking at them.

"Chief said to get back to work," Dafu said as he strode to where they were all gathered by the spit.

As though under mind control, the goblins all started to get up and move off to various tasks that they must have been assigned previously. Harm watched as the four scouts who had returned with the party members again disappeared into the surrounding woods.

"Dafu," Harm called.

Dafu came running back over. 

"Sit down," Harm said.

Dafu sat on the ground.

Harm rolled his eyes. "On a chair, you fool."

"Yes, Harm," Dafu said, hurriedly clambering into a chair.

"As I asked you before, I need to understand what everybody does in the clan. Can you talk me through your daily routine?"

Dafu looked at Harm for several moments and then commenced explaining the clan's usual activities.

It was apparent from what Dafu explained that the previous chief and Rebo made all the decisions. The clan did as instructed and followed their commands. Some worked the small plot of tilled land; others were responsible for gathering wood and food from the woods. They sent out a hunting party daily, which generally consisted of five members. One of the more experienced members was with four of the younger members. Then they had the scouts who stayed on lookout around the area, in case of threats, and after that, they had what they called raiding parties. These specialist groups were basically the ones who went to the surrounding farms or townships and procured what they needed.

It was really a very basic setup. They had no professions that Harm was aware of, which he found strange, as all beings could earn a profession at level 10. Dafu admitted to Harm that the clan was weak and had only a handful of fighters. One of their fiercest was a female goblin named Luubu. Apparently, when she lost her temper, even the hardiest males would stay out of her way. Harm asked Dafu to point her out, although he thought he already knew. Her broader-than-usual shoulders and bulging arms gave her away. She would have made many fighters jealous of her physique.

The clan was only partly civilised, and Harm stood and started to walk around. The four goblins that had returned with Dafu were sitting in a hut doorway, mending nets and sharpening their spears. Harm looked at them, and they stopped talking and turned to look at him as he approached.

"Harm," the one who had thanked him before said.

"Can you guys get rid of the old chief for me, please? Take his corpse away from the clan area and burn it if you need to." 

The four of them jumped up at his instruction and hurried off.

This is easier than it used to be getting the kids to do anything. He thought, and the thought hit him hard.

How could he be walking calmly around a goblin clan, where he had just killed their chief and taken over, with no other feelings? Remorse flooded him as the reason for his even being near the clan flooded back to him. Satil still needed to die.

Plan! The demonic voice spoke. It had been quiet for a while, and its reappearance startled Harm.

Plan what? Harm thought.

Your attack! I know I want to see his death sooner than you may believe, but for now, plan! Build and grow!

Harm contemplated the words in his mind. 

I do have a clan now. He thought.

You can grow! You can equip! You can lead! The voice chirped, high-pitched and screeching.

And how do I grow the clan?

Challenge the others! The voice cackled.

Harm turned to look at Dafu, who was standing by him, waiting to follow him, as he realised he was standing staring at the nets and spears the others had been working on.

"How far are the other clans from here?" he asked.

Dafu looked confused. "Why the others?"

"I just wish to know."

"There are two in the valley. The one at the far end near Hillnot, where Rebo is heading, is run by Murgo. Then the other is by the sunken wood on the far side of the valley, run by Teras. Other clans are much further away. Into the mountains or out on the plains. I don't know exactly where."

"Okay. Thanks," Harm said.

Dafu smiled, pleased that he had delighted Harm. Harm didn't believe that there were many gestures of kindness in the clan or many who said thank you for anything.

Harm continued to walk around the tiny hamlet. The huts were suitable, but some needed repair, never mind the stench that filled them. Harm would have to try to improve their hygiene. He doubted they even noticed how badly they smelled.

The tilled area of ground that had some very weakly looking crops growing was terrible. Harm had bent and picked a handful of the earth in his fingers, running it through them. It was dry and gritty, and being on the hillside, there was no depth to the plot, preventing roots from taking hold well. If they wanted to grow crops, they would need to complete a substantial amount of work. The ground would need digging out or raising, and earth from outside the immediate area would be required. It also could do with fertiliser. His farming mind had been triggered. Although he was a dairy farmer, because of his farming profession, he had the basic skills associated with general farming, and he knew what was good and bad for most things. He doubted they would ever get more than a measly crop, given the current circumstances. That was if anything would grow at all.

The hand plough was rusted and old; its blade had sheared where it had worn through, and the tools were blunt and ill-kept. Nothing in the area was maintained. The only maintenance he had seen was of the crude spears and nets. One hut was used to store goods, and inside, it looked like a junkyard, with rusted items collected on raids. Harm didn't even recognise some of the tools and knew the goblins wouldn't know what they were for, so they had just been left to rot. Another hut was stacked with wood, dried fruits and herbs. Out of all the huts, this one was the best organised and tidiest. 

The remaining huts were communal huts where the goblins slept. Privacy for some was given by crudely hung animal skin or similar, but most just slept on old blankets or skins. There were no beds or furniture.

"Where do the females sleep?" Harm asked Dafu.

Dafu frowned. "Here, why?"

"Do they not have their own area?"

Again, Dafu frowned. "Why would they?"

Harm shook his head; he had a lot to do if he wished for this clan to succeed. He sighed deeply as he walked back to the chief's hut. His corpse had been removed, and the armour and sword he had worn had been left outside. Harm picked the helmet up and was about to try it on when the stench hit him. Maybe he would wait and see if it could be cleaned first, although he doubted the stench of the blood on the aventail would ever go.