Realizing we weren't in a playful mood, the goblins grew defensive, almost pleading. "It not us! We not killed

Realizing we weren't in a playful mood, the goblins grew defensive, almost pleading. "It not us! We not killed no one! He already deaded!" The goblins' words tumbled over each other in their haste to exonerate themselves — but they seemed to be sincere. "Horse threw him, nasty thing — broke his neck! Horse killed him! We not even tried eating him!" After hearing their story, we let the goblins go with a warning. But before that, we made sure to reclaim everything they'd taken from the deceased (including a hefty coin pouch — alas, in this backwater, coin proved of little use).