by Dave Skinner
“Of course you will.”
“I think so, too. If I—” and off she went again.
He looked over at Bray who was walking on the other side of Lee. His brother was smiling at him. Shawn decided to ignore him. He was just about to turn away when Bray made the ‘be aware, ahead’ hand signal after turning his face forward. Shawn followed his example. There, standing at the side of the school building, watching his approach, was Mara. She smiled. Shawn stopped walking. His mouth went dry and his heart started to beat loudly. Bray laughed.
“Don’t worry, brother. Your legs are longer. You can outrun her.”
“Outrun who? Why did you stop, Shawn? Is someone after you?” Lee asked, giving him a concerned look as she glanced around. “Oh, there’s Mara. She probably hasn’t heard how I won the race. I’m going to tell her. Come on, Shawn, you can talk to her too. You’ll like her. She’s really nice,” Lee said as she grabbed his hand and started pulling him forward. He could hear Bray snorting with laughter as his sister pulled him away.
Most Tawshe have black or brown hair which they wear long and pulled back or braided, but Mara was different. Her hair was short and it was the colour of sunshine. Shawn noticed the little curls that covered her head as Lee pulled him up to her. They are like a crown of sunlight, stole into his head and the thought would not leave. He realized he was staring at her hair, so he looked at her face. She smiled. Shawn stared at her mouth. She was saying something, but he could not make out the words over the pounding of his heart. Suddenly, Lee was pulling his arm, then again, and again.
“Shawn, you should have told me?”
“Told you what?”
“Told her about us, Shawn,” Mara said.
Shawn had no idea what was happening, or what she meant, but thankfully Mara explained.
“Lee went to introduce us, so I told her we already knew each other, and explained that you were my betrothed.”
Shawn’s smile slipped from his face, and then it returned, brighter than ever.
Chapter 14
Ran watched Bray carefully. This was their last wrestling session, his last Games as a youth, and he was determined to win this bout. For the last three years he had trained harder than ever before. He had always been good, he knew that, and that knowledge had allowed him to be lazy with his training during his younger years. None of his classmates could beat him, and few of the adults could by the time he was fourteen years, but then Bray had bested him at swords.
Ran allowed himself to believe the first time was luck on Bray’s part, but the next year Bray had beat him with the sword again, and also in the foot race. He had realized then that he had to train harder. A beating by his father had punctuated his conclusion. At the next Games, he had won both contests but lost the foot race. He had trained even harder still, but last year, his father’s information about which contests Bray entered had turned out to be false. The old man claimed that Bray must have changed his selection at the last moment, but Ran had his own suspicions. He believed his father had not wanted to face the embarrassment of having Bray beat him again. Not that Ran was embarrassed by losing to him. The Nadian was one of the fastest and best fighters Ran had ever encountered. He still hated him, but now he also respected him, and out of respect he watched him carefully as they circled each other.
Ran opened with a sweeping kick he had been practicing in private for months. It started as a normal low leg sweep, but it ended differently. Instead of swinging all the way around in a circle to return to his feet, his lower leg hit the ground as he flipped from being supported on one arm to being supported by the other arm. Bray was still in the air from his leap over the low sweep. Ran used the momentum from flipping to drive a leg forward in a second attack. It worked almost as planned. Bray was twisting in the air, and Ran’s kick caught him in the ribs instead of the back. Everyone heard the ribs break. The bout was over. Ran had won.
People rushed in to congratulate him while Bray was sprawled out on the ground. Then the Nadian was there in front of Ran, holding his side, looking white from the pain, but standing none the less and offering his hand in congratulations.
“That was the best move I have ever seen, Ran. Congratulations. Maybe you would teach it to me sometime.”
His classmates in the crowd picked up on that, “Teach me.” “Me too.” “And me,” they were all shouting. Ran lost sight of Bray again. Destroyer take him, was Ran’s thought as he was swept away by the crowd.
Ran won the foot race later that day. Bray was unable to run because of his broken ribs, and no one else could catch him. Running freely with the rest of the racers behind him, he thought about what came next.
Ran had no worries about his manhood testing. He could make the weapons necessary from the raw materials he could find. He had excelled in that training, as he had excelled in languages, history, geography, and the crafts of war. In another month he would take his place as a Tawshe trueone. He was looking forward to it. Finally, the Nadian thorn in his side would be gone. He was reasonably sure that Bray would leave the tribe after his manhood trial in two years. Bray considered himself to be a Nadian, so good riddance to him. Ran would forget about him forever. He had won their last contest. He, T’Ran, would prove himself to be the best Tawshe warrior ever.
Chapter 15
“Is that the same place Ran broke your ribs years ago?” Lee asked as Bray entered the cooking area of the cabin.
It was a few days after The Games, but they were both still recovering.
“Is that the same wrist you broke last year?” Bray countered.
“I tripped.”
“You are clumsy.”
“I am not.”
“You are, but so are most youths of eleven years. Shawn could not walk across this room without tripping on something when he was your age. Remember the time he fell on the Hob chair and broke it?” Laughing, they both looked towards the stone hearth where the Hob chair was always located. Both stopped to stare. The chair was occupied.
Most people who live in areas where Hobs frequent, including all the Tawshe, leave a small child-size chair at the side of the fireplace to accommodate the little people. It is called the Hob chair, but it is really for Brownies because Hobs who live indoors are actually Brownies. Only Hobs that live outdoors are called Hobs even though they are the same as Brownies, but no one mentions that fact for fear of what would happen if a Brownie was to be offended.
In the eight years Bray had lived with Lee and her family, he had never seen a Brownie in the Hob chair. From the expression on Lee’s face he concluded that it was a new occurrence for her also.
“It looks sad, Bray. What should we do?”
“Leave it alone,” Bray cautioned. Lee was correct, the Brownie did look sad. Its head was dipped forward showing more of the curly green hair than the face. Bray wondered how the Hob could manage to not be seen at other times in the confines of the small cabin. The Hob lifted its head to stare at them. Its green eyes were red rimed in a round brown face and framed by mutton chop whiskers.
“No, ignoring it would be rude,” Lee stated. “It would not be there if something were not amiss. I am going to talk to it.”
Bray considered stopping her, but her logic made sense, so he only nodded. She got to her feet and walked slowly towards the chair. The Brownie stood up as she got closer. Lee was a little tall for eleven years, so the Brownie’s head was level with her chest. Bray estimated it would be as tall as his waist. The multi-colours of the little person’s outfit made the cabin look brighter. It wore high red leather boots, blue trousers, and a yellow shirt topped with a long vest of vivid green.
“Hello, my name is Lee,” she announced, “and this is my brother Bray. Is there something we can do for you?”
“Hello Lee, Bray. My name is Runswick. I am sorry if I disturbed you.”
“You are not disturbing us. That chair is there for your use. It means you are always welcome in our home. But y
ou look sad. Is there something we can do for you? Would some porridge make you feel better? We have honey.”
“Porridge with honey would be nice, if it is not too much trouble.”
“It will not be any trouble at all. Mother made it for us before she left. My brother will get it ready, right Bray?”
While Bray dished out the porridge Lee chatted easily with the Brownie. “Bray and I are not usually home at this time. We attend school, but we were both injured in The Games. I tripped and sprained my wrist. Bray was beaten by Ran in a wrestling match.”
“Ah yes, everyone knows about the animosity between those two. It is legendary,” Runswick told her.
“Why don’t we sit by the fire?” Bray said as he carried three steaming bowls over. Runswick accepted the food and sat down into his chair. Lee and Bray folded into cross-legged positions on the floor beside him. They concentrated on their porridge until the bowls were scraped clean.
“Well, that breakfast certainly is sitting comfortably,” Lee admitted as she patted her belly. “How about you, Runswick, are you feeling better?”
“Somewhat. I admit porridge does have a salutary influence. Thank you.”
“Now will you tell us why you are sad?”
Runswick considered both of their faces. “As you wish. My mate went to visit her family at a village not far from here. When she did not return at the appointed time, I went there as well, but I could not enter. A goblin has taken up residence in the village, and will not allow anyone to leave or enter.”
“What kind of goblin?” Bray asked.
“A Hob-goblin.”
“I understood Hob-goblins to be tricksters. Is this some type of joke it is playing?” Lee asked.
“No, it is the sickness. You see, goblins are another branch of Fey. They are an aberration that happens occasionally for reasons we do not truly understand. There exists a story that suggests it is a curse laid by a powerful witch on a Hob and his family because of something he did to anger her. Whatever the cause, it happens. A Hob will be perfectly normal for many years, but then suddenly his behavior will change. It starts with small things at first, simple tricks, which become progressively more hurtful. That is the stage we refer to as Hob-goblin. They usually leave the village before they become full goblins. Sometimes they return. I believe that is what has happened, or perhaps the physical change has occurred faster than normally, and the village has been caught unprepared.”
“What is the physical change?” Bray inquired.
“They become larger, stronger, and malformed.”
“How large is the one at the village?”
“I did not see it, so I cannot answer your question, but given the time involved I estimate it will be Lee’s size.”
“We should go and force it to leave,” Lee suggested.
“I think we should talk to Waycan first.”
“Waycan is too busy entertaining visiting Travellers to bother with a little thing like this. Even with your broken rib you should be able to handle a goblin my size, and I will be there to help. You will not even have to swing a sword if you take a spear with you. Just poke at it until it leaves.”
“You make it sound easy.”
“It will be, and we will be doing Runswick and his family a service.”
Bray agreed reluctantly. He grabbed up a spear, and they went outside. Runswick led them onto the trail. The walk to the Hob village was interesting. Bray and Lee were both sure they had travelled the path before, but this time something had changed. New turns took them along unfamiliar pathways until they arrived at a bridge over a substantial stream. The bridge was blocked by a large pile of Hob-size furniture.
“I may not be a great deal of help clearing that,” Lee admitted holding forth her bandaged wrist.
“May I heal your injuries for you?” Runswick asked.
“That would be helpful. Will you do Bray’s ribs also?”
“Yes, of course.”
Runswick placed his small hands on Lee’s wrist. She felt a tingling sensation after a few moments, and then the ache in her arm disappeared. When the hob removed his hands, she was able to rotate her wrist fully without discomfort. He administered to Bray next.
“I have strengthened the bones for both of you. They were weak from the repeated injuries. The change will eventually spread to all your bones making them stronger. It will also affect your muscles. You will gain strength and become faster. I hope you do not mind.”
“I like it,” Lee assured him. “I feel stronger already!”
“It will take more time than that, Lee.”
“I hope it makes you a better cook, too,” Bray joked.
Lee’s fist shot out and landed on his arm. “Ha, not so hard,” Bray said while rubbing his upper arm. “Save it for the furniture.”
The three of them started moving furniture to open a pathway through the pile. It was not long before they could squeeze through. They had stepped off the other end of the bridge when they saw the goblin charging towards them.
“He must be growing faster than I thought,” Lee heard Runswick say.
“Go back across the bridge, you two,” Bray commanded as he moved forward. Lee and Runswick stayed where they were.
The goblin was a full two heads taller than Bray. It had massive shoulders and arms that hung almost to the ground. Its legs appeared to be the same length as Runswick’s, which caused it to use its long arms to swing itself along. It roared and spewed saliva as it charged. And it reeked, Lee realized, as an odor of rotten fruit assailed her nostrils.
Lee pulled her knife from its sheath. She had gotten Bray into this and would not abandon him. Beside her, Runswick did the same. She expected Bray to throw the spear but he kept it in his hands. As the goblin came up to the extended spear, it tried to knock it away with a sweep of one arm. Bray allowed the spear point to drop below the sweep and then flicked it back up and forward, catching the beast on its bulbous nose. The goblin screamed in rage and pain. It swung at the offending spear two more times with the same results before it stepped back. Lee saw reason replace the rage on its face as it looked past Bray at her and Runswick. It swung itself backwards a number of times and then charging forward again. Before it reached the spear point, it gave a mighty leap that carried it above Bray and the spear. As it left the ground Bray flung the spear upwards. It tore into the goblin’s stomach. When the beast landed, the extended end of the spear struck the ground and shattered, but not before driving the point deeper into the body. The goblin’s charge faltered.
Bray, now with his knife in hand, sprang onto the monster’s back. The goblin reared up, trying to reach him with its long arms while Bray drove his knife into the back of its neck repeatedly. Lee jumped forward at the same time Runswick did. She drove her knife in beside the goblin’s groin aiming for the large artery she had been taught was there. Runswick sprang at the goblin’s face, and with both hands wrapped around the handle of his knife, he drove it into an eye before twisting his body away in a graceful summersault to the side.
The goblin stopped screaming. It stood frozen, motionless, with arms up, and mouth open before it started to fall forward. Lee was trying to pull her knife free when Runswick yanked her out of the way of the collapsing beast.
Bray was at her side a few moments later as she sprawled in the dirt. “Are you okay?”
Lee stared at the goblin for a few moments. “Yes, but my knife is under there,” she responded pointing at the dead body.
Bray started to laugh.
Chapter 16
Waycan studied Lee and Bray as they sat across from him. They had returned to school a few days before, much sooner than he had expected. He had been suspicious, but now he understood.
“How is your wrist, Lee?”
She held the wrist up and twirled it round. “It is all better, now.”
“And how are the ribs, Bray?”
“Mended.”
“You be
lieve they are mended, or you know they are mended?”
Bray and Lee looked at each other.
“I told no one,” Lee said.
“We know they are mended,” Bray admitted. “We did not want to worry Kat. That is why we kept it a secret.”
“That was probably wise, but you should have told me.”
“Yes, Waycan,” they both responded.
“How did you find out?” Lee blurted.
Waycan smiled. “Do you think you are the only ones who talk to Hobs? It sounded like a close call though. You should have been more prepared, Bray.”
“I will know better next time,” the boy responded.
“Yes, it is best to be cautious with the little people. They may have the best intentions, but they also have their own way of thinking and doing things. I believe I have mentioned this in class, have I not?”
Both nodded. “But Runswick needed our help,” Lee explained, “and we were not hurt by the goblin.”
“You were not hurt, but you were changed.”
Lee looked puzzled for a moment. “Oh, you are talking about how Runswick healed our injuries. It was not much of a change.”
“So far, you mean. It was magic, Lee. I believe Runswick explained to both of you that it will continue to change you. You will become stronger and faster, and we have to decide how to deal with it. For Bray it will not be bad. He is ready to undertake his specialized weapons training, but with you, young woman, we may have a problem. You are only eleven years. It will be another five years before you should undertake specialized training. Now, with enhanced abilities you could hurt your sparing partners at school.”
“Perhaps I could not work as hard.”
“That is a possibility, but not an appropriate one. I have a better option. Bray will be training with a special instructor for two days in every seven. I want you to join him. At other times you will have to ease up as you suggested. Make sure you do not harm any of your classmates.
