The Warden's Sword

by Paul Summerhayes

  “Mmmust help…mmmistress.”

  “What?”

  “I think it wants to help us,” said Maria. They were unable to read the goblin’s expression.

  Anna was dumbfounded. “Goblins can’t speak,” she said.

  “Maybe no one told him.” Maria addressed the goblin, “You want to help? Get food.” She mimicked eating so the goblin got the idea. “Food.” The goblin’s bestial eyes moved from Maria to Anna. It must have understood something as it turned and vanished into the undergrowth. Other small creatures ran through the vegetation around them. This goblin was not alone.

  “What’s happening?” asked Anna. “Goblins are nasty little killers. They don’t help people.”

  “So they say, but…it called you mistress.”

  “Mistress?”

  “What should we do?” asked Maria.

  “I think we should get as far from here as possible. Just in case the goblin changes his mind and tries to eat us.”

  The women headed in the opposite direction of the goblins—they were lost anyway. They travelled for some time and relaxed a little. The birds sang, squirrels scampered amongst the trees and insects buzzed from plant to plant. The forest appeared to be normal and there were no signs of anything wanting to kill them.

  They came to small fast-flowing stream and stopped to drink. The cool water didn’t help their hunger but it felt good to have something in their empty stomachs. After splashing water on their faces, they decided to cross the shallow stream. Hopefully that would confuse anyone wanting to follow them.

  Following an animal trail, they had it easier going. After a short distance, another trail crossed the one they travelled and in that crossroad was a dead animal. It was hard to tell what it had been when alive as it was now a small mass of fur, meat and blood. It might have once been a rabbit.

  “F-food.”

  The women jumped. Standing in a bush was the goblin. With a small clawed hand, it pointed to the bloody pile on the trail. Its expression was different than before—could it be pleased with itself? There were several more goblins in the surrounding undergrowth. They looked hungrily at the dead animal and then to the women.

  “Ffff-ood.”

  “Eew! It wants us to eat that—that thing,” said Maria. She was horrified at the prospect.

  “No! Not food,” said Anna, shaking her head. She pointed to a bush and pretended to pick berries from its branches and put them in her mouth. “Food.” She rubbed her stomach. “Good food.”

  “Fffood.” You could almost see the goblin thinking. “Fffood.” The goblin grunted a few times and they all disappeared into the undergrowth.

  “Where are they going?” asked Maria.

  “Hopefully to get us some berries.”

  A goblin snuck out of the bushes on all fours, looked at the women and then grabbed the dead animal with its mouth. It turned and quickly vanished into the undergrowth with its prize.

  Anna and Maria gave up running from the goblins and sat under a tree. After some time, the goblins returned bearing gifts. They placed different coloured leaves, dirt-covered roots, berries and flowers on the ground in front of the two women and then backed away. It didn’t look that appetising but Anna’s stomach rumbled and she found herself salivating.

  “It could be poisonous,” said Maria.

  “I’m willing to take the chance.” Anna placed some berries in her mouth and marvelled at the flavours that erupted from fruit’s flesh and juice. It was all good—even the roots had a pleasant nutty taste. The women ate in silence until they were full, all under the watchful eyes of the goblins.

  “That’s a feast fit for my father,” said Maria when she was full.

  Anna studied the goblins—several crouched under a bush and didn’t appear scared. They blended well into the foliage and would have been hard to see if she didn’t know they were there. The perfect hunters.

  “Why do you help us?” asked Anna, pointing to the goblin and then back to herself. “I appreciate it, but why?” All of the goblins looked similar but the more she observed them, the more she could see small differences. The talkative goblin angled his head slightly as if he was trying to work out what she had said. “Why help?” she repeated.

  He looked around nervously and crouched low to the ground, “The ssshadows ordered ittt.”

  “Who?”

  “Ssshadowsss…”

  Maybe he’s talking about Mordan. But why would the alp recruit these creatures to do his work? It’s not his style.

  “What is he talking about?” asked Maria. “Does he mean my uncle?”

  “Maybe. The goblins I met before worked for an orc, Krulta, and he worked for your uncle…but…I don’t know.”

  “It does not matter. So long as it leads us out of here.”

  Anna addressed the goblin. “What’s your name?”

  “Hhe gave me speech…hhhe named me Lower Than Ffflea Dung—”

  “Call it Dung,” Maria suggested.

  “No. He’s helping us…what about Flea? You are small. Can we call you Flea?”

  “Yyyes.”

  “Flea, can you take us to the road? Where there are people like us?”

  “Hhe help mmmistresss or die. I help.” The other goblins didn’t appear to understand Flea and one pawed at him as he spoke.

  “Can you take us to your master?” asked Anna.

  “No! The sshadowss…” Flea whispered fearfully and looked around.

  “Okay, Flea, take us to the road,” said Maria. “And no tricks.”

  The two women stood and watched the goblins vanish into the undergrowth. Who sent them…Mordan?

  Anna found it hard to follow the goblins. They moved quickly through the undergrowth, quicker than she could move over open land. Their dirty brown skin blended into the natural surroundings well, making them hard to see. In many forests and mountainous areas of the world, goblins were the feared raiders and killers of livestock. And many unweary travellers had fallen victims to their claws and teeth. It was rumoured that a goblin ate their prey alive as they preferred their food struggling as they digested it.

  The goblins set a swift pace and several times they had to stop and wait for Anna and Maria to catch up. After a while Anna slowed and grabbed Maria’s arm. “Let’s rest,” she said.

  “We will lose the goblins.”

  “I think not. They fear this Shadow, whoever he is. They’ll not lose us. Besides, I am tired and need a rest.” They sat on a log that had fallen beside the path. A small beam of afternoon light shone on them and they were thankful for its warmth. After a short time, a goblin’s head appeared from a bush. It was Flea and he looked agitated.

  “Come, come, no time for ressst. Road not far,” he said.

  “We need rest,” said Anna. “You’ll have to wait.”

  “Come! Come! Resst later.”

  “No!” said Anna firmly. “You will obey your mistress. Wait!” There was anger in her voice.

  Maria looked at her companion, surprised at her sudden outburst. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine, I’m just tired.”

  Flea had vanished. None of the goblins were visible.

  “Where is he now?” asked Maria. “It will be dark soon. Maybe we should keep going.”

  Anna stood. “Fine, let’s go.” The pair followed in the goblins’ direction.

  Chapter 41

  It was early evening and Karok and Kliem sat beside the fireplace in the taproom of the Green Garden Inn. Although they sat at the same table, they weren’t enjoying each other’s company, in fact the dwarf had turned away from the gnome and was staring silently into the flicking fire. He looked melancholy—deep in his own thoughts. The gnome watched his companion with a casual interest.

  “Counting gold?” asked the gnome. Karok grunted. “Are you still in a hurry to go south? To hire your axe to the Krystorian army?”

  The dwarf grunted again. It was hard to tell if it was in agreement or if he was telling
the gnome to go away.

  “Your people aren’t the most pleasant company.”

  “No dwarf wants the company of a gnome,” said Karok without mirth.

  “Well, without this gnome you would have a long walk ahead of you.”

  The dwarf took a long swig from his mug. He wiped the foam from his beard with the back of his hand. He stood and without a backward glance, walked out the inn’s front door and into the night.

  “Dwarves…” mumbled Kliem and took a drink from his mug.

  There were few patrons in the taproom that evening. A few humans had arrived just before sun down and Kliem overheard them say that they were headed south—the capital? He didn’t hear their final location. They were rough looking men who wore thick leather jerkins and had long swords hanging from their belts. Keeping to themselves, they drank quietly at a table opposite the gnome.

  Kliem sat for a long time, his short legs stretched out toward the fire. He sipped his ale and was deep in thought. The humans had gone to their room and the barman waited patiently for the gnome to retire as well. The dwarf had not returned.

  With an audible sigh, he stood and placed his empty mug on the bar and walked slowly up the old wooden staircase to the bedrooms above. The observant would have noted that the gnome traversed the stairs without a sound. He stepped onto each wooden board with the skill and grace of one that had long practiced stealth. At the top, Kliem glanced around and then glided over to the door to where Severus slept. He reached beneath his clothes and drew out a long, thin blade which had not been visible before—its keen edge glinted wickedly in the hall’s lamplight. A small grin played on the gnome’s lips as he reached for the door handle. “Let’s end this game…old friend.”

  Chapter 42

  The night brought with it the sound of insects and it seemed to enhance the sound of their footsteps as they trudged through the endless forest. Anna was tired and her mind was numb—she no longer looked where she stepped. She no longer noticed if Maria was still beside her or if she was following the goblins by herself.

  Step, step, step.

  It took Anna a moment to realise that she no longer crunched on leaves and twigs. In fact, she now walked on hard dirt. She stopped and looked around. It was the first night the moon shone—a small sliver in the night’s sky sending down a faint light which dimly illuminated her surroundings. At first she thought she was in a clearing but after a moment or two she realised that she was on a road.

  “A road!” Anna exclaimed. The road was a sign of civilisation and maybe the means to their salvation. She turned around but she was alone in the middle of the road. There was no Maria and no goblins. Anna panicked. I’ve lost her!

  Just then the princess staggered out of the dark tree line and Anna was relieved. “Maria, we are saved! It’s a road.”

  A faint smile spread across Maria’s tired face. “We are saved?” she repeated softly.

  “Someone will pass and we are saved.”

  “Saved?”

  The road was broad and well maintained. It was the main Krystorian highway. Exactly where they were, she didn’t know and didn’t care. Someone would find them.

  “No more walking, Maria. We can rest.”

  “Good. I am tired, hungry and I have blisters on my feet.” Maria dropped beside the road and stretched out her legs. “I can’t walk anymore.”

  “You won’t have to. We are finally free from that forest.”

  Anna’s eye flicked opened. It took a moment for her to remember where she was. Maria leant on her shoulder and they were both huddled against a tree still wrapped in the dirty blankets. The princess was soundly asleep, her breathing slow and steady.

  The moon had risen higher in the night sky and it cast an eerie light across the empty road. No night animals stirred; all was quiet. In the dark tree line directly across from them, Anna could just make out Flea’s small form. His hands were raised as if fending off an unseen attack.

  Yyyesss,” he said. “Asss you command.”

  A cold shudder when up Anna’s spine and the hairs on her neck stood up. She could see nothing in the darkness except the goblin but an irrational fear crept over her. Something felt wrong—not just wrong, unnatural. The air was cold and a cloud of steam escaped Anna’s lips. Inside her body, she could feel a growing tension—fear, she wanted to scream. She closed her eyes tightly and held her breath, bitting back the growing terror.

  The feeling passed and with trepidation she forced her eyes open. The air was heavy and pressed down on her. Flea still cowered in the trees, she could see his small body shaking.

  For several heartbeats nothing happened and then the goblin lowered his arms and looked around. Under the moonlight she could see sweat glistening on his brown skin before he dropped down on all four and vanished in the dark vegetation.

  Slowly the oppressive feeling lifted and she, too, felt the cold sweat on her skin. She shivered uncontrollably, unsure what she had just witnessed.

  Wide-eyed, she scanned the darkness, desperate to see if something lurked in the shadows. But there was nothing. She wanted to call for Hunter and Titan but she was unable to speak—somehow, she knew it was too dangerous to make a sound.

  The feeling of imminent danger slowly left her and her heartbeat slowed. She released her breath and tried to calm herself. In those dark moments, Anna felt something other than fear—or was it anger. It made her feel strange…an unexplainable stirring deep inside her body. It was not the first time she had felt this odd stirring in her blood—but it was the first time that she consciously acknowledged it. It came at times of great stress or anxiety. This scared her now almost as much as the things that crept through the night. Something inside of her was changing.

  Maria woke to the sound of horses’ hooves clip-clopping on the hard road. Her blanket dropped to the ground as she sprang up and ran onto the road. The still morning air was amplifying the sound of a carriage as it was still a distance away, but it was heading their way!

  “We are saved!” Maria shouted. “Anna, get up. We are saved!”

  Anna stirred. “What?” she asked lethargically.

  “People! There are people coming. We are saved!”

  “What?!” Anna jumped to her feet and moved to Maria’s side. “We look a mess.” Both women’s hair was messy, their faces and hands were dirty and their clothes were ripped and heavily stained. They looked like two beggars. “Fix your hair and dust off your clothes.”

  Maria tore strips of material from her under skirt and handed one length to Anna. Quickly, they used the material to tie their hair into ponytails. Anna cast away her blanket and tried to dust off her clothes—it made little difference. Their clothes were ruined and were little more than rags.

  “I hope they stop,” Maria said as the carriage got closer.

  The two women moved to the side of the road and Anna raised her hand to get the two men’s attention that sat in the driver’s seat but the driver just snapped the reins and kept going. He was not going to stop in the middle of nowhere for beggars.

  “Stop!” shouted Maria franticly.

  “…please,” added Anna, but the carriage kept going.

  “Stop in the king’s name,” Maria shouted.

  The carriage passed, leaving them in its dust. They stared heartbroken at its rear as it continued on. A short distance down the road the carriage started to slow and then came to a stop.

  Maria gripped Anna’s arm. “They stopped!” Together they ran to the carriage and stopped at its door. Heavy curtains stopped them from seeing inside.

  “Thank you for stopping,” said Anna, smoothing out her dress. “We’ve had some bad luck and we’re lost. Could you...” She stopped as the door opened and a man’s face leant out from the dark interior.

  “Hello, Anna. Hello, niece.” It was the master, Lord Tollis, and he held a long, thin knife in his manicured hand. “I would love to help you.”

  Anna turned to run but Maria shrieked as on
e of the drivers grabbed her from behind. The other driver, a tall heavy-set man, had come around the back of the carriage and threatened Anna with a drawn sword.

  “Now, now, ladies. Please, join me. I am only here to help.” The master indicated with the knife that they should enter the carriage. “And don’t worry—no harm will come to you. We are going to the capital to meet the king.” And then he laughed—a cold, mirthless sound.

  Chapter 43

  The tracks were confusing. Everything Finn knew about tracking told him that the women were following several small humanoids—most likely goblins. It just didn’t make sense.

  Earlier that day, the young eldon had come across a grisly scene—several wolves had been torn apart by something large and extremely powerful. Possibly a bear. Whatever did the killing used enough force to spray blood in a large radius and if he read the signs correctly, the two women sat in the bottom of the gully while it all happened! The killer left no footprints which made Finn uneasy as everything left one sign or another.

  Finn often rode one of the small horses to quicken his pace and only dismounted if he lost their tracks or the terrain was too rough. He felt sure he was gaining on them and he should catch them by nightfall or early the next morning. As the day wore on into late afternoon, it was clear that he would not catch them before sunset so he dismounted and prepared a camp. He crept into the surrounding area with his bow and just before the sun went down, he skilfully shot a rabbit for his supper.

  Eating a simple meal beside his small campfire, Finn’s gaze wandered to the treetops and stars peeking through the branches. He was close now, so close that if he shouted Anna might hear him. And so would everything else in this forest—including the creature that killed the wolves. He rolled out his bedroll and wrapped in his green warden’s cloak, he sat staring into the flames.

  He mused that on the next fool adventure, he would bring Garm. His younger brother was a good woodsman and good company. And I’ll stay home.