Lara put a hand on Berig's shoulder. "But I will come with you."
"You sure that's a good idea?" Berig asked. "You good with weapons?
"These are the Clanlands." Lara gestured to the sword on her hip and the bow strapped across her back. "Everybody learns how to use weapons. Besides, if any of your friends are injured, you'll need me to heal them."
Berig scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."
"Be careful." Zak pulled his daughter into a tight hug.
"I'm always careful, Father."
Zak chuckled softly. "That's not the word I'd use."
They parted, and Berig and Lara began their march into the forest. Berig had strapped a sword to his back, but it still felt like it didn't belong there. If they needed to use it, he had no idea what he'd do.
"You're worried," Lara said as she pushed aside a low-hanging branch.
"How could I not be worried? We're gonna die out here."
"We'll have the search party with us," Lara said. "Our goal is to find them."
"But even if we find them, we've still gotta save my friends."
"One step at a time, Berig. You told me you don't like to think ahead, but that's exactly what you're doing now."
He chuckled without humor. "Maybe that's why I don't like looking ahead. All I can see is the worst possibilities. Feels like I'm cursed.
"You're not cursed. You simply have a great destiny ahead of you."
"Sounds like the same thing to me."
"I've noticed something about you," Lara said as they followed a narrow path snaking between the trees. "You always dwell on the negative. I understand that it's difficult to remain positive at a time like this, but we need all the hope we can get."
Berig let out a long breath. "Look. I ain't trying to be like that. It's just the way I am. You know what it's like to grow up on the streets in a big city? I'll tell you this. It ain't fun."
"You do have a point there. All I've ever known is clan life. I've had people who care about me and the protection of a strong community. I've heard tales from travelers about the poverty in big cities. It sounds terrible. Maybe I shouldn't blame you for your outlook on life."
Berig was surprised to hear that. Most people criticized him for the way he looked at things without ever trying to understand why. He looked at Lara and felt as if a hand had twisted around his heart. She was beautiful and appeared to care about Berig.
He'd given up on Danica. She'd made it clear that she was interested in Aric. Maybe it was time for Berig to put his hopes in someone new.
But how could someone so beautiful and kind and intelligent ever love Berig? And why was Berig even thinking about this? He had a mission to accomplish.
Lara held up a hand, halting their progress. "I see fresh tracks here. They seem to be heading this direction, and they're human in shape. This has to be the search party."
Berig glanced off to the right, where she'd pointed. "You sure?"
"Yes. That's also the direction of the goblins' caves."
Berig's mouth felt dry. "So I guess we've gotta follow 'em."
Lara nodded, and they walked in silence, tracking the search party. With every step they took, Berig felt it was harder to breathe. They were going to die. He was sure of it.
It wasn't that he thought his life was worth much. He just didn't want to die. Despite everything he'd been through, everything people like Cyrus had told him, he still had trouble believing in a God or an afterlife. As far as he knew, this life was all he had. He couldn't throw it away needlessly.
"So what're we gonna do when we get to the goblins?" he asked.
"We'll have to remain outside their view and see if we can devise a plan. There's no hope of negotiating with them. They don't know our language, and we don't know theirs."
"But I understood 'em earlier," Berig said.
Lara's eyes were wide. "That's not possible. No one's ever learned their language."
"This is kinda tough to explain, but I don't think I actually know their language. No, it's more like I heard their grunting language and ours at the same time. After a while, I barely heard the grunting anymore. I understood 'em perfectly."
"Interesting," Lara said distantly. "Maybe you truly are special."
Special. Berig wasn't so sure about that. But then he thought of how he could see in the dark and pick up sounds other people didn't. He'd always figured his senses were just better, but was there something more to it? Something magical? Understanding a different language had to come from magic.
Lara broke a long silence. "There are still a few problems. We don't know if you can speak their language. It's possible that you can only understand them."
Berig hadn't thought of that.
"And even if they can understand you, there's no guarantee we can negotiate with them. They are a violent species. For the most part, we've learned to leave each other alone. If we stray into their territory, they are not welcoming at all. They think we make good meals."
"Sound like real great people to live around," Berig said. "Or creatures, I guess. Why haven't you wiped 'em out?"
"Because we respect all intelligent life. Even those whose practices we might find distasteful. As I said, we've learned to leave each other alone. It works."
"Then why'd they attack us?" Berig asked.
"Because you must have entered their territory."
"Yeah, I think I heard 'em say something like that."
"They're very protective about their territory." Lara pushed through underbrush that blocked their path. Berig followed, scratching his arms against thorny bushes. He ignored the pain, though. After so much time on the road, he'd learned to shove aside minor discomfort. His feet didn't even bother him anymore.
"And we're about to enter their territory," Berig said.
"I'm afraid so."
They walked for perhaps another hour, pushing through tighter and tighter paths. Soon night fell, and moonlight cast eerie shadows upon everything. Berig could see easily, thanks to his magically-enhanced senses, but he still wished it was brighter.
Whenever a shadow moved in the corner of his vision, he tensed, expecting to see a goblin. But the forest remained quiet, so quiet Berig felt he couldn't breathe.
"How much farther?" he whispered, feeling like something was watching them.
"I'm not entirely sure. I've never been this close to their territory."
In the dark, they couldn't follow the search party's tracks as easily, so they had to move at a slower pace, squinting at the ground. They lost the tracks at least half a dozen times. Twice, they had to backtrack a good five minutes, scanning the ground.
The forest became denser, vines draped across everything. The air felt sticky, and sweat drenched Berig's forehead. He would've given anything for a cool autumn breeze, but it was one of those autumn nights when summer wasn't willing to go away quietly.
Up ahead, a large, rocky hill blocked their path. Trees and scattered bushes had grown out of parts of the hill. They were the only chance anyone had of climbing a hill so steep.
"We gotta climb that?" Berig asked. Even though he was a great climber, he didn't relish the thought. His entire body felt slippery with sweat.
"No, their cave is down here," Lara said. "Or at least I think it is. We should be close."
They skirted the edge of the hill as it turned into a sheer cliff, and they scanned the rocky wall for cave entrances. Of course, there'd be no doubt when they found the entrance. It would be guarded, and the goblins would capture them.
And then eat them.
Berig felt a sudden urge to turn and run in the other direction. That was what he'd done his entire life. Who was he to think he could become a hero? It didn't matter what the Webs of Fate said. This was Berig's decision to make, and he was terrified.
He clutched at Lara's arm. "I-I can't do this."
"Yes, you can, Berig. You spent all that time trying to convince my father to let you do this. This is about savi
ng your friends. Can you turn your back on them now? I might not know you all that well, but I know you couldn't live with that."
Once, Berig might have disagreed with her, but she was right. He'd changed. He was no longer the cowardly thief, the irresponsible drifter. All that had changed the day Crayden burned. Since then, he'd made friends, and they'd helped him when they could have abandoned him.
Now they needed him. He couldn't leave them to die. "You're right. Let's find those goblins."
They continued along the edge of the cliff, growing more anxious with every step. Occasionally, Berig thought he saw movement, but when he focused his gaze on it, nothing was there. Were his eyes deceiving him?
There were no wards around here. Even if the goblins weren't watching, a monster might be. Berig wanted to turn and run. He swiveled his gaze from side to side. The shadows danced like never before. The sticky air felt heavy, like it was preparing to suffocate him.
Berig's knees gave way, and the world spun around him, making him feel sick. He closed his eyes, pretending the world didn't exist as he curled into a ball with his hands over his head.
"Berig!" Lara's hands shook him. "You need to stop panicking!"
But Berig didn't care. His chest hurt, and the pain became so much he thought he was having a heart attack. Cold sweat drenched him, and he trembled fiercely.
Lara wrapped her arms around him, bringing him close in a hug. For a long time, she lay there with her arms embracing him, calming him as tears streamed down his face.
Gradually, his senses returned, and with them came overpowering shame. How could he ever hope to be a hero? Heroes didn't freeze like this. Heroes didn't fall prey to panic. He was useless, just like he'd been during his thieving days.
Lara kept an arm wrapped around Berig's shoulder as they lay together on the ground. Her touch felt comforting enough that his breathing returned to normal.
"I'm sorry," he said, struggling against tears, hating himself for his failures.
"There's nothing to be sorry about. This is a terrifying thing we're doing. I might look calm to you, but I feel like my insides are twisted into knots. You're not alone, Berig. Everyone feels fear, even heroes with great destinies."
"But how can I learn to fight it?" Berig asked. He didn't understand why it had resurfaced so suddenly. He'd faced so many dangerous situations recently. Of course, in most of those situations, there hadn't been time to think. He'd simply reacted.
Now he could only dread what was coming, and then there was the fear that his friends were already dead. He couldn't let that fear take over. He had to be strong.
For Klint. For Aric. For Danica.
He got to his feet, using the nearby cliff for support, and Lara helped him keep his balance. After a few moments, they continued their search like nothing had happened. Berig didn't know if his panic would return, but he couldn't let it happen.
Maybe Lara was right. Even heroes felt fear. They simply mastered it.
There was a faint snap in the distance. Berig tensed, peering into the darkness. "You hear that?"
Lara shook her head.
A low rustle sounded. The night was windless, so it had to be something out there. A goblin? Some other kind of monster? Berig strained his ears as the rustling grew closer.
They stood at the edge of a large clearing. A shadowy creature prowled at the clearing's other side. It had a human-like shape, but it walked with jerky movements. Another creature appeared next to it, speaking in that guttural goblin language. Again, whatever magic Berig possessed made him understand their words.
"I can smell humans out here."
"Maybe they've come to find the humans we captured."
"It doesn't matter why they've come. They're trespassing in our territory."
Berig gripped Lara's arm as they stood silently. Berig hoped she'd have a plan, but she shook her head. The goblins stepped closer, wielding large axes. These goblins were about the same size as humans and wore plain brown clothing, but their bodies were much more heavily muscled.
Berig froze, trembling in the darkness. If the goblins could smell them, what chance did they stand? He thought of running. But, no, he had to face this threat, had to save his friends.
The goblins marched across the clearing, directly toward Berig and Lara. Soon the goblins stood close enough to see them. Raising their axes, the goblins fixed their gazes on Berig and Lara. Berig could see the hate and murder in their narrow eyes.
"Kill them," said the goblin on the left.
Chapter 32: The Goblin Lair
"Wait!" Berig shouted. "You don't have to kill us."
The goblins looked at each other, their eyes widening in a very human expression of surprise. "He communicates in our language," said the goblin on the right.
Berig glanced at Lara. "Did I just speak goblin?"
She nodded. "All I heard was grunting."
"I don't care what language he uses," said the goblin on the left. "They're trespassing in our territory, and they deserve to die. Humans know the penalty."
"But we've never encountered one who can speak our language. We should take him back to our chief and let him decide what we should do with them."
"You might be right," said the goblin on the left. He snarled at Berig and Lara, and they both recoiled. The goblins' rank stench filled the air.
The goblin on the right stepped forward, holding his axe ready. He touched the blade of the axe to Berig's head, and Berig trembled. The goblin examined Berig's face like there was something interesting there. Through it all, Berig was afraid he'd wet his pants.
"Come with us," said the goblin, prodding them forward.
Berig and Lara marched in front of the goblins, who led them forward with axes to their backs. The goblins hadn't taken their weapons, but there was no doubt a confrontation wouldn't end well. They walked for maybe twenty minutes, eventually reaching a cave. The goblins directed them into this cave, where the first passage they entered was lit by torches along the walls. Meat was cooking in the distance, giving off a delicious aroma, and Berig prayed that wasn't the smell of his friends.
The goblins shoved them forward until they reached an open chamber where dozens of goblins milled about. In the center of the chamber, a bunch of deer were cooking over open fires. Berig exhaled with relief. Maybe his friends were still alive.
A goblin guard stood at the entrance. "More prisoners?"
"We need to see the chief," said one of the goblins. He gestured toward Berig. "This one can speak our language. The chief will be interested in him."
The guard pointed his axe toward a passage off to the left. "You can find the chief there, in his bedchamber."
Berig's stomach churned as the goblins led them into this passage, which opened into a small chamber containing wooden furniture, including a bed with a straw mattress. In all, this looked more civilized than Berig had expected.
The chief sat at a table, tearing into meat with his teeth. Again, Berig hoped it wasn't one of his friends. Where were they? Were they alive?
The chief narrowed his eyes. "Why have you taken humans into my chamber?"
"We found them in the forest. This one can speak our language."
The chief gazed at Berig. "Can you? What is your name, human?"
"My name's Berig."
The chief's eyes widened, and he nearly toppled backward in his chair. "I can't believe it! Finally, I can understand a human again. Has our curse finally been lifted?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Berig said. To his right, Lara looked as if she wished she could fade into the wall. The goblins kept a firm grip on her, though they didn't appear to have harmed her.
The chief frowned. "You don't know of our curse?"
Berig glanced at Lara. "He's talking about some kinda curse. What does he mean?"
She shook her head, looking as if she might be sick.
"Speak to me," the chief said, and Berig turned back to him. With Berig's attention on him, the chie
f continued. "Long ago, before the Great War, there were no goblins. We were humans. Humans who took the wrong side in that war. When the forces of Lionar won that war, he exiled us to the Shadowed Land, and after that exile, we turned into what we are now. We can't speak to humans. We can't understand them. For hundreds of years, we've lived separate from you." Tears glistened in his eyes. "Don't you understand what this might mean for us?"
"I'm not really sure," Berig said. "How'd this happen to you? How'd you get back here? I thought no one could escape the Shadowed Land."
The chief's expression tightened with impatience, but after a breath, he relaxed. "We were sorcerers during the Great War. We were closer to Krinir than just about anyone else. He found a way to send us back, but crossing back to this world isn't as easy as entering the Shadowed Land. When you return, it comes with a price. We are now goblins. We don't possess our old magic. That's the price we paid."
Berig looked more closely at the goblins' features. Their skin was grayish, their hair a startling white, but beneath that, Berig could see the humanity lingering within them. He was amazed he hadn't seen it before, but then he reminded himself that he'd only seen the goblins in the dark. But were they really goblins at all?
"I'm sorry this happened to you," Berig said. He wasn't sure what else he could tell the man.
"It's not your fault," said the chief. "And you may just be our salvation."
No. Berig didn't want to think about that. He'd already heard about his heroic future from Tyrell. He didn't need anyone else expecting him to be a hero. All he wanted to do was save his friends and get out of here so they could cure Aric.
"I don't know how I'm supposed to save you," Berig said. "I can speak your language, but what does that really mean? Maybe it's just some kinda magic I have."
"I don't think so," said the chief. "I've never heard of that type of magic before. We've encountered many sorcerers, and none of them have ever spoken our language." He stroked his chin. "No, there's something special about you."
Berig shook his head, fighting back frustration. "Everyone keeps saying that, but I'm having trouble believing it. What does everyone see in me that I don't?"
The Shadowed Land Page 23
