I don’t even think they can.”
“Tali!” Erin cried as the smaller child broke free then darted to one of the thrashing wolves.
She crouched beside it and stretched out her hand while Erin and the other children watched in silent fear.
“It’s okay,” Talitha said, her fingers rhythmically stroking the wolf’s silver-grey fur. “No one is going to hurt you.”
* * * *
The officer! Where is the goblin officer? Jon finally realized.
Without warning, all the wolves dropped to the ground, whining and crying as if in pain. They thrashed on their backs and sides, exposing their necks and vulnerable bellies.
Anya!
The fighting ceased for a split second. A goblin, deciding to take advantage of the situation, turned and charged at a thrashing albino wolf.
Minari!
Her mind is melded with theirs. If something happens to them—
Jon raised Slayer and charged, screaming, intercepting the goblin’s path. He barreled into his side, knocked the trooper off his feet, and stabbed blindly.
“Jon!” Arti’s voice rang with terror.
“Arti, no!” Logan said. “We cover the wolves. Trust me.”
Arti slashed at the closest goblin as she turned. Logan sidestepped his opponent, grabbed its outstretched arm, and twisted.
The goblin howled in pain.
“Jon!”
Jon looked up and saw Saul on the other side of the camp.
“Saul! It’s Anya! Go!”
Saul turned and ran crashing back into the forest.
Jon kept on blindly stabbing until the goblin stopped moving. He got up and charged at the next one, determined to keep on going until he knew Anya was safe.
Or until a goblin brought him down .
Whichever comes first.
* * * *
Saul crashed through the undergrowth. The goblin officer was bent over Anya, tying the last knots on the ropes that bound her.
“Let her go!” Saul swung his axe.
The goblin officer dodged easily.
“This is not your fight, boy. I am Captain D’hibuk of the Unified Goblin Forces, and I order you to stand down.” D’hibuk rose and picked up his club.
“No! She’s my friend, let her go.” Saul swung his axe again.
D’hibuk leapt to the side. The boy and the goblin circled each other.
“I have no quarrel with you. Just turn around and walk away. Your family is safe, and you will never see my kind ever again. Everything can go back to normal, just the way it was. I only want the MataPerak , the female. What is she to you anyway? Just someone you met a few days ago.”
Saul stopped in his tracks. He found himself between the goblin officer and Anya. An unfamiliar coldness washed through his mind. He risked a quick glance at Anya’s still form. Still breathing .
“How did you know we met just a few days ago?”
“Because I’ve spent years tracking the MataPerak and the last few months laying this trap to catch her.” D’hibuk lifted his chin, chest thrust forward, shoulders back and feet apart. He was glowing with obvious pride.
Saul studied his opponent. The goblin was not much bigger than he was, and armed only with an oak club.
Anya said they were deceptively fast and strong. So, not good odds. What else is new? Well, he sounds arrogant. There is that in my favor.
“Why is she so important to you?” Saul asked. Have to keep him talking. Get him to underestimate me. Maybe I can find a weakness. Saul lowered his axe all the way down, and let his left arm hang limp at his side and his jaw slacken.
“I can pay you any amount of gold to secure the female.”
Got you. “Any amount?” Saul bent his head towards the goblin, an apparent gleam of avarice and speculation in his eyes.
“ Any amount,” D’hibuk said, a wheedling note in his voice. “Think of what this kind of money can do for your family.”
The goblin officer lowered his club slightly. Saul watched D’hibuk run his yellow eyes over his homespun shirt and torn leggings. He scratched his armpit and tried to look tempted by the goblin’s offer of gold.
“But…she’s my friend.”
“You are young. You’ll
“Tali!” Erin cried as the smaller child broke free then darted to one of the thrashing wolves.
She crouched beside it and stretched out her hand while Erin and the other children watched in silent fear.
“It’s okay,” Talitha said, her fingers rhythmically stroking the wolf’s silver-grey fur. “No one is going to hurt you.”
* * * *
The officer! Where is the goblin officer? Jon finally realized.
Without warning, all the wolves dropped to the ground, whining and crying as if in pain. They thrashed on their backs and sides, exposing their necks and vulnerable bellies.
Anya!
The fighting ceased for a split second. A goblin, deciding to take advantage of the situation, turned and charged at a thrashing albino wolf.
Minari!
Her mind is melded with theirs. If something happens to them—
Jon raised Slayer and charged, screaming, intercepting the goblin’s path. He barreled into his side, knocked the trooper off his feet, and stabbed blindly.
“Jon!” Arti’s voice rang with terror.
“Arti, no!” Logan said. “We cover the wolves. Trust me.”
Arti slashed at the closest goblin as she turned. Logan sidestepped his opponent, grabbed its outstretched arm, and twisted.
The goblin howled in pain.
“Jon!”
Jon looked up and saw Saul on the other side of the camp.
“Saul! It’s Anya! Go!”
Saul turned and ran crashing back into the forest.
Jon kept on blindly stabbing until the goblin stopped moving. He got up and charged at the next one, determined to keep on going until he knew Anya was safe.
Or until a goblin brought him down .
Whichever comes first.
* * * *
Saul crashed through the undergrowth. The goblin officer was bent over Anya, tying the last knots on the ropes that bound her.
“Let her go!” Saul swung his axe.
The goblin officer dodged easily.
“This is not your fight, boy. I am Captain D’hibuk of the Unified Goblin Forces, and I order you to stand down.” D’hibuk rose and picked up his club.
“No! She’s my friend, let her go.” Saul swung his axe again.
D’hibuk leapt to the side. The boy and the goblin circled each other.
“I have no quarrel with you. Just turn around and walk away. Your family is safe, and you will never see my kind ever again. Everything can go back to normal, just the way it was. I only want the MataPerak , the female. What is she to you anyway? Just someone you met a few days ago.”
Saul stopped in his tracks. He found himself between the goblin officer and Anya. An unfamiliar coldness washed through his mind. He risked a quick glance at Anya’s still form. Still breathing .
“How did you know we met just a few days ago?”
“Because I’ve spent years tracking the MataPerak and the last few months laying this trap to catch her.” D’hibuk lifted his chin, chest thrust forward, shoulders back and feet apart. He was glowing with obvious pride.
Saul studied his opponent. The goblin was not much bigger than he was, and armed only with an oak club.
Anya said they were deceptively fast and strong. So, not good odds. What else is new? Well, he sounds arrogant. There is that in my favor.
“Why is she so important to you?” Saul asked. Have to keep him talking. Get him to underestimate me. Maybe I can find a weakness. Saul lowered his axe all the way down, and let his left arm hang limp at his side and his jaw slacken.
“I can pay you any amount of gold to secure the female.”
Got you. “Any amount?” Saul bent his head towards the goblin, an apparent gleam of avarice and speculation in his eyes.
“ Any amount,” D’hibuk said, a wheedling note in his voice. “Think of what this kind of money can do for your family.”
The goblin officer lowered his club slightly. Saul watched D’hibuk run his yellow eyes over his homespun shirt and torn leggings. He scratched his armpit and tried to look tempted by the goblin’s offer of gold.
“But…she’s my friend.”
“You are young. You’ll
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