Goblin Debts

Ezma looked in confusion at the goblin on its face before her.

The goblin was rather buxom, around an F cup Ezma supposed, clad in the green and brown wrapped garment traditional to the goblins. This goblin's skin was a brighter green than the guide, or the now curious villagers gathering just inside the gates, marking her as a lowland goblin and topped off with a shock of red hair braided tightly around her head.

"Laid and lady, I never thought I twould see yea again miss.' The goblin says as she sits up from her kowtow, two daggers tucked into her belt 'I twas thinking I would meet my end afore being able to repay me debt."

With the goblin facing her now Ezma recognized the goblin. "Lorna?" She asks quizzically

"Aye missues,' Lorna the goblin beams at the recognition 'a fair angle like yea self I was afeared that yea woulnt be recalling poor little old me"

"Nonsense,' Ezma replied helping Lorna to her feet 'it is not every day I am taken prisoner then made nursemaid."

Shiro frowns, she recalled how she had first met Ezma through extracting her from a cage in a goblin camp that the Holy Kingdom was raiding in retaliation for the destruction of a caravan.

Seeing Shiro's look Lorna spoke up "begging ye pardon sir,' Shiro cringed, she was gonna have to do something to help look more like who she was if she was goning to stop having to go through a complex introduction ritual with every new person she met, 'I recall seeing ye, even if yea dinnt ken me, ifn yea be wanting the whole tale I could be tellin in moer comfort if yea will be kind enow to sit at me hearth."

"It would be an honor." Willow chimed in.

**

A few hours later, after a hearty stew on the hearth and introductions to the other members of the household, Peggy one of Lorna's distant cousin-in-law who owned the house her son from a second marriage Ewan and Lorna's son as yet unnamed, Lorna sat everyone with steaming mugs ad began her tale:

"A year ago, or so I ken, me tribe down in the shadows of the mountains fell apon a hard scrape.

The spring thaws had wiped the out the trade trails to the mountain's hair, most of the goats failed to kid, and those that did bring new life into the flocks died of fever quickly after, and human soldiers arrived in droves scaring off those human farmers who would trade with us on the sly.

So the young and hot blood of me kin sought to raise a raider band for by their thought 'everything has been taken from us we should take what we can back.'

The elders bid them to hold and wait, to mend and heal.

They did not ken what would happen next.

For sport or safety we never knew, but our village burned. By human mage and steel we were cut down and routed from our homes.

Our young who survived renewed their calls to take from humans as they took from us

The elders who yet lived had no heart to calm them.

From the shock and trouble I birthed my child into this land of despair and death with a feeling of foreboding."

She paused and watched as her infant slept soundly in the cradle next to her for longer than was decent for the cadence of the story.

"First we raided the nearby villages' she continued 'gaining arms and supplies as we worked our way around the mountains' shadow.

Till at last we came to what seemed to us a fortress from which we assailed a nearby road.

One day we took a trader caravan unawares, afore the elders had managed to prevent needless slaughter but one whose name was declared forgotten styled himself a warlord, chose this time to revel in spilled blood and one prisoner for later sport,' Ezma shuddered.

'Sensing the doom of us all, the elders called us and preformed their last two acts.

Firstly they stripped the self made warlord of name and history, second they sent me to scout and watch, that i might warn when the doom arrives.'

Lorna locks eyes with Ezma

'As I left I begged the human prisoner to guard my child, though as on of the instruments of her pain I knew she had every right to deny me. Yet she did this for me, clutching my child to her breast as if it were her own and humming songs of illusion and concealment, with gratitude I took my leave.

When I reached the over look above the road soldiers already scoured the scene of the slaughter, I hurried as fast as I dared to warn my people but was to late. Soldiers held watch over every entrance and the air was charged with great magics.

Carefully I retraced my steps to the road and watched in relief as the survivor of our massacre was escorted, child in hand, to the main column of warriors.

For days I followed behind, staying out of sight as best I could. waiting for a moment to catch the Northern woman alone and retrieve my baby so I could find succor among distant kin.

I quivered in fear when the elves summoned the forest to destroy the human fort.

I praised all that was go when the building was saved while also cowering in fear of what humans may do with such might.

Through cunning signal I learned that I could be reunited with my child at the last city of elves to trade with man.

So among the gypsies I found my child and came here to raise him in peace, grateful every day for our lives, and weighed down by the debt of life and blood that I owe you lady."

Lorna kneels before Ezma "Debt of blood, for the lives my clan took from yea. Debt of life, for what you gave to me."

With a quick gleam of blade in fire light Lorna slashed her palm before wiping a line across a clean whit cloth.

"My life in service to you till debts are repaid."