Soothe the Goblin

I took a gentle tone as I spoke, using our native tongue, “I won’t harm you, you are safe here.”

She eyed me suspiciously. She appeared surprised to hear me speak the language of the greenfolk, her snarl faltering a moment.

“I have no desire to hurt you cousin. I am a prisoner here too.”

She snorted a bitter laugh, “first prisoner I have seen that has furs or a bed!”

I felt a wave of relief that she’d started talking, that she hadn’t been robbed of her mind by the Empire-men. “Rewards. They make me fight in their arena-” I have to use the Empire-men’s name for it as we have no such thing in our language, “I have to kill to live. I am good at the killing, good at making empire-men rich, so the empire-men give me things. Cousin, what is your name?”

The little green lady paused a moment before stammering out, “Dowsabel. My name is Dowsabel.” I could see moisture gathering in pretty red orbs of her eyes.

“Mine is Grangor.”

Dowsabel gave a rueful smile, “Grangor was the name of a great Greenfolk warrior. Many times i have sung his sagas...but that was before.”

That took me by surprise. “You are a skald?” She nodded, the tears now falling freely down her face. I felt an echo of her pain, felt the moisture building behind my eyes. I found myself crouched before her, a hand brushing a stray lock of hair aside as i wiped away a tear with the tip of my thumb. She looked up at me, our eyes locked.