by Elliott Kay
“Marriage proposals and schemes were always floating around in the background. Now he had a visiting prince on hand. I’d already told my father no a hundred times. He didn’t listen, nor did my ‘betrothed.’ They listened to the knife, though. I only escaped because they never saw it coming. They didn’t think I’d go that far.”
She stared into the campfire. For the first time, she felt a soft fist bump against her shoulder. “Respect,” said Shady Tooth.
“Thank you,” said Teryn. She shook her head. “I don’t feel like I did nearly enough.”
“Southwind Gorge was one of the first orc holds raided by the king’s men,” said War Cloud. “They got a warning hours in advance. Was that you?”
Her eyes rose from the fire. “I passed word along. I don’t know if they got the warning from me or from someone else. So many died regardless.”
“Orcs got their families out before the raid,” said Scars.
“Warlord Kraisht died in that raid,” said Teryn. “My father ran him out of the court within a week of taking the throne. Even leaving him in Southwind wasn’t good enough. Or the others. Not all those families got out.”
“Not all of them heeded the warning, no. You can’t control that. And Kraisht was always going to go down fighting. You did a lot.”
Teryn pitched a pebble into the flames. “It’s been almost four years since I fled. Everything has gotten worse. I don’t know who I could trust in the castle or the capital, and that’s so many miles from here, anyway. Out here, almost no one recognizes me. I had only been with the rebels a short time before Zuck’s minions caught us. I mourn them, but I didn’t really know them.” She took a breath, steeling herself. “And I don’t know where to go from here.”
“Don’t know where we go from here,” said DigDig. “We’re a crew.”
“Are we still?” asked Yargol, looking from one face to the next. “We’re out of the dungeon now. Teryn can fade into any number of human villages here or across the borders. Goblin folk still live in these lands, but they’ll turn away all but other goblins. Same with the orc clans; they may take Scars, but not the rest of us. And the gnolls…”
“Will eat us,” War Cloud finished for him. “You can say it. And you’re my crew, Yargol. If someplace won’t take you, they aren’t good enough for me.”
“We are the ones without a family, or a people,” said Yargol.
“Not the only ones,” said DigDig. “Don’t care if a goblin village will take me. We’re a crew. All or nothing.”
“You could find a goblin wife and a goblin family,” War Cloud pointed out. “Other villages won’t treat you the way they did here. You could start over. Better than before. You’ve got loot and skills and tales to tell.”
“Splitting up means some of us may find shelter,” Yargol agreed. “Staying together means we all have it that much harder.”
“Decision’s made,” said DigDig. “Sticking with my crew. Wife might turn up someday. If she doesn’t like my crew, we aren’t getting married.”
“I left Bak’Nor looking for more than work,” said Shady Tooth. “Sooner or later Dostin’s troops will hit my people, anyway. They’re living in hiding and denial at the same time. I’ve no reason to go back there now.”
Seeming surprised, Teryn looked to Scars. “What about you? Did I hear you say something about parents during the fight?” she asked. “Do you have family?”
“I did. They died in the riots after the king’s first speech on the goblin folk.” He saw Teryn wince and wondered if she’d been waiting for that. He shook his head. “I didn’t have other family, or I’d have gone to them. I wandered. I ran. I hid. The best I could do was this crummy job. All along I wondered if I’d ever have a family again, or a life worth living.” Scars looked from one companion to the next. “I don’t worry about that now.”
On the Cover
The cover for Run Like Hell arose out of a panel series on book cover production presented by the artist, Lee Moyer, at World Con 76. Participating panelists included editor Heather McDougal and photographer Richard Man providing reference photos, along with myself as the client/publisher in question. Most of my book covers have been a straight commission between myself and the cover artist. Working with people like Heather and Richard was a privilege, as was hearing the input of an audience’s worth of consultation.
In particular, I want to thank our cover models, drawn from the audience as volunteers during the panel. After providing a lot of great input during the initial concept panel—that flooring is all his idea—Chris Brathwaite stepped up to model as Scars and knocked it out of the park. We also needed a goblin, which led to a young man named Ian T. practically leaping out of his seat and then enthusiastically launching himself across a conference table to get into the right angle.
It was a blast, folks. Thank you.
About the Author
Elliott Kay is a survivor of adolescence in Los Angeles, service in the United States Coast Guard, a career in teaching high school, a motorcycle crash, chronic seasickness, summers in Phoenix, a winter in Alaska, serial monogamy, and reading comments on the Internet. He lives in Seattle with his wife and two cats.
His other works include the military sci-fi series Poor Man’s Fight and the urban fantasy series Good Intentions (please, for the love of all that is good, read the warnings first). Both series will continue. To stay up to date on new releases, please send an email to be added to the notification list or click “follow” on Elliott Kay’s author page on Amazon.
Wandering Monsters will continue!
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.elliottkay.com
Twitter: @elliottkaybooks