Goblin Apprentice

by Gerhard Gehrke

  “We give it a way out. It came here for a reason, and now it’s trapped and scared. The commander and his men backed it into a warehouse so it did what any predator would do—defend itself.”

  “It was in there already,” Zane said. “My men tried to kill it.”

  “Let her talk,” the widow said.

  Alma studied the faces before her. “There’s a black boat at the end of one of the harbors that’s the right size. I can lure it out to that boat and inside its cargo hold. I’ve hunted the creature and know what it likes. We trap it in there. It will eat and fall asleep. Then we lock it away and take it out to sea.”

  “That’s preposterous,” the man in the suit said.

  “Is it? You have no idea why it’s here in the first place. Would any of you like to come to the warehouse now and see what this monster is capable of?”

  The man in the suit blushed.

  “You said you’d take it out to sea?” the widow asked. “What then?”

  “The creature will be at our mercy,” Alma said. “I can kill it there.”

  Many nods followed. Their needy looks fed something inside Alma. She tried to restrain her grin but failed.

  “Wait,” Zane said. “Using the black boat is out of the question. There has to be another alternative.”

  “No, she’s right,” the man in the suit said. “It’s the largest boat still at dock. I should know.”

  “There are other boats. We could set up a cage or lure the beast out towards the zealots.”

  “None of that will work,” Alma said. “We don’t have time to fashion a trap. The beast won’t stay in the warehouse for long. And once it gets out, it will continue to work its way through town. How many more people need to die, Commander?”

  “Stop pressuring me. How can you be so sure it will do as you say, anyway?”

  “Like I said, I’ve faced it before and I tracked it here. You don’t have to use my plan. Go ahead and try fire or waste time with a cage and see what happens. But first, ask yourself how much room you have in your graveyard for the poor souls the creature doesn’t eat.”

  “I like her plan,” the man in the suit said quickly.

  “How do you propose to lure it from the warehouse?” Zane asked.

  Alma rubbed her thumb in the glyph on her bow. “All you need to know is it’s what I do. I hunt. And now we need to agree upon my price.”

  “Your price? That thing is here because of you, isn’t it? Your tale of coming here to get reinforcements is all a lie. You’re no hunter, just a deserter looking to profit off our misfortune. I should have you arrested.”

  She gave the bell a small push and turned to leave.

  “Where are you going?” the widow asked.

  “I’m leavng,” Alma said. “I didn’t come here to be insulted. Your commander has the situation under complete control. I can’t force him or any of you to do what you don’t want to. I wish you luck with your dragon.”

  The man in the suit got in front of her. “You can’t go!”

  “I don’t work for free.”

  “Commander, the city surely has enough funds to hire this hunter. For god’s sake, give her what she asks for.”

  Zane pointed at Alma. “This hunter is a deserter from North Fort. If she and her mercenaries had done their job, we wouldn’t be facing a siege.”

  “I’m no deserter,” Alma said. “I intend to sail south to Pinnacle, or ride if I have to, for the sake of those still trapped in the fort. I have no duty here.”

  “But if we pay you, you’ll help,” the man in the suit said. “Commander, pay the woman. You said you lost twelve men to this thing? We can’t spare any more.”

  Other voices sounded off, all in agreement. Zane had a bewildered look.

  Alma raised a hand and waited for silence. “That’s not all I’ll need. The black boat takes eight rowers. Good ones. If you do as I ask, the creature won’t harm a single one of them.”

  “Give her what she asks,” the widow said to Zane. “Pay her. Hire the rowers. Let her kill the thing.”

  Zane stepped down off the bench. He moved close to Alma and leaned to speak in her ear. “I don’t like you. I don’t like this. You’re up to something, and it’s going to cost this town.”

  “I’m just looking to get paid. Never give your work away for free.”

  “There’s more to this, isn’t there?” he asked.

  “We all serve the archduke, Commander Zane. That creature just killed one of my men who’s been with me since we joined Lord’s platoon.”

  Zane scoffed. “You hardly seem broken up.”

  “And you sound overly concerned about a certain boat loaded with goods. If we were to go to the harbormaster and ask who might be the owner of that boat, what name would come up? It sounds like the boat was prepared for departure. And you with an army outside your wall?”

  “What are you insinuating?”

  “We’re on the same side, Commander. You come up with the coin, and I’m going to handle your dragon problem. How’s your rowing arm?”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Spicy made his way back to the waterfront and the docks. He wanted to set eyes on the boat Fath had mentioned before returning to the warehouse to see if he could free Rime and the others.

  None of the townspeople paid him any mind. Another goblin slave to be ignored. He still wasn’t accustomed to the unyielding cobblestones underfoot. The buildings lining the streets made him feel claustrophobic in a way a forest never did. He had to pass too close to horses, and people jostled him as they hurried past.

  Looking out at the boats of the harbor, he realized there would be no way he could get any of them sailing even if he managed to free his friends. Rowing would be feasible with the smallest of the boats, but still it meant going out on the water.

  “Hog, where are you?” he said softly to himself.

  He walked out along the dock that ran closest to the city wall. There was no one in sight. Hog had come in through the nets but he had lost track of her. Perhaps she had made her way to the river and fled. There was no reason for her to stick around, as she feared and hated humans and the stinking sea.

  A barrel of fish heads and guts sat next to a boat that had been hauled up onto a hoist. The boat had several patches in the bottom. It reeked of solvent or glue. Spicy did a shoulder check and saw he was still alone. He dumped the bucket of fish parts into the water. Once it was half-empty, he brought it to the far end of the dock and poured the remaining contents out. The water bubbled and turned pink. Fish eyes and intestines floated up. But soon the water stilled.

  Hog wasn’t coming.

  A soft whimper came from underneath the wall at the edge of the harbor. Clinging to the stone was what Spicy had assumed was a slime-encrusted net overgrown with moss. He squinted at the mass in the shadow and made out the barely distinguishable outline of an arm with a hand. As he stared, he recognized it also had two legs. It was Hog, and she was huddled up out of the water, lying among the rocks and washed-up garbage.

  He ran up the dock and over to a ladder that led down to the water. He saw he’d have to jump to the wall’s base. He did so with a splash and almost fell in. The rocks were slick and difficult to move across. He had to wade through waist-deep water in a few places that carried a layer of foamy filth. Once out of the water, he confirmed the book and map remained dry.

  When he made it to her, he placed a hand on hers. She didn’t react. Another whimper escaped her throat.

  “Hog, what happened? What’s wrong?”

  Her mouth hung open. She smacked it a few times and panted as if to catch her breath. “Meat?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. Meat. I’m here. Are you sick?”

  Even in the shadows, he saw her green skin was now a pale yellow.

  Her body convulsed. She puked up white spittle but didn’t have the strength to move her head. She stank of the concentrated smell the water carried.

  “It’s the sea here, isn’t it?” he
asked. “It’s filthy. The human town is, too. Tell me what to do. Tell me how to make you better.”

  She let out a sigh.

  “Please, Hog. You’ve brought us this far. You can’t die. We’re going to get out of here. If you can swim out, you might be able to get to clean water out in the river. That would take you home, wouldn’t it? Would that help? Clean water?”

  Hog wasn’t answering. Spicy looked around helplessly. If any of the humans saw them, they would kill her.

  “Wait here. I’m not abandoning you. I’ll be right back.”

  He made his way to the docks and was shivering by the time he climbed up the ladder. A few men were working nearby, loading a boat. Once their loads were stored, they headed up a plank and into an open warehouse. Spicy followed and waited by the corner of the open loading bay. There were five men. Once all five had carried a new load past and headed down the plank, he ducked in through the doorway.

  A sixth man sat at a table and was writing in a ledger. He didn’t look up as Spicy walked past.

  The warehouse was mostly empty. Stacks of empty crates lined a wall. Bundles of dry goods were all arranged near the man at the front. Spicy smelled fish and saw casks stained with red. The casks and bundles all had numbers and letters written on them, which must have corresponded to an organization system.

  So what would make the troll feel better? As Spicy picked through the items, the workmen entered. Spicy ducked down among the stacks of goods.

  “Hey, who got water in here?” a man barked.

  Spicy’s breath caught in his throat. His feet and pants were soaked and he had left a trail.

  “Something’s leaking is all,” another answered. “Spillage happens. Let’s get this loaded.”

  Hands grabbed at the nearest goods. Spicy didn’t move as a load next to him shifted. The men grunted and soon their boots plodded back out the warehouse. Spicy rose slowly. Then the sacks above him tumbled. One broke open and spilled dried walnuts out onto the floor. Spicy was up and ready to bolt when he saw the man at the table hadn’t looked up. The man had thin hair but didn’t look old. As Spicy watched, he continued to scribble. But he wasn’t putting down numbers or letters. He was drawing. Then he saw Spicy.

  The man smiled. He showed his book. On the page was the harbor outside. The rendition was perfect. Every boat, every pier, with men working and birds flying in the sky.

  “It’s beautiful,” Spicy said.

  The man put the ledger back down and continued to draw.

  Spicy grabbed a small cask and the spilled half bag of walnuts. He marched straight out before any of the men saw. No one called out or shouted an alarm. He moved down the dock to a rowboat and placed the cask and sack within. Then he stepped on board and tried not to panic as the boat seesawed back and forth until he sat. Once he’d untied the boat, he managed to row over to Hog.

  She remained where he had left her.

  “Hog, I’m still here.”

  She wasn’t moving or making a sound. He slipped and fell as he climbed out and hauled the boat onto the rocks. He got the cask out and then grabbed the nuts. From the wall above, he heard the guards talking. If they looked over, they’d see the rowboat, so he shoved it away. The lapping water pushed it back against the rock, where it thudded repeatedly.

  He crawled over to Hog and pushed the mop of hair from her face. She caught her breath as if she had been holding it.

  “You’re still alive. I brought you something.”

  “No fish,” she said. “Fish gets spit up.”

  “The fish must be as poisonous as the water.”

  He let her smell the bag and began to crack walnuts in his hands two at a time and placed them in her mouth. Her spit was dry and her tongue hot. She chewed and swallowed and opened her mouth for more. His hands grew tired as he kept opening walnuts and feeding the troll. Then she began to cough.

  The men above went silent.

  Spicy shushed her and huddled against her as she got her cough under control.

  “Boat down there,” a guard said. “Tell the sergeant. I’ll wait here. Get the harbormaster to get it before it drifts away and damages something.”

  Spicy glanced upward. A guard was squinting and looking down. But then he vanished. Men would be coming, Spicy knew. But the troll made no signs that she was well enough to move. He pulled the cask up the rocks and had to use his teeth to get the cork out. The cork almost split when it finally pulled free.

  “Drink this,” he whispered.

  She groaned. “Smells sour.”

  “Shh. Just sip. It might make you feel better. The elders in my village sometimes drank rice wine when their stomachs hurt. Try it.”

  He poured some wine into her mouth. She coughed at first and spat, but finally swallowed some down. He thought she was about to vomit again when she took the cask between thumb and forefinger and took a long sip. Then she upended the cask and emptied it.

  “Is it good?”

  “Blech.”

  He flinched when she flung the cask out into the water. But the splash didn’t draw the guard’s attention. She adjusted herself before reclining back on the rocks.

  “Meat safe?”

  He nodded. “Yes, I’m safe. For now. I found my friends. We’re going to leave soon. But I had to make sure you were okay. The men are coming. You have to go back in the water and hide.”

  She groaned.

  “Hog, you don’t have a choice. Go back out through the gap in the nets before they see you. I know the water is bad. Just…try not to drink so much of it.”

  She was trying to sit up. He almost moved to help but realized he would be crushed if she collapsed. But then she settled in again. He tugged on her hand, but she nudged him away. Over at the harbor a guard was walking with purpose down to a wharf, with a heavyset man hurrying to keep up behind him. The humans would see them soon.

  “Meat friend.”

  Spicy nodded. “We’re friends, Hog. Now get out of here. Hide. Go home where you’ll get better.”

  He left her there and hurried along the wall as some men launched a rowboat, with the guard seated at the bow and the fat man at the oars. Spicy made it up the ladder and watched. The men caught his drifting rowboat. They didn’t appear to see Hog. He felt a surge of relief. She was safe for now. He even felt a touch of sadness at the thought of never seeing the troll again.

  As he turned to leave, the guard on the rowboat shouted an alarm.

  The two rowers had gotten too close and spotted her. The troll reared up to her full height, standing on the stones beneath the wall. Then with a roar, she dove at the rowboat and both the humans and took them down under the water with her.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Eel Port sounded like it had no end of problems.

  A new alarm was going up from the walls even as Alma concluded her pointed discussion with Commander Zane, which had gone on much longer than she would have preferred. Now that Zane had agreed to surrender the boat, he was lost in the details. Which men to bring. Where to find the gold needed to pay Alma. But hurrying him only resulted in his starting the mental process over from the beginning.

  And now the new alarm echoed through the courtyard.

  Zane detailed out a few of his guards to find out what was happening, but already word came that the zealots were closing on the wall and firing at the guards. The gathered citizens appeared ready to panic.

  “Is your creature loose?” Zane asked.

  “Only if someone did something stupid. We’re wasting time. Come with me.”

  She led him back to the warehouse. Blades and Spicy hadn’t returned, even though their task had been simple. She muttered a curse. The commander stopped at the mouth of the alley. A handful of men and women had followed, including the widow.

  A runner found the commander. “Now what?” Zane demanded.

  “A troll, sir, at the docks.”

  Alma sighed in disgust but bit her lip.

  Zane dithered for a long w
hile before eventually telling the runner to return to the docks and keep an eye on things. The runner seemed bewildered at the lack of instructions but trotted off.

  “Well, is it still in there?” Zane asked irritably.

  “The dragon? We’ll see.” Alma waited and studied the man as he shifted uncomfortably. “We agreed on money.”

  “Not if that thing escaped. And it’s not like I have my gold on me. But first confirm your creature is still here and not the cause of whatever is brewing down by the docks.”

  “You heard your man. That’s the troll I told you about. Now you have two monsters in town to deal with. My payment—”

  “You’ll get your gold!” he shouted. “Now confirm that creature is still in there, will you?”

  Alma decided to let the outburst pass. Commander Zane was clearly overwhelmed, and she felt confident he was about to come through on everything she wanted. She nocked an arrow and moved down the alley towards the warehouse doorway.

  Vine still lay at the bottom of the ramp. His body stank perversely of cooked meat. She thought of the other two men she had left back at Bliss and then forced herself to not think of any of them at all.

  “Dragon,” she called. “Are you in there?”

  There was only silence. She made the bottom of the ramp and listened for the slightest creak of boards, a breath, anything. She inhaled but smelled nothing.

  “The boat is ready. It’s your way out.”

  When no answer came, she stepped inside. Now she smelled blood. The goats and pigs continued to make their nervous sounds.

  “Dragon, we have our deal. Rowers are even now being arranged. Are you here?”

  She waited again and then stalked forward past a partition. The dragon was nowhere in sight. The goblin children remained in their cage and stared at her with obvious fear. The key was stuck in the door of their cage.

  But where had the dragon gone?

  From a wall peg she took down a chain and several collars. “Time for you to play your role,” she said and unlocked the door.

  The collars hung loose on the goblins’ small necks. The chain had to be gathered between each so they wouldn’t trip. The oldest boy helped the others along and they required little coaxing to get moving. She felt no small amount of relief once she was out of the warehouse.