She waved her arms to either of the towers now in view. She heard voices from the zealot bunker. Surely they would have weapons at hand.
“My name is Thistle. I have information for you.”
She was jumping up and down now. She couldn’t make out what any of the men up in the towers were doing. She pounded at the gate with the flat of her hand.
A sharp order came from the nearest bunker. At any moment, the zealots would shoot her down.
“I need to speak with Kel!”
No answer came. It was as if the soldiers were content to watch her get struck down. For a mad moment, she wondered if the humans even understood her. They had other languages, didn’t they? She gave the door a final slap and turned to see five zealots emerge from the bunker with bows.
An arrow zipped overhead and thunked into the log roof of the bunker. The zealots dove for cover. A few more arrows flew, driving the zealots out of sight.
One of the gate doors creaked as it was shoved open several inches. A man stared out at her.
“I’m a messenger,” she began to say, but she was cut short as a hand grabbed her and hauled her inside.
Chapter Forty-Two
Even as the gate slammed shut, Thistle was shoved to the hard dirt. A sword tip hovered near her eyes as someone took her knife and rummaged through her pockets. Her pack was torn away.
“I’m not carrying weapons.”
The man searching her pack grunted. “Books, some small bottles, a little bit of food—there’s not much in here.”
“Grab the food,” the soldier with the sword said. “Cut its throat and toss it back outside. Some of the lads might want to cook goblin, and I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“No, wait,” she gasped. “I have a message.”
A foot was placed on the back of her neck. Both men hovering over her had the sour smell of bodies that hadn’t been bathed in weeks.
“Shut up,” the soldier with the sword said. “Hey, Jody, I didn’t know these things could talk.”
“You heard her shouting. Of course they can talk. And this one’s a girl. Hmm. This meat from her pack actually smells good. That’ll go in the soup. Now finish up here.”
“But isn’t killing these things bad luck?”
“Let me speak to Kel,” Thistle gasped.
The pressure on her neck let up ever so slightly before the foot bore down on her again.
The soldier named Jody leaned down to look at her. “What did you say?”
“Kel. Sergeant Kel. Is he here?”
The soldier with the sword moved the edge of the blade beneath her chin. “This is a trick if I’ve ever heard one. What game is this?”
“I have news of Lord Root. And the messenger you sent out. David is his name.”
No one spoke. She couldn’t help but wonder if it would all end there. What would the humans gain from trusting her when sending in a spy was an obvious ploy the zealots might use?
A broad-shouldered soldier with long dark hair came up behind the other two. “What’s going on? Why the alarm?”
“Sergeant Kel, this goblin came to our gate and got the zealots all fired up,” Jody said.
“And why did you let her in?”
Neither of the men answered.
Kel crouched to look at Thistle and motioned the other soldiers back. “Why were you sent here?”
Jody removed his boot from her neck but continued to loom. “We searched her for weapons. She’s not armed. Had a small knife, but that’s it. It has to be a trick. Maybe she’s carrying a disease, like whatever’s got the zealots sick.”
“Is that true?” Kel asked. “Were you sent here to get us sick?”
Thistle tried to rise but was tapped on the shoulder by the flat of the sword. “No. I know you’re already sick. I know you have thirty men left. Your messenger David was captured by the zealots a few weeks ago. My people freed him from where they were holding him.”
“Where is he?”
“He escaped. He didn’t trust us, and I don’t blame him. But he told me you gave him a message on a piece of paper. He can’t read. He also said he destroyed it before the zealots could get a hold of it.”
“The goblins probably killed poor David,” Jody said.
“Quiet. Anything else?” Kel asked.
“Yes,” Thistle said. “Lord Root. I can tell you what happened to him after he deserted your fort.”
“Get her up.”
She was hauled to her feet and pushed along.
The inside of the fort was a dreary place, the ground a mix of stinking dirt, mud, and snow. Four buildings of logs and timber had once stood inside, but only two remained. One was burned and another collapsed, with all but the largest of timbers taken, presumably for firewood. A thatched overhang appeared to be a makeshift stable, as it featured large open pens, but there were no horses. Several scrawny men sat about watching as Thistle was escorted into one of the structures. They had a small fire burning with a few pots set over it in which snow and ice were being melted.
It was gloomy within the building. The air held a chill almost equal to the outside. A few candles burned at a table. The floor was lined with cots where soldiers were sleeping or resting. Listless and hollow eyes followed Thistle and her escorts as they moved to a rear chamber.
A massive ornate desk with fanciful carvings on the legs and front occupied the center of the room. Besides a single bed that was nothing more than a mat thrown on the floor, a cold iron stove, and a few stacks of flat stepping-stones, there was little else inside.
Kel placed one of the candles onto a candelabra. The other candles were burned down to the nub and he blew them out. The soldier holding the sword sat Thistle down on the stepping-stones and remained behind her.
“You’ll excuse the lack of seating,” Kel said.
She guessed any chairs had been burned. The cold stove told her they had little remaining, and winter was only beginning.
Jody placed the pack on the table. “This is everything she had.”
Kel took out the notebook and flipped through it. “You know more about us than Pater’s men do.”
“I learned what I know from David and Lord. My people have shared none of this with the zealots.”
“And what brings you here? Why risk your life to share this?”
“My name is Thistle. I come from a village called Boarhead, in the hills of Athra—what your people call the Monster Lands. A company of your soldiers led by Lord Root came through and murdered my family and my village. Some of my people want to blame you. I want to hear your side of the story.”
“That’s quite the accusation.”
“It’s true. You and your soldiers represent the human city Pinnacle and its archduke. What claim do you have to this land here?”
“Mind your tone,” the soldier behind her said.
Kel raised a hand. “Is this why you’ve come here? If what you say is true, you deserve to understand the situation. I can explain, to the limits of my knowledge. Pinnacle has long ago established a protective front on its boundaries in order to preserve trade. This goes further back than my generation, to the time when we had a king over the bay and its dukedoms. If you want to know more, you’d have to talk to a man of letters or a historian.”
“You have no sage or librarian?”
He grunted. “Here? A librarian would require books. And I’m not even sure what a sage is. Tell me about Lord Root.”
“He’s dead. He lured your soldiers away with the promise of a treasure. They all died up in the mountains east of the sea when they attacked a creature some call a dragon.”
“That sounds a bit fantastic.”
“I was there when it happened. I have no proof. All I can do is give you as much detail as you need about him, his two lieutenants, and anything else that might show that I’m not lying.”
“Maybe you can fill me in later. Right now, I want to understand the real reason why you’re here.” His eyes were weary. H
is cheeks were etched and his skin pale. If what she had heard from Lord Root was accurate, the men here were not only sick but starving.
She took a moment to choose her words. “Lord’s attack prompted a response from my people. We’ve been raiding the villages north of here to send a message. Some of us feel all your kind is to blame and we should kill every one of you.”
Jody scoffed. “Goblins attack us. Should we fear the squirrels next?”
Kel ignored him. “And some of your people believe otherwise?”
“A few. At least me. I know little about you or your leader in Pinnacle. The humans—the men—who live near us…these are ones who are loyal to Pater the Zealot. Am I correct?”
“It’s complicated. Pater holds sway on much of the land up here. And our presence isn’t tolerated by them. It started because of taxes on trade. But now, anyone who doesn’t serve their gods their way is considered a heretic. The archduke wants to defend the trade and won’t give up his forts.”
“There are other forts?”
“There were. I fear ours might be the last on the border north of Eel Port.”
She didn’t know where that was. The idea that there were so many humans with such vast kingdoms not tracked, mapped, and studied by her own kind was shocking. She had always believed Somni’s library held the knowledge of the world. But now she realized it only shed a candle’s brightness over the smallest corner.
Kel put her notebook aside. “So what can you do for us? You see our predicament. We’re not your enemy. How many men does Pater have beyond the bunkers?”
“If I answer that, it means I’ve taken a side. Tell me about my kind in your world.”
“I’ve only ever seen a few goblins in Pinnacle. I know nothing about them.”
“Are they kept as slaves?”
“Not by me. The Bay Kingdom has always frowned on keeping slaves. The trade isn’t permitted in the capital. Maybe in Orchard City or Altea, far to the south. But not where I live.”
“So it still doesn’t rule out that goblins are held as property.”
“I knew a goblin once,” Jody said. “He was the wash boy in a tavern. Fetched the water. Did the floors after closing. Seemed happy enough.”
Kel motioned for him to stop. “The truth of it is we don’t know. There’s no wealthy men or noblemen here, just soldiers. Lord was the one who could answer your question, and you say he’s gone. But your kind isn’t seen in Pinnacle. That’s what I say on the matter. As for your raid, it places us together fighting against the same men.”
“What about the mountain tribesmen?” she asked.
“They fight with Pater.”
When she rose from her seat, both the soldiers almost jumped. “You’ve given me information I can bring to my war chief. If you have any other message for her, tell me now.”
Her own nerves began to fray as she waited for his response. He continued to study her with the measured eye of a much older man.
“You’re assuming we’re letting you go.”
“I assume nothing,” she said. “But I’m here as a messenger. If you kill me or hold me captive, the dialogue ends. If you hold the highest rank among your men, then you can give your word that my people and yours share a common enemy and will refrain from attacking each other.”
He shook his head. “I can’t give that word. To do so would reveal that there is no officer in the fort.”
“Your men defer to you. I don’t understand your military and its organization, but with Lord’s departure, it seems you’re in charge here.”
“You’ve also been inside our fort and seen our numbers and our condition.”
She forced herself to keep eye contact. “You could have a hundred men hiding in places you haven’t shown me.”
“Fair enough. So you’ll speak with this war chief of yours.”
“Yes. It was her decision for me to come here to meet you. She will decide whether we can share what we know about the numbers of the soldiers who have you surrounded.”
He nodded. “Then it’s just up to me to trust you, to let you go and give your report. How old are you, Thistle?”
“Seventeen. How old are you?”
Kel smirked. “Thirty or so. I stopped counting after twenty. No more fingers and toes to help keep track. You must know we could persuade you to tell us about the numbers of men beyond the trees.”
“With me will die your chances of a peaceful outcome with my kind.”
“You’re a brave one. Well, don’t worry. No harm will come to you. We’re not at war with your people. You have to believe that. What happened with Lord to your village was a terrible mistake. When he abandoned us, he was acting on his own. Please believe me when I tell you this.”
The momentary relief she felt was replaced with anger. A mistake? The word conjured the image of a child carrying too many fragile things and dropping and breaking them, not the deliberate slaughter and destruction of scores of families and their homes along with the collected knowledge of centuries. Her mother and father had been murdered.
“It wasn’t a mistake,” she said, feeling her breath coming up short.
“I’m not a man of words. I’m not an officer. All I can say is I regret Lord’s actions. None of the men here were party to whatever crimes he committed. We’re loyal men of Pinnacle and the archduke. Our orders are to protect this fort, nothing else.”
“And what happens if you can’t protect it any longer?”
Kel didn’t answer. He motioned to his men. “There’s a place on our south wall where we can lower you down and you’ll have a good chance of getting away unseen by the zealots in the bunkers. Report to your war chief. Then, if you decide we can be allies, return.”
She nodded.
“And one last thing. To avoid an arrow from any of my men, you should fly a white flag next time. It’s what’s done when approaching a soldier not on your side. It’s tradition.”
Chapter Forty-Three
“You’re back,” Noe said. “I thought they’d kill you.”
Thistle wiped the mud from her face and tried to salvage her hair, but it was no use. Stickers clung to her locks and she’d need to wash. But she had made it past the bunker nearest the south side of the fort without being seen, and she couldn’t stop smiling.
“You waited for me.”
Noe’s jaw tightened. “I won’t dignify that with a response. Now report.”
“I met with their leader, Kel. All their officers are dead or left with Lord. He’s amenable.”
Noe turned to the two nearest hunters. “The human will work with us.” Their faces brightened.
“He claims no allegiance to Lord after his desertion. It’s like I thought. They’re in bad shape inside, hungry and sick. They also haven’t heard any word of reinforcements, and their last messenger was the man David in the longhouse.”
“If they’re all sick, what use will they be to us?”
“How we treat them determines how the archduke of Pinnacle will view our people,” Thistle said.
“Does their archduke lay claim to this land?”
“The fort is the furthest extension of his authority. He wants to protect his trade. But I don’t believe this is part of his domain. It sounds like it wasn’t anyone’s until Pater began to form his own kingdom.”
Noe whispered instructions to her scouts. They spread out and hunkered down, in good position to observe the fort and the bunkers.
“Time for a strategy meeting with the officers,” Noe said. “Follow me.”
The main body of goblins waited a mile back in a glade screened off by a barrier of poison oak and blackberry vines. Chief Gelid had his warriors with him and they had their faces painted. There were few smiles as Noe and Thistle arrived in the center of the clearing.
Her officers gathered, but Gelid wore a scowl.
Noe accepted a skin of water from Ramus and drank deep before speaking.
“We’ve been to the fort. The zealots have some thirty
men around it. The humans inside are in poor condition but continue to defy the zealot army. They’re open to negotiating with us.”
“We want all of them off this land,” Gelid said. “We strike at the zealots and then take down the fort.”
“You heard the new scouting report. The zealots have more men under their command than was first reported.”
“We still have more. We’ve lost this morning’s opportunity. We wait for night and we attack.” He thumped the butt of spear to the ground for emphasis. His men nodded and murmured in agreement.
“I too ache for such a battle,” Noe said. “But the outcome of such an attack won’t be certain. We have the mountain tribesmen to consider, who have allied themselves with the zealots. For now they refuse to consider us as enemies, but this could change. I say we clear the zealots from the area around the fort. We show this archduke that if he leaves this land, we have no quarrel with him.”
Gelid grunted. “Seems we’re dipping a toe into their war.”
“How our actions are interpreted is out of our control. We’re here. Any attack will have repercussions, so we have to choose wisely. We can’t outfight them all. Our blows must land solid and not strike air.”
“I’m hearing a change in your tone, sister. And was it you who spoke to this Pinnacle man?”
Thistle raised a hand. “It was me.”
“You, the girl who won’t obey orders? What promises did you make them? What information did you reveal about us?”
“I’m not disloyal and I’m not stupid. I promised nothing and I told them nothing. We agreed to speak again, if there’s an offer of peace.”
“There’s no offer. I’d see them all dead. We don’t know this archduke, but we know his kind. The raiders who stormed Athra showed us their nature.”
“Their Sergeant Kel isn’t like Lord.”
“Did he wink at you and give you a new ribbon for your hair?”
A few chuckles broke out among the warriors.
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