Elly's Story

Map of Yst, the Eastern Borders of the Great Human Republic.

Back cover "blurb"

In a world where freedom is sold, one boy dares to dream.

Elly never thought his father would sell him—but now he's a slave, taken east to the edge of civilization, shackled and afraid. But even in chains, Elly’s imagination is strong enough to carry him far from fear.

Along the way, he finds something he never expected: friendship. Tedus, a clever goblin boy with big dreams of glory, becomes his closest ally. Together, they're sent to the wild hills to herd sheep under the watch of gruff foremen, fierce mastiff dogs, and a wise old shepherdess named Edra.

Life is hard, but not hopeless.

When a chance for freedom finally comes, Elly must choose: stay safe in a cruel system, or risk everything to escape—with his best friend, a flock of sheep, and a girl he secretly loves.

This is a story about courage, friendship, and finding your way—even when the world says you can’t.

A word of honesty

This story was written with dice, i.e. rolling them to determine outcomes of character's actions and such, kind of a table-top role-playing game. Some edition has been made to add consistency but it can be a little wacky at times.

Table of Contents

Part 1. On the anvil

Coarse was the anvil beneath the boy's foot. Elly, as he was called, kept his eyes fixed on a tall, strong man dressed in leather, wiping dust from a heavy hammer, while a guard, still at the door, waited.

"Any year now, boy?"

The smith rose from his stool. "Thank you," he told the guard, "I'm in charge now." Elly gasped for air, closed his eyes, and let his mind wander back to the day before, when devils danced by his little world.

Elly was playing by the fountain when he saw his mother crying, begging, toddling after these four men walking to him without a care. "Ankle-biter," they told him, "your father wants you to come with us."

"Run, Elly, run!" Shouted her mother.

He did, but was caught, even dragged onto the street. There could be no hope. Father, the man who had abandoned them all five years before, had just sold him.

His plight wasn't new, nor rare. A man who desired money would go to "Croogks & Stonharts", and sell a child. All a mother could do about it, was to demand her share of the price. And many did, if only to run away with what remained of her children.

Elly came back to awareness as the smith measured his ankle. "My dear," he said, "please, forgive me." Elly gave a good stare at him. Strong built, but laden with scars and a broken nose, the man's life hadn't been easy.

"My name is Socles. They told me your name is Elly."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, no, no... I'm a slave, like you now. Are you scared?"

"I think so."

"I won't solder them, the manacles." Socles said. "I'll just put those rings around your leg, 'tap, tap, tap', and hammer them close. I have them filed, so they won't hurt you. "

The boy looked away, into the shadows.

"Easy up, there's a little tip I can give you. Fly with your mind, away, away, where this room is not. Dream away for a little while, and the dreams will steal your pain, right?"

Elly was good at day-dreaming. But the fate before him couldn't be dispelled, so, instead of throwing himself into the lands of knights and dragons, he put his mind to the work of warping his fears into a story, less horrible.

About that time, the smith was choosing the right rings for Elly's ankles. "You may sit down now, I won't rush it a bit." But Elly stood as he was, eyes tightly closed.

Far away, in the vastness of his imagination, he was on the Eastern Road. The rain was falling, as it had been for days, cold and unrelenting. That wasn't too bad, was it? The day was warm, and the showers ran the dust away off his skin and softened the ground under his sore feet.

Elly imagined he would be wearing an "ungar". This was a type of poncho often given to slaves, made precisely from the common grass bearing that name. Light, tough, dirt cheap and sufficient to shield from rain and sun; many free farmers wore it too.

Before him, huge above the tree line, the Three Ravens would be greeting him. Many old travelers from those yonder lands had taught him about those mountains, that he'd never see, except he was now watching them, the hills of stories of those who ventured with orcs and goblins and ended in triumph or defeat, but always in glory.

Luck, the gods and his imagination had wanted him not to walk alone. There were two boys and two girls, fifteen years old, just like him and all in good spirits! These were the youngest among the captives. Another two dozen shared his toil: humans, halflings and goblins too. How cheerful these were!, a bit of six rascals perhaps, but never truly mean.

The guards didn't bother anybody too much. The road had been long already, and there was another week before them; nobody was in the mood to cause trouble. Instead, it was all to admire the herds of deer, the bisons, the bronze wolves, the wasteland gulls and everything else Elly, in his boyish power, could conjure up.

Towers, rising up

Clank, clank, clank. It was done. The first manacle had been fastened around his right leg. "Did it hurt, Elly?"

"No." Elly was at his tears. The same imagination that had taken him to the Three Ravens, now told a more realistic tale. His friends of old, they would never see him again, he'd be forgotten. Perhaps the youngest rascals of the city would make a cruel game of spitting while he would wait, chained, to be taken away... and... Gods! He could remember to have done just that, when he was little, only because the other kids did it as well. Tears of remorse and fear came to his eyes.

"Hey, whatever you're thinking, forget it and forgive it now", the smith said. "Life is change, remember that, you're so young and able, you'll make it, you'll make it, somehow."

Elly nodded.

"Good, now the other leg, I'll be quicker this time."

Elly has moved his dreams to Yonderton. Not the best of names for a made-up town, but it wasn't too bad of a place. It had a ring of palisades, no!, stone walls, with towers and everything, all ready to dispatch any raiders out of the misery of this world. A little farther away lay the orcs, the goblin tribes, and those who loved freedom and went along nicely with nature.

His companions and he had helped to build some of those towers. And quite proud of their work they were. The boys had grown up quite a bit, had stronger out of the hard toil, and counted each other as the best of friends. Food? It hadn't been fancy, truly, but abundant and tasty: tatties and chicken, beans, turnips, carrots, lentils-a-plenty, chorizo once every fortnight, or was every fourth night? Yeah! The later, certainly. Most certainly indeed! They, masters wanted strong workers who'd do a good job. And indeed, nobody would say of the boy's towers: "this is but slaves' work".

Another manacle done. "No, I'm not linking them with chains, no worries. Not today. These irons are enough to slow you down if you try to run for it, but they won't slow your work too much. Just what masters want."

"But they can tie me up." The manacles had a secondary ring, one that made it easier to restrain a prisoner tightly.

"Masters will do that for transportation, and at any time you might have ideas. But watch me, I have nothing. You just behave nicely and things will be nicer, understand?"

The boy nodded again, almost smiling.

The man whispered. "If you get any ideas of running away, just don't. Masters will ... ah, you've seen that.

Elly hadn't, but he knew well enough and refrained from imagining. Slavers could be of a devilish cruelty.

"Now, I want your hands on the anvil, please."

"No, please, no..."

"Forgive me, Elly, forgive me."

The boy closed his eyes again, and let Socles do, while his imagination, again, transformed despair in hope.

Under a wild sun

They had done it, the six friends, girls and all five humans and one halfling, older but shorter than them. They were all away, free in the wilderness. Masters won't go after them, not any longer. They were too far out in orc lands to be in danger of masters, or their headhunters. Ah, and they'd beaten a dozen of them the day before. They didn't kill not even one of the b...tards, but sent them home barefoot, disarmed and without horses. Now the slaves had turned into heroes.

Meanwhile in real life, it was time for the boy's neck. Elly harbored no bad thoughts, conveyed no further imagination, but promised himself that if the orcs defeated them, he would not fear half of what have feared this day. He, and his friends, would rise again. And what if they became goblins' loot? Oh boy, it'd be great to be at their feasts -even if to serve on them; especially with a halfling cook, because halflings are all great cooks, am I right?

"Well, Elly, I'm done here. You've been brave enough. Now, whatever you do keep a little smile, a true one, in reserve for good times. Times do change up, if you change stuff, agreed?"

Before Elly could answer anything, a restless guard came back in. "OK, 915D, we have to rush you out. New plan, master wants you in todays' caravan."

"Yes, ma'am... and...and... may I beg you a question?" Said Elly.

"Ah... make it a quick one."

"Where are we walking to?"

"Eastwards, to Yst, right on the new borders. But you'll do the walking, I'll be riding. Now, move!"

Elly complied at once, and asked as they left the forge. "With the goblins?"

"Don't get a weep now, they aren't half as bad as they tell you, and the forts will keep you from them, or any foolery."

"I know ma'am. Thank you! It'll be a great adventure!"

By some odd reason, the slaver chose to laugh.

Part 2. The Eastern Road

How long had it been since Elly had lost his freedom? Two weeks, one day and close to two hundred miles. Enough to see the Three Ravens watching over him, the three huge mountains, shining in black and snow over the tree line. Stories told that amid their woods, giant spiders weaved their silvery death traps, so terrible that even bears took care not to be entangled in them. On the sky above, an imperial eagle carried a mouflon. Seconds later, the raptor would drop its prey on a peak to dismember it at its please.

Down on the road, it was dull. Elly had by this time made himself used to the display of the wilderness. If something, the constant drizzle had long tested his patience for days before fading away from his mind. The "penta", that is, the five irons that the smith had fastened to his ankles, wrists and neck, had long disappeared from his cares too. Even the slaver guards seemed just another feature of normality.

And then, there was this goblin boy that fate or chance had placed next to him. It took a week, for you don't look forward to make friends with the enemy. Goblins had been enemies of humankind for centuries. They were mean, cheaters, cruel, cowards, dirty, noisy, lazy, bandits, arsons and enslaved children just for fun. Did you need an enemy in your games? You got someone to play orc. You want to make fun of somebody you disliked, just use the word: goblin. But then, for many long miles, Elly had nobody else to talk to. It's not that the slavers let you to turn back to talk to your human mates behind you, and, after a time, it felt awkward to to talk to someone you can't see. The goblin kid was right there and he didn't look half as bad as the stories told.

Tedus, the goblin boy, had much prefer a goblin at his side. Humans were filled with hubris, always looking down on anyone, and not just because they're taller. Besides, they are all the time catching goblin boys like him, to enslave them and worse. And they were immensely boring, every time they spoke a human sounded dull and slow. Tedus at that time would have told you that humans were snail slow at thinking and so easy to fool it wasn't worth the trouble. How else did they fall so easily in the most basic of ambushes? But slavery has this thing that you aren't free at any thing, even choosing a friend, so he had to put with that "bohboh"* human by the name of Elly. And, after a time, Tedus ended up prefering the human to talking to his imaginary friends.

"Tedus, I believe it's my birthday today."

"Bird-day?"

"No, birth-th-th-day, like I was born exactly 15 years ago."

"Ah... big human party... we tell all, good?" Tedus was about to erupt in shouter so that even the last lizard in miles would know.

"No, shoos, shoos, the guards will make fun out of me."

"Oh, right. Sorry. I can give my cookie today, you eat, eat, small feast, good?"

"You're a good friend, Tedus. I don't need a feast. I'm just sad because I was joining the army today." By army Elly meant the auxiliaries, where he'll be made a messenger or a scout. For many poor teenagers that was their way out of poverty.

"Today?"

"Today yes. If my father hadn't sold me, yes."

"The human army or the goblin army?"

"The human." Elly laughed at the idea of his green-skin friend.

"Bah, humans are no fun."

"Right... and I'd be a hero."

"But den, I, may be, free too and in day goblin army and I get you, and you are my loot, and then I'm very happy and, you very scared... but you won't be scared long, for we're friends".

"That's some story."

"Yourer Dad is some story so you're happy," the goblin paraphrased as well as he could.

Along, with them, there were about five dozen slaves of the usual ages, most from eighteen to thirty. Older ones weren't usually transported this far. As for the youngest, a halfling by the name of Pip could attest to twelve years of miserable life, and his thin, almost emaciated body (for a halfling) nearly disappeared in his oversized poncho. There were, also, six other goblins ranging from fourteen to sixteen, boys and girls. Of teenaged humans there were five, with him: Rena, Olmond, Arba and Dw; three of them from his own city, but none he had never met them before. They were, sadly, kidnapped orphans, a crime that nobody in the country seemed to notice. "It's better for them orphans to have a master, than to roam the streets"; that seemed to summarize everyone's sentiment. Elly had agreed to that no so long ago, when he was almost about to join the army and be forever shielded from this present fate.

Aside, note:

(*) "Bohboh" cannot be adequately translated to any human language I know, but rest assured that if you are the object of such an epithet, they aren't counting on the sharpness of your intellect nor on the strength of your will.

Part 3. Where souls are sold

As the trip was coming to an end, the surroundings became more and more civilized. The Eastern Road, and the river which ran alongside it, have given birth to a number of hamlets and villages. No longer, they had to sleep chained by a campfire, close together to gather warmth under a rain that never fully subsided. Instead, they'd share some shack near an inn, the basement of a house or perhaps the stables of a local lord. Only in a relatively large village, they'd be housed in a large common room with barred windows. This peculiar trade, or any other, wasn't much developed in those lands, yet.

There the slaves learnt of the final end of their forced journeys: a city which, The city they were wasn't, of course, called "Yonderton", but Caddair, for that's how goblins called the place before the army of the Great Human Republic took it from them.

Moods went from hope to sorrow and resentment. The guards grew impatient and wary as the guarded began to consider fleeing somewhere, anywhere. Two attempts had to be aborted bwith some whipping and shouting. But nobody gave a serious try at freedom. They had learnt the risk.

Just two days before reaching the outskirts of Caddair, in some desolate place by the name of Silence, a rotting body that crows wouldn't take, was nailed to an implement of two crossed beams. It had been, a week before, a very young goblin with ambitions of liberty.

The day came when the sad column reached Caddair. Still in darkness, the guards made their captives rush into the cold stream of River Long. At its banks they were given soap, made to bathe and change into new clothes that came straight from the city.

"Croogks & Stonharts", the slave traders, had this policy of not auctioning their souls when making these long journeys to the borderlands. Instead, their agents would pre-sell standard "units of talking-livestock", meaning categories of sentient beings. Their clients will then choose by order of seniority. If at all possible, a few extra slaves would be added to cover up any "casualties" along the way. This time, however, all had survived the strenuous journey, so the message was given to agents to sell the "redundant units" at a reduced price. This was the category of both Tedus and Elly.

Still early in the morning, the then anxious and fearful slaves reached the market. It was. at that time, still located outside the city walls, behind a pallisade of its own; it had its own soldiers and even its own flag, the black ensign of a former pirate turned into merchant: Master Feh Rald, half orc, half elf and, above all, an adventurer; but his stories are for another day.

Feh Rald's market wasn't big on slaves, but dealt more often with wool, coal and "raven iron", an ore mined north of their namesake mountains. The market had been well-prepared for the occasion, though: stalls had been placed for the scribes to do the paper works and for the smiths and tattooers to provide their services, should they be required. A band was already playing cheerful tunes, wee kids with baskets full of flowers were ready to make them rain on the new acquisitions. And of course there was food, drinks, chairs, tables and all that's needed to close all manners of trade. The market was for business, the more, the better, of course, and a little fun made more trade being done. And, of course, from every transaction, Mr. Feh Rald made a little "cut".

Soon, it was over for most. Farmers who owned much land but lived safely in the city bought most of the adults for their usual trade. Some were "apprenticed", should we say, by craft persons, others to the mines. As for the youngest they had a more diverse fate: messengers, errand boys, the quarry, a girl was made into a guide for an old lady, and the youngest hobbit was, of course, taken into the kitchens of the Caddair's Deers & Beers; just a glorified inn, really.

Our two boys, the spares, had to wait for their fate.

Part 4. The dark hut on the moor

Elly and Tedus were acquired by a trader in wool. Mistress Greedix, one tenth goblin with a subtle touch of orc. The lady thought highly of herself and had a soft spot for goblin kids. Well, Elly didn't have a drop of green blood himself, but just as Tedus, being "spares", came at a sweet price.

Once acquired, Mistress Greedix's best hand took the boys to their new jobs. First he fed them at the market's stall: some five big bowls filled with rabbit stew, tatties, lentil soup, more tatties and mushy peas with mushy carrots, turnips and the gods know what else. All cheap, but abundant: Mister Furbag was a half orc with, perhaps, a hint of halfling himself. Besides, it was Mistress Greedix's money he was spending.

Once that was done, the boy's garments had to go. These had only been provided for the selling, but they'd be too flimsy for their work. So the boys got some coarse tunics, hats, underwear and a blanket, with a pin. This plaid was long enough to be used as a kilt, coat or cape, all combined, as the boys would quickly figure out. Also, they be given a simple haversack made of waxed cotton. There'd go all their dry rations: salt, oats, maybe lentils, chickpeas, rice, onions or even salted pork if they were that lucky.

"Gud, you gave me no whinings, so far", Furbag told the kids. "I'll do you some gud in return. Let's see the smithy." Mister Furbag loved to play nice with the new ones. In fact, unchaining was Mistress Greedix's usual policy: for mosts of her slaves, irons were only a hindrance. All the same, it made a magnificent effect on the boys. Now they were... free? Not quite, just a minute, symbolic liberation, but still a bit of something, whatever that was.

All done, the foreman took the boys to the market stables and ordered the kids to load a mule with food. This was done with some clumsiness, a bag filled with oats dropped open, to the joy of several horses, for none of the kids had ever done such a job. "Now, you go with me, twenty miles. We've got some work to do."

Two hours later, neither Elly nor Tedus had said a word. Caddair looked already distant, behind a curtain of rain, and it didn't look like they'd reach anywhere before nightfall.

"Ah... they taught you well. I like that." Said the foreman. "How do you answer to that?"

"Yes sir, thank you, sir." Said Elly.

"How can we do some-ding for you, sir?" Added Tedus in his goblin accent.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Best trained ever, and you'll have no use for that ever!"

The boys turned themselves to stone.

"See that hut in the fell?" It was a round black hut made of dry irregular stones with a slate roof. Still, alone in the moor, it brought a promise of shelter.

The boys nodded.

"Good, we'll wait for your boss there."

Tedus nodded, but Elly got his best smile on. In his mind, his new job had to be something adventurous. Perhaps, they were to become scouts for the city, keeping orcs from infiltrating, or it could be spying bandits or providing shelter to a green knight on a secret mission...

Mister Furbag noticed that smile. "Oh, boy, you think you've got my heart. I'm Uncle Nice, to you right? Well, no. Run, fetch me fuel and water and be fast, for I'm hungry and you'll cook for me. And when my belly is warm, then I might let you get some. Now go, and don't dare to run away. You'll pay."

"Sir, we won't..."

The foreman cut Elly's words down. "Shut up! You can't promise your freedom away. Let me just say something... you did see that goblin dead on the road. He ran away, and somebody had to punish him, and I don't want to be that one, again. Don't make me."

"Yes, sir..." The boys answers were hardily audible over the rain. Filled with fear the boys darted to their assigned tasks trying not to remember that they were to spend the night with such a beast of a half orc in that small, damped, dark hut.

Part 5. The new boys of the herd

Inside the dark hut, the boys and the foreman had a humble dinner. There was, in the end, no favoritism: oats and salt pork for everyone, straight from the rations. The whole affair went slowly, with the boys, human and goblin, huddling by the fire while their half-orc overseer stood sang drinking songs, spicy and family unfriendly with a surprisingly nice voice. Outside, the mule was sleeping already, as did all diurnal creatures.

Once Mr Furbag got tired of his singing, he set the boys to bed. "You two, sleep." The order was impossible to obey. It was irrational to consider, but, neither Elly nor Tedus could dispel totally the idea that the man would have them killed during the night. True, they belonged to Mrs Greedix, and the brute was just an employee, true he won't gain anything from their blood, and yet they couldn't forget the sad remains of a goblin boy that so dearly paid for his attempt at freedom at the hands of Mr Furbag. If the display was meant to scare their hearts away, it had succeeded.

Still, they managed to lay on the lambskins and rolled themselves tightly in their plaids. But kept themselves awake, alert, imagining how to fight and scape that hulk, until their fear was finished by some fantastic, loud snoring. Then and only then, finally defeated by exhaustion, the two boys passed into their respective nightmares.

Elly woke up at the sounds of barking. The fire was almost extinguished by this time, but enough the soft light of the dawn crept inside the hut that he could a head from a rock. Tedus was sleeping tight, the man was still snoring and Elly, donning his plaid as a cape, walked outside. The grass was mushy and cold to his feet, but he ignored that to the magnificent show of nature. Right before his eyes extended a sea of sheep, far less than he reckoned, but still far too many than he had ever seen at one time. And there were the ewes with the little lambs that he found the most lovely. And reached to them and, wonders of wonders, the mastiffs got an eye to him but barked not, very relaxed at his presence.

"Are you the new boy?"

Elly, kneeling by a lamb, raised his gaze to meet a withered woman. She was quite over fifty, lean, tanned and very much wrinkled. Her garments were much the same as his, except for moccasins and an oversized sun hut.

"Yes, mistress" answered Elly.

"Mistress? No, no, I'll be your boss, but I'm a servant too."

"Oh..." Elly was glad at that. "But there's another one, Tedus, my goblin friend, but he's nice. Do you like goblins?"

"They don't bother us much. Hi, I'm Edra, those big friends are Up-with-you, Down-with-you, Couldn't-kill, Freckles and the pup is Enough-good."

Elly chuckled. "Did you name them?"

"Nay, Mister Furbag did. Listen, why don't go and play with my bag. I'll deal with that half orc."

"Sure?"

"I'm your boss, I can make you if I must." Edra almost sang those words.

Elly needed nothing more. After so many worries, tears and loss, there it lay before him a moment of pure joy and he seized the chance. He ran with the dogs, rolled on the damp ground and laughed while his new friends barked and played along. Though it was only Enough-good who was completely immersed in the game. The adults stopped regularly to check that the herd was in order.

Tedus had already woken up by then, but so had done Mr Furbag. "Fetch water."

Tedus didn't stop to ask where, but ran away with the bucket, donning only his tunic. Outside, treasure was waiting for him. Above all, he was amazed by the sight of the flock. Among many goblin tribes, the mere thought of taking so much sheep from the "bohboh" humans was enough to turn a bad day into a feast.

Elly ran to his friend, with Enough-good following behind. "Welcome to life! How's the boss?"

"Bossy." Teddus said.

"Ah... where are you going?"

"See bucket? Wa-er!"

"Can I go with you?"

"Aye."

It wasn't that hard to find water, more than a dozen streams ran nearby, all as cold and transparent. Though on many the sheep had done their things, so it was advisable to go as upstream as possible, and then check that no vulture had chosen your precise spot to fall death. In any case it was a slow, silent going for the boys.

"Anything wrong?"

"Elly, we friends is bad." Tedus made a mess of his human grammar, perhaps on purpose.

"Because you're a goblin?"

"A-ha."

"But, I thought we got along well."

"I'm alone wiz me. Humans kill goblins."

"Sorry."

"You and I aren't at war." Tedus said, and then went silent.

Once the job was done, Mr Furbag made them to prepare breakfast, and stand inside the hut, silent, while he shared the food with Edra and the dogs. The animals were very fond of that half-orc, the eldest even behaving a bit like pups in his presence. When the half orc had his bonding, by simply raising a finger, he got the mastiffs to lay down by him and keep quiet. Finally, he called the boys.

"Elly, come here. Go and caress Down-with-you, in the cheeks, but use the back of your hands, both".

"Yes, sir." Elly didn't understand why he'd have to do that, but he obeyed, and it was nice, the dog andswered by licking the humans finger. All that seemed odd, odder still that he had to repeat the ceremony with the other mastiffs, and so had Tedus. And when that said and done, the boys went out with the boys and the sheep and played together, while adults talked of their things.

Part 6. Just a bad raid

At the dawn of the next morning, the half-orc was already gone. The sheep were flat at rest on the grass, mastiffs were dispersing, each to its place. It had been a long, tranquil night, and the new sun ruled the skies in blue solitude. Tedus stood up, his had been the last shift, and he whistled his fears away, already expecting breakfast. Edra was raising up to prepare it: porridge, as usual, with some honey she had long acquired from uncooperative bees. Elly was still sleeping in the hut. Alone, it was easy to dream this herd was his, that the mastiffs were his dogs and that they all were a small family living a simple life, up there in the mountains, far from any trouble.

Indeed, that was how the first day of their shared new life started. They picked up their things, gathered the flock and march west, closer to the misty woods under the Three Ravens. Sheep needed to move constantly for fresh pastures.

Morning passed away slowly. There was no rushing with the sheep, with the lambs still too young. The mastiffs kept a constant watch, though. For wolves and worse: giant spiders. Still, they met nothing worse than passing showers. The world might have been told of been under the spell of children tunes and sweet ocarinas. Even Tedus recovered his smile. Yes, it was easy to dream their worries away. Only the right there and right then mattered, everything else seemed a fantasy, and so they lived.

Lunch was on the go, all together, eating oatcakes and little else. Food was a humble routine for the slave shepherds, and so was its drink: water with a splash of vinegar for endurance. Elly tried to approach his friend, but he was still far too human and Tedus far too goblin and very alone. Edra would've loved to say something, but she knew it would be of little use. Time alone could do that, for those kids, unlike her, had been born free and would for long cling to that felt freedom, even if it had turned into a bit of a lie.

Close to the night, they arrived to an ancient ring of huge standing stones. Nobody knew what those were for. Edra shared the view that they were stone trolls who got tranced in a dance and forgot what the sunshine would do to them. Even so, a few planks, some rope and a few lengths of canvas transformed those into a shelter for her and the boys. There, she told the story of the trolls and the spirits that flew among the stones and why wolves never approached them. "Goblins didn't ever go to this place, either, but", she winked at Tedus, "there's an exception".

And so a tradition, shall we say?, began of telling stories every night, and many of those were told, quite a few improvised, but few like, the one Tedus told six weeks later, most appropriately titled: "de day dey got me."

Tedus' story

So spoke the great Tedus, telling his story

Dere are many goblins. But we all want loot. Loot is glory. Loot says "you're brave, you're smart wiz ideas, you'll be a good dad". Goblin girls think you're pretty, and goblin girls want to be merry wiz you and have kids all deir life. So, best mates and me go one day and say: "it's summer, loot time! Let's raid some place." But we didn't know what to raid, and we didn't tell de old ones, because they sink it's bad for kids to go a'raiding. So we just went, went. And we were mighty jolly. And we walked and walked, and we saw dis town, a big wall was around it. So we waited for darkness, and we chatted about all the riches that we'd got and... we fell asleep. When we woke up, it was almost dawn. So we went dirty wiz words at each odder and rushed, sneaky, sneaky, in. We got lucky because dis guard was sleepy too, and it wasn't too bright. So we, quiet, quiet, climbed up, crawled a bit, did a smally jump, jump and tip-toed, mousy, mousy, down the stairs. We were in town!

And so were many folks! Dis human kid jumps and shouts: goblins!, goblins! And lots of bohboh humans jump out of their houses, and we run around, like crazy. We didn't know where to go! So I saw dis ruined house and said: "go inside".

But Urk, my friend said. "No! Up the roofs we go."

He tried dat, de humans chucking stones at him, and dey got'im on the head and he went "aaahhhh, crack!" right on de mob and he went no-breathing.

De rest of us got inside. But de guards came, and a big mob too. Dere was no way we could run or hide.

"Don't drop the knives!" I said, because I thought they'd kill us all. But me friends didn't listen and opened de doors, and de guards tied us, and spit at us and got all our stuff.

And den dey sent us all de way West. And there "Croogks & Stonharts" bought us and two days later, I met Elly, and that's all you didn't know. It's not a good story, just a bad raid.

Tedus head sunk low, as did his heart.

Edra went to hug the boy and Elly smiled and poured more wildflower tea in Tedus cup. Mischievously, though, he was preparing a few jokes on stupid raids and the results thereof.

Part 7. To be a raven

Daily life, rutinary and simple settled in. Days came and went. Tedus had lernt to accept his situation, this was his life and it hadn't been, up to that point, half as terrible as he had feared. It could, in fact, had been much worse. Edra was pleased with him and the human, they had proved to be good boys, hard working, caring for the animals and, for the most part sensible beyond what's supposed for their ages.

Elly got obsessed with the distant mountains. First, it was the spectacle of the wildest nature that brough his eyes up. Then it was a plan, as he felt more and more adept at the ways of the outdoors, he figured out he could survive in the woods that surrounded the fells. Once there no one could find him, but the wild beasts, and he was willing to take the risk. Then, as autumn would came, when everybody would thought him dead, he'd go back east, to Mother and his siblings. Then, it'll be hard again, of course, everybody knew they had sold him, but... well, he hoped to be able to overcome that, somehow.

And those feeling grew fast and strong until he made up his mind. First, out of their boss sight, he told Tedus.

"Come, Tedus, come with me. It'll all be better with you."

"No, Elly, don't go, it's too hard. Dey'll get you."

"Get me? How? We're miles from everybody. The woods will hide us and up there? Up there, we can spot anybody from miles and miles away. If they get close, we move somewhere else. They won't get close, ever, promise!"

"And Edra?"

"She won't..."

"She has to... or she'll be in trouble too. Mistress say 'you let dem go' and she'll punish Edra, bad, bad, bad."

"But she's old, she won't get us."

"You... I'm not coming, 'member de goblin kid... don't go."

Elly and Tedus got grumpy at each other for a while. Edra noticed that, but figured that it was some temporary grievence among boys. After all, living in those solitued, who else they could be angry with? Time and the cooling of emotions would end up ordering their thoughts.

But Elly kept on dreaming, each passing day more obssesed with his freedom and how easy it'd be to obtain it. At least for a while... maybe. And so, one night, all fears and bonds were surpassed by the fiery rush for liberty. And silently he went, following a stream, with his feet in the cold, cold waters to the hefty Ravens that he'd growm to believe the gods had placed for him.

At dawn, sadly, Up-with-you had reached them. Elly tried to run away, but it was no use. The dog was faster. Worse even, Down-with-you had catched up and joined the persecution right away. Elly paced up, faster and faster until exhausted, he had to turned to the dogs. Elly tried smiling as to calm them down, but the dogs only growled and barked louder, louder. 'Be back, Elly', they'd said, had they been able to, 'don't be a traitor. To the flock, back to the flock'. But Elly, for once, couldn't fathom their minds. The mastiffs stepped up to him, forcing the boy to step back. Teeth were now fully visible, spits falling of their mouths. Up-with-you then jumped, almost biting Elly's knee. The mastiff had missed on purpose, a warning, perhaps the last one.

Elly didn't yield. At that point not even the Lady of Death herself would stop him from trying. But then, what should had happened. One of the dogs would take him down, the other was to jump to his neck, its ferocius maw bristling with teeth like knives, and... there would be no more.

But at the precise moment, Down-with-you laid down and pleaded. And then Elly was overtaken by emotion and knelt down on the moss, at the point of crying. "'Downy', no, let me go", he pleaded. Up-with-you stood silent, while 'Downy' kept pleading, almost like a starved puppy.

It was then that Edra appeared, together with Tedus and Freckles reached them.

"Elly, stay, stay." the woman said. "Don't move, I'm coming, you'll be safe I promise."

The boy lowered his arms as Edra and Tedrus rushed to him and helped him to stand up."

Now the dogs, like if by magic, went silent and meek, relaxed even.

"Why, but why?" Elly was crying.

"Elly, you were escaping." The boy didn't try to lie. "Remember when Mr Furbag made you to caress the dogs in that odd way. It's a code for our mastiffs. It means, 'they are part of the flock, defend them with your lifes', but also, 'kill them if they escape, for they are traitors and we'll come back with the wolves'."

"They hate me?"

"No. They just cannot act any other way, don't try to escape and again you'll have no better friends. Elly, they are slaves, like us, or perhaps even worse, for they think that awful man loves them."

Then, Elly, trembling still went to 'Downy', and hugged it, for he understood only the last spark of freedom had stopped the animal from killing him. And 'Downy' licked his friend's hand, for he had went back to his friends, he'd be no traitor and all was forgiven.

Part 8. Up the terrible glen

Summer was coming. Lambing was over. Shepherdess, boys, sheep and mastiffs smelled almost the same by then. Life was becoming easier, but for the boys, nothing marked the passage of the days as the arrival of the provisions. This time it was Ara coming up the slope, leading two mules. Elly, the human boy, liked Ara best. She was only two years his elder, rather pretty and, besides, always sneaked a bit of contraband: tea, bits of crystal honey, a few grains of pepper and slices of goblin ham. Tedus loved these, but never called it "goblin", only bohboh humans did that. "Hill ham" was how you called it, preserved in cold caves naturally filled with salt, and each tribe had a different variety and only his grandfather prepared the best one.

Anyway, it was a cheerful occasion, so why did Edra look worried?

"Welcome, Ara, welcome!" Shouted Elly standing on top of a rock.

Tedus ran down shouting, two mastiffs, Up-with-you and Freckles, by his side. "Ara, did you bring ham?" Asked Tedus as soon as he reached her.

"Yes." She answered. Tedus jumped. Goblin-mama, the goblin grandmom goddess, had been good to him again.

"Can I have one? I'm hungry!"

"One... just one." She chuckled.

And so began a slow evening. The sun was still high in the sky, so it would last long. This time they only had a ledge protruding out of a huge rock as shelter. But it was enough to be together. Besides, it made it easier to guard the flock, already gathered tight. Fire, food and stories again; only this time the stories were more troublesome. Orcs have crossed the river and were torching farms and villages as they went.

"Take care!"

Nobody liked orcs, goblins less than anyone because they were bossy and could force entire goblin tribes into their hordes, sharing most of the effort but none of the loot.

Edra shrugged. "They won't get this far, they never get. What's here for them? Look around. Also, we are moving. Tedus, Elly, the sheep need better fodder than this grass. We'll move north, up to the hills, they won't see us there, even if they come and they won't. And now, you go and sleep, I'm taking first watch".

The boys and Ara laid on their lambskins. Tedus was the first to fall asleep, then Ara, while Elly, with one little eye, savored the beauty of his impossible love. By dawn Ara would go to other shepherds, surely one with another boy, older, more handsome and wiser. As he ran his imagination, the unknown shepherd boy turned into a squire, a knight would've seen him fighting off two, not four barbaric orcs, bought him from the Mistress and adopted him as son. Then, he would come for Ara and they would be happy ever after. It was at their imaginary wedding that Elly, shedding a tear, finally fell into sleep. No, that wasn't for him. Edra had taught him how it went: whenever Mistress wanted to have new slave babies to grow up or sell out, Mistress would make him...

Two days later, they arrived at the mouth of Erdwater Glen. This was a narrow valley, split in two by the cold Erdwater River, and surrounded north and south by forests. To manage a sheep flock inside those woods was beyond the reach of mortals. So while exposed and tough, Erdwater was the only possible route to the greener bush and the yummy bushes of the clean hills above.

By then, the boys had learnt to fashion themselves moccasins from animal skins. Any ram who died of old age provided the materials as Edra had done with the instructions. They weren't the sturdiest of shoes, so they only donned when necessary, as in that particular occasion.

At the shepherdess command, the flock was set in formation. She went to the rear, with 'Uppy', Up-with-you, the boys at the front brandishing staffs and slings and the rest of the mastiffs patrolling the sides. These were by far the more dangerous positions, as they were closer to the woods, from where all manner of trouble could approach unseen.

Soon after, from the acutest of dogs, to the boys, everybody became wary. The air was quiet, like when a hunter walks slowly and hides behind a log ready to hurl a javelin at the first unsuspecting fowl. But Edra did not command to stop, so everyone followed, without incident, for another hour.

The dogs grew restless, barking at the trees. Edra made them withdraw, while bringing the flock together. The boys were whistled to help and be alert. What was there? Could it be? No, those monster haven't been seen since she was the boys' age... it couldn't!

Finally, not from the sides, not from the rear, but to their front three spiders, giant and terrible appeared. Larger than wolves, monstrous on their eight legs, they shrieked and charged. The sheep tightened themselves up, older rams coming to the front, lambs gluing themselves to their mother. The mastiffs charged back, despite the unreal threat they were facing. Edra went too, as fast as her old knees allowed her.

Elly stood where he was, shooting stones out of his sling. Tedus ran away at once, "Elly, run, not our sheep! Run!" Tedus shouted at Elly, but the human boy didn't and Tedus forced himself to run back to help his friend. 'Bohboh!', the goblin thought of hismelf. 'How could anyone offer his life for a bohboh human?'

One of the spiders rushed at the boy. A stone to its head did nothing to stop it. Was it mad, scared or hungry? There was no way to tell, but it was coming and there'd be no time to hurl another stone. Elly switched to his staff and brandished it as a spear. Tedus did the same, but moved to place himself by the side of the spider. His uncle, back home, would had been proud. The giant bug charged, its frontal leg up, but Elly dodged and landed a solid thump on its back. Teddus did the same at one of the legs. The monsther whirled but didn't yield and attack again. This time it was Teddus who hit it, but Elly fell, his right hand injured. He still could fight, except he'd have to get himself on his legs, and that was difficult when a giant spider is about to tear your chest open.

All over the glen, the mastifs and Edra were fighting. A few lambs had been lost, one of a mess of flesh and blood in the mouth of one lucky spider. Elly was about to share that fate.

But right then, darting as a falcon, 'Downy' appeared at the rear of the terrible spider and jumped on it, digging its teeth on the monster's armor. The spider tossed it off with a jump, and findind the dog laying on the ground, heavy in pain for the fall, it landed one of its sharp legs onto the dog's thigh. Downy barked in a sorrowful pain. By then Teddus and Elly had recovered, and pounded the monster with their staffs until it withdrew back to the forest.

Soon the other spiders were put to flight too. The mastiffs and Edra taking care of that. The boys run to Downy, while Edra and the other dogs, walked to them, panting.

"Edra, will Downy live?" Elly asked.

"I don't think so."

"Can we try?" Added Teddus.

"He won't be able to walk, for a long time."

"I'll carry him."

Elly did so, for two weeks. It kept the wound clean, it made sure Downy ate more than its share and slept with it, and the other dogs. Not for a second it separated from him, until the day the shadow of death, perhaps by the mercy of some small god, departed from the animal, and, again, it could walk, and finally run as it the nightmare hadn't ever happened.

Part 9. Bearing a late kiss

Summer went onto autumn, fall into winter, ever going south where the cold was less so and sheep could still graze from the land. Mistress Greedix had paid her dues to the local landlords, so their flocks had no issue moving from plot to plot. Tedus had much surprise, meeting humans who didn't quite speak "human" but some other tongue that was neither goblin nor something in between. Elly, while aware of the fact, wasn't helped by it as he didn't speak a word of what those foreigners muttered. For three months, every person they met was left to Edra. She had gone through the ordeal for more years than she could remember and could do the greetings, get the warnings for the common threats of wolves and bandits and advise everyone not to touch poor Tedus. Yes, the boy was a real goblin, and no, that huge green taint wasn't to fall off his skin any time before his death.

The landscape was different here: rolling hills and sparse rivers ruled the south. Hamlets and villages were closer together, ruins less frequent. In this peaceful region, raids belonged to the old chronicles and wars were far away. That aside, the shepherds' life didn't change that much that winter. Still early to rise, still early to bed and lots of walking in between, lots of scaring carnivores away and perhaps losing a lamb or a ewe. That could haunt them later, for Mistress Greedix could, among other things, sell them off to the mines if loses were too high. In fact, as Ara, the slave girl who brought them supplies, once told them, Mistress Greedix was considering to keep just one of the slave boys for this job and sent the other to some unknown and, thus, terrible, "someplace".

Edra was growing sick, though. As the season went on, she made the flock rest longer and longer. Until one day, the darkest of the year, when the reign of the sun is at its shortest. It was then that she couldn't force herself to stand up. She had to make a decission, a flock so large can't be stopped for caring for an old, sick slave, like her. They had to move on, the flock needed new grass as it was depleting the local supply.

"Boys, me think I'm done. My bones don't want to live, me head... works stupid."

"It's just a fever, Mrs Edra," Tedus' command of the 'human' language had grown quite a bit in the last months.

Elly his his fears under a shiny smile, and put himself to brew some wild flower tea, Edra's favorite.

"Boys, I'm not kidding. I know it. I..." That said, she passed into dreams, the first time among many that day.

Still, the boys weren't too scared. The mastiffs were relaxed too, and kept the flock in good order, while coyotes kept themselves at quite a distance: the mere smell of the dogs was enough.

When she woke up she insisted though. The sad commands fell into Elly as Tedus was out playing with Enough-good, who, while no longer a pup, was still the one who enjoyed such things.

"Elly, listen, two things I ask."

Elly tried to feed her some porridge, she refused.

"Elly, stop, this is the end of my soul. Take Freckles with you, one of the dogs will follow you, wave it so it will come close and know that you aren't running away. Go east towards a river that looks like... no, not a river... a line of trees that look like a serpent. You'll know when you see them, follow it and there's a stream, downstream there's a town. Go to the magistrate and tell her that Edra, Mistress Greedix's slave, is dying."

"No, no... I'll beg for a healer."

"Elly, she must come, sign me dead and give you a paper. So you can give it to Ara when she comes and Tedus and you are safe. Please."

"I'll do it as you say." Elly said that but thought he'll beg for a healer anyway. Maybe there's one with a good heart in that town.

"Good. Thank you, my dear boy. There's something more, something special. Take my kiss and give it to my love." Edra took a tiny woolen bag that hanged on her chest. "These are pebbles inside and feathers and such treasures as little girls love. Take it to my love, her name is Dalba, tell her I'll wait for her where love doesn't fade."

Elly nodded and kissed Edra goodbye.

Elly briefed Tedus on his conversation and began his mission with Freckles. As Edra had predicted, Downy followed them and, as the boy waved it, joined the party. This was no attempt at escaping. The trip was short and uneventful; ten miles were nothing for the boy after all his adventures. The town was one of those southern parishes with a small white temple, a lovely wooden wall that served mostly an artistic purpose and a stone pillory where local kids were reprimanded but hadn't seen an execution in years. Elly hadn't come for the views, though. Struggling to say the words, he managed to see the janitor of the courthouse. The junior magistrate would come. Mistress Greedix would be charged, and she'd send the money, nobody doubted her reputation. Still, the junior magistrate, who was as fat as young, needed time to prepare his steed. In the meantime, Elly found Dalba.

She was a healer, a slave too. Many slaves were. Why would a free person tend the sick? It was dangerous, dirty and sometimes unthankful. Dalba rushed to meet her love, daring to tell her mistress that Mistress Greedix would pay. That happened to be true, but she'd lied all the same.

Dalba arrived first. The boy much later, following the magistrate and his servants that would've managed to get lost in these parts. But they both arrived too late. They found Dalba weeping off their tears; thankfully the magistrate didn't bother with such things, he was called to issue a certificate and a certificate he issued, properly and with a proper signed and dry-stamped translation and all. His slave clerk was very good at that.

The lock on their throats was only released as the magistrate and his small retinue marched away. Dalba was uneasy. She had to stay, but couldn't, her mistress would see the magistrate return, she'd ask questions, what has a healer to do with a dead boy?

"Elly..." she told the boy. "Bury her, don't let the crows take her eyes." She said that as if it were the dearest tragedy on this sad world.

"I will, trust me." Dalba had to, even as the restless boy turned his gaze to the ground and his feet, bare but warm, shaked. So she went, praying the goddesses, the gods and the weest spirit of the streams to bless that boy if he was true. And she went crying, for she had missed her chance to touch the warm skin of her love.

Elly wasn't restless for lack of honesty, but for Tedus. He wasn't there and the mastiffs, for once, had hesitated on what to do. But not for long. Elly saw them going more and more anxious. They'll go for Tedus who had run away from the flock, as they had been trained since pups, for they considered him either lost or a traitor to the flock. The dogs knew nothing of slavery and why the boys had joined the flock in the first place. Likewise, they just had to make the goblin boy back, no matter how, or die trying.

So Elly decided to lead them. He took 'Uppy' and 'Downy', for they'll go regardless, and signalled the others to keep watch of the flock. And then he ran with the mastiffs, hoping Tedus would somehow make it far, too far away. But he hadn't, the goblin boy had, in fact, got stuck in a muddy marsh. There the mastiff reached him. Elly rushed forward, unarmed, Tedus showed his stuff, but that didn't deter his friend one bit. Three seconds and the human had grabbed his hand.

"Come, come with me, come, and they won't do you a bit."

"Edra's free now... I'm a dead chicken."

"No, you're my friend."

"Yeah, like these are!"

"These are the only way they can be."

"And you?! You can only be a human."

"I can find a way, I will, but not today, not like this, they'll kill us. You know that."

Tedus finally conceded to his friend, but at the deepest of his heart, he believed there was no chance Elly could find a way to escape. Someday, he thought, he'll find the way to die trying, and that he'd consider better than a life in slavery with all that that meant

Part 10. The glens spread as the sun shines

By a southern glen, amid buttercups and flowers of camomile, there's a small mound where a kiss was left. It's the earthen bed of a shepherdess that knew no home and left behind a love in tears. Tedus and Elly dug it for Edra, their boss and friend, and parted north with the mastiffs, leading Mistress' flock. Days went away quiet, somber, ran only by the unrelenting march of the sun, and for weeks life was gray and cold.

Two weeks after the onset of the spring, they crossed the borders back home. Home, that is, to Elly, for Tedus was a captive goblin and couldn't call home to any land ruled by humans. Regardless, Ara and her mules came with the supplies, punctual as always, and received Edra's certificate of death. She'll deliver it to Mistress and, from then on, the boys will be solely responsible for the flock.

Their first task was to lead the sheep to shearing. Shearing was kind for the boys, for their work was much softer, leaving most of it to the professionals of that task. They still had to help leading the sheep in and out of the sheds, and help to load the wool, but even so they found themselves with a bit of free time, which wasn't new, and people to spend it with, which indeed was. None of the boys had a copper to spend at the tavern, but at the village square, goblin or not, Tedus, took more than one peasant's servant to a dance to the tunes that flew out of the windows.

As for Elly, well, he was a pure, fool heart and went with Ara wherever she went, helping her with every little thing, but never telling the slave girl one word of his admiration. What could he offer? In days, he'll be back roaming the lands, up and downs the glen. And, besides, Ara was clever, could fill a life with her smile and make the stones dance with her songs; not to mention she was a woman already, and he was a mere boy who knew nothing and could mutter two words together in her presence.

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Shearing ended, Mistress Greedix made an appearance, and interviewed all the shepherds in her ownership. As the turn came to Tedus and Elly, she congratulated them for the flock had given a good output of wool. Not a word she said about poor Edra, who had served her family for longer than the slaver could remember. Instead, she told the boys that, if things went as they had gone, she'll grant them a girl to "have fun with." To that, the boys had to thank their mistress, who would have the babies to rear up and sell. Tedus had it easier, for he didn't expect to live "that long" any way. Poor Elly had his soul hurting at the mere idea of doing that "service" to Mistress. Yet, that was a year away, and many things can happen in a year.

One year had went by. Summer had ended agin, the boys had led the flock north, far from any human settlements but the forts who dotted the border, one hundred miles to the East. The day rose up as uneventful as usual, and it would have continued that way, had not Elly shared with Tedus his wonderful ideas.

"I have it, I know how we can make it."

"Escape?" By then, Tedus could read his friend's heart.

"Yes. It will... we could die or worse."

"It's 'worse' already."

"Wait... Remember when I went with to town. The dogs didn't stop me because they knew I was with the flock, still. Why don't we all go, the whole flock, dogs, sheep and all."

Elly received a word he wasn't expecting.

"Where?"

"East, pass the border."

"Don't play with me. The men at the forts will see us, and we can't run away with the sheep."

"Through Wraithmoor, at night!"

"At night! When orcs go?"

Wraithoor, usually muddy and crisscrossed by a weft of streams, ponds and woods, had been starved to dust by a dry spring.

"That's the dangerous bit. And that Mistress will send headhunters after us or that the men of the forts have patrols and get us or that..."

"Ah..." Tedus smiled. "Just tell me you won't let yourself die badly. I want to live before I die, I'm happy if I don't end up like a bohboh."

"Oh... but... but... I had a great thing to say to sign you up."

"Really? What?"

"Imagine! We survived it all and arrive to your village..."

"It's called Elem, and it's a citadel, with a palace and everything." Corrected Tedus.

"Whatever, and you are in the lead with a bohboh human behind who looks quite like a slave and all those mastiffs and sheep too and..."

Tedus, the goblin boy, jumped and ran like a small kid at the mere thought of it, shouting in joy. He'd be famous! No boy his age had ever been lost to humans and returned with such treasure. Yes, they would try that.

There was a little something to wait for: Ara, for it was better to have a smooth resupply, if Ara didn't find them, she could think something awful had happened and ask for help, eroding their few chances. But then, there was something else Elly wanted to do, of course.

And so, at the hut where they first met, long months ago, eating and singing together by the moonlight, Elly stood up and simply said: "Ara, come with us. We're trying freedom". Tedus dropped his jaw.

Ara chuckled in a sing-song. "How, my dear wee squire?"

And he taught her all their plans and preparations, while Tedus wanted to kill him for risking the whole thing, but bit his own lips, quite literally.

Then, they had to wait. Ara's face grew worried and restless, and said nothing for minutes, reviving in his mind the sorry fate of those who were caught but also the whispered stories of those who never returned, always believed to be well, happy, in love and, above all, free.

"I'll go with you, and if we survive, we'll try a bit of loving."

They departed at night. They had to hurry up and get as much of a head start as possible. The mules and the provisions played in their favor. But the other flocks won't receive their supplies and would have to go south to town, and Mistress will know what had happened and send her hunters sooner than ever, rushing in swift horses.

The approach to Wraithmoor was uneventful. The dogs were a little wary of the unfamiliar place, but didn't object to the humans. The flock needed grass and this year it was scarce, the human boys were trying to find better pastures, and that's what human boys were best at.

Wraithmoor was exactly as expected. Again the dogs were wary, the night could bring wolves or monsters, and the place smelled of orcs, who hated everyone and whom nobody loved. But again they did their duty, for the boys, and Ara and themselves belonged to the flock. And that was good.

By dawn, they had reached the river that served as the border between humans and orcs. And there they were, four of those beasts, by the other side of the river: four raiders and a goblin slave laden with a heavy sack. Elly and Tedus had to silence the mastiffs who could warn the men at the forts, or, more likely, some other orcs close by.

The orcs, being who they were, set themselves at crossing the river to take the kids and sell them away, if they were that lucky. That dry year the waters went low, so it could be waded, with the poor goblin slave leading the expedition. The boys put themselves at hurling stones with their slings and while the orcs got a few of them, none come close to breaking a bone. Yet it hurted enough that, once the river was crossed, the orcs made an offer.

"Run away and you'll live!"

"No." It was Tedus who shouted. For the old goddesses, he wasn't giving his grandiose loot to those sons of a wart.

Elly, being more practical, gave another chance to his sling. And this time a stone fell one of the brutes, and he couldn't stand, for his hip had got smashed. Ara tried as well, but failed, perhaps for lack of practice.

The orcs hesitated. How could those human pups not poop themselves? Stones rained on them, but none of the youth were warriors and they missed.

But the impossible happened. The orcs ran away! What were the chances? All who still could, ran away. Only the goblin hid from the orcs and didn't come out until Tedus found him.

And that's when Elly story comes to a closure. For that slave goblin knew a safe way to proper goblin lands, to Elem, Tedus, birthplace, where he, at the head of some glorious loot, a rescued friend and two human captives, would become a hero and a prince. As for the two "captives" they were soon "pardoned" by their prince and they'll all were destined to many other adventures.

THE END