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As we neared the line of horses and the sleighs it was clear that no one in our escort had noticed. Roar swore again, his voice catching the attention of the closest knights.
“Eriking goblins are near! If they’re still amongst our troop, find them and stop them from taking food, weapons, or gold.”
The soldiers went from resting to dogged action—sweeping up and down the line and peering into the forest along the road. Roar’s frustration was warranted. We’d packed enough food for the trip, plus a few extra days if the snowstorms intensified, which had been a good call seeing as we were behind schedule. Aside from food, many of the weapons Roar’s soldiers traveled with were new and expensive, and the king would expect the soldiers he ordered to arrive in Avaldenn armed. As for the gold, I hadn’t seen any, but Roar told me that we would need a lot of coin in the capital, and he’d packed appropriately. Unsure of what to do, I looked at Clemencia.
“We need to stay out of the way,” she said. “Come back to the sleigh.”
I sighed. No part of me wanted to be confined again so soon, but if it made things easier for the soldiers searching for goblins, then I’d do so.
We made our way back up the line to our own little prison. On the way, I kept a keen eye out for goblins and saw not a single one. Perhaps I’d seen the only one? That seemed unlikely, but what did I know of goblin tribes raiding.
When I reached the sleigh, I paused. The door was cracked open an inch. Had Clemencia forgotten to close it?
No—of course not. My lady-in-waiting was meticulous in every matter. And no one, save for Warden Roar, the servants who carried our trunks in and out of inns, and our driver, who was nowhere in sight, had so much as touched our sleigh since the journey began.
I turned to Clemencia. “A goblin might be in the sleigh.”
She sucked in a breath. “We should get a soldier. Until help comes, let them take what they will. We should not risk ourselves—”
The moment she mentioned stealing, my fingers closed into fists. I’d left my project, the amethyst gown I’d been working on, in the sleigh. It was the first dress I’d made for me, just as I liked. I’d chance staking a vampire before I allowed some goblin to take that from me.
I stormed over to the door, stopping only when I realized I had no weapon. Luckily, on his seat, the driver had left a bone-handled knife stuck in his apple, alongside a wedge of cheese. I jumped, pulled the blade from the fruit, all the while ignoring Clemencia’s hissings that I ‘must stop this at once’ and returned to the door.
Inhaling, I swung the door all the way open before I could think of stopping and found a small creature with pointed ears and green skin rummaging through Clemencia’s trunk. I reared back slightly as the reek of unwashed feet and raw meat hit me. Stars, he smelled so bad that even Clemencia’s perfume, which lingered in the sleigh’s interior, couldn’t cover it up. I recovered quickly, however, once I saw that he’d tossed my half-completed gown carelessly over his shoulder.
I pointed the knife at him. “Get your hands off that dress!”
The goblin’s head popped up, eyes wide with shock, but he recovered, spinning and baring his teeth in a vicious snarl. A blade appeared in his spindly fingers, and he brandished it at me. “Let me out, and I won’t cut up your pretty face.”
“Leave the silk,” I said.
The goblin looked down and laughed. “I think not! Material this fine? My mate and my daughter will have dresses made of it!”
I leapt into the sleigh with my knife outstretched and slashed.
The goblin shrieked. He had not anticipated a lady to actually attack, but little did he know, I was not a real lady. I slashed again, closer to his face, and this time, his blade flew from his hand, sticking into the side of the sleigh.
“Give it to me.” I gestured to the silk.
The goblin swallowed. Behind me, Clemencia called for help. Surely, the thief heard it too, and as if deciding that cooperating would be in his best interest, he dropped the silk. I should have let him out and allowed the soldiers to take care of the thief but seeing him with my dress made me feral.
I reached out, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, and pulled the goblin closer. “You and your tribe of thieves are finished on the Queen’s Road. Swear it, and I’ll let you leave with your life.”
“There’s no food in the woods!” The goblin trembled in my arms.
I reared back. “Why?”
“The cold is driving animals to the villages, the cities. We goblins need to eat too.” His eyes stayed wide.
I frowned. “What of the mountains? Dwarves, orcs, ogres, and giants live there. We’ve not heard of them reaving.”
“They will! Mark my words! They will!”
“Lady Neve!” Clemencia’s voice sounded closer now. I turned to find her peeking in the sleigh, white faced and wide eyed. “You shouldn’t be touching him!”
“I’m fine,” I said, just as the goblin jerked back, making a bid for freedom. I held tighter and snarled at the beast. “You’ve chosen your fate then.”
“Here, my lady.” A male appeared behind Clemencia. “I’ll take the creature.”
