Inane Verbiage

V

We emerge in an alley that stinks badly of raw meat.

 Caoimhe doesn't seem to be the least bit affected by it though - surprisingly strong for a three-foot-tall woman, she grabs Eros and I by the arm and all but yank us into a bustling marketplace while the both of us are busy dry-heaving and covering our noses with our shirts.

 "Stop being such babies," she snaps as she releases us, glaring up in annoyance. "Now shut your mouths and keep up."

 And because she's speaking in that tone, Eros and I do exactly that, and follow meekly as she weaves past wart-nosed, wrinkly-skinned grey… things that I've never seen before.

 Or at least, we try to - it's not easy following a three-foot-tall person when the streets are teeming with people. ('People' being a word that is used very loosely, in this case) 

"And keep your belongings close!" 

I instinctively adjust my duffle so it is resting on my chest where I can see it. "Where are we?"I can't help but ask as I nearly bang into a donkey-like creature that rises onto its hind legs, waves its cane at me and spews what can only be a string of expletives in an unrecognizable language.

"The goblin market," the leprechaun calls over her shoulder, her stride not even slowing a little when Eros stumbles and nearly falls at that. 

Ah. So that's what those creatures are.

 Comprehension dawns on Eros as well and his expression clears - but not in a good way.

 "T-the g-goblin market?" He stutters, face draining of colour, and I can't help but start to feel apprehensive at that (because even though I've only known Eros for less than, well, four hours, I've already figured that when he pales, something must be very, very wrong). 

"Yes," Caoimhe replies briskly, slipping into a tiny alleyway that I nearly don't notice. "The goblin market. And unless you shove your shallow prejudices down the drain and follow me, you're going to be locked up at the bottom of a cliff for the rest of your miserable eternal existence before you even blink an eye." 

And because Eros doesn't have the benefit of Ghost Skin, he shuts up and trails after her, all but dragging me along as his fingers grasp at and dig into my arm. 

"What is the goblin market?" I whisper to Eros as I try to ignore the pinpricks on my arm, curious. After all, anything that has the ability to make him that tense can't be all that good.

 Eros clenches his jaw at that question, and I have to grit my teeth to stop myself from yelping in pin as his fingers tighten on my wrist. "Let's just say that it's a shady area and leave it at that."

 I eye the dirt-covered pavements and the way shadows seem to cling unnaturally to the moss-covered walls, and I can't help shuddering, even though I know that nothing can technically harm me. "'Shady' kind of seems to be an understatement, actually." 

Eros's cupid-bow lips (a pun I silently snicker at) quirk slightly at that, but whatever he is about to say is lost when Caoimhe screeches to a halt beside a dusty cart in the corner and pulls out a large pot filled to the brim with gold coins. If there was any doubt about her being a leprechaun previously, there definitely isn't one now.

 As I busy myself with gaping at the assortment of gooey things dangling from moldy sticks, I vaguely hear Caiomhe arguing with the stall owner (a hulking gray lump of a man that stares greedily at the pot of gold) in a thick Irish brogue.

 "What is she doing?" I hiss to Eros as I watch her shout out a "no no too expensive!" before grudgingly passing over a gold piece and scowling impatiently as the goblin bites the coin, nods in satisfaction and slips it into his dirty shirt pocket.