Reyr the Gold (Dragonwall Series # 2)

Chapter 9 - To Outfox a Goblin

"To keep it hidden from little people such as yourself." He had almost called the foul creature a bad word, but he thought better of it. It would not do to offend it.

"Where? Where you hide it?" it eagerly demanded.

Mikkin clenched his teeth in annoyance. The Gobelin actually expected him to reveal the location? What a stupid thing it was!

"Where you hide it?" it repeated.

"Why would I tell you?" Mikkin asked.

"Tell or die!"

"Okay, okay." He held up his bound hands in submission. "I cannot describe the location. I only know in my mind. Here." He tapped his temple awkwardly with one of his fingers.

The Gobelin began conversing very rapidly with the others. Clearly it was relaying the conversation to them. Several of them got very excited. A few started hopping up and down.

"What are you doing?" Jamie hissed in his ear. The creatures carried on arguing.

"Remember the tale of Redcote the Fox?"

Jamie's eyes widened. It was all Mikkin needed to say. The lad understood.

If Mikkin distracted the Gobelins with a treasure hunt, he could buy the two of them time enough to come up with a plan—some way to escape. The dim-witted things would be too excited—too worked up—to see that Mikkin and Jamie were out-foxing them.

Silence fell; the Gobelins had reached a decision. "Show!" commanded their leader. "Show us treasure."

Playing along, Mikkin bowed his head in feigned unhappy acceptance. "Right away."

Leading the way, he and Jamie moved forward, retracing their steps from the day before. He had no idea where to go, but he knew the smartest thing to do was backtrack. It was a setback indeed, but it might save their lives.

After a few hours, the enormity of the setback began to weigh on Mikkin. He used the time to go over various strategies and consider their circumstances in full. There weren't many options available. With twenty Gobelins, he and Jamie would be hard pressed to fight.

Why were so many Gobelins in this part of the forest anyway? Gobelins were creatures from the East, from beyond the borders of Dragonwall.

At first the creatures were in high spirits. They spoke with lively animation. Mikkin imagined they were discussing all the ways they would spend his fake treasure. As the hours wore on, the Gobelins grew impatient. Finally, the leader expressed his frustration. "How much longer?" came the demand.

"Two days," Mikkin assured the little green man.

"Two days?!" it barked, stopping them dead in their tracks. Once more it began to converse with its comrades. More arguing followed.

The raised voices gave Mikkin a chance to whisper with Jamie. "We will have to overpower them," he explained.

"How in every gods' name will we do that?" Jamie asked, keeping his voice low.

"I am not sure yet. Perhaps tonight when they sleep. We cannot hope to outrun them." He saw the lad's jaw drop. "I will need my bow back. It is the only way."

"You cannot shoot all of them!" Jamie insisted. That was true...unless he was positioned correctly.

"Can you climb a tree?" Mikkin asked. Jamie nodded. "I thought so. When I give the word, we will take my bow from that one there." He motioned with his head towards the Gobelin carrying his quiver and bow. The little wretches continued arguing, oblivious. "After I take it, we will climb a tree and shoot them from above. I think it might work."