A good chunk of the day passed us by as we kept marching. My legs were still sore, but there was really no helping it. Remembering that Devin was putting up with far worse helped me find my own inner strength as well, I couldn’t just relax and be taken care of no matter how much I wanted that to be the case.

I found that it was easy to fall into bad habits, just considering how I was acting back in the prison made that clear enough.

We were walking along minding our own business heading to the cave where Naan said our missing goblin was.

There was an enormous crash, as dirt, dust and small stones were tossed upward just ahead of us. Our entire group pulled up short. Had some figure quite literally dropped down out of the sky like some kind of meteor? It took a moment for the trees to stop shaking, and a few leaves fell free as we all stared.

I didn’t pee myself at all, I swear! Then all at once, we all realized what the looming shadow in said dust could mean. It took all but a few heartbeats for goblins and Devin alike to draw swords and gather around me. I was grateful for that, I was even a bit surprised by the goblins. Had they been so loyal before? Was this because Naan was around my neck? Or was it something else? I couldn’t help but be a little curious, but all things considered, my attention was fixed on the new arrival.

The dust cleared, revealing the figure that descended from who knows where and I felt the pit of my stomach drop away.

“You…” the deep voice of the huge man that the soldiers from the camp called Dragon Smith stated. He stood there surrounded by slowly dispersing dust. He held a huge, utterly massive hammer that had a pole as long as a bow staff attached to an engraved steel box on the end. The massive cuboid of metal was half as large as the man himself. Just considering the sight of it made whatever part of my brain that complained about the physics of such a weapon die inside. Even as he let it sit on the cracked ground before the man in question.

I took a step back instinctively, what was he going to do? Was he going to take me back!? Would he… kill me for causing issues? Or… I stopped my mind from going any further down pointless rabbit holes when I noticed he wasn’t even talking to me, instead he was staring at Devin.

Devin grimaced obviously, “You’re not here to take me back are you?”

Dragon Smith considered him, then glanced at me, and finally, he looked down at the goblins with a note of confusion, which quickly turned into a touch of revulsion. From there he looked back at me, and spoke, “Miss, I find it hard to believe that a lady such as yourself is… safe, with these, creatures.”

What?! Lady!? You do realize I once tried to get you to jump me in a closet right!? Not to mention the gang-bang I’d instigated outside his camp. Wait! I was an idiot! He doesn't recognize me! I cleared my throat, and schooled the shock and confusion from my features, “If it wasn’t for them I’d most likely be dead.” I explained. Best to lay it on thick.

He seemed doubtful, “What makes you think that?”

Devin interjected, “If you must know we’ve been fleeing from the elves since this morning.”

“That reminds me… why were you south?” Dragon Smith asked intently, though obviously confused by such a notion.

“I…” He said not quite sure what to say.

“He was captured and brought to an elven prison.” I injected. A blatant lie on my part but I sounded convincing.

“Yet the shackle I put on his ankle has been removed. You are suggesting the elves removed it? Awful nice of the genocidal lot.” He said his eyes fixed on Devin rather than me.

“They… Removed it… Before.” He said, practically pausing for each word, he was horrible at making shit up as he went!

“And the goblins? I am aware of a village to the southeast, but… This whole thing reeks of a plot.” He said his eyes latching on to me again.

“They are my allies from before I was captured, and arrived just in time to save me.” I explained.

“That’s nonsense.” He took a step forward, and the hammer shifted forward with him only serving to remind me that even though it looked immovable he had dropped down from the sky with that thing in hand.

The goblins around me were trembling just staring up at him. But Scout was at the front, his large knife, which for him was more of a short sword in his grasp. “Not nonsense. She tribe. Not abandon tribe!” He said in one of the most articulate responses I’d ever heard from him even if it took a bit of time between each statement, which said nothing for his ferocity in stating it. The other goblins shouted their agreement in one way or another, mostly huffs and affirmative grunts.

I couldn’t help but smile at the brown-yellowish creatures that were half my height. I was growing more and more fond of them as time passed, even if we’d started off on the wrong foot. This actually brought a tear to my eyes.

Dragon Smith’s fist bulged as he suddenly lifted the ridiculous weapon at his side, he brought it up, and the pole struck into his shoulder stopping the whole thing rather than splitting him in half as would have seemed more realistic.

“This man is very dangerous…” Naan’s voice spoke to me.

“You don’t say!” I replied mentally with the most sarcasm I could force through our mental connection.

“I do say. His body contains practical mountains of mana, vast quantities I would have otherwise thought inconceivable in such a body.”

“Please, sir…” I said half ignoring Naan’s analytics and looking up at the bear of a man as he loomed ahead of us, his massive frame casting a shadow our whole group could cower inside of. “If it wasn’t for all of them I would have been killed by the elves… my family… everyone… from my village was already killed by them. All of them sacrificed to some horrible goddess.” I really tried to pour on the sob story even as I lacked the powerful emotions to sell it properly. Still, maybe the tears in my eyes would help here. Where was a random outburst now when I needed it?!

He looked at me and his expression softened, “You shouldn’t trust these… goblins, they commit horrible atrocities, and this one…” He said pointing at Devin with his free hand, “Is at best a thief, and at worst a traitor and a coward.”

Devin glared at him, “I’ll have you know I didn’t need to save anyone!”

“Then why did you?” Dragon Smith demanded like the answer would decide Devin’s fate.

I leaped between them even though it meant that the goblins were mostly guarding empty space now, if I was in the way hopefully he wouldn’t crush us both…

“Why do you protect him?” Dragon Smith asked, “Even now I can see the cowardice in his eyes.”

I glanced back at him, and I could tell he was terrified, truth was I think all of us were. “Devin…”

Devin took a breath, “I’ll protect her… Because she saved me.”

Dragon Smith sniffed, “Empty words I’m sure.”

“I believe him.” I said offering what little support I could.

“Then you are a fool.” Dragon Smith replied, it seemed more like he was pronouncing fact than anything else.

“Maybe I am… Maybe I am just an idiot. But the last thing I want is to see any of them harmed!” I said as honestly as I could, standing as tall as I could and glaring back at Dragon Smith. Even as my own body seemed to be screaming at me internally to run, and hide.

Dragon Smith breathed out a heavy breath, “Fine. I’d rather not kill anyone who isn’t worth it either. No need to stain my hammer with you fools.” He said darkly but he seemed to relax just a touch.

As though the danger had all but evaporated, from behind me Devin put his hands on my shoulders and spoke over me, “What happened to the others? The camp?”

“Most of us survived, they underestimated us, considerably. Why?”

Devin! Why are you asking questions?

“Is it wrong for me to worry about what happened to everyone else?” Devin asked.

“It’s just surprising that you give a damn.” Dragon Smith said.

“I’ve made mistakes. I can admit that I’ve also been punished for them.” Devin said insistently.

“Hardly.” Dragon Smith interjected heavily.

I could practically feel Devin’s shift at that, and after a moment he agreed, “You’re not wrong, but I’ve nothing to show for what I did. But I do at least have a reason to try again.” he said squeezing my shoulders.

I couldn’t help but reach a hand up to his. Maybe I was his second chance in all of this.

Dragon Smith considered us, the moments ticking by. “Well, maybe you can learn to be a better man after all. Get out of here.” He turned his eyes down towards me, “I’m sorry about your people. Hopefully, you can find some home with the beast kin to the north, best that you spread word of what is happening here. My hand may be forced, but knowing what happened here… I’d rather everyone knew and be prepared to flee before another tragedy happens.” he turned and began walking away.

“Thank you…” I offered after a moment, feeling awkward that I didn’t know what else to say. The truth was I knew he could have killed us all. I was glad not to be a smear in the dirt.

“Don’t thank me, because of me you're probably the last one left...” He said as little more than a whisper, but thanks to my ears I caught it. I kind of felt bad knowing that he thought I’d died. Or Meryl rather, still Joan and Kay had met that fate. It wasn’t his fault, it was the elves, whoever was behind their actions. Aquina came to mind, but was she really the one behind it? Or was she just one more piece of the puzzle that was the horror show we’d been involved in?

For now, at least we could be sure that we weren't far off from the camp where we’d been held, this time it seemed like being prisoners was off the table. If I was truly thankful for anything, it was probably that.