Goblin Hordes

The Shepherd Boys, Part 7 To be a Raven [lit]

Daily life, repetitive and simple, settled in. Days came and went. Tedus had learnt 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 brought 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 trasgrin 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 obsessed 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 grown 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 caught 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 ferocious 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 lives', 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.

#fantasy #fiction #goblins #hope #imagination #slavery #story