Gone

The sun had just peaked over the horizon when I awoke to the empty camp.

The small fire that we had built the previous night lay smouldering, little whisps of smoke rose into the air.

"Eplash?" I asked the empty space.

No response.

I pulled myself out of the lean-to and started looking around the camp, searching for signs of the missing Giantkin.

Her bow was gone, as well as her quiver. Did she go hunting? Why didn't she wake me?

A flock of birds suddenly burst forth from the bush. Eplash came into view, moving as fast as her long legs could carry her.

"Run!" The Giantkin shouted when she saw me.

That was all I needed to hear. I turned and began running, leaving whatever gear that I had stored in my lean-to behind.

I could hear crashing behind me, then whooping and hollering. High pitched and gutteral, I had heard these shouts once before in my life. Goblins.

I heard something thunk into the ground behind me. Something whizzed by and landed to my right. A crude spear lay quivering, half sunk into the ground.

Suddenly Eplash was at my side. She spun and quick fired an arrow from her bow. A shocked yelp echoed from behind me.

Thunk. This time to my left. Another spear and another near miss.

More crashing and hollering. The goblins had reached the camp and were tearing it apart.

"Keep going!" Eplash shouted as she let loose another arrow. Another yelp sounded. This one was more distant.

We kept going, my lungs and my legs both started to burn from the effort.

Eplash kept pace with me, occasionally letting an arrow loose. I wanted to look behind, but I could hear my mother's voice, telling me to keep focused on the forest floor ahead.

"You trip, you die." I heard her voice echo.

Finally the hoops and hollers faded into the distance. Eventually, Eplash stopped and signaled for me to do the same.

"What...was...…that?" I asked. I bent over, holding my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath.

"Goblins." Eplash said. "Many goblins."

"I...…know...that....." I continued trying to suck in air. "Why.....were....they.....chasing...you?"

The Giantkin scratched the back of her head, looking a little embarrassed.

"They stumbled across our tracks last night. My fault. I had never encountered goblins in the area before. I thought we had lost our pursuers so I made no effort to disguise our trail. I led them away as much as I could, but they are persistent."

I looked at the Giantkin, amazed. My breath was starting to return. "Wait, you were running all night?"

"Just one... maybe two hours. I circled back to the camp when I figured you had awakened. I knew that our gear would distract them enough for us to get away."

I stood with my mouth agape. Eplash had run for two hours just to give me some extra time to sleep! Then it hit me. The gear! I didn't have much save for a small bundle of clothes and some food. Eplash however, carried enough supplies to keep things comfortable on extended hunting trips.

"I'm sorry," I said. "You've lost everything because of me."

The large woman laughed. "Gear is gear. You can always get more. Besides, the bow is all I need."

We started walking. Eplash was once again in high caution mode, listening to the wind and taking us in this direction and that.

As we traveled, I thought about all that I had left behind in my life. We left our castle to Jall when I was four, we left Elkshire when the cultists had tracked us down, and now the very little that I had in way of possessions was left behind for goblins in the forest.

Eplash was right. Gear was gear. Things were things. It was the people that you left behind that you couldn't replace.

And then there was the book. The only vague memory I had of my father.

It was the book that I took with me when we fled the castle. It was the book that I had taken with me when we fled from Elkshire. And now that book was in the hands of the goblins.

I wanted to say something. Could I ask Eplash to turn around? Perhaps the goblins have left the camp by now and the book would be sitting there, tossed aside because it wasn't shiny.

No, I had to leave it behind. I was no child that broke down if a favorite toy or stuffed animal went missing. Besides, if I really wanted a copy, I was sure that I could probably find Volume 2 of a well known series.

"Something is bothering you." Eplash said, pulling me out of my trance.

"It's nothing," I said. "I left something at the camp, but it's not a big deal."

"Ahh," the big woman said.

We continued on, eventually making our way to a road again.

"This is the road to the town." Eplash said pointing in a direction where I could see chimney smoke slowly rising.

The town! I had forgotten about it, and about staying in a warm bed at an inn.

"It's OK," I said. "I don't need a night in town now."

"No," Eplash shook her head. "We need supplies now. We will have to go and restock."

I nodded and followed the Giantkin towards the town. As we drew closer, traffic on the road grew heavier. Men and women on horseback passed us, giving Eplash the once over.

We crossed a stone bridge and we were suddenly surrounded by people. Market stalls lined both sides of the street. Shoppers went to and fro, looking at the goods and haggling with the merchants.

"This way," Eplash thumbed. We continued on, stopping at a building that's shingle showed that it was a general goods store.

Eplash opened the door to the store, signaling me to go inside.

As my eyes adjusted to the dim light inside the building, I heard a raspy voice "Hello."

Inside the store was one of the most curious sights that I had ever seen.