The Goblin's Heir

Chapter Forty Five: Cold Flame

From below the goblins roared, sounds of rage tipped with delighted laughter and echoed by the crunch of bones between teeth. 

Floki crouched over his winged goblin's back, steering the thing into a gentle yet urgent climb. Cerise gripped his belt with one hand, holding a sword in the other. Her skin, leathers, and furs were all splattered with dark, dried goblin's blood. Scratch marks marred her cheek and there were puncture wounds from either claws or very long teeth, stuck through the forearm. It oozed with blood, but it didn't seem to bother her. 

Floki flew up, rejoining our amassed flock of surviving Unseelie and the others. I could feel Frit and Odd's eyes on me, waiting for my orders. I pointed toward the tower. "Run. Do not stop." I mouthed. The goblins were too loud for them to have any hope of hearing me. 

Odd grinned, rising up higher in his crouched position until he stood straight up, keeping balance with ease. I heard him call out orders to Dara, motioning one way with his halberd then the other. I couldn't quite make out what he said, but the two of them split apart. Dara took the left flank. Odd took the right. 

Ask flew towards us, coming up alongside us. "Your flyer seems to be struggling. There's too many on its back. Where is Snorri?" She eyed me questioningly, concern pinching her hairless brows.

"He didn't make it."  I said, biting the inside of my cheek.

Ask let out a breath through her nose. "Pity. Well, I've room on mine for one more. I think he can handle a little extra weight if it's not Floki's. No offense, My Prince." 

"None taken." Floki sighed. Cerise gave his back a little pat. 

"I'll go with you." Cat said, carefully stepping from Floki's flyer to Ask's, taking up position behind her with her drawn sword, while Ask steered the goblin beneath her. 

Frit turned to the few dozen Unseelie we'd found. He rolled his hand in a beckoning motion, urging them to follow quickly. With a stomp of his foot against his goblin's shoulder, it shot ahead, cutting straight to the head of the group.  He flew by us, taking the spot that Ask had vacated. "What happened?" He asked, frowning in concern at us. His gaze fixated on me. 

"They got overwhelmed trying to escape from the summer house. We lost Snorri and Cat's goblin." Floki explained. I felt like a child hearing my parents talk of something foolish I'd done. Shame chilled my belly.

Frit spat a curse and heaved a sigh that shuttered through his entire body. He wiped sweat from his forehead with the back of his gloved hand, shutting his eyes for the briefest of moments. Their exhaustion was evident and palpable. We were worried about Neasa giving out, but I wasn't even sure that we'd make it to that point before at least one of us collapsed. At the rate I was going, it would likely be me that fell first. "Well, can't be helped now. Come with me, Mama. We can share mine." I scowled at him, curling my lip. What good was I, clinging to him. I couldn't lead like that. "Don't make that face at me. Snorri's batchmates are spread thin as it is, carrying the human survivors. You can share for a bit." Frit scolded me.

Why was it still so difficult for me to step to the sidelines? 

With an effort, I managed to swallow my pride and took the hand he offered, letting him help me onto his goblin's back behind him. 

"Floki, I want you and Cerise at the front. They're going to swarm us once we reach the tower. Use your shield to bash them away  from the Unseelie and plow our way through the horde. Cerise, keep them off his back."

"I can do that." She said.

"Mama and I'll help you dispatch anything that gets passed him." 

Floki slapped a large hand against Frit's elbow, gripping it tight. Frit returned the justure, locking claws around his forearm as tightly as he was able, forming an unbreakable link between them. "We've got this, brother." Floki said, smiling crookedly, an especially sharp canine peeked between his lips. "Your plan's going to work, I can feel it."