The Gemcutter's Daughter

13 - Knowledge and Capture

Prideep faced his tribe, lifting the fish skull helmet from his head. They surrounded him in an untidy wall of lanky bodies, smaller goblins climbing larger ones for a better view. "Must protect Hero Gem Dwarf." Having a throat sack and a chest made for resonance that gave the longshanks an impressive gravity to his words. "Prideep Wraaaka will follow. People of the Rivers, you pick new longshanks!"

    "You don't have to come, Prideep. I have protection." Tali winced as the wailing of despair started from the assembled goblins.

    "Gods' breath, that's a racket." Jarek was one step short of covering his ears, the way Lekt already had.

    "No!" Prideep banged his spear-butt on the ground. "As long as there have been dwarves and goblins, there have been safe places and good trade and tasty, tasty oami for goblins. If goblins can make safe places and good trade and tasty, tasty oami for dwarves, this they must do. It is the rule of the shiniest."

    Tali shook her head. "I don't want you to get hurt."

    Prideep faced her as the moaning and wailing continued, poking her in the chest with one long, bony finger that ended in a pad more like a suction cup than a normal fingertip. "What hurt? Like a Tek-home dying hurts?"

    That response left Tali in no small amount of awe. Prideep was the only thing in the Deep that she'd met that wanted to help because saving her home seemed like the right thing to do. "How does such a tiny thing pack in so much courage?" She had to dab at her eyes to stop them from watering. It was both immensely heartening to have him along and petrifying to think that she might get him killed.

    "Like this." Prideep blew up his throat and letting out a booming croak. The wails slowly died down, and his people waited for him to speak. "Why cry?" His demand was pointed. He crouched down and slapped his thighs, then straightened and pounded on his chest in a rhythm, allowing his own display to become a dance to a simple chant. "River-folk hunters! River-folk warriors! River-folk brave! River-folk strong! River-folk bold! River-folk together!"

    His people answered with the same rhythmic chant, slowly growing in volume and resolve. Prideep shook his spear, little pieces of bone rattling against its haft.

    "Not what I expected from a goblin," Rhesis murmured. "Apparently they're more courageous than I remember. Just as foolish."

    There were many goodbyes before Prideep was ready to leave, but eventually the goblin turned to face them and nodded bravely. "Let us go."

    Tali was still in awe of the little goblin. "Are you sure?"

    Prideep stood to his full height and puffed out his chest. "Born certain, Hero Gem Dwarf."

    "Please, just call me Tali," the dwarf said, embarrassment seeping into her tone.

    Rhesis grinned. "I think it's a fine nickname. The best ones always make the recipients squirm."

    Tali huffed at that. She could never really tell when Rhesis was making a joke or a critique. Apparently skyborn spoke and thought in spirals, rather than the orderly paths of dwarves. "I'm not a hero, I'm a dwarf."

    "Are the two incompatible?" Jarek sounded as entertained as Rhesis.

    "When a dwarf does brave, bold things, the whole artifice is part of it. Skyborn heroes stand on their own." She turned her head to direct an ear over at Lekt. "Help. Please."

    Lekt cocked his head in response. "With what?"

    Tali gestured towards the two skyborn and clicked on her molars with irritation. While both skyborn could speak rough Dwarven, they lacked the vast selection of sounds used to express emotion or nuance. Jarek tried to click in his throat occasionally, but it never worked for him. Rhesis had a better grasp, able to track about two dozen different little clicks or stops.