creature. She gently stroked his forehead with her fingertips and whispered, " Lieliaana, haruuthavin ."
The goblin's large eyes fluttered open, and a look of terror and despair wrinkled his noseless face. Then he seemed to recognize her and his features softened into abject adoration.
"My Queen!" he hissed, rolling his body into a sort of crouched prostration before her.
Marla took him by the shoulders and bade him rise to his feet. He did so, uncertainly, his skinny knees trembling and his eyes darting side to side.
Marla spoke again, her voice formal and strangely accented, "Your flower is safe, child of the Great Mother."
"Thank you, my Queen!" the goblin moaned, "May I see it?"
"I am afraid that you must be parted from it yet a little while," Marla said, "It is my wish that the ghost who has taken it from you repay the debt of her crime by tending and caring for the flower until it is restored to full health."
The goblin whined, grinding his teeth together. "But, my Queen, I..."
"And I set you a task as well, servant of the Song," she said, "to prepare a garden suitable of this treasured flower to await its return into your care."
"A garden?" The goblin's face stretched into a mask of bewilderment.
"A place of shadow and light," she said, "You must find a place near the surface where the light of day may reach it, and yet you may still tend it in the shadows of night, unseen by the people of the city above. You must find such a place and prepare it. I charge you with this."
"Yes, my Queen," the goblin said, bowing his head.
"You have done well, obedient hand," Marla said, "You have served the Song and will be rewarded."
"Thank you my Queen!"
"My companion has won a great gift for you," she said, motioning for Garrett to approach, "He took these berries from the ghost as tribute for her crime. They are yours alone now."
Garrett's questioning look was lost in the shadows of his hood, but he held his tongue and handed Marla the berries.
The goblin stared down at the little red berries in Marla's outstretched hand and blinked. His mouth hung agape for a few moments, and he blinked again. Then his eyes widened and he looked to Marla with an expression of impossible hope upon his face.
"Are they real?" he asked, his voice raspy and thin.
"Yes," Marla said, smiling down at the little creature, "T ake them."
The goblin fell to his knees and held out his three-fingered hands, cupped together, tears brimming his eyes. Marla dropped the berries into his palms and stepped back.
The goblin stared down at the fruit, his lips trembling with unspoken words. Then, suddenly, he pressed his hands to his mouth and devoured the berries in two quick gulps.
Marla looked at Garrett, and Garrett shrugged.
The black pupils of the goblin's eyes grew very large, and his body began to sway gently from the knees. He murmured something and tried to stand, then fell on his backside on the dusty cobbles of the ancient courtyard. He flashed them both a broad, toothy grin and giggled.
"Perhaps we should go now," Marla whispered.
Garrett nodded.
They turned to leave, but the goblin leapt to his feet, startling them both.
"Thank you, my Queen!" the goblin cried. He looked at his hands and flexed his thin arms. "I am strong again!" he shouted.
"I'm pleased you enjoyed the berries," Marla said, forgetting her regal tone of voice.
"I will do as you have commanded me!" the goblin cried, "I will build a garden worthy of my mother's blood!"
"Your mother's blood?" Marla asked, "What do you mean?"
The goblin blinked at her. "The blood flower," he said, "A garden for her blood flower."
Marla blinked. "Your flower is a blood rose?" she asked.
"Yes, my queen, my mother's blood."
"Ah, well," she said, her face unreadable, "you had better make it a very special garden then."
The goblin nodded frantically and then bounded away across the courtyard, leaving them alone.
"A blood rose!" Marla gasped.
"What is it?" Garrett asked.
She
The goblin's large eyes fluttered open, and a look of terror and despair wrinkled his noseless face. Then he seemed to recognize her and his features softened into abject adoration.
"My Queen!" he hissed, rolling his body into a sort of crouched prostration before her.
Marla took him by the shoulders and bade him rise to his feet. He did so, uncertainly, his skinny knees trembling and his eyes darting side to side.
Marla spoke again, her voice formal and strangely accented, "Your flower is safe, child of the Great Mother."
"Thank you, my Queen!" the goblin moaned, "May I see it?"
"I am afraid that you must be parted from it yet a little while," Marla said, "It is my wish that the ghost who has taken it from you repay the debt of her crime by tending and caring for the flower until it is restored to full health."
The goblin whined, grinding his teeth together. "But, my Queen, I..."
"And I set you a task as well, servant of the Song," she said, "to prepare a garden suitable of this treasured flower to await its return into your care."
"A garden?" The goblin's face stretched into a mask of bewilderment.
"A place of shadow and light," she said, "You must find a place near the surface where the light of day may reach it, and yet you may still tend it in the shadows of night, unseen by the people of the city above. You must find such a place and prepare it. I charge you with this."
"Yes, my Queen," the goblin said, bowing his head.
"You have done well, obedient hand," Marla said, "You have served the Song and will be rewarded."
"Thank you my Queen!"
"My companion has won a great gift for you," she said, motioning for Garrett to approach, "He took these berries from the ghost as tribute for her crime. They are yours alone now."
Garrett's questioning look was lost in the shadows of his hood, but he held his tongue and handed Marla the berries.
The goblin stared down at the little red berries in Marla's outstretched hand and blinked. His mouth hung agape for a few moments, and he blinked again. Then his eyes widened and he looked to Marla with an expression of impossible hope upon his face.
"Are they real?" he asked, his voice raspy and thin.
"Yes," Marla said, smiling down at the little creature, "T ake them."
The goblin fell to his knees and held out his three-fingered hands, cupped together, tears brimming his eyes. Marla dropped the berries into his palms and stepped back.
The goblin stared down at the fruit, his lips trembling with unspoken words. Then, suddenly, he pressed his hands to his mouth and devoured the berries in two quick gulps.
Marla looked at Garrett, and Garrett shrugged.
The black pupils of the goblin's eyes grew very large, and his body began to sway gently from the knees. He murmured something and tried to stand, then fell on his backside on the dusty cobbles of the ancient courtyard. He flashed them both a broad, toothy grin and giggled.
"Perhaps we should go now," Marla whispered.
Garrett nodded.
They turned to leave, but the goblin leapt to his feet, startling them both.
"Thank you, my Queen!" the goblin cried. He looked at his hands and flexed his thin arms. "I am strong again!" he shouted.
"I'm pleased you enjoyed the berries," Marla said, forgetting her regal tone of voice.
"I will do as you have commanded me!" the goblin cried, "I will build a garden worthy of my mother's blood!"
"Your mother's blood?" Marla asked, "What do you mean?"
The goblin blinked at her. "The blood flower," he said, "A garden for her blood flower."
Marla blinked. "Your flower is a blood rose?" she asked.
"Yes, my queen, my mother's blood."
"Ah, well," she said, her face unreadable, "you had better make it a very special garden then."
The goblin nodded frantically and then bounded away across the courtyard, leaving them alone.
"A blood rose!" Marla gasped.
"What is it?" Garrett asked.
She
Similar Books
