His lips twitched when he thought of having another youngling running around the caves. Though it would likely be weaker than the others, it would be half human after all, he thought that he would enjoy it just as much as the others.
He was looking forward to bouncing another child on his knee.
The tunnel slowly widened as they grew closer to their home. Jane could feel the excitement coming off of the goblins as they started to chatter in their own language. She thought they were trying to make as much noise as possible so that the other goblins would hear them.
They didn’t speak her human language anymore, but they all started to move faster. So much so that Illyrin paused to lift Juo back into his arms. The boy couldn’t move at the pace they wanted, and he was starting to grow tired. They wanted him to still be alert and aware when they finally brought him home.
Juo wanted the same. He would have been ashamed to return home to his family unconscious.
Finally, in the distance, they all saw the soft blue light that signified they were finally home. The goblins started letting out loud whooping trills that made Jane cover her ears. She laughed with them as they all finally returned to the place they called home.
The goblins paused for a moment to listen as the entire cavern erupted. Goblins started shouting so loudly that Jane was certain they were going to make each other’s ears bleed. But they were happy that the goblins who had left somehow had made it back to their home.
Jane watched as green bodies filtered out of their homes and rushed towards her group. The ease with which the goblins traversed the rope ladders and sheer rocky cliffs reminded her why she had been so fascinated with these people the first time she had seen them.
A warmth grew in her chest even as nerves made her swallow hard. Though Ruric seemed confident they would be pleased to see her, Jane was not as sure.
She was pleasantly surprised when they met with the other goblins.
Green skin stretched as far as she could see in the dim light. Jane hadn’t realized how much she had missed that sight until she saw Ruric’s skin now looked as it had the first time she met him. The sickly yellow had disappeared to give way to the pleasant forest green she remembered.
Slowly, the other goblins moved forward. They were faces Jane found familiar and some she did not recognize. Their hands touched Illyrin has he passed by them. Claws hands stroked the warm skin of Juo as tears streamed down their cheeks. The boy they had lost had come home.
Jane knew how precious the lives of the younglings were to the goblins. She was sorry that one of the men she had let go had been the cause of so much suffering.
Shusar was swept back to his home as soon as he reached the other goblins. They knew he would be tired and that the Queen would not need him. He was to be taken care of immediately.
Ruric and Jane were the last to be met, and Ruric held Jane in front of him with a gentle hand upon her shoulder. She took a deep breath and stepped forward to the small gap that the goblins had made.
In a way, she was traversing yet another tunnel. This time the walls were made of solid warm flesh and hands that could do harm as much as a stone wall.
She nearly flinched when the first hand reached out to touch her. But Ruric’s warm palm upon her reminded Jane that he would protect her from all harm. Not only because he loved her, but because she carried his child within her.
The hands did not touch her with aggression. Instead, they were the welcoming touches that they had given Illyrin as well. They stroked her arms and held out claws to catch the delicate strands of her hair.
Jane could remember the last time they had done the same thing. They had wanted to see what she felt like. Humans were so incredibly different than the goblins and they had all been curious. Now, she had a feeling that they were trying to touch the sun that had bleached her hair and left streaks in the strands.
Ruric leaned down to press his lips against her ear.
“See?”
She smiled then and let out a burbling laugh. “Yes, yes I see.”
And she was glad of it. The goblins were actually looking at her now. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed the strange creatures that laughed with her as she passed through them.
It felt good to be home.
She leaned back against Ruric’s broad chest slightly as he guided her through the crowd of overjoyed goblins. He became a wall that kept her moving but continued to hold a bit of her weight. He made it easier for her to move as exhaustion finally caused her muscles to shake and tire.
“We’re not done yet.” He murmured at the exact moment she noticed they had already passed by the ropes that would have led them to their home.
“Where are we going?”
“To the Queen.”
The words made her shiver once more. The Queen wasn’t what she was frightened of. The old wizened goblin woman had a strength in her that Jane had always admired. She was strong and capable. Her thoughts had always seemed to align with Jane’s, and she would always do what was right for her people.
The Council was what made Jane nervous. There were a few on the Council that wanted nothing more than to close their doors to humans forever. They would be difficult to sway and even more difficult to convince to forgive.
“We’re giving our
