Kao could all, but see her sister’s handiwork in Orn’s plight. They have gone too far. I should wake Mother right now and…She felt Orn’s body shudder beside her.

Looking down she saw Orn slowly shaking, and cursed herself. The shadows of his past life made him sound and act much older than he is, but at heart he is still very young and very afraid.

She knelt down and pulled his head against her. She could feel his tears slowly soaking into the fabric of her dress, and knew she could not leave him like this.

Slowly his tears stopped and he pulled away from her. Rubbing at his face with his sleeve he cleared his throat, and forced a half laugh. “Some knight I am. Instead of saving others, I cry when I hear no one is coming to save me.”

He looked up meeting her eyes, and she could tell he was starting to calm. He is calming down. If I give him a bit more time I can explain, and he will not do anything rash.

“I sh’uld be rescuing myself.” Orn’s words came out slightly broken as he tried to clear his throat, but words sent a chill through Kao. “How long do I have?”

“I do not know. The queen is stopping to eat everything they bring her,” Kao said, trying to keep her voice calm as she felt a growing force of will from Orn. “Not all hope is lost. The future is not yet set on the loom. What we do can still effect it. Your Uncle and the others may still make it in time, and we can...”

“What if I made a run for it? Try to meet them part way?” Orn’s words hit her like a hammer blow. She could feel his desire to fight wrapping around the half baked plan forming in his mind.

“There are dozens of goblins out there, and they will swarm as soon as they see you.” Kao would not meet his eyes. I cannot let this go on. I have to talk him down before he gets to far in to the idea and I become trapped! I cannot panic. I cannot tell him what I am planing, but I cannot lie to him either. How do I do this? Think Kao, THINK!

“What if there were fewer of them?” Orn said, slowly standing and looking at the window.

As he spoke, Kao saw countless other figures standing where he was. Shadow like silhouettes appeared around his form, and she watched them shift from one figure to the next. They came with increasing speed, one blurring into the next, children, parents, knights, bandits, all steeling themselves for a last stand. With each shadowy silhouette she remembered the sound of their voices as they called for the goddess to stand with them… and the fate that befell each.

She tried to recoil from the flashbacks but she felt something rush up from inside her, limiting her ability to move. Invisible chains wrapped themselves tightly around her, stealing her freedom to turn away, and removing any hope of trying to dissuade Orn.

Internally Kao screamed, but no sound came from her lips. Instead she heard the echo of her mother’s words when she formed Kao’s essence from the nothingness. “...and you shall be will… their will to support you…BUT you shall not interfere...”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“If there were fewer you would have a better chance,” Kao heard herself answering. She struggled to add that it was still nearly suicide, but the words would not come. The rules of her nature had firmly taken hold, and she was bound to not interfere until he won or died...

[Orn’s POV]

“I guess I just need to remove a few of them.” The words were said in a cheerier tone than he felt. “Any idea how many? Before I can make a break for it?”

“I cannot say.” Kao replied, though there was a sadness in her eyes Orn had never seen before.

“So a lot then.” Orn chuckled hollowly, trying to force himself to feel better about the situation. “Good thing I reflected those arrows a couple day ago.”

He rubbed at his eyes again with his sleeve, and grabbed his bow. I can do this... I have to do this.

As he stood staring at the windows trying to ready himself, Kao embraced him, “I am so sorry.”

“It is not your fault. Will you,” Orn pushed down the hollow feeling rising in his chest. “stay with me. I do not want to be alone.”

“Of course. I am never leaving you again.” Kao nodded whipping the tears form her own eyes, “Just look at the mess you get into when I am gone.”

[Uncle’s POV]

Uncle followed the other hunter to where a group of tired looking men and women were eating. Many nodded or smiled as they recognized the hunters coming with him.

Brom noticed his arrival and waved him over. “You look as tired as we are.”

He took the offered steaming bowl. “What have you found?”

He mechanically shoveled the food into his mouth while the other man spoke. “We got the children to safe places yesterday afternoon. Since then, we have tracked a few goblins, but they all appear to just be outcasts. We should be seeing some of that band you encountered, but there is just no sign. They might as well be ghosts. Still looking though.”

I knew there were only a few hunters out here, so I did not expect much. But to not see anything… He swallowed the last bit of stew and passed the bowl back. “Who did you say was out looking?”

“Bennich, Jommy’s oldest boy. He just came in from further south. Since he was not as tired as we were, I sent him to go out further. The whole thing is strange, we should have found more of the little blighters by now.” Brom might have meant to say more, but the sound of something crashing through the brush caught his attention.

The hunters in the camp came to their feet knives and bows appearing in hands.

“…” A yell they could not quite make out caused the tension to ease. Putting down their weapons they grabbed their packs, or rushed to finish their food.

A couple moments later a young man raced into the clearing. “Found….hive…” the boy managed placing his hand son his knees to pant.

“Breathe boy,” Uncle walked over and patted the boy on the back. “Slowly now, what did you find?”

“Dead goblins… ust ... been a week ago… A tree fell... collapsed the cavern their hive was in.” Slowly gathering his breath he added, “I saw the queen’s claw-marks on the trees. They went north.”

An empty feeling appeared in the pit of his stomach. A glance at Brom showed he had the same thought. Not bothering to speak he dropped the bowl and ran.

Snatching his bow from a nearby tree, he raced into the forest. Orn! Hold on. I am coming!