Jack gave Ai a nasty look over his shoulder.

“Please.” The pregnant woman stepped forwards, placing a pleading hand on Jacks arm.

He looked at it as if some sort of foreign growth had just appeared there, before staring back at the woman. Ai was surprised too, the woman didn’t seem to have any reservations about personal space or the safety of her child. For all she knew they could be axe murderers.

Ai found herself with the niggling suspicion that this was some sort of set up.

Jack stepped back, shaking off the womans arm as the goblin stepped forwards.

“Listen lady, we don’t want any trouble and we’re not hunters. We can’t help you.” The goblin held its head high, looking down its nose at her as much as it could given that she was at least twice its height.

The goblin started to walk away, closely followed by Jack, and then a surprised Ai.

“We have children dying! Don’t you care at all?” She shouted after them.

The goblin kept walking.

Ai was torn. On one hand some altruistic part of her wanted to go back, ask the woman what was wrong and fix all her problems whereas her sense of self-preservation said to just keep walking. Maybe it made her a coward, or maybe it made her smart, either way she kept walking.

Not without looking back though, to see the woman hunched, her face in shadows being led away by her mother. Ai felt guilty, but not guilty enough. When it came down to it, the womans problems weren’t hers.

“What was that?” The goblin demanded as soon as they were out of earshot.

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“What was what?” Ai frowned.

“What happened to ‘we don’t need to talk to anyone’?” His impression of her voice was terrible. “You just stepped back and left Jack on his own when she came up to us.”

“I just…I don’t know. I wanted to help her. I didn’t want to make a decision for you guys though.”

“So you threw us to the dogs. You know neither of us like them.”

“Them?”

The goblin gave her a deadpan look. “Humans are all the same. Why cant the villagers fix their own problems anyway, instead of unloading it off to strangers? If they were goblins they would’ve already killed the person responsible.”

“Maybe they couldn’t.” Ai said even though she rapidly felt her argument was getting ripped to shreds.

“Wouldn’t more like. Too busy hiding in their huts.”

“That doesn’t mean she should pay for it. And not all humans are bad.”

“I think you’d be surprised.”

“So what, I should just turn my back on people who need help?”

Jack spoke this time, joining the goblins scolding. “The world’s full of people who need help, most of whom don’t deserve it and the rest are still more than you could ever make a real difference to.”

Ai ground her jaw.

“People don’t survive when they’ve got a hero complex.” Jack said.

“And we have a tail.” The goblins big ears twitched.

“So much for helpless villagers.” Jack breathed.

“I won’t do it again.” Ai said. “Are we going to try and lose them?”

“No. I could use a fight.” Jack stood a little taller.

“Are you crazy? Someone could get killed.” Ai hissed.

“If anyone’s in danger here it’s them. You just stay out of the way.”

“Jack!”

“Let him. They deserve it, besides, he’s a good fighter. Really good. You should’ve seen him against the Queen Biene.”

Ai had no idea why the goblin had chosen now of all times to find his inner courage.

“He’s going to get killed.” Ais ears swivelled on top of her head. “There’s at least four of them.”

“He can take them, have a little faith.” The goblin snorted.

Ai stared at the two of them. Somehow a walk through a village had turned into some sort of fight to the death. She had no idea how things escalated so fast. It was just a walk in the village, yet they ended up with death matches. Looking at Jack though, she could see there was no way she was going to be able to talk him out of this.

“Just try not to kill anyone. Please? We don’t need anyone else following us for revenge.”

Jack gave her a long, cool look. He nodded once.

Ai let out a breath.

“Come sit.” The goblin patted the space next to it on the fallen tree it had just hopped up on.

Ai sat. Outvoted, scolded and guilty. The feelings weren’t a great combination.