11. NEST OF THE HAWKBEAR

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The hawkbear screeched through the cowmammoth in its mouth as it descended from the sky. The creature’s high-pitched battle cry left an uncomfortable ringing in the ears of the goblin crew. 27 and Colb helped Stibs hobble towards cover, as Drek fired his iridhodium arrow towards the monster. The arrow clipped the fur of the beast, not even drawing blood, before flying back to the hooded goblin. Drek caught his arrow, then dove for better protection behind a nearby mosstulip-covered rock.

The ground shook from the sheer force of pressure waved by the hawkbear’s beating wings as it descended, narrowing its eyes at the girl on the tree. The purple preteen looked alarmed, retreating down to a branch where she could get a more solid footing. The beast quickly repositioned to face her, lifting a talon menacingly. The goblin crew stared from their hiding places, terrified to watch the girl die but unable to take their eyes off the encounter.

Raising its hooked claw into the sky, the beast started to take a swipe at the girl’s head. The girl reactively closed her eyes and looked away from the threat, holding her arms out defensively. The goblins felt a popping sensation in their ears as air immediately flowed towards the girl’s open hands, collecting into a cloudy, bubbling, clear liquid mass over her palms. The Yiklar Amulet of Open Ears on the girl’s neck became entirely encased in frost as this magical ball of matter grew and grew.

The hawkbear paused, looking confused by this display, but still furious at the trespasser. It ultimately decided to finish swiping at the girl – but an instant before its talon could make contact with her head, the strange ball between the girl’s palms erupted into a ray of clear liquid with a twinge of pale blue to it. The beam, which was speckled with solid white chunks, filled the air with mist as it blasted into the hawkbear’s face. The force of the attack launched the girl backwards into the trunk of the mapleoak tree, and knocked the hawkbear off-balance as it attempted to remain airborne.

The girl’s head smacked into the wood, leaving behind a circle of frost, and knocking her unconscious. As she fell limp, rolling off the mapleoak branch, Drek dived out from his hiding spot to catch her.

The purple preteen plummeted downwards, eventually landing in Drek’s arms. The hooded goblin hissed as if he’d been hurt, then quickly carried her to cover behind the mosstulip-covered rock he’d jumped out from. Upon reaching cover, Drek threw her limp body to the ground, and the clovergrass around her started turning blue. The young goblin held a hand over the back of his neck, and looked to be in pain.

SCREEE! the hawkbear shrieked from above. Part of its wings had turned purple from the elf’s attack, and it was flapping them frantically as if in a state of panic. After a moment, the cowmammoth fell from its jaw. As the steed’s frostbitten body hit the forest floor, it shattered like it were made of glass. Chunks of frozen cowmammoth meat covered the nearby trees. Horrified, Colb could see the fur around the hawkbear’s face turning a sickly whitish-purple.

Looking pained, Drek took off his hood and scrunched the fabric up against his neck like a bandage. The young goblin then drew his Yiklar Bow of Returning Arrow, and fired a shot towards the hawkbear’s heart. The iridhodium point went straight through the hawkbear, as if the beast were made of paper. The beast’s skin crunched like fall leaves, then its torso shattered to pieces – killing it instantly.

The goblins covered their heads with their hands as frozen chunks of hawkbear meat blanketed the battlefield. THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! the heavy pieces of flesh made sounds that echoed throughout the forest as they smacked into the dirt.

Colb looked up, conflicted by the scene before him. On one hand, the carnage covering the forest was shocking and unnatural. On the other hand, this scene felt reminiscent of the annual Skaal farmer’s market – bits of raw meat displayed everywhere he looked, ready for him to purchase and cook up at his tavern.

“Rrghegh… Colb!” Drek cried, catching his returning arrow. “I need medic,” he mumbled, pulling his scrunched-up hood off his wound.

Colb and Stibs rushed over to Drek, while 27 followed behind – keeping his expensive cloak off the ground as he carefully tread around the hawkbear and cowmammoth remains.

Drek revealed a sizeable blister forming on his neck, which was surrounded by bluish skin. “Rrghegh, don’t touch girl,” Drek grumbled. “Her clothes are safe, but her uncovered skin is so cold. Her bare hand touched my neck when I caught her, and now it hurts…”

“Hmmm,” Colb muttered, inspecting his surroundings. “We should get everyone out of here before addressing this, yes? There might be another hawkbear nearby, yes?”

Stibs perked his ears, and looked up at the sky. “Hurmph… I think we’re alright. From what I’ve read, hawkbears are very isolated creatures. They meet for a day to mate, then go off on their own to make a nest. Since there’s already an egg in that tree, I’m thinking we’re past that point, so the mate should be long gone.”

“AaAaaaaahhhh, that’s our survival expert!” 27 cheered as he caught up to the others. “Is it safe enough to set up the Yiklar Folding Cabin for a while?” He started feeling his pockets, then looked alarmed to find them empty.

“Hurmph, I think that’ll be okay,” Stibs agreed. He pulled out the Yiklar Folding Cabin doorknob, and tossed it to 27, who let out a sigh of relief as he caught it. “We’ve got someone unconscious, Drek is injured, and well… my leg still feels like it’s on fire. Let’s go inside for a bit and try to solve some of these problems.”

27 glanced around, pointed out a nearby clearing, and headed over to unfold his cabin in it. Drek followed closely behind, again scrunching up the fabric hood on his cloak and holding it over the injury on his neck.

“Rrghegh, don’t touch girl,” Drek reminded as he walked off with 27. “If you want to bring her to cabin, drag her with a stick or something.”

Colb and Stibs looked down at the child. Her mouth was slacked open a little bit, with a small stream of snow dribbling out like drool.

Colb grabbed a stick, and lightly jabbed at her face. The end of the stick instantly turned blue, and became covered in a thick layer of frost. Colb and Stibs inspected the stick, which was so cold that it felt chilly when held even a few inches away from their rough, green skin.

“Hurmph… try a fresh stick, and just touch her clothes,” Stibs pitched. “Like Drek said.”

Colb tossed the stick to the side, and the tip of it shattered upon hitting a nearby stone, starling the duo. “Hmmm, you don’t think that’s going to happen to Drek, do you?” Colb worried. “Drek’s not going to shatter, yes?”

Stibs grimaced. “You’re the medic,” he said. “You tell me.”

“Hmmm,” Colb muttered nervously. Deciding to focus on one task at a time, the chef goblin picked up another stick, and poked at the girl’s white dress. The stick seemed to be fine.

Colb dropped the stick, then looked around for one with more of a hook-shape to it. Once he found one, he carefully hooked it around a loop in her dress.

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“Hmmm, off to the cabin, yes?” Colb muttered, tugging to drag her along.

“Hurmph, is that going to work?” Stibs questioned.

“Hmmm! Actually, it’s working pretty well,” Colb replied. Her body moved across the ground like a chunk of ice sliding along a countertop. “I think she’s pretty slippery, yes?”

“Hurmph, or the ground is slippery,” Stibs theorized, hobbling along as Colb pulled her. “She’s leaving behind a thick layer of frost wherever you drag her.”

The duo continued to walk, with an icy path forming under the girl as they went, until they reached the Yiklar Folding Cabin. 27 opened the door for them, allowing Colb to drag the purple girl inside.

“MMmMmmmm, maybe don’t bring her into my dancing area,” 27 said, watching as the girl’s head and hands frostbit the cabin’s flooring. Colb dragged the unconscious body into the living area, then let go of the stick.

“Hmmm,” Colb said, surveying the work before him. Stibs was still limping, the mysterious girl was unconscious, and an injured Drek had curled up into a ball on a beanbag chair. “Stibs, give the human medical kit to 27, yes?” Colb requested.

Stibs took the box of shiny rocks out of his backpack, and handed it to the noble goblin. Colb pointed at 27. “Hmmm! 27, that medical kit has instructions written in Hewmish. Translate them, and figure out how to fix broken legs, yes?” he ordered.

Colb then pointed at Stibs. “Hmmm, Stibs! Get a torch, light it, and hold it near Drek’s neck. Try to warm him up so he doesn’t shatter from being too cold, yes?” he commanded.

Stibs and 27 nodded. “Hmmm, while you two do that, I will go outside and collect some meat, then cook it in the kitchen, yes?” Colb declared. “If the girl was going after that egg, she must’ve been hungry, yes? The smell of a fresh meal might wake her up, yes?”

Their jobs made clear, the three goblins split off and went to work. After a couple of hours, Colb plated his meal in the cabin’s dining area. For the main course, he’d prepared hawkbear steaks covered in peppersalt and drizzled with a secret toadroach stomach acid sauce recipe. For drinks, he’d whisked cooked cowmammoth stomach lining together with crushed hawkbear eyes to create a stringy, savory, meaty liquid blend.

Drek waltzed up to the table, took a portion for himself, and began to eat. Stibs followed closely behind him, holding a lit torch close to his neck. Drek’s wound still looked swollen and blistered, but his skin was back to a cheerful green, and he seemed to be acting more chipper.

Colb grabbed a portion of hawkbear steak and a stone cup of meat-liquid, and brought it to the living area. He cautiously placed the meals next to the purple girl’s nose, then stepped back to see if she’d react to the smell.

“Rrghegh,” Drek grumbled between bites of hawkbear meat. “If she ever wakes up, we should add that girl to our team.”

Colb looked at Drek with surprise. “Hmmm, I’m surprised to hear you suggest that after she hurt you, yes?”

“Rrghegh, she didn’t hurt me – I caught her. Just like Stibs caught that sailor from the catcrow’s nest,” Drek countered. He stole a quick glance at the old goblin as he spoke, smiling slightly as if proud to have mimicked the eyepatched hero’s actions. “Plus, she killed a hawkbear without even looking at it!” Drek continued. “Rrghegh, I’d rather her be with us than against us.”

“Hurmph, that’s a good point,” Stibs agreed.

“MMmMmmmm, this mission is meant to be one goblin from each tribe, yes it is,” 27 countered, looking up from his sheet of Hewmish parchment. He was sitting on his Yiklar Floating Bed in the sleeping corner of the cabin, where he’d been working away on translating the Hewmish writing. “The vision for this mission is four goblins: one to care, one to fight, one to navigate, and one to lead. What does mysterious purple girl add?”

“Rrghegh… like I said, she can fight,” Drek replied.

“Drek, you are already our goblin to fight, yes you are,” 27 retorted.

“Hurmph! If I’ve learned one thing on this trip, it’s that there’s no benefit in fighting alone,” Stibs countered.

Colb gave the girl a worried glance, pushing the plate of hawkbear steak closer to her nose.

“MMmMmmmm, well let’s put it to a vote,” 27 said. “I say it’s not best idea to expand the team.”

“I vote yes,” Drek and Stibs said at the same time.

“Rrghegh… that was creepy,” Drek grumbled, shivering.

“What do you vote, Colb?” 27 asked.

“Hmmm, well, we should see what she thinks, yes?” Colb interjected. “Who’s to say she even wants to join us, yes? Let’s get her to wake up, then figure all that out.”

Colb went silent, quietly staring at the girl. She didn’t seem to be waking up, even with a delicious-smelling meal right under her nose. “Hurmph… that’s fair,” Stibs admitted, going silent as well.

After a few minutes, Drek piped up with an idea. “Rrghegh… try feeding her,” he said.

“Hmmm, won’t she choke?” Colb countered.

“Give her the liquid stuff,” Drek replied, downing a glass of mixed-meat-juice as he spoke.

Colb picked up the stone cup of liquified cowmammoth stomach lining and hawkbear eye. “Hmmm, okay,” he muttered. Colb carefully lifted the stone glass over the purple preteen’s open mouth, and dripped a couple small drops into it.

HICC, BEUGH! the girl immediately coughed, then retched as the mixed-meat-juice touched her tongue. Her eyes snapped open, and she pushed off the ground, bumping into a couch. The leather cushions cracked like mirrors as her frigid hands grabbed onto them, stabilizing her fall.

“Hmmm, we’re here to help, yes?” Colb said. Her frozen Yiklar Amulet of Open Ears glowed as Colb spoke. She looked back at him, petrified like a chickengoose caught in a cage. Colb carefully set the mixed-meat-juice down on the floor, then pushed the plate of hawkbear steak towards her.

She muttered something in an unknown language, looking down at the steak. She seemed interested in it, but without his Yiklar Amulet of Open Ears, Colb couldn’t understand what she was saying. He thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers upon coming up with a solution.

“Hmmm, 27?” Colb said, not taking his eyes off the purple preteen. “You would be willing to pay me to be translator, to talk to her, yes?” he asked.

“MMmMmmmm, I suppose that would be useful service for you to do,” 27 replied, “but you don’t know her language, no you do not. Plus, I’m not swimming in funds, although I do have some from business with the humans. How much would you want me to pay you?”

“Hmmm, I want you to pay me the price of another Yiklar Amulet of Open Ears, yes?” Colb responded.

27’s ears rose at the idea of a sale. “AaAaaaaahhhh, I like the way you are thinking now, yes I do,” 27 agreed, summoning a pile of silvopper ingots and coins from his red bag. 27 jumped off his Yiklar Floating Bed, and walked over to Colb. The girl stared at him carefully, her eyes darting back-and-forth between the approaching goblin and the meat on the floor.

“I will pay you this pile of human currency – equivalent in value to 104 goldatinum pieces, 9 electronze pieces, and 2 silvopper pieces – to be our translator with this mysterious girl, yes I will,” he said, handing the cash to Colb.

27 spun in a circle, until he was facing Colb again. “AaAaaaaahhhh, customer, I see you’ve brought me the exact price of a ready-to-go, highest-of-quality Yiklar Amulet of Open Ears, yes you have! Would you like to buy one?” Colb nodded, handing the money right back to 27, who dumped it into his bag. 27 then pulled out a magic amulet from his Yiklar Bag of Traveling Inventory, and placed it over Colb’s neck. “I’ll give you two some space to talk, yes I will. Enjoy your purchase,” he cheered, dancing a little as he backed out of the living area.

Colb looked into the girl’s wide blue eyes. “Hmmm, this is food for you, yes?” he said. “I cooked it nicely for you, too, yes?”

Her frost-covered Yiklar Amulet of Open Ears glowed faintly as she listened to him. “Um… how can I trust you?” she muttered. Colb’s brand-new amulet similarly lit up as it translated her speech for him.

Colb thought for a moment, then sat on the floor, and scooched a little closer to her. The ground where the elf had been laying felt cold beneath his leather armor.

The goblin picked up the hawkbear steak, took a bite out of it, and swallowed. It tasted truly magnificent – a unique meat, that had been a rare delight to work with. Colb then drank some of the rancid meat-mixture, which was similarly a spectacle for the tongue. He placed the steak and cup back down, and pushed them closer to the girl.

“Hmmm, I just showed you that they’re safe to eat, yes?” Colb said.

The girl cautiously let go of the couch, and reached forwards to grab the stone plate. It turned blue with frost as she pulled it towards herself. Without taking her eyes off Colb, the girl pulled a white pair of mittens out from a pocket hidden inside her dress, and put them on. She then picked up the steak with her covered hands, and ripped a piece off with her clean, white teeth. As she chewed the meat, it made crunching sounds as if she were chewing ice.

She looked down at what she’d eaten with a frown. The girl then picked up her stone plate, and scratched the side of it along her meal, wiping Colb’s toadroach-sauce off the meat. The girl then took another bite of the now plain steak, and looked to be more satisfied with the taste.

“Hmmm, I go by the name of Colb, yes?” Colb introduced himself. “Behind me are 27, Stibs, and Drek. You have a name too, yes?”

“Um… I do,” the girl replied, taking another crunchy bite of the meat. The more she ate, the more comfortable she started to look. “I am Kashmir.”

“Hmmm, what language are you speaking, Kashmir?” Colb asked.

“The… same language as you?” she replied.

“I’m speaking Goblish, yes?” Colb said. “The four of us are goblins, and we gave you a magic Yiklar Amulet of Open Ears so you can understand us, yes? It’s translating what I’m saying for you. To understand you, I’ve got one on, too.” Colb gestured to his magic item.

Kashmir looked down at her own frost-covered necklace. “I’m… speaking Elvish,” she said. “Because I’m an elf.”