Chapter 30 - One Last Chat Before Bed

Even though it was dark, it was not tough to lead Raeyn back to her quarters. By virtue of being a sellsword and a woman at that, she was given modest quarters. In the southern part of the settlement was where she was assigned a small space, like a cell, cut out of the earth. A little nook made by cutting out the turf, dirt and hard packed earth and covered with cloth roofs, it suddenly reminded her of a goblin warren. Instead of tunnels the corridors were straight and narrow. Raeyn was quick to take to the familiar sensation and stirred a little from her exhaustion to feel the cut earth. A thin sheet was all that separated her room from others, but as she brushed it aside and saw the pallet that was her bed the exhaustion suddenly hit.

“Make yourself at home.” She said to Raeyn.

The Gobbo looked to the corner and proceeded to go there without a moment’s hesitation, but that was not what she had hoped for. Afforded only a single large blanket, a metal bucket for a chamber pot, and a crate of personal items, she had three paces of space in each direction and the far wall was taken up by her bed. It was large enough for the two of them. Raeyn must not have known the customs. How could she?

“Come here,” she said as she began removing her clothing and setting them aside on the far end of the pallet. Getting out of the sweaty and icky leather and smallclothes was refreshing. The cool night air here touched her bare flesh and her skin prickled and flashed to gooseflesh. That is when she felt Raeyn’s eyes on her in the darkness.

“Violetta.” She Gobbo whispered, “What is that on your chest?”

The scar. Of course, she could see in the dark. The slash across her right shoulder down to her left thigh was not unusual, but it did provoke questions in the baths from time to time. She turned to face the corner where Raeyn was, the vague outline of the Gobbo clear from the moonlight filtering through the cloth ceiling, “Just an old scar. Do not sleep on the ground. There is enough space for two.”

“You are a Mahn!” The Gobbo protested.

“We are both women.” She corrected, “You will catch a cold like that. There is enough space for two.”

With herself under the cover and against the far wall, Raeyn took the opposite side and took the top of the cover with a bunching of the blanket in the middle separating the two of them. Raeyn rolled the far end over and appeared like a caterpillar spinning a cocoon. The Gobbo’s head stuck out, those yellow eyes reflecting in the dim moonlight like cat’s eyes.

“Why are you being nice to me?” Raeyn asked.

“You saved my life. And you are really pathetic. It is hard not to treat you like a lost little girl.” she said honestly, “Tomorrow you’ll have your own set of clothes. What do you think of that?”

“It does not feel right.” Raeyn seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, “Will I have to wear the hides of beasts? It looks uncomfortable.”

“You are not going to run about in your skin. No. That is inappropriate. Your body needs to be covered up at all times.”

“What about your body?” Raeyn shot back, “I saw your hide.”

“Enough. This is how we sleep in Menna. Most of us cannot see in the dark and I was too tired to think or care about it until you went and mentioned it. Besides, we are both women and are different creatures. You might as well be a pig for all I care.”

“That’s right.” Raeyn’s voice sounded as if she was about to cry, “My disgusting horrible green skin. That is all your kind sees. Bare flesh disgusts you, but even having something touch my skin soils it such-”

“He is wrong.” She cut her off, “Bare skin is tempting for many and to run around in your skin is either primal or perverse. I hate my own skin. I would rather die than walk around Lordstown in only my skin. That Dark Elf was insulting. Your warren must be miserable to not even fully clothe you.”

“Most of us have none at all,” Raeyn explained, “We cannot waste time making such things or have any need for them. We stay in the warren throughout the winter.”

“Don’t you feel…. weird… in front of males?” She pressed.

“During the fever we separate ourselves, but it passes, and such feelings do not exist outside of it. The thoughts of… reproduction lasts no more than a moon.” Raeyn explained.

“Heh, maybe that is why. Such things never fade for us. We really are quite different, but you are in our world now. So, you will wear clothing, and you will not complain.”

“Do you cloth swine as well?” Raeyn asked, sounding serious, “They have pink flesh like you do.”

“A pig’s a pig. You are not a lesser beast. Though you are elf-like and small, you are still a woman, and you should behave as one. Your tunic was the reason I did not attack you; because I knew you were a creature of intelligence and not primal savagery.”

“If not for that…”

“I might have really killed you.” She admitted, “Gobbos are savage and violent. It is kill or be killed, but you hesitated and had no weapon. You looked so stupidly weak. It was like you wanted to be a pet.”

Raeyn grunted a little in irritation.

“Do you think it was the tribe or them who started the fight?” Raeyn asked.

“Us.” She did not have any doubt “Huron fell into the pit either through fear or surprise, I doubt he could be pushed in by your kind. Cade and Wilde would have attacked. Seeing how Stirge ran out, maybe one or two were spotted. Thinking they were weak and unarmored; he proceeded to the tree like a hound and did not care how many weak Gobbos were out there. He must have thought Wilde would protect him and that Cade would back him up.”

Raeyn said, “But they did not.”

“Huron was injured. Of course, Cade would not leave him. Stirge made a very bad decision and paid for it with his life. Wilde still went on to attack us. You had warned me, but I did not know if to believe you. If only I had warned Cade… this could have been avoided.”

“I wanted to kill you… before.” Raeyn admitted.

“Plenty of people do, but you saved me. That is why I trust you with my life now. You are my ally and friend. Are you not?”

“Friend…” Raeyn whispered to herself, “You just want to use me.”

“If it were that simple, you’d be in the corner instead of sharing the bed.” She reminded her, “Give me a chance to repay my debt and become a real friend. I am not going to call myself a friend only to use you. You have my word.”

Raeyn huffed and put the blanket over her head, “Words are meaningless. Live as a Gobbo for one moon before saying that.”

“In Menna, a life debt enslaves me to you for a period of one moon. It is only fair then. I can delay my mission for one moon to prove myself to you.” She offered.

“Really?” Raeyn popped her head up to look at her, “I’ll own you for a moon?”

“If that is what it takes…” She smiled bitterly, “Just know you cannot sell me, it is only a life debt.”

“Accepted. Now sleep.” Raeyn turned over and let out a yawn, “You’ll regret this.”

She couldn’t help but smirk. The Gobbo did not seem to care at all about it and sought only more rest. Exhausted as she was, her mind wondered if Raeyn would even remember come morning.