The original Princess and the Goblin story is owned by George MacDonald, and the movie by Entertainment Film Distributions and Budapest Film. Any unrecognized characters are mine.
It only took a few days for the goblins to dig the tunnel Froglip described. Since they couldn't see where they were going above-ground, he simply set them off in the direction of Skewer Summit. And once he felt they were far enough away from the castle by estimate, he stopped them, and they dug to the surface.
He was the first to climb out of the hole. He looked around, and found himself in the middle of the forest. He couldn't see the castle through the trees at all, but he also couldn't see Skewer Summit either. "This is a good stopping point," he nodded as another goblin climbed out. It was a dusty-pink goblin with two wings of white hair behind her ears. She had a long face, dark-brown eyelids and claws, orange-yellow eyes, a nose that resembled a potato, and wore a blouse with metal plates for cups, leather straps and bodice, and leather pants.
"What else is to be done, Your Majesty?" the goblin asked.
"You and your team have done well, Terra," he answered. "You all are to return home and wait for our next move."
"Where are you going?"
"As I said, someone is preparing a cloak for me. I expect once I reach their home, they'll be done by now. When I return, you'll hardly recognize me," he grinned.
"And what are we to do while you are gone?"
"Prepare to leave. Pack anything you need that is light; weapons, clothes, food, anything that is necessary. But pack it light; it's a long walk to Skewer Summit, and we're not even halfway there at the moment. Then, wait for me to return. If we're going to rescue Irene, we'll need to be clever about it."
"So... you're truly serious about rescuing her?"
"Very, very serious. As I said, anyone who disagrees with me is free to go, but will not be welcomes back once we finally reach Skewer Summit."
"And you know she will want to be rescued? You said you wish to court her, does she share the same feelings about you as you her?"
He didn't answer right away. All while the tunnel had been dug, he had been pondering about Irene's well-being. Was she all right? Did she miss him? Did she indeed feel the same way about him as he did her? He knew she saw him as a close friend, but would she want more? "Once we have more information, we'll focus on rescuing her. Take one step at a time. For now, go back home, prepare to leave, and wait for what comes next."
Terra nodded and hopped back down the hole. Looking around, he ripped heavily-leaved branches off of nearby trees and covered the hole with them. He gathered armfuls of fallen leaves and scattered them on as well. He took a handful of small stones and scattered them onto the false land.
Once he was satisfied that the hole was camouflaged, he set off for the Mountain Man's cabin.
As soon as he saw it, a feeling of dread began brewing in the pit of his stomach. He could see that the door was opened, and there were tracks made by Sun-Men and their horses littering front of the cabin. He broke into a sprint towards the house, skidding to a stop once he was a few feet away from the door. He crept slowly up to it, keeping his ears open for any sounds.
Once he could see inside the cabin, he froze in horror. The Mountain Man lay on the floor, bruised and battered, as if a dozen Sun-Men had beaten him up. Dried blood had dripped from his nose and mouth, and he had a pained expression on his face. He lay completely still in a pool of his own blood.
After determining that they were alone, Froglip crouched beside his friend. He pressed his fingers against his neck, and sighed heavily when he felt no pulse. His heart felt heavy and somber, and his ears tilted down. What happened? Who did this?
Glancing around for clues, he saw a piece of paper and a dried pen laying on the floor by the Mountain Man's outstretched arm. He picked it up with trembling hands, and saw that the writing was shaky but legible. He managed to read most of the words:
Froglip
Knights... came... questioned me... your... I said nothing... ask me, and began to beat me... deny knowing you. They said Irene... me... They left me for dead... Your cloak is in... my room.
Goodbye
His hands clenched until the paper was crumpled between his fingers. He gnashed his teeth angrily and glared out the window, as if he was expecting to see the knights out there. No, no more revenge. Someday, they'll get what's coming to them. But right now, I need to focus on more important things.
He relaxed and looked down at the Mountain Man again. Sighing heavily, he stepped outside and around to the back of the cabin. He found the slanted table, now empty, save for dried blood that hadn't been there prior. He also found a wooden cross standing among a pile of stones. He remembered the Mountain Man had mentioned having a wife, and he wondered if she was buried here.
He found a shovel and dug a hole beside the grave. Once it was large and deep enough, he wrapped the Mountain Man's body in a sheet, placed him into the newly-dug grave as gently as he could, and covered him with the dirt. He covered the mound in stones, crudely crafted a cross out of large sticks and twine, and shoved it into the ground. "I'm sorry you suffered for our safety," he whispered, laying a hand on the cross. "But I swear, it will not be in vain... thank you, truly, for all you have done. I will not forget it... and neither will Irene."
Brushing his hair back, he stood up and walked back into the cabin. Now that the owner was dead and buried, it felt eerie and quiet, as if he was trespassing. Trying to shake off the feeling, he walked into the bedroom and found a chest in the corner. Taking a deep breath, he dragged it into the middle of the room and pushed the lid open.
Inside was black fur. On top of the neatly folded pile was the top half of Dirtclaw's skull, with the fur and ears still attached. His eyes were sewn shut, his ears stuck up like slightly-curved horns, and he still had his teeth. He carefully lifted the head as he stood up, and found that the paws were sewn to the body instead of hanging loosely. The wings' joints were reinforced with hidden stitches, and the claws were fashioned into a latch. When he dragged the cloak out of the chest, the body, wings, hind legs, and tail fell to the ground like a waterfall.
He turned around and placed Dirtclaw's jaw on his head. He found slits in the pelt for his ears, which helped secure it on. He shifted the paws onto his shoulders and latched the wings around his neck. They connected under his throat, just above the pendant on Irene's necklace, and the rest of the cloak flowed over his arms and down his back, dragging regally on the floor when he took a few steps.
It felt heavy on his head and shoulders, but it felt right. He felt complete.
He glanced down at himself, spotting the dirty, white bandage on his arm. He pulled at the knot until it was undone, and unwrapped his arm, dropping the bandage to the floor.
His arm was completely healed, save for the bite scar that Dirtclaw had given them all those weeks ago. He could identify each tooth mark on his arm, could see the large stitch scars from Irene's doing, and they were all nearly-white. Running his fingertips over them, they felt ever so slightly raised and rough.
Adjusting his cloak, he marched out of the cabin, closing the door behind him—he left it unlocked as a passing courtesy—and headed for home. Now that this was done, he had other things to think about.
More pressing things.
Since he was walking, it took several more days for Froglip to return home. By that time, he was exhausted both mentally and physically. But it was all worth it when he saw the goblins' reactions to his cloak.
They all gaped in astonishment at the sight of the winged wolf's skin on his back. They surrounded him and ooh-ed and awe-ed at the cloak, poking and tugging at it as if they weren't completely convinced he was dead. But given how much he had affected the clan throughout the years, Froglip didn't blame them.
"Your Majesty," a goblin called out through a tunnel. "We've found a Sun-Woman skulking outside the tunnels!"
For a moment, his heart skipped a beat in his hope that Irene had somehow escaped. But then he rationalized that the goblins would know her, and would say something different. Instead, he quipped, "And? She was just outside the tunnels? Are you really that afraid of Sun-People?"
"We're bringing her in right now," the goblin growled, obviously offended by the jibe.
"Oh? Getting rather brave, are we?"
"She's more scared of us. And she said she knows about your Sun-Princess."
This made his next comment fade in his throat. He immediately turned and marched down the tunnel where he had heard the goblin's voice.
He found two goblins standing on either side of their captive. One, whom he recognized as the cousin of the goblin who had trouble not letting his weapons fall, was a grayish-blue goblin with shredded dark-blue pants and a brown belt, darker eyelids and claws, a small chin, a snaggletooth, narrow yellow and was wearing a purple cap. The other was an older peach-colored goblin with short, shaggy, white hair and eyebrows, darker eyelids and claws, round pale-yellow eyes, and a stubbled upper-lip, and wore dark-green pants.
Their captive was a young Sun-Woman, who looked younger than Irene. Her skin was tanned with a yellowish tint, and she was covered head-to-toe with red clothing, save for her face. What hair he could see was short and straw-colored, and her light-brown eyes appeared to be yellow, but he wondered if that was a trick of the shadows.
This Sun-Woman looked very familiar, but he couldn't place her. Instead, he approached her and asked, "You know about Irene?"
"Y-yes," she nodded, wincing when the goblins holding her arms squeezed her and growled that he was king, and was to be called "His Majesty".
He shook his head and waved them off. "I don't think she'll try to get away, right?" he raised an eyebrow.
At her nod, the goblins let her arms go, but they didn't move very far. "All right, you were saying?"
"I-I was Her H-er, Irene's handmaiden u-u-until she was imprisoned."
Now he knew where he remembered her from. When Irene tended to his bite wound after Dirtclaw's attack, he had seen the shy Sun-Woman hiding in the shadows. He couldn't quite recall if she had said anything, nor could he come up with her name. Instead, he asked, "So, she has been indeed arrested? It wasn't just Sun-People gossip?"
"No, it wasn't," she said. "H-how did you hear about it?"
"You'll speak when spoken to!" the peach-colored goblin snapped, tapping at one of her feet with the end of a spear.
Froglip jumped back in surprise when the Sun-Woman collapsed on the ground, crying out in pain and clutching her foot. The goblin hadn't hit her hard enough to hurt her; he knew the goblin knew his strength, being a retired soldier, and had used just enough strength to hurt a goblin, though not a Sun-Woman. Hurt a goblin... wait a minute.
While she was still curled up, rubbing at her foot, he stepped forward and pushed her hood back. She cried out in protest and grabbed at it, but it was too late.
Everyone gasped in shock when two large, pointed ears popped up. She looked up at Froglip in fright, as if expecting to be hit again. All of the goblins stared at her, some in astonishment, and others in disgust. They murmured among each other, calling her names like "Half-goblin" and "Sunblood". She glanced at them in confusion.
"Quiet!" Froglip hissed angrily. He turned back to her and crouched down. "What's your name?"
"A-Angelica... Your Majesty."
"No need for that," he shook his head. "What news is there about Irene. Is she all right? What will happen to her?"
She wrung her hands nervously, and she looked like she was going to cry. "Sh-she was being int-t-terrogated. They w-wanted to know wh-where you were, but she s-s-said nothing."
"Interrogated?" he asked, getting a bad feeling in his stomach. He knew that most interrogations, especially ones being conducted by royalty, didn't completely consist of simple questions.
"She... she was..." She sniffled and rubbed at her nose. "They hurt her," she whispered.
Froglip knew that if he were a cat, the fur on his neck and back would be standing on end like a thistle bush, and his tail would be whipping back and forth. He was so angry, his fists were clenching and he was breathing heavily through his nose like a bull. "What else?" he asked slowly.
Gulping heavily, she continued, "Sh-she has been sentenced t-t-to d-death. It will be held t-tomorrow."
For several seconds, he said nothing. He stood up straight and stared off into space, still fuming inside. The other goblins' expressions turned to ones of worry at the sight of their king looking like he would kill the first person who moved. "I'll kill them all!" he finally growled. "Every one of them! I'm going to kill them all!"
"Your Majesty!" Angelica exclaimed softly, standing up and grabbing at his cloak, "d-don't you think our f-first priority is s-s-saving Irene?"
"... You're right," he sighed, adjusting Dirtclaw's skull. "Goblins!" he snapped, causing all of them to look expectantly at him. "Our plans have been decided for us, it seems. Where will they be holding the... the execution?" he asked Angelica, visibly choking at the word.
"In the gallows," she answered, adjusting her hood so her ears were concealed. "To the west of the castle, but in the courtyard."
Nodding, he continued, "We will dig a tunnel from this cave to the gallows. On Angelica's signal, a group of you will create hunting mounds to distract the Sun-People. Another group will come out onto the gallows and surround her. Don't let any Sun-Person near her! I will come out after her, grab her, and you will all follow me back into the tunnel. Once we're inside this cave, we'll block it off so they can't come after us. I highly doubt they'll have many miners witnessing the... execution, much less ones ready to work."
"How will we block off the tunnel?" Glump asked.
"We'll have dirt and rocks at the ready," Froglip answered, resisting the urge to scoff and roll his eyes at the simple question.
"Let me help more," Angelica said. "Most of the castle will be asleep. Help me distract the guards from the gallows's direction, and I can help direct you to behind them."
Froglip nodded immediately and assigned goblins that would be distractions.
All through the day and early evening, the goblins dug. Once the guards had been distracted away, Angelica was able to direct them to behind the gallows. The sight of the wooden platform made Froglip sick to his stomach. He found himself involuntarily imagining Irene standing up there, bruised and battered, and with a Sun-Man standing behind her with a sword or an ax. He wondered if she would be crying and praying to God for mercy, or if she would go brave-faced and with dignity. Hopefully I won't have to find out.
While they were digging, he had assigned Glump to lead a group of goblins in carting rocks to the underground cave. They used the large creature to pull the huge cart—it had been more happy to oblige once Mump had drowned, as he had enjoyed whipping at it with a snake-like goblin pet to get it to move.
Early the next morning, he woke up despite having little sleep. Especially since he was bedding in his parents' royal bedroom. Simply remembering the fact that his parents had been killed in their bed made it very uneasy to rest in. Not to mention he remembered that the last bed he slept in was made of straw and cloth, and he had also been sleeping on grass and dirt. The stone felt very different, if not a bit uncomfortable. Of course he could not let this be known, lest the other goblins think him weak and unfit as a goblin.
He also couldn't stop thinking of how the rescue mission could possibly go wrong. The goblins could rebel against him. The Sun-People could attack him; after all, the Porumebl guards knew a goblin's weakness, and it wouldn't take long for the other Sun-People to catch onto what to do.
Or worse, he could end up being too late.
He tried to shake these thoughts away and get at least a few hours of sleep. And he got exactly that: only a few hours of sleep. But despite this, he was ready to go in the morning, and was practically tapping his foot and drumming his fingers as he waited for the rest of the goblins to wake up and get into their positions.
But finally, they were ready. Angelica had already told them what signal she would give, and he took a band of goblins into the tunnel that led directly under the gallows. For a while, they heard nothing from above ground.
But soon, they heard the footsteps of Sun-People entering the courtyard. They could hear their many voices, though they couldn't determine their words.
And finally, loud shouting. They couldn't tell if the tone of the crowd was angry, sad, happy, or a mix of the three. All they heard were shouts overlapping one another.
After a few seconds, they quieted down. A new voice soon sounded, "Before you stands the former Princess Irene of Porumbel. She has been stripped of all titles, accused of and found guilty of high treason and insanity, and has been sentenced to death."
The crowd started an uproar again; Froglip's sharp ears detected someone screaming that she was innocent. I wager that's the Sun-Boy.
The voice said something else, though it was too low for them to hear. His heart clenched when he heard Irene's voice, loud yet slightly shaky, "My people, I come before you as a criminal recognized in the eye of His Majesty, Aldrich of Acreditam. I have been found guilty of treason, and of insanity. I come before you to confess to the first crime. I left my kingdom in its time of need, thinking of only myself. In doing so, not only did I seal my fate, but I let down my people. Though my father was avenged, and the monster killed, I thought of myself before my kingdom. I ask that you find it in your hearts to someday forgive me."
He hadn't realized several seconds had passed before he heard loud sobbing. Angelica's signal. Clearing his throat, he whispered loudly, "Now!"
Half of the goblins with him were holding large club-like weapons, though they weren't used like clubs. Gripping them tightly, they pushed and shoved them up to the ceiling, creating mounds that resembled anthills.
He could hear the crowd screaming in fright. He remembered that Irene had told him that these hunting mounds were her first experience with goblins. She would know what this meant, but would she be afraid as well? Or would she be glad to see them?
The other half of the goblins, all holding spears, axes, and bows and arrows climbed and leaped out of the hole. More screams sounded. This was his cue.
Taking a deep breath, he jumped out of the hole like a fish leaping from the water and climbed onto the gallows.
