Chapter 14: A Completed Promise
"Weren't you going to tell me something?" Mabrey asked. She had, against her better nature, ignored the monstrous cry that had rattled most of the workers around them. Marak blinked, acting as if he had not heard a thing.
"I do believe I was." He took a rather large breath. The screams persisted once more.
"ARE YOU SO NAIEVE AS TO BELIEVE THAT THESE MONSTERS CAN BE KIND?" The screech pierced into the caves, bouncing off walls until it shattered into Mabrey's ears. In fact, she covered them with a slight wince. Only until the dreadful shouts ceased did Mabrey lower her arms and lick her lips. She wanted to know who the atrocious wailings belonged to. The sound was strained, as if the owner of the voice usually spoke in soft squeaks like a mouse. Mabrey directed her gaze at Marak. Her eyes plead with him to go with her to investigate. He only smiled wickedly at her.
"Oh, no. How can I take all of the curiosity from my little cat? I think you should indulge in your senses and find out for yourself." He backed away, still smirking. "And I do have to complete one more project. I am not sure if you will be pleased with the concept, but I believe in the end you will be." Mabrey desired to ask what said project was, yet her need to satisfy the question of who was yelling overruled that course of action. She sighed in utter defeat.
"Fine." Mabrey heard thunder in the distance and thought it was a good as time as any to head off. She waved goodbye to Marak, leaving the goblin caves. As she emerged from the naked opening, she saw that the sky was quilted in black and gray clouds that covered the sun. It was almost as black as night when just a few minutes it had been blazing out.
Enanatuma was at the entrance, cowering from a stunning figure towering above her. It was Inanna. The elf woman was in complete distress. Her usually luscious straight hair stuck out in multiple directions. The eyes in her head were nothing less than black wells, drawing the poor elf child into their depths. Her face was as pale as new snow.
"Sister, he's my friend. I like Lendil." Enanatuma whimpered. The elder of the sisters clenched her fists as if she was ready to hit the dirty blonde child, despite the cool tears dribbling from the girl's dark brown eyes. Mabrey saw her moment and lunged at the older woman.
"Leave her alone. How could you even think of hitting your own sister? Family is precious!" Mabrey held onto Inanna's perfect arms. Those perfect arms would have a deep bruise by tomorrow. Inanna snarled and kneed Mabrey in the stomach. Mabrey dropped to the ground, breathless.
"Family is nothing," Inanna hissed. She spoke to Mabrey, yet kept her intense glare at Enanatuma. "They sell you as if you were cloth, and betray you in mere moments." Enanatuma winced and wiped away her tears. "You cannot trust anyone. They are all plotting to trade your life. Yours and mine and my sister's." Now the elf was watching Mabrey struggle to breathe.
"W-what are you…talking about?" Mabrey gasped, clutching her stomach. This stole Inanna's attention as her lips twisted into a joyful grin. The intensity of Inanna's gaze delayed Mabrey in regaining her mouthful of air.
"Oh, so you don't know." Inanna waited a few seconds and continued despite the lack of Mabrey's answer. "My cousin has this trading game. I will marry the Goblin King, and you will have Lord No Star. I am sure My Lord will get rid of my sister as well. All to confirm a treaty. Fair, is it not?" Her voice was laced with an evil sarcastic tone. A moment passed to let the information sink in. Then, in a flash, she returned to her deranged manner.
"And you are making it all too easy for him to send you away," She raged at Enanatuma. "Once they are finished with their horrible caves, they will drag you down into them. Then they will keep you in their little dirty holes and force you to live only for the purpose of bearing ugly children. You will live in the dark and die in the dark away from the stars and the moon and me! And you are so kind as to hold out your wrists for them to place the shackles on!"
"Lendil wouldn't do that!" Enanatuma cried. She scowled at her sister and ran out in the direction of her tent. Inanna silently watched as her sister left.
"If your own cousin could trade your sister in like a mule, then think of what any other person could do to you," Inanna said quietly. She glided away; her whole stature slumped, completely unlike an elf's. Mabrey oversaw this procedure silently. It began to rain.
"Marak," Mabrey mumbled. Her lips had suddenly gone dry, and a strange kind of shaking took over her body. Is this what Shamus was talking about a while back? It could not be. Marak had said she was going to be the goblin King's Wife. If not, then he was merely teasing her and…no, she had to make sure and ask him herself. She could not let Inanna toy with her mind with nonsense. Mabrey got up. Her knees buckled and she forced them to straighten before she fell. I have to talk to Marak!
"Are you sure this is what you wish for? You will only place her in a great deal of pain before she even begins to heal." Shamus was admiring the product of Marak's project. It was different from the original, and it would be less of a shock to anyone who would see it for the first time. As much as he was entranced by the project, he could not let this topic go. Not until Marak showed some backbone and backed up this insane plan one hundred percent. Only then would Shamus support the inexperienced King.
"Trust me, Shamus, this is the only course." Marak sat on the floor with his legs out and arms crossed. His eyebrows knit together in stubbornness, making Shamus smile weakly only to remember another point of his argument. He stared down at his King, concern painted clearly on his face.
"Yes, it is a wonderful course for you, but what of the kingdom?" Marak's tail thumped on the floor, yet it only took a moment for the King to reply.
"In the end everyone will benefit, I shall guarantee that, my friend." The bird eared man offered his hand to the King and helped the goblin up. "I suppose this is what you call tough love." Together, both men navigated the hallways in syncopation. They exchanged no words among each other, sharing only silence. The nearer to the entrance they came, the tighter their chests got. They could see a figure approaching.
Mabrey did not need to go far. Marak and Shamus were already there, pale faced.
"Marak, I need to talk with you. Inanna told me something…" She paused, noticing something was just not right. Neither of them was showing any interest to her desperate pleas. "Can you two hear me?" Marak glanced down, indicating that he could at least see her, yet he tried to make as if he did not. Mabrey boiled over. "This is not funny, Marak! Inanna told me that you were planning to trade me off to the elf King! Is this true? And stop acting as if you cannot see me because I know you can!" She rushed to smack him on the shoulder, but found that an invisible glass like structure covered the entirety of the opening. Recognition clawed at her.
"Let me in! Please!" Mabrey pounded on the barrier and little wet clinks resounded off. The rain made standing hard, but Mabrey persisted. Marak finally lost his will to play this foolish charade and watched as she uselessly tried to get at him. At last, tired now, she put her right hand on the glass. "Just tell me…is it true?" Marak mirrored her and put his left clawed hand where hers was. With bleary vision, she glared up at the goblin. Time stopped. The rain drops froze and Mabrey's breath caught in her throat. Then, very slowly, Marak shook his head sadly and retreated back into the hallways. He did not look back even once as the darkness stole him away.
So it is true. I was brought here like luggage and nothing more…but then why did he show me the caves? Why did he keep spending time with me? Was it only to play around for a while? Mabrey turned and ran with all of her might. Did I forget all of my life's plans because of that man? I had everything and I gave it all to him. How can I fix this? She clutched her head in her hands as she ran, a headache pounding in her temples. The rain clattered around her, making the mud below suck at her feet. I am going to do what I was going to do anyway. It's time to keep my end of the bargain and run away.
Without going to her tent for any provisions, Mabrey headed for the mouth of the mountain range bowl. She passed Lord No Star's tent. He was closing the flap to the opening. When he caught sight of the frantic girl, he turned to look at Inanna, who was a complete mess. Connecting the dots, Lord No Star nodded and let the flap fall.
Mabrey flew by the two connected tents that housed Beth and Dani's cheerful families. At least they are wanted and are treated right. I hope they live happily. The children's tent rushed by her. Mabrey did not bother to say goodbye to the friends she had made there, learning to things. She forced herself to keep running, forgetting pain, sadness, and worry. All the time it rained. She did not even know that night had passed and a new day had begun.
She hated him. A complete loathing filled her soul to the brim. She was hurt, betrayed, and left to the mercy of the night, and she hated him for it. Her heart squeezed in a painful reminder that she still lived to hurt and feel this horrible pain. It was the empty feeling of loss in her stomach. That emotion held on with cold finger as Mabrey bravely fought the tears threatening her sight. She hated him for that as well. Most of all, she angrily admitted, she downright detested him for letting her fall in love. For making her worry. For having her heart melt. For being entranced by his laugh. His personality. His everything.
The raining ceased, and all had stilled except for the speeding girl.
Mabrey fell to her knees wheezing next to a wise old tree. Its branches hung over her in a resemblance to an embrace. She ignored it and dug her fingers into the moist muddy ground to steady her dizzy vision. She grit her teeth painfully until she was somewhat normal. Her eyes burned, but she pushed the pain back. No matter what, she would not cry.
What if he teases Inanna as he did with her? Mabrey shook her head violently.
What if he held the elf woman in his sturdy arms when she was in pain? The girl was biting her lower lip now, close to puncturing the skin.
What if…he kissed her with the same lips he had kissed Mabrey with only a few months ago? The first tear escaped from the corner of Mabrey's right eye. Soon, the left mimicked the right as others followed. They left a track of water down her cheeks that burned when the slightly cold wind kissed her face. Her nose filled uncomfortably and she had to use the back of her shirt sleeve to wipe at it. She blinked her puffy red eyes to release the tears, not caring what a sight she would be to a passerby. A good five minutes or so passed until Mabrey felt it was necessary to get back to her feet.
"I abhor you!" Mabrey shrieked at the air. "I detest you so much!" She bunched up her fists and struck at the nearby tree. "I…loathe…you!" Each word was punctuated with a blow that scraped her knuckles until they turned bloody. With every scream and punch, Mabrey knew. She knew and so she hit the tree harder and faster with the knowledge. When she said that she hated Marak, she was also saying, "I love you." Why did her heart have to leap at the thought of it? She let out a feral growl and hurled more tiny fists at the tree.
Someone behind her took her hands to keep her from hurting herself and the tree. Mabrey struggled, but the grip was like a vice. She knew this was not Marak. The person was shorter and more willowy, yet still possessed the strength of a goblin male to keep her from any more movement.
"Please stop this." That voice belonged to Shamus. Mabrey could not see his face, but the gloomy sentiment told all. Soundlessly, Mabrey dropped her weary arms to her sides. Shamus released his hold on the girl.
The goblin craved to turn her around and brush the hair from her face. He wished to hold her in his arms and whisper anything that would keep her from crying any longer. Shamus's body ached with this need. His arms twitched and his chest was on fire. Yet his mind kept him from stealing her away. He could love this girl, but he recognized that she would never love him. She was meant for the King. It took so much to back down, but back down he did. The moment was forever lost.
"Take my hand. You should go back."
"I promised I would runaway one last time," Mabrey whimpered. The girl turned to place yellow green eyes on the goblin. The color of her eyes matched the red blotches on her cheeks. "I should keep it."
"Girl, you ran nonstop for a day. You are currently out of the present goblin territory. I say you have already completed your promise." He chuckled softly and ruffled Mabrey's messy hair. Though she was in a terrible state, she did stop to wonder why Shamus was so upbeat. She was not used to him being cheerful, and given that this was no occasion to start, she speculated something had happened.
"All right, but only to get my belongings." The day's run was taking a hold of her now, and before she could follow Shamus's retreating form, she collapsed. All was peaceful, then. Just a gentle darkness that carried Mabrey off into a well deserved slumber.