The Cave Part 21

My entry and reception to Dropdrip was not what I had expected. Several goblins had gathered around us by this point, but all were silent while the elder of their tribe spoke. Truth be told I had never seen such reverent respect for the elderly even among the human kind. When she opened her mouth they listened, and when she walked on they followed. It was hard not to mimic their behavior, and I found myself stooping myself a little to try to disguise my height in comparison to her.

"We has waited many days for your coming, warrior," continued Elder Mona, leading her little entourage deeper into the great cavern that made up the village heart. "The demon creature sleeps now, but it will wake with hunger again."

"I beg your pardon?" I almost stammered, caught off guard by this forbidding comment.

"All will be explained in time," she replied with a wave of one gnarled hand. "Come, come, we not let elders wait."

We were moving towards the very back of the cavern, having passed many interesting shops along the way. I would have liked to gone into some of them to watch the goblins at work, for they seemed to be very industrious in what they were doing. Part of me wondered if there were more of their kind like this, why had they not risen as a great industrial race on the world stage, taking their place among the more powerful. Yet what did I really know of their people? Maybe they liked living in small communities, if several hundred could be considered small.

I beheld a large staircase of stone leading towards a carven opening at the top, the steps leading up were duplicated on the two sides, creating the image of a small pyramid structure. I realized this was to allow many goblins to gather upon the steps and around the elder as she walked slowly up them. I like the others held a little back so that she could continue to lead us, my far greater strides would have had me at the top in no time otherwise.

So it was not surprising while I waited for Elder Mona to ascend, that I had time to examine two other curious structures on either side of the grand central staircase. One was a tunnel opening to the right, brightly lit with many tall candles. Inside were numerous small stone boxes, stacked more or less on top of each other in piles and along shelves of stone. There were many of them, and I could not guess how far back the tunnel went from my vantage point. I gestured towards this curious collection and asked Glip what they were.

"Ah, that be our Hall of Remembrance," replied the goblin with a short bow in the direction of the tunnel. "Our revered ancestors lie there until the end of time, when we shall meet again in the Palace of Nobguar."

"That is where you bury, I mean, inter your dead?" I asked astonished.

"Yes, we light the fire in memory of the Flame of Genius that Nobguar stole, and cremate our departed kindred. Then we place their ashes in the little carven boxes their families make for them, to be placed among the departed."

Somehow this struck me as a much more endearing way to honor the dead than the way the humans traditionally did it, with either huge mausoleums for the royalty and nobles, or plots of ground six feet down in cemeteries. I did not need to ask in order to know that the goblins I was among held their traditions and family connections very dearly, keeping as it were, there ancestors among them even as they continued on with lives in the caves.

"And then what is that?" I asked, pointing to the left side of the stair at a huge mound of rubble that appeared to have come from the ground in front of it, where a large trench surrounded the mass of stones. "Was there something there that needed to be blocked off?"

"That is why ya are here, warrior," answered Elder Mona, not turning her head but seeming to have followed our entire conversation.

"That way was the iron mines," said Glip, after a pause waiting to see if the elder would speak further. "We had to block it off to keep the demon creature from getting into our homes."

"Oh wow," said I, the shock too evident in my voice I am afraid. "Must be big."

"Oh yes, very big," replied Glip, for once the smile on his face having fallen and a look of fear passing over it. If a goblin could go from green to pale white in the face, he certainly did it now.

"It is revealed in dreams that you shall slay the creature great warrior," spoke Elder Mona, finally reaching the top of the stair. "Fear not."

"I am hardly a warrior," said I in answer, though my left hand had strayed to rest on the pommel of my sword. It was reassuring to feel it resting there against my side.

"It does not take great strength or skill to be a mighty warrior," replied the elder, turning to look at me with her silvery eyes. She stood at the top of the stair, and I was far enough behind for her to be at eye level with me. "Courage, wisdom, cunning. These are the secrets."

In spite of my growing concerns, looking into those old eyes and seeing the wisdom and experience of centuries, made my fears abate a little. After all they were not simply throwing me into a fight with some great creature they felt the need to block out of the cavern without help and advice right? The elder must have seen the question written plainly on my face, because she chuckled softly, and then turned with a wave of her hand.

"Come we must meet with the elders to answer all your questions, warrior."

"Uh, my name is Cairandawyn," said I, wanting to get the warrior reference laid aside for the time being.

We entered into another chamber, and the goblins that had gathered behind me, took their places along rowed seats, but did not sit. It appeared to be an audience chamber, with six other elderly goblins already standing near chairs of their own at the front of the room. The seventh chair was placed in their midst on a slightly raised dais, which I assumed belonged to Elder Mona. A low burning fire in the middle of the floor, filled the air with a strange fragrance, even as it wafted towards the ceiling and out small funnel holes. Further light was provided by lamps that hung by shining chains.

"We are met to greet the great warrior who has come among us for deliverance," proclaimed Elder Mona, after taking her seat in the central place of the council of elders. The others sat only after she did. "His name is Cairandawyn, and he is sent by the great one, the Cobalt Death that has protected our mountains for times uncounted. Let him approach and be told of the great task he alone can accomplish for our people."