Scouts had seen Harm and his companions return. Jillew had offered to carry Dafu, but Harm had refused. It was only as a group of ten goblins met them that Harm stopped. Carefully, he lifted Dafu from his shoulder and laid him on the cool ground of the woods floor.
Luubu led the group. She called out as they ran forward. Harm could hear a sound, but no words made any sense. As Harm lay Dafu down, he collapsed. Falling forward at his friend’s side, his arm resting across Dafu’s chest, he finally allowed the exhaustion to take him.
Harm awoke, his throat dry, and sat up as the fog cleared from his mind. He looked at his arm, where cloth had been wound, covering the cut he had received. He groaned, his muscles screaming at each movement. Every inch of his body was sore. Slowly, he forced himself to stand and moved to where a waterskin hung on the wall. Harm drank greedily, wiping his mouth. The cool liquid was soothing and much needed. The surroundings were comforting, knowing he was in the clan. He didn’t know how he had got there, and he couldn’t remember much after leaving the farm. The only thought in his mind had been to get his friend to safety.
His hut door was open, and he walked towards it, looking outside. The sun glowed in the sky, and he leaned on the door frame, his legs weak.
“Harm,” Luubu called as she ran over to see him.
She stepped to his side and, even though of a smaller stature, placed her arm around him and helped him to his chair outside the hut. Harm sat heavily, groaning.
“Where’s Dafu?” he asked hoarsely.
“He is alive. Thanks to you. He will take some time to recover from his injuries, though. However, his ear will never regrow,” Luubu said, her face pained.
Anger brewed in Harm’s gut, and he didn’t reply. The bastards had tortured his friend.
Soon it will be time! Death will come to those who have hurt you! The demon said.
“Get Harm some food and water now,” Luubu called to the goblins by the fire pit, where a large deer was roasting.
“I want to see him,” Harm said, going to stand.
“No. You need to eat. Nathic and Jillew told me what you did before they both collapsed. Both are resting.”
Harm glanced skyward and then checked his display. He frowned. It was 11:00 a.m., but the timings didn’t add up. “How long was I out?”
“Two days almost,” Luubu replied.
“Two days,” Harm repeated, not believing the words.
“I honestly don’t know how you got back here. You carried Dafu the entire way alone.”
“He didn’t weigh that much,” Harm shrugged, wishing he hadn’t, as his shoulders complained.
A goblin brought Harm a plate loaded with fresh venison, placing it on the table outside the hut, along with a large waterskin. It’s succulent meat crying for his attention as Harm’s stomach growled. Harm didn’t even bother with a knife as he picked it up, tearing into it. He felt ravenous, and the tender meat was delicious. Luubu let him eat what he had before ordering the goblin to bring him more.
“How are Nathic and Jillew?” Harm asked after finishing his second helping.
“They were just exhausted. They’ll be fine in a day or two. Like yourself,” Luubu smiled.
Harm smirked at her. His eyes felt heavy again, now that his stomach was full.
“Now go, get more rest. I have everything under control. You have nothing to worry about,” Luubu said, collecting his plate. She was about to turn away when she stopped and looked at Harm. He met her gaze. “And thank you for saving Dafu. He means a lot to me,” she said, walking away.
Harm smiled, watching her leave. His friend was alive, and the clan was well—that was all that mattered to Harm at the moment. He groaned as he pushed himself back to his feet, re-entered the hut and collapsed on his bed.
It’s time to plan! It’s time to plan! The demon said.
Later, Harm thought as he closed his eyes again.
It was the next day when Harm awoke again. This time, when he moved, his body didn’t complain as much. It was still sore, but bearable. He rose from his bed and stretched before leaving his hut. The skies were grey this morning, and as he looked around, only a few goblins were awake. He walked to the fire pit, where the roasted deer remained, and he removed his dagger, slicing off some of the cold meat.
“Morning, Harm,” a goblin said as he hurried past.
Harm couldn’t help but smile as he dashed towards the stream.
“When nature calls,” Harm said, taking another bite from the meat. He walked through the clan, and the new huts and changes since he had taken over had made a difference. The area was clean, with no faeces or rubbish left around. Animal carcasses were disposed of, not just thrown to rot where they had been discarded previously. He walked to the field and rested on the fence. The neat rows of tilled earth, perfectly aligned, had happened under his watchful gaze. Subconsciously, he propped his foot on the lower fence rung and reached, grabbing a long piece of grass, placing it in his mouth. The rain would do the field well, and he hoped that the seeds they had planted would sprout soon.
This could have been a typical morning on his farm. He had adopted his usual pose, as he would most mornings after finishing his chores. The image of his family crept into his mind. He saw Dahlia smiling and waving as she left for her morning hunt. Marius hung upside down, swinging on the fence by his side, and he could feel Yonda pulling at his trouser leg, asking for something.
He was lost in his melancholic thoughts when he realised that something was pulling at his trousers. He looked down and saw one of the sproglings. Harm smiled and bent down, lifting it and sitting it on the fence next to him.
“H... arm,” it said, looking at him. Harm’s smile broadened as he ruffled the tuft of hair on its head.
“I’m so sorry,” a young female goblin said as she ran from the female’s hut. “He climbed out of the pen,” she said, reaching the young sprogling and taking him.
“It’s fine,” Harm said as the goblin took him away, scolding him. Harm shook his head and moved from the field, crossing the clan to where Dafu’s hut stood. As the clan's second, he had his own hut, which was smaller than Harm’s, but he was the only other goblin who had his own space. It had no door; only a skin covered the opening, and Harm moved it to the side as he ducked inside. There were no windows in the huts, and it took a moment for his eyes to adapt as the skin fell back over the door.
Dafu lay on his bed, heaped with skins. Harm walked over and looked down at his friend. His ear had been bandaged, and bandages were also visible on his arm, which stuck out from the blankets. His breathing was slow and steady, relaxed and even. Harm smiled and turned to leave again.
“Harm?” he heard Dafu speak.
He turned back to Dafu. A groan came from his bed. Harm frowned and then realised it wasn’t just a heap of skins on his bed, but another goblin lay with him. Harm could make out the shape of the ears.
Is that Luubu? He thought.
Dafu was removing himself from the tangled arms of his bedfellow and rose, sitting and smiling at Harm. He pushed himself up and gingerly took a few steps. Harm moved to help his friend as they went outside. A bench made from a tree trunk lay by the hut, and the pair of them moved to it and sat.
“Harm. Tha...” Dafu said. The words caught in his throat as he went to speak, and a tear appeared in his eye.
“There’s no need,” Harm said, smiling at him.
Dafu shook his head, choking back tears. “Thank you for rescuing me.”
“You would have done the same for me,” Harm said. “Although I am pissed that you even went there.”
Dafu dropped his head, feeling ashamed. “I know it was stupid. I shouldn’t have, but my cousin. I needed to try.”
“And in doing so, you nearly died.”
Dafu sighed deeply. “How did you find me?”
“I went to the chapel. I found that bitch of a woman there. I know Sister Carol is dead, killed by the fucker, Satil.”
“She tricked me. When I reached the chapel, I mentioned your name and asked if she was Sister Carol. It was stupid of me. She told me she was and invited me inside. She was asking how you were, where you were. It sounded genuine and concerned.”
“And did you tell her?”
“Only that you were well. I never said where, and then that man arrived. I’m guessing it was Satil. He wasn’t alone, and I tried to escape, but they captured me.” Dafu’s eyes looked vacant as he retold what had happened. “They beat me and knocked me out. When I came to, I was hung up, as you found me. He was there again. Questioning me, wanting to know where you were. I never told him, even when he cut my ear, I never said a word.”
Harm could feel tears in his eyes. Anger boiled inside him, and the flame of fury burned brightly at his core.
“I am going to kill every one of them,” Harm said. “They will all die at my hands. No more will I lose to that sick fuck. He may not have killed my family directly, but he is the root cause. If he had only controlled his son, none of this would ever have happened. Then he had my friends murdered and tortured you. No. No more. I will bring an end to it all.”
Dafu rested his hand on Harm’s arm, looking at his friend. “We will kill them all. This is not just your fight. You have a clan to support you.”
Harm looked at Dafu and smiled. “You are right. We will get revenge and bring an end to him and his kind.”
Hehe! Violence there will be!
The demon chuckled.
Death! Death! Glory and death!
Now plan! Plan your attack!
Harm listened to the voice. He didn’t argue; he didn’t question. Its words were valid. Harm would kill everyone who stood with Satil.
“We need to get organised,” Harm said, looking across the area.
“In what way?” Dafu asked.
“We don’t have enough fighters or weapons. We need to plan and train, and then when we are ready, we will strike,” Harm said, his fists clenched, the whites of his knuckles showing.
“Strike where?” Dafu asked.
“Sallew. We are going to take the town.”
Dafu’s eyes opened wide in shock. “You plan to take the town?”
“Yes. The town is corrupt. Disease festers in its streets. It needs to be cured of its illness; otherwise, another will rise in Satil’s place.”
“But we are nowhere near enough.”
“No. I agree. We need more. I think it may be time to visit your kin.”
“You mean Teras’s clan?”
“Yes. We will go see Teras.”
Dafu frowned. “Teras is strong. Much stronger than Murgo was. His clan isn’t large, but it is strong. It won’t be easy.”
Harm chuckled. “Nothing is ever easy. I mean to go ask for his support; if he doesn’t give it, then I will take his position as chief.”
Dafu looked at Harm, not speaking, as he knew there was no need and that Harm would do as he said.
“You need to rest some more. Luubu will get cold,” Harm chuckled.
Dafu’s head flew around this time, staring at Harm. Harm met his eyes, and Dafu couldn’t help but grin like a child. “She is a good female,” he said as he stood and walked back into his hut.
Harm laughed as he entered.
Once Harm returned to his hut, he began scraping and smoothing the earth. Then, slowly but surely, he scratched out the shape of the valley and Sallew. If he was going to plan correctly, he needed a map.
