CHAPTER 21. FOR THE KEY AND BACK

Brakha made his way to the bridge without any Ant Power. He still had three days in reserve, days he was supposed to spend on surveillance. But now that the little goblin had decided to change his life, none of that mattered anymore.
Walking the road at night was not as frightening as walking through the forest. Still, Brakha tried not to stop for long. He walked on until deep into the night, and when sleep and exhaustion began to make his legs give way, he settled down under a tree right at the roadside and slept lightly until the first rays of sun.
On the morning of the fourth day of his journey, Brakha saw the bridge. There was no one around.
So, I made it in time, the goblin thought with relief.
He had been terribly afraid of being late and angering Warden Appo at such an important moment, for the Warden could do anything he wanted with him. Brakha was also afraid of how the Warden would react to Uruk’s death. Would he think Brakha had something to do with it, that he was now planning something? But here he was. He had come, which meant he hadn’t dared disobey the Warden. And as for what was truly going on in his head — not even the clever, all-knowing Counselor Torul would be able to find that out.
Brakha settled down near the bridge and ate the last of his food, after which he felt sleepy. The long journey on foot had worn the goblin out after all, and now his body demanded rest. He fell asleep quickly, sinking into an endless black emptiness, and stayed there until a noise reached his ears.
Reluctantly opening his eyes, he saw the sun hiding behind the trees. But the noise was coming from the other direction — from where the bridge stood. Brakha turned his head and, at the sight on the opposite bank, jumped up before he could stop himself.
Dozens of warriors on riding rams, together with heavily laden carts ringed by goblins — some armed with swords, some without — filled the bank by the bridge. Brakha saw four riders push forward, led by a huge goblin he recognized as Lukdun. They rode onto the bridge and began looking all around, clearly expecting to find someone there.
It wasn’t hard for the little goblin to guess that they were looking for him and Uruk. Shaking off the last of his sleep, he headed toward them.
“There should be two of you. Where is Uruk?” Lukdun asked sternly as Brakha approached.
“He’s dead.”
“Come. The Warden is waiting for you.”
Lukdun showed no reaction at all to the news about Uruk.
After crossing the bridge, and then making his way through the ranks of armed goblins, Brakha found himself standing before Warden Appo, with his Counselor at his side.
“Why are you alone? Did Uruk stay behind to spy while he sent you here?” the Warden asked.
“No, Warden. Uruk never reached the Bignose goblinum. He’s dead.”
“Dead?” The Warden made no attempt to hide his surprise. “Dead, even though you had Ant Power? What beast, then, managed to overpower him? Or did he take a treacherous blow to the back?” he asked coldly.
“Uruk drowned in a bog. It was at night. A very dark night. I couldn’t even see my own hand. He kept hurrying the whole time and didn’t notice he’d stepped into the bog. I didn’t manage to save him,” Brakha said, trying to stay calm.
“Yes, no power — Ant Power or any other — can overcome a bog. Well then, Uruk was a clumsy fool from the start, and a clumsy fool he remained. And he promised me he wouldn’t fail me this time. So he no longer interests me. Now tell me what you saw.”
Brakha said that all he had seen were Bignoses working in the fields. As far as he could tell, life in the goblinum was going on as usual. He hadn’t noticed any armed goblins, either in the goblinum itself or around it.
And he was hardly lying at all. In the first two days he’d spent there, he truly hadn’t managed to see anything. As for what happened after that, the Warden had no need to know.
“So they haven’t reached their goblinum yet. Or maybe they never will. What do you think, Torul?”
“Hard to say. But they could easily have died. In the Black Lands, of all places. They surely wouldn’t have gone near the river, but headed deeper into the forest instead. The masters of those woods are always glad of such defenseless guests. And if they’d had much Ant Power, they’d have been home long ago, and certainly preparing for our arrival. But Brakha says nothing is happening there. Either he’s lying, or the Bignoses really did die somewhere in the forest,” the Counselor answered, staring intently at the little goblin.
“I think that even if by some miracle they’re still alive and turn up in the goblinum today or tomorrow, it won’t change anything now. They won’t have time to prepare properly, because in two or three days we’ll be standing at their fields.”
“Forgive me, Warden, but which Bignoses were you speaking of? Who hasn’t reached their goblinum?” Brakha asked, though he already suspected who Warden Appo meant.
“That’s none of your business. You did what you were told to do, and now you can go home. There are still rams left there. Take good care of them. They’ll be needed soon, too,” the Warden answered gruffly.
“But when will I get home if I have to go on foot?” Brakha asked, completely forgetting that by now he should still have had Ant Power left from the third pouch.
“Wait, wait,” the Counselor said, growing wary. “When did you drink the last of your Ant Power?”
Brakha hesitated for a moment.
Only now did he realize he had made a mistake. They were supposed to have stayed near the Bignose goblinum for as long as possible, and only then use their Ant Power to reach the bridge in time. But it was resting peacefully in the pack on his back right now.
What was more, it wasn’t only his own pouch in there, but Uruk’s two pouches as well.
Remembering this, Brakha felt a chill run down his back and his legs go weak. He fought with all his might to hold himself together and not betray his agitation.
“Why are you silent? Answer me, you little runt!” the Warden shouted angrily.
In the end, Brakha managed to calm down a little, and even remembered that one pouch lasted two days.
“Forgive me, Warden. It’s just that the Counselor’s question made me think of Uruk. His Ant Power sank with him, after all. As for mine, I drank it yesterday evening, and ran straight for the bridge. First through the forest, and then out onto the road, and by evening I’d reached here. But it won’t be enough to run all the way to our goblinum. That’s why I said I’d have to go on foot,” Brakha answered unhurriedly, looking first at the Counselor, then at the Warden.
His thoughts began to tangle again, because right now his life hung by a thread. What if the Warden decided to check whether he truly had Ant Power in him? It wouldn’t be hard to tell that he didn’t. And then that would probably be the end of him. And what if the Warden took it into his head to check his pack and found three pouches of Ant Power inside? Then it would certainly be the end of him. And probably a painful one.
“So it turns out that running with Ant Power, one can reach the Bignose goblinum from here in about a day?” the Warden asked.
“Yes,” Brakha answered shortly, still not knowing whether he was in the clear or not.
“Very good. And when did you and Uruk reach the bridge?” the Warden pressed on.
“On the evening of the second day,” Brakha answered, holding on to his calm with the last of his strength.
“Then it all adds up. You won’t have enough Ant Power for the whole way home,” the Warden concluded.
Brakha wanted to let out a loud breath of relief, but he caught himself in time and only nodded.
“You’re right, Warden.”
“But let’s check him after all, and then everything will be clear to us. He has a pack on his back. And if he took it into his head to save some Ant Power, he’d surely have put the pouch in there. That is, if Uruk’s Ant Power really did sink, as he claims,” Torul said, watching Brakha with great suspicion.
After these words, Brakha had no choice but to take the risk and hope it would all work out. He quickly pulled the pack from his shoulders, held it out to the Warden, and spoke up loudly:
“Why would I deceive you, Warden? I have always served you honestly, and I continue to do so. If, as Torul says, I still have Ant Power left, then why am I here? I was alone, after all, and could have chosen not to come here at all. With Ant Power, I could have run far to the west. But here I am. Here is my pack. You may check it, but there’s nothing in it except some sparking stones.”
Warden Appo was even a little taken aback by such insolence.
“I see you’ve gone wild these past few days and forgotten who stands before you! How dare you speak to me like that! You, you little runt, a shepherd of rams that nobody needs!”
“Forgive me, Warden,” Brakha said plaintively, bowing his head and continuing to hold out the pack.
“Why are you shoving your filthy, stinking pack at me? Do you think I’m going to rummage through it? You’re going home this instant. And I won’t give you a ram. Make your own way there, however you can. And don’t you dare go back by the Road of the Four Clans. You’ll go along this side of the river, through the Black Lands. And if you manage to get through them, once you’re home I’ll think about what to do with you. Now get out!”
Brakha, putting on a look of hurt and fear, quickly ran off.
“You shouldn’t have let him go, Warden. He needed to be checked. I would have looked through the pack instead of you. Then we would have been sure whether he’s a skilled liar or is honest with you after all,” Torul said, turning toward Brakha and watching closely as he ran.
The little goblin remembered that he was supposed to still have Ant Power in him, so he ran as fast as he could. Strength was draining from his already weak body, but he needed to disappear behind the trees.
“You’re too suspicious, Torul. How could that worthless creature, which only resembles a goblin, deceive me? And after all, he did come here. Besides, you shouldn’t lower yourself to touching his things.”
“As you say, Warden. I only want to protect you,” the Counselor said, bowing his head, turning his attention away from Brakha, who had already vanished behind the trees.
“Find Lukdun. Tell him we’re moving on. First along the road, and tomorrow toward evening we’ll turn off into the forest.”
Meanwhile, the last of Brakha’s strength left him, and he collapsed to the ground as if dead. By now he no longer cared whether he could be seen or not. Once he’d caught his breath a little, he forced himself to get up and look around. Fortunately, there was nothing around but trees and no goblins at all. Brakha even had to walk back a little way before the bridge came into view in the distance. He cautiously peeked out from behind a tree and saw it crowded with goblins, some riding, some walking.
So they didn’t notice. That cursed Counselor. Sticking his nose in everywhere. Well, never mind. I hope everything works out for us. Now, onward. I need to hurry.
Brakha took one pouch out of his pack and swallowed it. Soon his breathing became even, and not a trace of tiredness remained, as if he hadn’t just been lying half-dead on the ground only moments earlier. His body filled with strength, and he ran.
It was already almost dark, but the little goblin decided not to stop. There were no clouds in the sky, which meant the stars and the Cold Sun would light his way. Night fell, and with it a pleasant coolness that now blew over the goblin’s body. At times it seemed to Brakha that his legs were flinging themselves forward faster than he could think, as if they had only been waiting for the goblin to drink his Ant Power.
Brakha ran so fast that even the mosquitoes couldn’t catch up to land on him, though he was moving along the river, where there were a great many of them, especially at night. But he hadn’t chosen this route by chance. First, because ahead lay the territory of the black wolves, and they, as everyone knew, almost never came close to the river. Second, no trees grew along the bank, which made for a kind of natural road that was easier to run along.
The whole time, deciduous forest had stretched around Brakha. But now he began to notice tall pines, and most importantly, fir trees. That meant he was already running through the Black Lands. It was by the firs that the Hermits easily recognized these lands. Perhaps that was even why the black wolves had settled here. Unlike other trees, which could easily be seen through near the ground, the firs were densely wrapped from the ground all the way to their tops in branches of dark-green needles. The black wolves loved hiding behind them and watching their prey unnoticed, especially at night, in the light of the Cold Sun. Then the dark-green firs turned black, and the wolves literally melted into them. On such nights, few who were hunted by the wolves managed to escape.
Brakha didn’t think any wolf could run as fast and as long chasing him right now. But knowing they were very cunning and clever hunters, he didn’t want to take any chances, so he tried to stay close to the river.
Before long, in the east, the edge of the sun’s disk appeared above the treetops. The last grayness left the forest, and the trees came alive with green color once more. Sunlight filled the space around him, and now Brakha ran without fear, since he could see everything around him clearly. By evening he was already far from the Black Lands, and the next morning he ran out into a valley. His own valley.
Climbing a low hill, he made out the outline of his home goblinum in the distance.
Soon I’ll be home, the little goblin thought happily, and ran on again.
When Brakha got close enough to the fields that he could make out the goblins working there, he slowed to a walk. There was no more need to run, and that meant there was no reason to draw extra attention to himself either.
Given that few in the goblinum ever spoke with him, he passed through almost unnoticed and went straight to the Iron-master. His workshop was open, and as always, work was in full swing there. Everything around was alive and moving, creating a sense of constant bustle.
Good, the goblin thought as he walked in.
The master was there, and as always, his hammer rang out loudly as he turned yet another piece of iron into a sword or some other useful thing. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn’t hear right away that someone was speaking to him.
“It’s you, Brakha. So, how do you like the sword? I see it’s at your belt. So you liked it, then?” the master asked, stopping to take a breather at the same time.
“Of course. You made a very good sword. Thank you. It’s just, if a little more beauty were added to it, then it would be the finest sword in our goblinum. I know you’re a great master, and that time you didn’t bring it to perfection because you were in a hurry to give it to me. Could you do that now? I would be very grateful to you.”
“A good sword isn’t one that’s beautiful, but one that’s sharp. But you’re right, that time I was in a hurry and didn’t see the job through. And that’s not like me. So hand it over. I don’t think it’ll take long now. You can go, if you like, or you can wait here.”
The master took the sword and carefully set it in the fire.
“I’ll wait here,” Brakha answered quickly, and unhurriedly stepped aside.
After a while, the master became absorbed in his work again and lost all interest in the world around him. This was exactly what Brakha had been waiting for. He began wandering around the same place as before, making a show of examining the scattered scraps of iron with great interest.
At last he spotted that same box and carefully approached it. It seemed that no one had touched the key the whole time. Brakha, without knowing why himself, had remembered exactly the position it had been lying in.
Suddenly the little goblin was seized by anxiety. It seemed to him all at once that everyone around knew exactly what he had really come for, and that the moment he reached out his hand for the key, he would be seized on the spot.
But that can’t be. Only the Iron-master knows about the key, since he’s the one who put it here. And he isn’t paying me any attention at all. In fact, he seems not to care whether the key stays here or not. After all, he has no idea what’s kept in the casket, Brakha reassured himself.
Seeing that the master had gotten to work on his sword, he carefully opened his pack and slowly reached for the key. One more moment — and the coveted piece of iron was in the goblin’s hand, and then quickly vanished into the pack.
The deed was done, and he could have fled that very instant. With his Ant Power not yet spent, Brakha could easily have left the goblinum quickly. But he decided to wait for his sword. And besides, he badly wanted to say goodbye to the Iron-master and tell him something important.
The master did not spend long with the little sword. Deftly working out every flaw, he cooled it and sharpened it anew. Now it was a true goblin sword, only smaller than usual.
Brakha didn’t wait to be called, but came over on his own.
“Now that’s a beauty! I’ll never part with it. You’re a real wizard, and I’m very grateful to you.”
He couldn’t take his eyes off the sword, which seemed to look the same as before, and yet was completely different at the same time.
“Come now, Brakha. I’m just an ordinary master who happens to love iron a great deal. Though sometimes that makes me sad. After all, what I make isn’t always used for good,” the master said without cheer, looking at the goblin’s sincere delight.
“I hope everything will change soon, and that means your life will too. And when it does, I’ll be sure to come see you. But for now, farewell. And forgive me.”
“What’s supposed to change? And what am I supposed to forgive you for?” the master asked, puzzled.
But he never got an answer. Brakha hurried out of the workshop, paying no attention either to the questions or to the goblins around him. Now his path led back to where he had recently come from.
Passing by the fields again, he suddenly caught himself finding literally everything interesting: how the goblins worked, how high the potato bushes had grown, even what color they were. He kept stopping to look at the fields for a long time. The goblins began to notice him and watched him go with surprise.
But right now Brakha didn’t care. Perhaps he was seeing all this for the last time. The last time he would see his land and his goblinum. After all, what he, Mor, and Warden Ogl had planned might not come to pass. And then eternal darkness awaited him. Quickly driving away the heavy thoughts, Brakha ran.
Behind him, the goblinum and the potato fields gradually dissolved away, while ahead the forest rose up, and the unknown drew closer.
No, everything has to work out for us, the little goblin thought.
He stopped for a moment to look back once more and say goodbye to his old life.