Low-Key Calamities by Kay Elliott

Author:Kay, Elliott [Kay, Elliott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-21T00:00:00+00:00

NIGHT ONE

“We’re really going to just wait them out,” Shady Tooth grumbled.

“That no longer sounds like disbelief.” Yargol spoke as quietly as Shady Tooth, though the rest of the crew slept down on the first landing of the stairs. He sat on the floor in front of a book half his size propped on a stone. Teryn wasn’t the only one with the convenience of a magic bag. “Resignation? Acceptance seems too warm.”

Shady Tooth stopped pacing and looked at him. Even in the dark and among friends, Yargol preferred to keep his hood up. She had come to accept it as a natural part of his appearance, like his mismatched features, to the point that she read expressions in the folded fabric that hung from his head. The hood was currently smirking at her.

“I only keep still to hide. I win a fight by moving. If I can’t win, I run. We’re not hiding, running, or fighting here,” she said.

“Our enemy has horses and greater numbers. We cannot outrun them or outfight them.”

“How are you so comfortable with that?”

“I am not,” said Yargol. “But I am making the best of it.”

“How?”

He gestured to his book. “We are often on the move. I rarely have this much time to read.”

“Huh. Guess so.” Shady Tooth folded her arms uncomfortably, looking to the barricade. “This isn’t the life for you, is it? I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” His softly glowing eyes were full of surprise. “I am goblin folk like you and the others. We are all suited to rugged living.”

“It’s not what you want, though.”

“Nor many other goblin folk.”

“Sure, but I’m not talking about folk. I’m talking about you. Teryn, too.”

“Scars and War Cloud grew up in human settings. DigDig is a fundamentally gentle soul. And I suspect you, too, would prefer something at least a little easier than the life we lead.”

“Still talking about you,” said Shady Tooth. “And you’re a mage. If any of us could have an easier life, it’s you.”

Yargol nodded in concession. “The five of you mean more than anything I have ever had. Even the comforts of magic fall short in comparison. We face the danger of losing someone in any battle. I accept that. But if we can get through this without losing any of our crew, I would prefer it.”

“Yeah.” Shady Tooth looked to the barricade. “That’s exactly why I want to go out there and stab them all.”

“Given their attempts to pry us out of here, I suspect Scars is correct. One side in that deal is desperate, and it is making them all miserable.”

Shady Tooth huffed. “Good, then.”

She meant to leave Yargol to his reading and find a spot to settle down, but the distant rustle of leather against stone caught her ear. A snap of her fingers was enough to alert Yargol. Whether he heard the noise or not, he looked beyond the barricade, too.

“They can’t seriously want to fight us now ,” Yargol murmured. He picked upthrew a small stone to throw down the stairs to wake the others.

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