The goblin approached Saro slowly, menacingly. Saro noted that the goblin seemed to favor his right leg a little and that the branch he gripped had a sharpened point. Saro tried to stand. Getting to his feet only to fall back to the earth. He gave a curse as he attempted to regain his balance.

Loricca came to stand at his side. A staff of white maple in hand. She thrust this at him. “Where did this…” he looked over at her. “Never mind that.” she snapped, “Just concentrate on the staff. Imagine a deadly sharp point at the end. And hurry about it.” Saro shook his head never had he heard such folly but he gave it a try. The whole time the goblin had been slowly advancing. When he noticed the staff Saro grasped he stopped. What was this kid doing? Curiosity took over and his want for blood was momentarily misplaced.

The staff in Saro’s hand began to transform. Slowly but surely its tip turned into the deadly point that he needed. He looked at Loricca, “How did…Did I do that?” she shook her head. “No, the staff did, later I will explain but for now…” she reached out and took the staff from him. Flipping it till its point reached for the midnight sky she placed the point to Saro’s scar. Puncturing the skin till a small trickle of blue blood ran down his face. Placing the staff tip into the blood it caught fire. Saro let out a small gasp. “How’d you do that?” she smiled. “I didn’t you did. Now fight! I’ve…you’ve given your self an advantage goblins fear fire.”

Saying that she backed into the trees. The goblin came forward and swung at Saro’s head. Saro ducked out of the way. Jabbing at the goblin’s stomach with the fire covered staff. The goblin brought his branch down to block but instead received the shock of his life. The fire on Saro’s staff seemingly jumped from his staff to the goblin’s makeshift spear. The fire quickly spread up the spear towards the goblins hands. With a yelp the goblin dropped his useless weapon. “You, you worthless bauglekah! Die already son of man. Die!” with that he leapt towards Saro.

Saro sidestepped just in time. But to the shock of the goblin and Saro the branches of the weeping willow reached out towards the leaping goblin and wrapped themselves around him. “Don’t you dare touch him you bag of scum.” From the trees walked Loricca.

Her eyes glowing emerald and hair flying out around here head. “I told you to leave here, did I not?” her voice boomed with a borrowed power. “Did I not tell you to leave my forest?” The goblin nodded. “Then leave!” with that she flung her arm out towards the edge of the forest. The willow that held him, flung the goblin up and over the tree tops, out of the forest.

Loricca fell to the ground in silken heap. “Loricca!” Saro hobbled over to the girl’s limp form. “I’m fine Saro, get the teeth.”

“The teeth, what teeth?”

“The goblin’s that you killed. They are worth more than you could imagine. Carve them out of his mouth.”

“But I didn’t kill him. What good are goblin’s teeth to me?” she sighed and pushed herself up into a sitting position, “Saro, don’t you need a gift for Tevra? Well there you go, I don’t need them. And yes you did kill that goblin even if you didn’t mean to it is your fault that he is dead. His teeth are rightfully yours; he won’t need them any more.”

“But Tevra said that it had to be tainted with my blood.”

“It is, you bled to obtain his death. Now go, and take what is rightfully yours.” Saro stood from her side and went over to the goblin. Reaching into the sheath on his side he pulled out his knife. Slowly he knelt down next to him. With a sigh he opened the goblin’s mouth. He pushed the blade into its gums and began to carve the teeth out of the goblin’s mouth.

Once the teeth had been extracted from its mouth Saro gathered them and out them into a pocket on his pants. He stood and went back to Loricca. “Help me up,” she said. He reached down and grabbed her outstretched hand. He pulled her to her feet, staggering himself. “Come we’ll stay under the willow.”

They started to walk over to the willow, but Saro fell to the ground. Wincing he grabbed his ankle. “What did you do with that staff?” he gestured over to the fallen goblin. She went over and collected up the staff. Coming over to his side she handed it to him. Leaning on it heavily he managed to get over to the willow that they were originally under.

He leaned on the trunk and slid down to the ground. Loricca sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. “We’ll fix your ankle tomorrow. Sleep, you need it.” She yawned and fell to sleep. Saro looked down at her and sighed. Would she remain with him after he gave his offering? Sure he’d only known her for a day but after someone saves your life and gets you an offering you just can’t help but hope they will stay with you. Perhaps she could come back to the slums with him, or he could stay here with his sister. Slowly he fell to sleep. The throbbing in his ankle subsided.