Ralph and the Pixie

‘Pran fought Goblins for me!’ Éha said. ‘The bad Pixies left me for them to find.’

Pran’s visage darkened at the memory. ‘Yes, and almost we were both captured and eaten. Wouldn’t that have been a feast?’

Fidgeting, Éha leaned back against Pran’s chest, and smiled up at him. ‘May I go now? My Sisters will be angry with me.’

He smiled affectionately. ‘You may.’

Transforming into her small form enveloped in a ball of light, she took off like a shot. Pran watched her go somewhat sadly.

Speaking so as not to be overheard, Ralph said, ‘Not to be insulting to her or anything, but is she . . . all there?’

Pran winced. ‘She is lucid enough. But emotionally she is having difficulty. Her Sisters watch her closely because she is far too trusting and . . . distracted by her inner problems.’

‘Was that true,’ Ralph asked, ‘what she said about you rescuing her?’

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Pran replied, ‘In a sense. But I was far from alone. When I was still a captain, I led several war parties after marauding Goblins. On one particular occasion one of my soldiers came across her as she wandered about, half out of her mind. I don’t think she even knew who we were at the time. The Goblins had done terrible things to her . . . things that don’t bear thinking about.