Ralph and the Pixie

As the three women ran crouched over through the tall marsh, Deborah half expected to hear or see something following them through the tall grass, and her instincts screamed at her to run flat out. They stopped dead in their tracks when Malina whispered, ‘Wait, stop, I hear something!’

They found a slight hollow like an old grass-filled ditch and hunkered down into it, listening intently. There was nothing to be heard but the breeze as it hissed faintly through the grasses, nor could anything be seen. Theuli and Deborah, lacking Malina’s instincts, were about to relax, when the sound of something far off caught their ears.

Voices.

Deborah didn’t recognize the language, but it had a distinctly unpleasant sound to it. Turning to Theuli to ask her what it was, she saw the Elf-woman listening in wide-eyed horror.

Theuli clutched her arm and mouthed the words, Goblins! Do not move or make a sound!

Deborah’s heart was pounding so loudly she thought it would give them away. So, it wasn’t Elves following them! The Goblins were still a fair distance off, but she could see them now, dark silhouettes in the distance, stooped over as if searching the ground.