A Comfort

[Gone 869]

 

 

The spirits are everywhere, everything, her mam had said. When we die, as all at some point do, we join them. Yokra had assumed from a young age that it would be a long time before her parents went to Stargush'Stroh yet times had turned dangerous and they’d been taken from her early.

 

“Yor nub zad. Dey happy. Dey in bubhosh place. Yor join ash day, peep dem again.”

 

Even knowing that the offer to see her parents once more, to talk to them even briefly, it seemed too good to pass up. That she had stumbled across the shaman and received such a chance clearly was a sign. A blessing perhaps even. Foolish to pass such a chance up and Yokra wasn’t going to let anyone think her a fool!

 

Yet now she was starting to think her parents had never had green this strong. She couldn’t understand the elder’s words but the chant still felt soothing almost. The rhythm captivating. Then the air had changed, a draft entering, and the goblin assumed someone else had entered the tent. Perhaps the dark skinned treeugger had decided to join but as she turned her head no one was there. Everything went black.

 

 

Yokra’s first assumption upon reopening her eyes was that she’d passed out. So why wasn’t the darkness fading away as she rubbed at her eyes? Surely it wasn’t night yet… No, if it was night she’d hear the local wildlife. There’d be some creature outside making noise or the crackle of a fire. Yet her ears picked up nothing even if she held her breath. It felt cold, had the fire gone out?

 

Carefully she stretched her arms out as far as they could go and patted around on the ground. Remembering that Shagarath’s tent had mushrooms and an uneven floor. Wouldn’t want to trip over something but if she could find that mushroom that had been next to her at least she’d have a sense of direction… The ground didn’t feel like the tent floor though so her hands continued to pat around. Not wanting to move just yet. Not wanting to risk a fall or walking into danger. If there was anything out there it hadn’t decided to attack so after taking a deep breath the goblin tried calling out.

 

“Ug? Any ash dere?”

 

Nothing. Again she even focused, trying to pick up on a shuffle, a breath, anything not coming from herself. This was getting her nowhere so Yokra pushed herself up to stand, one foot then darting out to pat at the ground in front of her and make sure it wouldn’t crumble under her weight before finally taking a wary step. Since she didn’t instantly fall to her doom the goblin reached out once more with her hands, patting to see if her surroundings had changed at all yet nothing seemed to stick out and so she turned to her left. Her foot sticking out again to test the ground and continuing the little process until she’d turned in a full circle, able to tell such by how many turns she’d made. Still nothing seemed to change.

 

Just as she started to think that perhaps she should try two steps a voice seemed to boom out, finally breaking the silence.

 

“Lukrative.”

 

A familiar hand took hold of the goblin, the shaman seeming to ‘reappear’ and Yokra wondering for a moment how his hand was fixed before her attention had to move to her feet instead. Quickly following the larger uruk’s steps as he guided her through the darkness which faded as they moved along. Her surroundings made her feel like a curious kub once more, eyes unable to move quick enough to examine everything around. Each mushroom, each blade of grass, every color of the canyon walls all was fascinating and part of her mind managed to register she may not see such sights again for years upon years. Best to savor it now while able.

 

 

 

When the shaman abruptly halted Yokra nearly ran right into him, quickly peering around towards the archway as her breath caught in her throat. She barely noticed that he let go or spoke, letting her know to move on ahead alone and to take her time. She didn’t even look to her surroundings anymore. All her attention brought to the two figures beneath the stone. Slowly Yokra started to move forwards again, then more quickly, before finally breaking out into a run. Only halting when she found herself between the other two goblins whose voices frantically start to question her.

 

“Yor! Nub, iz too zoon!”

“Lat better have hosh ztory to tell!”

“Yura! Nub, even with hosh ztory Yor nub zhould be here!”

“Shu Shu… If Yor here nub can do anything about it. At leazt zhould relax and hear.”

 

Finally the trio manage to pull back, parents examining child and child examining parents. They were exactly as she’d remembered them… Yokra’s mother, Shueth, had hailed from the forests. Her rich green skin and dark red eyes making her look quite different from the more dull skin of her mate and kub. Only her brown hair matched Yokra’s own to mark them as kin. Yurak'ra on the other hand was without a doubt her father. The pair nearly identical from their bright green eyes to their stoney gray skin though since Yokra had spent large amounts of time outside hers was a darker shade. A hand ran across Yurak’ra’s bald head as he let out a sigh which Shueth quickly echoed. The pair unable to decide if they were pleased to have Yokra with them or upset by how quickly she’d joined, still assuming her dead.

 

That is until little Yokra turned and gestured over to the meditating shaman. Quickly the words spilled out as she told them how years ago she’d searched when they’d not returned from their outing. How she’d found them in the forest with their hunting gear either broken or stolen. How she could tell from the wounds that they’d fought bravely and surely earned their place in the Stargush'Stroh without question. She didn’t tell them how she’d heard war was coming again now. No reason to worry them or share her suspicions. If they already knew then they didn’t mention it either. Finally Yokra finishes with that day’s events. How she’d found Mokh Ilzgûl, met Shagarath and the elf Dak’ir. The ritual and the darkness, how she followed their teachings of looking out for holes or loose ground when you can’t see and that it’d apparently paid off to remember such a method.

 

Having realized that Yokra is indeed alive still the questions started. Just as they had in life the pair started to worry over their only grown kub. Is she getting enough food? Does she remember to give offerings to the spirits and to put that extra effort in by making sure the offering matches the spirit in question? What about her teeth, is she tending to them? Does she keep her hunting gear well tended to as well? Unstring the bow after its use. Keep the arrow and spear heads sharp. What about armor, does she have proper armor and weapons? Does she make sure they stay clean and fix any developing dents? How is tinkering going, has she fixed or made anything recently? What does she plan on doing now? How is she going to thank the shaman?

 

Yokra rubbed at her jaw as she answered each question and tried to calm their concerns, only pausing at the last. A finger toyed with one of the piercings on her lower lip as she thought it over. “Nub sure… What do lat give or do for a shaman?”

 

To that her parents merely shook their heads. Together stating “Lat muzt figure it out on lat own.”

“Live lat’z own life, be honorable, and accompliz bubhosh thingz.”

“Never can know when life may end. Need to enjoy it while it lastz."

“Make it worthwhile. We be proud of lat.”

 

Knowing they couldn’t stay together forever the trio started to say their goodbyes. Leaning forwards they embraced one another tightly, offering hard pats on the back with a few last reminders for Yokra to take care of herself before finally getting back up to their feet. The goblin stretched as her parents backed up and smiled to her. She seemed almost reluctant to turn away from them but did, making her way back towards Shagarath and using the time to think. Her eyes once more scanned the area, trying to commit as much of it to memory as she could before kneeling down with an “Ug.”

 

As the shaman stood he inquired, “Happeh?”

Yet before Yokra could answer or even nod he laid his hand upon her smaller head, causing her to hold completely still, and exhaled deeply. Again things went black, vision fading away for the duo to awaken later within his tent. As if they’d never moved at all.

 

 

((Just a little development for my new goblin, was quite fun to experience! Props go to HedgeHug for the ritual and opportunity.))

[Corvoo 562]

((Really good read. I enjoyed this a lot.

[HedgeHug 2049]

Shagarath had smiled upon the sight if reunion. A thing he had seen many times, a thing he had orchestrated many times.

 

As he sits meditating he looks up, a grim figure standing on the ledge of the canyon. The shaman offers the distant figure a nod of acknowledgement. "popo agorath" he muses to himself.

[PraiseTheLord 868]

Fehrt'Ox wandered the Isles of Ceru, searching for something. "The Flute... Wherezh is it?!"