Goblin Maid, Young Master Ch. 03

That brought another, tighter squeeze from Lenore, and this one lasted a long time.

"Yell for Freida if there's trouble," Lenore said in a whisper so quiet that even Ree's goblin ears could barely hear it. Ree frowned, unsure of what the human meant. It was an odd thing to say at that time.

"Let's go. It's got chores to do inside," Master Reginald said.

Lenore gave one more squeeze, then let go and stood up. Her eyes were watery.

"I'm going to say goodbye to Freida," Lenore said, and the defiant tone in her voice was easy to hear.

"As you please. Say goodbye to the goats and cows while you're at it. Just make it fast. I said I'd carry your bags into town, but not if you make me wait all morning."

Lenore began to walk in the direction of the barn. Ree turned watch her go, and the inside of her chest felt heavy. It was bad that Lenore had to leave.

"Go on, get inside," Master Reginald said in an annoyed voice.

Ree sighed, gave a dutiful curtsy, then hurried inside to change.

**

After Ree was in her housemaid dress she decided to check in with Edward first. The humans were acting strangely and she was hoping he could explain it to her. Also she had not spent any time alone with Edward since the other humans arrived, and as he was the father of her babies, Ree felt eager to be close to him.

When she reached his doorway she stopped and made a nice curtsy. "Greetings Edward, I hope you are happy this morning?"

The laugh she received in response was not a happy one.

He was in his bed with the pillows bunched up behind him, his injured legs under the bed sheet. Two wine bottles were on his nightstand – one was empty and the other only had a bit left in the bottom. He held a half-full wine glass and drank deeply before replying.

"No. No, I wouldn't say this is one of my better mornings."

"Do you want more wine?" The Master never drank wine early in the morning, but Edward was not like other humans. He did not follow all the Human Rules.

"Come and sit beside me," he said, patting the bed next to him.

"Are we going to finger-mate?" she asked, and started to wriggle out of her housemaid dress in anticipation.

"Are we...?" he said, then unhappy-laughed again and shook his head. "No, Ree, I'm not much in the mood for that this morning."

Ree stopped undressing and sighed.

Edward patted the mattress again. "I want to talk about the babies."

She crawled up beside him on the mattress and sat cross-legged, facing him. It was good that he wanted to talk about babies. She knew a lot about babies and could tell him what he needed to know.

"Look, Ree...did Lenore talk to you yesterday about making the babies wait?"

Ree hesitated and fear crept back in. It was not a subject she wanted to re-visit. "Lenore said to forget about making them wait."

"It was wrong of her to say that. Making the babies wait is the best idea."

"Why?" The ache in her chest gripped again.

"Because, I," he started, then stopped. "Because you belong to my uncle and you shouldn't have babies without talking to him first."

"But...I do not want them to wait. I want them to come as soon as it is time."

"To have babies without getting permission first is a bad thing. My uncle would be VERY upset. He would probably yell at you."

That made Ree stop. She did not like to make The Master upset. She tried to reason it through. "Goblin babies are good, Edward. They are small and quiet. The Master likes things that are quiet."

"But you are his housekeeper. If you had babies, you would be too busy to do your work."

"Maybe...The Master could get another goblin to do the housework?"

Edward sighed, an impatient sound. "Ree, remember what my uncle said before he left? He said you should listen to me and obey me. Remember that?"

"Yes."

"Good. Reg is bringing some tea back from the village. Special tea, that will make the babies wait. I want you to drink it. Understand? Drink the tea, and when my uncle comes back he can decide what's best for you."

Ree went silent. The Master had told her to obey Edward. Edward knew many things. Ree knew she should obey. Edward was the Young Master.

But...

But Lenore was smart and kind, too. Lenore had told her to forget about making the babies wait. Lenore said she would figure something out if Edward was not ready to be a father.

"Ree? I asked if you understand," Edward said. His voice was serious, not happy.

"I think," Ree started, then paused. It was hard to know the right way to say it without sounding rude. "I think we should talk to Lenore. She said men are not good at talking about babies. Lenore is smart, and will know what to do."

"Lenore is gone. We're not going to talk to Lenore. You're going to drink the tea. Do you understand?"

"I think-"

"Ree! You were told to listen to me, and you're being disobedient to your Master. That's very bad behaviour."

Edward's voice was loud, almost a yell. The tone left no doubt she was being reprimanded. Her shoulders dropped and she lowered her head. "Yes, Young Master."

"You're going to drink the tea," he said in the same scolding voice.

She nodded. The inside of her chest hurt like someone had kicked it. Edward was angry at her. But more than that, the babies were going to have to wait. She was the only one who wanted the babies to come soon. Even Edward, who was the sire, did not want them to come.

They were quiet for a few moments, then Edward sighed.

"I'm sorry I scolded you, Ree. But you weren't listening."

But Ree still wasn't really listening. There was nothing she could do. The Master said Edward was in charge and that Ree should listen and obey. She did not want to misbehave and earn another scolding.

Instead she excused herself and began her chores.

**

Dinner was quiet. Ree knew Master Reginald didn't like her to talk, so she remained silent and concentrated on not spilling too much food from her fork onto her dress and the floor. She tried not to think about after dinner, when she would have to drink the tea to make the babies wait.

She wished Lenore had not left. Lenore did not want her to drink the tea. Lenore was gentle and her squeezes felt good. Without Lenore, there was no one to scold Master Reginald when he was loud or unkind. Edward tried, but his voice was not as strong as Lenore's.

"Any problem getting Lenore to the inn?" Edward asked. He hadn't eaten much – most of his food was still untouched. At first Ree wondered if she had cooked it wrong, but she noticed that Master Reginald was eating with no complaints. Perhaps Edward was not hungry.

"Forget her. She sided against us. It's better she's gone," said Master Reginald.

"Maybe I can find some way to make it up to her..."

"Not bloody likely. You know how women are – always making a big fuss over every little thing."

"Lenore is kind," Ree said quietly. She knew she wasn't supposed to speak, but somehow it was important to say it.

"Just eat. No one needs to hear from you," Master Reginald snapped.

Edward said nothing.

The rest of the meal was silent; only the sound of chewing and of utensils on the plates could be heard. Finally it was over and Ree cleaned the table and washed the dishes.

After that she brought the clothes in from the line and put them away. Edward and Master Reginald were having an after-dinner drink on the porch so Ree slipped away to Freida's barn and spent some time with the ogress as she ate her enormous meal.

She didn't want to return to the house, but as the sun dipped out of sight she heard Edward calling for her to come back. For some reason, Freida chose to walk with her back to the house. It was unusual, but Ree was glad for the company of her only friend. At the front door they parted company and Ree went inside to drink the dreaded tea.

Edward and Master Reginald were at the dining table and Ree climbed up onto her seat. There was a teapot on the table and a single, empty tea cup at Ree's place. The humans had mostly-full wine glasses in front of them. The scent from the teapot was a strange one; Ree found the smell unsettling.

Master Reginald poured some tea as Edward spoke.

"This is the special tea. It won't hurt you at all – humans sometimes drink it, too."

But when the tea was poured and Ree inhaled the scent, she recoiled. Deep inside, some part of her knew the tea was dangerous. Even though goblins could eat almost anything, there were some things that were bad to eat. Goblins noses could smell what was good and bad. And with babies inside her, she needed to be careful not to eat or drink things that were bad.

"Edward, I think this tea is not safe to drink."

"He just told you it was safe. Now drink it," Master Reginald said, his voice harsh.

Ree made no move to pick up the cup, but instead looked up at Edward.

"Maybe this is the wrong kind of tea. The smell of it is not good."

"It's okay. It's new, which is why you don't recognize the smell. You can drink it. It won't hurt you," Edward said.

"I do not want to drink. This tea is not good to drink."

Master Reginald stood up suddenly, causing his chair to tip backwards and clatter onto the floor. He stepped beside Ree and put his hand on the back of her neck. Ree tensed and sunk lower in her chair.

"Drink the tea," he said in a voice barely louder than a whisper. The sound of it caused an icy chill to run through Ree.

"But...It will hurt the babies."

He pinched the skin at the back of her neck between his thumb and finger. The pain caused her to gasp.

"Reg! Not so rough. She'll drink, okay?" Edward looked up at Master Reginald, then back at Ree. "I know it smells a little funny, Ree. Don't worry about that. Just drink it. It won't hurt you, I promise."

His voice failed to sound encouraging, just nervous. Master Reginald did not loosen his grip.

Despite the pain, Ree needed to make them understand. "Goblins are good at smelling things that are bad to drink. This tea is bad to drink. It will hurt the babies. I can drink a different sort of tea, okay Edward?"

Master Reginald pinched harder and the pain caused her to squeal. Her eyes began to water. She reached back to try pry his fingers away from her neck but his hands were too strong.

"Don't try to think. Don't talk. Just drink the damn tea," growled the bigger human.

"Reg-"

"Ed, don't start this crap again," Master Reginald said. "This is your fault – YOU mixed up the proper order of things and now I've got to clean up YOUR mess. Besides, if this stupid thing knew its proper place, it would have finished the tea already."

"Ree, just drink the tea...please?" Edward said.

At that moment, Ree realized Edward was not strong like Lenore. Edward's voice could not stop Master Reginald.

Ree slowly picked up the teacup, trying to take a long time so she could think of a way to escape the danger. The terrible pain from the pinch was making her head ache and sending needles of fire through her shoulders and down her back. It was hard to think of a good idea. But she knew she could not hurt her babies. No goblin would ever hurt babies that were inside her.

Edward was too weak to help her.

But Freida...Freida was not weak.

"If you hurt the babies, Freida will be angry. She will cut you in half and stomp you flat," Ree said, not caring if it was rude to say it. Besides, Freida herself had said it earlier so it was the truth.

"Okay, let's take a moment to talk this through," Edward said.

But Master Reginald just chuckled in a low voice that made Ree even more afraid. He lowered his head until it was close to Ree's ear. His fingers were hurting her so badly.

"Killing ogres is easy. They've got big, clumsy arms and a soft belly. Once you duck in close, one thrust is all it takes," Master Reginald used his grip on her neck to deliver a brutal shake. "Now drink, before you make me do something you'll regret."

Ree moaned and tried to think of a new plan. Soon the pain would be too much and she would have to drink. Seized by an impulse, she tipped the cup and dumped the tea onto the table.

A backhanded smack knocked her off her chair. Edward made a sound of protest. For a moment Ree lay dazed on the floor, her cheek and ear throbbing. But only for a moment.

"Guess we do this the hard way," Master Reginald said, and reached for her.

But Ree was already running. She raced out of the dining room, heading not for her chambers but for the front door. It was night. It was dark. Goblin eyes were good for seeing in the dark, and human eyes were not.

She could hear the big human's footsteps on the floor behind her. Too near. Goblins were fast runners when they were scared, but Master Reginald's legs were longer. Ree sprinted through the hall and grabbed the door handle. So close now...

But not good enough. Master Reginald seized her by the back of the dress, yanked her up off her feet and away from the door and began hauling her back toward the dining room. Toward the tea that would hurt her babies.

Ree shrieked and squirmed in his grip, but could not escape.

A moment later the front door flew off its hinges and smashed into a wooden bench in the hall. Master Reginald spun around and Ree caught a glimpse of Freida's face in the doorway.

The ogress looked terrifying, her amber eyes gleaming.

The doorway wasn't quite big enough to admit her and rather than squeeze through, Freida took a moment to widen it with timber-smashing blows from her huge fists. Ree was worried the entire house would come down around them. The house was only made of wood. Freida was made of anger and ogre-muscle.

Master Reginald dropped Ree and ran. But he didn't run to escape by the back door, like Ree had expected. He went up the stairs. Towards his room. Towards his sword!

Ree remembered his earlier words about ogre-killing and dashed to meet her friend as the ogress stepped into the mostly-destroyed front hallway. The ceiling was too low and Freida had to crouch a bit.

"We have to run!" Ree yelled, glancing back to see if the human had returned with his sword.

"I will not," Freida said, her voice a deep rumble.

"This human is good at ogre-killing. He has a sword. We should go where it is dark and he cannot see!"

Ree ran under Freida's legs and out through the hole in the wall where the doorway had been, then grabbed the hem of Freida's shift and began tugging desperately. Freida looked down, then up at the stairway where Master Reginald had gone. With great reluctance, the giant turned and loped along behind Ree as the goblin fled into the near-darkness.

As they got further from the house, Ree's panic began to fade. Humans had tiny eyes that were not good at seeing in the dark. Master Reginald would probably have to wait until morning to follow them.

"Are you hurt?" Freida asked as they finally reached the safety of the barn. They lingered outside, keeping a wary eye on the house, just to be safe.

Ree shuddered. "They wanted me to drink tea that would hurt the babies. But I would not drink the tea."

Freida swore her displeasure. "This morning the female one said there might be trouble. She said I should wait near the house in case you needed help. I waited like she said. It is good that I waited. She is smart."

"Lenore is smart. It is good that you saved me."

Suddenly movement caught Ree's eye. It was Master Reginald, approaching the barn with a bright oil lantern and a sword. The steel blade was shining in the light of the lantern. Even at a distance, Ree could make out the angry look on the human's face. It made her scared to see it.

She could hear Edward yelling from inside the house, calling to Master Reginald in a panic. With his legs injured, Edward could not follow.

"It is bad to hurt babies. I will crush his bones into dust," Freida said, taking a step forward.

"Wait! Your arms are big and clumsy. He can get close to you and stab your belly."

Freida took a few moments to think about it. "What should we do?"

It was Ree's turn to consider. Master Reginald was quickly closing the distance and it was hard to think of anything except running away. "We will hide in the barn. When he comes in, we will throw something at him so he doesn't get close to you."

"Like...a sheep?"

Somehow it didn't seem right to throw a live sheep, and some of them were too soft and woolly. Besides, they were in a pen outside the barn, and it might take too long to retrieve one.

"No. Something hard."

"I have many things that are hard," Freida said. The two of them retreated to the barn. There wasn't much time to decide.

"The logs," Ree said, gesturing to the old birch they'd stacked the previous day.

No sooner had Freida grabbed a heavy chunk of wood than they saw a light at the big barn door. Master Reginald had arrived!

Freida drew back and let fly with the log. The throw had a lot of power but didn't go in the right direction and smashed a hole in the barn about ten feet above the doorway. Freida was strong but not good at throwing things.

The noise caused Master Reginald to hesitate. Even though he was angry and carried a sword, everyone knew it was not smart to enter a dark barn with a hostile ogress inside. Instead, he did something Ree did not expect.

He smashed the oil lantern on the floor of the barn, then retreated.

The barn was made of wood and filled with dry hay. Bright flames flared up and spread quickly, filling the barn with terrible heat and thick smoke. The exit was soon blocked by a wall of fire.

Freida grabbed her axe from where it stood propped up against a wall, then smashed a hole in the side of the barn with one stroke. Ree's instinct was to hurry from the burning barn, but she hesitated. Master Reginald was out there with a sword, and the light from the fire would make it easier for him to see. They had lost the safety of darkness.

But they couldn't stay where they were, either; the flames were creeping closer and the smoke was making it hard to see and breathe.

"Run for the woods!" Ree cried. Freida nodded and the two of them ran from the barn.

Master Reginald was on them almost immediately. Ree saw him first and yelled a warning, then scrambled for cover behind Freida. The ogress snarled and swung the axe in a deadly arc, but the human leapt back out of range. He stalked them, sword at the ready, looking for an opening.

Ree wanted to run for the woods. Goblins were not meant for fighting humans. Goblins were best at running away and hiding. But Freida was her friend. Freida was kind, even though ogres were not usually nice to goblins. She did not want to leave Freida to fight Master Reginald alone.

The human darted in and Freida swung at him in response, but again he moved back out of the way. He was fast. Freida's attacks were more powerful, but slow.

But since Master Reginald was busy fighting Freida, that meant he couldn't fight Ree at the same time. Ree looked around for some way to help. The barn was fully aflame now; a giant bonfire that lit the night sky. Glowing embers and soot were beginning to rain down on the farmyard, igniting patches of dry grass. Soon the whole area would be burning.

Ree didn't want to put her foot down on a burning ember so she stepped carefully as she searched for stones and bits of wood that were a good size for throwing. When she found some fist-sized rocks, she threw one at Master Reginald. It came close, but missed him.

But it did attract his attention and she saw his small, angry eyes lock onto hers. Ree moved closer to Freida. The ogress swung again and this time the human only barely got out of the way.

When his attention was distracted, it made it harder for him to fight well.

Ree waited until he focused on Freida again, then threw another stone. He raised his arm to protect his face but the stone hit him in the chest. This time Freida swung the axe in an overhead chopping motion but missed. The head of the axe buried itself two feet deep into the hard earth.