“Then we’d lose what protection we have.”

“Run.” I said simply. “If you’re ready and something happens to me, you can just pick up and run. That’s what First Wife wants. That’s what at least half of you want.”

“Aka-”

“Croix,” I interrupted forcefully. “Let me do this.”

For a long time he stared at me. Then, with the smallest of sad smiles, he bowed his head in submission.

It only occurred to me later that I’d ordered him to let me go.

Ugh!

***

Aka

I was glad Ghana came with me.

Not because she was good company.

She grumbled, swore, refused to talk, and shot me cold looks whenever I didn’t know how to do something.

But my monster confrontation skills amounted to chucking a distraction and booking it for House. And since House’s spare keys won’t work until I have a door, or a door like thing, to stick it in…

That wasn’t really an option.

So, Ghana’s survival skills more than made up for her crabby attitude.

The only really unbearable thing was the silence.

Was it really necessary to hike for two weeks making no noise?! The quiet years I spent alone must’ve been more traumatizing than I thought.

I hummed under my breath just to avoid going crazy.

I thought maybe we’d at least be able to visit House at night. You know, so we didn’t have to camp out with the monsters (and I could crank up the radio at home while I got ready for bed).

But before the trip even started, Ghana insisted we did it the regular way. Or we risked a monster breaking our anchor door and having to start the trip all over.

Ugh!

So finally, when my legs were ready to fall off and our supplies were running low, we spotted tendrils of smoke.

We’d left the mountain a few days ago, so to get a high enough vantage point for a look-see, we had to climb a tree. A whopping big tree nearly as round as my living room!

From there, we looked up and down the length of a long, empty defense wall.

“It’s not as impressive as the wall of China.”

“The what?”

I cleared my throat.

“So, what’s it for? To keep monsters out?”

“Yes.”

“But-” I looked at the wall again. “There aren’t any guards.”

“They’re not needed.”

Ghana shifted with her branch. She looked as comfortable as a bird while I was struggling not to fall out.

“There’s something embedded in the walls that repels monsters. Including me.”

“Then how’re you able to get over it?”

“I ignore my instincts and just do it.”

“So… What happens if other monsters climb it?’

Ghana grunted.

“Somehow the humans know. And they send their soldiers and hunters to deal with it.”

“How do they know?”

Ghana curled back a lip.

“I don’t know!”

She paused, stared at me for a second, then smirked evilly.

“Sometimes the humans don’t respond fast enough. And a monster or twelve get through and feast.”

I don’t think she meant finding a goat farm.

I felt the blood drain from my face and I grimaced.

“Eww!”

Ghana chuckled at my discomfort. (I swear, I’ll smack her sometime. … When she can’t smack me back.)

She sat back on the branch and crossed her arms.

“Now, the trick will be getting you over the wall.”

“If you can, I can. What’s the big deal?”

“Because we don’t know what they’re detecting or how. If it’s mana stones, you’re carrying at least two. If it’s magic, you’re a witch. Either way, I’ll be safely back home while you’re being chased by humans if we don’t figure out a way to hide your passing.”

I sighed and pulled my backpack off.

After a moment of fishing around, I pulled out the orb.

It was only about as big as my palm and had one of Croix’s toenails stuck in a little slot. I had to use a little piece of precious tape to seal it closed so I didn’t have to carry a bag full of his toenails.

Eww.

I shook it and a line of light lit up.

It pointed back the way we’d come.

No, not that one.

I tapped the orb’s surface, right on the rune etched there. A new line took its place, this one dimmer since it wasn’t a complete match. It also pointed back the way we came.

I cursed his many wives and little girls as I tapped, tapped, tapped the rune. Until, finally, the last one came up.

This one pointing over the wall.

Where other humans were.

I felt strange thinking about that.

Ten years ago I would’ve given anything to see another human. Now…

Now, I didn’t need to. I mean, a part of me would’ve liked to date and all that, but… I like House. I like the goblin tribe. I’ve come to love my home.

I don’t know if I would’ve ever come here if the baby hadn’t been kidnapped.

“You sure you can’t go all the way with me?

“You want to get caught right away?”

I sighed dramatically, then tossed the glass orb up and caught it.

“Fine, fine. I think we better find or make a door now. Tomorrow we’ll worry about getting over the wall.”

We opted for ‘making’ a door. Since there were so many doors in the forest for us to work with, haha.

For it to work as intended, we needed something door-like to swing open and closed, a keyhole, and 3 sides of a doorframe.

The doorframe turned out to be the easiest. We just found 3 sticks, tied them together, and hung the whole thing from a tree limb. Anchoring the contraption with the legs tied to big rocks.

After some debate over cutting down a big piece of bark or constructing something out of a blanket, we went with the blanket.

I was glad I brought a whole roll of twine.

Once we had the blanket tied to another frame of branches, we mounted it to the first frame. Then I cut a hole approximately where a keyhole would be.

Tadah!

“If I’d had more time, I would’ve figured out some kind of wards,” I grumbled. “Then we could’ve done this the whole way down.”

I stuck the spare key into the lock.

Instantly, the ‘door’ held firm. And the key didn’t drop and droop like it should’ve as a heavy object stuck into a loose cloth.

Once we were inside, I sighed with relief and plopped onto Gran’s chair.

“Same time tomorrow?”

Ghana had been bee-lining for the kitchen. When I spoke, she shot me a glare.

“We’re not leaving the anchor door unattended for that long. Get what you need and we’re going back.”

She disappeared into the kitchen and out the back door.

I sighed and groaned. Then House waved my scanty shelf of movies at me.

“I know, right? So rude.”

I wasn’t in a hurry. I picked up a blanket and pulled it over me. Dozing.

“Let her in whenever she wants from now on. I’ll need her to be here…” I yawned. “I should be back tomorrow, but would you make something to eat tonight? I’m dying for something hot.”

House wasn’t the best cook (probably because I’m not the best cook). But it’ll be better than Ghana’s travel food.

House thunked a few things to let me know he was on it and I started dozing.

How to get over the wall?

And disguise that I was doing it?

I woke from my doze with the question still on my mind and I cushioned my head with my hands. Looking at the ceiling.

In the kitchen, I heard House banging around pots and chopping something.

My mouth watered.

No, no, Aka. Focus.

Ghana told me what she knew of the human country beyond the wall. Since she’d been in disguise, tried to interact with as few people as possible, and the information was at least twenty years old, there wasn’t much to go on.

One thing stood out from all her lectures.

Because she talked about it over and over again. Basically the only thing she’d talk about during our otherwise silent trip (that and to growl instructions for a task I didn’t know how to do).

There is or was, a strong prejudice against magic and magical beings over there.

The main rule was absolutely no tolerance. With some exceptions.

Only one of those exceptions applied to me. So Ghana repeatedly warned me to never use magic. Since it was rarely detectable until I used it.

My one exception?

Even if my innate magic is detected, they had laws that prohibited them from executing a non practicing witch. Once they can prove the witch was actually practicing, then there was no protection.

I’m sure it didn’t protect the witch-born as thoroughly as intended, but it was one small boon, I guess.

This was assuming Ghana’s info was up to date. I guess they could’ve gone all Salem by now and executed even suspected witches.

Or maybe the other direction? Embrace the witch with love and devotion?

I laughed at myself.

Until I knew for sure either way, using magic was strictly forbidden.

But if I were good at following orders, I’d be a witch queen, had a doorway home, and wouldn’t be looking for a lost goblin prince.

I tossed my legs over the armchair and wiggled my feet while I thought of a plan.

I waited until we’d eaten and gone out the door before I told Ghana what I had in mind.

She gave me an evil look.