Maric bit back a curse and grabbed the edge of the quilt and threw it over Rose’s naked body. He dressed quickly and hurried to the outer room and found Alistair and Odette standing just outside the front door, their eyes locked at the glowing brightness in the distance. He could smell the air thick with smoke.

“It’s coming from Berxley,” Pierre said, having joined the others. Margot stood behind him, her hands covering her mouth in shock.

“How far?” Alistair asked.

“A little less than two miles.”

“For the fire to be burning so bright…” Margot didn’t finish her thought. Maric knew that if they could see the flames from the farm then the whole village must be burning.

“We must hurry,” Alistair said. “There may still be time to help put out the fire.” Before Maric could agree with him, a loud crash broke through the trees and small, dark bodies breaking free from the shadows. Glints of metal caught in the fire light showed that the enemy was armed. From the size of them and the hairs raising on the back of his neck, Maric knew they were goblins.

“What is it?” Rose said over his shoulder. Maric turned to see that she had put on her dress. Her hands clutched tightly on the hilt of her knives sheathed in her belt.

“We are under attack.”

Alistair and Odette jumped into action, racing across the field to meet the growing number of goblins pouring into the fields surrounding the farm. Maric saw Rose’s eyes widen as she saw the number.

“Get in the cellar!” Pierre called over to Margot as she steered the children white-knuckled to the trap door in the floor of the kitchen. Lina was pale, her eyes wide with fright. Hugo cried into Margot’s nightdress. It was only then that Maric noticed that they were barefoot and still in their nightgowns.

“Go with them,” Maric said, his hands on Rose’s shoulders shaking her until she looked at him.

“I can fight. I can help you.”

Maric’s lips pressed into a flat line. It was no time to argue with Rose. “Stay with them then. I trust you to protect Margot and the children. Don’t let anyone pass through the door.” He pulled her in and kissed her hard on the mouth. When he pulled away, he could see a dazed look on her face before her violet eyes turned steely and she gave him a sharp nod.

Maric heard the thud of the cellar door closing and Pierre stood, his face pale in the moonlight. He wasn’t a trained fighter like the rest of them. He was a simple farmer. But, from the look of grim determination on his face, Maric knew that he would fight hard, if not harder than the rest of them, because he had a family to protect. He would die long before any harm fell on his wife and children.

Maric took one last look at Rose. Her face was hard and focused, her grip tight on her knives which she had withdrawn from their sheaths. Maric knew he would do the same for Rose, that he would die for her long before any goblin reached her.

The loud clash of steel against steel pulled Maric’s attention away from Rose. He reached for his sword and ran out into the night.

***

The moon shone brightly in the sky, bright enough to light Maric’s way to Alistair and Odette, who fought viciously against the rising numbers of goblins spilling out of the forest. A few already laid dead at their feet. Maric resisted the urge to look back at the house, to Rose who he knew was pacing in anticipation. He trusted that she could take care of herself, that she would take care of his family. Yet, worry gnawed at his chest.

Maric breathed deeply, raising his sword with both hands and threw himself into an oncoming goblin who brandished a short curved knife. The goblin fell mid scream which drew the attention of others and Maric soon found himself surrounded. He made easy work of the first few that launched themselves at him. Goblins weren’t the smartest creatures, but what they lacked in intellect they made up with tenacity, Maric thought as six of them charged him at once. An arrow zinged through the air and hit one square in the middle of its forehead. Maric turned to see Odette string another arrow into her crossbow.

“You’re getting slow,” she called out to him. A goblin crept up behind her and Maric reached for the knife at his waist and threw it until the hilt stuck out of the goblin’s chest. A surprised look passed over Odette’s face.

“And you’re getting too cocky,” Maric yelled back.

“If you two are done showing off,” Alistair said between gasps, “we aren’t quite done-” A goblin threw itself onto Alistair’s back and he grabbed it flung it over his shoulder, sending it flying across the field.

“Where are they coming from?” Odette asked through clenched jaws as she let a volley of arrows fly. When a goblin got too close, she cut it down with the short sword from her back. Her loose black hair flew wildly around her and Maric thought she looked like a demon unleashed. He pitied the goblins that circled her. Most of them wore a wary expression on their face.

Maric felt a sharp bite in his arm and looked down to see that an arrow had sliced through his tunic between his pieces of leather armor. A goblin, about a head taller than the rest, reset its crossbow and aimed at Maric’s head and fired. Maric knocked the arrow away with his sword, slicing it into two as it fell to the ground.

“I aim to find out,” Maric called back to Odette, who threw a goblin over her shoulder when it had jumped onto her back. She stomped down heavily on its chest.

The large goblin readied the crossbow again and scowled at Maric as he waded through the onslaught, his sword clearing the way. It was obvious that this one was the commander. Though it dressed no differently than the goblins around him, as they all wore an assortment of random pieces of old armor, most several sizes too big and causing them to look like children playing war, this one had an air of intelligence surrounding him. Rare for a goblin.

The goblin’s crossbow clicked into place and it smiled widely revealing rows of black jagged teeth. Maric smiled back causing the goblin’s eyes to widen as it swallowed nervously and raised its crossbow. In the last second, the goblin swung it away from Maric’s head and fired just beyond his shoulder. A man screamed and Maric turned to see Pierre collapsing onto the ground, the arrow buried deep into his chest. Maric roared and threw his sword, pinning the goblin through the gut into a tree. It cried out in pain as it tried to wriggle itself free from the blade.

Maric ran to Pierre. Blood was already darkening the ground when he reached him.

***

Rose’s jaw clenched when she heard the scream. It sounded like a man, which meant it was either Maric, Alistair, or Pierre who was hurt. But, to her ear, it sounded like Pierre. After settling his family in the cellar, Pierre had grabbed an old, rusted sword from the bedroom. He wore no armor, just the tunic and trousers he wore earlier in the day. Rose had tried to convince him to stay behind, to get in the cellar with his family. He refused saying that it was his farm and his family and he was determined to protect them both. By the way he held his sword, Rose could tell that it had been a long while since the man fought anything besides an ornery goat. He was more danger to himself with it than without. But, she could not convince him to stay and he ran out into the night to join the others leaving Rose alone in the house pacing.

Rose’s stomach soured at the idea that he was hurt, that any of them was hurt and, perhaps, dying or dead. But, she could not leave her post. She promised Maric that she would protect Margot, Lina, and Hugo. And, she would with her dying breath if it came to it.

Something slammed hard against the front door and Rose stilled in her pacing. She raised her knives as she heard something slam against it again and the wood frame began to crack under the attack. A small whimper came from the cellar door. Lina or Hugo was crying again and she could hear Margot hush them.

Rose swallowed as the door began to splinter with each attack. Her palms felt sweaty and she wiped them hastily against her dress before clutching her knives. “Breathe, just breathe,” Rose whispered. She thought back to her days with Athena and the troupe, of how Athena taught her to take in slow, deep breath before every performance. The prickliness in her arms and fingers began to subside and Rose risked closing her eyes and tuning out the maddening sound of the door splintering at its hinges. She kept breathing, her hands no longer clutching her knives. Instead she held them loosely at her side as she waited for the door to fall in.

“Remember to breathe.” Rose could hear Athena’s calm, even voice. Rose took in another breath, her heartbeat slowing until she felt a heaviness in her limbs. The door crashed loudly against the ground and Rose fluttered her eyes open. A goblin stood in the opening, his black eyes leering at her. She slowly pulled her knives free of their sheaths and the goblin followed her movements. His mouth broke into an ugly smile, his teeth jagged and snapping at her.

Rose waited for the goblin to move first and she didn’t need to wait long. It threw itself at her, his sword swung high over his head. Rose moved deftly to one side and as it crashed forward, she stuck one of her knives into its back and twisted. The goblin fell and did not get back up.

The doorway darkened again and several more goblins fell through the opening. Rose dodged each attack. She felt as if she was moving through water, her movements slow but precise. The goblins attacked, each falling to her side dead as her knives sliced through them.

A thundering roar from outside distracted her for a moment and she heard the soft hiss of a sword slicing through her tunic. Forcing herself to focus, she twisted away from the sword and fell backwards into another goblin, tripping over each other and both falling flat onto the floor, both their weapons thrown away from them. Rose tried to stand, but the goblin below her held her tight. She looked up to see a goblin, one that was head and shoulders taller than the others and dressed in armor that seemed to be made for it, walk slowly towards her.

“You are a pretty thing,” he said, his hand reaching down to his belt as he began undoing it. The goblin pinning her arms down from behind began to cackle wildly. “Do not worry, I won’t spoil your flesh… not too badly at least.”

When the goblin got within reach, Rose shifted, raising her elbow and driving it down onto the goblin that held her. She heard a satisfying crack as his nose broke, and the goblin wailed freeing her arms. The taller one stopped and smiled, his teeth gnashing at her. “I do love a good fight before a good fuck.”

They circled one another. The goblin glanced at Rose’s knives, which were thrown away to the side. As she tried to reach for them, he slashed out with his sword, nearly slicing Rose’s hand off. “You don’t want to lose any of those pretty fingers of yours,” he said. He began to slash widely at her, driving Rose up against the wall. She crouched, making her as small as possible as the goblin stood above her. He began undoing his trousers in earnest again.

“You ugly humans. You think you are better than us. I will show you who is your master now.” His pants tugged free and fell to his ankles. Rose reached into her boot and in a quick motion drove the stiletto knife up into the goblin’s groin. He gasped out in pain and fell backwards clutching his crotch.

“No one is my master but myself,” Rose said standing up. The goblin looked at her as he howled in fury. Rose stepped over the bodies of his fallen brothers and sisters and drove the stiletto through his right eye and deep into his skull. He twitched then died.

The ground shook violently and Rose stood, retrieved her fallen knives before rushing out the door.

***

The arrow was deep, but to Maric’s relief, it missed Pierre’s heart. It was lodged into the upper right of his chest and when Maric flipped his body over despite Pierre’s groans of pain, he saw that the arrow’s head had passed through him.

“I will need to push it through,” Maric said. He could not pull the arrow free. It was lined with barbs and if he did so, they would pull back on the wound causing greater damage. Pierre looked up at him, his face white and tight with pain. He gave him a short nod. Maric leveraged Pierre over his leg and took the end of the arrow firmly in his hand. He began pushing quickly taking care not to create any greater injury.

Pierre stifled a scream, his jaw clenched tightly. The arrow pulled free from Pierre’s back and he sobbed with relief. Maric grabbed Pierre’s hand and pushed it down on the wound in front of his body, while tugging the sleeve of his tunic until it came free. It was dirty and covered in goblin blood, but there was nothing else he could use now. He just prayed it wouldn’t cause an infection as he bound it tightly around Pierre’s chest. Maric helped him to his feet and they quickly retreated towards the house.

The house was swarming with goblins and Maric swallowed the lump of fear in his throat. He hoped Rose was holding her own.

Turning abruptly, Maric headed to the barn. Once inside, he gently dropped Pierre’s body on a clean pile of hay. “Stay here until it is over.”

“I can fight,” Pierre said weakly.

Maric smiled. “Save your strength. Margot needs you, as well as Lina and Hugo. Live for them.” His words were unnecessary as Maric realized that Pierre was unconscious.

Running out of the barn, Maric wondered briefly when the wave of goblins would stop spilling out of the forest. His arms burned from exhaustion, and from what he could see of Alistair and Odette over the masses of goblins, they seemed to be tiring as well. He reached down to the ground and pulled a sword free from under one of the fallen goblins. He used it to cut another one down ahead of him. The goblins stood little chance against any trained fighters, as they were, and Maric knew that the only way for the goblins to win was through attrition or if they brought in something much stronger.

As he thought those words, a crash broke through the forest and Maric saw trees toppling left and right as something big made its path towards the farm.

***

Rose stopped suddenly on the threshold of the house. She promised Maric that she would stay and keep Margot and the children safe, but her hands twitched at her side as she watched Alistair and Odette fight off the remaining goblins. A few of the goblins have broken off from the attack and were setting the outbuildings on fire. She watched as a shed went up aflame, while more moved off towards the barn.

Maric stepped out of the barn. He was covered in blood and Rose watched as he picked up a sword and cut the goblins down in his path. He looked exhausted, his face pale and his eyes hollowed even from where Rose stood. He caught her eye briefly and she smiled at him, something encouraging she hoped. A look of relief washed over his face and he opened his mouth as if to say something to her when they both looked up suddenly as they heard a loud crash come from the woods. She could see the tops of trees swaying violently before toppling over in a large crash.

A large creature, as tall as two men and as wide as five, came crashing through the trees swinging a large axe. It was wearing an amalgam of armor much like the rest of the goblins, makeshift from pieces scavenged off of humans that Rose assumed they had killed in the past. However, while the goblins swam in the stolen breastplates and glaves, the troll had strapped on several shields onto its body. They clanged loudly against one another as it charged through the woods towards Maric, it’s axe raised over its head. Its roar caused the goblins to fall down to the ground and Rose clutched the side of her head. It shook through her skull and felt as if it would shake her into pieces before it stopped and swung its mighty axe down on Maric.

Maric, who seemed to have been prepared for the attack, leapt away nimbly only for the troll to roar again causing him to drop flat on the ground. Rose stood on shaky legs and watched as the goblins began to clear the area. They hurried back into the shelter of the trees, many stopping at the edge to watch the fight. Their black eyes filled with evil delight gleamed in the moonlight as they cheered on their champion.

Rose watched anxiously as Maric dragged himself off the ground and held the sword before him unsteadily. The troll swung again, snapping the blade of the sword in half. Maric rolled away as the axe slammed into the ground inches from where he had stood. She heard Alistair call out to Maric and throw him his own sword, which Maric caught deftly with one hand in the air, before spinning around and slicing the troll across the belly. It roared again, shaking the ground underneath their feet.

***

Maric felt the sharp hiss of the axe’s blade as it sliced passed his face into the ground. He leaped to his feet and turned when he heard Alistair’s shout. Maric caught Alistair’s blade in his hand. It was heftier than his usual blade, a long sword, which will work perfectly against his fight with the troll. It was to his advantage to keep as far away from the beast as possible.

From the corner of his eye, Maric could see Odette kneeling on the ground and firing several arrows into the troll. The troll didn’t blink as it swatted the arrows off of its body as if they were nothing but mosquito bites. From what Maric knew of trolls, their hide was thick. It would take far more than arrows to pierce it.

The blade Maric held, he hoped, would do the trick. He stood again and watched carefully as the troll pulled its axe free from the earth and swung down towards Maric’s legs. He jumped, raising his own sword only for the troll to use its free arm to swat Maric down hard onto the ground. His head bounced off the ground causing the world around him to spin wildy.

To his dismay, a loud banshee like cry split the air as Rose threw herself up the troll’s back. She clung to her knives, which were sunk to the hilt into the troll’s back. It roared in pain and began thrashing back and forth, reaching around to grab at Rose. She was just out of its reach. Rose began inching her way up the troll’s back, pulling each dagger free and stabbing it higher and higher until she made it to the troll’s shoulders. The troll sensing what she intended to do began running back towards the house. Maric watched as Rose held on tightly as the troll turned suddenly and threw his back against the wall of the house, smashing Rose against it.

Maric roared out in anger as he forced himself to his feet and began to limp his way towards the troll. Alistair and Odette ran alongside him, reaching the troll first. A thick sense of dread filled Maric’s heart as the troll pushed itself off the house, the roof now caved in from its weight. He expected to see Rose’s broken body amongst the pieces of the house, but there was nothing there. Instead, he saw that Rose was struggling to stay on top of the troll, her hair wild, her clothes covered in debris, and a determined glint in her eyes.

“She’s going to get herself killed,” Alistair said to Maric when they were within steps of the troll. They circled it warily as it thrashed about trying to dislodge Rose from its back. Odette shot another arrow, this one planting itself in the troll’s right eye. It screamed in rage.

“Hold your fire!” Maric yelled at her as she was setting another arrow in her crossbow. “You’re going to kill Rose.” Half-blinded, the troll threw itself towards Maric. He easily dodged out of the way.

“What is the plan then?” Alistair said, breathing heavily.

“We do nothing.”

“Nothing?” Alistair asked incredulously.

“Anything we do will jeopardize Rose.” Maric grit his teeth. “She knows what she is doing.” When he got his hands on her, he didn’t know if he would strangle her himself or hold her tightly against him never letting go.

***

Rose’s head was swimming with pain and she shook her head to clear it. Her daggers were still lodged solidly into the trolls back, but she could tell that it barely injured it. It’s skin was as thick as an elephant’s. It took all her strength to dig her knives deep into its back as she made her climb upwards.

Suddenly, the troll stopped thrashing and turned to run to the house. Rose’s face paled as she soon realized its intent, but it was too late to move. She braced herself as the troll flipped backwards and fell into the side of the building. Everything went dark for a moment and Rose was certain she had died.

When the troll righted itself, Rose was astounded that she was still gripping tightly onto the hilt of her knives. It felt as if her whole body was broken, but to her relief she still had the strength to cling on and continue her slow climb up the troll’s back. It screamed out in frustration when Rose lifted one knife and stabbed it again. Black blood oozed all around her, causing her feet to slip. It roared in pain and she turned to see Odette ready another arrow before Maric yelled something at her. Odette glared bitterly at Rose before lowering her crossbow.

Rose didn’t dare look at Maric. She didn’t want to see the look of fear in his eyes. It would make the whole moment too real. Instead she climbed higher and higher until she straddled the troll’s shoulders. It reached up to grab her leg but an arrow lodged into its hand and it howled. Rose looked up to see Odette smiling at her, her teeth bared in the moonlight. Rose gave her a quick nod of thanks before reaching into her boot and pulling out the stiletto knife. In a silent prayer, Rose placed it on the base of the troll’s nape and drove it hard upwards into its skull. She could feel the knife’s tip scratch along the troll’s thick skull and with one final push, the end of the knife disappeared with a soft crunch of the skull giving way. The troll stilled suddenly and Rose clutched onto its shoulders as it fell backwards.

Rose screamed as the weight of the troll crushed down on her.

***

“Rose!” Alistair called out, running towards the troll’s body. Maric was behind him, but Alistair reached her first, her head cradled in his lap while her lower half of her body was crushed under the troll.

“Pull her free when I tell you,” Maric said, as he braced himself against the troll’s shoulder and began to push. “Now!”

Alistair hooked each arm under Rose’s and pulled. She didn’t budge. “Get me out of here,” Rose pleaded to Maric. She grasped onto Alistair’s arms again as Maric braced himself against the troll and pushed. He grunted out in pain until Alistair pulled Rose free, her legs scrambling to get from under the troll.

Rose gasped out in pain as she and Alistair fell backwards. Maric hurried to her and lifted her skirts, running his hands gently up and down her bare legs. “Nothing seems broken,” Maric said as he continued checking her torso. Rose winced in pain. “Maybe a few bruised ribs.” His hands came to rest on each side of her face. “What were you thinking?”

“That you would be killed if I didn’t do anything.”

“You stupid girl,” Maric said, pulling Rose into his chest. He felt her wince, but he didn’t let go. The fear in him that he almost lost her again would not abate. His heart pounded loudly in his ears. After a moment, Maric let her go and Rose looked up at him. Something unspoken passed between them before Maric stood and Alistair helped her to her feet. “We will need to leave. We don’t know when the goblins will be back. It is not safe here.”

Alistair nodded and Maric noticed Odette standing behind him, her eyes hard on him. “Pierre was shot through the shoulder with an arrow. I left him in the barn. Alistair and Odette, bring him to the house and get Margot to tend to him. After that, I need you two to check the perimeter and help put out the fires.” A few out buildings were ablaze and one of the smaller fields had caught fire.

“Rose, go inside and help Margot tend to Pierre. You need to clean the wound and then stitch it. We will be lucky if he doesn’t succumb to an infection.”

“And, what will you do?” she asked.

Maric turned to the goblin pinned to the tree. “I’m going to get my sword back.”

***

Maric approached the goblin. “You’re still alive,” he said. The goblin looked up from where it was trying futilely to remove the sword from his chest. “You do know that if you take it out, you will bleed to death instantly.”

“You stupid human filth,” the goblin growled, his mouth filled with blood. “You do not know what you have done. You will die for this.”

Maric leaned in close, one hand on the hilt of his sword as he pushed it farther into the goblin. The goblin screamed. “No, I believe you will. Tell me, where did you come from?”

The goblin cackled. “You do not remember? You do not remember me?”

“I would remember an ugly face like yours.”

The goblin laughed again, it grated harshly against Maric’s ears. “You have me to thank for the scars on your back.” Maric stilled. In his mind’s eye, he could hear a whip tipped with a metal snap against the ground.

“You…” Maric drove the sword deeper. The goblin screamed out in pain. “Where is your stronghold? Who is your master?”

But, it was too late. Maric looked down to see that he had driven the sword down to its hilt. Fresh blood pooled beneath his feet.

The goblin was dead.