The Goblin Bride (Beneath Sands Book 1) by Emma Hamm (good short books TXT) 📕

she take his place in the line. There was a pause in the work as the others stared first at her and then each other. It was clear they weren’t certain whether or not they should let her work with them.

She cleared her throat. A few of the goblins jumped, but at her soft smile and gesturing hands they were quick to start handing her stones.

For a few hours she worked with them, the muscles along her shoulders and arms bunching as she moved stone after stone out of the tunnel. She worked alongside the goblins, passing the rocks among each other until they were stacked at the very end.

It was tiring work but it felt good. Her arms and back ached after the first hour, went numb after the second. But it was even more refreshing to see the other goblins trading in and out. Perhaps she had shown them the reasoning of rest. They all needed to be aware of the precarious stones around them.

It did not take long for her to start hearing the noises past the stone. The low rumble of the same sounds they were created, but a mirror image that didn’t quite fit right. Every now and then she would hear a goblin voice, raised louder than she had heard before.

The cave in appeared to have trapped others. It split goblin from goblin and they were working diligently to mend the rift. Jane had never seen such a calm quiet among them and she quickly understood. She wanted to ask what was happening, how the others were faring, if they should be preparing for injuries or worse. She did not know how to ask them.

The language barrier hit her hard as she worked with them. More and more goblins showed up to help move the stone further away as the piles they were creating grew. Eventually, they managed to make the cave in wall thin enough that she could hear the others easily.

Some of them seemed to be shouting, others seemed to be moaning. The sounds spurred all of them on, nerves and worry making the goblins start to mumble as the stones passed down the line. It was a ripple effect. Each stone seemed to carry a note of urgency and fear that even Jane could feel.

The goblins were worried.

She saw a few of the smaller goblins scamper up the rocks, choosing carefully where they placed their feet until they would feel a shift or a rumble and have to come back down. Three other goblins tried, continuing to push to greater heights until the stones forced them to slide back down.

It was clear to her that they were no longer trying to move the stones away. They were trying to get to the top of the mound though she did not know why.

They continued to struggle for long moments until she realized a few of them were starting to look at her. They were comparing her to the smaller goblins that had attempted to climb the great barrier of stone. The longer they looked, the more she realized they were trying to get her to volunteer to do something.

Goblins didn’t tell anyone what to do, nor did they expect someone to do a job that they didn’t want. Someone would eventually say that they would do it, and in that way no one seemed to complain overly much about the job they did that day. Usually they would wave her away when she tried to pick up one of their chores, but this time it appeared they were hoping she would do… something.

Jane walked forward. Her feet took her towards the wall of stone that seemed nearly twice her height. She could see where the cave in had occurred. The ceiling had ripped away and leaving behind a gaping hole where a smooth ceiling had once been. Her heart stuttered as she realized any movement from now on could potentially add another cave in. Jane had heard the tales of cave ins like this before.

Part of her knew this was foolish. She shouldn’t be here. She was not equipped to handle a cave in. She wasn’t capable of helping these people in the way that they needed her to. But this was the first time they had asked her for anything and she couldn’t turn her back on them now. Not when they needed her so much.

The stone above her and beneath her grumbled. Like a wave rushing towards her, the goblins ushered her forward and pointed to the top. Their clawed hands started to mime removing rocks. They wanted her to break through to the others it seemed.

She understood the plan then. They needed to make an air hole perhaps, or just start to be able to clearly contact the others. The top was the thinnest area and if they could puncture through that then it would be a start. Except none of them were small enough to scale the wall without causing another cave in. Likely the goblins on the other side could not do so either.

She put a foot on the stone, swallowing convulsively when she felt how much the bottom rocks shifted. This was not safe. Visions flashed through her head of the stones crumbling beneath her.

Her father had died this way. He had felt the pressure of rock as it landed against his chest and crushed the air from his lungs. Jane had always hoped it had been quick for him. To follow in his footsteps would be a shame.

The stone grumbled as her hands pulled her upwards, but it did not shift as it had with the goblins. She could hear the soft warbles behind her and she imagined that they were meant in encouragement. It would have been easier to have them tell her where the next steady hand hold was. It would have been easier to have them tell her she was doing well, or everything was going to be alright. Unfortunately, even if