Language Barriers

"No, Neaves. Open your ears, calm your racing mind. I can hear your heart beating like a drum, what has you so worked up?" She told me, sitting up straight, cross-legged. Her dress flowing softly in the sea borne breeze, her hair billowing out behind her. Enthralling, I couldn't take my eyes off her, though I quickly looked away when I saw her ear twitch. That side-eye, I knew I had been caught.

"I don't know why I can't calm down, I never thought I'd find this place. I half thought my visions were a lie. A test from The Ascendant Butterfly. I guess I've just been processing it all." My wings opened to catch the breeze on their own, wanting to feel the lift from the thermals off the cliff face. Folding my hands in my lap, trying to copy her.

"The Valley is a long way off, you still haven't told me why you came here. All you said was that you needed to find me, but never anything beyond that. Tell me about your family, Neaves?" The Goblin woman asked as she lifted one of her ears toward me to hear me better. Not sure I knew what meant, but it was nice to know that someone was, in fact, listening.

"I don't have a family." I responded bitterly, suddenly not wanting to talk anymore. Pulling my legs up to my chest, resting my chin on my knees.

"What about Afjie? Isn't she like a mother to you?" She asked.

"How do you know about Afjie? I never told you her name." Swinging my head toward her.

"Because this is a dream. You don't even know my name."

I snapped awake, wanting nothing more than to fall back asleep. The comforting feeling of being next to that woman already fading as my wing stung from the light rain. My small fire nothing more than a ring of damn embers as the sound of thunder belted off in the distance. It had been weeks since I left the village, the thought of Afjie's face as I left still hurt.

The long journey wasn't what I was expecting, it wasn't as easy as flying west like I thought it would be. I figured I'd just be able to soar over every thing and reach the Goblins in just a week or two, but the Butterfly had other plans for me I suppose. I couldn't forget the sound of the artillery shells whooshing past me when I neared the walls of Huron. That coming war had put the humans on edge, to a degree I couldn't blame them.

They didn't know that that Mistwalkers wanted nothing to do with their conflict, we are in the crosshairs of both sides though. The Valley offered a lot to both of them, and they knew we were going to protect it. Still, being shot at on-sight was not something I was expecting. I still see the patrols of the soldiers, rifles in hand, more and more as time goes on. Even way out here in this damned damp swamp.

I had taken to flight only to get my bearings, I knew I needed to get out of the country to fly unthreatened. Then again, I didn't know the humans had these things either, I had heard rumors and snippets of conversation when we went to watch that ship being built, they were kind to us then at least. But now?

Either way, I was angry with myself, I had taken to flight last night to see where I was. Only in my exhaustion, I didn't see the sun had set over that mountain range in the west, and I didn't know the stars as well as I should. Ended up going further south into this swamp rather than west where I could smell the dry breeze of the Vast Plain. Irritated, my clothes were made for the Valley that didn't have much in the way of trees and thick brush, I kept getting snagged on every branch possible.

I suppose I should be happy I hadn't torn a wing. I'd be land bound for a while if that happened. Still, wet, cold, hungry, clothing not holding up to what I needed, I really needed to figure out a different plan. I had run out of food about a week back, again, I thought this wouldn't take as long as it was. I was only about a three hour flight from the Valley, but I had to come all this way on foot since I got in range of the city...

Something broke a branch in the thick undergrowth. Reaction kicked in as the fireball came out of my hand, hit whatever it was perfectly. Tamping out the charred embers of the trees and grass as I went to go look at whatever I just incinerated. Fur burned off, an instant death. A rabbit, though not one I had ever seen before, stubby little goat horns grew from its head. "Maybe my luck isn't so bad." I spoke to no one in particular, my stomach growled far louder than my words anyway. I figured I had cooked at least the other side of it perfectly, the side that got hit was charred, picking it up, I dug in.

The cloak felt strange on my wings, I had traded a few more of those goaty rabbits to a traveler for his big billowing cloak. He was surprised at first, though he looked about as hungry as I was, so our little language barrier didn't seem to matter to much to him or me. Pointing at his cloak then to the rabbits, he nodded and we traded. Simplest human interaction I had in my life.

I figured that even though my eyes were red, I could play that off somehow, but the wings... I couldn't do anything about, beyond hide them. Besides the cloak had buttons up the front, my clothes were beyond repair by the time I traded that man, got a show out of it I'd guess the way his eyes wandered from me to the meat. A different kind of hunger won out for him, a benefit for both of us. Would need to find something that fit me from these humans, couldn't run around naked under a cloak forever.

Beyond the simple fact that I would also need to take the damned thing off to fly up and see where I was, a bit more embarrassing than I was willing to admit. Still, I was able to walk the roads now, only a few people stopped me to ask why I wasn't wearing boots. One of those interactions gave me a perfect cover story though, I was able to understand enough of the language to get what I needed.

Young woman walked over, with a pair of tatty jute sandals and held them out to me. She said something, but I didn't catch it, something along the lines of "Help, If can." Though she stepped back when she saw my eyes, but didn't run away.

The dusty road to the west of the city was at least better than that gods awful swamp. I was happier when I figured out I was heading in the direction I actually needed to be, closer to just being able to fly to where I wanted to go. "From Fuhjimi? Look... like... beastfolk." I nodded my head and tried my best at thanking her.

"Thank" I struggled, with the next part. "Lost, not from here. Not know much of speech." I tried to sound friendly, but then again I didn't talk with humans much at all.

She smiled, handing me the sandals then blushed furiously when the cloak opened for me to take them. Frowning and bright red like a sunset over calm waters, she grabbed the man next to her. Backing away, thinking the worst, but she whipped her head back around and waved her hand in my face. A ring on her finger, then pointed at the man's who wore the same ring.

I shook my head not understanding, but apparently the worry on my face made her feel bad. She raised her hands and said something to the man who set down the giant pack on his back to rummage though it. The woman sighed and gently moved him aside, his face now bright red like her, maybe she had told him what she saw.

But, she handed me a dress, a wrap and a shawl. She wouldn't look at me this time and barked at the man who turned around. Taking them, all I could manage was "Thank." Maybe not every human was so bad after all.

She smiled again, though even I could feel the heat off her face, it was still bright red. She waved her hand, I figured she wanted me to follow them for a while. "Where are... going?" She asked me.

"West." I knew the word, what it meant. But, added "Running away, safer." The look on the woman's face softened instantly hearing that. An understanding in her eyes, telling something to the man again. Who pulled out a map, pointed to me and then to a spot on the map. I suppose that was where we were.

She grabbed my hand and made a motion like I was to point where I was going on the map. I placed my finger over an area to the south of the big city in on the northern start to the peninsula. Both of them immediately looked concerned, spoke a word I fully understood but the rest of gibberish to me. "Goblins."