Heir of Dust and Wind

Chapter 13 - A Bargain

It was impossible not to like Orla.

Reading and understanding her easily like one of the many books she oversaw, the Goblin had shooed Ava to one of the armchairs and made her sit down. 

It was perfect. Just the right size, neither too firm nor too soft and the glow of the old-fashioned standard lamp was warm and welcoming.

Performing a few skilled gestures with her tiny hands, she conjured another, much smaller, armchair for herself. It seemed to simply appear out of thin air, just like the table, the beautiful tea set and the tray of scones that popped up right afterwards.

Orla poured the steaming liquid into two cups and then raised her brows in question when reaching towards the jug with cream. 

Ava nodded, still too amazed by it all and unable to speak. The little female made wielding magic look so incredibly effortless.

Her nod was rewarded with a satisfied smile, while Orla added cream to both mugs and then handed one to her before taking the other one and settling in her own armchair. Ava sipped her tea gratefully. Warmth filling her belly, replacing the dread that had been there before.

"So, darling," Orla began after she had taken a sip from her own cup. "Why don't we start at the beginning, and you tell me your name." 

She smiled at Ava encouragingly.

"Ava. My name is Ava." She tried to smile at Orla too and hoped it conveyed the gratitude she felt.

"Very pleased to meet you, darling." 

Orla took another nip of her tea. When Ava didn't say anything else she raised one brow at her teasingly. 

"What? Don't you have any questions for me?"

About three million of them, Ava thought. But where should she start?

After a brief moment of deliberation, she settled on following Orla's advice.

"What," she started and then stopped herself, belatedly realising that asking her what she was might be incredibly rude. It was like asking someone who looked different where he or she was from, assuming that they had to be foreign, based on their appearance alone.

"Och, no worries darling, I won't take offence at the question of what I am. I'm sure you haven't come across my kind, so it's only natural for someone to wonder."

"That's true," Ava replied almost shyly, grateful for the kind words. "I'm actually dying to know what you are, really." The tea had managed to restore some of her liveliness.

"I'm a Goblin, darling, probably one of the last of my kind, so it's not a surprise at all, that you've never encountered anyone like me, although I take pride in saying that even among my kind I'm quite unique." 

She put the delicate-looking cup back on the table and looked directly at her.

"Wow, that is ..." not knowing a proper response to her revelation, Ava scrambled for words, clearing her throat nervously. She really didn't want to screw up the access to what could be her sanctuary and once more cursed Trygve for not telling her more about the Between.

"Sincere words will hardly fail you in life, child."

Suddenly, she remembered the advice Sister Eleanor had given her what seemed like a lifetime ago. She had attempted to help her overcome her shyness with the other children at the orphanage.

Following the ancient nun's counsel, she finally decided that honesty was the best way to go. "I'm absolutely thrilled to meet you, too," she said to Orla. "Sadly, I didn't even know that there were Goblins, so I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage."