Outside the doors of an old run-down building are two goblins standing in front of the door. They kept their eye on every goblin walking passing, especially the Chief's followers patrolling the town. While watching the street, a fat goblin walked up to the guards.
"Stop. Who you?" One of them held his hand on the goblin's chest. "What want?"
"Me Root. Olr call Root here."
The goblin opened the door for Root. Inside was a tall table, and standing on top was Olr while surrounded by goblins. Root walked his way around the other goblins until he found a free spot to sit on. More and more goblins walked through the door with the last goblin walking in with a basket of beef jerky and offered them to everyone. Once everyone got their food, Olr cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"Me tribesmen. Fake Chief take game we kill. Fake Chief give useless weakling food first. Me tribesmen. Fake Chief no our Chief. Me no see Sun kill troll. Me no see Sun kill wolf. Me no see Sun fit for Chief!"
The goblins cheered quietly so to not garner attention from the outside.
"Sun no strong. Sun no smart. Sun no more. And me have plan."
The goblins whispered among themselves wondering what this plan could entail. One of them spoke up, "Me want know what plan Olr talking."
"Me talk plan now, idiot. No distract Olr." He yelled back. "Me have plan. We make fake troll foot marks on forest. Then we report troll marks to Sun."
"Then we jump kill Fake Sun!" A goblin excitedly said.
"No idiot! We kill Sun no goblin see no goblin believe! You!" Olr pointed at Root, the goblin sitting next to him. "Slap idiot for Olr." Root pulled his left hand to his right and back handed the goblin.
"Olr have better plan! Sun think troll coming so Sun run and hide. Me yell and say Sun coward. Tribe see Sun coward and side with Olr. Tribe kick Sun out and Olr become Chief. And me give all friends food and power!"
The goblins cheered loudly forgetting that they could be heard. Root joined in with the merry making. He clapped and whistled at Olr.
Afterwards, the group disbanded. Root returned to his small lodging. On the way he gathered dry firewood to warm his home.
After starting the fire, he sat down and took out a piece of beef jerky. Unlike the other goblins that gobbled their share the moment they got them, Root saved some for later. The jerky had a smoky taste and was tought to chew on. Root prefered softer meat but with winter still on his doorstep, dry smoked meat will have to do.
The fire went out shortly after he ate his meal. Root rubbed his belly with satisfaction. His small shed was nice and warm now, so he did not bother lighting a new fire.
Before they disbanded, Olr asked everyone to meet again tonight at his home. Nightfall won't be arriving anytime soon, so Root decided to occupy his time by doing his favorite pass time. He went to his cabinet and opened it, revealing a pile of shirts and drawers. He dug underneath them and took out a piece of charcoal and a book.
He placed the book and the charcoal on a coffee table sitting perfectly under the sun's rays. Then he began to draw. He loves to draw birds because they were beautiful. His favorite was the duck. Their green and yellow fur around its neck looked like shiny necklaces, and its grey tail shines like silver under the sun. Unfortunately, they can only be found during the summer.
He watched and drew his ducks doing all sorts of things. He drew flying in the flying, swimming on the water, and waddling across the floor. Root would make it his mission to look for them during his hunt. He even thought of capturing one to keep as a pet, but the other goblins would just steal and kill it before it could enjoy a happy life with him.
While he was drawing, the door busted open. Root looked and saw that it was his sister, Mist, that disturbed his peace. "Me tired!" She yelled, "Me want rest."
She walked to Root and rested her on his shoulder. Root turned to her, "Busy work?"
"Busy, busy! Master Stick make me and everyone tie ropes on poles."
"Ropes on polls?"
Mist nodded, "Sir Stick say rope for trap. Trap troll and kill troll. If trap no work. Sir Stick say tribe doom!"
Root's eyes widened, "Doomed!"
"Doomed!" Mist yelled at him, scaring him.
"Aaahh!" Root yelled, visibly shaken.
Mist laughed at her brother, "Look, Root belly rumble!" She poked his belly.
"Stop it Mist. No funny." Root sheilded his belly woth his book.
"What that?"
"Nothing!" Root yelled. He stood up and ran outside. Drawing was a hobby he was ashamed of. Other goblins spend their time wrestling or playing ball. But he never found joy doing those things. He preferred sitting down and draw.
His family and friends shunned him because of this strange hobby he found himself enjoying. Only his sister stayed with him. She finds him entertaining to tease, which he doesn't like. He believed she only stayed to bully him.
Root looked back, and Mist was running after him. She pointed to him and yelled, but he couldn't hear her. Suddenly, he slammed against a wall and knocked out.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the sun shining behind a tall figure. "Get up! Quick!" Mist pulled him up by the shoulder. As Root gets up, the shadow on the figure slowly fades, revealing red skin. He did not bump into a wall but the most powerful goblin in the tribe, Sun the Chief of Lev.
Mist got on all four and begged the Chief for forgiveness. Meanwhile, Root stood still, too scared to move. Sun bends his knees to face Mist and calm her down. Then he looked up and saw Root's book.
"Oh," He exclaimed. "Is that a book? Here did you find it? May I take a look?"
Root was frozen in fear and could not respond. One of the Chief's followers walked up to him, "Hey, Chief demand you give book. You hit and you must pay!" The guard yelled with passion. Root's started tearing up while holding his book tightly.
Mist looked up and saw her brother about to cry over a book. She stood up and faced the Chief, "Please bo take book. Brother's book important. Take Mist instead."
"What?" The Chief and his followers remarked.
While they were bewildered by her statement, Root bolted out of there. He ran and he ran until he reached the only person he knew could help him, Olr.
Once he got to his home, he started knocking down his door and yelling his name. Then the door opened, and Root's fat body fell on the hardwood floor. the door closed, and a goblin jumped on top of Root and restrained him. "Who you?" The goblin asked as he wrapped his arm around his neck.
"Me Root. Me speak with Olr, please." Root struggled to speak.
"Free him." A voice called out in the shadow. Root recognized this voice. "What want?"
"Olr, please." He got on his knees and begged, "Help Root. Fake Chief want Root's treasure and took Mist, me sister."
Olr stepped out of the shadow and stood before him, "What Root offer?"
Root's brain raced to find an answer for Olr. Something that Olr would find valuable but worthless to Root. Suddenly, it clicked. "Fake Chief use trap. No plan hide."
"Trap? For troll?" Olr's face showed displeasure, but then an idea took fruition in his mind; a new plan that could destroy the Chief's reputation and possibly end his life.