Grinthal led them deep into the tunnels, where the children were working at the mines, harvesting the diamonds and gold from beneath the mountains. The children held pick axes and were swinging at the cave walls. They were covered with dirt and dust. Behind them, Goblin’s held whips, and cracked the whips to make the children keep swinging.
“How terrible,” said Catherine.
“It is necessary,” Grinthal growled angrily. “We goblins are too small to swing the pickaxes. You humans can dig and swing much faster than we can.”
“But it ends now,” insisted Catherine.
“Yes, yes, this is what you forced me to agree to,” Grinthal said. He then called out to the goblin guard’s and ordered them to stand down.
“You are all free now,” Catherine said to the awaiting children. “You may return to the surface with us.”
The children stood dazed, not really sure where to go.
“There’s Jack,” Alfred said excitedly.
“Who?” asked Carlyle.
“Jack! You remember Jack.”
Because Carlyle was not expecting to hear that name, it took him a minute to register what Alfred was saying. “But Jack’s dead,” Carlyle responded.
“That’s what we thought,” said Alfred. “But Jack’s been a prisoner in the goblin mines this whole time. Along with all the other children who were captured from the mountains.” Alfred called out to him. “Hey Jack. Over here. It’s Carlyle.”
Jack was still holding the pickaxe. He looked cautiously at the goblin guards, afraid to move. “It’s okay,” said Alfred. “You can come over. Griinthal has freed all the children.” Alfred turned to Catherine. “Make Grinthal say it again,” he said.
Catherine started humming, and her fingertips glowed.
Grinthal squealed. “All the children are free!” he yelled. “Put down your pickaxes. Get out of my tunnels.”
“Come with us,” said Catherine. “We will take you back to the surface.”
****************************************************************************************
On the way back up, Jack explained to Alfred, Catherine and Carlyle and the rest of them about the other children. “A few of them are from the mountains. Although probably nobody you recognize except me. They all got captured when they were very young. Like Anna. And then the rest of them are from the forest people. The goblin tunnels go all the way down to the forest.”
They then came out of the tunnels into the caves. The rest of the group were there to meet them: Lucas, Marcus, Paul, Stella, Gabriella and Abby. Everyone was surprised when they saw Jack again, but Alfred explained what had happened with Jack.
The children from the goblin mines hadn’t seen sunlight for so long that they were in a state of awe when they came out into the sun. Carlyle and Catherine and the others gently helped them come out into the clearing in front of the caves. Then Catherine addressed them: “I know you have been prisoners for a very long time, and are not used to the outside world,” she said. “Don’t worry, we will help you. You are all welcome to stay with us for as long as you need. I know that in time, many of you will want to find your families again, if you can remember them. But you are welcome to stay with us until you are ready to strike out on your own.”
“Where are we?” asked Jack.
“These are the robbers’ caves,” said Alfred.
“But where are the robbers?”
“The robbers are still here, but they have to listen to us now,” Alfred said.
Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What has been happening while I’ve been gone?” he asked.
Alfred tried to explain it to him. “We’ve been trying to make the mountains safe,” he said. “Catherine has conquered the wolves, and made them her allies. Then we conquered the robbers, and made them listen to us. Now we have banished the goblins.”
“Wow!” said Jack in amazement. Jack then reflected a little. “Of course,” he said. “You still have a long way to go before the mountains become truly safe.”
“I know,” Alfred said. “There’s still the ogres, and the witches and the bears, and Aefar the Vampire, and Cyrus the Minotaur, Filo the Bugbear, and the giant snake creature. We’ve got a long way to go before we subdue all of them. But that is what we plan to do.”
“But why?” asked Jack.
“Because,” said Alfred, “the mountain people deserve to be safe and happy. That’s what Catherine and Carlyle have taught us, anyhow. We don’t have to let the monsters and evil creatures terrorize us. We can fight back and establish a place of safety.”
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