One of the men said something in their unintelligible tongue and the others laughed. Padric leapt up, snarling and slammed his fist into a smiling mouth. He did not know if it was the one who spoke and he did not care, he simply beat into the man with a fury, following him down as he fell, never ceasing his torrent of blows. The others shouted angrily, and Padric felt arms jerking him away from the pulpy face and a hard blow sunk into his gut, churning the air out of his body in a sickening rush. Another set of hard knuckles glanced off his skull, above the eye and he fell into the salty grit. Boots kicked savagely at his head, shoulder and hip as he curled up to protect himself. Over the dense sound of strikes to his own body, he heard a blood curdling series of cries and then screams of fear. The kicks stopped suddenly and Padric felt something rain down upon him in hot droplets. He peaked out from his cradling arms to see one of the men kneeling, gripping at his throat, blood pumping between his fingers and lips. Another lay in the surf, the foam turning an ugly pink as it sloshed over his slashed flesh. Padric rolled to his feet and found his escort swinging their halberds in bloody arcs into the upraised arms and pleading faces of the sailors. The last was on his back, trying to crawl backwards on his hands and feet, a pitifully ludicrous image right up until one of the Red Caps rammed a broad axe into his gut.

Padric stood, dripping blood and salt water, eyes wide to the butchery, trying to find his voice and put a stop to the goblins’ savagery, but only a wordless, bestial groan came forth. One of the Red Caps rushed to his side, the blade of his weapon covered in gore.

“Are ye well, my King?” he asked, genuine concern showing in his large, bloodshot eyes. Padric nodded dumbly, and stared at the bodies on the beach. Amongst the fallen, his eyes again found the woman. Burning bile filled his throat, and anger pulsed through him, fueled by the pains of his bleeding wounds. He stumbled off the beach, struggling up the rocky embankment and back to the longhouse. He kicked through the door, startling the girl and sending her cowering against the wall. Heggle remained busy at the serving board and smiled at him as he entered, heedless of his grisly appearance. He made straight for her, knocking the board aside and sending vegetables flying. The hunchback tried to dance awkwardly out of his reach, but he caught her fast, kicked her feet out from under her and spilling her to floor.