People make the community, not the other way round.
"I wasn't expecting that. I'm Guid."
Mark brought forward his hand for a handshake, and the goblin simply looked at him, unsure of what he wanted.
"Ohh, right." His human mannerisms wouldn't fare in a goblins' den.
"What brings you here Mark?" He paused, cupped his chin, and walked around him.
"What are you?"
"What brings me here?" He glanced at Yudar who was ahead and Meg who stood by his flank unnoticed, she had been awfully kind to him.
"I would say Meg and Yudar's hospitality. I'm sort of a wanderer in this parts, and I'm feeling very lost at the moment."
"Is that so? Your use of the language is very good, and you haven't lived in these parts?"
"I have a talent, language comes easy to me."
"Oh really?" He raised a brow.
Mark felt a tension from the question, he gulped and nodded.
"And what are you called?"
"Emm…" Mark felt like an animal being examined in the eyes of Guid, he didn't like the feeling but he wanted to be careful not to upset the feelings of people.
"I and my kind are called humans."
"Never heard of them, but perhaps some of those books have them mentioned."
As soon as he uttered those words, he scuttled into his home and disappeared.
Mark let out a sigh of relief, but now he noticed the many eyes that were on him. They bore no hostility, and there, he concluded that the goblins were a kind and peaceful bunch.
Those that he took to be adults remained at a distance watching him walk with one of theirs while the kids with their childish bravery closed up on him with some even poking him.
"Back all of you!" Meg yelled and they withdrew their hands and maintained a distance.
The kids however continued to have their eyes glued on him.
After a couple of steps, Mark and his escorting goblins stood in front of a hut, a much larger one compared to the others, and hollowed into a tree.
"We have to let our community elders be aware of new visitors we bring." Yudar explained.
Mark found his eyes drifting around the house. The door was large and thick, he could fit through it with room still present to squeeze in another kid, and momentarily Mark wondered if these elders were much larger than the others.
He spotted the little craft of gold transfixed above the door–a gold carving of a bird and it reminded him of charms he had read and seen in games and movies meant to drive away evil spirits or fortify oneself.
His chest drummed in anticipation and he remained still.
Yudar went ahead and knocked on the door lightly then he took steps back.
The door came open almost immediately and a goblin in a dull green dress appeared, scanning the group with their eyes.
"Your business?"
"We would like to shower some hospitality to a new friend of ours."
"Hmmm…" They looked at Mark, no expression on their face like they had learnt to do so since they had been born.
They withdrew and the door went shut again.
After what seemed like an eternity for Mark, the door opened once more, only slightly, and very slowly, releasing an annoying creak that irked him.
There were little steps and Mark watched as a shriveled-looking goblin slowly walked out of the door, with a staff for support, and four more others that were old but in a much better and younger condition than the old one was.
"Ohh…" One uttered, the youngest looking of the group.
Behind them was the goblin that had opened the door earlier and they remained at a distance simply observing.
A raspy aged voice came from the mouth of the oldest, inaudible, and they slowly raised a hand at Mark.
They turned to their caretaker, "Bring the brown book."
The caretaker responded with a nod and stormed in.
"You're not from here, the forest." The thickest and brawniest of the group asked.
"I'm not." Mark answered.
"Ohhhhhh" the group let out in unison looking at each other in surprise.
"He understands us, not even the orcs and the dire wolves understand us." the brawny goblin continued.
"Do you worship our god too?" Another asked, her voice gentle and warm.
'God? What are they talking about?'
They saw his state of confusion and knew that he didn't.
"Our god Lemini bestowed upon us his language, you're at the Leminite portion of the forest, from the fairies to the south and we in the north. We share the same tongue and god, a union beyond race."
Mark found himself stupefied as he scratched his hair, unsure of how to respond, he was a little surprised that he had lasted for this long in their midst, perhaps it was Meg's warmness or his need to understand his position, either way, he was faring quite well.
The caretaker came and in their hands was a book, a large one even by his standards.
'That's right, it seems that they are particularly strong.'
The caretaker placed the book in front of the oldest.
"Open to page 178." They instructed.
Then they began turning the large pages made out from the skin of the Arcadi cow that was common in the plains.
The book had writings and drawings and Mark found that he could read the words and he remembered.
'Master of tongues.'
Page one-hundred-and-seventy-eight was opened and on it was a brown drawing in the shape of man.
"You are this." Another elder said.
"I suppose."
"A Tanian is what you are."
"Hmmm?" He bent running his eyes over the pages.
"We don't call ourselves that from where I'm from."
'That could very well be a nationality from the looks of it.' he thought.
"I'm from Earth, and where I'm from, we are called humans or in rare cases, earthlings."