He awoke in the same cell, with Seymore and Brianna still with him. But this time there would be no picking the locks. He'd been stripped down to his underthings. And he had a fresh collection of aching bruises along his side. Whoever had done the stripping had apparently felt the need to kick him while he was down.

Aidan sighed. "I guess we're not going anywhere now. We'll just have to hope we get rescued. Again. Some hero I am. All I ever do is end up needing to be saved."

Seymore came over and put his small green hand on Aidan's knee. “It okay. Not everyone be big hero. Some people need to be little heroes, do small good things, not big.”

“Yeah, but I don’t even manage that most of the time.”

“Seymore know what you say. Seymore not exactly hero either. But friends come save us, everything be all good.”

"I know. Flame and the others would never leave us here, they'll come for us eventually. But they're going to find the shard without us first. It's more important than we are, after all. And it's not like being without us is going to interfere, they'll probably do better without me, at least." He put his head in his hands. "I am sick of being so useless."

"Aidan, Seymore have thing to tell you. Me know me sound stupid, but me no stupid. Me think smart thoughts, they just come out not smart. Is good sometimes, people not know me smart, me get underestimated. But is sometimes not good, friends forget me not stupid. But me tell you. Long time ago me no goblin, me no talk stupid. Me great warrior. You see other Lon fight? You see tall man fight? Brianna say other Seymore is leader. Me know, me see, me remember what me used to look like. Tall man is me, is other Seymore.”

“I don’t understand,” said Aidan. “You used to be human?”

“Yes. Long time ago, me human. Like you human long time ago, yes?”

“Yeah, I used to be human.”

"Me was human, was from long way away. Leave me home to see and learn. Me come to Tara and me see Prudy. You remember me Prudy? She so wonderful. Maybe not pretty like humans pretty, but she pretty to me. She pretty inside. But goblins no marry humans. And Prudy no want to lose all friends, all family. She say she no can be with me, she very sad. So me make big choice. Me say ‘make me goblin so I be with Prudy.’ So there big spell, make me into goblin. I give up being hero. Goblins no are heroes. But you see other me fighting? He hero. Brianna say, he leader of fight, free whole country. That kind of hero me give up being, and me lose Prudy too. She get sick, die two years ago. So now me nothing. But is okay. Me choose, me live with choice. You no hero either, but you have Flame, she pretty, love you very much, all is good. She need to save you, is okay too. Prudy do lots for me that me no do myself.” He stopped and shook his head. “Me no say it very good. Me just try to say that you no need be sad for needing Flame come rescue you. You still have Flame come rescue you, so you still better off than lots.”

Aidan looked at the little goblin. He'd never really paid Seymore much attention. Nobody really did, except Tara. He'd assumed that the goblin was only in the Queen's Own for the same reason he'd been sent on this quest, so that they would be able to deal with goblins and gnolls and the other uncivilized races, who were seldom willing to talk to humans. He suddenly felt ashamed. Seymore was as much of a hero as any of the others. “I'm sorry, Seymore. And I’m sorry for throwing such a pity party. You’re right. I’ve got more than a lot of people. I just wonder what I’m doing in the Queen's Own. I never seem to accomplish much.”

“Me know. Me not do much big good either. But me still want to help friends when me can.”

Aidan leaned back against the wall. “So I guess we just sit here and wait.”

“Maybe. Maybe we find something to do. Maybe someone come talk to us, maybe we get chance rescue selves, yes?”

“Maybe.”