Elanna leaned on the railing as she watched the night sky slowly drift past them as they headed back for Westfell. " Doing okay?" asked Gabriel, joining her on the flying deck.
" Yah, after a couple of years on this tub you really get use to being attacked by ghosts and huddling with legends in haunted hospitals" said Elanna with a wry smirk.
" So I guess Night Elves are real" said Gabriel.
" I wish we could have more time to talk" said Elanna, " I have a million questions I would love to ask her, first and foremost what was she doing in there?"
" Maybe she was looking for the statue herself" suggested Gabriel.
" Maybe" said Elanna, " in any case I have this odd suspicion we will be seeing her again, we have a lot more trouble to get into and she seems to gravitate towards it. Well I still feel gritty; I need a long hot bath."
" Night" said Gabriel.
Elanna walked into the guts of the ship and walked into her quarters. She opened a drawer in her dresser and took out a long silver silk nightgown and slung it over her arm. She picked up her special lavender soap from her dresser and left her room for the bath at the end of the hall. She closed and latched the door. She walked over and gently ran her fingers over the symbols on the tub watching them glow and start to heat the water. She flopped down on the stool and slowly pulled her boots off, she up ended the first boot and watched the dusty come pouring out like sand. She didn't trust human doctors before this had made it for certain she would never let one of them touch her with their strange tools. Elanna tossed her dusty boots into the corner and pulled her socks off. She rubbed her tired and sore feet. Elanna unlaced her pants and pulled them off. She threw her pants into the corner followed by the shirt. They fell into a lump in the corner on top of her boots kicking up a cloud of dust, one last ghost from that place to haunt Elanna.

Crax and his sky raiders were silently cutting through the night on their gliders. Their black leather armour was loaded with all sorts of weaponry; the weapons softly clinked together as the wind whipped through them creating the only noise they made. Crax finally saw the airship peacefully traveling; a sick smile crossed his cracked teeth, that peace would soon be shattered.

Elanna slowly unlaced her bodice before removing it and lying in gently on the small bench in the room. She hooked her thumbs in her silk panties and removed them. Elanna slowly dipped her hand into the magically warmed water and slipped into the tub. Elanna slowly submerged under the water leaving a grey film on the surface of the water. She slowly crested the water with a giant smile on her lips; all the horrors of the mansion had been washed off. Elanna grabbed her soap and began to wash her alabaster skin, the tub felt like heaven.

Crax and his men landed on the deck, foolish humans, not even a nightwatch to protect the ship. Crax and his men drew long curved blades and Crax and four of his best men began to climb over the side of the ship to start the attack. The came to the first window and stopped. They all smiled each other and sheathed their blades. Past the windows they saw a ravishing elf woman bathing, slowly rubbing the soap all over her perfect chest. She slowly poured water over her to wash the soap off; such a thing of pure beauty wouldn't be worth sparing.

Elanna was enjoying her bath when she sensed something was right. Elanna saw that the windows were starting to fog, from the outside. Elanna looked over and let off a piercing scream, "GOBLYNS," before hurling a bucket at the window.
The bucket hit one of Crax's men squarely in the face with enough force to fling him off the side of the ship. Elanna leapt from the tub as the other three climbed through the windows, their green little hands grasping for Elanna, the other thing keep their big yellow eyes from her was a little wash cloth she clutched to her body. Elanna kicked Crax hard in the face, the crack of teeth echoing through the room. Crax dropped to the floor, his head spinning. Two of the goblyns managed to grab Elanna's long dark purple hair and were about to use their wicked curved blades on her when the door was knocked down and a blur of red slammed into the two of them. Elanna saw a blur of a large hammer smashing one in the face, as a heavy fist slamming into the nose of the other. A cross bow bolt whizzed through Elanna's hair, hitting the wall with a heavy thump. Elanna looked back in horror as the poison on the arrow tip began to eat through the wall. Elanna grabbed a knife off Crax's black armour and hurled it at the third goblyn as he reloaded in his crossbow. The arrow found its mark in his large yellow eye. " Elanna? Are you okay?" asked Tanis.
Elanna looked at Tanis, " The others?" she asked.
A scream of a goblyn and two fierce meows echoed through the ship. " I feel sorry for the goblyns" said Tanis, offering Elanna her nightgown.
Elanna replaced the little wash cloth with her nightgown and proceeded to hurl the goblyns out the window. " Ah, just like the old Tunnel Wars" said Tanis, " there are times I miss their retched foul odor."
" Come on" said Elanna, " we better help."

Sam fought with the locked kitchen door, swearing loudly at her brother who had locked her in here when Elanna screamed. " Damn you brother!" she yelled, " let me out of here so I can kick some goblyn ass!"
Sam finally gave one last kick to the door and sat down. " Stupid Sebastian, thinks I can't handle myself in a fight, well fine he can handle breakfast tomorrow that will show him" said Sam.
Crax pushed the kitchen window open, stupid elf woman's big firm round soft silky breasts, they distracted him from his mission. He saw a teenage girl muttering to herself, she wouldn't know what hit her. Crax pulled his blade out and crept towards her. " Fine, I'll climb out the window" said Sam, turning around.
She bumped into the long scared nose of Crax making both of them shriek. Sam grabbed the first weapon she could find, a metal pan. She struck Crax in the nose with the heavy iron cooking pan followed by a loud crunch and squeal from Crax. He tried to stab at her with this blade but the girl parried the attack and stuck him in the head with the pan. Crax tried again, but again she parried the blow and struck him again in the head. Crax grabbed for his crossbow but was struck in the hand by the pan making him slap his crossbow and fire the bolt into his foot. Crax let off another loud shriek and tried to bite Sam out of rage. Sam grabbed the rolling pin and let him bite down on that with a teeth cracking snap. Sam smacked him on top of the head again with the pot, driving his teeth into the wooden rolling pin. Sam hit again and grabbed Crax by his pointed eyes and charged the door. Crax's helmet at least kept the wood from going into his skull as he broke clean through the door. The pair crashed through the door and Sam sent Crax sliding down the main table in the galley until he crashed at the other end. Crax slowly pulled the rolling pin out of his mouth and got up. He blew blood and snot from his nose and pulled a whistle from around his neck. Sam tried to race the length of the galley to grab the whistle but she was only half way when Crax gave the first shrill call on the whistle. Sam was able to reach him by the second blast on the whistle and she hit him again with her pan. The whistle went out the window and Sam started beating again.

The second and third waves had heard the whistle's call and were now landing on the deck. They drew weapons and rushed into the ship ready for brutal combat. They rushed down the stairs and the leader was struck squarely in the face by Tanis' war hammer. The others rushed in and began to swarm the crew. " Where the hell did this guys come from?" asked Gabriel, stabbing another goblyn.
" It must have been the whistle" said Sebastian, hitting a goblyn in the face.
The goblyns started pushing the crew further and further down the ship, their large numbers starting to wear the crew down. They all went spilling into the galley and heard Sam's voice break through the din of battle, " Hold it!"
Everybody stopped and looked; Sam was holding a rather large kitchen knife to Crax's throat. " Leave now or he gets it" she said.
The goblyns began to laugh and tried to rush Sam. Sam tossed Crax into them and followed the others in running out of the galley. They locked the door and stopped to catch their breath, " Now what?" asked Audrey, " we're stuck and running out places to run to."
" I doubt we can ask them to leave" said Gabriel, " they seem mighty pissed."
" Has anybody seen Elsenor?" asked Sam, " where is she?"

Elsenor was straining her ears listening for any more sounds of battle. All she could hear were goblyns swearing and the sound of something smashing into wood. She knew it, they had lost and she had to escape. But escaping now would alert them, better to stay put and wait for them to leave or get into the ship's wine.

The door burst open and the goblyns poured into the hall. They were gnashing their teeth and slamming their blades together. The crew was backing down the hall, trying to put as much distance between them and the goblyns as possible when suddenly a great blue ball smashed through the side of the ship, tearing through goblyns and splattering their guts all over the walls. Everyone turned and saw three ships heading straight for them. Another glowing blue ball slammed into the ship spraying everything with wooden splinters. The goblyns have off a loud shriek and started to flee. " Tanis, get to the guns, hurry!" shouted Sebastian.
The crew scattered as a third ball smashed into the ship in the cargo hold below. Tanis, Elanna, Audrey and Alexis raced to the guns and started pulling the doors open to run the cannons out. Tanis aimed with his first gun, hoping one shot would drive them back. He pulled the lanyard and the cannon fired. The ball struck the led ship dead on, wood exploded from the bow, but it was answered with two more blue balls ripping through the ship. " Everybody man a cannon and aim for the led ship!" shouted Tanis.
All four grabbed a lanyard all pulled at the same time. The Esmeraldas' Triumph lurched to one side as the four cannons fired. The lead attacker was riddled by the heavy dwarven cannon balls. The ran to the last cannons and fired. It did the trick, the last four cannon balls found their marks and the lead ship began to fall from the sky. " Everyone okay?" shouted Elanna, whose ears were burning in pain from the loud cannon shots.
" I'm okay" said Tanis, " few bumps and bruises."
" I think my forehead might need a little attention" said Gabriel, " other than that I'm okay."
" My tail is burned" meowed Audrey, " Lex?"
Alexis lay motionless on the deck, a large splinter of wood slammed in her stomach. " Oh shit" said Elanna, " help me get her into the infirmary, Gabe, you and Tanis make sure all the goblyns are gone."
Elanna and Audrey quickly carried Audrey into the small room set aside for Elanna's medicines and a place to treat the crew when they got wounded. Elanna laid Alexis down and pulled off the ruined remains of her nightgown in place of some white clothes she left in the infirmary. She carefully drew the splinter out, Alexis softly whimpering, making Audrey whimper. " Its okay" said Elanna, reassuring both of them, " just a little wound."
Elanna quickly spread some healing ointment on the wound and covered it with a piece of gauze. " Now keep an eye on her until she wakes up" said Elanna, " I'm going to make sure everybody else is okay."
Elanna grabbed her medical bags and left the infirmary. She made her way through the wreckage in the ship up to the deck where the others were all standing. " Where are the other two ships?" asked Elanna.
" Made a hasty retreat after we blew the other out of the sky" said Tanis, proud of himself.
" Yah but they managed to blow a mess of holes in the ship" complained Sebastian, " does anybody know how much that is going to cost?"
" Yah but it got rid of the goblyns in a big hurry" said Gabriel, " those little green bastards run faster than they attack."
" More motivation to flee than attack" said Elanna, " where is Elsenor?"
" Haven't a clue" said Gabriel, " Sebastian? Tanis?"
" No I didn't see her since dinner" said Sebastian.
" Maybe that is why those goblyn ran so fast" said Tanis.
" All right, lets search the ship" said Sebastian, " Sam stay up here and make sure those other two ships don't return."
" Yes sir!" said Sam, making a dramatic salute.

Sebastian pushed the door to Elsenor's quarters open and looked inside. She wasn't in there, " Okay, Elanna search the rest of the cabins, Tanis, the hold, Gabe, the cannon deck and galley" said Sebastian.
The four split up and started searching, and searching, finally they regroup in Elsenor's room. " Great I think we lost our Faerie to the goblyns" said Sebastian, " just great."
Sebastian sat down on the bed and heard a noise. They all dropped to their knees and looked under the bed. Securely hidden in a space most likely too small for anyone of Elsenor's size to fit was Elsenor. " Are they gone?" she asked.
" Very much so" said Sebastian, " how did you get under there?"
" Faeries are very flexible" said Elsenor, " my only problem is that I'm stuck."
The four lifted the bed and let Elsenor scramble out. " You Faeries are amazing hiders" said Elanna.
" Our people have to be" said Elsenor, " not only do we have to worry about poachers trying to steal our organs but there are a lot of nasty creatures out there that are mean and scary."
" Well now we know you weren't kidnapped by the goblyns you can help us toss their bodies over the side" said Tanis.
" I can't" said Elsenor, " blood makes me sick."
" Well then you can start cleaning up where the cannons blew holes through us" said Sebastian, " just pile the wood in the central hold, maybe we can do something with it."
" But I thought I am a guest here" said Elsenor, " besides it is manual labor."
" We all need to pitch in, it is either cleaning wood chips or hurling rotting goblyn corpses over the side of the ship" said Gabriel.
Elsenor nodded and started for the first large hole that had been blasted into the ship. If these mercenaries only knew, she thought as she gathered up the pieces of wood, they wouldn't be asking me to sully myself with these menial tasks.
Elsenor bent over to pick up another piece and as her hand touched the splinter she recoiled in shock. It couldn't be, they wouldn't have known she was here. Elsenor bent over and touched the wood again. She could feel the power emanating from the splitter, nothing else gave off this kind of energy. Elsenor swallowed hard, this trip might become far more dangerous than just marauding goblyns and haunted houses.