Nemesis and the Fairy of Pure Heart by Ashley Du Toit

time Gariz was sitting singing to himself again, and Pronkzie, hunched over, was picking something that looked to be alive from under one of his toenails.
    â€œI’s don’t knows,” said Pronkzie, “but I’s sure it’s something important.”
    â€œImportant,” echoed Gariz, nodding his head solemnly.
    â€œAre you looking for something?” she ventured.
    â€œLooking,” said Pronkzie, the bewildered expression on his face belying the conviction in his tone.
    â€œSomething,” said Gariz, and he peered around the empty room as if what he was seeking would be found there.
    From the way they were speaking, Bella realised that these two would be of no help to her. Either they were very simple, or something was making them very foolish. At that point, the significance of where she was came to her: The Cave of Forgetfulness. Of course, the goblins were being affected by the caves; they were being made to forget. She decided she needed to keep moving before she ended up in the same situation.
    â€œThank you for your time,” she murmured, “I hope you’ll remember why you are here and what you are looking for,” she said as she walked past them.
    They stood and began to follow her.
    â€œWhy’s we’s following the pretty fairy wairy?” asked Gariz from behind her.
    â€œShssss,” hissed Pronkzie. “She’ll hear you,” he whispered.
    Bella could not help but grin at this, but impatient with the delay, her humour had faded by the time she turned around. She tapped her foot, and said with mild irritation, “I’m sorry. Is there something that I can help you with?”
    Pronkzie had just opened his mouth to speak when Bella’s loud gasp and look of horror made him pause. Seeing that she was focussing on something behind him, he looked over his shoulder to see Gariz drawing a fat finger out of his nose, with a long sticky stringy strand of grass-green rubbery snot trailing from it. It unravelled from his finger and flew forward, straight towards Bella. Bella jumped out of the way.
    â€œGrrr,” growled Gariz in obvious irritation. He reached for his nose again.
    â€œStops that,” growled Pronkzie, reaching for Gariz’s hand, but he was too slow and his brother’s finger shoved its way into his other nostril, tugging down. This time he managed to keep the strand wrapped around his finger.
    Bella wrinkled her nose in disgust as she watched him pop the sticky snot straight into his mouth. I’m going to be sick, she thought.
    â€œMhmmm,” said Gariz blissfully.
    â€œYuk,” growled Pronkzie with disgust.
    â€œHow delightful,” drawled Bella. “At least he found lunch all by himself.”
    â€œListen,” she continued, “it was lovely meeting you both, but I really must be going,” and she stepped past the brothers. Pronkzie tugged Gariz’s arm and the two of them began to follow her. Bella stopped again.
    â€œWhat is it that you want?” she asked, the exasperation now clear in her tone.
    â€œWe doesn’t knows whys we’s in these caves,” groaned Pronkzie “We doesn’t knows how to get out eithers. We thinks it woulds be bestest if wees stayed with yous.”
    â€œI don’t have time to help you, I need to find something in these caves,” she began, then sighed. But who knows how long you could be lost down here by yourselves, walking around as if your heads were up in the clouds, so you might as well come with me, she thought.
    â€œAll right, come on then,” she invited. “But we need to hurry.”
    The goblins fell into step behind Bella. They made jokes and laughed and sang silly songs, and before long Bella again found herself laughing. As they moved further along the tunnel, Bella realised that it was becoming warmer. She rubbed her hands over her arms. “We must be close to fire’s heart,” she whispered.