Much too skinny

Rox and I are walking around the market looking at what all the vendors have for sale. They have everything from tools, weapons, jewelry, food and much more. He is in his tall form so he can find me better. I tend to get lost easily. Frog Creek is not a big town but it's by the main road and everyone is welcome as long as you abide to the few rules posted by the road. If not, the ogre named May who runs this town will be kicking you out. She is a friend my older brother Christopher made along one of his many journeys. So I know this town is safe even if it's filled with travelers.

"I'm at a loss." I say to Rox while standing in the middle of the stalls and stores.

"You don't have to get them a gift." He reassures me.

"But I saved up to get them something. I want to show them I do care for you and want to know them better. You say they don't really like all the shiny glittery things because the kids break them. Even if they didn't have kids someone else's kids would break it." I sigh and look at the ground with my arms folded.

"Hey." He tips my head up using his finger and thumb on my chin. His yellow kind eyes fair so well with his green skin. "They will like anything you give them." He looks over my shoulder.

"What?" I ask turning. I see a bakery next to the creamery. 

"It's really hard to get cream up in the mountains. How about that for a gift?" He suggests.

"You have said how you all enjoy food. Let's do that." I say leading the way into the creamery.

Using the last of my money, I buy a gallon of cream for Rox's family. I will have to go to the guild tomorrow to find an easy paying job. I start praying now that there will be one. Maybe two?

Slipping the cream into my travel bag, we head out to the woods and whistle for our dire wolves. Dot comes prancing out happy to see Rox. She is a really pretty dark grey with a white spot on her chest. She licks him while he rubs her ears and scratches her neck.

Then Rogue bursts out of no where. His coal black fur hides him so well in the dark forest. His icy blue eyes scare most with how intense his stares are. I hold my hand out for him to come while praising him.

Rogue was, who am I kidding he still is the loner of the goblins dire wolf pack. He runs with Dot only if Rox tells him he is seeing me. One day he said he was seeing me but wasn't, all in the hopes of bonding with Rogue. Rogue gave him the cold shoulder for a few days afterwards.

I met Rogue deep in the woods when Rox and I were on a quest. Rox filled me in on how Rogue was untamable and many in the village couldn't break him. How I bonded with Rogue was over many staring contests and scratching his chin. Oh and I called him a good boy.

Rogue lays down so I can climb up onto his back. Rox is ready to go too. We take off through the woods. I'm happy Rox told me to change into my traveling clothes of brown pants and a white long sleeve shirt. The branches and narrow rock passage ways would have shredding my other clothes. And riding with a skirt has it's risks. 

Rox slows Dot down after we have been running for about half an hour. Rogue and I slow up too. We are at the foot of the mountain by a rushing stream. Many trees hide the goblin village well. As we get closer I see nicely built houses and a few dozen doors in the cliff side. Those must be housing too since I'm seeing chimney smoke from some holes knocked out of the cliff face.

We let the wolves go at the edge of the village. I feel a little awkward carrying my sword but Rox said I should and I quote "we might run into a serpent again." 

"Welcome to the Village of the Skull Basher tribe!" Rox opens his arms to show off the place. 

"You purposely never told me the name of your tribe all this time knowing it would scare me. Didn't you?" I tried to keep my voice calm but my inner thoughts were screams. Skull bashers!? 

"We are working on changing it but a few old guys want us to cling to tradition." Rox shrugs.

"Who you calling old?" Shouts a goblin with long white hair jumping from a tree.

He tries to land a strike with his sword on Rox. Rox is too fast though and blocks the attack with his daggers.

"I'm calling you old! You sack of old bones!" Rox yells and the two start fighting. Rox shifts to his original size. I run to hide behind a medium sized tree til the old guy's sword cuts cleanly through the tree right above my head. Are we going to die? Rox informed me the pranks can get dangerous but this is scary!

Rox is loosing ground. I jump into the fray even though my knees are weak. I block a slash from the old guy with my sword. Even though it felt like a gentle tap on my sword.

"P-please don't fight!" I stutter with my eyes closed and knees shaking. I take a peek since it stayed quiet for a second.

"Your technic needs work girl." The old guy says sheathing his sword. He begins tapping me with his scabboard straightening my legs and posture. The sword doesn't feel so heavy now. I hear a crack behind me though. The old guy whacked Rox over the head and a goose egg was forming.

"You should never let your woman feel like they need to protect you." The old goblin says to Rox then starts moseying toward the village. "I had my fun for the day. Tell your mother hi for me."

"Yes grandpa." Rox complies.

"Grandpa?" I shout. "I just crossed swords with your grandpa?!" My knees finish giving out.

"Don't worry he likes you. And he's the leader of this tribe."

"Leader!? How can he like me!? I raised a weapon towards him!"

"Calm down, you're being really loud right now. If he didn't like you, you would be dead but he helped you with posture. Not many in the family get that special treatment." He shifts to be big and rubs his goose egg.

"Oh." I'm still in shock on the forest floor. 

Rox helps me up and we head toward the goblin village. Along the way Rox helps an elderly woman by carrying her foraging bag since it is on our way. A few village kids jump off a roof onto him in the attempt to topple him. They failed since he was much bigger than them. He shoo'ed them on their way. An outdoor shelving unit started to tip from a nearby house before I could say anything he was already pushing it back up. The girl that almost got squished was happy and asking how she could repay him. 

"He is a kind one. Isn't he." The woman Rox is carrying the bag for says.

"Yes. He is very kind." I agree with her as we watch him tell the girl how to fix the shelves before joining back up with us. 

Some guys snickering from aways off yelled and asked Rox when they are fishing again. He shrugged telling them hopefully in a day or two. They call him a lady's man then laugh as they got back to work on cleaning fish. Rox wrapped an arm around my shoulder and told me to ignore them, they are jealous.

We make it to the woman's house and Rox hands her back her foraging bag. She handed him an onion from it for his mother. Along with telling his mother hi for her also.

We make it to his parents log cabin that is right next door to the lady's house Rox just helped. I'm holding onto the cream very nervously. I take a few breaths and nod I'm ready to head in. 

The door bursts open and a female goblin in an apron is standing there looking me up and down. 

"Son, she is much too skinny." Rox's mother states.

Am I going to be eaten?