Chapter 30 Outfoxing the Fox

Her words hit me like a bolt of lightning. Could it really be true? Could I really do something, anything, to make a difference? My heart pounded in my chest, torn between the fear that had ruled me all my life and this tiny flicker of hope that Lyn’s words had sparked.

“I... I want to, I want to save them. I want to make things right. But I don’t know how.”

Lyn smiled, a soft, almost affectionate look in her eyes.

“That’s the first step, Little Green. Wanting to try. And as long as you’ve got that, you’re already stronger than you think.”

Her smirk widened as she looked at me with playful eyes.

“I can see clear as day that brute strength isn’t exactly your strong suit, Little Green. But let me tell you, I’ve met more than a few goblin slaves in my time, and we even have a few in our village." 

She leaned in closer, her golden eyes twinkling with mischief. 

“And between you and me... you’re the smartest of the lot I’ve talked with.”

My ears perked up slightly at her words, unsure if I should feel flattered or confused.

"Of course," Lyn continued, her tail flicking with a playful swish, "I’m not trying to insult your kin or anything, but let’s be honest here. You fellas ain’t exactly the sharpest claws on the cat’s paw if you know what I mean. The point is, you’ve got something special, Hermit. You’ve got smarts. And that’s not something every goblin has, especially ones coming from the slave pens. Use it.”

I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks at her words. Me? Smart? No one had ever said that to me before, let alone someone as magnificent as Lyn. I wasn’t used to compliments, especially not ones that made me feel... useful.

 I was just a weak, pitiful goblin, barely capable of keeping myself alive. But Lyn just kept going, her words flowing smoothly with that playful tone that somehow made me feel both embarrassed and a little proud.

A nervous laugh escaped me before I could stop it. Her teasing was light, almost comforting in a strange way. I didn’t feel hurt - more like she was pointing out something I already knew but didn’t want to admit.

Lyn tilted her head to the side, her ears twitching as she gave me a thoughtful look.

 “Now, enough pep talk. You mentioned something earlier about looking for alliances.” 

Her eyes narrowed slightly, a spark of curiosity in them. 

“Do you think this Rakrak fella is trying to form alliances with someone? Or is he just baiting you, sending you out to see what you find, and then pulling the rug out from under our feet?”

I squirmed uncomfortably under her gaze, my mind racing as I tried to find the right words. The truth was... I wasn’t entirely sure. I knew Rakrak was cunning, cruel, and manipulative. He didn't care about me or my fellow slaves. He cared about power, about expanding his control and his breeding farms.

"I... I don’t know,” I admitted, looking down at the ground. 

“Rakrak... He doesn’t really trust anyone. Not even his own kin. A few times I overheard him talking. He spoke about how he’s the smartest, the most cunning. He thinks he's going to conquer the forest one day, gather an army, overthrow the goblin king, and make his empire.”

Lyn snorted at that, clearly amused by the idea of some goblin trying to rise to such heights.

 “A goblin empire? Sounds ambitious. Too ambitious for someone who sends slaves like you out to do his dirty work.”

I nodded, still avoiding her gaze.

 “That’s why he sent me out here. To scout, find other goblin clans, maybe some monsters, and see if anyone would be willing to... ally with him. But...” I hesitated, feeling the weight of my next words. 

"I think he was just using me. Sending me out to gather information, but if I come back with nothing useful... or if I mess up... well, the hatchlings will suffer. I think it's a trap."

“A trap?” Lyn tilted her head, intrigued.

I nodded again, this time more slowly as if saying it aloud made it more real. 

“Rakrak doesn’t want allies. He just wants power. If anyone were to help him, he’d turn on them the moment it benefitted him. He’s not interested in sharing power. He’d betray anyone who got close, use them until they were no longer useful, then...” I trailed off, the image of the hatchlings back at the breeding farm flashing in my mind. I could still hear their cries, their tiny voices begging for mercy.

“We just need to come up with a plan. Rakrak may think he’s the puppet master, pulling all the strings, but if we’re clever about it, we can make sure the strings don’t wrap around your neck,” she said, wagging her finger at me playfully.

I blinked up at her, feeling a tiny glimmer of hope. 

“You... you think so?”

“Now,” Lyn continued, her grin turning mischievous again, “about this alliance thing... I think you’re on the right track. If Rakrak wants to expand his influence, he’s going to need help from someone stronger. And he’s probably counting on you to be too scared or too weak to do anything clever. But if you play it smart, you can make it look like you’re helping him while setting things up to help your kin. It’s all about outfoxing the fox.”

I blinked, trying to follow her train of thought. Outfoxing Rakrak? The idea seemed impossible... but with Lyn's confidence, maybe there was a way.

She sat up straighter, her expression turning even more animated as the idea took shape in her mind. 

“So, here’s what I’m thinking. How about we go to my father, Boss Cat, and discuss this whole thing further? He’s the head of my village, and let me tell you, he’s not just any old village leader. My father’s got brains and brawn. And if anyone can take on Rakrak and his goons, it’s him.”

Lyn’s voice bubbled with enthusiasm as she continued, her arms gesturing wildly to illustrate her point. 

“We could pretend that we’re setting up a meeting with Rakrak to negotiate some kind of alliance, right? Play along with what he wants. But in the meantime, my father would gather up his warriors for a swift, surprise attack on Rakrak’s breeding farm. While we’re inside the farm, distracting Rakrak with fake alliance talks, my father and his warriors would storm the place from the outside.”

She was so caught up in her plan that she was practically bouncing with excitement, her ears twitching and her tail flicking behind her.

 “You and I could play the part of the negotiators - getting all serious about the alliance terms, throwing in some distractions to keep Rakrak’s attention, maybe even stir up some chaos. And while we’re keeping him busy, Boss Cat would move in for the real attack. We could get your fellow goblins out, free the hatchlings, and hit Rakrak where it hurts.”

I stared at her, my mind reeling from the sheer audacity of the plan. A fake negotiation to distract Rakrak while her father’s warriors swooped in for the rescue? It was daring, dangerous, and utterly terrifying. But there was something in Lyn's eyes - a fire, a spark of confidence that made the impossible seem... possible.

“Of course,” Lyn added with a casual shrug, “this is just a rough idea. I mean, it’s not perfect yet. We’d have to work out the details, figure out the best timing, and all that. But with some time and planning, I think we could come up with something pretty polished. What do you think?”

I swallowed hard, feeling a mix of fear and hope swirling inside me. The idea of going back into Rakrak’s territory made my skin crawl, but the thought of rescuing my kin, of freeing the hatchlings from the nightmare of the breeding farm... it was too precious to ignore. And with Lyn’s plan, there might be a way to make it happen.

“Y-You think your father would help?” I stammered, still trying to wrap my head around the idea. 

“I mean, why would he want to get involved in... in goblin affairs?”

Lyn rolled her eyes with a dramatic flair.

 “Oh please, Little Green. My father’s not the type to sit around while an evil goblin nest growing under his nose. And besides, he’s a big softy, but don’t tell him I said that. He cares about people - goblins, cats, kobito, you name it. If he hears about what Rakrak’s doing, about the suffering of your kin, he’ll want to help. Especially if it means taking down some power-hungry tyrant like Rakrak. That’s right up his alley. It wouldn't be the first goblin nest and leader he dealt with.”

I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope, despite the overwhelming fear gnawing at my insides. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way to save everyone. But the idea of pretending to negotiate with Rakrak, to stand face-to-face with the goblin who held the lives of my kin in his hands, terrified me.

Lyn seemed to sense my hesitation, because she leaned in closer, her voice soft but determined.

 “Look, Hermit. I know this is scary. I know it feels impossible. But you’re not alone in this. You’ve got me, you’ve got my father, and once we get the ball rolling, you’ll have a whole village of cat people backing you up. You don’t have to face Rakrak by yourself. We’ll outsmart him.”

She gave me a playful nudge, her smile reassuring.

 “And besides, you’ve already made it this far. You’ve survived more than most goblins ever could. You carried me when I was down for the count. You’ve got it in you to pull this off. We just need to work out the details and make sure everything goes according to plan.”

Her words filled me with a strange, tentative sense of courage. Maybe I wasn’t as helpless as I thought. Maybe, with Lyn by my side and her father’s help, we could pull this off. I wasn’t sure if it was bravery or desperation, but I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest.

“O-Okay,” I whispered, my voice shaking. 

“Let’s... let’s do it. Let’s make a plan to save my kin.”

Lyn grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

 “That’s the spirit, Little Green! We’ll show Rakrak that he’s not the only one with tricks up his sleeve. Now, let’s get to sleep. Early in the morning, we will go to meet my father. You better sleep tight.”