Chapter 33 Cat People Village and the First Glimpse of a New Home

I tried to scrub, I really did, but every time I leaned down to splash water on myself, I ended up slipping on the smooth stones, sending me tumbling in the most ridiculous ways. At one point, I slid down the stream on my belly like a goblin otter, arms flailing, trying to grab anything to stop myself. Lyn was full-on cackling by now, clutching her stomach as she doubled over in laughter.

“Help!” I cried dramatically, reaching one hand out to her as if I were drowning in a grand tragedy.

 “The water’s too slippery! I can’t… I can’t scrub my back!”

Lyn, wiping a tear from her eye, finally stood up and padded over, still grinning.

 “Alright, alright, hold still, you big baby,” she said, using her paw to splash water onto my back.

 “But honestly, Hermit, how are you this bad at bathing? It’s like watching a baby goblin learn to walk for the first time.”

I sat there, shivering like a leaf, as Lyn gave me a few half-hearted swipes to get the mud off.

 “You didn’t tell me the water was this cold!” I whined, trying to stay still while Lyn gently prodded at my filthy skin.

“I didn’t think I needed to,” she said, shaking her head but with a fond smile playing on her lips. 

“Alright, that should do it. Now, go dunk your head in the water and get the last of that grime off your face.”

“D-dunk my head?” I stammered, staring at her in disbelief.

 “But it’s already freezing! I’ll lose my brains!”

“Brains, huh?” Lyn said, raising an eyebrow and flicking her tail.

 “Don't you worry Little Green, by the looks of it, there's too little to freeze. Now dunk!”

I sighed, bracing myself as I leaned forward and dunked my entire head under the freezing water. It was worse than I imagined, like having icicles stab at my skull. I shot back up, gasping and flailing, water pouring off my face.

“There! I did it! Am I clean now?” I asked, blinking through the water droplets clinging to my eyelashes.

Lyn looked me up and down, her grin softening. 

“You’re still you, Hermit, but yeah, I’d say you look a bit less like a mud monster now. Just a bit.”

I sighed with relief and crawled out of the stream, dripping wet but at least no longer coated in grime. I tried shaking myself off like a dog, spraying water everywhere and almost slipping again. Lyn stood a few paces away, dodging the spray with a graceful leap.

“You know,” she said, tail flicking, “for a goblin, you sure make bath time entertaining. I’ve seen kittens with better coordination.”

I let out a weak laugh, my legs still wobbly from the cold.

 “Yeah, well… next time, maybe I’ll just stick to mud.”

Lyn chuckled, leading the way back to the path.

 “Good thing the village has a warmer option. I’d rather not have to fish you out of another stream.”

As we continued walking, I couldn’t help but notice Lyn’s grin - teasing, yes, but also… almost affectionate. I may have been a clumsy, bumbling goblin, but at least I could make her laugh. Maybe that wasn’t so bad after all.

The trek through the perilous forest toward Lyn’s village was nothing short of a nightmare for me. Lyn, however, moved through the forest with grace - silent, swift, and unbothered by the ominous atmosphere surrounding us. 

As for me? I was a walking bundle of nerves and stumbles, every snapped twig beneath my feet sounding like a cannon blast in the eerie stillness.

The forest was dense, its towering trees nearly blocking out the sun, casting long, menacing shadows across our path. My heart was pounding so loudly I thought it would jump out of my chest, especially when distant, bone-chilling cries of unseen monsters echoed through the woods. I flinched at every sound - a rustle, a snap of a branch - imagining all manner of horrific creatures lurking just beyond my line of sight.

Lyn, on the other hand, walked casually ahead, her tail swaying beautifully behind her, occasionally glancing back at me with a bemused expression.

 “Relax, Hermit. If there’s anything dangerous nearby, I’ll smell it before you even trip over your own feet.”

I swallowed hard, wiping the sweat from my brow as I navigated over a particularly tricky patch of uneven ground.

 “R-right... It’s not the tripping I’m worried about,” I muttered, trying to keep up.

 Every muscle in my body was tensed, ready to bolt at the slightest hint of danger. My arms flailed occasionally, batting away branches that seemed to come out of nowhere, while Lyn barely seemed to touch a leaf as she passed. She was so light on her feet, it was as if the forest itself welcomed her presence.

After what felt like hours of stumbling, I tripped - again - over a protruding root, landing face-first into a pile of damp leaves. 

“Oof!” I groaned, struggling to get back up. 

Lyn turned around, her eyes glittering with amusement.

 “Careful, Little Green. At this rate, you’ll be rolling into the village like a moss-covered boulder.”

I tried to laugh it off, rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly.

 “I meant to do that. Testing the ground for traps, you know?”

She let out a soft chuckle, and to my surprise, she extended her hand toward me. I stared at it for a moment, dumbfounded, before realizing she was offering to help me up. My heart skipped a beat as I reached out, feeling the warmth of her paw against my cold, dirty hand. She pulled me up with surprising strength, her grin widening slightly as I dusted myself off.

“There you go,” she said softly, her eyes lingering on mine for just a second longer than usual. I felt my face heat up, though it was probably just from the exertion of the hike - or so I told myself.

For the next stretch of our journey, Lyn remained close, occasionally glancing at me with a kind of casual curiosity. I couldn’t help but notice how her posture seemed a bit more relaxed, and every now and then, she would offer a comment that felt almost... playful.

But as we pressed on through the underbrush, dodging the occasional snarling beast in the distance, something strange was happening. Every now and then, Lyn would slow her pace, letting me catch up just enough so I wasn’t struggling to keep up. She would make small talk, ask me little things - how I was holding up, if I knew much about the forest, even cracking jokes about my “legendary” sense of direction.

“So, Hermit,” she said casually as we climbed over a fallen tree, her voice carrying a teasing lilt, “how did a goblin like you end up with such… keen survival instincts?”

I blinked, stumbling over the tree trunk as I followed her. 

“I-I don’t know about keen… I just, uh… try not to die.”

She laughed again, a soft, almost purring sound that sent warmth through my chest. 

“Well, that’s a start, I guess. Most goblins I’ve met wouldn’t even dream of stepping this far into the forest. You're brave little goblin.”

I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the heat rising to my cheeks. Bravery? Me? If she only knew how hard I was trying not to faint from sheer exhaustion.

“By the way, I think I’ve seen goblins less covered in mud after a battle. You’ve really got a gift for finding dirt, Hermit.”

I blushed furiously, trying to shake some of the grime off my arms. 

“I... uh, well, I’m good at a few things. Mud happens to be one of them.”

She chuckled, and for a moment, it felt like the forest’s oppressive weight lifted just a little. Lyn’s laughter was like a warm breeze, cutting through the anxiety that gnawed at my chest. She wasn’t just mocking me now - there was something softer in her voice, something that made me wonder if she was actually... enjoying my company.

We continued on, the forest gradually thinning as we approached an opening in the woods. The sun was beginning to break through the canopy, casting golden rays on the path ahead. It felt warmer here, less threatening, and I could finally breathe without feeling like some creature was about to pounce from the shadows.

As we neared a small clearing, Lyn paused, her ears twitching slightly. She looked over her shoulder at me, a strange, thoughtful expression on her face. 

“You know,” she began, her voice softer now, “you’ve surprised me, Hermit. I didn’t expect you to make it this far without begging to turn back.”

I blinked at her, confused.

 “I-I’m tougher than I look,” I mumbled, scratching my head awkwardly.

 “Maybe not brave, but... I don’t give up easily.”

Lyn’s eyes sparkled with something I couldn’t quite place - amusement, perhaps, but also... admiration? She smiled, a small, genuine smile that made my heart race all over again.

 “Yeah, I’m starting to see that,” she said, her tail swishing behind her.

 “You’ve got more fight in you than you give yourself credit for.”

I didn’t know what to say, so I just nodded, feeling strangely proud of her words.

After hours of trudging through mud and nearly getting eaten alive by the forest pests, I finally couldn’t take it anymore.

 “Lyn,” I gasped, leaning against a tree for support, “do… do we have much further to go? I… I think my legs are about to give out.”

 “The village isn’t too far now. We are a few steps away. And don’t worry - you can collapse when we get there. I’m sure we’ll find you a nice soft bed to crash in.”

I laughed nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. 

“Yeah… that sounds good.”

Another few hours later, the trees parted, revealing a breathtaking view - a sprawling valley with golden fields, and in the distance, nestled between two hills, was Lyn’s village. The sight of it took my breath away. Small houses with thatched roofs dotted the landscape, surrounded by gardens and lively streams. It was peaceful, beautiful - nothing like the breeding farms or dark forests I had known.

Lyn turned to me, a mischievous glint in her eyes again.

 “Welcome to my village, Hermit,” she said with a wink.

 “Now, let’s see if they mistake you for a mud monster or just a really dirty goblin.”

I blushed and let out a nervous laugh, but there was a warmth in her teasing that made my chest swell. Maybe... just maybe, this trip through the forest hadn’t been so bad after all.