Chapter 371: River Shower Part 1

The guards cheered and hurried to open the gates at the sight of the hunting party emerging from the edge of the ashen tree line. Stryg carried the giant snow leopard over his shoulders with pride. The chieftain Jahn walked next to him, whistling a happy tune. Srixa and the other three hunters followed behind, none seemed as happy, though they all gazed at the blue goblin with pensive expressions.

Several goblins crowded around the gate as Stryg walked in with a triumphant grin.

Jahn glanced at the early afternoon sun and smiled, “I take it we’re the first hunters to return?”

“Yes, chieftain!” one of the guards nodded excitedly. “We didn’t expect any of the teams to return until sunset.”

“But as expected, the chieftain’s team never fails to impress,” another guard said as he stared in admiration at the snow leopard carcass.

“No, this kill was our resident shaman’s and his alone,” Jahn said proudly.

The guards and the other goblins stopped staring at the carcass and stared at the one carrying it instead. Stryg had thought he had grown used to the stares. The fearful and wary stares of his classmates back at the academy, or the stares of envy of Undergrowth’s nobles, and even the stares of awe amongst the orphans of the Commoner District; he had especially grown used to the stares of hate that never seemed to leave him wherever he went. So it came as a surprise to him when he saw the stares of plain and simple curiosity in the yellow eyes of his tribemates.

“Oi! Stop staring and help get this beast to the cooks. I want to be eating roasted leopard by sunset,” Jahn said.

“Yes, chieftain!” “Right away!”

Several of the goblin bystanders hurried to comply. Stryg lowered the leopard and handed it to four pairs of waiting hands. The goblins gasped at the unexpected weight and their faces grew red in strained effort. One of the guards and a few others rushed to help and together they slowly lifted the carcass and carried it towards the kitchens.

“You’re stronger than you look, kid,” Jahn laughed and patted Stryg’s back.

He glanced at his blue hands and opened and closed his palms repeatedly, “Yeah… I guess I am.”

“Stryg!” a familiar voice yelled.

He turned around with a smile, “Tauri, hey!”

Tauri strode towards him, though there was no smile on her red lips, “Where have you been?”

Plum followed behind her, but she didn’t say a greeting. She was too busy cleaning her glasses which seemed to have a smudge that did not seem to go away.

Before Stryg could answer Tauri’s question, Srixa stepped forward and pointed her spear at Tauri in a playful yet dangerous manner. “He was out hunting with us. Do you have a problem with that, orc?”

Tauri frowned and slowly pushed the spear away. “Point that thing at me again and you and I will have problems.”

“Oh, we already do. Our people have had problems for three long centuries,” Srixa bared her teeth.

Freleri, Kelsa, and Mullein walked up behind Srixa and held up their spears in agreement.

“Everything in this forest really wants to kill us,” Tauri muttered under her breath. “Look, I’ll make this clear to you all. If one of you even so much as tries to attack me or my friends I will burn a hole into your—”

“—Ahah! I finally got it!” Plum yelled in triumph and held her clean glasses up. “I got a little blood on them yesterday from the super weird drink, but I finally cleaned off the smudge! Oh… This isn’t a good time, is it? Yeah, I uh… Yeah, I’ll be quiet now.”

“Freleri, go take the others to cool off. It’s been a long day,” Jahn said in a commanding tone.

Freleri’s expression brightened, “Wait, you mean—?”

“We did get back before any of the other teams. Frost-Tongue should be fairly empty save for some weavers, carpenters, and the younglings,” Jahn said.

“I’ll see you there, chieftain,” Freleri said with excitement. She gestured to her teammates, “Come on, let’s go.”

Srixa gave one last glare at the orc before following after the others. Tauri shook her head.

Jahn nodded to Stryg, “I’m going to go take care of a few things. I’ll see you at the Frost-Tongue.”

“Sounds great,” Stryg said.

Jahn glanced at the others with a smirk, “Orc. Drow. Try not to get in too much trouble.” Without waiting for a response he walked away with a skip to his step.

Tauri turned on Stryg, “Why didn’t you tell us where you were going? Better yet, why didn’t you wake us up when you left?”

Stryg shrugged awkwardly, “I wanted to let you both rest. We’ve had a long trip.”

“How can you expect us to rest when everyone around here wants to kill us!” Tauri whispered angrily. “Especially when this one falls asleep on her watch!”

“I said I was sorry,” Plum winced. “I was really tired after casting magic last night…”

“Not the point,” Tauri said. “The point is so long as we’re in these woods the three of us are a team. We’re supposed to have each other’s backs. If one of us goes off on his own without telling anyone he leaves the rest of us vulnerable. Do you have any idea how long we spent looking for you? Hoping you were okay?”

“…You’re right. Teams stick together. I should have said something before I left this morning,” Stryg admitted. “But—”

“—That's the closest we’re going to get an apology isn’t it?” Tauri raised her eyebrow.

“Yeah, Stryg isn’t great on apologies, I don’t think any Sylvan really is,” Plum said.

“But you guys really don’t have to worry about our safety while we’re here,” Stryg said. “The chieftain gave us his word. No Sylvan will dare attack us as long we’re in Blood Fang territory. Even if they hate us.”

“Even if the others listen to the chieftain, this place is dangerous. I thought you would understand that better than anyone,” Tauri said. “Why are we still here?”

Stryg stared at the ground and smiled softly, “…I just went on my first-ever hunt. I always wanted to be a hunter. To work as a team among the best warriors of the tribe. That was my dream. And today, I got a kill. You should have seen the look on Srixa’s face. Or the chieftain’s. I felt like for the first time I didn’t have to hold back who I was, not even a little. I was still different, but… not in a bad way. It felt nice.”

Tauri grabbed his hand, “Stryg… I’m happy for you, I am, but you know we can’t stay here.”

“…I know, I just… Why don’t we talk about this later?” Stryg whispered. “I’m covered in leopard blood and I’d like to take a bath.”

“Bath?” Tauri’s eyes widened. “You have baths here?”

“We’re not savages,” Stryg said dryly.

“Ooh, yes please!” Plum jumped in happily.

“Great, I’ll take you there,” Stryg said.

“Wait, we still need to talk…” Tauri called out weakly.

“Come on, we can talk later,” Plum pulled her along. “It's been like two weeks since we left Undergrowth, we could all use a bath.”

Tauri stopped in her steps, “Wait, do I smell? I’ve been trying to keep clean with wet towels and some ointments…”

“Meh, I don’t know, I’ve never had a great sense of smell,” Plum shrugged. “Unlike Stryg, he’s got a nose like a hound.”

Tauri’s face paled, “Take me to the baths now.”

~~~

“Welcome to Frost-Tongue River!” Stryg said cheerfully.

“This is not what I meant,” Tauri frowned.

A calm river lay below the small hill they were standing on. The river was a little over 30 meters wide and its water was clear. Smooth white stones lay below the surface, reflecting the light of the sun.

“Wait, are you suddenly scared of water now?” Stryg teased. “And you were the one laughing at me back at your family’s pool.”

“I’m not scared of water, it’s just… Why are they all naked?! The men and women aren’t even separated!” she yelled in exasperation.

About twenty goblins were already in the water, washing themselves with a few bars of soap.

Stryg furrowed his brow, “How else are you supposed to take a bath? And people say I’m weird.”

Tauri glared at him, “I hate you.”

He shrugged and began to take off his bloodstained clothes, “I’m going to go take a bath. You can stay here if you want.”

“You know, I’m beginning to understand why Stryg has no shame when it comes to *ahem* intimate things,” Plum said.

“This is insane,” Tauri turned away, though she snuck a peek at Stryg’s naked behind.

“I kind of like the whole idea. It’s liberating, don’t you think?” Plum smiled.

“You’re as insane as the rest of them,” Tauri said.

Stryg left his friends behind and waded into the river. He dunked himself into the water and closed his eyes, enjoying the calm current running past him.

“I don’t care what his people’s beliefs are, I am not getting naked in front of all of them!” Tauri said adamantly.

“Don’t worry, I got an idea,” Plum said.

She walked down to the river and created an illusion of a small walled enclosure. She nodded and smiled at her own genius then winked at Tauri. “After you, miss Katag.”

Tauri walked down to the enclosure and admired its privacy. “This is nice, but can’t you make a second one so we don’t have to share?”

“I mean, I could, but then I’d lose my chance to see you naked,” Plum said.

“Are you serious?”

“I’ve been traveling with two hot companions who can’t stop making side glances at each other. The least I can do is enjoy the view.”

“You’re shameless, you know that.”

She shrugged, “Small victories.”

Tauri grumbled to herself and reluctantly stripped. Plum followed suit, all the while enjoying the nice scarlet curves of the beauty’s bottom.

A cold shock ran through Tauri’s foot as soon as she stepped into the water. She screamed and flinched. Her leg twisted back and she stumbled right into the ice-cold river. Plum laughed and got a perfect view of Tauri flailing in the water naked.

“I guess we now know why it’s called Frost-Tongue, ey?” Plum giggled.

Tauri’s face rose from the water and she gasped for dear breath. “I h-h-hate a–a-a-ll of y-y-you!” she mumbled with chattering teeth.

Plum sat on the smooth stone shore and dipped her feet into the water. “I think I’m going to stay here for a while, let my body acclimate.”

“E-Easy for you to say. Your people originated in the north, y-you can handle the c-cold,” Tauri glared at her.

“Not like frost giants, mind you, but we get by,” Plum kicked her feet playfully.

“You knew the water was going to be freezing, didn’t you?”

“Stryg may have mentioned a story or two about the river back in our school days.”

“A-And you conveniently forgot to mention it to me, why?”

“I kinda forgot, but you gotta admit it was kinda funny.”

“You know I could have my House make you disappear, right?”

Plum blinked, “Welp, that’s terrifying.”

For a moment she had forgotten she was talking to the daughter of Lord Krall, leader of the Great House of Katag, the most powerful military family in Dusk Valley.

“Just hand me the soap already,” Tauri said.

“R-Right,” Plum said anxiously. She went to hand over the bar of soap then suddenly froze mid-way. “Oh shit… would you look at that?”

Tauri tried to crane her neck past the illusion but she’d have to get out of the river to see, something she had no desire to do. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s just, do you remember that Srixa girl?”

“You mean the crazy huntress threatening to stab us with her spear?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. She may or may not be swimming over to Stryg to flirt with him. And by that I mean she is totally flirting with him.”

“Hah, why should I care?” Tauri laughed forcefully.

“Isn’t he your sister’s fiancé? That counts for something right?”

“Lords and ladies have had several spouses in the past, it’s to be expected of the powerful. I don’t think my sister will care if Stryg flirts with some random savage girl.”

“Right, but what if it’s more? You do know Stryg’s people have like zero reservations about sex and stuff, right? Like zero.”

“What’s your point?” Tauri sighed.

“All I’m saying is that Stryg and Srixa are both naked, probably cold, looking to share some warmth. I once read a book like that. Things happen, you know?”

“Just shut up, Plumela. I’m going to quickly take a bath and get out of this freezing water before I get hypothermia.”

“Oh, Srixa’s getting closer to him. Now she’s got her hand on his chest.”

“Fucking dammit!” Tauri brushed the illusion away and swam towards them.