Chapter 21

Suddenly the rope binding him loosened for a moment.

Beorn didn't dare to move. He didn't even dare to breathe. The creature was standing really close behind him.

A heavy load was placed on Beorn's back and tied to him with the rope.

The dead shadow cat's left frontleg suddenly fell on his shoulder.

Beorn just kept standing still even if he wanted to scream and run for the hills.

The cat's body was heavy, but he should be able to manage. He had made it this far...

Torm squirmed a lot when the creature tied Nola to his back.

The creature easily took the bundle with their possessions on its shoulder balancing the unwieldy package as if it was nothing.

Then it walked off and pulled them with, like some pack animals.

It even treated Torm like a donkey. When he got too slow, he received a kick.

They trekked through the forest with heavy steps.

Three times the creature disguising itself as a goblin stopped, bound them to a tree and then climbed up to the top.

Beorn used the second time to talk with Torm.

"Are you alright? Can you endure?" Beorn was worried about the young man.

Torm hesitantly nodded with a grimace on his face.

"Why did you attack when the shadow cat had already been killed?" Beorn gave Torm a reproachful look.

Beorn defenitely wanted no repeat of that, imagining the possible consequences.

"That horrible shadow cat was finally dead. Thank Luman. I thought it was a weak goblin that only got lucky. A saving miracle. But I was too impatient. The goblin wasn't the salvation, it's only our next trial." Torm looked like he really meant it.

Torm had fled deeply into religion since his father and elder brother had died three days ago.

They had been one of the first that damn shadow cat had gotten.

Before that night Torm had only reluctantly followed his father saying a simple prayer before meals.

Now Torm talked about nothing else.

"Keep your head down and try not to provoke our death. If it wanted us dead it would have killed us already. So we're going to follow the goblin and try to stay alive until there's a chance to escape. I will watch out for..." Beorn stopped talking when the creature landed next to them.

It wasn't impossible that it could understand the human language.

Beorn especially didn't tell Torm that the creature wasn't a goblin, because Torm was afraid enough to be cautious. Beorn didn't want him panicking completely.

Even Torm's newfound faith didn't dominate the fear. That was good. If Torm ever became fearless because of his faith...

Following the creature, the forest was less hostile than the humans had ever experienced.

Even other goblins they soon met on the way kept a respectful distance from the creature.

The challenge on the way was limited to enduring their exhaustion, their fear and their load.

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The mood in the Chief Mouth's cavern was tense.

Groby wanted to celebrate his personal success together with one of the goblin tits, but Chief Mouth was so angry about their failed raid that it was disturbing.

Chief Mouth was pacing and cursing. Sometimes screaming at the next best goblin. Almost frothing at the mouth.

Groby gave one of the goblin tits a sign and left the cavern.

He waited for her in the first cave in the tunnel he found empty and pulled her in when she came by.

Groby was really horny and started kissing and touching her immediately.

"Me Grobtooth." Groby told her between kisses. Groby wasn't used to his new name yet, but he was proud to tell it to this pretty tit.

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"Me Griffy." She said between moans and began rubbing his body.

Groby threw his new pelt on the ground and peeled Griffy out of hers.

She looked great naked. He pressed his naked body to hers, feeling her warmth.

"Groby!"

For a moment Groby thought Griffy wanted to provoke him into taking her harder by using his old name until he noticed it wasn't Griffy who had called out.

With a bad feeling Groby looked around.

In the cave's entrance stood Gribbly.

The blood in Groby's veins froze in terror.

When Griffy noticed something wrong it was already too late.

Gribbly was already standing behind her, grabbing Griffy by the neck and pulling her away from Groby.

"That my dick, slut!" Gribbly rammed Griffy face first into the wall.

"Mine!" Face met wall again.

"Mine!" And again.

Gribbly stopped and looked at Griffy's face. Bleeding and swelling with bruising, Griffy was completely dazed, but not unconscious.

Gribbly let the naked Goblin tit fall to the ground and stepped close to Groby.

Gribbly took Groby by the balls.

"You back." Gribbly stated calmly. Squeezing.

Groby squirmed.

"M-me follower of Chief Mouth now. Saved Chief Mouth from dying." Groby immediately informed her about his accomplishment to save his hide. "Me strong now."

Groby flexed his muscles. They really had grown noticeably.

Gribbly mustered him keenly and then let her gaze wander over his naked body.

She loosened her grip and started caressing him. From pain to pleasure.

Under her stroking and other ministrations he erupted quickly. Even Groby couldn't finish himself off so fast.

Gribbly knew exactly how to handle him.

"Good. Happy you come back." Gribbly took him in her arms while he was still breathing heavily.

"Let's get food. We can go to Witchtooth's cooking fire now." Gribbly was happy about his rise in standing and pulled Groby after her.

Groby let out a sigh of relief.

"What happen with raid?" Gribbly walked slowly through the tunnel holding his hand.

"Me great. Kill many goblins outside. Collect food for suns. Hole up near the Misty Mountain Tribe's cave. Eat well and then bloody ambushes, collect loot and then eat well. Me great. Kill more, raid, pillage and ra..." Groby felt her claws biting into his arm. "C-chief Mouth want more. Me not. Me want come back to pretty Gribbly. We attack Misty Mountain Tribe's cave. So easy to penetrate. Goblins die or flee. We so great... And then we see..." Groby shuddered visibly remembering this moment.

"Orcs. A group of orcs eating and resting. Orcs not happy to be annoyed. But happy to slaughter Chief Mouth's raiding party." Groby hesitated a little to tell more.

Gribbly put her arm around him and pulled him closer.

Only now they noticed the little group of goblins following after them silently. Intently listening to Groby's story.

"What happen? My Groby hurt?" Gribbly spurned him on. She even raised her voice a little and gave him a nudge.

"Me great. Block one attack from orc directly. Save Chief Mouth and retreat while fighting back many orcs. Kill more goblins on way back. Me important follower of Chief Mouth now. Me Grobtooth." At the end Groby started strutting.

Gribbly looked at him with worship. The goblins following didn't notice the obvious exaggeration and gushed excitedly too.

"What orcs look like?" One of the younger goblins following asked curiously.

"Orcs are giant mountain of green muscles. Perfect warriors with impressive teeth. Two really great ones jutting up out of their mouths. So strong. And so fast." Groby and the survivors of the raiding party had been lucky that the small tunnels in the cave system of the Misty Mountain Tribe had been such a hindrance for the tall orcs or not one of them would have come back.

The following goblins were really impressed. Talking amongst themselves excitedly. Calling and flattering his name. Grobtooth.

Grobtooth was happy and gave Gribbly's ass a squeeze. Followed by a proud and roguish grin.

She gave him a smoldering look that promised a bright future.

"But let's get food first." Gribbly pulled him directly to one of the pots manned by Witchtooth's pretty follower as they reached the main cavern.

Groby only shot some looks at the pretty goblin tit stirring the pot while Gribbly organised and filled two bowls.

Groby got a rewarding pat on the head from Gribbly for his restraint.

She pulled him to a free space where they could sit down. Coincidentally the pretty follower couldn't be watched from there.

The food wasn't bad. No wonder everyone wanted to have the right to partake in Witchtooth's food.

There were even rumors that every Chief Mouth got strengthened by consuming Witchtooth's food and concoctions all the time.

Grobtooth was waiting to find out.

"Our little ones are well by the way. They teeth and cry healthily. Are with Snuggy now, so after meal we can sneak away for a while." Gribbly laid her hand on his thigh promisingly.

Suddenly there was a commotion.

There were so many excited shouts that Grobtooth couldn't make out much.

But one word reached everyone. "Humans."

Excitement, some fear and anticipation was palpable in the air until a terrifying pressure fell on all.

Grobtooth knew right away without seeing anything. His legs started shaking.

It was the powerful butcher of goblins, the tormenter, living in the bowels of the tribe's cave system.

After Grobtooth had seen the orcs and had witnessed their strength, he was even more terrified of him.

How couldn't he be? A goblin stronger than orcs and capable of massacring them much faster scared him to his core.

The whole crowd stilled on the spot underneath that pressure and parted like reed before a Lolong crocodile.

There he was.

Groby had known it.

Divine.