After stepping out of the village, they moved in a two-line formation, with one male in front and two behind.
There were six females in the group, with Alruk and the female holding him positioned at the center.
As they walked, the female holding Alruk turned to him with a soft smile.
“You boy with stronger blood, yes?” she asked.
She had yellow eyes like most of the tribe and short brown hair.
Her voice was gentle, carrying a faint rasp of age that marked her as one of the older females.
The others slowed down to listen to their conversation.
Alruk nodded.
“Yes.”
One of the females gasped.
She had been watching him with curiosity, as though trying to remember something.
“Mitcha, this be strong baby.”
She was one of the older females and was also responsible for breastfeeding the infants.
The two adolescent females and the males looked confused.
Mitcha stopped walking and brought her face closer to Alruk’s, examining him carefully before nodding.
“You right, Raka.”
They resumed walking.
“I Mitcha,” she said, introducing herself before moving on to introduce the others.
“What strong one name?” one of the adolescents asked.
“Da…
Alruk.”
He had almost spoken his old name by instinct.
“Da’alruk?” Mitcha asked.
“No.”
Sweat formed on his forehead.
“Only Alruk,” he corrected quickly, realizing how close he had come to exposing himself.
‘Looks like I haven’t fully let go of the past,’ he thought.
‘I’ll have to be more careful.’
They continued walking in comfortable silence.
After a few minutes, Alruk began to hear the sound of flowing water.
A minute later, they arrived at a small stream.
The water was crystal clear, with fish swimming through it.
The males immediately began scanning the surroundings while the females moved to fill their clay bowls.
Before they could finish, Alruk suddenly broke free and ran toward the stream.
Splash!
He jumped into the water.
Everyone froze.
She rushed toward him immediately.
After all, she had been entrusted with his care.
In the stream, Alruk began washing the dirt from his body.
Mitcha reached him and tried to pull him out.
“Alruk, why run?
Careful.
Stay close.”
He resisted before she could lift him.
“Mitcha, I dirty.
Uncomfortable.”
He put on the most pitiful expression he could manage.
“You comfortable dirty?” he asked before adding,
“Why not join and see?”
Mitcha hesitated and glanced back at the others.
They were equally unsure.
“Just short time,” Alruk urged.
“Quick dip.”
As he spoke, he continued scrubbing himself.
Since she was already standing in the water, Mitcha decided to indulge him.
She rinsed the dirt from her own body.
At first, it felt strange.
Then she relaxed.
When the other females noticed the content expression on her face, they decided to try it as well.
One by one, they stepped into the stream.
Slowly, they relaxed and washed away the dirt covering their bodies.
While they enjoyed the bath, Alruk examined his own reflection.
Like most of the tribe, his eyes were yellow, though his were darker—almost golden.
His hair, however, was unusual for a goblin.
Dirty blond.
As he washed, he inspected his skin.
Like every other goblin’s, it was green, but unlike the adults’, it was still smooth because of his age.
Without proper care, it would gradually become rougher as he matured.
After a while, the males noticed what the females were doing.
“What you doing?
Why in water?” one of them asked.
One of the females answered without interrupting her bath.
“Alruk and Mitcha do first.
Look like fun.”
After exchanging uncertain glances, the males stepped into the stream as well.
Their bodies gradually relaxed, and before long, everyone was bathing.
Some even began splashing each other and laughing. New chapters come out on novelping.com first.
They remained there for nearly half an hour.
When they finished, Alruk washed his piece of meat in the flowing water.
The stream was slightly salty, which might even improve the flavor.
Once everyone stepped out, they stared at one another in amazement.
It was the first time any of them had ever bathed like this.
They admired how much cleaner their skin looked.
“Raka, I lighter,” one of the females said, staring at her arms.
“Me too!
Body shine!” Raka laughed.
When Alruk approached, Mitcha looked at him with a stern expression.
“Alruk, you did wrong.”
Her tone made even the adult-minded Alruk flinch.
The group fell silent.
Although they usually treated one another as equals, everyone knew Mitcha held authority as one of the oldest females.
She had been responsible for Alruk throughout this trip.
If anything had happened to him, she would have been punished.
Some wanted to defend him.
After all, he was only a child.
Then Mitcha smiled.
“You did wrong…
but let us know something good.”
Her features softened as she crouched before him, gently rubbing his shoulder with the care of a mother correcting a mischievous child.
“You did good, yes.
But not leave group and go alone again.”
She stroked his hair.
“Keep this in heart and mind.”
She tapped his chest before gently tapping his forehead.
“Lone goblin, weak goblin.”
Her voice remained gentle but firm.
“But goblin with group be strong goblin.”
She held his gaze until he nodded.
“Good.
Now hold hand.”
Balancing her bowl on her head, she reached out to him.
He took her hand, and together they returned to the village in the same formation.
As they walked through the forest, a relaxed atmosphere surrounded the group, though excitement still lingered after their first bath.
‘Guess wild goblins aren’t that wild after all,’ Alruk thought with a smile.