On the road again

Riding a bear was tiring and really made Soul hurt in spots she wasn't used to hurting. BlueFrost didn't complain and Moonflower looked like he was having the time of his life.

"Help!" The scream was heard off the trail and into the woods. Soul didn't even think as she drove Ursa into the woods toward the sound.

"Wait, Soul! It could be a trap!" BlueFrost yelled behind her.

Soul stopped Ursa only long enough to dismount. Three goblins were around a fire with a woman tied in a tree cage near by. The goblins were definately getting ready to cook the poor girl.

Upon seeing them, BlueFrost flew off Spoticus at the goblin on the right and killed him quickly with his sword before turning toward the one that was in the middle.

Soul felt her magic flare up and wondered. She pounced on the one on the left holding it down and sent her taming through it. It only took one try for the tame to take. Apparently, terrified was a status condition.

Soul stared at the naming screen and frowned. What do you name a goblin? It's greyish green skin was rough and it didn't smell that nice either. The name that came to mind seemed mean but it was all she could think of on the spot. Grinch.

"You named it Grinch?" BlueFrost placed his hand on his hip and stared at Soul with a strange look on his face.

"I think it suits it!" Moonflower said laughing.

"I couldn't think of anything else for him! In my defence, my mom loves that movie and makes us watch it every year." Soul was practically pouting.

"It's your tame, Soul. You can name it what you want." BlueFrost let out a small chuckle and walked back toward Spoticus.

Soul looked at the goblin and wondered if they could clen him up first or something. She couldn't handle that wretched rotting smell. She listened and heard a creek nearby.

"Guys, you go on ahead and take the unconscious girl to the village with you on Ursa. I'll catch up after I clean Grinch up a bit." Soul decided.

"Are you sure, Soul?" Moonflower looked worried. BlueFroat picked the woman up that had fainted at some point and carefully placed her on Ursa.

"Yeah. You need to catch up to your sister and I need to do something about this smell." Soul pinched her nose to prove a point.

"I don't like it, but it makes sense. I'll send your tames back to you once we get there." BlueFrost held on to Ursa's reins as he rode Spoticus. Moonflower waved goodbye and followed behind.

"Alright, Grinch! Let's get you cleaned up!" Soul started walking toward the creek she'd heard. She got to the edge of the creek but the hill was very steep. "Be careful, Griiiiiiin-"

She slid and was hurtling toward the creek at a fast pace she was sure would hurt her ankle when she suddenly stopped. She looked up and Grinch was holding her wrist tightly but obviously struggling. She carefully got her footing and took a long breath.

"Thank you, Grinch." Soul sighed and was more careful as she made her way down.

"Wel...Wel..." He mumbled. Soul stopped moving and turned to face her newest tame.

"You can speak, Grinch?" Soul felt her eyes go wide.

"Ye..." It was broken speech, but it was still something. Soul thought for a moment. If she could teach him to talk a little better and hold conversations...

"Alright, Grinch. From now on, we are going to have language lessons! Let's get you washed up and we'll go from there!" Soul was so excited. She used to tutor Rin in English and Japanese all the time. Rin was terrible at both, really and always needed extra help.

Soul's excitement vanished instantly when Grinch undressed. Definitely a boy. Soul quickly turned around with a huge blush on her face. What the hell, game! Last thing she wanted to see was THAT!

"Uh... Um... Grinch? Can you bathe yourself? Like clean up in the creek?" Soul hesitantly asked.

"Ye..." His hesitant reply made her doubt but best let him try on his own so she didn't have to. She heard him splashing about and then heard him laugh. Soul finally calmed down once she thought about it. He was like a child. He had rough speech and liked to play in the water when bathing. He got dirty and didn't even think about a bath. Maybe goblin are just larger children. Thinking that way though, made her feel bad for the ones BlueFrost killed.

They'd always been seen as monsters because they hurt people, but once you take that away, they were harmless children. She had very mixed feelings about this. It wasn't as if she cod go around taming every goblin out there just so they'd stop trying to eat people. And she couldn't ask people not to kill them given a goblin would kill a human without thought.

What was the right answer to this moral delimma? Soul pondered for a moment until she was all but tackled by a furry wolf happy to see his master.

"Kiba... Haha... Get off..." Soul laughed as she finally was able to push him off. She looked up and saw the bears barreling toward her as well. "Nonononono!"

Soul moved out of the way just as they reached her and was gifted their pouty face. "You two would break me if you pounced on me that way." She did walk over and hug them both though.

"How are you doing, Grinch?" She chanced a glance over her shoulder and saw him splashing in the water happily. Not really bathing though. Hmm...

Soul opened her inventory and pulled out some materials. She wasn't the best at needle work, but she was better than some. She made sure to design something that could be resized with straps. She wasn't sure about his size afterall. Then she pulled out some soap plants she'd found back in the elven village. She still had quite a lot of those. Time to help a goblin bathe.

After nearly an hour, she had Grinch cleaned and dressed. He smelled so much better now and looked far less savage now that his clothes weren't rags with holes and stains.

"Let's go catch up." Soul climbed up on Ursa and let Grinch ride Spoticus while Kiba scouted ahead for them. She made sure to teach Grinch the whole way.

"I need to find another tame for you to ride, Grinch. Or maybe, we'll just purchase an actual horse." Soul laughed at the thought of the goblin riding the horse while they rode the rather strange mounts.

She kept an eye in the woods though, hoping to spot something. She made it to the town a little sad she hadn't seen anything but glad Grinch was getting a little better at talking.