Chapter 13: Wet Behind the ears
"Noooooo! don't go friends!" Amina and I did our best to hide our annoyance. But neither of us wanted to stick around any longer when we figured out what had happened the night before (and we needed to continue with our journey.) "I'm sorry guys but we need to go" I responded as gently as I could.
They didn't seem very happy with my answer and before we knew it, more than a hundred little fairies were clinging onto us from head to toe, bawling their eyes out like children lost in the woods. "No! Don't go! Don't go!"
We tried to pull them off but when one would let go, another would fly in to fill the empty space. Eventually the two of us got sick of this and when I gave her a "go for it" nod, she went into monster mode and sent the lot of them scattering into the trees, screaming.
We quickly made our way back to our original resting spot and grabbed our things (Quite lucky no one decided to swipe it when we weren't around) and deciding to skip breakfast, we continued with our journey without further delay. There were a few things we promised one another that day.
1: Finding a place to wash ourselves was todays objective
2: Never again would we partake in any activities associated with Fairies
3: We would never, ever, EVER, speak of this again
I had no clue where any rivers or lakes were in these woods, nor did I want to go wandering around looking for such a place, only to lose my way and never find the road again. Despite my tracking abilities I could easily lose my own trail and sense of direction if I wasn't careful.
Fortunately, Amina seemed to know her way around the area and after walking for a good two hours we came upon a small side path that looked to be very old and poorly maintained. Apparently (according to Amina,) this trail would lead us to a spring after a half hour trek.
I was a little sceptical about going down such an unused road, but we were still covered in….you know what (it stuck to our skin and clothes and smelt foul.) I didn't care about the risks anymore, I just wanted to be fracking clean. I quickly grabbed Amina by the hand, ignored the cute smile on her face, and led her hastily down the track.
We reached our destination far more quickly than Amina had estimated (did I mention I was eager for a good wash?) and sure enough, there was the water spring. It was quite the view. Water from a river in the mountains above poured down from a steep cliff into a stone water bed, filled with beautiful spring water that sparkled brightly in the sunlight.
There was plenty of room for the two of us to swim in and the deepest sections would only bring the water up to my neck (which was a good thing since I couldn't swim.)
A dozen people could bathe in this spring without compromising their dignity thanks to the rocks and inclines which provided plenty of hiding spots for sensible folk such as myself.
But with such a beautiful thing laid bare before me, I found myself forgetting all dignity and restraint as I pulled off my clothes in front of a stunned Amina and charged into the water with a great shout.
Falling face first into the water with a loud splash, I felt every muscle in my body tighten, then relaxed as I quickly adjusted to the cold water. Raising my head above the water, I took in a breath of fresh air and shouted out to the skies above "God's this feels amazing!"
I didn't care if I was naked. Nor did it bother me when Amina nervously removed her own clothing and joined me in the water. The stickiness, the smell, it was gone! Granted, our clothes still needed a good scrubbing but we'll worry about that later!
After spending some time relaxing in the water, Amina swam back to shore and went through her belongings. She returned to the water with a large brush and a pouch containing some shampoo which we shared between the two of us.
The shampoo made my hair silky and clean, with a light fragrance that reminded me of apples, and the brush did a good job scrubbing off any dirt the water couldn't quite reach.
Our clothing took a little longer to clean up, but after thirty minutes of hard scrubbing we were confident that most of the….you know what was gone and our clothes were left to dry on a tree branch as we resumed our peaceful swim in the water.
Unfortunately, the peaceful swim didn't last long thanks to a 'playful' little Goblin. I was paddling in the water, minding my own business, when Amina decided to sneak up on me from behind, grabbing a hold of me in a way that painfully reminded me of Gamila.
"….Can I help you?" I asked awkwardly. Amina just giggled and pulled me into a tighter embrace. "What's the matter?" Amina asked in a teasing voice, "Don't you like being hugged like this?"
I was about to tell the annoying Goblin to let me go when I realized her nipples were….were….they were. "…Ehe….ehehehe….AHAHAHAHA-OWWW!"The reason for my sudden burst of laughter is quite simple, I'm ticklish. Too bad Amina took it the wrong way.
"The hell was that for!?" I shouted angrily as I rose to my feet, turning around to face my attacker, only to see Amina storming back to shore with her hands over her chest. "Jerk!" She shouted back towards me as she disappeared into the trees to sulk.
I sat back down into the water, rubbing my sore head as I tried to figure out what made her so angry. "Must be a monster girl thing." I grumbled to myself. Didn't really know what got her so upset, but I decided to apologize to her so things wouldn't get any worse than they are now. That was the plan anyway.
Once again, I was jumped from behind. But this time, it wasn't Amina. Before I could even process what was happening to me, I found myself being pulled through the water at a startling pace. I wanted to call out to Amina for help, but a large, scaly hand was pressed against my mouth.
Next thing I know I'm sitting on a rock covered in a soft coat of moss, inside a small cave hidden behind the waterfall. Seeing a few fish bones scattered all over the place caused me to panic as I tried to pull myself free of my abductor.
Even though it's skin was wet and slippery, the arms held me in place with an unnatural strength and tenderness that you would find only in a monster girl. The girl behind me let go of my chest and started stroking my head, hushing me like I was a crying child.
I didn't really like where this was going and wanted to get as far away from here as possible. But I remembered what happened last time I tried fighting a monster girl and decided to try a different approach.
I stopped my struggling and accepted the strangers embrace. I was hoping that she would let me go and start talking to me once she realized I wouldn't try to fight her. It sort of worked.
She let go of my mouth, but before I could even get a word in she wrapped both her arms around me and started rubbing her face affectionately against my own with a cute "Mmmmm." Noise added in.
It was strange. She didn't say anything and yet, it felt like she didn't need to. The way she held me. The way her body temperature rose to match mine. The pace of her breathing. Even the atmosphere between us told me everything I needed to know.
Her name was Triste. She was sad, no, lonely. She doesn't have any friends because everyone's afraid of her. Nor has she ever had a family of her own. Ever since she was little she wanted to hold someone in her arms, and be held in theirs. She wanted to listen to his voice every day, first thing in the morning and before going to sleep.
She wouldn't force herself onto me. She knows I'm just as inexperienced as she is, and wouldn't make me do anything that would cause me distress. She loved me. And she really, really wanted to keep me.
So how the hell do I know all this from touch alone? Simple. She's a Sahuagin. Overall, Sahuagin are little fish girls with fins and scales. You know that saying "Action speaks louder than words"? Well, that's pretty much a Sahuagin. They're not really good at talking to people, nor can they show any emotions except in special (sexual) situations.
They're a lot better at communicating with people by being intimate (touching each other in other words.) I guess that makes sense considering they used to be semi sentient fish people that ate anything they came across, both man and beast. I've never seen a fish smile before and Chief God forbid I ever do!
Anyway, back to my current situation. I wasn't really sure what to do now that I was in this situation. She abducted me, yes, but I don't blame her considering how lonely it would get out here. And on top of that she seems like a really nice girl that doesn't mean me any harm. So how the hell do I get out of this (without feeling bad afterwards?)
I decided to try and get her attention by holding her hand, but the moment I moved a single muscle she instantly understood my intentions and held onto me more tightly. Resting her head against my back, I could barely hear her whisper to me in a sweet voice "No. please. Don't make me let go." Then she started to cry….she just had to fracking cry!
I don't pretend to be some battle-hardened hero or cold-blooded assassin. When I see a little girl cry, I start to cry (doesn't help when this girl can transmit her feelings to others.) The sob fest that followed started to drain me both physically and emotionally. I began to lose my resolve to leave and once again relaxed in her embrace. It was then I noticed a few things.
It was quite cozy in here. The sound of water pouring into the spring outside had a soothing effect over me. It was quite dark, but a few streaks of light would leak through the wall of water, dancing along the walls in a way that felt almost hypnotic. Maybe this place isn't so bad. I could get used to spending the rest of my life here with Triste. Yes, I was home. I was fucking doomed.
But then my hero appeared. In the form of a half-naked Goblin wielding a mace and a scowl that would scare a dragon away. "GET AWAY FROM HIM YA SLIMY WATER SKANK!"
Triste released her grip and stood up, looming over me like a bear protecting her cub. She shook her head slowly, hissing like an angry returned to normal, I wanted to run, but I found myself paralyzed with fear.
All I could do was shoot Amina a "help me" look. Amina noticed this and without hesitation, charged at the angry Sahuagin with her mace raised in the air. But Triste had other ideas.
She grabbed ahold of me and, with blinding speed, rushed past Amina and we were outside again. When Amina emerged from the waterfall, she lunged at us for another strike. But Triste just moved to the other end of the spring within seconds and Amina fell face first into the water.
Almost an hour went by and the same thing just happened over and over again. Amina chased us through the water and Triste would simply dodge her attacks. Her plan was pretty simple: Wear Amina down and then finish her with a single blow.
Amina didn't seem to understand the situation she was in and just kept chasing us through the water, sometimes she ran and sometimes she had to swim depending on the depth of the water. Either way, she was never going to catch us, unless someone were to give her a hand.
Fortunately, I was able to develop a plan of my own. I waited until Amina was only a few feet away, Triste was preparing to move when I suddenly planted my feet hard into the ground.
Triste noticed this and paused to read my thoughts. But by the time she had figured what I was doing it was too late. Her grip was tight, but the slippery texture of her arms made it easy for me spin myself around until I was facing her directly.
The next part of my plan was to grab ahold of her so Amina could get a good shot at her….I don't know what happened. My hands just found themselves on the first thing I saw. And they happened to be her lady parts.
All three of us seemed to freeze in place for a few seconds, stunned at the sudden turn of events. Triste's cheeks went bright read and her grip loosened enough for me to break free.
Triste tried to take possession of me again, but Amina quickly snapped out of her trance and sent the girl flying, hitting the cliff wall with a 'smack!' I was about to thank Amina for the rescue. Instead, I received yet another knock to the head and doubled over in pain. "What the hell were you doing touching her tits you pervert!?"
Despite the two bruises, I couldn't help but smile at the angry Goblin and gave her a hug which surprised her greatly. "Thanks for the help Amina." I said sincerely. Amina shoved me away, her face bright red. It was then I realized I was still naked. "….Sorry."
Amina didn't have time to respond. Triste had gotten back up whilst we were distracted and lunged at her like a mad beast. Savaging her with sharp claws that tore her flesh like daggers.
Seeing Amina's blood. Hearing her screams. It made me angry. Very angry. Triste was too busy with Amina to see me running at her with my fist at the ready. I landed a good punch right on her face, knocking her down for a few moments before she quickly got back on her feet and lunged at me.
That was when something strange happened. She grabbed ahold of me for one second, but then she paused, then jumped back with a gasp. She looked right at me with an intense gaze and for a second I saw something in her eyes….fear?
I didn't know what was happening, but I wasn't going to back down. Not with Amina so badly injured. "Triste. Leave. Now!" It worked. It actually worked! Triste turned away and swiftly retreated back into her cave without even looking back! For a moment I just stood there. Stunned at the sudden turn of events. But then the sound of moaning quickly turned my attention to my injured companion behind me. She was going to need some stitches.