NOVEL SIMPLE 11. Travel and a Quest
The next day, they packed up the few items in Miu’s bag and set out for her clan. The cat-kin lived in a small village further up into the forest hills, the opposite direction of the human settlement down in the prairie.
Miu walked in front, using her pathfinding skill to work their way out of the secluded clearing and waterfall pool they had been staying at. The brush surrounding it was dense, almost impenetrable to someone without Miu’s Hunter expertise. Bonny stayed close behind, a requirement for Miu’s traveling skills.
An occasional branch lashed back and struck her, usually with negligible impact against her fur, except when one hit her bare nipples. She sometimes questioned her decision to pass on the one shirt Miu had, but it was thin and probably wouldn’t have added protection anyway. Hopefully they could find something to wear at the cat-kin village.
Even though her chest was bare, the rabbit-kin had taken the strip of cloth from the bag and wrapped it around her waist and between her legs, as a makeshift loincloth. She didn’t mind nudity, but without something to secure it, her new penis hung down almost to her knees. Even flaccid, it was around 9 inches long. The color had faded to match the skin around her vulva, but it had a faint brown coloring with white spots along the shaft, reminiscent of her fur. The loincloth wrapped the penis and pulled it to the left, where it reached her hip. The motion of walking rubbed the loincloth against the head, causing small streaks of pleasure to radiate down the shaft with each step.
Trying to ignore it was impossible, and Bonny found herself grabbing the head to hold it still as they slowly climbed the wooded, rocky hills.
Reaching the top, they stopped for a moment, listening to the call of insects, birdsong, and the distant thunder of the waterfall they had recently been camped under. They didn’t have anything to carry water in, so had decided to stick close to the river until they were within a days walk to Miu’s clan. It was a little longer than a straight hike, but safer.
“Miu, I don’t know how much longer I can take this.” Bonny wiggled the hand holding her dick.
“Must, nya. Not safe.”
Bonny looked around and listened, but it sounded like a forest from home. Not that she had a lot of experience with woods, but she had gone running in the Angeles National Forest several times back on Earth. Before … she died.
She sighed and nodded at Miu to keep going. Bonny had worked through some of her trauma, telling Miu about Earth while they were cuddling at night. About how it was safe, with no goblins or monsters. Except that, sometimes there were monsters. They just wore human skin, drove stupid trucks, screamed in rage when women didn’t do what they wanted.
Bonny put Matt out of her mind and concentrated on following Miu again. Step by step, holding her new penis when she didn’t need her hand free to catch her balance or move brush out of the way.
Hours later, Miu found a dense thicket not too far from the river. They filled the pot with water from the river, being careful of the piranha that swam in the calmer waters, then worked their way into the brush.
“No fire, nya. Stay quiet.”
After eating some herbs and roots they had collected along the way, they cuddled together, Bonny taking the big spoon position and holding Miu tight against her. There was no sex or talking and they slept fitfully, waking at every noise their sensitive ears caught, evaluating for threats before dozing off again.
The next day, they set off again. It was early afternoon when Miu seemed to relax and veer away from the river. After a few minutes, she motioned Bonny forward and they walked together towards a huge oak tree that dominated the nearby forest. The lowest limbs were more than ten feet above the ground and the top of the tree was easily a hundred feet tall and spanned half that again wide. It would take more than ten people to encircle the trunk.
The scent of wildflowers filled the area and Bonny spotted them growing in patches around the tree and under the tree, where sunbeams seem to filter through as if planned.
“Is safe, nya. Dryad tree.”
“There are dryads? Wait, of course there are. If there are goblins and cat people, or course there are tree people.” Bonny grinned at Miu as she chattered. “Are there mermaids? Elves and Fairies? Oh, I want to meet a Fox girl. I could call her Foxxy and she wouldn’t be as catty as …”
Miu leaned over and silenced Bonny with a kiss. “Shhh, nya.”
“But you haven’t let me talk all day.” Bonny mock pouted. She knew why they had to be quiet, of course.
“Dryad is Grandma Oak, nya. She have answers.” Miu grabbed Bonny’s hand and pulled her along to the trunk.
As they came close, part of the bark on the tree trunk seemed bulge out, until a woman stepped free. She was tall, at least 7 feet, and thin, without noticeable breasts or hips, but still clearly feminine. Her skin was the dark brown and rough texture of the oak they stood under. Her hair was leaves, vines, and moss tangled together, growing from twigs that spouted from the top and back of her head. The mass of “hair” hung to the forest floor and dragged behind her, collecting dirt and debris as she walked.
The dryad’s eyes were dark orbs inset into the bark and twinkled, as if she knew secrets no one else could comprehend. She smiled at them. “Do you need sanctuary?” Her voice was the rushing of wind along the leaves of the forest.
Bonny stared up at her, speechless. When she thought of dryads, she had pictured cute shapely girls, with green skin and hair, prancing around excitedly. The woman in front of her was old, ancient. And terrifying! There was a pressure associated with her presence, a spiritual weight of years and knowledge that demanded attention.
Miu bowed as she spoke. “Yes, nya. Goblins expanding and threaten forest people clans and tribes.”
“I have heard. Even now, a battle between lamia warriors and goblins is taking place a handspan to the east. The trees whisper of a primordial evil driving the goblins south, but none of us know the source.” The dryad peered at them both for a moment, staring through them, then continued. “You both have a soul wound. It will heal in time, but I will help if you perform a task for me.”
Miu glanced at Bonny, who nodded, then back to the dryad. “Will help if we can, nya.”
“Hurry to the east, to the battle. Save who you can and search for clues among the dead. We need to prepare for a goblin swarm.”
