"Oh, um, yeah. That's right," Nabi said in a soft voice as she watched him examine her foot. "Three years old." Her face flushed a little as his hands moved along her bare feet and she looked away to try and hide her now very red cheeks.

@Pandalope

"Well, you're a fully grown female. Not a girl anymore. Congratulations on surviving to adulthood. If you like, I can give you a quick foot rub to loosen the muscles a bit more, but after that, we've got to get going" Taurl explained. Goblins used massage as a sort of medicine in place of other treatments when possible. It was good for loosening and toning muscles, relieving stress and pain, and treating certain injuries. It also had social functions as well, but this wasn't the time for that. This wasn't meant to be a way of attracting her, nor was it something that even crossed Ty's mind. Given their mortality rate as younglings, the congratulations earlier were sincere.

"Well, thank you," Nabi said. "Gabi and I were both lucky." That was true. They had a third sister in the same litter, but she never made it past six months because she got sick and died. "And sure, I would like that," Nabi said, as she leaned back and did her best to relax every part of her body. Her heart was beating pretty quickly in her chest because she was nervous about the upcoming raid. It was going to be the most exciting and most dangerous thing she had ever done after all.

When Gabi returned home, she put the shovel away in the small shed that had been constructed from bits of wood scavenged from raided human caravans before she went to the small chicken coop and started to sprinkle some food on the ground for them. The greedy birds devoured it hungrily. As Gabi watched them eat, her eyes searched for the fattest one to prepare for dinner tonight.

@Pandalope

Taurl worked quickly on each of Nabi's feet, trying to be thorough but not taking too long. He used both hands to knead her right foot, warming it up. After a minute, he then used his hands to wring her foot by grasping around the ball and moving his hands in opposite directions. He started at her toes, moved up the arch to the heel, then he would wring back down to her toes. After that, he made a fist and used his knuckles to rub deeply on the sole, between the ball and the heel.

Following that, he cupped one hand under her heel, behind the ankle, to brace her foot and leg. He grasped the ball of the foot with the other hand and turned the foot slowly at the ankle five times in each direction. Then, Taurl used his fingers to press deeply and draw lines from Nabi's heel up to the toes, repeating that step five times. Then, he used his thumbs to press and move in small circles along the sole of the foot, covering the entire surface of the sole.

Moving on, Ty grasped her foot beneath the arch, and with his other hand, beginning with the big toe, he held the toe with his thumb on top and another finger beneath. Starting at the base of the toe, he slowed slowly and firmly pulled the toe, sliding his fingers to the top and back to the base for all four of her toes on the foot. Then he made a fist with his hand, and gently pressed it into the arch of Nabi's foot, held it for a second, and released it. He repeated this a number of times, until she seemed to be satisfied with how it felt.

Finally, he took the heel of his left hand and rubbed the arch of her foot with the heel of his hand, covering the whole area of the arch and along the side of her foot. Then, he repeated the process on her left foot. The whole massage took about 20 minutes.

"How's that feel? Take a couple of minutes to enjoy it, but we really have to see the others soon. Gotta organize the raid, and I need you to be in the best shape possible."

Seeing as Taurl left for something important and Bok seeming to have lost interest in killing the wolf, Tovo and his hunting companion decide that it would be for the best that they head to the temple and meet with the shaman so they could make their offering. The two took their time walking through the village as the other villagers they passed by were impressed and amazed by the wolf they carried. Tovo specifically received attention from the children he told stories to earlier that day. Asking questions about how he captured the wolf or if they could touch the wolf. The questions they asked sparked even more questions. Tovo's voice could barely be heard from the commotion but he eventually caused them to settle down. He then spoke with an overly dramatic voice.

"My dear younglings, I'd love to tell you the dashing story on how my companion and I outwitted and captured this beast and let you feel it...but alas we need to make haste to the temple and give the wolf to the shaman. A haul as great as this needs us to give homage to the gods."

His announcement was met with a chorus of disappointment from the children. Frowns on their faces. This injustice would not stand while he was still drawing breath.

"Fret not. Fret not. For I promise you not one, but TWO heart racing tales the following day!"

Tovo only grinned as the once disappointed group of roared in excitement before they dispersed. Tovo's companion only smirked at him.

"You really do care for the younglings don't you, Tovo?"

"What can I say? The children like me and my stories."

"More like your made up fables."

"Hush you."

The rest of their walk was uneventful and it did not take long for them to reach the temple and hut of their resident shaman. Numerous wooden and stone idols depicting the many gods of the tribe. At the center was the bonfire, the very symbol of the tribe's power, and behind it was their shaman. She stood there, head gently resting on her signature staff, eyes seemingly closed in meditation. But upon closer inspection it was revealed that she had dozed off.

Tovo's companion was first to act and spoke barely above a whisper, hoping not to disturb her. "Shaman...shaman. Wake up."

"You ninny. You can't wake up the shaman like that. Watch and learn." Tovo takes position near their shaman and cleared his throat. "Elder Edr-"

Even before he could finish. The shaman's signature staf meets his forehead, successfully bonking him. Tovo holds his forehead in mild pain.

"Who are you calling old, youngling?" Asked Edra Forrestshield, shaman of the green bone tribe of 11 years, with a gentle yet aggresive tone.

"You! You're twenty tw-"

Another bonk silences Tovo and he soon understands to keep his mouth shut.

"Now...what do you need?" She asks while moving closer to the pair.

Tovo is reluctant to speak but his companion speaks for both of them.
"Shaman. We managed to capture a wolf and wanted to offer its skull to the gods as thanks for this bountiful haul."

Edra nods sagely as she examines the wolf's head. "Hmmm...this would please the gods greatly but first you need to kill and skin the wolf before I can start the ritual. Return once you have done the deed."

Tovo and his companion nod in understanding and leave the temple before head to a discrete location to properly kill and butcher the wolf. They skin the wolf's pelt and strip the meat and edible organs off and place them in their respective stores in the village to be dried or traded. They both return to the temple, freshly skinned wolf skull in Tovo's hands.

Edra turns to them and takes the skull from his hands and heads to her original position behind the bonfire. Tovo and his companion takes a knee in respect of the ritual. Edra raises the skull above the bonfire before she closes her eyes in focus.
"Utzilah miopiar lethodar akula vigis."
She tosses the skull into the fire and an unnatural wind fills the hut for a half minute as soon as the skull touched the flames.
"The gods have accepted your offering. I will mount this skull outside when the fire has blackened the skull. Go along now, I am busy have other matters to attend to."

Tovo and his companion bow to the shaman before leaving the temple.

@Aristocles

Nabi closed her eyes and leaned back while Ty massaged her feet. It felt good. Really good actually. And the more that he did it, the more that she felt her worries dwindle away and she could just focus on preparing herself mentally for what she was about to do. Mostly, however, she could just relax. Her eyes popped open again when he stopped and told her that they needed to meet up with the others and get organized for the raid. She shot to her feet and jumped a few times, balanced on her tiptoes, and then did a couple of cartwheels. She was feeling good. She looked at him and smiled. "Alright, ready to go when you are."

Gabi was in the small kitchen of the hut (if you could really even call it a kitchen. Really just a corner where food was prepared). The plump chicken had been plucked of its feathers and she was now boiling it in a iron pot. There weren't a lot of seasonings on hand, but she tossed whatever she had in there, along with some mushrooms, onions, and cabbage from a recent harvest. It was starting to smell good at least. That was a good sign.

@Pandalope

Taurl nodded in approval as he saw her little display of agility. Try as he might, he couldn't do cartwheels. While that particular move wasn't really useful in a fight, it was a sign that Nabi was well-balanced and agile enough to be able to dodge, climb, or run if the situation called for it.

"Good to hear. Let's go. How about we go to find Tovo first. I'm not sure where he is, but we can look around. The village isn't that big. We could use his skills in close combat."

'Oh, Bok, could you kill this wolf without using your favorite weapon?'

Whatever, Tovo. Bok watched resentfully as he paraded his catch around down and all the annoying children asked to touch the stupid wolf. Bok could probably catch a wolf, if he wanted too. How hard could it be? If Tovo and that friend of his Bok forgot the name of could catch a wolf, then so could Bok. Well, he didn't want too right now and he needed to train if he was going to prove himself in the big fight that was going to happen soon.

He wandered off to look for something to do and he saw Taurl, who Bok knew was going to be leading the raid, and some other goblin he didn't know the name off.

Bok propped his elbow against his club, Basher, and examined his nails while whistling an extremely casual tune in order to catch Taurl's attention. For what, exactly, Bok didn't know but he wanted to impress as many people before and during the fight as possible if his reputation was going to go up.

@Aristocles@Stekkmen

Nabi nodded. "Alright, lead the way then." She did one last cartwheel for good measure and then stretched backwards with her back arched almost enough for her hands to touch the ground before she slipped the knife into a little loop on the side of her loincloth. She was about to follow Ty when she noticed some whistling and she turned to see a goblin with a big club that she didn't recognize. "Oh, who's that?" she wondered out loud, curious if he was also a warrior.

@Pandalope

Once he had finished making a new shield he took the time to make sure that everything was locked. He had to make sure that none of the thieves tried to steal weapons or materials that didn't belong to them. Once that was done he decided to take Gabi up on her offer for dinner. It was rare for him to get a meal that was prepared by someone else. He still got good food of course since the chief understands that his skills were essential to the running of the tribe as a whole. Once he locked his forge up he went to the farm remembering where it was since he gave them the farming tools they needed. He then knocked on the door to her hut and waited for her to open.

@Jangel13

Gabi had just finished the chicken and placed it on the small wooden table in the center of the hut when she heard the knock on her crude wooden door. She hurried over to the door and then opened it to see Olric on the other side. She smiled at him in a warm and welcoming way. "Oh, glad you could come. Come right on in. Dinner is already on the table."

@Pandalope@Stekkmen

"Oh. That's Bok. Bok! We were just looking for you!" Technically, they had been looking for Tovo, but Bok was the next person in mind. "I'm looking for warriors to join me on a raid. We're going to the Rockbiter village. I think you, I, Tovo, and a few others are all we need. It's just gonna be a quick attack, in and out. Get them back for their attacks on us. Take some stuff, let them know that we can't be messed with."

The day was getting later, and it would be late afternoon by the time they left for the raid at this rate. They might not get back until night.

@Pandalope

He smiled softly as she opened the door and welcomed him he bowed a bit and said "thank you for letting me into your home" he said politely before he slowly walked in. He then asked "may i use your bathroom I feel it's only right if I wash my hands" he said since his hands were covered in soot and ash from forging. They were calloused and tough as befits his profession. When she pointed out the washroom he went and cleaned off his hands before sitting down at the table "very nice shack you have gabi"

@Jangel13

"Not at all," Gabi said and pointed out the washtub in the corner of the hut. "It's right over there." As he went to wash up, Gabi lowered herself into a seat and then started to carve up some of the bird and distribute it between two copper plates that were dented and quite old, but were the best that she had. "Thanks," she said when he complimented her home. "It's not much, though, honestly. It's pretty small, and usually a mess, especially when Nabi is around. She's quite the slob."

@Pandalope

He gave a nod as she pointed out her wash tub where he was able to wash his hands before sitting down and joining her at the table as she offered him a piece of the chicken and he laughed a bit as she said it was usually a mess thanks to her sister. "I can understand that but still you made this into a home and that's what mattered. My hut might be bigger but that just makes it seem so empty. It's part of the reason I usually occupy most of my time to forging" he admitted picking up the chicken with his hand and taking a bite of the chicken and nodded "you would make anyone a fine mate" he said with a wink since her cooking was so good.

@Jangel13

Gabi grabbed a chicken leg and took a bite. She was quite hungry considering her condition. She gulped down some of the chicken and then wiped her lips with the back of her hand and smiled at him and blushed a little at his comment. She liked that he had a bit more charm than most of the other males that she had been with. Most just wanted to get to the mating part without much in the way of small talk. It was refreshing to find someone who wasn't so crude all the time. "Well, your job as the blacksmith is very important to the tribe for making tools and weapons, especially if these feuds with other tribes turn into something more."

He smiled softly as he noticed her blush as she accepted his compliment about her making anyone a good mate. He honestly didn't get to talk to people so even just this talking over a nice meal meant almost as much as creating a new weapon. As she said his job was important he blushed a bit and said "true besides it's rare to find a goblin with the strength and mental acuity to make a good Smith. Though don't forget your job is important too. After all you help provide the food for the tribe without you and other farmers we would never be able to grow into adulthood." he said taking another bite from his chicken licking his lips before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He then said "I just happy I finally have someone to talk to even if it's just small stuff like this" he said softly

@Jangel13@Aristocles@Stekkmen

Nabi waved to Bok. "Hi, Bok, I'm Nabi. You should come with us. We're going to find Tovo to go with us on the raid." She did wonder what the reaction of the other warriors would be when they discovered that a female was going with them. It wouldn't shock her if some of them weren't comfortable with the idea of it.

Gabi smiled at Olric while she continued to eat her fill of the chicken, feeling like a bit of a pig when she noticed that she was eating more than he was. She thought about him mentioning that her job was important too. He was referring to her working as a farmer of course, but that was only a part of her job. Like all females, she would be expected to produce many younglings in order to ensure the tribes future. "Well, you can come by whenever you want to talk," she told him. "I bet it does get pretty lonely in your job."

Once the two goblins left the temple, Edra headed straight to the main altar positioned  further behind the bonfire almost to the point that it was leaning on the wall that separated the temple proper and the place where the shaman rested and kept her supply of ingredients for rituals. That altar held both a wooden idol that had several face carvings and a rabbit's head. This kind of offering was the most favored of all offerings by the gods and with such favor required preparation to ensure the prayer of the one who left it be answered and to appease the gods greatly.

She walks to her ingredients cache and grabs some amorous herbs and a wooden mortar and pestle before returning to the altar. She begins to grind the herbs into a thick amber paste that she proceeds to dip the offering into. She goes into a trance like state and walks to the bonfire. The bonfire reacts to the offering and gets slightly stronger than normal. She then holds the head over the bonfire and utters the words of sacrifice before dropping the rabbit head into the fire. "Utzilah miopiar lethodar akula vigis."

The bonfire greedily accepts the offering and the gods show their favor by quickly consuming the flesh of the rabbit head and blackening the rabbit's skull almost instantaneously, making it ready to be mounted outside. Edra then takes the skull out of the temple and mounts it for the whole village to see.

@Pandalope

He smiled taking another bite of the chicken enjoying the meal as he soon heard her say that he could come by anytime to talk. He nodded and said "I extend the same kindness. If you ever want to talk and you don't mind me hammering away I will be more then happy to listen. In all honest it can get lonely in the forge but that's why I sing when I hammer the metal." He said with a smile wondering if he was really starting to like Gina. She was mature, kind, and smart and he was sure she was probably already with a litter considering her appetite but he wondered if he could be next.