Some time later Erika stopped sewing:
"How is it?"
She handed something to Norn, he couldn't understand what piece of clothing it was exactly.
As such, he stoo up and held it on straight hands to actually see what it was.
As it turned out it was just a big piece of cloth. Norn could clearly see several different thing sewn together.
"Doesn't look like anything i would want to wear..."
He didn't sugarcoat it. He didn't even understand what it was.
"What? Why would you wear a bed sheet?"
She looked at him with a somewhat confused yet smiling face.
"Oh, that's a bed sheet... Do a blanket next, it could get cold later"
He said as if he really was concerned about coldness... Wait, why would he not be?
It was already somewhat cold an night, what would happen to him if he didn't... undergo that thing each night?
He would freeze to death!
As such, he had limited time to make himself a proper bed and a blanket...
And oh well, since he already had a bed sheet he would soon have a nice and comfy bed!
He only needed Erika to make it for him... She needs one too, after all.
Norn folded the sheet as good as he could and sat on top of it.
He wasn't a fan of sitting on that cold stone.
"What are you sewing now?"
Norn asked as he watched Erika sew. Last time she said clothing for them, but it turned out to be a sheet.
Now, if she says that's it's something for a bed, would it actually be a piece of clothing?
"I am making a... case, we will use it as a blanket."
She thought for a moment before saying "case" outloud.
It's not like Norn knew how that thing is called either, that way he understood what she meant.
"I see... What do you plan on putting into it? I dont think that dry plants will do a good job."
Norn actually used his brain for once. He was concerned about a problem that MIGHT happen, not that already happened!
Too bad it's too insignificant to be important, he doesn't realise it but he has many, many more problems on his hand!
"Hmm... Do you think those goblins have some wool?.."
She thought for a while, she couldn't remember if the caravan she was traveling with had any...
"Well, in case we dont find anything we can just cover ourselves with the empty case, it will still be better than nothing, right?"
She smiled at Norn as she concluded. He, however, couldn't understand why she was so positive about living with a damn goblin.
Was he that good looking or something? He had no way to prove it, since, well, there were no mirrors or anything reflective around him...
But, his guess was that he was, thus Erika was attracted to him. Since he was half-elf he could just be a green and muscular elf, after all.
Who knows? Well, Erika does, but is he just going to ask her "Why are you so positive all that?".
That might... actually work, but whatever, Norn thought that it's better not to risk anything, it's not like he would profit if he knew the answer.
"You are right, but if it'll be too bad i'll just tell those goblins to find some for us."
He looked at some random ones for a brief moment before turning his gaze back to the campfire.
It's not like he actually saw anything in the darkness, but he heard some movements there before, why not pretend then?
It's not like she could see anything... right?
"Right, about that..."
She actually looked somewhat hesitant as she said it. As if she was about to say something questionable or deliver bad news.
"Why are you so... special? It's the first time i see a goblin like you..."
She looked at him the entire time she was talking, but Norn was staring at the campfire, he pretended to be a man.
Mere seconds later he replied:
"How am i special?"
It was short, yet Erika could talk for a while, as if she didn't know why exactly he was special.
"Well, you know elvish, that's a first. Second - u're too gentle for a goblin, any normal one wouldn't have bothered to care for me, i would be lying with the others now..."
Her voice didn't change it's tone as she was saying the last part, as it was completely normal for her to be here.
Even Norn found it somewhat strange...
"Is she insane or something? Maybe she's a psycho type?"
He thought to himself...
However, a second later:
"Nah, so what if she is? She's nice enough to forget about that!"
He decided to tell his logic to shut up.
Well, it's not like it was any better than his actual thinking, he didn't lose too much from doing so.
However, instead of actually thinking about an important part of her reply Norn decided to ask his own question instead:
"Do you want me to stop being gentle?"
He asked half-jokingly as he glanced at her, chuckling.
"Haha! No, i'm not into that. I'm just... It's strange that the first... person that cared about me is a goblin, that's all"
She smiled weakly at the end of the sentence. Norn could see that it wasn't a happy smile at all.
Thus, he decided to at least try to make her feel better, you already know how it'll go:
"Why would i not care about such a beautiful girl? I think that's a given. We goblins appreciate beautiful things, thus all that..."
He thought for a solid second...
"eagerness..."
It wasn't even the correct word, but he couldn't think of something better and the pause was already too long for it to sound like he knew what he was talking about.
Erika, however, started laughing...
"Are you flirting with me right now? I thought goblins had different methods when it came to approaching girls?"
She said half-jokingly as she patted one of her legs. It was a joke about her own injury!
If she wasn't insane, who was!?
Norn, however, found it cute that she could joke it her situation.
"Well, it's not like we're all the same, i am more of a... Hm... I'm smarter than other goblins..."
Yeah, sure you are buddy, sure you are...
"Then... Do you feel that they're your kind, still? You are that... different from them..."
She asked more and more complicated questions Norn struggled to answer well.
It's not like he didn't know how to, it's just that he has to remember his bullshit so she doesn't realise that he's lying...
"Not really, they're my kind, but i'm sure that even if they met other goblins they would kill them for profit. Why should i be different?"
As Erik was about to answer:
"Yes! Kill other goblin for gold!"
Elder goblin said from god knows where, his voice sounded like he's smoking for his whole 6 years of life.
Erika and Norn were silent for a while, waiting for him to say anything else, but he too was playing this game.
They looked at each other with strange expressions...
"Oh, right..."
He suddenly remembered...
"Do you know... gobgob?"
It was his pathetic attempt to name a language that goblins used.
Gobgob? Really? Who in their right mind would use that "word"?
"Huh? What's that?.. Or who?.."
She was somewhat confused at his sudden question, she didn't have enough time to process the random cry from an old goblin as Norn attacked...
"That's a language goblins use, it's called gobgob"
It wasn't true, of course, but since it didn't even have a proper name Norn was the first goblin to name it.
As such, it became the truth after he said, but was a lie before he did.
"Oh, no, i dont... Also, you didn't answer my previous question though, how is it possible for you, a newborn goblin, to know elvish?"
Erika squinted her eyes and pointed at Norn as she was saying all of that.
He didn't understand most of it as he was too focused on her, she looked just so damn cute!
However, he did hear what she said... Well, most of it:
"Uh... I dont know? To me you sound the same as goblins... The way you speak is different, of course..."
He paused for a second before adding:
"Oh, i also use same words when i talk to you or them, so... Maybe i'm just that special?.."
He scratched his head after saying it.
There were two discoveries presented before him.
First:
"I'm fucking bald!"
He just realised that. The fact that every single goblin around him was, in fact, bald didn't concern him at all.
Second was much, much harder.
How is that logically possible for him to use same words, yet whoever heard them understood them as their own native language?
Could a skill just break common sense or something? If a simple skill that he had was so powerful, what about some overpowered SSS+ rank skills!?
It was, however, too hard for him to think about. He couldn't even understand the concept behind his only skill, what about others?
Well, it's nothing like he could, since he only had two and he didn't even know anything but their names...
All of those thoughts happened in just several moments inside of his head.
As such, Erika's answer was without an insanely long pause:
"Oh, that just means that you have a skill. Too bad we dont have a priest nearby..."
Norn could hear something more than just sadness in her voice just now...
"A priest? Who's that?"
Norn didn't pretend this time, he really didn't know what skills and qualities the priest could possess in this world...
There were many different types of fantasy novels, which one was this one?
He didn't want to think as to why some of them depicted something he was living in right now...
"That's a person who can heal wounds, make you stronger and can... make land free of bad things"
She explained in a way Norn would understand. He was internally grateful for it.
"Oh, then what does it have to do with my case? Or did you mean that a priest could fix your legs?"
This time, however, he did pretend. It was obvious that she meant that a priest would be able to help him check his status or something like that...
"A priest can allow you to see your... special things, you can also do that in some special places, but your version is correct aswell"
She smiled as she said the last part, as if she was praising Norn for being "smart".
"Oh..."
He didn't know how to answer...
...
Morning soon came. Erika and Norn talked about many things as they sat near the campfire, but they were mostly just small talks.
For example, she asked Norn about the color he wanted to see the most, as she was making a "surprise" for him.
Norn didn't understand what kind of surprise it was since she was making it right infront of him, but whatever...
Several hours passed since that moment and Erika already presented him his "surprise".
It was a proper pair of pants. As it turned out the pair that he used already ripped.
Norn didn't even reasise that, but... Well, let's just say that there was a hole where you didn't want it the most.
As such, he needed a new pair, since tohse didn't serve any purpose whatsoever...
Erika's surprise was exactly that! Even thought it wasn't a surprise, it was pleasant to get!
As Norn wore them he felt strange for a second... They fir him perfectly!
How was that possible? When did she take all the necessary measurements!?
Or was she that good that she could use her eye to get them accurately!?
More than that... Did she not think about him growing bigger after sleeping?..
Norn decided to ask just that:
"What if i get bigger again?"
He really was concerned about it, since he did want to have a proper set of clothes to weak, it's not like he liked being nude all the time...
"Oh..."
She didn't say anything after it, as if she really forgot about it!
"Well, doesn't matter, i will just make you a new one!"
After a second, however, she smiled and continued!
Norn felt somewhat strange, that question of his was still unanswered! Why was she so happy?..
"Wouldn't that be too bothersome to you?"
He asked with a somewhat concerned voice...
"Hahaha! Well, maybe it would, but i need to do something until i can heal my legs, you know? It's boring to sit and do nothing."
She found a reason to stop Norn from worrying too much about her.
It's not like she didn't want to, but to her he really was like a kid.
So innocent, caring and kind...
Those words weren't usually used to describe a goblin, but Norn was special...
To her, Norn was already halfway of being better than any other person she knew before him.
"Right... Dont forget that i asked you to teach me some magic, too, so we will have a thing to talk about"
He didn't put too much thought into saying it, as he was staring at something outside the cave...
"I know, i'm also eager to see your magic abilities"
She didn't look at Norn as she said it.
Norn was immersed in his own thoughts for some reason, he forgot to reply.
After a solid second he finally answered:
"That's why i asked you to do it, i wonder how good i am."
He still looked at something seemingly ethereal, as when Erika looked in the same direction...
She didn't see anything but the simple picture that was always there.
Then why was Norn looking there?..
Well, he was lagging. He got a sudden sense of deja vu, as if he already saw that what before him...
But how is that possible?
And why... was it so emotional?
Did he forget about something? Was it a place from a game he played or something?
Maybe an anime or manga of some sorts? What was it!?
Why does he already know this place!?
So awfully similiar, yet so far from familiar...
Norn stood like that quite a period of time. He couldn't wrap his head around it.
He felt that he was so close to finally remembering it...
But he couldn't.