Tarassa the catgirl (her old human name had been softened in her new mouth) sniffed the air. Her metamorphosis had enhanced both her sense of smell and her night vision. The reek of goblin was unmistakable, mixed with the faint scent of one very frightened human. "They went into the forest" she told her companion. "I think Josh is still alive--I don't smell any blood."
The combination of catgirl senses and elvish tracking skills led the two friends unerringly on the track of the goblins. The goblins, a large party burdened with a prisoner, were moving slowly, and catpeople and elves move very quietly. They could see Josh, hands tied behind his back, being shoved along by a goblin with a spear. There were about a dozen in the party, and so far they showed no awareness that they were being tracked.
Jeremy nocked an arrow to her bow and nodded at Tarassa. Getting clear shots was going to be difficult in the woods, and she had to be careful to avoid any stray arrows hitting Josh.
The goblin with the spear fell with an arrow in the side of his neck, and another screamed as an arrow tore through the flesh of his lower back. The leader barked orders and the goblins started to rush in the direction where the arrows were coming from. Clearly they did not lack courage.
They did lack common sense. Three more fell to Jeremy's arrows, and then they faced that most terrifying sight, a catgirl licking her chops.
Holding a club.
********
Jeremy went to untie Josh while Tarassa stood over the one goblin the two had taken as a prisoner for interrogation.
"Who sent you?" she began, baring her sharp teeth, meant for the rending of flesh.