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Kallid climbed down the spiral stairs to the archives. It hit him hard that the last time he'd been on these stairs was with Kreet. But he'd been going through so many of these events the last week that he'd become somewhat numb. He had to keep reminding himself that she wasn't dead. But the worst was what it must be doing to his children. Not the loss of their mother - that was bad enough, but the loss of their father. He knew he was turning morose, and he had to put a stop to that. They were beginning to mimic his somberness.

Miss Tribi and Mr. Feltix had the map-scroll out again, and she was writing the names of the towns along the way again. The prior list had been lost in the fire.

"Hi Kallid! Almost done here," Miss Tribi said, fumbling the pencil to the floor at his entrance.

That, he had to admit, put a smile on his face. She always did.

"Oh, give me that!" Mr. Feltix grumbled, grabbing the pencil from the floor and the paper from Miss Tribi. "You want something done right..."

Miss Tribi stood up and walked to Kallid. She looked odd in her traveling clothes, and he noticed her backpack braced against a wall nearby.

"You really don't have to do this, you know," he said - not for the first time.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kallid. If you're not going to leave your children safe here with me, then I am certainly going with you. You may not need me, but they do."

Kallid smiled. Even in doing that he felt it was a betrayal of his wife. But he couldn't help it, and it felt good to smile.

"I think I need you too, Miss Tribi."

"And call me Aunt Tribi, okay? It'll make things simpler."

"I'll try to do so."

Mr. Feltrix stood up and walked over to them, brandishing the paper.

"Now you make a copy of this on the way. Right? And keep the copies separate. One for you, one for the male kobold."

"Yes Mr. Feltix."

"Now, I expect you to return, Miss Tribi, with copious notes on your journey too! If you die, I will not give your back pay! You hear? Not one copper! And if you return _without _notes... I will be seriously disappointed in you."

Miss Tribi took the papers from the wrinkled hands of the gnome, then hugged him fiercely.

"What's all this then? Was there some point in which I implied I desired a display of physical affection Miss Tribi?! I think not! Already you are reverting to your bestial nature. Try to retain some civility at least, won't you?"

"I will, Mr. Feltix. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"I expect you in no less than one year from this date, Miss Tribi. And do send back missives so that I may track your journey for the Bishop. Assuming you manage to retain the power to write."

"I will do so! Goodbye Mr. Feltix!" Miss Tribi said as she slung the backpack through her arms, put on her hat and held the door open for Kallid.

Kallid led the way up the stairs. "You sound ready to go at least!" he called back to her.

"Oh yes! The adventure of a lifetime for me! I'm so looking forward to it, to be honest. I've done some reading about the places we'll be going too. And the Bishop says the king has sent ahead to provide for us along the way. Why do you suppose he's being so kind to you and the children anyway?"

"Well, we did keep the news of the sewer wall quiet. And he's getting rid of all of us kobolds in the city in one go." Kallid said as they got to the top of the stairs and he held the door for Miss Tribi.

"Oh, now. Maybe the wall. But you have to admit you've been well accepted in the city, wouldn't you say?"

"I suppose," Kallid admitted. "Though only because we proved ourselves useful."

Miss Tribi pulled open the big doors that led outside from the cathedral.

"True, but I think that's true of anyone, regardless of species isn't it?"

Kallid shrugged and stepped out into the morning light. The coach sat at the bottom of the steps, though he wasn't surprised to see two of his children were playing in the park across the street - if 'playing' was a game of tag and the guards that had been assigned to watch over them was 'it'. It did make him happy to hear their laughing though.

One of the four guards who had been assigned to their journey stepped from the coach and began to apologize, but Kallid could see that the other three were trying to herd in Night and Kalindra. Grace, of course, sat meekly on the step of the coach.

"CHILDREN!" shouted Miss Tribi, and the two young kobolds stopped in their tracks. "Come HERE children!"

Night fluttered down from a tree branch, while Kalindra allowed herself to be scooped up at last by another guard.

A few minutes later and the five kobolds were herded into the coach. Two of their guards rode horses beside the carriage, while the two others took the reins in a seat outside the enclosed space. While the carriage was by no means opulent - or even comfortable - it was much more than Kallid could have hoped for.

"Now listen, kids," Kallid was chastising them. "When we get out there in the wild. I mean, the REAL wild... it's not going to be like running around at a picnic. There are real dangers out there. Things that can kill you, or me, or Miss Tribi."

"Aunt Tribi," Grace corrected.

"Yes.. Aunt Tribi. We can't be running after you like in the park. And the guards aren't going to be with us. They are taking us all the way to the end of the King's domain, but after that we're on our own!"

"Miss Coyle says her and Mister Bross are going on with us when we have to leave the coach." Night said.

"Miss Coyle? Mister Bross?"

"Two of your guards, Kallid," Miss Tribi explained. "You'll get to know them eventually."

"Really? They're going outside the King's domain for us?"

"Seems so. They're not Kingsguard regulars. And frankly I think they're..."

Kalindra started making kissing sounds with her tongue. While kobolds could approximate kissing, the pucker and smack were outside their physical abilities. But they all understood the sound Kalindra was making.

"Oh! Are they like that?" Kallid asked Miss Tribi.

She shrugged. "Maybe. I don't really know them very well myself."

"I saw them kissing before! Kissy Kissy Kissy!" she interjected, making her puppet simulate the kiss with her other hand.

"You need another puppet," Grace said. "And I didn't run off, dad!"

"No, you didn't Grace. You are my best girl. Night and Kalindra should be more like you."

"Aw, she's just a kiss ass," Night said.

Kallid slapped his son. "Where did you learn to talk like that, Night? Hmm? Well there'll be none of that around me or Miss... I mean Aunt Tribi. Do you understand?!"

Night's eyes began to well up with tears, and Kallid instantly regretted it. His children were too young for this trip. Kobolds grew up very fast, but they hadn't been tested with the rigors of living in the wilds. The city life was all they knew, and that life was too easy for what they were going to be facing. He would have to do his best to prepare them for the uncivilized life outside the city.

But he couldn't stand to see his boy cry. He'd toughen them up later.

"I'm sorry Night. Just, don't talk like that, okay? It's rude and we're going to all be stuck in this little coach for weeks."

"Okay Dad. It's what little Bobby called her back at the neighbor's house."

"She's my best girl, Night. She does what she is told and never gets into trouble."

Grace beamed at her father and he rubbed her head.

"I love you all, kids, but on this trip I need you two to act more like Grace. Please? It's not going to be easy. I've told you that. But it's dangerous too. Please be good."

"We'll be good," Night assured him, elbowing Kalindra, who looked up from her puppet at Night then at her father, nodding.

"Oh yes. We'll be good!"

Kallid sat back and noticed Miss Tribi was watching him intently. She gave a satisfied nod. It bothered him a little. She had no right to approve or disapprove of his parenting, did she? It wasn't like she had any training in such things. And yet, he was happy that she approved. She did have a way with kids, as evidenced by her schooling of them.

The coach rolled out through the city walls and onto the road. The day was fine and they'd all eaten breakfast and were getting used to life inside such a small space. Before long, Miss Tribi began her lessons for the day and Kallid turned his attention to the landscape rolling by outside the window.

He looked back some time later as the kids were reciting a list of bird types and found himself noticing Miss Tribi for the first time in a long time. Had she lost some weight? Probably his imagination. Surely so. But her thigh did look a little firmer where it peeked out from her skirt.

He realized suddenly what he was doing and turned back to the rolling landscape. He would have slapped himself if doing so wouldn't have been so obvious in the confined space.

"Really? The first fucking day?" he chastised himself. "You've got to live with this woman for months, you horny kobold. And you've got to do it faithfully. Now stop this line of thought! Think of Sigmundurr or something!"