Chapter 2: Wayra's First Quest

"Wayra, Master is calling!"

A thrill of excitement went through him. Keddras never wanted to talk to him directly.

But then, his heart started to sink. This morning, he had fallen from the great net they were going to put across the cove to better keep in the bigger fishies, and he had grabbed onto an unsecured end and unraveled a fair bit of it.

Which was why he was out here collecting more rushes that could be worked into more netting.

So, if he had stood out to the Dragon Lord then, it couldn't be for a good reason... could it?

He scrubbed his spindly fingers through his yellow mane. "Right now?"

The red kobold just stared at him, as if she had never heard such a ridiculous question in all her life.

He swallowed. "Well, uh, right." He walked inside and brought the rushes to the pile for the weavers, and then he looked inside the cave. The walls at this hour were dry; in a few hours, dew from the air and tide would coat everything. He picked at blue scales on his thumb as he advanced inside. The Master inhabited the largest chamber, which wasn't that deep into the cave system.

The large red dragon sprawled out over his hoard of gold, where he was presently eating food that kitchen kobolds had prepared for him. Wayra felt like he was intruding in a space he was rarely allowed to go. "I am here," he tried to speak with confidence, but there was a pitch he couldn't quite control.

"You are Wayra?" the dragon rumbled at him. The voice was so deep, and the voice so big, that Wayra felt the speech reverberate in his own chest. He bobbed his head anxiously. "You're the one who made those stone claws for the rushes?"

He bobbed his head anxiously again; his mouth was all dry. It had been a very efficient tool for cutting the extraneous stems and leaves off them, but it had also been good at flaying kobold scales when not used right. It had caused a scene with one of the older and first-class kobolds. He was a fourth-class kobold, barely more important than the children.

"You also do not seem to have many friends?"

Wayra huffed, and he picked at the scales on his hands. Most kobolds in this hoard were red, like the Master. He was blue; more like the master's wife who had lived here generations ago, even though both his parents had red and gold. He stood out, in all the not-best ways. "I do my best to get along with everyone."

The dragon seemed to relent just slightly. "Well, you are clever and independent. This is what I am looking for, since I have a very special quest."

Wayra felt as if he had been forgiven most of the sins of his life with just that one sentence. The Lord Dragon Keddras thought him clever and independent! He nodded with some enthusiasm.

"Good. Kithra, give him the message for Enni."

The red kobold that moved from Keddras's front paw was so red that she put blood to shame. She went to a large cabinet, one of many that lined the west wall, and she opened it, drawing out a sword. It had probably come from one of many knights who tried to attack the great red dragon for his wealth. There had been two of them so far this month.

Kithra walked up to him. The sword was almost as long as she was tall. She was a little short, only around two feet tall. She grunted when she handed it off. It was heavy, and there was a tie securing the sword in the scabbard. It hummed at him with an earthen energy. "What do you want me to do?" he asked his dragon lord as he hugged the sword to his chest.

"I want you to deliver that to Enni. She will know what it means. Can you find your way to her new cave?"

He hesitated. He thought that the dragon's wife was not a topic for conversation lately. Though, he didn't know why. "I follow the ocean to the North? Where there is a cliff with a lone redwood on top?"

"See? I knew you were clever. You just go take that message to her."

His heart swelled with pride. "I can start right now!"

The dragon rumbled. "I knew that I could count on you."

He nodded enthusiastically. He would prove that he could be trusted to take something like this far and come back successfully. It was going to be perfect! He would become a first-tier kobold right away!

So, he hugged the big sword to his chest and scampered back out of the tunnels, heading north immediately.

The water here was called brackish. It had a strong smell; the salt and fresh water made something particularly teeming with life: small crabs and little fishies were everywhere along the bank that he walked along.

I need to eat something for dinner, though, don't I?

He looked back over his shoulder. The estuary cave still yawned at him; he hadn't gotten that far.

His pride pricked at him. I am a clever and independent kobold. What will they say if I go back?

Wayra walked along and then decided to use the cloth that he wore diagonally across his chest as a carrying sack. He put the heavy sword down, and then he used his teeth and claws to part the fibers of his shirt. He made a sling from the first strip for the sword, and he settled it at an angle across his back. That was much better than holding it across his chest.

Then, he folded the corners of the remaining cloth together and tied some knots to make it a sort of bag.

He spent the rest of the evening making his way very slowly north; he caught little crabs along the banks. His feet and shins got muddy, and so did his pants, but he did not stress himself about it too much. When he boiled the little crabs to eat, he could use the warm water to wash up.

Except, as it got dark, he realized that he did not have anything to start a fire with. Also. He did not have a pot to boil his crabs in.

But now, he could not even see the yawning mouth of his home cave.

He felt silly. How had he gotten so caught up in this? He should have slowed down and tried to pack at least a little.

Still, his dragon had sent him with a message. It was important. He had trusted only Wayra with it.

That cheered the kobold up. He took his shirt bag, untied it, and he shook out the crabs back into the water.

It would be a hungry night, but it wasn't the only time he had gone to sleep hungry. He probably was destined for it for unraveling the net today anyway, so this was fine.

It was scary out here by himself. He was used to at least a dozen breathing noises near him, and out here, the cold wind rustled through trees, damp because it was blowing at him from the briny water. Wayra could see in the dark, but it didn't help him to see through all the dense foliage along the banks. He heard bats, owls, and other familiar sounds, but then he also heard coyotes yipping.

Wayra decided to climb a nearby mangrove and hide himself there. He hugged the sword to his body, and he wondered why it was a message.

He was wakeful for a long time; maybe he could trade coins with some taller races. Although humans and elves were rare and not often very nice to kobolds, he might find a karibit or jayune that would be nicer. Then, he might be able to barter crabs or something like them for a few coins; then, he could get a pot. If he could get a pot, he could learn what rocks could start a fire. He wouldn't have to be hungry again after that.

If he got closer to starving, he could eat the crabs raw and hunt the little fish to eat without cooking them; he hated the texture of raw things and wasn't hungry enough yet.

I am clever. I will make it work. I speak excellent Common. I have always been good at words because people ask me so many questions.

He ran through different scenarios in his head about how to manage trading until he could sleep, balancing carefully in the tree so those yipping coyotes could not get him. Or any of the big cats. Or the big snakes.

He was anxious when he fell asleep but optimistic all the same.