Sigmet's Errand

Sigmet thought deeply as he analyzed maps of the grounds in his head. It wasn't that he did not know where to find the tallberry root - it was obvious enough. It was just how to not get killed doing it. It was nearing dusk and the drakes would be dispersing by now, returning to their rookeries in the cliffs where they would torpor for the night. Sigmet removed a loose scale nervously. He was not large, even for a kobold, but was one of the fastest in the keep. He had been personally selected by the All Watcher as a member of the reconnaissance team, a task which he took to heart. Now, with the sun setting, Sigmet dashed from the tunnel and welcomed the cool, dusty desert air.

The kobold's path was direct and thorough. The trip should not have been dangerous; it was only a klick away to the river where the nearest tallberry grew. But tallberry wasn't the only thing attracted to the blue green ripples of the creak. Drakes in good number had built nests in the hills all around the stream, and their territories stretched all through the plateau. Sigmet had once asked the All Watcher why these creatures where allowed to exist, preying as they did on her own kind. "And yet they feed on our enemies, more so. Be light of
foot young Sigmet, and you will not share that fate" she had said.

It was mid dusk now, and the air was clear. Sigmet scrambled quickly from the tunnel's exit to the sides of a mesa, and stuck close. A few more meters, and he dashed off behind a dune, keeping his head to the sky as he went. The fleshy pads of his long legs made hardly a sound on the sandy rock, leaving no footprints behind. Just then a sound caught his attention in the distance. It sounded like the cry of a drake. Had they made a kill? Any number of Kher's Kobolds might be out at any time. Only the All Watcher knew where they were. Losses were acceptable, but it was never good losing comrades.

Another cry rang out, this one coming from the direction of the river. Sigmet ran faster. Hiding behind a rocky outcrop, the kobold took a glance over. There was nothing but the dusty plateau stretching out before him, the odd desert flora or two jutting from the sandy ground like fingers of some green prickly monster.

Sigmet dashed from one plant to the other, keeping low and listening intently. A kobold has no outer ear, likes birds or the dragons they claim to share ancestry with. Yet Sigmet's hearing was no less sharp. He could hear voices - and they were speaking common. He thought momentarily of returning, but curiosity was getting the best of him. Besides, what would the All Watcher think if he didn't return with some tallberry root? And what would she think of him if he returned with that and information too...

He snugged up to an embankment, now only 500 meters or so from the river. From there he could hear the distant calls of the drakes, and they seemed perturbed. Sigmet risked another glance. Ahead of him, at the banks of the river, was a troop of men, human men by the looks of it, and in combat gear. Some appeared to be holding bows, and were firing at a circle of hunting drakes, who darted out of the sky to take strikes at them. Sigmet took a sniff. Downwind as he was, he could detect no fear from the warriors, but instead excitement. His eyes flashed quickly towards the river, and spotted a patch of his quarry, the tallberry.

The kobold thought quickly. He could wait, and see if the party would move on, taking as many details as he could to report to the Watcher. However, the plateau place was no more peaceful during the night as it was the day. Packs of hyenas roamed the lands during the dark hours, and they would emerging from their dens soon.

He did not have time to wait for these men to leave, nor to go further down the river to find the root. If he was quiet though, he might be able to sneak a few hundred meters upstream and grab the root without the humans even knowing he was there. Sigmet glanced again, and his sharp yellow eyes surveyed the carnage. Several drakes had fallen, and the humans had lost at least three men. The combat seemed to be over however, the flying beasts retreating for the night and an easier meal tomorrow. Sigmet counted five remaining humans, which were now tending to wounds and appeared to be setting up camp. Time was running out, and Sigmet had to be quick.

The kobold dashed quietly along the embankment, keeping low. At what he presumed was about a hundred meters, he poked his head up again. The humans were still setting up the camp, and tending wounds, but a quick headcount revealed only four warriors. He hesitated but didn't have time to figure out where the other had gone. Sigmet climbed up over the embankment and scampered towards the river, relying on the dimming light to provide him cover. His movements were whisper quiet, and the markings of his skin blended well with the rocky surrounding.

A quick glance reassured Sigmet that he hadn't been noticed. 50, 25, 10 meters. There. A group of tallberry grew through the muddy floodplain, enough to heal hundreds of wounds and cure twice that many ailments. So far Kher Keep's attempt at growing it was futile; tallberry was a very fickle plant. But a very valuable one. Sigmet gripped the plants strongly by the stalks and took a pull.

Soon he was dashing low again towards the embankment. The humans were still oblivious, gathering their kills and it appeared planning something over a piece of parchment. Looking at them now they appeared Barivian, but with the garment and tools of the mercenary. Perhaps they were just prospectors, passing by or looking for minerals. Whatever the reason, Sigmet needed to inform his Queen.

At the embankment, Sigmet slowed to catch his breath. The journey from here would be clear, and hopefully he could hit the Keep before the Hyenas began their prowl. A quick skip over a mound landed him on the other side of the embankment, and into a heavy fist. Sigmet hit the ground rolling, too dazed to recover. His attacker wrapped a thick hand around Sigmet's neck and hung the tip of a sword just above his throat. "Well well," teased the human, a dark man with coarse features, "a kobold eh? What are you doing this far outside the warren? The human's gaze wafted over the bunch of tallberry root, still clenched in Sigmet's fist. "Ah, gone shopping, how nice. What, for your girlfriend?" At this the hairy man laughed, raining spittle, and Sigmet struggled to breath.

The kobold's mind raced. At this proximity, he could tell the individual was definitely Barivian, but did not wear the customary tabard, nor did he meet the strict standards for Barivian appearances. As the initial pain wore off, Sigmet's head cleared. "What you doing here?" he snapped in gruff common. "You no welcome here, our land!" This made the hairy man laugh, letting sweat fly and rubbing the tip of the sword painfully against Sigmet's neck. The kobold cringed.

"What am I doing here? Wrong question scale face. These grounds don't belong to you. They belong to the Stonecutter Clan. You know, those band of dwarves you mercilessly murdered?" Sigmet did not know any dwarves, but he had heard rumors that Kher Keep had been a dwarven stronghold before it fell into kobold hands. Sigmet attempted to stall.

"Me don't know any dwarfs. No dwarfs here, you come to wrong place!" This made the man howl louder, and that was Sigmet's cue. With practiced agility, the Kobold lifted a dagger from his belt and plunged it into the man, piercing past his armor into his side. The warrior's expression change from surprise to pain, and he rolled off the kobold, gurgling. Just then, he could hear voices coming from the camp. He lifted himself up and ran.

He could hear the voices louder now, along with the creaking sound of arrows being nocked. Instinctively, he ran in a zig zag pattern, avoiding the arrows as they fell around him. The misses were near however, and they were getting tighter. Sigmet picked up speed and dove behind a rock just as three shots struck right where his head would have been.

Gasping, he scurried along the rock's length until a short clearing let him to the rows of green fleshy plants. He dashed from the first, to the second, and chanced a look to see if the men were still following. At first he saw nothing, but the whiz and plop of an arrow landing in the cactus next to him knew they were still on his trail. Now Sigmet was at a dilemma. He did not want the warriors to follow him to the Keep, but he couldn't stick around and wait them out either. Losing them was also out of the picture, for they were at least as fast as he was. It was then that he picked up the howling in the distance. This gave him an idea.

The hunters hustled into the plateau, bows drawn and eyes ready. There were three of them, one with a bandaged wound around his arm. The scanned the horizon, taking positions that were distinctly military, ruling out in Sigmet's mind their involvement as mercenaries. No, these were real troops, undercover troops. It was unfortunate for them that they underestimated his kind so much.

A noise stirred the archers, and a puff of dust attracted their attention. They fired, but their arrows only struck bare dirt. Within a moment they had reloaded, and a new puff sent another volley into the distance. "It's playing with us" one of the men whispered, and delivered several hand gestures. With hardly a sound, the men took positions which mostly obscured them, and began hopping from place to place, much as Sigmet had done to escape. No, these men were definitely well trained. Wouldn't the Watcher be interested to know they were here.

Another howl let Sigmet know the time was right. He dashed from behind the whumpus skeleton he'd been using as his hiding place, aand began west towards the keep. A hiss of arrows followed ending with a yelp, and Sigmet struck the ground rolling.

The three men removed themselves from hiding. The men slowly approached him, bows drawn,
ignorant of the sounds of padded feet behind them. Sigmet did not stir but did crack an eye ever so slightly to watch the looming shapes behind the men. The giant hyenas burst forward with a cry and lunged at the warriors. Surprised, only one managed to turn and get a shot off before being tackled by the beasts. Screams accompanied the sounds of rending flesh as all three were overtaken. Fighting for his life , one of the warriors still managed to catch a glimpse of his leathery kill, scrambling quickly away over the flats without so much as a sign of injury.

---

"These warriors, you say they were Baravian?"
"Yes, my Queen" responded Sigmet. The All Watcher did not look amused, but she never did except in battle.
"And none were left alive?"
"Two injured humans were left at the camp. I doubt they'll survive long." The Queen chuckled.
"Good, but I doubt that's the last we will see of those humans. The Baravians are not out here prospecting for minerals. They want to know if there are still dragonborn in Kher Keep. They want to know if I'M still in Kher Keep. Well this is their answer." Sigmet nodded.

"Excellent work my child. You are released. I must now convene with my harem to prepare for war." Sigmet flashed his teeth respectfully and left from the hall. She was proud of him, and that meant many a good think for Sigmet in Kher Keep.

The Queen returned to her quarters, sending a spell that would summon her harem to her from all around the fortress. She hadn't had a good battle on her hands since they slew the Stonecutters all those years ago. And now the Bavarians wanted action.

It's about time, Rohgahh thought, and she smiled.