Trout's Landing.

The Trap Master fidgeted as he looked over the various maps and graphs of their new home. While he sent out scouts to the dense woods to the west of them and set up lookouts to the south, he wanted to do something productive rather than looking over dusty old paper.

He had half a mind to go with the scouts into the woods. But with Jeb sleeping and recovering what strength or energy he used for his power, that meant that it was on him to see to the safety of the tribe.

Yet he felt like it wasn't enough for him. He wanted to go out and explore with his own eyes what this new land had in store for them rather than waiting for accounts or reports that might only contain half of what might be important as they surveyed the area for threats and other possibilities their new home might have further into the wilds.

He sighed as he set aside a graph with land elevations on it. He was just restless, and unlike the rest of the tribe he couldn't just pick up a shovel or pole and get to work. It was his duty to provide safety and security. Not to dig tunnels or weave fish traps.

Though perhaps taking a swing at spear fishing might help settle his restlessness, he thought as he looked up at a chart that had images of all the fish that were in the river. Some of them looked fierce and fat. Especially if this part of the river hasn't been fished in some time. If so, then they must be quite the tasty size by now.

He focused his eyes on two in particular that looked like they'll be challenges he wouldn't mind taking on. A fish that had the snout of a river crocodile, and one that appeared to have armored plates on it. Many of the fish would be hard for them to handle if the sizes on the graphs was the usual even WITH fishing to cull the bigger ones. But according to Jeb, this area has been abandoned for years and they must be twice the size now!

But those particular two, as well as the pike, would be quite a battle for any of the kobolds to catch. It would no doubt take at least a team of three or more just to keep them from potentially being dragged into the freezing river let alone try and haul their catch to shore.

With little else to do in the meantime, the Trap Master decided that a little bit of fishing should help keep him busy until his scouts returned or Jeb awakened. So he left the cabin and made for the river. Looking around as he went it was amazing what they had accomplished in the few hours they've been up and about.

Already a sizeable hole was being dug at the base of the ancient tree at the center of the lodge. It probably wont be finished until a day or two later, but it was a good enough start at least, he thought as he passed by a few fire pits that littered the area that the tribe freely, and gratefully, used as they went about their tasks for the day.

Some of the caretakers were leading the hatchlings around the edges of the cabins and teaching them how to forage for insects, small reptiles, and rodents. Most were happy to be out doing something other than being cooped up, but some still paid more attention to what others were doing and playing or getting between others feet.

He made it to the river and saw several of the tribe already getting started. Some were tediously undoing knots and tangled weaves of line and netting while others were baiting traps with bits of fruit, grubs, or mice before placing them just below the waterline before running out of the cold water and making a beeline to the nearest firepit. He saw some off to the side looking over several boats. A few more dragged one of the canoes over to the water protected from the current by the pier and tested to see how buoyant it still was.

Others had gathered around and tried their claws at fishing in various other ways. Some used the fishing rods as they waited patiently on rocks or stumps, some stood at the edge of the pier with javelins turned into fishing spears as they waited for a fish's shadow to pass by before throwing it into the water.

But they rarely succeeded. He doubt any of those that came with them were skillful at fishing. They knew how to of course. Being close to rivers and the sea made it quite useful for the tribe in gathering food. But that was a duty assigned to others.

Others that were more than likely outside of their draconic master's lair when he fell and the tribe fled to this world, the Trap Master thought as he took up a bundle of fishing spears and made his way over to the edge of the pier.

He could just imagine it. Groups of dozens if not hundreds of others that made their own little outposts and villages in the jungle. All of them doing as their master willed. Collecting furs and hides from the beasts that stalked the jungles. Launching raids on the fishfolk or jungle elves that eked out a living. Fishing villages built to haul in rich fish meat and crocodile hide for their master and the tribe both.

He smiled as he recalled a section of the lair where the cooks would smoke delicious river eel. But the thought turned dark and sad as he realized that those outside the lair were either all dead, or would return to find all that they knew gone and the dread that they were the last of their kind.

A feeling that they all felt before meeting Jeb. A feeling that still held strong until it was revealed that the Den Mother was bearing a clutch, a clutch that was just birthed by the murmurs he heard on his way over, a clutch that may just have the future of their tribe gestating within. Now the tribe had hope that they will endure for the foreseeable future.

Hope that those left behind didn't have, he thought as he secured the line that was threaded to the javelin for easy retrieval. While there was a possibility that they may have travelled to this world same as them, he wasn't one to hold onto false hope.

As much as he or the others might not wish to consider or think about it. It was more than likely that those left behind will either end their lives as they deem fitting, or they will continue to do as they always had done until the day came that there were simply none of them left. Kobold villages and outposts being abandoned or given over to the salamanders to make dens out of.

The Trap Master sighed. Well, he certainly wasn't restless anymore, he thought as he shook dark and depressing thoughts away so he could be distracted by the shadows that darted here and there. Trying to tune out the others nearby as they cheered or cursed depending on their fortune.

He spotted a sizable shadow in the water. He steadied his breathing and wound his arm back and made ready to cast his spear at his target. He focused as background noise died until he could only hear his own heart and breathing. Everything seemed to slow down and he waited for the right moment to let the spear fly.

He let go as the shadow turned its side to him and he saw the spear sail through the air and pierce the water with barely a splash. He waited to see if his aim was true when it came to catching fish in the murky water as it was at intruders.

It appeared it had, as the shadow wriggled, but didn't dart away into the murky dark. He tugged the line and pulled in his catch and hauled up a nice fatty mudcat. Though it would seem his aim wasn't AS true when it came to fishing as the mudcat struggled on the spear, piercing the rubbery flesh but missing the head.

"Well, practice makes perfect." He muttered before snapping the head clean off. Ending the poor fish's suffering in one bite.

Out the corner of his eye he could see several salamanders trying their luck as well. The more ambitious ones tried their hand at fishing for themselves as they lurked centimeters above the water and waited for shadows to come close to the traps before lunging and snapping up a fresh wriggling meal. Or by being quick little thieves and snatching some from those too tired to resist a persistently hungry salamander from running off with their catch.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

He cast a glare at a couple as they inched over while he was distracted and gave them a possessive hiss as a warning that this was HIS catch! They hissed back angrily before lazily going back to lounging on rocks or various spots on the pier.

He snorted before scarfing down his catch, enjoying the delicious fatty flesh as it went down his gullet. Grateful for the hunk of rich meat, he threw some bits that had fallen into the water to lure in something a little bigger.

As he watched another shadow begin to glide its way towards the bits of fish though, he was interrupted as a group of kobolds made their way up the pier towards him. He knew them to be the ones that preferred to carry long rifles as a pair. Jeb had called them jezails but he wasn't sure what that meant.

"Trap Master?" One of them asked as they drew near.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" He asked and made ready to turn his fishing spear once more into a javelin.

"No. We just wanted to ask something." Another said.

The Trap Master sniffed.

"What then?"

"We were just wondering if we could perhaps be positioned elsewhere?"

"What is wrong with your current posts?"

"Nothing! It's just, we don't really have alot of room to make better use of our rifles."

"How so?"

"The woods are so dense that they're useless compared to the regular rifles the rest of you have. By the time we see anything they're too close and the range of the rifles are wasted." One complained.

"So? I'm sure Jeb would let you take some of his that are more suited for the dense woods." The Trap Master stated as he would really rather get back to fishing than dealing with grumbling kobolds dissatisfied with their posts.

"We could. But with our new location, there are few chances we would be able to use them. Even if we take positions around the cabins, our range will still be wasted!" Another pleaded.

The Trap Master sighed.

"Fine. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Well-" One of them started and pointed up to the mountain just across the river.

The Trap Master followed the pointed claw. While the height would provide them with a great view of the area and be able to warn them a bit sooner than those stationed at the fork down the road, and they would be able to make better use of their long rifles so they would leave him in peace and quit their grumbling. It was almost a straight climb up. They might be good at climbing, but they weren't goats. They would either have to divert kobolds to making a proper track up it, which was dangerous having to move supplies, tools, and kobolds across the river. Or they would STILL have cross the river and have to just climb it and make their way towards some of the outcroppings. Which was even more dangerous.

The risks outweigh the benefits, the Trap Master decided.

"No. We can't risk it right now."

"But we could see so much more and be able to-"

"Fall to your deaths trying to climb it, fall into the river and more than likely freeze to death. Even worse, you could risk others in trying to help you and not only possibly get yourselves killed but get some poor fools killed as well! No!" The Trap Master commanded.

Some of them made like they wanted to argue. But they respected the hierarchy and submitted. They turned away from him with downcast faces and returned to their posts. The Trap Master huffed and returned to fishing, annoyed at being bothered and annoyed that the fish shadow he saw just a moment ago had gone.

Fools, the Trap Master thought. Their idea was good at first. But the more you thought about it the more it was nothing short of suicide for all involved! Just trying to brave the river to haul supplies could potentially be a fatal undertaking for them with how cold it was! Not even mentioning either trying to dig out stairs or handholds to climb or just free climbing it!

He saw the shadow of another fish swimming closer. Mood thoroughly soured by thoughts of their former home and those left behind and the foolish fantasies of those still with them. He turned his attention to fishing, at least he could take out his frustrations on the fish, he thought as he wound back and made ready to throw.

-----

Ruby stirred as she began to regain consciousness. She felt SOOOOO good! She just wanted to lay there next to Jeb and never wake up again! But his heartbeat sounded funny, she thought as she listened. A little worried that something might be wrong with him.

But the more she listened, the more that she heard what was precisely wrong with his heart. For one thing, it wasn't his. For another, there was more than one. She cracked open an eye and felt the familiar feeling of eggs within her arms.

Then it all came back to her. Well, the details were a little fuzzy. But she remembered the feeling she felt as clear as day. The feeling of laying egg after egg, the pure bliss she felt after each one, and the aching feeling of loss after it was all over. An aching feeling she felt even now. Dulled somewhat after her nap, but it still called to her to remedy the emptiness within her. Her body CRAVING to be filled with more eggs to lay.

She smiled and blushed a little as lewd thoughts came to her as to how, and WHO, exactly would help her fix her little problem. Then she looked down to the eggs she pushed out not long ago, and she beheld six eggs.

Six, black, eggs.

If it weren't for the heartbeats she could feel with her claws and hear when she pressed her head close, she would think she was staring at six large onyx gems. Oval and glimmering in the light that flooded the cabin from the dirty windows and the fire crackling nearby.

Different colored eggs weren't uncommon for dragonkin. Red dragons laid red eggs, blue dragons blue and so on and so forth. But for kobolds, it was always pearl white regardless of which of their draconic masters they descended from. Another reason they looked down on kobolds and considered them inferior. Dragons laid eggs the colors of rainbows and gems, kobolds just laid plain old eggs no different than regular reptiles did. Same color, same shape.

Until now, Ruby thought as she ran her claws over the onyx eggs. As smooth as any fine cut gem and comfortably warm to the touch. For a long moment she just sat there, staring and touching the eggs. HER eggs, she corrected herself as it started to set in.

"I'm a mother now."

"YAY!!!" Ruby heard a cry next to her and she found two pairs of arms thrown around her.

She grunted as the two egg-maids gave her a warm embrace.

"Watch it!"

"Oh hush! They're more durable than you might think." One of them said as the two continued to hug her.

"Wait, how do you know that?!"

"Doesn't matter. What DOES, is that you're a Den MOTHER now!" The other said.

"I think that very much doe-" Ruby started before being crushed again by the dual hug.

"I think what matters is when are you and Jeb going to make more?"

"How is that any of your business?!"

"Oh don't act like you aren't already thinking about the next clutch! We're more surprised you aren't running to his bed right now!" One of them said as they finally let her go from their embrace.

Ruby blushed deeper as she held her eggs closer.

"He needs his sleep. He's pushed himself hard lately and deserves some rest."

"Fine. But you ARE going to tell him!" One of them declared.

"Yes! I will!" Ruby snapped.

"Good. Now we can only wait to lay our own clutches while taking bets for kobold-salamander ratio of your eggs."

"Who says either of YOU are pregnant?" Ruby asked snidely.

"Hmm, you're right. Perhaps we should spend some more time with Jeb, just to make sure?" One of them teased.

"You two are HORRIBLE!" Ruby yelled as she wrapped her onyx eggs up in the fur blanket and left the two horny maids to cackle betwixt themselves.

She hauled the bundle up as she stood, her legs were a little wobbly from her experience. But she was more determined to spend some time with Jeb and her eggs than she was tired. So she muscled through the tiredness and made for the door and opened it with a free claw.

She peered around at how much their home was changing just the morning after they arrived! Buckets of dirt was being moved from the base of the sycamore tree and she could see the Trap Master and others over by the river fishing up tasty looking fish!

The rest of the tribe weren't sitting idle either, she could see some gathering firewood for the various firepits, she heard some of them talking about either taking down the tree that had fallen on the cabin or just clearing the whole plot and using the wood and scrap for something else.

Salamanders lounged about near the fires or on the pier and heated rocks while hatchlings drove their mothers or other caretakers mad as they dashed here and there and causing a nuisance of themselves.

A few months and her own hatchlings will be joining them, Ruby thought happily. A bit of hope that perhaps Jeb's power might be enough to make actual kobolds of her clutch. A hope she really wanted to be true. Even if they didn't have red scales like her. She just hoped they were kobolds so her tribe would continue long after she was gone.

She saw some of the tribe giving her curious looks and whispering as they pointed and some shuffled as they wanted to come over and see the eggs she laid. While she understood their curiosity, she wasn't QUITE ready to be showing them off to anyone else just yet.

She hurried over to the building she remembered Jeb saying he was going to stay in. She entered the dirty entrance and looked around. What looked like a small eating area was to her immediate left and a place that had a coffee table and several worn chairs and a couch was to her right with a large machine that had snacks held behind dirty glass and some sort of rack that held dirty and worn papers.

She passed by a desk covered in dirt and leaves and made her way through the building as she held her eggs close, feeling their hearts beat despite the thick blanket. She came to a hall where she could see a kitchen further towards the back with a door just before that with a chair in front of it to block it off, a closet was to her left, and a room to her right where she could hear the sounds of familiar snoring.

She smiled as she trotted across the dirty floor, her claws clicking against the worn floor boards and echoing faintly as she did. She came to the slightly ajar door and peeked her head into the room. Where she found Jeb sleeping away on a dusty bed with a warm fire crackling away.

She pushed open the door and winced when it swung harder than she thought and bumped into a chair just behind it. She looked towards Jeb and made ready an apology, but he just stirred slightly before continuing to sleep. She gently sat her bundle of eggs within the room and went to close the door, only to find the lock destroyed. Seeing the chair and putting two and two together, she closed the door again and put the chair against it to keep it closed.

She then collected her bundle and looked around the room that Jeb had claimed. A room she was looking forward to making just as many, if not more, memories in, she thought as she passed a desk, a couch, and another chair all pushed to the right of the room before she made her way to the bed.

Jeb looked so tired, she thought. He's done so much for them in the few months they've been with him. He's protected them, he's fought for them, he's given up his home for them, twice, she corrected as she remembered that the kobolds had pretty much free-rein back at his old home.

He also loved her, she thought happily as she sat their eggs and unbundled them. She stared down at their polished black shells for a moment before picking them up one by one and putting them within Jeb's sleeping bag so that they were close to him. Once she was done, she put another couple logs on the dwindling fire before climbing up the bed and sliding into the snug sleeping bag. Careful not to test the theory of the egg-maids of just how durable they were.

With everyone now warm and snug in the sleeping bag, she smiled as she closed her eyes and felt eight hearts beating. Jeb's, hers, and their six eggs. Surrendering to the constant rhythm as she closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.