“ATTACK!” Xilbit cried, shaking Dale’s other spear he pilfered.

“NO! Not attack!” Dale countered. “That is a dog!”

A shaggy black dog was trotting towards them, tongue hanging out and chorded fur dancing around its head.

“FOOD!” Xilbit cried. The other kobolds were literally drooling at the word.

“No, damnit! That’s a Hungarian Puli! It is a shaggy, sweetheart of a dog breed.” Dale stepped forward. “Only monsters eat dogs…” Dale realized too late what he’d just said and face palmed. “I mean-.”

Ichnick walked over to Xilbit. “That is mount.”

Xilbit froze. “Like Endu?”

Ichnick nodded. “Like Endu.”

Dale stared at the little shaman. “What is an Endu?”

“Not what, wizard, who. Endu was the chieftain’s mount. It did not come with us.” Ichnick explained.

The Chief looked sad. It walked over with a claw out. The Puli sauntered up, sniffed the claw and then licked it.

“Meat!” Xilbit ordered. The middle-sized kobold held out a leg from the dead rabbit that they’d torn apart.

The dog hungrily tore into the rabbit leg. Xilbit stared proudly at the floppy, chorded fur dog. “You will make a fine Endu.” He pet the dog as it ate.

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Dale had to admit the scene was heartwarming. That was until he realized what the kobold had said.

“Wait, you were somewhere before here?” Dale asked.

Ichnick stared at him, confused.

“You came from another world?” Dale asked, trying to clarify. “Where this mount is?”

Ichnick frowned. “How did you think I learned English?”

Dale shrugged. “I figured you were just created with the knowledge.”

Ichnick stared at him in shock and dismay. It took a moment before his face smoothed over and his snout rose a bit. “We are Olegy tribe. From the Ilus fields. We are famous among kobolds and goblinoids. Although coming here, we lost eight of our tribe. The rest of our tribe I have no idea where they are. If they came over the same time as us, I didn’t find them where they would be.”

“What are you famous for?” Dale asked.

“We raise Grabnur.” Before Dale could ask, the shaman continued. “Grabnur are a large bird. They can’t fly, but they can flap and jump off the ground. They make powerful hunters. They leap, flap, and then drop on their prey to peck it to death.

“We raise and sell Grabnur to other goblinoids like us. Some use them for hunting. Others just eat them.” Ichnick shrugged. Xilbit’s snout curled in disgust. It was still petting the Puli and speaking to it in the strange kobold tongue.

“Almost makes me want to rethink my ideals about kobolds.” Dale remarked, watching the chief with the dog.

“What ideals?” Ichnick asked.

“Kobolds are known as evil. Well, selfish, self-centered, and greedy.” Dale explained.

Ichnick nodded. “Good way to describe us.”

“That doesn’t offend you?” Dale stared at the little mage with wide eyes.

Ichnick shook his head. Now that Dale knew he was male it was a little easier. “We learn human speak or English to keep from being killed by them. We also use it to learn what is best to steal.” Xilbit was nodding in agreement to the little shaman’s words.

“So, to recap, you are conniving, thieving, murder chicken raisers?” Dale asked with a grin.

Ichnick lifted a claw to rub his chin in contemplation. After a moment he nodded. “Yes. That is the Olegy tribe. It is fascinating a human understands kobolds so well. The humans in our world are usually very angry and violent towards us.”

Dale nodded. “I wonder why?”