The next day during feeding time the pups gathered again around old Chungotlus. The ancient kobold stared mournfully into the fire as they waited. The wet sound of chewed vegetables in mouths made for meat filled the air. Finally, in a spray of carrots, one of the youngest asked, "Story?"
There was silence from Chungotlus for a long moment as he carefully picked up his walking stick. "Yes... I have just the one. Given how you clamber for food from these knife-ears, perhaps I should tell the story of Tadlotlindrirajer and it's great stores of food..."
"A story about food?" asked a different pup skeptically. "That sounds booorii-"
A deft thump on the head from the elder set the pup sprawling. "No... Where was I..."It was the summer of 179 and the camp was prospering. With only seven mouths to feed, there was even left over food piled in the center of the camp. The center of the camp, you see, had always been the traditional place for kobolds to keep their possessions. It keeps everyone honest and lets everyone enjoy what things they need.
Then one day Taz had a suggestion. "Taz know thing!" exlaimed the scrawny hunter excitedly at Suds for the third paw-count in the past sunrise.
"What?" snarled Suds throwing up his hands, "What Taz know? Suds think Taz know nothing!"
For a moment, Taz wilted long ears nearly touching his shoulders as he lowered his head in shame. "Taz know where put food?"
Suds stared at Taz as though he had suggested growing wings and flying everywhere. Then he said, as patiently as possible, "Suds know too. Food in pile. Where food go."
Taz shook his head and took out a stick, drawing a picture of the camp with two huts and a couple of dancing 'bolds. Then underneath this, he drew a cave. "Put food there. Like dwarf." He nodded triumphantly at this.
Quickly Suds called over his crack squad of great minds. Hugo, for he had studied as a doctor and knew what the Gods would wish. Corai, for he once went into a cave to hunt for food. Niyazov, for she was truly terrifying and didn't like being ignored. The four looked over the plans and agreed that Taz could dig it out.
Taz went about the task with surprising gusto and soon the food was stored cool underground.
"But why?" asked a kobold pup who hadn't even yet had her ears droop, "Why did they put it underground?"
"Because meat, little one, spoils in the heat. Besides, this decision would come to help them very much later. But we will get there."Soon a group of kobolds came to join the camp. They had been specifically chosen to ensure that more pups would be born in Tadlotlindrirajer so they were young, snuggle-loving couples.
The first couple was Splinter and Cogdis. Both of them were brave warriors, Splinter using her sword while Cogdis prefered a spear. Of course, neither of them brought weapons with them, but with the slaughter of a couple of pigs the camp provided.
The second couple was FeralTalon and Monkeyhead. FeralTalon was also a spearbold, known for twisting about his spear without mercy. He was very, very strong. Monkeyhead was his wife and she made the finest of leather-goods.
The third couple was Lobster and Valk. They were both crafters, Lobster being a Fisherbold and Valk working with wood. The camp was perhaps most happy to welcome them, knowing that there was much building to do.
"Valk help build," Valk helpfully suggested to Straw. Straw considered this for a moment, nodded enthusiastically, and the two set off to get building. Lobster went to catch some turtles, and Splinter, Cogdis, and FeralTalon all took the time to train. This left Monkeyhead with nothing to do.
"Monkeyhead want help," she complained to Niyazov as she was practicing. "But no skins! No hard-skins!"
Niyazov lowered her bow for a moment to consider this and then gave a nod. "Not fair Monkeyhead no help. Niyazov get Monkeyhead skins." Then, without any other warning, she loped over to the cliff, pulled out her bow, and aimed it at some circling giant sparrows.
"No!" called Corai as he held up his spear to block her bow. "No do this thing. Sparrow kill us all."
"No kill us," insisted Niyazov as she moved her bow, trying to get a proper shot. "You see." Then she spun her bow, thwacking Corai's spear out of his hand. He yelped, growled, and was about to strike her with his paw when she raised her bow and fired.
All eyes watched as her arrow sped through the air. It moved straight towards a sparrow, the horrible monster of a bird easily ten times the size of a kobold. The arrow entered the sparrow's eye, shot out the back of it's head, and it plummetted to the ground already dead.
Niyazov lowered her bow with a broad, toothy grin. "See?"
Then Corai shouted out, "Sparrows come!"
The camp jumped into action, civilians running inside as the military ran to the cliff. Claws tightened around weapons. Splinter turned to Cogdis and nuzzled his head for a moment. "Live, husband," she instructed him.
"Live, wife," he responded.
There was nothing that could be done. Five of the beasts were rocketing towards them screeching like demons. Niyazov raised her bow and calmly let off another shot. It struck a sparrow, but it didn't falter. She fired again, bringing the bird falling to the ground.
The sparrow tucked it's body in but FeralTalon was upon it already. FeralTalon disabled its wings before another arrow from Niyazov's bow could pierce it's dark heart.
The other four continued their descent. Niyazov fired again, this time shooting through the creature's stomach to it's spine. Paralyzed, it fell, smashing into the ground with a horrible crunch. The others birds turned and flew away having found the kobolds a difficult snack.
The kobolds began to run down the hill until Niyazov barked out, "No. Sparrow walk now. Plasobler judge." There was a hesitation until Hugo's voice was heard beyond the ridge.
"Give sparrow to Gods. Gods give us life."
Niyazov and Hugo left together again as the camp mobilized to drag the two giant corpses back. There were heavy and took nearly the entire camp to get going.
"Camp happy we is come?" asked FeralTalon with a grin as he dragged nearly an entire wing on his own. "We is help carry!"
Barks of laughter came out as Sen walked down the hill with her drum strapped to her back and a huge cutting rock in her hand. "Then you is help eat!"
Taz, laughing and barking with joy, ran up the hill, hefted Sen onto his shoulders, and lead the procession. "We ALL help eat!"
Back at the camp, everything became about the two giant sparrows. "Monkeyhead help now!" Monkeyhead cheerfully exclaimed as she set about tanning the skins. When she was done with that, she made fine armor that bristled with sparrow feathers for two of the warriors to wear underneath their bones.
Straw took the bones themselves and got to fashioning them into armor. They made for a fiercesome sight indeed and provided excellent coverage for the two lucky 'bolds who got a chance. "Niyazov want?" she offered, but Niyazov shook her head and reminded her that 'space her armor.'
As Lobster handed out newly fashioned shell-helmets to the warriors, FeralTalon, Sen, and Cogdis sat whispering quietly. Finally, the three stood up and clapped their paws. Sen played a song while Cogdis read the poem that FeralTalon had written about Niyazov's shooting. The poem was abou-
"Can you read us the poem?" asked a tiny kobold voice. The pups had all been nearly stunned in silence hearing of the killing of the sparrows, but this opened the stopper.
"Is it the same Valk?"
"Did Splinter and Cogdis live?"
"Where is Hugo?"
"Did they wear loincloths?"
"Children! Enough! I cannot read you the poem. It is lost to us. But the carving that told of that season is not and it spoke of the poem. It was a spore tree, the image of the civilization done with such skill and mastery that you would think that Hugo was raised a Historian from a pup. The summer was good. They were blessed." Chungotlus smiled widely and patted a pup nearby on the head. "As we all are as kobolds. For we have strength that no others know of."
"But did they live?" asked an insistent voice.
There was silence. "Death comes for all, little one. But for tonight, the only deaths you need worry about were those sparrows. Now, run off, little warriors. Chungotlus must sleep."
Little bit of insomnia means an early post! Hopefully that means I'll get post 3 up tomorrow or Tuesday, but no guarantees. I've worked with names a little bit to make them fit storywise. Let me know if you'd like them changed.
Seriously though, if Niyazov's shooting is an indication of how archery works, I need to get more archers.
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Topic: Tadlotlindrirajer: Community Kobold Camp: Please Vote On Our Fate! (Read 30873 times)