The light from a flickering sconce in the hallway outside revealed the silhouette of Miss Coyle, fully dressed.

Kallid groggily extracted his arms from around Miss Tribi to rub at his eyes.

"Mr. Kallid," said the intruder in a quiet but urgent tone. "We must leave immediately. Please get the children up. I'll gather your things."

"Wha?" Kallid began, but Miss Tribi was up in an instant and fully dressed an instant after that.

"No time to explain," Miss Coyle said. "We'll have to go on foot. No time to get the horses. We should be alright if we get out quickly. Do you know where the back door is?"

Kallid tried to recall the layout of the house. He'd been given a short tour earlier but hadn't really tried to commit it to memory.

"I know it," Miss Tribi said as she set Kalindra on her feet.

"Good. Meet us there as soon as you can," Miss Coyle said. "Is there anything in these cases you need now? Otherwise I'll take them now."

"No," Miss Tribi replied, trying to calm the child as well. "Go ahead. We'll be there in less than a minute."

Kallid lifted Grace out of her bed while Night was putting on his clothes.

"What's up Dad?" Grace asked.

"Sorry little one," Kallid said. "We've got to go."

"Is it morning already?" Night asked.

"I don't think so, Night. Okay. You all set Grace?"

"I have to pee."

"Hold it for right now, Grace. Everybody ready?"

"We're ready," Miss Tribi said, handing Kalindra her ever-present doll.

"Then lead the way," Kallid said, ushering the kids to follow behind her.

It wasn't far to the back door, but the light was dim and the house was otherwise silent. The Mayor herself was at the door when they got there, along with Mr. Bross and Miss Coyle.

"I'm very sorry about this," the Mayor began, but Mr. Bross shushed her.

"No time, Mayor. You return to your bed and keep the lights down. We'll be fine. Miss Coyle, you know the way, right?"

At her nod, he turned back to the kobolds.

"Now I know you can all see at night better than us. If you see anyone, don't shout but let me know, okay? But don't say a word. Be as quiet as you can. Alright?"

"I have to pee."

"Me too," said Night.

"It won't be long - we just have to get out of town. Miss Coyle knows a trail through the woods. Once we get there we'll take a break. Okay?"

The children nodded, and with that Mr. Bross held a finger to his lips and Miss Coyle opened the back door.

There was no moon, the sky being clouded, but kobold eyes had no problem with the scarce light available. It was cool in the night when they stepped out, but Mr. Bross and Miss Coyle set a quick pace for the small kobold feet and they had little chance to get acclimated.

Grace tugged on Mr. Bross' jacket at one point as they stole out of the town and towards the woods beyond. Kallid heard her whisper to the man.

"A person over by that house," she said, and Kallid turned to look in the direction she was pointing. Mr. Bross crouched low and the others did the same. But whoever it was walked out of sight. Then they saw a group of people - far away now on the main road - but heading towards the mayor's house.

"That must be them," Miss Coyle whispered.

"They can't have seen us," Mr. Bross determined. "Come on, let's go. Quickly."

The group stood and went even faster towards the woods. The trail, such as it was, led deep into the greater darkness of the forest.

Once well out of sight and earshot of the town, they paused a few minutes to take care of nature.

Kallid returned with Night to where Mr. Bross and Miss Coyle waited.

"...it won't take them long," Miss Coyle was whispering.

"You think they'll hurt the Mayor?"

Kallid saw the young woman grimace in distaste. "Who knows? Or cares."

"Hey," Mr. Bross said, making Miss Coyle face him. "They did let us know. They didn't have to do that."

"What is it? What happened?" Kallid asked quietly, but the two turned to face him in surprise, weapons drawn.

"Whoa, it's just me, Kallid!"

The two relaxed, but it did remind Kallid of just how little humans could see in the dark.

"It's those bandits from earlier. They're not strangers here, Kallid. They live here - or at least some of their families do," Miss Coyle explained.

Mr. Bross continued, "they're none too happy with us right now. And there's quite a few of them. Apparently they were at the tavern and things were said, threats made. Eventually a mob formed and they were talking about killing you. We needed to get you out of town."

"Kill me? For shooting that bandit?"

Miss Tribi returned with the girls, while Miss Coyle set a hand on Kallid's shoulder.

"All of you, Mr. Kallid. Drunk hicks out here don't discriminate."

"But they seemed so friendly earlier!"

"You don't know these people, Kallid," she said, stooping down to his level. "They're not like city folk. Some are really good people, but way out here... it's like they go to extremes. The mayor, and probably most of the townspeople, they're alright. But they're not the people that go to the tavern late. Or have bandits as in-laws."

"Don't they have patrols? Police? Anything."

Miss Coyle shook her head and stood up. "Come on, we'll get away from this place, but I don't think we need to rush. A drunk mob takes awhile to get moving, and even longer to change direction. I know this land, but it's been a while. Just follow me. Miss Tribi? You okay?"

"Yes. Sorry. I'm a little slow getting up in the middle of the night."

"Well, just keep the kids together. Mr. Coyle, you want to take the rear?"

Mr. Coyle nodded and the troupe began to walk deeper into the woods.

***

Meanwhile, far away another group was beginning to walk. Though she had got a chance to talk to Goldworm before the trek began, the enigmatic dragon/god hadn't increased her confidence.

"They think I know where to lead them!" she'd implored, but Goldworm only smiled back. "Kreet, you couldn't lead them wrong if you wanted to. Northwest is all you need to know. Travel northwest. You will encounter obstacles, true. But don't feel bad. They could not have been avoided. They are destiny. However, it is time for me to leave. They are ready for this trip. As are you, Kreet. It is time you be weaned from my presence. I'll keep an eye on you."

And then he was gone. Just like that. And now Kreet was leading a small army of kobolds across the land. No, not an army. An army had defenses. An army had weapons. She was leading a relatively civilized but unorganized and frankly clueless mob of kobolds, and she had no clue where to.

As she watched the dragon disappear into the sky, she spat. This was the god she'd invested all her life in? Well, she couldn't hate him of course. But, as she shouted at the receding figure in the sky, "YOU'RE NOT REALLY MUCH HELP!!!"

And then he was gone and she looked back at the band of kobolds on their knees behind her. She sighed. This was not what she'd been trained for.

A few hours later, she'd gotten the gist of what this group had available. Food for a few days, but a good ability to forage. At least the dragon had taught them that. So they shouldn't starve. A few fighters, but far from enough to defend the whole group if any concerted attack came. A vague destination - the Promised Land.

How would they know - worse yet how would SHE know when they got there? No idea. But with her newfound insight into how this god she'd chosen long ago worked, she figured she would figure it out. And her directions? "Northwest". Fat lot of good that would do her.

"Well, alright then," she said, turning to what amounted to the leaders of the clan. "Let's at least do this... Put a few of the best hunters in the back to guard the rear. Tell them that doing so means more than just fighting off threats, but also keeping stragglers in line. If there's any problem back there, we need them to let us in the front know so we can stop. Other than that, if everyone is ready..."

Heads nodded in agreement. She shook her head at that. They had already begun to look at her as an avatar of their holy Goldworm. She wished she could slap that away from their eyes. Not only was she not some sort of god-send, she didn't even much like their god right now. She could probably run away when they were sleeping and forget this responsibility.

"Yeah," she laughed internally. "Like you'd ever do that."

She closed her eyes and knelt as she had all those years ago. Around her she heard the sound of the rest of the kobolds mimicking her. She didn't care. She needed to find peace before she shouldered this new burden. She prayed, even if the god she prayed to had put her here. It didn't matter. She knew now that the praying was more to her benefit than to talk to their destined deity. That deity would do as it wished anyway. But she needed to accept the future that was being given to her, and these moments of inner reflection helped.

Finally she stood up and opened her eyes. The clan followed her lead.

"Alright then. We go northwest!" she called. The clan wasn't so large she had to shout. Maybe a hundred souls altogether. But she realized as she scanned them that now they were her clan. Her decisions would determine their fates. She was glad there were no young children among them at least.

"Sythe and Fot, you stay with me. Gart, you will lead."

"But Kreet," Sythe said as she stepped up. "You are our leader."

"Well, I'll guide, but we need someone strong in front. I can guide, but I'm not strong. Not as strong as Gart anyway."

"I will lead," Gart said. "Just point me the way."

"Great. But can someone find Old Kras? I need him with me too."

"Old Kras?" Sythe and Fot looked at each other in confusion. "Why would you want him?"

"Because he will tell me 'no'. He will tell me when I'm being stupid. Sorry, but you guys seem to think I'm some mystical omniscient leader ordained by Goldworm. He knows better. He knows I don't piss nectar and don't shit gold. He knows I'm exactly what I am - a lost kobold no different from you people but that I've spent a lot of my life above ground with humans. He won't put up with my shit, and I need that."

Soon the old kobold stood with them, grumbling as ever but underneath the gruff he seemed a bit excited. Old he might be, but he was hale as any in the clan.

"Okay, pick up your stuff," she called to the rest of the clan. "Let's go!"

Gart looked at her, puzzled.

"Go on Gart. Northwest."

He looked from her to his other bedmates, who in turn looked back to Kreet with the same uncomprehending look.

Kreet wanted to roll her eyes. Most likely these people wouldn't understand the gesture. But it wasn't right. She wasn't superior to these people just because she knew her compass directions. They had just never been taught it.

"Okay. No problem. So the sun comes up over there, right?"

"So far," Gart agreed.

Now she couldn't help it. The eyes rolled of their own accord.

"Trust me, it always comes up over there. So that's East. It always goes down that way," she continued, pointing behind them. "The opposite way. That's West."

Heads nodded again. Good.

"Now, if I stand with my left hand pointing West, and my right hand pointing East like this, the direction I'm facing is North. And exactly behind me is South. Got it?"

Sythe, Fot and Gart mimicked her. Old Kras just sat down.

"So," if I point my left hand South and my right hand North..." Fot said, obviously expanding on the notion in his mind. "I'm facing West, right?"

Kreet smiled. "You've got it!"

"I get it," Gart said. So when you say to go Northwest..." he began. "That way is North. That way is West. So Northwest is in between them? This way?"

"That's it Gart," Kreet smiled. The guy was no dummy, even if his butt looked awfully nice in that loincloth.

"Got it!" Gart laughed. "Okay, get up Lazy Kras. We're on our way!"

"Finally," the old kobold muttered.

And they were. She had no idea what awaited them, but they were finally on their way. Kreet pulled the little mirror from her pouch as they walked, ignoring Sythe and Fot as they discussed compass directions. The glass was dark. She didn't know how the device worked of course. It was a magic of a sort she didn't even begin to comprehend. But she wasn't worried. The last she'd seen of them, her children were nestled into human beds. That Kallid had fallen asleep in the bosom of Miss Tribi was a bit bothersome, but she had to give the little guy some leeway. It must be hard for him - not knowing. But she knew they were looking for her, and that gave her a lot of comfort.

She put the mirror away and assured Gart that he could follow his own specific path, just so it headed generally northwest. But inside she was troubled. It was spying, really. Yes, it had relieved her of the fear for her children and her husband's safety. But now...

"What if they did," she thought. "Kallid and Miss Tribi. What if they did... it?" In the human society she lived in that would be the breaking of the marriage vow. But these kobolds she was with now... they didn't have that concept. They had pairings of course. Friendships. But would they feel jealousy the way she did if their close friend bonked someone else? Based on Sythe, Gart and Fot's relationship, she assumed not. Or at least not as intense as breaking a vow.

She was too human. Kallid hadn't been raised in human society - though he fit in well enough. Could she hold him to the too-rigid morality she held? And Miss Tribi? Kreet didn't know her well enough to really know her background, but she obviously had lived in human society for a long time. But her fascination for Kallid - or at least his body - was clearly strong.

"What if they did," she thought again. She fingered the mirror in her pouch.

***

"Kreet! You broke your glass!" Sythe said in alarm a few minutes later, shocked that her friend had dropped and intentionally stepped on the artifact she had kept so precious, and had spent hours looking into.

Kreet turned around, watching as the broken shards receded behind her, but she continued on, following Gart.

"I did, didn't I?" she said, turning back to watch the sway of the big kobold's tail in front of her as he began climbing a hill. "Whoopsie."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, she felt better. She knew they were alive. That was all she needed to know. She had enough to concern herself with, without that.

"What if they did? He doesn't know I'm alive. And I would still love him."

That being said, she realized she had been staring at Gart's tail for quite some time as he picked his way up the hill, his loincloth sometimes failing in its main purpose.

"Well, there's no denying the physical attraction of a young, strong male's tail," she sighed. "Morality is morality, and biology is biology. Life is just a matter of setting priorities. And trying to keep them."

Still, she felt deeply relieved now with the mirror gone. If Kallid's priorities didn't match her own - well, now she was at the mercy of the fates - as was every other wife whose husband is away. She would trust him. She had no choice - as he would have to trust her. But a promise without temptation is barely a promise at all. And a promise broken needn't always make that promise invalid. She would still love him. And, if she knew Kallid at all, he would still love her.