She hesitated in the opening. She would feel better if she saw there was a solid back to the cave, now chance it was connected to the dungeon. On the other hand, it was raining. A cold drip from her hat slid down the back of her neck.

And she didn't have to go far. It was dry by the entrance, she could sit so she faced the back of the cave, and if anything came, she could be out the door and into the forest like a shot. And hope it wouldn't follow.

The creatures from the dungeon weren't supposed to be able to leave. There were wards on the cave, and anyway, they were supposed to be tethered to the cave somehow. Wathman the [Maple Wizard] had explained it to her. Not that it made a lot of sense to Lexie. But he sounded confident. Mostly.

She sat with her back toward the door and opened her pack. She'd removed her thermos and was reaching in for the box she'd packed her sandwiches in when suddenly something solid struck her from behind.

"Ooof," said Lexie, as the impact shoved her forward.

Objects cascaded around her. Lexie picked one up. It was... bread? She was surrounded by small brown loaves, of warm bread. A moment later, the smell hit her. They smelled delicious.

She sat up and turned around see what had collided with her, and dumped bread all over the floor.

Sitting behind her, tipped basket on the ground beside it, was a small, scaly golden creature with a long sinuous body and short limbs. It had a mane reminiscent of a lion, and two small pronged antlers poked out. It had a long square snout with a small beard on its chin, and two long, thick whiskers drooped down from its upper lip, beside its nostrils. It surveyed the bread tumbled all over the floor.

"Oh no, oh no!" The creature hopped to its feet and Lexie saw it had a long tail with a tuft at the end. It picked up one of the loafs and after inspecting it, dusted it off and dropped it back in the basket.

"Fine, fine. Clean right up, no one notice a bit of dust anyhoo," the creature said as it began rapidly gathering the loaves into the basket.

Lexie handed the creature a loaf that had tumbled into her lap. "Thank you, thank you," the creature said, dropping it into the basket with the others. Then it paused, straightened up to its full height, which was a bit less than a meter, and fixed Lexie with an indignant glare.

"This all your fault! What you do sitting in the road? Folk travel here, busy folk, places to be! Jobs to do! No time to sit about, no time to stop for silly people sit in road! Look what happen!"

The little creature threw its hands up in the air and its shoulders slumped. It just looked dejected now. Even its antlers seemed to droop.

"I'm sorry," said Lexie. "Here, let me help you," she picked up several of the loaves nearest her and dusted them off before dropping them in the basket. That seemed to galvanize the creature back into action, and it darted back and forth, retrieving more of the bread.

"I didn't know this was a road," she said, "Or I wouldn't have sat here."

"Well now you know," said the creature with a huff. "Why you sit here anyway? Warms not come here."

"I came in here to eat my lunch somewhere dry," said Lexie. "I didn't know."

"Why you here--" Here the creature gestured not just at the cave, but the forest outside as well. The creature set the basket down on the floor and crossed its short arms as it stared at Lexie waiting for a response.

"I was gathering mushrooms," she said. "Or trying to, I only found one."

"Bad time of year for mushrooms yes," the creature said picking up its basket again. It leaned over to peer behind a rock, then reached down and plucked a loaf that had fallen behind. It inspected the bread for a moment and then tossed it in the basket with the rest.

"Should have come last week, were more then. You far, no one come this far."

"Not that far, it's a walk from my cabin but--"

"Where you cabin?"

"Um, on the other side of the Blackwood, near the coast."

"That far," the creature informed her. "Near town?"

"Pretty close," said Lexie.

"Far," the creature confirmed.

It had collected all its bread and was picking up the basket. "Um, do you live here?" Lexie asked.

"No, no live. Work." It lifted the basket of bread.

"You work here?" Lexie peered down the tunnel. It looked like a normal cave tunnel. No sign of habitation or employment.

"Yes, yes," muttered the creatures as it staggered forward, the huge basket completely blocking its forward vision. Lexie could see how it managed to run smack into her.

"I could carry that for you," she offered. Why did I say that she asked herself. She had zero desire to go any further into these caves than she already was. But she felt bad for the little guy with his huge basket.

"Okay," said the creature and thrust the basket at her.

Lexie managed to grab it before it could tip and spill bread out again. She had to set it down for a moment while she shrugged her bag onto her shoulders.

"Come on, come on," said the little creature, wiggling with impatience, and Lexie hoisted the basket.

It led her into the tunnels at a surprisingly fast pace. The little creature was surprisingly agile, and speedy, when it wasn't carrying a basket nearly its own size. Lexie had to push herself to keep up.

As she followed the creature, Lexie said, "Hey, hold on I need a li--"

She broke off what she was saying around the bend. Instead of plunging into darkness, a faint glow illuminated the tunnel. A shimmering bioluminescent moss grew on the walls. "Wow," said Lexie.

She had slowed to admire the moss, and had to hurry to catch up to the little creature. "I'm Lexie, by the way," she said. "Lexie Archer."

The creature stopped so abruptly Lexie nearly tumbled over it. It turned to face her.

"I am Samiiesław," the creature said with great seriousness, and gave a neat little bow.

"Pleased to meet you, Sami... I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

"You warm," it said, shaking its head disparagingly. "You just call me Sam." The creature whipped around and hurried further into the cave.

Lexie adjusted the basket and hustled along behind.

"Not to be rude, but... what are you?"

"Phhh." The creature gave a little snort. "I am kobold." It informed her. "Member of great clan. Much respect. Very important job, baker. Make best bread. Best cakes. What are you?"

"I'm a human," said Lexie.

Sam snorted dismissively.

"I'm uh," Lexie tried to remember what else Sam had said. "I'm a member of a well known family, and I'm a [Farmer]. And I was a [Junior Publicity Assistant]."

"Hmm. What that?" asked Sam. "Some kind of wizard thing?"

"No." Lexie thought about how to explain it. "I got people appearances. Helped make them famous, or helped them capitalise on their fame."

"Oh, some kind of bard," said Sam. "Easier just say bard."

Lexie didn't really know what to say to that.

Sam led her through the twisting and turning cave. It went much deeper than Lexie had imagined, and multiple tunnels branched off. Some were dark, others glowed with the same moss that illuminated their route.

"Where does this moss come from?" she asked, as they hurried along. Sam just shrugged, without breaking stride. "Don't know, just grows."

Lexie wondered if it would grow outside the cave. Maybe she could take some back to the cabin. A path edged with glowing moss would make it easier to find her way at night.

With her hands full holding the basket, she didn't have the opportunity to take any though. Maybe on the way out.

They were going ´awfully deep, and as they passed through branching junctures and twisted around through the turning passage, Lexie began to worry. "You'll lead me back out, right?" she asked Sam.

The little golden creature rolled its eyes and sighed. "Yes yes, work done I show you home."

Lexie wasn't sure about that, with no way of knowing how long this work would take, but there was no point in arguing. She wouldn't be able to find her way back from this point in the tunnels on her own. And she definitely didn't want to get lost.

Speaking of. "Um, there's not anything dangerous in here, is there?"

Sam just shrugged again. "Many thing dangerous."

Not reassuring. "I don't have my sword," said Lexie.

"Then you not dangerous." said Sam.

It didn't seem as though Sam intended to elaborate further.

While Lexie was considering Sam's response, the tunnel emerged into a large, open cavern. It too was dimly illuminated by the glowing moss, but so large Lexie couldn't be sure where the ceiling was. There were winding ledges leading up the walls and small openings. Crossing the center of the cavern, was an underground river, flowing in from one cavern and exiting through a hole in the opposite side of the chamber.

Everywhere there were creatures like Sam.

As Lexie looked, her eyes adjusting to the dim, she could see that they were different sizes, shapes and colours. They were all busy, hurrying to and fro, or engaged in tasks.

"Is this your clan?" asked Lexie.

"Some clan," said Sam. "On duty. Rest of clan home. Put bread here."

Sam slapped a long flat slab of stone, knee height on Lexie. She set the basket down.

There were easily a few dozen kobolds going about their business. At the other end of the slab was a large black cauldron suspended over a fire. Another kobold stood on a stool, stirring the mixture with a large paddle. There were stacks of earthenware bowls on the slab beside the cauldron.

As Lexie stood next to Sam, six rolled a large boulder past on logs. Four pushed with levers while two ran from back to front, carrying the last log and placing it ahead of the boulder, creating a track that let them move the giant rock.

"What are they doing?" asked Lexie.

"Traps," said Sam.

"Traps?" she repeated.

"Where you think traps come from," Sam gestured around the cavern, and as her eyes adjusted Lexie could see that they did seem to be working on all kinds of trap like devices. Several teams were busy with barrels and chests, another group sharpened stone spikes, and a small cluster seemed to be making an elaborate rope net.

As she was looking around, a sharp yip came from one of the groups around a barrel. Immediately all the other kobolds, including Sam, dropped to the ground.

Sam grabbed the hem of Lexie's slicker. "Down!"

She dropped into a crouch behind the stone slab next to the kobold "What--"

BOOOM!

The entire cavern shook, and some dust and small pebbles fell from the unseen ceiling.

"Trap making dangerous," said Sam by way of explanation. The kobold hopped up on the slab and began heaping bread from the basket onto a large wooden platter. "Gawp, gawp, gawp," the kobold said, shoving another platter at Lexie. "Don't just stand, work!"

Lexie began piling more of the breads onto the empty platter. "What are they making traps for?" she asked Sam.

"Dungeon."

"Why are they making traps for the dungeon?" asked Lexie. She couldn't remember ever seeing a kobold in the dungeon. Nothing even similar. Though she hadn't been in very deep. There was probably a lot in there she hadn't seen.

"Dungeon need traps," said Sam, as though this should be self evident.

"Do you live in the dungeon?" asked Lexie.

Sam snorted. "Hah! Kobolds don't live in dungeon! Dumb place to live. Too many adventurers!"

"Then why do you make traps for the dungeon?" asked Lexie, not understanding.

Sam shrugged. "Is job."

When the last of the bread was piled on the platters, Sam gave a sharp yip. The kobolds working in the cavern dropped, or in the case of those working on explosive barrels, gently laid aside, their tools and swarmed to queue at the food.

The kobold stirring the cauldron ladled a bowl full of the thick stew and handed it to the kobold at the head of the line. That kobold then moved down the line, grabbed a loaf of bread from the platters and quickly found somewhere to sit.

Within minutes, all the kobolds had been served and were sitting in small groups and low murmur of squeaking and yipping filled the cavern.

Sam filled two bowls with the stew and thrust one at Lexie. He grabbed a loaf of bread and hopped up on a convenient rock nearby.

Lexie took the bowl and stirred the contents around with a wooden spoon. "What is it?" she asked Sam.

"Food," said the kobold. The other kobold, in charge of the stew, joined Sam on the nearby rock.

"I mean, what's in the food?" asked Lexie.

There was a conversation between the two kobolds. After a brief exchange of yipping, squeaking, and low growls, Sam shrugged and said, "Food is stew and bread."

The stew looked hearty and smelled delicious. She could see chopped herbs in the thick brown broth, and chunks of potato and carrot, beets, and some things she couldn't identify. Now both kobolds were studying her. She stirred the spoon around a bit more.

Lexie didn't want to be rude, but she also didn't want to eat it before she knew what it was. She didn't think Sam was being deliberately obtuse. More like the kobold didn't understand what she was asking.

"How is the stew made? What goes in?" She added, "There are some things I can't eat."

Comprehension dawned on Sam's face and there was another brief discussion in kobold. "Water, potato, carrot, beet, turnip. Mushroom, tasty green plants--" Sam made a few yips and squeaking sounds. "Not know warm names. Taste good. Ground beans."

Lexie wasn't sure what ground beans were. "No meat?" she asked.

Sam yipped at the other kobold, who yipped back. "No meat."

Lexie hoped none of the herbs were poisonous. She took a bite. The stew was rich and flavourful.

"Can't eat meat?" said Sam with what Lexie would swear was an incredulous look. "Why warms can't eat meat?"

"Some can," said Lexie.

"Why you can't?"

Lexie wasn't sure how to explain being a vegetarian to the kobold. "I just don't."

"Weird," said Sam with a shrug. Then added with pride, "Kobold can eat anything." He picked up a pebble from the floor, examined it for a moment, and then crunched it. "Stew taste better though. And bread. You can eat bread, yes? No meat. Bread is grains flour, water."

"Yeah, I can eat bread." Lexie took a bite, and discovered it was a moist sourdough. The inside was still warm. "It's really good, and the stew too," she said.

"Yes," said Sam. "Twelve level [Baker]." He relayed something to the other kobold, who looked pleased.

"Wow, really?" she said. Level twelve was high, for humans anyway. Like solid mid-tier professional. Most humans topped out around level 15, and only a handful ever passed level 20.

Sam puffed up. "Yes, best [Baker] in clan."

Lexie believed it.

As the kobolds in the cavern finished their meal, they returned to the cauldron and the slab of rock that served as a counter. Some helped themselves to more stew or bread, while others left their spoons and empty bowls on the stone.

Lexie had noticed some of the kobolds looking at her as they were eating. Quick glances darted her direction from the huddles of kobolds around the room. After they had finished eating, a small group approached Sam. One kobold, with copper red scales and a lighter coloured belly, said something to Sam. Sam replied back with yips, and soon there was an animated conversation of yips and squeaks and sibilant hissing. All the while they were looking back and forth to Lexie.

At a brief pause, Lexie said, "Are you talking about me?"

"Yes," said Sam. "They ask why you here, I say dumb warm in the way, cause accident, almost ruin food, now you help food because you sorry."

"Oh," said Lexie. That wasn't exactly how she saw it, but she wasn't going to argue. "Can any of them talk?"

Sam looked offended. "All talk. Talk proper."

"I mean, like you."

"Some," said Sam. "Some talk warm. Many understand. But they shy."

Lexie smiled in what she hoped was a non-intimidating way at the kobolds gathered around. "Hi," she said. "I'm Lexie. It's nice to meet you."

The group of kobolds turned their attention to Sam and a great deal of discussion ensued. Finally the one she thought of as the leader of the group, the copper coloured kobold who had initiated the conversation, presumably encouraged by same, faced her. The kobold gave a little bow, and said in a very serious way, "I Arkadiusz."

"I am pleased to meet you, Arkady..." Lexie trailed off. Kobold names were hard. She bowed slightly. "I apologize, your names are very unfamiliar to me."

Sam yipped and the copper kobold replied, "Can use small name in warm talk."

Lexie looked to Sam, unsure what the copper kobold was telling her. He rolled his eyes and explained, "Small name, easy for warm, like Sam."

"Oh!" she said, catching on. The kobold was giving her permission to give him a nickname. "Um, would Arkady be acceptable?"

The copper kobold pondered for a minute and then replied very seriously. "Arkady. Yes."

Lexie didn't know what to say, so she just bowed again. This seemed to be appropriate, because another kobold, this one with iridescent scales so dark green they appeared black at some angles, stepped forward, said "Me. I Sobiesława," and gave a tiny bow.

"Greetings... Sophie?" said Lexie and bowed back.

The kobold smiled a toothy grin and returned to its companions.

Shortly all the kobolds in the small group were introducing themselves, receiving short names, and talking excitedly among themselves. More of the creatures began to drift over and soon, Lexie was surrounded by a dozen kobolds chattering to each other. The only thing she could understand was the human names she'd suggested.

As more came over, Sam had enough. The golden kobold hissed and yipped at the others, gesturing around the cavern and at his own basket and the cauldron. Lexie didn't need to speak kobold to get the gist of it. "Enough! Get back to work!"

The kobolds dispersed back to their tasks. Sam picked up the large basket and headed for the exit. The kobold paused and looked over its shoulder at Lexie. "Come! I show you home now!"

Lexie grabbed her bag from where she'd set it on the floor while helping Sam serve the meal and hurried after. The kobold zipped back through the tunnels, carrying the oversized, but now empty, basket. How it could see where it was going to navigate the twists and turns of the terrain Lexie had no idea. Despite the creature's short legs, she had to hurry to keep up. A few places Lexie remembered, a small grotto to the side of the path where water trickled down one of the walls, a place where a stalactite and stalagmite were slowly working their way toward becoming a column, and the path split to the sides around them. But for the most past, all the paths looked identical, and she knew she never would have been able to navigate back through the junctures herself. She would have been hopelessly lost.

It felt to Lexie like the return was taking a considerably longer amount of time than the trip to the cavern. After a few more minutes of keeping up a pace somewhere between a fast walk and a slow jog -- honestly, why couldn't the kobold go either slower or faster? The walk - jog - walk - jog situation was starting to wear on Lexie's patience.

"Hold up," she finally said, as they entered a chamber that she was sure she'd have remembered. A waterfall fell from an opening into a star shaped pool. There was no way she'd have forgotten.

"What?" said Sam.

"This isn't the way we came," said Lexie.

Sam rolled his eyes in the way Lexie had come to interpret as she'd said something the kobold considered stupid.

"I take you home now. You say you live in cabin near town, I take you cabin near town." Sam resumed the the brisk pace that forced Lexie to adopt an awkward gait somewhere between a powerwalk and a jog.

"You mean these tunnels go all the way to my cabin?" asked Lexie.

"Tunnels go lots places," replied Sam.

Lexie wasn't sure how she felt about that knowledge. On the one hand, the kobolds hadn't seemed unfriendly. And until now she'd had no idea there even were tunnels leading to her farm, so probably they weren't used often, or if they were it was discretely and by creatures that meant her no harm.

On the other hand, the kobolds had been busy building traps for the dungeon, which implied the tunnels were also connected to the dungeon. And she wasn't sure what other dungeon creatures might use them.

"If you have tunnels everywhere, why were you coming from the outside entrance?! Lexie asked. "Why didn't you just carry your bread through the tunnels?"

"Collapse in tunnel three. Gotta dig out. Go around."

That was even less reassuring to Lexie, and she studied the ceiling of the tunnel they were in as they hurried on.

The tunnel exit was located in a fold of rock on the cliffs facing the sea. At first Lexie didn't realize they had reached their destination. Night had fallen while she was in the tunnels and no light illuminated the entrance to the cave system. Outside, a narrow ledge led along the face to the stairs that descended to the cabin's sea front, really just a pile of boulders that waves crashed against, throwing spray up the wall.

Lexie looked down, and to the side.

"Why you still here?" Sam asked, when Lexie hesitated. "We here. I take you home, go."

"Um, thank you," said Lexie. "But..." she looked at the dubious ledge. She never would have considered it passable looking at it from above or the side. It was a narrow ledge, about 30 centimeters wide, and five meters to reach a place where she could step onto the stairs that descended to the rocky beach. In a few places, some hardy plants had set down roots. Weeds bloomed in the cracks. It was a long way down to the boulders below. "Are you sure it's safe?"

"Pfft!" said Sam. The kobold set down the large basket and dashed along the ledge to the stairs and back as confidently as it had followed the path through the caves.

"Safe. You go now, I busy. Bread for tomorrow."

Lexie had no intention of darting along the ledge. But at least it seemed sturdy. Not so much as a pebble fell when the kobold scampered along it. Though, a part of her brain whispered, you probably weigh four times what that kobold does.

"Shut up, brain," Lexie muttered to herself.

"What you say?" The Sam tilted its head and looked at her with curiosity.

"Nothing," said Lexie. She took one tentative step onto the trail, half expecting the ledge to crumble. When it didn't, she took another. She turned her head carefully, glancing back at the narrow opening, to see Sam staring at her. The kobold gestured with its hands, "Go, go!"

Lexie turned her attention back to the ledge, trying to focus on her feet. One step at a time. She kept one hand on the cliff face to steady herself, though it wouldn't help if the ledge did crumble. The surface was rough, but there weren't real handholds. just coarse rock face.

One step, then anther. Lexie tried to focus only on the ledge, and ignore the boulders below, with the waves crashing against them. She tried not to imagine herself falling, lying broken on the boulders, unable to move. It was like trying not to think about pink elephants. The harder she tried not to imagine it, the clearer the image in her mind became. One step. Then another.

And suddenly her next step was onto the wooden structure of the stairs.

She clutched the weathered handrail gratefully and sank down to sit on the steps, her legs shaking from the sudden end of the adrenaline rush she didn't realize the fear had created.

From the corner of her eye, she saw a golden flash, and when she looked, Sam was gone. She couldn't even pick out the entrance to the tunnel, though she knew it was there, it looked like a jagged crack in the surface of the rock, nothing more.

After sitting a couple minutes, until her legs stopped racing and her heart stopped pounding, Lexie climbed the stairs back up to the coastal trail and followed the path back to her cabin.