Back in the forest I had taken the owlet under one arm, using the other one with my long feathers to gain a bit of airtime. I pushed myself off from the trees and roots I came across with my stubby but powerful legs. The little owlet was luckily giggling again, the speed we gained this way excited him. He enjoyed thrills, taking after his mother on that regard. At least my first child felt safe, now to get the other one back. I will NOT go back home without both my children!

My body felt like it was starting to break down, however, with the book on my back and Cebyr dangling at my side. It added a lot of weight to carry. Maybe I should have left him at Indrink? Well, it was too late for regrets now! The kobold’s long slender legs gave him a pretty good pace, even while zig zagging along fallen trees and big roots. My own speed could barely keep up with the burglar. For every yard I could advance on him, he would be able to gain two.

The forest started to thin out, less and less big trees as we neared the riverbanks of the Takk’n Delta. My breathing was heavy, it felt like my lungs could pop any moment. “I can’t give in!” The thought echoing through my mind as the kobold finally reached the rocky beaches.

The Takk’n river was rowdy at these points, boulders scattered around, the stream ever pounding on the rocks. So close to the sea, its water was longing for the salty ocean after travelling for so long. I could see some small boats not too far away. In them some humans were casting their lines to feed their families for the day, happily singing old shanties, attempting to reach above the sound of the water below them.

One of the men started the verses, with the last sentence repeated by the rest of them. After which their combined voices made for a powerful roar blasting the chorus.

“Don’t enter the deep, m’boys,

You got places to be 'n yer family has a choice

Fer the pen’ll make it’s jump and capsize

Even the greatest fish ain’t worth the creature’s prize

Even the greatest fish ain’t worth the creature’s prize~

So don’t go down too deep,

The gods they won’t save ye boys

A wave riding high,

Wave riding high, no more singing joys”

“Stop that foul creature!” I yelled. The men abruptly stopped their singing, looking over to me. Apparently my yelling was too distracting, because the kobold could freely jump in the water without them noticing, using his powerful tail to propel himself to the nearest boat, fighting the currents. “What is it, owl?” one of them replied.

“H-He’s got my baby!” My voice was trembling from my anger, how could they be so oblivious to that thing swimming for them?

“Who?” another one replied. The question was soon answered by the kobold as he took hold of a boat, the sudden rocking throwing the fisherman overboard as he climbed on.

The poor man was quickly taken down the stream. It was clear the water could take down even a strong man, his cries for help barely reaching his fellows whenever he’d come back up. The kobold was simply lucky to have reached that boat.