That night was oddly peaceful. You would think that given everything that has happened I would be too worked up to sleep. But I just felt kind of mellow. For the first night in a long time, none of us are in any immediate danger… I am home… I am with family… people who love me… people that I love. I feel… safe.

  A couple of weeks have passed. Despite things being quiet, Kiyui and I haven’t really spent any alone time together. We have been keeping an eye on the kids and helping out on the farm during the days and Tadwick has been very clingy at night since we got back. One of us has been having to stay with him until he falls asleep every night. I guess he must have missed us while we were away. I haven’t been actively looking for quests because I wanted to stay to help Alexi settle in… and see if that cocoon would open. It has shown no signs of doing so, unfortunately.

  As for Alexi… well. Having him here… with Tadwick… it just highlights how different the two of them are. And I don’t just mean physically. Not that the physical differences aren’t significant. Being from different races will do that. Tadwick is getting tall… and he is pretty thick set now. Alexi is still absolutely tiny. I mean… when he’s an adult he will only be about my height, so he is going to be a pretty small child. Mind you… at least his penis is of a normal size for someone of his height. What with Tadwick and Rosario I was beginning to develop a complex about that. So, it is nice seeing a child of normal proportions for once.

  I’m getting sidetracked again… my point was more to do with their way of being. Tadwick is so insanely carefree. He loves playing, running around. He doesn’t care if his hair is an absolute state, he doesn’t care if his clothes are torn and scraggy. He just bounds about, enjoying himself.

  Alexi… by the gods… it’s like he has no idea how to be a child. He doesn’t play on his own… like… ever. If left without guidance he will start doing any farm jobs that he has learned… and if there are none that need doing, he will just stand patiently at the side of the room, field or wherever he happens to be.

  Tadwick keeps trying to get him involved with games and things. Which is sweet. But bless him… Alexi just doesn’t get it. He can follow the rules of any game as they are laid out to him. But as soon as the game requires a level of imagination… he just does not understand. To be fair to him, when the game has firm rules with little room for interpretation, he does fine. They were playing horse shoes earlier and he is good at that. But he doesn’t appear to be having fun when doing it. He just seems confused as to the point of it.

  I genuinely don’t think I’ve seen the kid smile once. Even when he wins a game… there is nothing… no emotion. He doesn’t care if he wins or if he loses. His face stays the same either way. Tadwick will dance about and laugh and all sorts when he wins, and he can be quite arsey when he loses… but Alexi… nothing.

  Tadwick has even been trying to tell him jokes. I mean… they are kid jokes… they aren’t exactly of the highest quality… you know “what’s brown and sticky… a stick.” That kind of thing. Alexi doesn’t even groan at how bad they are. He literally said “I congratulate you on your wordplay” in response to one of them. Like… what kind of child speaks like that?

  I’m sat watching them now. Nomius has attached a net to the side of the barn. It is in a kind of hoop shape with a hole cut out of the bottom of the net. Nomius has blown up a pig’s bladder and tied it so that the air can’t escape to make a rudimentary ball. Which… well… I mean… it’s certainly creative of him… can’t say that I would want to put my mouth to a pig’s bladder to inflate it… but you know… power to him. He may be a terrifying imposing, axe wielding lizard… but he is good at entertaining kids.

  They are throwing the ball into the hoop. Every time they get the ball in the hoop, they take a step back. First person to get a point from the farthest line back wins. The farthest line has been drawn in the soil with a stick. Alexi is taking much smaller steps back than Tadwick… and I don’t just mean because his legs are smaller. Tadwick is purposely taking massive strides in an attempt to win.

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  Despite this… Alexi is still winning. Alexi seems pretty good at working out angles. He stands there and takes him time to analyse things before each shot. Tadwick just seems to fling it and hope for the best.

  Smutisha: “Yoohoo! Darling!”

  Oh shit. Why the hell is she here? I haven’t seen her since I ran out of her bedchamber… fuck… fuck… what do I do? I can’t pretend not to be here… she’s seen me… fuck. She’s walking over to me… shit… shit… shit.

  Smutisha: “No need to look so terrified, darling. It’s only me.”

  That’s why I’m so terrified… gods… how does she not get why I’m basically paralysed right now?

  Dwynfel: “Umm… hello… Lady Smythe.”

  Smutisha: “Oh please, darling. I’ve held your penis in my hand. Surely that puts us on first name terms?”

  For fuck’s sake… don’t bring that up… poor choice of words… don’t remind me.

  Dwynfel: “Umm… do forgive the impertinence… but… why are you here?”

  Smutisha: “My darling, I have a little request for you.”

  Dwynfel: “Is this going to be the same as your last request?”

  Smutisha: “Don’t be silly, darling. This is a simple request, that was a proposition.”

  Dwynfel: “I fail to see the distinction.”

  Smutisha: “Don’t worry, darling. You have no need to be defensive. You will get to keep your pants on this time.”

  Dwynfel: “Okay… what is this request?

  She smiled at me and sat down on the cart that was to my side. She isn’t dressed as formally as before. I still wouldn’t class it as casual. Kind of like a weird cross between a hunting jacket and a ball gown. The bottom is all puffed out, but she is wearing riding trousers underneath… and the top half is black and buttoned up. A far cry from the overly colourful monstrosity that she was wearing at the ball.

  Smutisha: “Well, darling. My men have recently discovered a goblin nest to the north.”

  Oh great, more goblin killing. I suppose, it does need doing. Hang on…

  Dwynfel: “Umm… if your men have discovered it… why have they not gone in and killed them?

  Smutisha: “That’s the thing, darling. I want you to help me form an alliance with them.”

  Yup… she’s insane… completely mental.

  Dwynfel: “With all due respect… you can’t be serious. I have been very clear that I am all for the complete destruction of goblin nests. You can’t just start proposing alliances with them. The second we enter their nest. I’ll be murdered and you’ll be raped… this is a terrible idea.”

  Smutisha: “Darling, they aren’t Grim. They’re Bracken. You seem to have a knack for allying yourself with different races and creatures… look at your lizardman friend over there. Playing with a human child and… is that a jackal? I think with you on hand to show them that we are capable of working with a goblin, we can make this alliance work.”

  Dwynfel: “And if I say no?”

  Smutisha: “Then I’ll try without you, darling. Although, I doubt our chance of success will be as high.”

  Fucking hell… I can’t just let her waltz off into a goblin nest… even if they are Bracken. The Bracken may not be as hell bent on rape and destruction… but they are still known for their deadly traps and their desire to leave no witnesses.

  Then again… according to all my books the lizardmen are all a bunch of bloodthirsty psychopaths who will do anything to expand their territory. Turns out that was all based on one clan and that there are plenty of perfectly reasonable lizardmen out there. I mean we would all be totally fucked if not for Damecus and Nomius… and Nomius is really good with the kids.

  That being said… I think I was right to be afraid of Flora. Even though she helped us. She murdered an entire city simply because of the actions of a small group. Some creatures should simply not be messed with.

  I do have to admit… my knowledge of Bracken comes from hearing other goblins mock their cowardice when I was little, as well as being based on the books that I read growing up.

  I mean… they are goblins after all… so they aren’t going to be pleasant… but maybe it will be possible to form some kind of uneasy alliance with them… even if just temporarily… they are Bracken… they won’t attack the city if things go south or anything… they will likely just disappear and kill anybody who tries to follow or find them.

  Dwynfel: “Okay, I’ll help you… but if, at any point, I tell you that it is getting too dangerous, you listen to me, and we get out of there.”

  Smutisha: “Cross my heart, darling. There would be no point in bringing you if I wasn’t going to listen to you.”

  Why do I not believe her even slightly?