Kurt had gone back to his house at the top of the pillar. He didn't like being ganged up on. Especially when they were plotting what could become a messy problem, he was too angry to think straight.

Waking up again in that pool. After passing out. Again. He did not like how often that happened to him.

What if Ishtar was lying and plans to just run back to the Pantheon and bring them all back here?

He saw how the True Sorcerer waved off Marty, explosively. But if he could do that to actual gods why wouldn't Layla let him out immediately? He was frustrated with everything that had happened. He thought he could focus his mind with a bit of sword practice. Focus on breathing, form clarity of mind, and essentials in sword practice.

But when he got to the top of the pillar. There was a group of goblins looking over the edge.

What now? Was all Kurt could think. Why would a whole goblin party come up here? This wasn't the time. He needed some space.

He was about to tell them off a little. But as he walked up he realized why there was such a commotion.

Mistress Lilly was there. Just the type of person he wanted to talk to a spoiled little girl. With a group of men ready to stick up for her.

"Ohh it's you," said Lilly. "What are you doing here?"

Kurt forced a fake smile, "I live here," waving at his house.

"Come sit with me, the view is really great."

Kurt really was in the mode for orders, even simple ones like that. But he bit his tongue. None of this was her fault after all, she was just born this way, it is probably how all goblin mothers are treated and acted, very privileged even a bit unknowingly.

Lilly waved off the goblins around here, and then a bit more. "I want to talk to him privately."

"But Mistress."

"You think our Lord will harm me?" she said in a serious tone.

"Well no… but," said one as Mistress Lilly gave the goblins a deadly stare.

The goblins backed away.

"You can spar a little if you want," said Lilly, turning her head back to view, then towards Kurt "if you don't mind Sir Kurt."

Kurt nodded his head towards the goblins. Then sat down next to the young female goblin. The sounds of a few metal swords clashing started to ring in the air.

"You probably think I'm just some naive little girl don't you?"

"To be honest, I was thinking about how naive I've been recently, if anything."

His house really did have the best view in the Kingdom, he thought for a moment. The clanging of the spar behind seemed to even melt away with the sounds of the waterfall below them. The sun glittered over the river before them.

"I guess we never know what people think."

"Ohh don't worry you are still a naive little girl, but that's how everyone starts. Being naive is not knowing enough about the world and you have to live in the world to learn it. You seem to learn a bit faster than most."

"I could see the way you looked at me."

"Could see the way you pouted you mean."

A few moments later, she laughed, "pp-out-ted, the translation spell took a lot of words to translate that one. I like it." Still giggling about it, and made a pouty face.

"So what did you really want to talk about?"

"I was thinking…something that doesn't involve twelve goblins talking over each other. You are a good excuse."

Kurt laughed, this was not the first time he had that, Sara enjoyed his visits for the same reason. "Not all it's cracked up to be, is it? Power, status, honestly it's a lot more trouble than it can be worth."

"Yeah, I'm starting to see that. I thought they'd all fight over me, but really they end up fighting each other more."

"It's tough to lead, please don't ask me how. I'm terrible at it."

"I wouldn't say that," said Lilly, "Hank speaks very highly of you. Others too. He says you listen to the people below you and respect the battlefield in the moment."

"You know I've always wondered about that."

"About what?"

"I mean I don't really ask about…" Kurt looked at Lilly, "How broods and the youngest really work with goblins. Humans would consider it private I guess. But it always seemed a bit odd that it was Hank and not Tom."

"Tom?"

"I guess you wouldn't know, he is a scout."

"Are you asking if warriors are more involved in broods?"

"I guess."

Mistress Lilly thought about it for a while. "I wouldn't say that there are certain things warriors teach warriors, scouts teach scouts, and shamans teach shamans. Even the youngest. And mothers need tending and have options. If anything the shamans have the most intense work with magic. But I wouldn't call it more involved because of it, just different."

"I don't know, to me it always seems like Hank was more knowledgeable. Like he was the one who told us to come."

"He does that himself," said Lilly. "He is actually a very good teacher, I think he likes it too. Mother Carla and Hank are also very close."

"Maybe he puts on a face for me."

Mistress Lilly giggled, "he does, but don't tell him I said that."

They both stare quietly off the pillar into the picturesque landscape, in a time of silence that Kurt didn't feel any awkwardness in. They both just wanted a moment to themselves, for different reasons.

After a while, Mistress Lilly finally broke the silence, "Okay so.."

"Yeah," said Kurt.

"Is it true you have a pet Hydra?"

"I guess so, he's sort of Barney's guardian now."

"You see, the thing is Mother Goblins, they don't have a lot of mounts they can ride."

"So you want to ride Harvey?"

"Yes…ummm….umm..what is it…Susan said it a lot…please," said Lilly. "Yes, please. That's the word right?"

"Yeah, that's the word." Still a little kid in there.

Kurt was used to the translation spell, and how it would talk over the actual words being said in the translated language. The switch between it being on for translations and off for the human tongue became smooth to his ear.

Kurt had been in many discussions using many languages all translated. Kurt had noticed that Mistress Lilly was using some human words in her speech.

As if she was trying to use the spell as a crutch for words she didn't know, she slowly pronounced some. She spoke more than half of the time in the human tongue.

Kurt had never really thought of using the spell like that. Concentrating on the word being said behind the translation to actually learn the language, or something. It couldn't be that simple, but learning a language never is, young children are always the best at it.

"You see Mother Carla," said Lilly, "I could get bigger than she is…eventually. I might not get another chance to ride a mount."

Kurt realized something then. Layla's words reached him. He could slip from where he was sitting. It was always too far within the pillar before to go from his house. He didn't notice it before because he never left it. That's usually when he would notice the difference leaving.

"Well, I can see if he's busy."

"Really? I promise I'll be good." She turned towards the goblins that came with her, still sparring, "And I can tell them to stop, if you want?""

"Don't worry about it, but make sure they stay away from my house. Give me a little bit. I think I'm going to grab my wife too."

Mistress Lilly nodded back excitedly and got up to watch the goblins spar. And made it apparent she was about to tell them to move further from Kurt's house.

Kurt had a new appreciation for Mistress Lilly. She had gotten a reality check faster than he had expected. But she was still a little girl, with maybe too much responsibility, a way he never thought of it before. Why can't she have a fun ride? He was supposed to give her anything she wanted after all.

Kurt's thoughts on Talia were that she probably would want to see this too. Kurt had slipped to Talia's and Justin's well.. And found her quickly in her castle.

"You're going to love this," he told her. He grabbed her waist and kissed her. Then slipping her to Helmsbrig. He had never kissed while slipping, but the bit of disorientation made the experience a bit more magical.

"Well that's a different kind of kiss," said Talia smiling, with her green eyes looking into Kurt's. "Sweep a girl off her feet, why don't you?"

Kurt smiled and grabbed her waist again making for another kiss. He pulled her off the ground with his new flying powers. She felt lighter than he expected.

"And we take that literally now," Talia said as they floated back to the ground. She was blushing and smiling.

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