The Iron Teeth

A Tradesman's Tools 1

Blacknail yawned luxuriously as he slowly stretched out his long slender body. His movements caused the sheets beneath him to rub pleasantly against his skin. He then smiled contentedly as he sank into the soft fluffy mattress.

He was really enjoying having a bed of his own. He'd never had one before, only a blanket to curl up onto. This was much nicer, and bouncier.

As he laid there his stomach grumbled slightly, which raised a dilemma. Should he get up and grab some food, or try and get back to sleep? On one hand the food here was very tasty, but on the other hand the bed was amazingly soft. It was thus a difficult choice to make.

Sloth eventually overcame gluttony, and the decision was made for Blacknail. The hobgoblin fell back to sleep before he could make up his mind.

When he next awoke, red tinted sunlight was leaking into the room from behind the curtains that blocked the window. Blacknail gazed lazily at it and yawned deeply again, before grinning happily to himself.

It wasn't just the bed that was his, the entire room was! Herad had given him it, and it was just down the hall from hers. Most the other bandits had roommates, but he had his room all to himself. Blacknail had been told this was because he was special, which probably meant he was Herad's favorite.

Having his own space was definitely a good thing; humans tended to smell funny, so he didn't want to share a room with one. Unlike his master, most of them didn't even try to hide their weird human scent. Saeter usually smelled strongly of herbs, soil, and the forest.

He still did a lot of training; he just did it in the afternoon, when it was harder for people see. Herad wanted to keep Blacknail's presence a secret, or at least make sure he remained mysterious. Blacknail understood her reasons, and even approved of them. The less people knew about him, the more they would fear him. It was a very hobgoblin way of thinking, and Blacknail liked being feared.

Saeter had also originally tried to find chores for him to do as well, but had given up eventually when he hadn't found anything appropriate. The city was a much easier place to live, and Blacknail liked it that way. Fewer chores meant more naps.

After they were done training, his master had to go do his own jobs. This left Blacknail free to slip away and out into the city. He hadn't been told he wasn't supposed to go out, and he liked it that way, so he wasn't about to ruin it by asking for permission.

Sleeping in his room was great, but so was the city. There were so many tasty treats out there for him to eat! It seemed like Daggerpoint contained endless different types of food for him to try.

As the hobgoblin was contemplating the contents of his next meal, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He sighed in irritation when he realized they were headed his way. It was unlikely to be someone bringing him food.

A few seconds later the door opened and Saeter stepped into the room. The hobgoblin gazed up at him curiously from his bed. What did his master want this early in the day?

Saeter grunted and gave Blacknail an irritated scowl when he saw that the hobgoblin was still in bed.

"Get up you lazy green lump. You don't get to sleep in till sun down today," Saeter told the hobgoblin with obvious satisfaction.

"Why?" muttered Blacknail in annoyance.

He wanted to sleep in until sundown. It sounded like fun.

"Herad wants to see you," Saeter replied smugly.

"Why?" the hobgoblin asked again, as he slowly picked himself off the bed.

He shouldn't keep his chieftain waiting, it would be bad for his health. Knives were funny that way.