A wildman and a kobold: chapter 1

	With the sun setting upon Richond forest, orange and red painted the dimming sky.  Small clouds were numerous, equally shinning in vibrant colors.  The wind, bringing a tinge of coldness on the breeze, ruffled the branches of the mighty, age old trees of the forest causing an almost melodious cacophony that only nature itself could conduct.  At the ground level of the vast reaching forest, light still shown through, illuminating the vibrant grass as well as the numerous flowers dotting the landscape.  Before night fell, even the little creatures of the forest could have been seen scampering around, foraging for food before the nights rest.  Everything was as peaceful and serene as could be, that is, until a howling screech filled the restful forest.
	From his wooden chair, a human, whom looked youthful, though weathered by life outside of civilization, instantly turned his ear towards the howling.  Internally, he grinned for that sound meant dinner for at least a couple of days, and maybe some coin.  Smiling, and thanking the stars, the man got up from his creaking chair, and donned a light backpack which was fastened onto his outside cabin wall.
	The cabin itself was spartan by any city-man's opinion, yet it did just fine for the man.  It only had one large room, but within held the fruits of his labor.  A small chimney with a hearth large enough for a boiling pot was wedged into the center back wall.  A straw and hay stuffed bed draped with the furs of his past hunts.  A large bear skin adorned the middle of his humble house.  Each time the man entered his cabin and looked upon it, he smiled and reminisced about that particular hunt for it had been a long and arduous fight.  If one were to look at the man when he gazed upon it, one could see that from time to time, he would sometimes give a slow nod for he respected the creature, and it's ferocity.  Close to the fireplace was his so called cooking station, though most would call it just a long bench.
	Outside the cabin, however, was the man's work station.  Knives of various sizes, along with a long saw, littered the top of his large, blood stained, workbench.  It was here where the man made his livelihood.  A trapper, not by trade, but instead self taught though many trials.  Traps of various sizes and types hung from the side of his cabin, each having a story of their own.  Though secured to the cabin by rope and nail, they would still slightly rattle as the man passed by.
	With his backpack adorned, and faithful machete by his side, the man listened once more, ear to the wind, for the calls of his prey.  It took only seconds for the skillful trapper to locate the direction to head to.  With heavy steps, and a slight metallic jangle at his back, the man braved towards the sound.  He knew he did not have long, as the light was dimming, and soon darkness would envelope the forest.
	It wasn't a hard trek for the man, as he had lived in these woods for so long.  Each small stream, each fallen tree, each prickly bush ingrained in his head, creating a mental map.
	“I hope its a rabbit this time. Or maybe even a fox.”  The man gruffly said under his heated breath, with no one to hear him save for the trees.
	As the man moved faster through the brush, his brow began to perspire.  Wiping his forehead with his arm, he listen to the sound once again.  As he listened, the screeches began to become softer, even though he knew he was coming upon the trap.
	'That's weird.' He thought to himself.
	Pushing past a large bush, cutting a low-hanging tree branch with his machete, the trapper finally came into view of his trap.  Like water breaking out of a dam, the man burst into the small clearing where his trap lay.  But instead of howling, yelling, or yipping, the man heard whimpering.  Whimpering to the point of crying.
	In the trap was not a rabbit, nor was it a fox.  Heck, it wasn't any sort of furred creature.  It was a...
	The moment the man burst into the clearing, the creature's mind went from thoughts of pure pain, to pure terror as it's eyes caught sight of the man and, most importantly, the large bladed weapon.
	The two stared at each other for a moment.  Another moment passed with neither of them moving.  But it was the creature, who's mind raced with thoughts of mortality, that broke the silence with a scream.  Wounded, and with thoughts of imminent death from the the machete wielding human, it was all the poor creature could do.
	The man reeled from the sudden scream.  He was used to feral animals and their yelps, but not this.  Not from a sentient creature.  Not from a..
	“Kobold!  Heya Kobold!”  The man waved his hand back and forth, forgetting the machete was in his hand.  Watching this display, the kobold paused for a second, then screamed louder, putting it's hands on it's face.
	“Oh.  Ohhhh,” the man laughed to himself, “I'm sorry about that.  Look, see?”  The man sheathed his blade, then brought both hands up, waving them both to show, hopefully, that he didn't mean any harm.
	Through scaly fingers, the kobold could see the blade holstered.  It's mind went from imminent death, back to the searing pain shooting through it's leg.  The screams turned to whimpers and the kobold gaze went from the human, down to the open, bleeding wound in it's leg.
	The human, gleeful of finding such a creature, suddenly realized the gravity of the situation.  The trap, his trap, held the poor creature within it's metal jaws.  Examining the damage, he could see the steel teeth dug into each side of the scaled leg.  Blood freely flowed from the fresh wound though thankfully, no bone could be seen.
	The human slowly approached the creature, wary that even the most intellegent creatures caught in a trap were as dangerous as a manticore during rutting season.  He unslung his backpack, grabbed a couple of tools and knelt down close to the kobold, but giving enough distance to back of if needed.
	“Hey there,” He said softly to the kobold, “I'm ganna get that off you, okay?  Don't you worry one bit!  It'll be off in a jiffy.”
	The kobold just stared at him, and his tools, unsure of his actions.
	“You understand me?  Trap off.  Ill get that off you.  Alright?”
	The kobold cocked its head.
	“Um, okay see this!”  The man put both of his hands together, then slowly he opened one end of them.
	“Open trap!” He said while doing the motion again.
	The kobold looked at his hand then down at the trap.  It was then, however, that the kobold's eyes gazed upon the wound yet again.  Tears streamed down it's face, and the low whimpering started again.
	“Ka thu'la ita?”  The kobold said in a low tone.
	“Ka-what?”  The man said quizzically.
	“K-ka thu'la ita?”  The kobold said again.  This time pointing at the trap.
	Without another word, as the man knew it wouldn't help, he smiled and nodded at the kobold.  As both the man and the kobold's eyes drifted to the trap to each other, it was as if there was a mutal understanding.  The kobold, taking after the limited mannerisms the man had displayed, nodded.
	“Good!  Alright, well, little kobold, don't you worry.  This is only ganna hurt once, but damn will it hurt.  Actually, this might help.”
	Ruffling through his pack, the man brought out a small, but thick stick.  He snapped his finger at the kobold to draw it's attention.  He placed the stick  horizontally in his mouth, biting on it.  He pantomimed his leg being in a trap, then opening the trap, but made sure the kobold saw the biting stick.  He made fake grunts and howls as he bit into the stick.  Then when his fake hand trap was off, he took the stick out of his mouth and smiled.
	With an outstretched hand he presented the stick to the kobold.  Though wary, the kobold quickly snatched it out of his hand and placed it in it's own mouth.  It's sharp teeth already making gouging marks into the sturdy stick.  Then, the kobold looked up at the man, it's face pleading, and nodded.
	Tools in hand, the man, worked his magic.  Skillful hand deftly reaching into the trap, disengaging the mechanisms.  The a small thunk sound, the trapper knew the hardest part was about to come.  Looking at the kobold, the man made a biting motion to the kobold as he placed his hands on each side of the top of the trap.
	“Are ya ready, little one?  Three, two, one...” The kobold, knowing what was about to happen bit down even harder into the stick.  The sound of crunching wood fiber was drowned out only by the sound of metal and flesh.
	The kobold jerked back in pain, howling through the stick as the trap with quickly opened, freeing it's leg.  Now having a good look at the wound, the trapper could see how much damage was actually done.  Six of the metal teeth made their mark in the scaly flesh of the kobold, each deep, but not deep enough to reach the bone.
	With the kobold's leg free from the trap, it spit out the wooden stick in it's mouth, and panted heavily.  Though still in pain, the kobold's mind started to clear a little, until looking at the wound again.  With the blood, and open wound, the kobold's head started to stir, and began to be enveloped in dizziness.
	“Ka th-thu..thu'la ito drek.  Kis'sa ran-rano ob..”  Was all the kobold could say as darkness filled it's vision.
	“Oh nono, stay with me there, little one.”  The man reached into his backpack again, and brought out aid supplies.  He wrapped the kobold's legs quickly with bandages, something he was only used to doing on himself on occasion, and applied pressure.
	Like a tree falling, the kobold started to fall backwards from it's sitting position.  With a thump, the kobold was out like a torch.
	“That's not good.” The man said aloud.  He reached toward the neck of the kobold.  Though not knowing the actual anatomy of kobolds themselves, he knew that they must has a heartbeat.  Searching for the heartbeat on the kobold's neck, the man let out a long, happy sigh has he felt it, though it felt a bit weak.
	The man's attention next turned to his surroundings.  As all this was taking place, the sun did not wait for anyone.  The colorful sky lost it's hues, being replaced with a twilight darkness, and it was spreading quickly.  Looking at the sky, then back to the kobold, then back to the sky, the man made his choice.
	Making sure the bandages were secure, and the bleeding had mostly stopped, the man donned his sweat smeared backback once again, knelt down, and carefully, of so carefully, lifted the kobold.  The man then started back to his cabin, though this time, a bit slower than before.