Kate lifted him up over her shoulder in a fireman's carry. She would never have been able to accomplish it when she first arrived, but lacking the comforts of modern living and Romion's training had built muscle where she didn't even know that muscle went.  She peeked out into the hallway. She could hear footsteps coming from the front of the building, so she hurried towards the back.

Kate had managed to stay upright for five minutes. That was almost a record in their sparring matches. Gwelweil stuck her head through the gate and called her name. She turned her head and, \*crack.\* She was on her back again.

Kate caught Gwelweil and Kreelan walking down the path. In the moment her head was turned, she didn't see the attack. She groaned as she landed on her back. That was the fifth time Romion had dropped her. Or was it the sixth? It felt like the hundredth. 

Nobody was around when Kate finally emerged from the bath. She dressed and hurried back to Romion’s home before she could chicken out.

Kate’s lifelong difficulty with sleeping in new beds meant that she was up before the boys and long before Gwelweil met them. Kate knew that she girl was doing her a favor by showing her the way but she couldn't bring herself to be polite when Kreelan was giving Gwelweil enough attention for the both of them. Kate made sure to memorize the route so that she would not have to depend on any member of works family again.

They left at first light. Kate wasn't sure how fast Trippy could actually go, but if Kreelan's figures for the distance were correct, it would take the better part of a day. And if they had to camp overnight, she wasn't sure she could convince Kreelan not to turn them back around. Despite stopping for lunch, they still pulled into Wanco as the sky was getting dim. 

Boo

Sense seemed to return to her and she dropped the bone, feeling guilty. She stood. Kate still felt a little weak, but wasn't going to pass out in the battle. She stumbled out of the tent and surveyed the battle.

The goblins watched the motley crew assemble. Kate's face reddened as the invaders pointed and laughed. One towards the left turned to his comrade and mimed the pitchfork which the other blocked with his sword. The mock defender then pointed his sword on the other and the first one fell to the ground with his hands over his stomach. The two laughed.