(For background, see Twin Tower - Part 2)
Xandilif stood in Xanderian's private rooms at the Prancing Pony, staring across the weather beaten table as a somewhat scruffy, greenish brown Kobold had just finished its third helping of Strawberries and Cream.
It's nose painted white with fresh cream, the Kobold sneezed, spraying sweet goo in an arc across the rough paper it was drawing on. Pausing to lick the tip of charcoal pencil, the Kobold wiped the paper clean and scrunched up it's face, slowly drawing a series of small curves, next to the various stone shapes and symbols he had been drawing for the past day.
The Champion leaned in close and noted the shape taking form. "What by Melkor's Grotty Overcoat is that?"
The Kobold, known as Reznik, or Nik to his many friends and acquaintances, blinked, looking at the elleth as if she were blind, stupid and poorly raised. "Is Flower, Yelpy Knife Ear. Flow.....Wer."
Xandilif tilted her head and looked at the drawing again. "And what has a flower got to do with this plague from the Stained Bitch, Greenboy?"
"Nuthin...Nik loverloves Flowers." The Kobold smiled, not seeming to be bothered that Lif began to scream again.
Xanderian put a hand on her sister's shoulder, drawing her back. She then tapped on the Kobolds forehead with one finger, causing his eyes to cross trying to see her fingertip. "Dear Nik..
The Kobold cleared his throat in a very important way." DOCTOR Nik... "
Rian sighed..."Dear Doktor Nik...we have very little time remaining. Please can you think again about the word of power that shall release the Spike from the Spire of Kheledul? Please?" Xanderian was doing all she could to keep her tone even and sweet but she was beginning to suspect it might be best to let Xandilif have her way.
The Kobold nodded and licked cream off his nose with a disturbingly long tongue. "The Sing Song Melty Word? You STILL want the Sing Song Melty Word? You ask one question, overoverover. You one track, you think on this, Whiney Knife Ear?"
"Now can I hurt it, dear Whiney Knife Ear?" Xandilif hissed from behind Rian. "I found it, I should get to be the one to hurt it..."
Xanderian shook her head once, but needed a moment to calm herself. "Nik....you told us you remembered the word had something to do with spiders...."
Nik had taken more strawberries out of the serving bowl with both hands, but nearly dropped them in sudden fear. "Spy there? Spy where? No spy, if Flapping Sick Queen know Nik here, she burn you all with poxy coughings! HACKHACKHACK""
Xanderian sighed. "The Stained Queen does not know you are here, Kobold. No coughing. Now..Spider...you said Many Leg Fester Buddies...remember?"
The kobold poured the cream. "OH HAI YES! Many leg fester buddy...the sing song melty word is like that. Say word like Many Leg Fester Buddy, smokysmokysmoky POP nasty black splinter come off, everyone run away! Easypeasy niceandgreasy. Buttttttt.....don't member no more. Need more redsmackers."
Xandilif slapped the Kobold on the back of the head. "WHAT is the fecking melty word, you furry headed WART???"
Nik rubbed his head and snarled. "No memberings without more redsmackers. MORE REDSMACKERS!!!"
Xanderian sighed and refilled the bowl with Strawberries...holding it close to the Kobold. "Don't you want to defeat the Stained Ones plans? If you aid us you will have all the redsmackers you could possibly desire. You can even be King of all Bree for all that we will care. If you do NOT help us however...just smackings and back to Seregost and your doom." Xan smiled sweetly, as behind the Kobold, Lif made a sound in the back of her throat somewhere between a growl and fingernails across a chalk board.
The Kobold swallowed...and looked longingly at the bowl of strawberries. "Nik think harder, if Yelpy Knife Ear no be making that sound evereverever again. Creepy..sound like ghoul snoring."
Xandilif slapped the tabletop hard, startling even Xanderian as she dropped the bowl of fruit. "That is fecking IT. We have been doing this for two fecking days you gob of dragon PUS!!!" She lifted the kobold up by the head with one hand.
Xanderian tried to intervene but was stiff armed back by her larger sister. "NO, MONK! My turn! I am going to spin it around till it pukes it's fecking brains all over this damn paper unless it tells us right...bloody...NOW!!!
From mid air, Nik gave a strangled cry..."MELTY WORD...YELPY STUPID KNIFE EAR SAY MELTY WORD!!!!!! THAT IT!!!!"
The Banshee was so shocked she dropped the Kobold, who quickly scurried under the table. "What the fecking hell are you talking about, Nik...what Melty word did I say? Fecking??? Bloody??? Dragon Pus???"
The Kobold frantically shook it's head. "Noooooooo...Spin it!!! Doctor Nik member now, Melty word is Spin it, smokysmokysmoky pop run away!!!!"
Xanderian rubbed her temples..."Spin it? That is a very strange word of power, and has nothing to do with a spider." Suddenly she froze and looked at her sister. "Spin it....spider. Spineret? The word is Spineret. I know it, it feels like it must be right."
Nik slipped a greenish brown furred hand out from under the table and picked up one of the fallen strawberries, sucking it slowly.
"Now when Doctor Nik be king of Bree, huh Knife Ears?" he asked, through a grin of tiny, needle sharp teeth.
