We don't, no. Hug. I kind of like the idea.

She grins. Good, I'm glad.

It is probably going to take me a little while to start getting things to change. I think I know you pretty well for just having met you, but I don't know anyone else yet at all, and this might be complicated - especially with other things going on, and especially if they aren't used to Speakers. But I'll try to be as fast as I can, okay? And if there's anything you need in the meantime, let me know and I'll see if I can make it happen.

You don't have to fix everything. You're sad too. It's okay. I don't want to be a burden.

She tilts her head, confused and just slightly alarmed.

Okay, now I'm not sure if you didn't mean it when you invited me to be part of your tribe earlier, or if Quendi tribes work so differently that I shouldn't be thinking of them as the same thing at all. Or maybe you're confused about what tribes are for, I guess it could be that.

I meant it, he says. Why are you confused?

Tribes are for taking care of each other. That's what they're for. When I was alone, I missed having people take care of me, but I missed having people to take care of, too - both of those are part of being in a tribe. And if you're my tribemate and something's hurting you, it hurts me, too. It might not hurt me as much, and it might be harder for me to do anything about it, but someone in the tribe being hurt makes the tribe weaker and that's not good for anyone in it.

But I'm not doing anything for you. And I killed my mom. I do make the tribe weaker, just by existing.

The kobold.... stops. Blinks. Is very still, for just a moment.

You're a kid. She seems distracted. You make the tribe stronger by making it bigger, and by learning how to do things the tribe will need you to do when you're an adult. I don't expect you to do anything for me personally; you're my tribemate, that's good enough reason for me to make sure you have what you need.

Do you want to tell me what happened, with your mom? She has, up to this point, been dropping everyone's gender when she refers to them in osanwë, but this time she echoes the concept verbatim.

We don't know. She was so happy and active and alive and then she gave birth to me and got sicker and sicker and sadder and sadder.

Good grief these Quendi. At this rate she'd have an easier time going home and trying to reason with some elves.

That doesn't sound to me like you killed anyone. That sounds like something happened when you were a baby and couldn't've been responsible for anything at all.

It still happened because of me.

Maybe. If you don't know what happened you can't actually know that. And even if it did, there's a difference between something that happened because of you and something you did.

Hugs. Very hugs.

I guess. Doesn't feel like much of one. She's still dead.

Deep breath. Hug, such hug.

Yeah. And that's pretty awful, I know. But you're alive, right? And you're going to keep being. We can't do anything about them being dead, but maybe we can find a way for you to feel okay anyway.

She could come back. But she doesn't want to, she likes being dead.

......oh. That's... not how it works, for kobolds. But it's still not something we can do anything about, even if it is kind of... squeeze. I wish your family was better to you.

It's not their fault, it's me.

Sigh. Hug.

Hug. Very hug. Until - can we do more magic? A safe kind?

She perks up at that. I can make more magic things for you, sure. Or I can put more spells on that one, maybe, I don't have very much practice at that yet though. Where would you want to teleport to?

...The gates of the city?

She gives him a stern look, its effect rather ruined by the grin on he face. Are you going to go out where it might be dangerous without someone with you to help keep you safe, if I do that?

No. Only because there's nowhere dangerous.

All right, then. She's grinning in earnest now. I'll have to see the place to make a spell that can bring you there, do you know how to get there from here?

He tries tracing her a mental map of the city. People will see you and be distracted and want to say hello, though.