My girlfriend, bless her heart, smiled. Three half-breed goblins from a far away, mystical land had violated the sanctity of our camp site, and she actually smiled. Her shoulders relaxed, and she smiled.

“Oh thank goodness,” she sighed, then stepping to one side pointed to our large, dozing companion, “There it is. Please, just take it away, and we’ll not tell anyone you were here.”

“I don’t wear beer,” Groder corrected, scratching himself. Kennet just stood very still, taking it all in. Thayen moved from one foot to the next, then skirted around my girlfriend to approach the slumbering bear with an eagle’s beak. More bravely than one would have expected, he poked and prodded the great beast, even rapping his knuckles on the beak, producing a hollow tone and making the animal stir.

Thayen scampered onto the creatures back, giggling, “Th-this is-s-sn’t a Gnud. Th-th-this is a B-b-brahgus!”

Groder, who against all odds followed this, bellowed, “That’s the Gnud,” and pointed a stubby finger at me.