Bilbo, concerned about being recognized as the warrior that slew Langdedrosa Cyanwrath, makes up a riddle and tells it to the cultists and kobolds. They think about it, but don't have an answer, and don't seem to be very worried about it. So she mentions that she dropped her knife "back there somewhere", and goes off pretending to find it. As she leaves the cave, she hears banging on the hillside above her, but proceeds out the front gate without having to talk to anyone. She hides out in the woods, and disguises herself to be more manlike to hide her identity.

Meanwhile, Zokar comes to the barracks and introduces himself. He is an older, studious-looking dwarf, with round wire-rimmed glasses, and carrying a notebook, like a clipboard. He asks each of the adventurers to introduce themselves, and they give him fake names - Elfo calls himself 'Pebbo', Hooflepoof goes as 'Borf', Karat as 'Borsch', Nars as 'Pars', Elbolin as 'Soupy', and so forth.

Zokar says that he has three jobs he can give them: one working with animals, one guarding job, and another doing some disassembly. He specifically picks out Black Barry for the animal job, saying "a Tabaxi would be great at this job".

After some discussion, he assigns Black Barry and Hooflepoof to the animal job, Karat and Elbolin to guarding, and Gourbain, Elfo, and Nars to disassembly.

A winged kobold is assigned to escort Black Barry and Hooflepoof, and they leave the barracks through the main tunnel to the north. They pass down the stairs ("skip that last step," he says), pass through the room of fungus, and in the next room, stick very close to the wall and pass as quickly as they can. "Have you worked with drakes before?" the kobold asks.

"No, but I'd love to," says 'Borf'.

They arrive at a room that Hooflepoof saw before, where the left half is a level shelf, with various training tools and toys on the wall, and the right half is a deep pit. There is a stairway down to the pit, but it is surrounded by a fence with a locked gate. There are three kobolds in the upper area.

"These guys are almost completely trained," explains the kobold acting as guide. "We just need to make sure you are introduced carefully so that they don't see you as an enemy. We'll get you some food that they like."

One of the other kobolds disappears through the passage to the south, and in a couple of minutes returns with a few pieces of meat, which he gives to Black Barry and Hooflepoof. He calls out to the drakes in the pit area of the cavern, "friends, bringing food, bringing very good drake food, friends!", and unlocks the gate.

Hooflepoof and Black Barry descend the stairs into the half-light, and they hear the drakes breathing excitedly as they approach. While still a little wary, they seem friendly, and are very happy to get a between-meal feeding. The adventurers are so focused on feeding the drakes that they hardly notice the *click* - of a key in the lock of the gate at the top of the stairs.

Meanwhile Gourbain, Elfo, and Nars are led out of the cave by one of the cultists, and up a trail to the bluff overlooking the camp. There, several other cultists and kobolds are disassembling the guard tower, and loading the parts onto a cart, apparently to transport and reassemble somewhere else. One of the cultists directs them which beams to hold, and which bolts to unfasten, and where to put all the pieces.

At the same time, 'Borsch' (Karat) and 'Soupy' (Elbolin) are led by a different cultist through many other passages and caverns (with the same "skip that step", and the same skirting along the wall in the one room), passing through the room with the young drakes, and then a room with several kobolds lounging, and then the shrine room occupied by Anamith, down some stairs into the deepest room in the cavern. The northern part of the room is a shelf in the shape of a crescent, and the southern part, lower and almost completely shrouded in darkness. Similar to the drake training room, there are stairs down to the lower area, but a sort of cage with a locked gate to prevent access, or escape. A key hangs on a hook on the wall, directly across from the gate.

Two kobolds are standing guard on the upper shelf of the cave. "You will stand here with these guys and guard," says the cultist. "You'll be on shift for three hours. Don't let anyone in or out, unless they outrank you. Any questions?"

"What are we guarding?" asks Elbolin.

"It's not your privilege to know," answers the cultist.

"When is dinner?" asks Karat.

"For you, 6 o'clock. That will be just after your shift ends. Any more questions?"

Hearing none, the cultist leaves.

Elbolin makes small talk with one of the kobolds. "This is a pretty good job," he says, "so what are we guarding here?"

"If you haven't been told, it is not my place to tell you," says the kobold.

"Pretty nice cave. Nice pillars. Any advice on the job?"

"Nope. It's just like it looks. Nothing happens."

"Do you know any good jokes?"

"We have work to do," answers the kobold, but with a slight smirk, as if he would actually like to share some jokes but just can't think of any right now.

Over in the drake training cave, Hooflepoof becomes suspicious, goes up the stairs, and checks the gate, which he finds securely locked. "Hello?" he calls out.

A winged kobold comes over with the key, looks down at what is going on in the pit, and then quickly unlocks the gate, saying "quick, step out." Hooflepoof steps out quickly, and the kobold locks the gate again.

"What's up?" whispers Hooflepoof.

"There's a lot of gold riding on that guy," says the kobold quietly, pointing out a poster on the wall, which they have all seen before, showing a reward offered for a cat-looking dude.

"Who is looking for him?"

The kobold shrugs. "I don't know. Must be somebody pretty high up in the dragon organization. I'll just pass him on to my superiors, they'll know what to do."

"I can help with that," offers Hooflepoof, probably intending to stay near Black Barry in order to help him out, but also with a mind toward getting a piece of that sweet reward. Who knows, maybe Black Barry really is a terrible criminal.

"Do you think you can get these manacles on him?"

"Yeah, probably."

The kobold gives Hooflepoof a heavy set of iron handcuffs and quietly lets him back in the gate. Black Barry is absorbed in making friends with one of the drakes, and doesn't even notice until Hooflepoof grabs him from behind and slaps on the manacles.

"Ha! Gotcha! You won't get away this time! You will face justice!" says Hooflepoof loudly, but in Thieves' Cant, he is telling Black Barry "They want your bounty. Let's play along for now. I won't lock these."

Hooflepoof runs back up the stairs, and the kobold again lets him quickly through the gate, locking it behind him.