It's spring here in Redwood and everything started to become alive, shaking off their wintry  imprisonment for something more green. The sun has peaked in the clear skies we traveled under, melting the silver snow that lingered behind.

Tall trees walled us in, swaying with their branches high above, fluttering the sunlight over the handsome face and clothes of Stephan of Delphine as he dismounted with me when his horse suddenly became stagnant the moment wet earth came into view.  The reason why was lost to us. 

"Come on, Sven. You've done this before an hour ago, what's your deal?" Steph took the reins when the massive horse tried to turn away, impeding the escape attempt.  He tried to sooth the mount with little success. 

"Didn't you say you got him on a discount?" 

Steph rolled his eyes at me, as green as the hills we passed getting here. "Whatever detail that might've slipped last night is void. He's the best horse a man could want! I rode in countless battles with him, slaying foes and trampling them." 

The horse bobbed its head in agreement. 

There’s no denying Sven’s ability. I even owe the horse my life ever since the day I met the pair three weeks ago when they saved me from bandits I happen to stumble upon. A story often shared with the same stupid grin manifesting on Steph’s lips when he shared with company along the way, sparing no one. And I admit, traveling alone on an unkempt road with no way defending myself was pretty idiotic. I haven’t even mentioned it was dark.

Steph came soaring in the moment one of the bandits brandished a knife to gut me, his own sword drawn to lop off some heads. No mercy. Just utter chaos. I scrambled with my attackers in fear that he might mistake me as one of them. A few gained some sense, coming at me again to finish the job, not expecting the horse to be as ruthless as his rider.

Sven ran over them, only stopping when their hearts did.

This Sven was different, ignoring all Stephan's attempts to get him to move, wanting to leave more than ever. 

I walked over the mud with my arms stretched out and facing the difficult beast. Making it to the other side, I say, "See? Not dead."

The horse tried to retreat again, and this time something clicked in Steph's brain. "Wes..."

"It's just wet earth!" I exclaimed. "How can a war horse like you be such a wimp with something so..."

Steph's eyes grew wide when he stared behind me, his hand latching to the hilt of his blade at his side. I tilted my head, wondering why.

A shadow developed over me, giving me a hint. Hesitantly, I turned my head just as Steph reached out for me, seeing a mountain of grey skin replacing everything else. Furs were tied to keep certain parts private and I mentally thank the gods for sparing me. My eyes ventured up to a face of warts and over grown teeth that dripped drool onto my shoulder. A sound escaped my lips involuntarily. Oh boy.

"Hello, friend..." I say to the creature that must be taller than the leafy giants surrounding us. How on Earth did we not see him?

The horse did.

With a growl that sounded as though it was drowning on air, a hand smacked me up into the air to see if I could fly. Which I can't in the worst possible way. Before the ground could end it all, the same hand catches my screaming self, pinning my arms to my side as it closed.  "The FUCK?!"

It then proceeded to sniff me, giving all the dirty air once it exhaled, swishing me around to see what other noises I could make. My heart wanted to explode since the ground could end this. 

"Mind letting him go?" Steph shouted to be heard from down below. "I found him first, you know."

 The creature looked down with cold dead eyes, seeing the other human as more of a nuisance. With its free hand, the creature swiped at him with more speed behind, ready to break a neck or two. 

Prepared, Steph easily avoided it with a step back, freeing his sword and giving the air a few swipes to let this thing know he met it. When the hand came again, he sliced the back end, watching as greenish blood poured out in return. The shriek pierced my ears.

The wind picked up, rustling his blond hair and his clothes as he pointed his sword end to the now enraged wrinkled mountain. Majestic.  "Don't make me come up there." 

Taking no heed, the creature curled its injured hand, pounding the earth like a drum to through Stephan off his feet, but missed every time he danced around the blows.

Until Steph made the mistake of shifting his attention to his horse, "Sven, I need--"

The horse made a run of it, leaving us to defend ourselves. 

"Sven!" Distracted, he barely made it time to dodge the fatality and slammed into a tree with an audible crack from the force the pound left behind. The gods winced in sympathy. 

"Stephan!" 

Stephan:

Nothing good happens in magical forests. Take the troll for example, harassing my only human companion while sending me into a tree. Thank the gods for elven armor. Sven left with my long sword on his quest in finding greener pastures. I guess I'll have to make do with what I have. 

Gathering my senses, I pulled myself out of the indented tree, feeling every inch of my body protesting. 

"Stephan!"

"I'm okay!" I assured him, seeing relief rush to his face after he saw that I wasn't dead. "I'll get you down, Wes." Details on how remains a mystery. I felt my pockets, finding salt. Enough to choke a giant troll. 

Trolls in this world were meant to be small after the golden age of mystical powers burnt out two-thousand years ago. There wasn't much magic left to sustain a large size naturally. To be such a size, they'll need the help of a---spell caster.  Salt broke the threads that kept spells together. Good or bad. If I get the troll to inhale it...

Wes shrieked as we forced upside down and sniffed on again. A rumble like falling stone echoed the troll's amusement. Its attention suddenly jerked to the sky as though something was calling him. Whatever it was, it understood perfectly, starting to march in the east, crushing anything in its path.

Picking up my sword off the ground and scabbard it, I race after the creature, pouncing on to start my climb. By sheer luck or from Wes's ability to blabber on, the troll never felt a thing. I gagged at the smell as I began to pull myself up. Wes looked down at me, flicking his eyes up before the troll noticed.

"Ever liked music?" he sound winded from his flight exercise. "Love how romantic it makes you feel playing it under the moon as the stars twinkle in applause? You know I do." 

The troll shrugged, keeping the eyes straight ahead. 

"Being a bard can be rewarding. There's women, ale, sometimes housing...a bath." 

Wesley:

The troll ignored me. But at least those cold dead eyes were off of Steph who made his way up the wrinkles. So gross. Though it was relief to know that my hero was still alive.

It’s actually beautiful up here, I have to say. Miles upon miles of mysterious wood blanketed all the way to the horizon that will melt in the evening’s darkening blue. Birds chirped, flying off as the troll thundered on, crushing their homes like twigs on the road. 

I began to whistle--to calm myself and to distract the troll long enough for Stephan to get up here. The tune was meant to draw attention, making a curious crowd into an audience. Lesson one in bard school. Traveling plans were put on hold when the tune worked, giving me its full attention. I moved into an actual song, something a mother would hum to an unsettled child. 

After a moment, the troll swayed, more drool dripping from its crowded mouth, lulled. Cute, if I was blind. "Just an oversized ba--"

Stephan made it, and before any man or god could react, smothered the creature with a hand full of salt, drool and all. “Ha!”

The troll howled in surprise. The Earth trembled. And everything went insane. I watched as every wart and every eye it had began to pop, splattering its contents all over me, making me scream for a whole different reason.

Steph was as stunned as I was, clearly expecting something different to be happening. He held onto what he could as the troll thrashed around blindly in pure agony. 

"The hell, Steph!" 

“I’m rescuing you, aren’t I?” He defended, the goop of the trolls skin dripping onto him. “How was I supposed to know he’ll bubble up? It should’ve broken the spell.”

"What spell?"

"The one that made him huge!" 

Stephan:

The troll started to melt by the time we landed back to the ground with Wes in my arms, placing him down once my feet met solid earth. 

In some odd respects, we waited for the troll to bubble away completely in the disgusting heap of blasted out eyes. I looked over at Wes as he stood by me, the longer pieces of his chestnut colored hair stayed tied over his shoulder, no matter how hard the wind tried to shake it loose. He smelled awful and knew it too. Using a thumb, he wiped off some pieces of troll that started to cake on his freckled cheeks and nose.  'Thanks."

"Yup," I turned around when my last meal threatened to make a comeback, slightly limping towards the opposite direction. It was time to search for my runaway horse.

We walked together on a random path, hoping it was part of the one we left, calling for Sven to return.  In between, Wes asked, "You thought the giant baby troll was spelled?"

"“I mean, we are in a magical forest. Trolls never get that huge, hiding under bridges or under the step of a sweet grandmother’s house. Ever since the fall of the Mage King two-thousand years ago, there's not enough magic to sustain the once large beings. So I just assumed..." 

"No wonder it bubbled up like that,"  Wes shivered. "Poor thing." 

"It could've eaten you."