Chapter 3
Of Trolls and Trails
The troll kingdom of the northern reaches lay isolated in a large mountain range called the Mammoth Spine, its smoothed stone bones silhouetted by a pink dawn sky. It separated the civilized kingdoms of the world from the trolls and only by three treacherous mountain passes could they be breached. Fortresses carved from naturally eroded caves overlooked a twisting labyrinth of trails that formed the approach to the narrows, so that a child with a pile of stones could defend it from an approaching army.
It had been more than five hundred years since anyone had attempted to cross the rugged ridges so the passes were left largely undefended. Troll children herded goats and tended sheep in the grassy vales and fished in the mountain streams for fat trout and tasty crayfish that scuttled in the shallow swift waters.
No trade occurred with the troll kingdom, for it was a common misperception that the trolls had nothing of value to trade for. It was also rumored that you could end up with an invitation to dinner and not as a guest.
So it was that when a patrol of ten trolls arrived at the mouth of the pass, the children tending their flocks ran as fast as their legs would carry them to inform the elders of the closest village.
The troll patrol entered the nearest pass, crunching across the rock strewn path on swift sturdy legs that could attain the speed of horses. These were short trolls; no more than 6' tall and of a muscular build. Light armour plating layered with fur lined under shirts covered their chests and mammoth hide leggings sewn with leather bindings encased their legs. Toughened hide sandals were strapped to their feet and a helmet of light metal encased their misshaped skulls.
Reaching the village, they passed stone houses with thatched roofs, their sandaled feet slapping against the paving stones as they ran. In the center of the village, they stopped before a larger building made of cut stone, with wide steps leading up to a broad covered porch supported by fluted quartz columns. Flinging open the doors, the patrol entered the meeting hall and approached a gathering of trolls who were bent over a long table with various maps spread about its surface.
The sparse furnishings in the room were absurdly oversized, as though created for a larger race of trolls. The council members wore their traditional shoes with large platforms to compensate for the height difference in the ancient chambers furnishings.
The lead council member, Magistrate Ralf Gardyner, looked up from his contemplation of the table maps, as the patrol approached. The patrol stopped in front of the council and saluted.
The lead scout, a red headed troll with dark brown eyes, stepped forward to address the Magistrate. "Andrew Rede reporting as ordered."
"Give me your report, Captain" said the magistrate.
"Yes sir. We have spotted activity along the southern border of our kingdom. There is a stirring in the waters and the forest whispers of a princess who has entered their midst."
The other council members raised their heads collectively at the news, their attention now on the reporting patrol.
"Did you see anyone in your travels? Any signs of lower kingdom soldiers?" asked the Magistrate.
"No sir. We did not encounter anyone on this trip. But the Weirwoods is buzzing with the news. We came back to seek further instructions."
"Good." Turning back to the council gathered around the redwood table, Ralf joined the men and women, who were pouring over maps and speaking quietly amongst themselves.
A white haired troll pulled an ancient leather bound book towards himself. This book was sized to his hands, not oversized like the established furnishings of the room.
He turned a couple pages of parchment then pointed with a crooked finger to a passage written there. The other council members murmured and shook their heads but the white haired troll gestured vigorously and the murmuring subsided.
The Magistrate, after listening to the discussion for a while, returned to the waiting patrol. "You must return to the forest. You will search for this princess and when you find her, you will bring her to us. She must not be harmed. Do what you must to the others with her but do not harm her. Be warned, this will be a dangerous mission. You will meet resistance along the way. Take as many trolls as you need to accomplish the task."
He walked over to tall wooden cupboard on the back wall, unlocked the door with a large key hung on a chain around his neck and opened the weathered wooden door and reaching inside he removed a small vial of a clear bluish tinged liquid.
He wrapped it in a sheepskin and tied it with string, then handed it to the Captain. "When you find the princess, have her drink this and then return with all haste. Time will be of the essence. You are dismissed."
The troll captain took the wrapped vial and tucked it inside his tunic. The patrol filed out of the hall, the council members eyes following their progress. As the door closed behind them, the Magistrate murmured to himself, "...and may the gods have mercy on your souls."
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