“I’ll be fair. Since you didn’t know you were trespassing, I’ll let you get one free strike against me. If you make it good enough, we’ll even let you go debt free!” The other trolls laughed a sick snickering that told me they had no intention of letting me go. This was just part of their game.
“And what would be a good enough strike?” I was too close to Skadhi’s forests to dare use fire. Keeping the peace with her was more important than putting these trolls quickly in their place.
“Break me with one blow. That would be good enough, right boys?” They all laughed and agreed. Each one made a sworn promise that if I managed to break their leader, then I would be allowed to leave.
Next time nostalgia bites me in the ass, remind me to burn it to cinders. I have been away from the Nine Worlds too long. Weaver has been mostly forgotten, the evidence of her exploits attributed to other more likely characters that doesn’t disturb the manliest man myths that serves as lullabies.
I wandered from the Forest of Shadows, going through those realms that nursed my awakening. Not far from here is where Esse, appearing as a squat dwarve so not to frighten me, had to rescue me from corpse-eaters. Technically, that story had a happy ending. I was rescued. Only to piss off Loki (in the form of a bird of prey) who ate me (in the form of a mouse) as punishment. Has it been so long?
“That, sounds fair, I suppose.” The trolls laughed and laughed. In their mirthful movements I caught glimpses of how they were formed. If they all shared that type of body, then… Hmm…
The leader came up to me. A few feet taller than I, with a body that was more stone than flesh. He had no neck to identify. His chest and abdomen was a dome of granite. Shards of bone grew out of his joints. He leaned over slightly and presented his jaw. “Try your hardest, human. I do not want it said that you didn’t do your best.”
I think that jaw had been used to hammer the pins holding down the worlds. Tempered by compression, it would take more than a sledgehammer to chip it. Good thing I’m not targeting the jaw.
I wind back for the strongest right punch I have ever thrown, but as I start the forward motion, I drop to one knee. I ignore the squick of my target and direct all of my energy into what ever was lying underneath the moss and lichen that served as stone troll pubes.
A sharp crack announced my strike was true and my objective was achieved. I felt something shatter into gravel under my knuckles. Pebbles fell from the lichen.
Even the wind held its breath.
I start to pull my hand back so I can stand up. A fist size chunk of rock loses support and falls to the ground. The leader whimpers.
As I stand, he falls to his knees. The impact shakes more loose rock from under the moss and lichen. I notice I can’t open my hand. I’m sure I have broken it. Again.
The leader of the stone trolls reaches down to his crotch to investigate the damage. The movement shakes loose the rest of what had shattered from my blow. He pulls a piece free and holds it up to his face in disbelief.
Trolls are uncut. Not surprised.
His black stone eyes roll back in his head and he faints, still gripping the jagged glans.
I turn to the next largest troll. “So. I guess that makes you the leader of this group now. Tell me. Do you intend to abide by your agreement, or do I get to make eunuchs of you all?”
The newly promoted chieftain started to make gestures of impending doom but having a bit more brain to make up for his little less brawn, he suddenly calms down. “Yea. You’re free to go. But before you go, tell us… Who are you?”
“I am the Thrice Carved Elm and Esse’s Hound. I am Shambling-Friend and Mother of Shadows. I am Loki’s Regret and Wolf-Stalker. But some call me… [Weaver].”
The fallen troll had curled up into a boulder as he clutched what remained of his pride. His crying sounded like two unoiled millstones grinding into each other.
“[Weaver]… you’re the one that turned [Grinder] into dust and left his heart in the lava forge… yea… I know you…” I bowed in acknowledgement. “Yea, you’re free to go. My tribe has no quarrel with you, and makes no claim on your travels here. Any of mine that try to hold a claim is yours to deal with.”
Some of his tribe started to argue but he moved faster than I could see and sucker punched the dissenter. “No! You want her? Come through me! I am [chief] now! And this one will break you assuming you survive after me!”
I hailed the new chief with full honors and thanked him for his largesse. The larger words stumped him, but he understood the tone of them. With a grunt he said his farewells and left the path. His tribe quickly followed to clear the way for me. The fallen troll remained a boulder in the path.
I stepped around the stone and continued on my way. I noted a large black wolf was shadowing me in the treeline. It didn’t come out, however, and I didn’t go in after it.
Woke up with my right hand aching where I had broken it many years ago when dealing with a human bully. I felt like something I had locked away had returned. I felt complete. I think I earned my coffee this morning