Don't Feed The Troll

Make New Friends

"I'm Kenna Waters," she said. "Alo thinks we can help each other."

"I'm Ranghild Elifsdotter." I gave her my hand.

"Your name is quite a mouthful."

"I've been working on a nickname. I'm not a 'Hildy' or even a 'Hilda.' Let me know if you have any suggestions."

She laughed. "Alo tells me names are important, so I'll pass. Unless it doesn't apply to nicknames."

"It doesn't and even if it did we've already exchanged true names."

"How do you know I didn't give you a false name and am now going to use your true name to run some sort of complicated extortion on you?"

I cocked my head. "Are you likely to do something like that? I might suspect it of the raven, but not a human girl."

"I'm way too new to the supernatural to try something so dangerous. That's what Alo wants from you. He wants you to be my mentor. Alo is the first supernatural thing I've ever known about. Now you're the second."

As spirit requests went, helping a young human be introduced to the supernatural world wasn't bad. I suspected it wouldn't be that simple. Nothing was ever simple when a trickster was involved.

"I have to get back to work. Why don't we meet when I get off?"

"All right, I have to meet my dad for lunch, but we won't be any later than three."

"Fine, meet me at the Ballard Locks around 3:30. You know where they are?"

"Sure, just down the street."

"Why aren't you in school?" It wasn't any of my business, but not having had the benefit of formal schooling, I didn't want to encourage skipping.

"Today is a teacher training day," she said, "we have the day off. Let's go back in, I need a latte. And you better not say anything about it stunting my growth."

"I work at Starbucks, so even if I thought it would, I wouldn't mention it."

Kenna laughed and headed inside. I waited to follow her. Dealing with a spirit of the land was one thing, but I wondered why this one had attached itself to a human girl. What sort of power did she have? Did she have the blood of Raven's people? Obviously she could communicate with raven, but what else could she do.

By the time I went in, Kenna was already settled with her drink. I went behind the counter. Katie glanced her way and smiled.

"She got a mocha?" I asked.

"No, a latte, but still."

"I don't think she's going to stay all day."

"You willing to back that up?"

"I got twenty bucks that says she'll be gone before lunchtime."

Maybe I should have felt bad about cheating on a bet, but didn't. Katie would have used the advantage too. We tended to make bets about customers to help alleviate boredom. So far we were pretty even on winning and losing so neither of us had to pay the other. I wouldn't be collecting anything when Kenna left to meet her father.