Chapter Seven
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I sat the rowboat down on the beach, and ran for the shelter of the trees. The tall trees waved wildly in the wind, their twisted branches clashing together. I turned back around to get my trunk. By mistake, I'd forgotten it. But the waves lapped onto the beach, and washed the rowboat away.
"No!" I shouted, as the rowboat washed out of sight. Now all I had was the contents of my satchel. I took one last look at Krialle, and stepped into the shelter of the trees.
I'd prepared myself for some sort of fantastical scene, yet all I saw was a forest of unusually tall and twisted trees. I took a deep breath and another step forward. I noticed that the storm sounded fainter the further I was from the beach. The trees were denser than most. They twisted in a sort of arch formation, and a dirt path guided the way. Which way, I did not know. I assumed it was west, but I didn't have the sun or stars to tell me in the storm.
It was dark, and I was exhausted from the day's events. I hadn't seen any sort of threats that day, so I assumed it was safe to sleep--which was a foolish decision, but I was tired. I climbed to a thick branch of a tree and laid down, closing my eyes. Before I fell asleep, I realized that something must inhabit the forest, because that path was there.
I got lucky that night.
When I awoke, it was a little before noon. I was starving, but my trunk had contained almost all my food. I opened my satchel and pulled out a couple biscuits. I devoured them in moments. But now I was thirsty. I walked around, looking for water and magical creatures. After a while, I doubted the existence of both. My throat was so dry, I considered eating one of the unfamiliar plants, but decided against it. I took samples of some, and drew them quickly. Perhaps one would cure diseases, someday.
I found a break in the trees. It opened up to a little pond. I dashed over to drink some, then paused. What if it was contaminated? I heard a little rustle in the bushes. Something flitted out towards the pond. I gasped. It was a little fairy--pixie, as I'd heard in some stories. It cupped some water with its tiny hand and sipped. If the pixie could drink it, I assumed I could as well. I put my face to the pond and drank thirstily.
Once I was satisfied, I immediately sat up to draw the pixie, as she admired herself in the pond's reflection. She was as small as my index finger, with bright blond hair and a pink petal dress. Her wings looked like glass, and her features were delicate and pointed. As I shaded her minuscule eyes, I wished I had paint, so I could capture her hair. It almost glowed. But charcoal would have to suffice.
Once the sun went down, I realized her hair did glow, like fireflies. The firefly pixie flew over and looked at my sketch of her. She made a little chirping noise, a word in her language. She blushed.
"Do you like it?" I asked. She nodded and made another high-pitched noise. A few more pixies flew out and crowded around my sketch. Some of them pointed at it, and then themselves. They all wanted portraits.
I laughed and began drawing each of them. One had multi-colored wings that shimmered and sparkled. One had leathery, black wings, almost like a bat. Another had a tiny little gown, with an intricately embroidered pattern. The stitches were nearly invisible. Each had an aura of light. They glowed their brightest so I could see the parchment, as the sky grew darker.
I looked down at my work, satisfied, with tired eyes. There really were magical creatures, and I would be the one to discover them all. The pixies scattered away once they saw me close my sketch book, and I fell asleep.
I awoke to a voice.
"The woods are dangerous for humans at night."
I opened my eyes. A troll-like creature stood above me. It was the size of a chimpanzee, perhaps, but broader, with ears similar to a primate. It was a sandy red color, with tough skin and intelligent black eyes.
My own eyes widened. "What are you?" I asked, pulling out my sketch book to draw it.
"That doesn't matter right now. We need to get out of here!" It grabbed me with unproportionately large hands and pulled me. It's tough skin was strangely warmer than expected.
I started running with it, asking questions as I went. "Where are we going? What are we running from? Who are you?"
"Quiet!" it hissed at me. "But don't slow down."
We ran until I felt like I was going to fall over and stopped in front of a cave. "Go inside!" it said.
I tentatively walked inside and through a short tunnel. My draw dropped. The tunnel opened up into a collection of dwellings made of stone, but the area was empty.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"In the city of the trolls."
"Trolls?"
"It's what I am. Or what we are called. We have many names, I believe. We are beings of fire."
"Wow," I said, in awe. "Amazing. But where are they?"
He flashed a smug smile. "It's daytime for us right now. They are probably in the market area."
"Oh. What is your name?" I asked.
He sighed deeply, probably annoyed at my questions. "My name translates to something close to Coten in your language."
"Do all trolls speak the common language?"
He started leading me down some stone stairs. "Most. Some elder ones do not."
"How old are you? Oh, and what were we running from?"
"Enough questions!" he growled at me. "Keep silent."
I had opened my mouth to ask another question, but I closed it with a gulp. I didn't want Coten angry with me. I could get more information later. Hopefully.
We walked through another tunnel, this one lit by torches on the wall. I walked behind Coten, writing down notes as I went.
"Stop that!" Coten shouted at me. "That scratching is incorrigibly irritating!"
I wondered if troll ears were more sensitive than human ears. I wrote that down, too, only to earn a glare from Coten. With an apologetic smile, I stuck my book back in my satchel.
The tunnel opened up to a larger room, with a market. Torches adorned the walls, and lanterns hung from the tall ceilings. Trolls had shops and booths all around the market, but it wasn't loud. It was quiet, except for the shuffling of feet, and the quiet conversations. A soothing, faint music filled the air. Bonfires blazed all around, and fire seemed to be a necessity for trolls.
Upon entering, trolls everywhere stared at me, and the music stopped.
"A human?" one sneered. "What is it doing here?"
"Get it out of here!" another said.
I shrank back, behind Coten. Why didn't they like me?
They all voiced their opinions, one by one. It still was not very loud, but I could feel the agitated, angry energy in the air. It was so strong, almost tangible.
"Don't you remember what happened last time a human came here?" one said.
I waited for Coten to defend me. He didn't. Were they going to eat me? I started to feel claustrophobic. I looked to the entrance, but two thickly muscled trolls stood in front of it. The only other opening in the cave was past the crowd of creatures. No escape. I could only do one other thing. Defend myself.
"I do not know what other humans have done to you. But my intentions toward you are not harmful in any way. I only wish to learn more about you. Your kind fascinates me."
The agitated energy seemed to lower a bit. I took a deep breath, confidence growing.
"If you will allow me to study with you for a week, I will be extremely grateful." I looked around at them. "In return I will . . . I will . . . "
"Ha!" said a troll in the crowd. "She knows nothing! A human cannot live down here for a week." A few chuckles followed.
I frowned in confusion. Was there chemicals in the air that I could not handle? Was my life in danger as of now? I shrank back a little, edging toward the exit. Did they plan on eating me?
Coten put his hands in the air, to say something. "Yes. This human is ignorant. She doesn't mean to hurt us. She couldn't if she tried. I rescued her from the forest. And here she is. What do you wish to do to her?"
Please don't eat me, I thought. I'd taste badly.
"Let her do what she wants," said one with a sneer. "Let her stay down here for a week!"
A few other trolls laughed.
"No," said one. "Let her record everything she can about us. Then, she can take her research back to the humans. Once enough ignorant humans see our living conditions, they can help us. Take this human all around the forest. She can save us!"
A few murmured agreements. I sighed in relief.
"We will hold a council," said Coten. "At dawn." His words ended the argument.
My heart rate slowed down. A troll approached me. "Hello, human," she said. "Follow me. You must be tired from your journey."
I followed her (I figured it was a her because of her more feminine face and slightly demure shoulders) silently, knowing the trolls' appreciation of quiet. We arrived at a stone door. It looked unmovable. But the lady troll handed me her lantern, and opened it with a grunt. Her strength surprised me.
She left the door open, and we entered a dark room. It was small, with a bed made of rock, a basin of water on a small table, and a chamber pot in the corner. A small window on the ceiling, about the size of a book, opened up to the sky, the stars.
I turned to the lady troll. "What is your name?" I asked her.
"You may call me Alianor." She said simply, in the rough voice that all trolls had.
"Why would staying in the Troll Caves for a week kill me, Alianor?"
"Trolls are immune to fire. We use fire for everything here. The fire heats up the caves, and we stay warm. Trolls need warmth. We don't get sick without warmth. And humans need their sun. You'd die without your sun."
The sun. The heat."Why doesn't it affect you?"
"I don't know." Alianor sighed, as if her long sentences took up a lot of energy. "I must take my leave now. I'm sorry I have to do this, but . . . " With her lantern, Alianor walked over to the stone door and shut it. I ran over to escape, but it was too late. I was trapped. In darkness.
I sat down, defeated. What was I going to do now? I had no light; I couldn't write or draw. I had no one to talk to. I sat there with my thoughts for what seemed like a full day. Did my family miss me? What had happened to Liam? Were the trolls going to keep me in here until I died?
But a little part of me was extremely excited. I was in a city of trolls! No one but me had ever experienced this. Well, anyone I knew. Who was alive. Perhaps the trolls killed all of their human guests.
I paced the room with worry. But it was still nighttime, for me. Exhausted, I fell asleep.
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What do you think is going to happen to Evelin? What do you think about the trolls?
Thank you, thank you, thank you to @juli_monae for her pictures of the trolls! Aren't they amazing?
If anyone else wants to draw and send me a picture (PM, please) of one of the creatures in this book, I'd be very grateful (and give you a dedication, of course). Thank you!