The Trolls didn't wait around, they attacked immediately and clubs flew through the air. They hit Robbie with little to no effect, though he did snarl at them and fire erupted from his nostrils. Luckily, L blocked the clubs that came her way, remembering that magic hadn't worked last time, she used her hands and reinforced them with Dwarven skin. She knew without it they'd have broken her fingers in numerous places.
Robbie charged at the Trolls, separating them as they ran to get out of the way. They may have been fast but not fast enough to avoid his fire, he caught two with a blast and sent them running into the forest like orange blurs of death. Two down, only eight more to go and all of them were starting to circle L. She had a few abilities that would help her avoid being captured but if magic didn't work against them, she wasn't sure how she could fight so many at once.
Four of the Trolls suddenly attacked and pushed L to the defensive; she jumped and dived, narrowly avoiding another club. They were like boomerangs, somehow finding their way back to the Trolls' grubby hands. L caught movement from the corner of her eye and realised the other four Trolls were trying to get to Bryce. She cursed under her breath, the barrier obviously wasn't going to stop them. Luckily, Robbie had also seen their tactic and was charging back in, he flapped his wings, scattering the four Trolls who were advancing on Bryce.
Due to their weight, it didn't send them far but it was enough to disperse them so L and Robbie could regroup in front of Bryce.
"We either need to defeat them, or get out of here... and I don't know if we can be fast enough to get away." L mused to Robbie in her head.
"Yeah, I don't fancy being caught again. We could try flying, but I guess that comes with a similar danger."
"Fighting it is then," L admitted, it seemed to be their only option.
Between the Trolls' speed and unknown magic, fleeing without fighting just didn't seem plausible. The Trolls must have had the same idea because they were quick to resume their attack. Some threw their clubs while the others ran headlong towards L and Robbie, somehow they appeared to be strategising. Trolls weren't this intelligent and didn't have magic, L couldn't seem to get her head around whatever was going on here.
She forced herself to snap out of her confusion and focus on the fighting, she wouldn't get them all caught because she was distracted. She jumped and flipped, blasting the ground in front of a few of the Trolls, sending them flying. They recovered quickly and L had to defend herself and Bryce once again. For some reason she felt an aversion to hurting the creatures, but when one of their clubs made contact with her ribs, the snapping sound brought L to her senses.
They didn't care what happened to her or Robbie, and what they'd done to Bryce showed they weren't too fussed about him either, they had to be stopped. She was momentarily winded and had to blast more of the ground to give herself a moment to recover. But when she had, she delved into the fight like she would with any Demon she faced. She couldn't use magic on the Trolls themselves but that just meant she would have to get creative.
Robbie was busy setting fire to half of the forest, he'd managed to burn another Troll and send it running off in a blaze of flames. But the others had quickly grown wise to him and were keeping their distance when he opened his mouth. It gave L an idea, she didn't know if it would work but it was worth a shot. She used her magic to retrieve some of Robbie's fire from the trees, forming it into fireballs. Technically it wasn't magical fire, so they shouldn't be impervious to it. L aimed at the nearest Troll, watching the flames engulf its body.
Unfortunately, the fire dissipated with nothing but a sooty mess coating the body of the angry looking Troll. L cursed under her breath, how did that fail? When the fire came straight from Robbie it burned the Trolls, but the moment L mixed it with the tiniest bit of magic, it became useless against them. L knew she'd have to slice them up, the idea made her stomach turn, but not as much as the idea of Bryce and Robbie being captured and tortured.
She knew what she had to do, her claws lengthened and she increased her speed, she dodged and dived, slashing at the legs of the Trolls she neared. Some were able to avoid her, running or rolling out of the way, a few weren't so lucky. Green blood squirted the ground, L had nicked just the right artery. The two Trolls she'd hit were howling, they hobbled back towards the tunnels before L could even think of stopping them.
L darted aside to avoid being hit in the head by another club, she glowered at the rest of the Trolls while staying out of reach. She and Robbie were still outnumbered and had no way to gain a clear advantage. The Trolls were wise to Robbie's fire, quick enough to avoid L's claws and impervious to magic. They seemed hellbent on getting Bryce back, and they didn't care what happened to her or Robbie in the process.
L thought about weapons, something to fight with from a distance, but there was nothing for miles and the knife she'd had in her bag wouldn't have helped much in this situation.
"Hey, L? Do you think you could pull up one of these trees?" Robbie asked suddenly, gnashing his teeth at two Trolls who tried to advance on them.
L's brow quirked, "Yeah probably, why? What were you thinking?"
Robbie's huge Dragon mouth stretched into a toothy grin. "Maybe a game of Troll-ball?"
He must have been thinking the same as L, they needed something long range to keep the Trolls at bay or fight them off with. L grinned and ran for the nearest tree, while Robbie kept the Trolls busy. L used her enhanced strength and pulled the tree out from the roots. It must have been ten feet tall at least, L swung it round, the leaves catching fire from the blaze Robbie had started. She hit one of the Trolls, who hadn't noticed what she'd been doing.
The Troll yelped as it was thrown through the air, disappearing into the distance. Six down, still four to go and the element of surprise she'd had with the tree was gone now. L brandished her new weapon, which was on fire, and the Trolls kept their distance.
"We can't stay like this forever though," L remarked, her thoughts on Bryce and how quickly he needed treating.
"Go get them with your burning tree, you could wipe them all out with that thing." Robbie chuckled inside L's head.
"But that'll leave you exposed," L hesitated, wanting to wipe out the Trolls as quickly as possible.
"They won't get by me and they definitely won't be getting through me. I know, use the tree to herd them to me and I'll get rid of them." Robbie sounded excited at his plan.
L smiled and shrugged, it was the best they had. She nodded her agreement and ran at the Trolls with her flaming tree. They scattered, using their speed to outrun L, something she certainly wasn't used to. She turned and swung the tree, hoping to catch one of them with a stray branch. But to her horror, none of the Trolls were nearby. They'd done what she and Robbie wanted, but a little too readily, they had Robbie surrounded and distracted; he didn't see one of them break off and head straight for Bryce.
L tried to run, to get there before the Troll did but it was too late, the large, usually docile creature reached through L's barrier like it wasn't even there. It picked up Bryce by the scruff of his neck and ran for the tunnels, there was no way L could reach it before it got inside. If it disappeared into those tunnels again, she was positive she would never see Bryce again. L's heart clenched, she dropped the tree and sprinted at the Troll as fast as her abilities allowed, but it wasn't enough.
She watched the Troll enter the opening of the tunnels and her heart began to sink. She possessed the knowledge and abilities of almost every creature in existence and she still couldn't save Bryce. She felt useless and hopeless, and yet she was ready to chase that Troll through the tunnels regardless. She would have done anything to get Bryce back and was about to put that statement to the test when something sang by her ear.
L watched the blurry object dart through the air and into the tunnel opening. She heard a loud thump, followed by a lighter thumping sound. L pulled up short of the tunnel to find the Troll sprawled on the ground, with Bryce crumpled up next to it. The Troll had an arrow sticking out of its back, it was fletched with green and brown feathers. L blinked back her surprise and rushed to pick Bryce up off of the ground. He was still unconscious, his breathing shallow and L could tell his condition was deteriorating.
Whoever had just killed that Troll, she hoped they were on their side, for all of their sakes. She walked back outside, holding Bryce up by one shoulder, to find a peculiar scene unfolding. Robbie was still fighting the three Trolls, but he had now been joined by four tall, masked figures. Each one sped around the Trolls, they were faster than anything L had ever seen before. Weapons glinted in the light of the flames and L stared in shock as they cut down the Trolls, one by one.
The forest suddenly grew quiet, all that could be heard was the crackling of the flames nearby. L watched hand signals go up and the figures split up; two of them began moving the Trolls' bodies, one had run off and began putting out the fires. And the last of the figures walked towards L, she could make out almond shaped eyes and flawless skin around the mask and relief flooded her- she knew whose side they were on.
"Keeper, are you alright? The prince...?"
L found it particularly strange hearing Bryce being called by his title, despite knowing that's what he was.
"He's in a bad way, he needs immediate medical attention that I just don't have access to."
The figure pulled off his mask and revealed the rest of his Elvish features; long, silvery hair, pointed ears and a disapproving expression- though what he disapproved of, L wasn't sure.
"We have a medic with us who will be able to treat him, but we must leave this area first... there will be more of them." He glared at the Trolls in disgust and beckoned for L to follow him.
They walked over to find that Robbie was still in Dragon form, he had three bags leaning against his foreleg- their bags.
L stared in surprise, and Robbie answered her unasked question. "The Elves just brought them over, I dunno how they were able to find them... are you okay?"
"I am, you?" Robbie nodded and L spoke quickly. "Well, Bryce isn't and I'm not fully positive who we can trust right now so keep your guard up."
Robbie nodded and L turned her attention to the other Elves, who had finished their duties by now. They looked alarmed when they saw Bryce draped over L's shoulder, each of them took off their masks to comment on his state of health. The Elf who had been speaking to L, and appeared to be the leader, quieted them as he began giving out his instructions.
"We will escort the three of you to Eldercrest, where King Aldrnari and Queen Nariko are waiting. Usually, the prince would try to shake off his royal guard, but I think this time he might just allow us to do our duty."
The Elves shared a half smile. L would have been surprised to see such humour in their species, but the royal guard were different. They were trained to fight, to be stealthier, faster, and on all accounts a little rougher than most other Elves. Their outfits; brown tunic, green undershirt and black trousers, were a far cry from the regal robes their brethren wore. The masks covered most of their faces and enveloped their hair, making them harder to spot, especially in the forests of their kingdom and the surrounding area.
Travelling with them would be interesting, though L would be sure to stay alert and aware, just in case. The lead Elf continued with his instructions, explaining they would head north and when they were far enough from this place, they would stop to treat Bryce. L had no objections, so long as they were safe. The Elves tried to offer their help in carrying Bryce but L resisted, her mistrust was well placed.
She knew there were certain Elves who didn't want Bryce to be the next King and would stop at nothing to make sure it didn't happen. Until she knew who they were, she wasn't going to blindly trust that they wouldn't do something to hurry along his death in some way. She'd fixed her broken rib and she would be able to carry Bryce just fine on her own.
For whatever reason, they didn't argue with her, instead choosing to set up a convoy around her and Bryce. They asked of Robbie's intentions, though none of them seemed to know how to address him. They'd probably never expected to meet a Dragon, much less ask it about its travel plans. L explained that Robbie would stay as he is until they reached their destination. L knew Robbie felt helpless when he wasn't a Dragon, and she'd felt too much of that recently to make him go through it unnecessarily.
Once they were ready they set off running, Robbie ascended into the air and flew overhead. L could hear from the string of whoops and cheers that he was relieved to be up there again. She felt that same feeling of relief to be on the move, though it was tinged with growing worry for Bryce. She could feel how weak he was and his condition was worsening by the second, they needed to hurry. Despite Bryce's extra weight however, L was able to keep up and they'd soon put enough distance between themselves and the Trolls that they could stop.
The Elf medic got to work on Bryce immediately, leaving L to watch on over her shoulder. L wanted to ask questions, to learn while she worked, but she didn't want to distract her from saving Bryce. There was no way she was going to do anything to risk losing him, but she couldn't think about that, not now. L sighed softly when the space around them lit up with the glow of magic, she could sense it flowing from the medic and into Bryce.
L could tell it was healing magic, it had a different feel than offensive magic. And in that moment, L swore to herself she'd learn every bit of healing magic and knowledge she could get her hands and mind on, just as soon as they found the time. For now however, she watched and waited to hear how Bryce was. The other Elves stood silently nearby and Robbie had already taken off again, keeping a lookout from above should anything have decided to pursue them.
"Have you encountered Trolls before, Keeper?" One of the Elves asked when the silence stretched on.
L turned to him in surprise, she hadn't expected any questions. "No, not personally anyway, and I've certainly never heard of Trolls like those ones." The Elves were nodding by the time she finished, as though they knew she was going to say that. "I'm guessing you've met with them before, you seemed to know exactly what you were doing."
The lead Elf inclined his head, "We have, they're becoming an increasingly dangerous problem that we've faced on numerous occasions."
"We adapted swiftly, of course," said another of the Elves, a little too hastily in L's opinion. As though he wanted to make sure L knew they handled the problem efficiently.
The lead Elf nodded, "Of course, but that doesn't stop them from being a nuisance, inhabiting our border, killing whatever they want."
L arched a brow, "Do you have any idea how they've managed to gain these new abilities?"
The lead Elf clasped his hands, "We assume it has something to do with the Witch's warren they now occupy."
"It was uninhabited for some time, and then a family of Trolls moved in and they've been living there ever since, growing in numbers." The quietest member of the royal guard finally spoke up.
She looked younger than the other three, which was only evident in the size of her large eyes and smaller ears.
"I see," L felt the cogs of her mind turning as she recalled what a Witch's warren was.
The term was buried in the library of her mind, they hadn't been used in centuries. According to L's records, they were all supposed to have been destroyed or dismantled- apparently someone had missed one.
"So it's possible the magic from the warren has seeped into the Trolls somehow, making them faster and giving them usable magic?"
The Elves nodded in unison, while the lead Elf answered. "That is our understanding. And due to these enhancements, they've taken to a change in their... diet."
The atmosphere seemed to tense a little at the word diet and L's brow knitted together when their eyes turned on Bryce. L felt like the bottom of her stomach had fallen out, her disbelief warring with the wave of nausea.
"They were going to eat Bryce?"
"Yes, once they'd beaten and subdued him enough... they have a new-found taste for Elf and the means to fulfill that desire with their new abilities."
All three Elves looked sick to their stomachs and L didn't feel much better.
"That's revolting, I have the ability to eat a few of the species out there but I wouldn't." Robbie interjected and L had to smile inwardly at the strange sense he was making.
"You practically saved Prince Brycathlen from a fate worse than death," one of the Elves stated, each of them nodding their agreement.
L was about to argue that they did most of the saving when she heard a groan.
"L...?"
"Bryce?" L rushed over to kneel by him.
He was awake, his cuts and bruises looked significantly better and his breathing seemed to have levelled out. He stared at L in horror when his eyes met her face. It took her a few seconds to realise that she must look battered; blood all over her face and clothes, ripped sleeves, probably a few bruises for good measure.
"It's not as bad as it looks, how are you feeling? How is he?" L went from asking Bryce, to asking the medic.
"He should be just fine but I want him back in Eldercrest as soon as possible, there I can give him a thorough check up."
The leader of the royal guard walked towards them, bowing to Bryce before he spoke.
"Your Royal Highness, I'm pleased to see you're doing better."
"Hello, Aldrid, nice to see you... after all this time." Bryce replied, looking back at L. "Are you sure you're alright...? How's Robbie?"
"I'm fine, Robbie's fine, we were just worried about you."
"I'll be alright now, although if I pass out again... let me sleep through our stay in Eldercrest."
He half smirked at L and she rolled her eyes, though unable to resist the urge to smile at him. "Yeah, he's definitely going to be okay, I think we can get underway."
Aldrid appeared to be looking to Bryce for his orders.
"You heard our illustrious Keeper, let's go."