Closing his fist over the locket tight,
he broke out in goose flesh, shoulders shaking with the effort. A
little hum started high in his throat, building up until it was
almost a heavy purr from deep within his massive chest.
Speechless, at a loss, I
stared at him unblinkingly. What was all
that about? What just happened?
“ Ye want ta be givin’ me
this?” the odd being standing before me grumbled, incredulous.
“ This , for her?”
He acted as if I was utterly ridiculous for even suggesting
it.
“ Well, uh,” swallowing
hard, I licked my lips nervously, “yes. Oh! And everything else,
uh, too!”
Frowning over at my sister, then me,
he raised a brow and shook his head.
“ No.” Grimacing, his large
skull gave another shake on his thick neck. “Wouldna be fair.”
Sighing regretfully, he placed the locket back in my hand, but it
looked as if it was quite hard for him to, and with great effort,
he stepped back.
“ But… but… Can’t we figure
something out?” I cried desperately, following after him when he
looked like he might take off. “You’re a troll, for god’s sakes!
You can’t have an ethical code!”
“ Useless,” he snorted. “Oi,
what’s she ta ye, anyway? She’ll work off her toll,” he
grimaced, “someday, an’ then she’ll be off.”
I hadn’t heard this before.
“ Pay off a toll?” I
questioned, dogging his footsteps determinedly.
“ Aye, but at the rate she
goes,” he hooked a thick thumb at her, “she’ll be me slave
forever.”
Otvla started to wail again, quieting
when he shouted at her and picked up what looked to me like a worn
bit of leather from a boot, the heel still attached, throwing it at
her cage.
“ Please don’t do that,” I
implored once again, slamming my lips shut at my
outburst.
The scathing look the grey skinned
male gave me as he growled heavily and went farther into his
dwelling, informed me I’d just said the wrong thing.
This isn’t helping me
any.
Taking a moment to gather my wits
about me and compose myself, I said a small, silent prayer and
pursued the disgruntled creature.
He’d set himself up in front of an
oversized fire now, was the first thing I noticed upon spotting
him, the large stones it was made out of mind boggling, set far
into the wall, then down into the ground some, much like a pit. Not
to mention the fact that they were an odd green color, the stones,
and the flames burning in it bright were an unnatural red, tipped
and dancing with blue.
Blue and red flames, trolls, green
fire pit stones, Otvla in a swinging cage. This was all so strange
and unreal.
Studiously ignoring me, the snarling
beast took a hunk of unidentified, roasted animal off of a spit and
took a huge bite out of it, dribbling juice and fat from his dinner
onto the dirt floor.
“ What’s she ta ye?” he
asked around a mouthful of animal flesh, taking out a large flask
to swig from and wash it down.
Knowing it was now or never, I stepped
towards him, oddly calmed at the normalcy of watching someone, or
something, do something so natural—so normal as eating a meal. He
wasn’t trying to eat me or Otvla, after all, so I went for
broke.
“ She’s my
sister.”
The oversized creature stopped, mid
chew, and stared at me, just stared. Deep orange eyes glowing, he
cocked his head to the side, wide nose twitching, and
waited.
Good. I have his whole
attention now.
“ She’s my baby sister, you
see, and my family misses her dearly,” I wheedled pleadingly.
“Can’t we work something out for her release? Can’t we come to
an... an understanding? An agreement?” Forcing my feet to move, I
shuffled closer. “Is there something more, besides, uh, erm, flesh?
A token of some sort that you need or something, perhaps?
Anything?!”
Desperation, thy name is
Daphedaenya.
“ Yes!” Otvla called out
excitedly. “Can’t you come to an understanding and let me free?!
Tell him, Daphie! Tell him!”
I rubbed my forehead exasperatedly and
turned
he broke out in goose flesh, shoulders shaking with the effort. A
little hum started high in his throat, building up until it was
almost a heavy purr from deep within his massive chest.
Speechless, at a loss, I
stared at him unblinkingly. What was all
that about? What just happened?
“ Ye want ta be givin’ me
this?” the odd being standing before me grumbled, incredulous.
“ This , for her?”
He acted as if I was utterly ridiculous for even suggesting
it.
“ Well, uh,” swallowing
hard, I licked my lips nervously, “yes. Oh! And everything else,
uh, too!”
Frowning over at my sister, then me,
he raised a brow and shook his head.
“ No.” Grimacing, his large
skull gave another shake on his thick neck. “Wouldna be fair.”
Sighing regretfully, he placed the locket back in my hand, but it
looked as if it was quite hard for him to, and with great effort,
he stepped back.
“ But… but… Can’t we figure
something out?” I cried desperately, following after him when he
looked like he might take off. “You’re a troll, for god’s sakes!
You can’t have an ethical code!”
“ Useless,” he snorted. “Oi,
what’s she ta ye, anyway? She’ll work off her toll,” he
grimaced, “someday, an’ then she’ll be off.”
I hadn’t heard this before.
“ Pay off a toll?” I
questioned, dogging his footsteps determinedly.
“ Aye, but at the rate she
goes,” he hooked a thick thumb at her, “she’ll be me slave
forever.”
Otvla started to wail again, quieting
when he shouted at her and picked up what looked to me like a worn
bit of leather from a boot, the heel still attached, throwing it at
her cage.
“ Please don’t do that,” I
implored once again, slamming my lips shut at my
outburst.
The scathing look the grey skinned
male gave me as he growled heavily and went farther into his
dwelling, informed me I’d just said the wrong thing.
This isn’t helping me
any.
Taking a moment to gather my wits
about me and compose myself, I said a small, silent prayer and
pursued the disgruntled creature.
He’d set himself up in front of an
oversized fire now, was the first thing I noticed upon spotting
him, the large stones it was made out of mind boggling, set far
into the wall, then down into the ground some, much like a pit. Not
to mention the fact that they were an odd green color, the stones,
and the flames burning in it bright were an unnatural red, tipped
and dancing with blue.
Blue and red flames, trolls, green
fire pit stones, Otvla in a swinging cage. This was all so strange
and unreal.
Studiously ignoring me, the snarling
beast took a hunk of unidentified, roasted animal off of a spit and
took a huge bite out of it, dribbling juice and fat from his dinner
onto the dirt floor.
“ What’s she ta ye?” he
asked around a mouthful of animal flesh, taking out a large flask
to swig from and wash it down.
Knowing it was now or never, I stepped
towards him, oddly calmed at the normalcy of watching someone, or
something, do something so natural—so normal as eating a meal. He
wasn’t trying to eat me or Otvla, after all, so I went for
broke.
“ She’s my
sister.”
The oversized creature stopped, mid
chew, and stared at me, just stared. Deep orange eyes glowing, he
cocked his head to the side, wide nose twitching, and
waited.
Good. I have his whole
attention now.
“ She’s my baby sister, you
see, and my family misses her dearly,” I wheedled pleadingly.
“Can’t we work something out for her release? Can’t we come to
an... an understanding? An agreement?” Forcing my feet to move, I
shuffled closer. “Is there something more, besides, uh, erm, flesh?
A token of some sort that you need or something, perhaps?
Anything?!”
Desperation, thy name is
Daphedaenya.
“ Yes!” Otvla called out
excitedly. “Can’t you come to an understanding and let me free?!
Tell him, Daphie! Tell him!”
I rubbed my forehead exasperatedly and
turned
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