Troll Story

A Troll Story

The Village
The old troll sighed. Wearily, he passed his hand over his eyes. "Why deed diss burden 'ave ta fall ta me, great spirits?" Kajee'ki complained to the uncaring sky. "What deed I do ta deserve diss?"

The young troll stood uncertainly, her Orcish not practised enough to follow her grandfather's muttered supplication. "What's wrong, grandfather?" she said innocently.

The old troll regarded his charge balefully. Kindi was young, only waist-high, but she had the energy of an entire raiding party. She was standing before him, once again caught red handed going through her parents' things. The young troll warrior looked remarkably like her mother Jeera had at that age. She had the same blueish skin tone, the same face, and the same wide eyes, though her spikey hair (which was cut as short as a boy's) had all of her father's red in it.

"Kindi, you are too young to use the bow. You can't even draw it. And look at your father's axe! It's as big as you. You're going to knock down the tent if you keep swinging it around!"

"I only did that once! Anyway I was only looking… see? I hadn't even picked up the axe," she protested, leaving unspoken the "yet" at the end of her last sentence.

"Ugh, why do I bother? You're a stubborn as your mother was. And as nitwitted as the monkey she married," he groussed.

Kindi smiled. She loved hearing about her parents, and she knew that her mother's father was only joking. She was old enough to understand joking, though poor Ketsu always looked so sad when he talked like that. But Ketsu wasn't here today, she was off playing with the other troll babies near the village pond. They were catching frogs. Kindi had gotten tired of that game ages ago - whole months ago, even. It just wasn't challenging anymore. Anyway, she was bored.

"Tell me a story about my parents! Please? Tell me the story where they hunt the devilsaur and then they make its hide into the tent that elder Karlak'ji uses! Tell that one, with the storm and the lightning in it!"

"Kindi, I have things to do today, you know. I can't just -"

"No, wait, tell the one where mother rescued father from furbolgs but then the demon came and -"

"Kindi," he began sternly, only to be once more interrupted.

"Take me hunting, Grandfather! I can feel the frogs with my eyes closed, I know I can try it on rabbits now! Pleeeeeeeease?"

"TUM'JUK!" the old troll bellowed, sounding a little desperate.

Kindi smiled. Tum'juk was just as good as a story. Better, even! She clapped her hands together in glee as her grandfather stomped to the front of the tent, bellowing for her cousin. (He wasn't really her cousin - her grandfather was his grandfather's cousin - but she figured that was just as good. Kindi had no brothers or first-cousins, so she had sort of adopted Tum'juk and his younger brother Oli as replacements. She considered this to be very resourceful.)

Sure enough, after only a few minutes of shouting her grandfather stepped back and young Tum'juk entered the tent.

Tum'juk was entering his twelfth season but was nearly as tall as his father already. Of course, his father wasn't that tall - topping his mother, now there would be the challenge - but Kindi thought he was terribly impressive. He was strong enough to pick her up and throw her - usually into water - and he could run really fast. He was getting good at archery now, too, and used a real adult bow. And he was growing out his hair - into a mohawk! Kindi wanted a mohawk!

Tum'juk grinned at the village's oldest hunter. "What be da mattah, Kajee'ki? Ah could heah you from da pond," he said. His voice was still light and boyish, though he spoke with the inflections of an adult.

"Diss girl be drivin me crazy! Take her out an do sumtin wit her - she'll be climbin da walls if she be stayin here," the old man complained, also speaking in Orcish. Tum'juk had been raised in the hills of Stranglethorn, and spoke a different dialect than those in their village.

"Why didn' choo just send her to da pond?" Tum'juk asked, eyeing the tiny troll. "Eet's safe ta play dere."

"Bah, she won't go! Says it be too boring an young for her. Young! For her! Look at er!" He swung around to wave his hand at Kindi, who hastily dropped the haft of her father's battleaxe.

"Oy!" her grandfather said, shooing with his hands. "Out! Bothayou! Go an be leavin an old troll some peace on a fine aftahnoon like diss!"

Tum'juk sighed, but didn't protest, and held the tent flap open for Kindi. With an excited "whoop!" the young troll dashed towards him, nimbly dodging a half-hearted kick from her grandfather, and ran through the open door into the sunlight.

Tum'juk grinned at Kajee'ki and winked. "Ah'll be keepin an eye on 'er, sah, don't you worry!" And with that he let the flap fall behind him.

Kajee'ki sighed in relief as the noisy din that was his granddaughter got further and further away from his tent. He looked over at the large wicker basket that had been - once again - tipped over, and slowly bent to gather its contents.

His hand paused over an old, well-used bow. It had been Jeera's. He allowed himself a sad smile, remembering the bright eyes of his only daughter. It was a shame that they had been taken away so young, a shame that only a grumpy old troll like him was left of the family to care for the young ones. He sighed again, slightly ashamed of his own impatience. As he straightened out the lid for the basket he resolved to be more patient with the children. It wasn't their fault, after all…

He cringed suddenly as Ketsu's piercing wail preceded her into the tent.

"GAMPAAAA! ITA'S WOLF ATE MY FWOG!"

Kajee'ki sighed, and covered his eyes with one old hand. "Oh, spirits..."

Hunter's Run
Kindi led Tum'juk fearlessly down to the beach. Though neither of them expected trouble, there was always the chance of seeing murlocks or other threats around, and both trolls were armed. Most trolls in their village went about armed, even in their own tents. Kindi thought this was very wise - as her grandfather was fond of saying, "Trouble will find you whether you're ready or not. Best to greet it with an axe."

Tum'juk carried his new bow proudly. His uncle, a reputable bowyer, had made it for him only a month ago when he had deemed Tum'juk worthy of carrying a man's weapon. It was a fine bow, over four feet long and made from old Stranglethorn wood. Tum'juk also carried throwing axes and a heavy bone dagger.

Kindi was still too small to pull a bow though she practiced daily on one of the small training bows Tum'juk's uncle kept around. She carried two daggers, each blade about six inches long, in twin sheathes at her waist. She also had a throwing axe that she could hurl with surprising accuracy - provided the target was not too far away.

"So, leel Kindi, whatchoo be wantin ta do today?" Tum'juk asked as they approached the shore.

"Ah be try mah sensin on dah crab, mon," she answered in her broken Orcish. She frowned, concentrating on finding the right words. Talking to Tum'juk made her want to improve her Orcish. "I been sense - sensing bunnies. Rabbits. I been sensing rabbits, mon, an I wanna try sensing the crab. Crabs."

Tum looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "Oh-ho, choo can feel dah beasts around joo, eh? Hmm. Lessee how good choo be at it."

The young trolls had reached the pebble shore. Tum'juk jogged to a likely spot, Kindi scampering along behind him, and stopped, casting out his hunter's sense. Closing his eyes, he quickly attuned himself to the thoughts of beasts, as his trainers had taught him. To find the beasts, you must be able to feel them. To feel them, you have to hold in your mind an image of what it is to be a beast. Drawing on his own instincts, Tum'juk filled his mind with thoughts of hunger, of fear, of hunting, of mating, and of territorial instincts. Almost instantly he could feel his fellow-beasts about him. Opening his eyes, he grinned at Kindi.

"Allright, Kindi, dere be three crabs dat I be sensing around 'ere. Why donchoo try an point em out for me?"

Kind nodded, her small, round face serious. She closed her eyes and bunched up her fists at her sides, seeming to hold her breath as she concentrated furiously. Tum'juk watched, careful not to smile. After a few moments though, the little troll girl let out an explosive breath and looked suddenly at Tum, frustration and defiance etched on her face.

"Ah didn't be do it yet wit odder people. Don' laugh!"

"Ah'm not laughin…" he began to protest, but stopped in surprise as she dropped to all fours.

Bemused, he watched the young girl close her eyes again, calmly this time, and slowly, almost carefully, started to crawl around. Tum'juk stared at Kindi as her whole manner changed. Her arms and legs became stiff, as though the joints were connected wrong. Her head moved in small, sharp jigs from side to side, scanning the horizon for threats through her now-open eyes. Her face was strangely unexpressive, and she wasn't blinking.

For a split second, he could have sworn he sensed four crabs.

Kindi suddenly sat down, once again a young troll, and quickly yelled "DERE, DERE AND DERE!" as she pointed at the three crabs in the ocean.

Tum'juk was staring at her.

"Well? Did I be find them?"

"Ah… ya, Kindi," he replied truthfully. "Choo pointed at all tree. But… why choo gotta act like a crab, ta feel em?" To be fair, he thought, she was able to find the beats at a much younger age than most hunters. It would be difficult to hunt, though, if you had to keep stopping and doing an elaborate pantomime to find your prey.

Kindi struggled to explain herself in Orcish. "Grandfathah, he be say.. He be saying that to feel dah beasts, choo gotta be think like the beasts. An… it be hard to hold a beast in my head.. But if I be hold one in my body too it be easiah."

"Well, dat be makin sense, I tink. I guess dey train joo differently ere," he said, somewhat dubiously.

"I tink with… ahh.. More using.. Practice! I tink dat I be practice then I don be so much a bunny. Crab."

Tum'juk nodded, accepting this. "Dah more choo do it, dah better choo get. Dat's what yer grandfaddah be always sayin."

Kindi nodded, smiling. "Choo understand!"

Tum'juk grinned at the tiny huntress and ruffled her short hair. "Oy, race you to dah cliffs!"

"Hah!" Kindi yelled, leaping to her feet and taking off at a dead run to the North.

"Ey! Ah didn't say go!" Tum protested, laughing, as he burst into a run behind her.

With his longer legs he quickly overtook Kindi, though he would playfully slow down every now and then to let her catch up, or even take the lead for a few strides. The young troll cast his thoughts ahead of them as they ran to guide them around the vicious nests of scorpions that populated the beach. Kindi dutifully followed him around the odd hill and pile of brush, trusting him to find a safe path to the boulder-strewn cliffs of the Jun'Dal mountain chain. Running was a key part of hunter training, and the hardest to do when cooped up in a tent with a bunch of other trolls. As they closed on the last mile of rocky beach Tum'juk push harder, almost sprinting as he raced ahead of his smaller cousin. Kindi's arms pumped furiously as she tried to match the taller troll's stride, her eyes locked in determination on his back.

Grinning, Tum'juk pulled ahead, enjoying the run, racing over small hills and gulleys as he approached the mountain chain. The pebbles were gone now and his feet found solid, packed earth under him as he ran. With a little "whoop" of pleasure he leapt over a small rise - only to discover it concealed a thirty foot sheer drop, followed by a steep hill at the bottom. His thoughts racing, he twisted in midair, trying to figure out how to land safely. With a sharp grunt he hit the ground, pain shooting through his ankles as he rolled, even as a new thought flashed through his mind. Turds Kindi ohcrapohcrap maybe she's far enough behind me -

Scrambling to his feet, he yelled up "Kindi! Stop!" even as she shot out like a blue and red bullet over the cliff's edge. He heard her squeal in fright and without thinking, stepped forward and held out his arms to catch her.

With a startled "Waugh!" Kindi crashed into Tum's chest. He grabbed her tightly as she knocked him off his feet, and held on as they tumbled down the steep hill towards the rocky shore below. The last thing he remembered was curling protectively around Kindi as a boulder rushed up to meet them.

A Friend
Kindi opened her eyes. They had finally stopped moving. She looked down to find that she was curled in a ball on Tum's chest. Dizzily she slid off, crouching beside him, and looked around. Then she looked up.

They had fallen into a small ravine, scarcely more than a crack in the terrain. The sides of the ravine were sheer, however, and the bottom sloped sharply down and east, towards the sea. They had rolled down to the rocky shore and landed on top of a large, flat boulder beside the water. She could not see a way to climb back up but both trolls were swimmers. They could always swim the mile back to the more manageable part of the coast. What was worrying her was Tum's silence. She looked down, frowning, and shook his shoulder gently.

"Tum? Tum'juk?"

He didn't respond. She reached out to shake him once more but froze in horror at the sight of dark red blood seeping out from under his head. Kindi shoved a fist into her mouth to stop herself from crying out. With a sudden dread she bent over and held her ear over his mouth, almost sobbing in relief when she felt breath against her skin. She sat back on the rock, hugging her knees to her chest and stared at him, trying to think what to do. She thought back to her Grandfather's words: "What doesn't kill a troll will only slow him down. And probably make him mad." She had laughed at the time, but now she was just scared. Trolls heal faster than any other creature that she knew of, but she had never seen anyone hurt this badly. How long would it take Tum to wake up? What if something found them first? What if, when he woke up, he was mad at her?

Kindi started to cry. It was dangerous to cry in the wilderness - it attracted the wrong kind of attention - so Kindi hid her face in her knees, bit her lip, and wept silently. Curled into a defensive ball, she rocked back and forth, full of fear and misery.

Suddenly, she stopped. She raised her tear-streaked face, looking towards the ocean incredulously.

Something out there was feeling exactly the way she was.

Sniffing, Kindi wiped her nose with the back of her hand and sat up, her eyes not leaving the shore. Scooting forward on her bum she edged her way to the side of the boulder, looking down into the dark water below. The cliffs around them continued under water, and the ocean floor dropped sharply away below her. She could feel a small, frightened, vulnerable animal that was hiding alone, curled up defensively inside its shell. It was a baby turtle!

Thinking quickly, Kindi stood up. Tum'juk was out cold, but probably healing. The important thing would be to leave him alone and not try to move him - if his brains were rattled or his skull cracked then any sudden moves could only make the injuries worse - or permanent. That meant that Kindi had to guard him until he woke up. But she also wanted to go down and help the poor little turtle. Indecisively, she shifted her weight from one foot to another, looking between her fallen cousin and the blue waters. She wanted to stay, and felt that she ought to, but the poor baby turtle was lost and alone. She and the baby turtle had the same problems - so if she helped the baby turtle feel better, she would feel better too, right?

Kindi made up her mind. Setting her little jaw in determination, she first tried to make Tum comfortable. Lacking a blanket or cloak to throw over him, she settled for finding his axes and bow and laying them carefully beside him. Mercifully, the bow had fallen off as they rolled and wasn't crushed in the landing. Kindi's mind balked at the idea of how furious Tum'juk's uncle would be if the bow was broken. He probably wouldn't be mad that his nephew's head was broken, though. He got angry about weird things.

She checked Tum over one last time. He was breathing slowly and deeply now, as if he were just taking a nap in the shade of the cliffs. She took off her own throwing axe and laid it beside one of her daggers on the stone, not wanting to be too encumbered when she swam. She quickly shed her leather smock and belt, dropping them beside her two small weapons. She kept on only her loincloth, with one of her daggers tucked into it in case she should need it below. Then, without a backward glance, she leapt over the edge of the boulder, cannonballing into the salty water.

Kindi opened her eyes, looking down through the bubbles and murky water towards the turtle. She could not see him yet but she could still feel him in her mind, and he wasn't far. Suppressing the vertigo at how much empty water was below her - she felt like she was about to fall - she swam along the edge of the cliffs until she was quite close, and went up quickly for air. After a few gasps and a quick look around for predators she dove back under water, kicking hard now to get deeper. As she descended through the warm, salty water it quickly became darker, as though night had fallen early here. Kindi's lungs were starting to ache when she finally saw the shallow cave in the cliffside where the baby turtle lay. He was small, barely two feet across at the widest point of its shell, and Kindi could see two small reflective eyes peering out at her from inside the thick carapace. The two children looked at each other for a brief moment, both feeling a curiosity about the other that momentarily overrode their own fears. The little turtle had never seen a troll before.

Kindi waved at the turtle, then started kicking hard, pulling herself upwards. Her lungs were burning and demanded fresh air. Breaking the surface of the water Kindi swam over to the rocky ledge to catch her breath and rest her legs. Panting, she grabbed on to the nearest outcrop and considered her options. Maybe she should try to catch a fish. Then she could lure the turtle up to the surface where she could breath, and maybe Tum could help her find his parents, and then maybe she and the turtle could be friends!

In her mind she could feel the little turtle's own curiosity, and disappointment that she had left so suddenly. Kindi was chagrined - she didn't want to make it sadder! Quickly she gulped in more air and dove back under, determined to make the turtle happy. She was soon in front of his little cave again, and this time a small pointed head was peeking out from the shell. Kindi grinned at the turtle and waved again, then quickly swam up to the surface for more air. Again she felt the turtle's disappointment that she had disappeared so quickly, but this time there was also hope that she might come back. Not wanting to fail her new friend, Kindi paused only briefly to catch her breath before diving back down under the water.

This time, the turtle had emerged from its shell and approached the edge of his little cave. He was looking up towards her as she swam down. Without thinking, Kindi quickly curled into a ball, pretending to be another turtle. This time, instead of focusing on the feelings of fear and loneliness, she filled her mind with a mother's desire to care for her young. She was strong, capable, trustworthy. She was a mommy turtle.

The little turtle started swimming towards her.

Keeping her mind focused on her turtleness, Kinidi ignored the familiar burning sensation in her lungs. Moving only her hands and feet, Kindi slowly swam upwards, followed by the younger turtle. As she rose her body screamed for air and her limbs felt weak, but she gritted her teeth together and focused on being a turtle. Turtles don't need air! And she was clearly a turtle. Her vision started to narrow as she slowly floated to the surface, dark spots creeping into the edges of her field of view just as her head finally broke the surface.

Kindi gasped in the air gratefully, flipping onto her back to float and let her limbs regain their strength. She stared up at the dark cliffs above her and reflected on how cold the water was without the sun to warm it. Shivering, she straightened herself out, spinning around in the water to find her bearings. As she turned back towards the boulder where Tum'juk lay she gasped in surprise. The little turtle was floating in front of her, looking at her expectantly. She got the distinct impression that it was hungry.

Kindi smiled, careful not to show her teeth, and started swimming slowly towards Tum. The turtle followed her again. Seen up close, it wasn't really that small - in fact, it was about as big as she was, really, if she were to sit down or curl up. Kindi wondered if she could ride it. That would be amazing!

Reaching the stone outcrop, Kindi grabbed hold of the edge and hauled herself out of the water. The top of the stone was over a foot above the waves and Kindi had to kick hard to get high enough to put her elbows on it. She managed to half crawl, half drag herself onto the stone, and rolled onto her back, panting. The young turtle was stymied, and settled himself on a nearby stone to wait. Kindi sat up and peered down at him. He looked at her expectantly. She waved to him. He opened his mouth, and let out a strange gurgling chirrup.

"Right," she said. "I'm on it! Looking for food. Here we go. Don't worry, I'll feed you! Just let me check on my friend first, ok?"

The turtle just stared at her.

"Right, be right back," she said, and turned to Tum. Gently she reached down and shook his shoulder, careful not to wiggle him too much. "Tum'juk?"

Her heart leapt as he groaned, and she beamed down at him. Slowly, wincing, he opened his eyes. They looked a little bit unfocused. He said something in a slurred Trollish that she didn't understand, but she was still happy to see him awake.

"Easy, Tum'juk, choo head be hurt. Do joo be understand?"

Tum only stared at her blankly, then closed his eyes and curled up into a ball on his side, clutching his head and groaning. Kindi winced as he rolled away from her. The back of his hair was matted with dry blood - he must have a horrible headache. She should get him some water. And something to eat. She remembered what her grandfather had told her, about the body's fast healing taking its toll.

"If you're hurt, eat something. Anything. Your body needs fuel for the healing. And drink something too. Actually, go get me something to eat and drink. Talking about it has made me hungry."

Grateful for her elder's wisdom, Kindi searched the nearby rocks for Tum's waterskin and sac. She soon found them - the waterskin was hanging by its strap from a higher rock, and the sac had not fallen far from where they were. Careful not to spill any, she unstoppered the waterskin and held it to Tum's lips. He started to mumble something, but as the water poured out he quickly started drinking. Kindi let him have about half of the skin, then pulled it away and stoppered it carefully. Tum curled back into a ball, holding his head in his arms, eyes screwed tightly shut. Kindi put aside the waterskin and fished some fruits out of the sac. She cracked open the hard shell of a fishnut fruit and laid the two pieces beside Tum. She also put out an apple for him. He'd probably be hungry soon. Grabbing the last two apples from the sac she rose and stepped over to the edge of the boulder. The baby turtle was staring up at her expectantly.

Kindi whistled sharply, then immediately tossed an apple to the turtle. His pointed head tracked the incoming fruit and snapped it out of the air. Kindi grinned as the turtle slowly munched on the apple. She sat on the edge of the rock, dangling her feet in the water.

"I should give you a name. What's a good name for a turtle?"

He blinked up at her and opened his mouth again. Kindi grinned, whistled sharply, and tossed him another apple. He snapped it out of the air as easily as the first. She laughed and turned back to check the sac for more fruit, only to find Tum sitting up and half finished the apple, an empty fishnut shell beside him.

Back Home
Kajee'ki fussed with the leatherworking project he was on, picking at the stiching, his mind not fully on his task. Where had those kids gotten to? It was getting dark... The old troll frowned, telling himself that everything was no doubt fine.

He was about to go out and look for them when he finally sensed the familiar presence of his granddaughter approaching. He stood, preparing himself to give her a stern scolding for being out so late.

Tum'juk poked his head into the tent first. He was wet, as though he'd been swimming, and Kajee'ki could smell blood on him. The old hunter frowned. "Where be Kindi?" he demanded.

Mutely, Tum'juk stepped back, holding open the tent flap for his little cousin. Kajee'ki's eyes widened as he saw his granddaughter enter his tent, riding a saltshell turtle.

"What's diss?"

"Leel Kindi found her first companion, eldah," Tum'juk said respectfully.

Kindi gave spoke shyly to her grandfather. "Diss be mah turtle. We be friends. Can ah be keep her?" She gave her grandfather her best endearing smile, but there was no need to cajole the old hunter.

Kajee'ki stood up straight, thoughts of scoldings forgotten as he beamed at his grandaughter. A pet already, at her age! By the spirits, her mother would have been so proud. He still remembered the first animal she had brought home, a big black panther. She'd been almost twice as old, though!

Moving slowly, Kajee'ki approached his grandaughter, giving her a rare kiss on the forehead. "Yes, Kindi, joo can keep it." And tomorrow they'd have a party to welcome the turtle into the family - and to rub it in every other troll's face how great a hunter his granddaughter was going to be! Hah!

Kajee'ki grinned happily at the thought. It would be quite the party.