Ogres and Trolls

(Originally posted on r/WritingPrompts, inspired by this prompt: https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/1e7rcog/wp_where_are_your_parents_kid_mmy_ffamily_left_me/ )

"Not again!" I cursed under my breath as the moose ran away. This was the third night in a row that I'd had an unsuccessful hunt. I really didn't want to resort to stealing cattle again; the humans didn't like it when I did that. But if this streak continued, I might not have a choice.

As I made my way back home, I heard a small whimper up ahead. Curious as to what this might be, I followed the sound until I reached a clearing just a few kilometers from my cave. Tied to one of the trees was a youngling human. Her eyes grew wide with fright as she saw me.

"How did you get here, little one?" I asked, kneeling down next to the terrified youngling. "Where are your parents?"

"M-my p-parents left me as a sacrifice to th-the ogre of the m-mountain," she said, her face streaked with tears. "Th-they tied me here so I c-couldn't escape."

Oh dear. I knew humans weren't particularly fond of my kind, but this was beyond ridiculous. And a bit barbaric, to be honest. I expected better from a so-called civilized society.

"Are y-you g-gonna eat me?"

Now was not the time for my stomach to growl. But it did. Loudly.

The youngling started trembling. I noticed her wrists and ankles were bloody. Probably from fruitlessly trying to escape her bonds.

"I don't eat humans," I said, ignoring the grumblings of my stomach.

"You...don't?"

"Well, not usually. If a human is stupid enough to attack me I wouldn't turn down the free snack. But I typically go for larger prey items, like deer and elk. Sometimes moose, if I can get it."

"My p-parents told me ogres only eat humans. Th-they said kids like me are your favorite. That leaving me as an offering would keep you from attacking for a while."

"Well they were either mistaken or they were lying," I said, shaking my head. "A youngling like yourself would hardly qualify as a snack for one of us. Let alone a meal."

"Th-then why do you keep attacking the village?"

"I've never attacked a human village before. Unless you count stealing a few cows and horses from time to time when I'm really hungry."

"C-could there be another ogre that's attacking?"

"We ogres tend to keep to ourselves most of the time. But I have seen signs of a troll lurking around here. Perhaps that's what's been attacking your village."

"Aren't ogres and trolls the same thing?"

"Certainly not," I said. "Other than height, we're nothing alike. Trolls are much, much skinnier. Their limbs are longer. They've got long claws on their hands and feet. Their teeth are sharp. Their skin is covered in warts, and it's most often a greenish grey color that helps them more easily blend in with the mountainside. And they're downright vicious creatures. You're lucky I found you first. I don't even want to think about what would've happened to you if a troll found you instead."

"So you think the troll is the one that's attacking the village, then?"

"Nearly positive. Of course your parents are fools for thinking leaving an offering would appease a troll. Their hunger is insatiable."

"Could you kill it?"

"I might be able to, but not without some serious planning, and probably some form of bait to lure it in."

"I c-could be bait," she said, though her eyes betrayed her fear at the mere thought of it.

"Absolutely not. You're not risking your life for people who don't even care about you."

"I'm not t-talking about saving my p-parents. But there are other k-kids in the village. If the attacks don't stop soon, they might try to sacrifice more of us."

"I see," I said, scratching my chin. "Are you sure this is a risk you'd be willing to take?"

"If it means none of my f-friends get eaten," she said, breathing to try and calm herself.

"You're brave, I'll give you that," I said, a new level of respect growing within me for the youngling. "But I'll try and see if I can lure it in with something else first. I'll catch a deer or steal a cow or something. See if it'll go for that."

The youngling nodded, visibly calmer.

"In the meantime, why don't I get you free of those ropes," I said, taking out a knife. "I can take you back to my cave where you can rest. How's that sound?"

The youngling eyed the knife suspiciously.

"I'm bad at untying knots. Especially knots that small. But so long as you hold still, I can cut through your ropes without cutting you."

"...Okay."

I carefully sliced through the ropes on her wrists and ankles before putting my knife back in its sheath on my belt.

The youngling collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion.

"Here," I said, gently lifting her up off the ground, being careful not to crush her in my hands. "I'll take you home with me where you can rest. I've got some healing herbs growing in my garden for your wrists and ankles too. I'm running a little low on food right now but I'm sure I can scrounge up something for you to eat as well. Sound good?"

She nodded hesitantly.

I carried the youngling up the mountain and back into my cave, making a little bed for her out of one of my pillows. Never in a million years would I have even considered caring for a youngling human. But surely she was safer with me than with her parents. What was I supposed to do, waltz into the nearest village and drop her off? No. She deserved better than that. I decided right then and there that I'd do everything I could to give her the best life possible. And if her friends were in similarly awful situations, which given what she said seemed highly likely, I'd help them too.

But before I could start seriously planning for any long-term goals, there was a more urgent matter that needed to be addressed. I had a troll to kill.

"How'd it go?" the youngling asked as I returned from my hunt. I'd learned the morning before that her name was Valerie. "Did you kill the troll?"

"Unfortunately not," I said, shaking my head. "The only way to stop a troll's regenerative ability is to attack it with fire. Otherwise it'll just keep healing. Heck, it can even regrow its head if it loses it. But fire isn't exactly the stealthiest of weapons. It got spooked and ran off before I could get close to it."

"So if you can't sneak up on it out there, maybe I c-could lure it here," Valerie said hesitantly.

"I don't like it," I said. "You shouldn't have to take such perilous risks."

"Well unless you've got any better ideas, it might be our only choice. It's not like we can go marching back to my village and demand one of the grownups volunteer to be troll bait."

I sighed. As much as I hated the idea of putting her in danger, the longer that troll was alive, the more likely there'd be another youngling sacrificed to it. And another. And another.

"I hate that you're making sense," I said, clenching my fists. "I hate that your parents are spineless, pathetic cowards who'd rather sacrifice their young to save their own hides. I hate it. But you're right. There's just no way around this, is there?"

Valerie shook her head, her eyes downcast. Her eyes started welling up with tears.

"Come here," I said, sitting down next to her on the floor of the cave.

Valerie walked over to me. I gently lifted her up and held her against my chest as she sobbed, holding back tears of my own.

"I'm trying to be brave," she said between sniffles. "I really am. But I'm scared."

"I know," I said softly. "But I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make sure you survive this."

"Okay," she said, breathing deeply to try and calm herself. "If I don't make it, promise me you won't let it eat any of my friends."

"I promise. I will protect them with my very life if that's what it takes."

I held her for a few more minutes. My mind was of many different emotions. I was terrified for her safety. Angry at her parents for not doing their job. Angry at myself for not being able to come up with any alternative solutions.

I couldn't just hide all the younglings in my cave. The troll would simply move on to the next village to get its fill.

"You don't happen to know how to ride a horse, do you?" I asked after some thought.

"No I don't. Why?"

"I was just thinking that you being on a horse might give you better odds if you knew how to ride one," I said. "But since you don't, there's a good chance the horse would just get spooked and trample you to death."

"Yeah, I've never been on a horse before."

"I might have a few other things that could help increase your odds of survival," I said as I set her down and headed towards the back of my cave. I opened a crudely carved chest, rummaging through it before pulling out two rings and a small whistle.

Valerie looked at me curiously.

"Your first line of defense is this whistle," I said as I placed it in the palm of her hand. "If the troll catches you, blow it as hard as you can, and I'll come running to try to rescue you."

"Okay," Valerie said as she stashed the whistle in her pocket.

"Secondly, I have two magical rings that have been passed down in my family for many generations. Though for you they'll probably be more like bracelets than rings. But they should still work just fine for you."

Valerie nodded as I placed the rings around her wrists.

"This one with the swirls is a Ring of Gaseous Form," I said, gesturing to the one on her right wrist. "It can only be used once per day, so use it wisely. But if it looks like I won't be able to make it to you in time, trace the swirls. It will turn you into a cloud for a few minutes so you have a chance to escape."

"And what's this other one?" Valerie asked.

"That one's been enchanted to take away pain. That way if worst comes to worst, and there's no way for you to survive, at least your death will be painless."

"Thank you," Valerie said, nodding again. She reached into her pocket. "I have something for you too."

I looked at her curiously as she pulled out a small metal pin, a howling wolf engraved onto the front of it.

"All of us kids in the village carry one of these," she said as she reached up to affix the pin to my shirt. "If you come across any of them, point to it and say the word 'packmates'. That way they'll know they can trust you."

"This is...I mean, wow. I don't think I've ever been given something this meaningful before. Thank you."

Valerie smiled at me. Then she took a deep breath, and her expression hardened. "Now let's go kill a troll."

(This next bit is from Valerie's point of view)

"I'm brave," I said, breathing in and out. "I can do this. Ogre Lady taught me some moves. I can outrun the troll. I can outsmart it. I can save my friends."

The trees around me rustled. Something was coming. The troll?

No. Just a deer. Like the one Ogre Lady caught yesterday. It was gonna be troll bait but when that failed she made it into a yummy stew. I could still taste the yumminess. Much better than what my parents fed me.

Ogre Lady told me her real name. But it's hard for me to say. Can't spell it either. So I just call her Ogre Lady. She doesn't seem to mind.

That boulder. Was that always in that spot? Just a little while ago it was further away, wasn't it?

I looked away for a second and then looked back. It was even closer now. Boulders didn't move like that.

I crept closer to the boulder-like thing, clutching a stick in my hands. I poked it uncertainly.

Then it moved. I started breathing heavily as it rose up above me. This wasn't a boulder. This was the troll. I clenched and unclenched my fists as it showed its face. Just like Ogre Lady said, it had long sharp teeth and long sharp claws. And it was much skinnier than Ogre Lady. I felt cold as it smiled, staring right at me.

"Yer a tasty-looking morsel, ain't ya?" The troll leaned in closer as it spoke. I could smell its stinky breath.

I backed away slowly, sweating and shaking.

"Don't run away now, little treat," it said as it stomped closer to me. "It'd be such a shame. You'll go nice with the other little morsels, you will."

"Others?" I swallowed. It couldn't have meant other kids, could it?

"Oh, yes," it said. "My brothers and I got a whole bunch of ya. We're fixin' up a big feast, we are. And you'll go real nice with 'em."

"D-did you say b-brothers? Like, there's m-more of you?"

"Sure are. Klag and Brog. And I'm Gort."

"H-how many of m-my kind do you have?"

"Eh, I dunno. Lost count when I ran outta fingers."

This was really bad. Luring it back to the cave wasn't a choice anymore. My friends could be in danger. They didn't have time. I had to get it to lead Ogre Lady to the others.

"I'll give ya a deal," Gort said as I backed into a tree. "Come with me, and I'll make sure it don't hurt too bad. Make me chase ya down, and I'll make ya squeal."

"B-before you eat me, c-could I show you something first?"

"You wanna show me somethin'?"

"Y-yeah," I said, pulling out the whistle from my pocket. "Th-this makes th-the sound of my f-favorite b-bird. If you d-don't m-mind, I j-just wanna hear it sing for me one m-more time. It'll m-make me f-feel better."

"Fine. You can blow it once. That's all."

"Th-thank you, Mister Gort, sir," I said. I took as deep of a breath as I could and blew the whistle as loud as I could. It sounded...nothing like a bird. But Gort didn't seem smart enough to tell.

"Now drop it and get in my bag."

Pushing back my fear, I dropped the whistle on the ground before getting into the stinky bag. I had to be brave. For my friends. I hoped Ogre Lady would be able to find us in time.

(Back to the ogre)

The whistle rang loudly through the air as I stoked the fire in my cave. I immediately grabbed my satchel and a torch and rushed into the darkness of the night towards the sound. This was exactly why I hated the idea of Valerie acting as bait. There was too much that could go wrong.

But it was too late to change that now. Valerie was in danger, and I had to act.

After several minutes of running, I came across the whistle I'd given her. She must've left that as a clue.

I searched the surroundings for more clues as to which direction the troll might have taken her. From the tracks on the ground, it didn't appear like there was any sort of a struggle. Had I done that bad of a job at preparing her for this encounter? Or had she simply not put up any sort of a fight? Why would she choose not to even try to run?

Valerie was smart, I thought. She wouldn't give up without a fight unless there was a very good reason. She must know something. Perhaps someone else she knew was in danger too. Perhaps there was more than one troll in the area. Whatever the reason, this was purposeful. She willingly went with the troll, banking on my ability to track them down.

Which proved to be more difficult than I thought. How were trolls so light on their feet? The tracks barely made an indentation in the ground. Maybe because trolls were so grotesquely skinny.

I wanted to just run after them as fast as I could, but that wouldn't be wise. I had to slow down enough to be able to see which direction they were headed. And trolls were evasive creatures. It wasn't uncommon for them to change directions seemingly at random to make it harder to track them down.

But the longer it took for me to catch up with them, the less her chances of survival. I hated this. I hated myself for letting her do this.

After about an hour of painstakingly following the tracks, they seemed to disappear. I examined the trees for any broken branches, but there were none. At least, none except for the ones I'd caused. I lost their trail. And that filled me with dread.

If only I wasn't so heavy. I could climb a tree to get a better view of the area. But the trees around here were too brittle for an ogre to climb.

Should I just pick a direction and hope for the best? It was better than just standing here, surely. But running around blindly was a terrible idea.

A small gasp interrupted my thoughts. I whipped my head around, and saw a terrified youngling human. Wearing my Ring of Gaseous Form. Had Valerie given it to him? She must have.

"Where d-did you get that?" he asked, pointing to my shirt.

"You mean this?" I gestured to the pin on my shirt.

"Y-yes," he said, clearly trying to sound as intimidating as possible. A failed attempt, but a valiant effort all the same.

"A friend of mine gave it to me," I said. "We're...packmates."

The youngling relaxed a little. Only a little.

"What was the name of your friend?"

"Valerie."

He nodded, relaxing a bit more.

"You must be the big beefy lady she told me to find. She says your name started with a K."

"Kazimiera," I said, nodding. "I understand my name's a bit difficult for you humans to pronounce. You can call me Kaz if you like."

"I'm Charlie," the youngling said.

"Did Valerie give that to you?" I gestured to my ring he was wearing on his wrist.

"Yes. She said since I was the fastest of us, I'd have the best chance of getting help."

"How many of you did they capture?"

"All of us kids in the village. And a few kids from neighboring villages as well."

"Do you remember which direction you came from?"

"Yeah. I can show you where they are."

"Hop on my shoulder," I said, kneeling down on the ground next to him.

"I still can't reach that high."

"Then here," I said, gently lifting him up and setting him on my shoulder. "You point me in the right direction, and hang on tight."

Following Charlie's instructions, I quickly arrived at the entrance of a tunnel, blocked by a huge stone slab.

"That's where they're hiding out," he said.

"Is it a maze of tunnels inside or is it pretty simple?"

"Pretty simple. The only tunnels besides the main one aren't nearly big enough for a troll to get through."

"Any traps I should be aware of?"

"None that could ensnare someone your size."

"Wait here, then," I said. "Stay hidden until I return."

Charlie nodded, crouching down in the bushes.

I hefted the stone slab away from the entrance of the tunnel before descending down into the darkness.

After a few minutes, I saw the light of a fire up ahead. No sense keeping this torch lit, I thought. Better to catch the troll by surprise and re-light the torch with their own fire when the time was right.

Listening in, I could hear the sound of screams alongside the sound of vicious laughter. Creeping closer, I saw a horrible sight.

Three trolls were gathered around a fire in the center of a cavern. Several youngling humans were roasting on a spit over the fire, with several more locked in cages suspended in the air. There must've been at least a couple dozen of them. Maybe more. Their screams of agony and terror pierced my very soul.

Pure fury coursed through me as I charged forward into one of the trolls.

The troll screamed as I tackled it face first into the fire.

"You found us!" Valerie's eyes lit up as she saw me. Her skin was scorched from the flames, and it seemed she'd given up her source of pain relief to another one of the younglings.

"Yer interruptin' our party!" another troll said as it grabbed a club.

"Party's over," I said through gritted teeth as the third troll bit deep into my shoulder. I lit my torch in the flames, then threw a bucket of water over the fire to douse it. "You wanna know what happens to those who play with fire? They get burned."

I let out a guttural war cry as I slammed my torch into the face of the troll with a club. It screamed as the fire seared its flesh.

"Behind you!" Valerie cried.

I whipped my head around to notice the other troll about to stab me in the back.

"Thanks!" I grabbed its arm and twisted until it let go of the knife. Then I seized its head and bashed it into the skull of the other.

Several more blows were traded; I received many lacerations from their teeth and claws. A few chunks of my flesh were torn off. But in the end, I prevailed, grinning through the pain as the final troll perished in the flames of my torch.

I grimaced as I used my torch to cauterize all of my major wounds.

"Please tell me there aren't any more of those barbarians," I said, scanning the area.

"No," Valerie said, coughing. "You killed them all."

"Was anyone eaten before I got here?"

"No. You got here in time to save everyone."

"Thank Gorlog for that," I said. "Let's get you all out of here. Then I can see what I can do about those burns."

"Did you run into Charlie?"

"I did. He's the reason I was able to find you so quickly. Otherwise I don't think I would've found you in time."

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine. I told him to hide by the entrance until I returned."

"Good."

"You have the makings for a great leader, you know," I said as I gently lifted Valerie into my arms.

"I do?"

"You do," I said with a gentle smile. "You gave away both of my gifts to your friends, rather than use it for your own benefit. Heck, from the tracks on the ground where you were taken, I'm guessing you found out about your friends being here, and chose to risk it all for the chance that I'd be able to save your friends too."

"How did you know?"

"There wasn't any sign of a struggle. You wouldn't have gone down without a fight had it not been for that. Every risk you've taken has been for the sake of protecting your friends. And that's the mark of a great leader."

"I just didn't want any of them to die."

"And they've all survived, because of you. You used both intelligence and bravery to give them the best chance possible, even though you knew your own chances were better if you ran the first chance you got. What I'm trying to say is, I'm proud of you."

Valerie smiled.