unmarred as far as I could see.
That was really too bad.
He came straight for me.
I dropped my scarf and twisted around, bringing both of my hands up to pound on the bark. “Please, grum tree, open up! The nice troll said to ask you. He gave me permission! I don’t want to die here. Please open up!”
“You will not leave. You will dieeee ,” Bragnon hissed from right behind me.
There was a loud roar of anger.
I glanced around as Bragnon did the same. Junnal had changed directions and was now making his way toward us.
“Giant, you will not get away from me!” Verdandi shrieked. “Die, die, die !”
The big guy just kept coming.
Bragnon turned back to me, his wide mouth curling up in a sinful smile laced with horrible, painful intent. “I will kill you firsssst . The giant cannot harm meeee .”
He sprang.
Before any concrete thought hit my brain, I swung Gram in front of me. But Bragnon’s wicked fingers grabbed on to my arm, forcing the knife down.
“Grum. Grum,” Junnal wailed impatiently, his voice barely above a whisper, but still echoing like a drum around the room.
Bragnon twisted my arm painfully, and I cried out.
“What is wrong with you? Why won’t you die?” Verdandi squealed as she marched up to the injured troll and kicked him. Junnal was almost to Bragnon and me.
It was going to be one big party at the tree.
“Verdandi?” A breathy female voice rang out from the hallway. “What’s happening? Urd has rushed us home. She said you were in danger!”
“I know she’s in danger, you harpy. I just saw it,” another voice added. “The bastard child is here, and Verdi’s been felled by a troll.” They were almost through the doorway.
My grip began to fail. Bragnon was going to make me drop the dagger, and then he was going to kill me. He knew it and snickered with glee.
I pulled back at the last moment, using the tree as leverage, yanking my arm up. At the same time, Junnal grabbed on to Bragnon and pulled. The beastie’s legs went out from under him, but he held on to my wrist in a death clamp that rivaled Hercules.
“Why won’t you die, imbecile?” Verdandi screamed. “You are not immune to my magic!” It was lucky Junnal was big and sat between me and the hag. I knew without hesitation that Verdandi’s attention would transfer to me once she spotted me, and she would rip out my throat with her wicked fingernails.
“Well, this is quite a scene,” a breathtakingly beautiful woman said from inside the doorway. “Verdi, how come you didn’t invite us?” Her hair looked like spun gold. It was amassed in a halo towering around her head, flowing over her shoulders and tumbling down her chest. Her features were as precise and perfect as Verdandi’s were ancient and horrid.
It was hard to believe they were actual sisters.
Right behind her, another figure stepped into view. She was tall, plain, and remarkably thin, with long, greasy black hair. She wore an actual black pointy hat. “I told you, Skuld, and I’m never wrong. You should know that by now.”
“Well, what I’m seeing, Urd, is that this girl will be gone in just a few minutes. Only, I can’t quite see where she’s going.” Skuld, the woman with the Rapunzel hair, cocked her head and studied me. “That’s odd.”
“This little bastard isn’t going anywhere !” Verdandi seethed between a very clenched jaw. “Help me kill this troll, and then we’ll kill the girl together. And then the stain of her existence will be wiped out for all of time.”
Bragnon’s tenacity as he held on to my wrist showed no bounds. He was fighting Junnal’s tug with gusto, kicking his short legs and arching his body. The giant couldn’t get him off. If Junnal tugged any harder, it would take my arm off.
Junnal gave out a loud bellow, his voice ripping through the room.
“The giant is resisting my magic,” Verdandi yelled in frustration. “It is impossible for any troll to withstand our power!”
Junnal
That was really too bad.
He came straight for me.
I dropped my scarf and twisted around, bringing both of my hands up to pound on the bark. “Please, grum tree, open up! The nice troll said to ask you. He gave me permission! I don’t want to die here. Please open up!”
“You will not leave. You will dieeee ,” Bragnon hissed from right behind me.
There was a loud roar of anger.
I glanced around as Bragnon did the same. Junnal had changed directions and was now making his way toward us.
“Giant, you will not get away from me!” Verdandi shrieked. “Die, die, die !”
The big guy just kept coming.
Bragnon turned back to me, his wide mouth curling up in a sinful smile laced with horrible, painful intent. “I will kill you firsssst . The giant cannot harm meeee .”
He sprang.
Before any concrete thought hit my brain, I swung Gram in front of me. But Bragnon’s wicked fingers grabbed on to my arm, forcing the knife down.
“Grum. Grum,” Junnal wailed impatiently, his voice barely above a whisper, but still echoing like a drum around the room.
Bragnon twisted my arm painfully, and I cried out.
“What is wrong with you? Why won’t you die?” Verdandi squealed as she marched up to the injured troll and kicked him. Junnal was almost to Bragnon and me.
It was going to be one big party at the tree.
“Verdandi?” A breathy female voice rang out from the hallway. “What’s happening? Urd has rushed us home. She said you were in danger!”
“I know she’s in danger, you harpy. I just saw it,” another voice added. “The bastard child is here, and Verdi’s been felled by a troll.” They were almost through the doorway.
My grip began to fail. Bragnon was going to make me drop the dagger, and then he was going to kill me. He knew it and snickered with glee.
I pulled back at the last moment, using the tree as leverage, yanking my arm up. At the same time, Junnal grabbed on to Bragnon and pulled. The beastie’s legs went out from under him, but he held on to my wrist in a death clamp that rivaled Hercules.
“Why won’t you die, imbecile?” Verdandi screamed. “You are not immune to my magic!” It was lucky Junnal was big and sat between me and the hag. I knew without hesitation that Verdandi’s attention would transfer to me once she spotted me, and she would rip out my throat with her wicked fingernails.
“Well, this is quite a scene,” a breathtakingly beautiful woman said from inside the doorway. “Verdi, how come you didn’t invite us?” Her hair looked like spun gold. It was amassed in a halo towering around her head, flowing over her shoulders and tumbling down her chest. Her features were as precise and perfect as Verdandi’s were ancient and horrid.
It was hard to believe they were actual sisters.
Right behind her, another figure stepped into view. She was tall, plain, and remarkably thin, with long, greasy black hair. She wore an actual black pointy hat. “I told you, Skuld, and I’m never wrong. You should know that by now.”
“Well, what I’m seeing, Urd, is that this girl will be gone in just a few minutes. Only, I can’t quite see where she’s going.” Skuld, the woman with the Rapunzel hair, cocked her head and studied me. “That’s odd.”
“This little bastard isn’t going anywhere !” Verdandi seethed between a very clenched jaw. “Help me kill this troll, and then we’ll kill the girl together. And then the stain of her existence will be wiped out for all of time.”
Bragnon’s tenacity as he held on to my wrist showed no bounds. He was fighting Junnal’s tug with gusto, kicking his short legs and arching his body. The giant couldn’t get him off. If Junnal tugged any harder, it would take my arm off.
Junnal gave out a loud bellow, his voice ripping through the room.
“The giant is resisting my magic,” Verdandi yelled in frustration. “It is impossible for any troll to withstand our power!”
Junnal
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