Troll Mountain: The Complete Novel

Chapter 8

Raf, Ko, and Düm were sitting around the remains of the fire. It was very late. The forest was dark and still. Raf stared at the huge troll with wary fascination. Düm looked big and powerful but quiet, not enraged and wild like the troll that had killed his parents.

“Why were those trolls chasing you?” Raf asked.

“Düm refuse challenge, so they chase Düm,” the troll said. “Try to kill Düm.”

“You refused a challenge?” Raf asked.

Ko explained. “Troll society is a highly ritualized warrior culture. Arguments are often settled by challenging another troll to combat on the Fighting Platform. One cannot refuse such a challenge and combat is a fight to the death.”

Düm nodded sadly. “Düm only wanted to help Düm’s friend Graia.”

“What happened?” Raf asked.

“Düm’s friend Graia is she-troll. Graia beautiful. Graia always nice to Düm, even though Graia she-troll of high birth and Düm just a dragger.”

“A dragger?” Raf glanced at Ko.

“Draggers are the laborers of the troll world,” Ko explained. “All day long they drag heavy stone sleds packed with supplies up the side of Troll Mountain.” He lowered his voice to a whisper: “Draggers are not as bright as the ruling trolls, as you can see from this one’s speech.”

Düm went on. “Yesterday, Düm see Graia crying and ask what wrong. Graia say she betrothed to Troll Prince Turv. Troll Prince Turv is son of Troll King. Very strong troll. Very powerful troll. But Graia no like Troll Prince Turv. She say Turv mean troll and she no want to be betrothed to Turv.

“Since Graia nice she-troll and friend to Düm, Düm seek audience with Troll Prince Turv. Düm tell Turv it make Graia unhappy to be betrothed to Turv and that maybe Turv find other she-troll to marry.”

Düm sighed sadly.

“Turv get very angry with Düm. Turv challenge Düm to combat on Fighting Platform. But Düm not a warrior, Düm only a simple dragger. Düm know that Turv will certainly kill Düm in fight.”

The big troll bowed his head in shame.

“So Düm flee from Troll Mountain and hide in Badlands. Turv send his warrior friends to beat and kill Düm. Warriors track Düm into forest. Lucky for Düm, they plenty drunk and so make much noise. But then Düm reach muddy river here and fall in. Düm surely die in mud if not for Raf throwing rope. That why Düm here.”

Raf looked at him closely. “The troll prince sent his friends to kill you because you tried to persuade him not to marry a girl?”

Düm nodded.

Ko said, “As I was saying to you before, because of the size of their brains, trolls are very black and white in their perception of things. They do not see nuance. Even the smallest slight is taken very seriously by a troll. And when one troll challenges another, the challenge must be accepted. By fleeing from a formal challenge, our new friend here broke a very serious social taboo. He probably cannot go back now.”

Düm nodded. “That right. But Düm very thankful to Raf for saving Düm’s life. If Düm can help Raf in any way, please allow Düm.”

Raf looked from the troll to the Black Mountains, dark shadows against the night-time sky.

Düm followed his gaze and then turned to Raf, as if he had just realized something. “What bring Raf so deep into Badlands forest?”

Raf turned back to face him. “I’m on my way to Troll Mountain, Düm. I’m going there to steal the Elixir.”

Düm’s face went pale. “Wh … what?”

“My sister is dying of the disease and the trolls won’t release the cure. I have no choice but to go and take it.”

Düm shook his head. “Master Raf. Please. Düm wish he could help, but after another human chief sent thieves to Troll Mountain to steal Elixir, Troll King doubled guards on all watchtowers leading there. None can approach Troll Mountain now without being seen, not unless …”

Raf’s eyes narrowed. “Unless what?”

“Not unless one go through old hobgoblin kingdom,” Düm said. “Hobgoblins take over old cave system inside mountain east of Troll Mountain. Called Forbidden Mountain. Hobgoblins crafty, shrewd. And can see in dark. Fill tunnels of Forbidden Mountain with booby traps that trolls cannot pass. But now it claimed that hobgoblin kingdom deserted.”

“If it’s deserted then we should be able to pass through it unhindered,” Raf said.

“Traps still there,” Düm said, “and traps still work. Mountain called Forbidden Mountain because trolls forbidden to go there. No troll who go into hobgoblin kingdom ever return.”

“And in my experience,” Ko said ominously, “no former kingdom is ever truly deserted. Something always moves in to fill the void.”

Raf bit his lip in thought.

Then he said, “If it’s the only way, it’s the only way. Düm, you said you wanted to help me. Well, now you can. If you take me through the realm of the hobgoblins and within sight of Troll Mountain, I will consider your debt paid.”

With a worried look, the big troll nodded.