stable,” Thurid said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
Looking over his shoulder, Leifr saw several dark shapes
skulking along the tops of the walls. As he approached the barn, he
noticed that the door stood open a foot or so, but he had no time to
think about such an irregularity. A barrage of rocks pelted them from
the direction of the sheep paddock, dealing Leifr several breath-taking
blows before he dived into the warm darkness of the stable.
Outside, Thurid lit his staff with a spout of brilliant light and
raked the surrounding shadows. A sharp explosion suddenly shattered
the evening quiet, and Thurid chortled, “I got you, scumbag! Try
throwing rocks at me again, will you!”
Leifr rolled to his feet on the straw-littered floor and went to
soothe the cows, who were bawling and kicking at their stalls in a
panic. As he passed one of the empty stalls, half a dozen dark forms
catapulted out at him, claws and long, sharp teeth reaching for him.
Leifr’s sword cleared its sheath to meet their savage charge. His first
stroke felled their leader in midair as the troll leaped for Leifr’s throat
like a wolf. The others hastily backed off, blinking and squinting in
the indirect light, their wizened faces a curious combination of
animal and human, with short, snouty noses and tufts of matted fur
around their faces like scraggly beards. Their eyes gleamed with a
cunning knowing expression that Leifr found repulsive and evil.
Brandishing his sword and wishing Thurid would stop his useless
flaring outside, Leifr took a step forward. The trolls shrank back with a
ferocious hissing, spitting and growling.
“You’d better run, you filthy little cowards,” Leifr snarled, “or
I’ll make you into rat bait for our traps.”
The trolls laid back their ears and growled louder, cringing
together in a knot of utter defiance.
“Thurid!” Leifr called hopefully. His only reply was another
blast from outside and a triumphant chuckle.
The trolls crouched, their ratty tails twitching.
“Thurid!” Leifr called insistently, taking a step backward,
which seemed to encourage the trolls greatly.
Grinning, they sidled closer with a scuttling of long claws which
turned into a rush. Eyes glaring with malevolence, they sprang at
him with roars and gibbers.
Leifr shouted, “Thurid!” and flung himself backward.
Suddenly a white wash of light swept into the barn, showing him
the wave of trolls rising around him, almost frozen in midair by the
glare. Their expressions changed from wicked glee to wild terror. Then
the stable shook with thunderous explosions. An unseen force knocked
Leifr off his feet and propelled him into the midst of a tangle of kicking,
threshing trolls, who seemed to be pelting him with a hail of rocks.
“It’s all right now, they’re done for,” Thurid said, playing his
light around the barn. The light blazed from the end of his staff in a
radiant beam almost too brilliant to look at. With his toe, he
disdainfully nudged a heap of rocks aside into the barn gutter. Barely
able to keep his expression neutral, he turned to glance at Leifr.
Too stunned to be properly appreciative of Thurid’s technique,
Leifr goggled at the heaps of rocks that had been trolls only moments
before.
Thurid’s voice trembled with excitement or rapture. “Did you
ever see such a burst of alf-light? I don’t quite believe it myself. It was
nothing like anything I’d ever imagined doing . before. Confound it,
Fridmarr, perhaps you’re right. I could learn to enjoy using powers like
this.“
Leifr took some deep breaths to steady himself. “Thurid, you
amaze me. You saved my life with your magic. I’ll always be grateful to
you.” He extended his hand, and, after an astonished moment, Thurid
clasped it warmly.
“Fridmarr, there are moments when you amaze me ,” he said
solemnly. “I never thought you’d learn the meaning of gratitude. I feel
as if you’re almost a
Looking over his shoulder, Leifr saw several dark shapes
skulking along the tops of the walls. As he approached the barn, he
noticed that the door stood open a foot or so, but he had no time to
think about such an irregularity. A barrage of rocks pelted them from
the direction of the sheep paddock, dealing Leifr several breath-taking
blows before he dived into the warm darkness of the stable.
Outside, Thurid lit his staff with a spout of brilliant light and
raked the surrounding shadows. A sharp explosion suddenly shattered
the evening quiet, and Thurid chortled, “I got you, scumbag! Try
throwing rocks at me again, will you!”
Leifr rolled to his feet on the straw-littered floor and went to
soothe the cows, who were bawling and kicking at their stalls in a
panic. As he passed one of the empty stalls, half a dozen dark forms
catapulted out at him, claws and long, sharp teeth reaching for him.
Leifr’s sword cleared its sheath to meet their savage charge. His first
stroke felled their leader in midair as the troll leaped for Leifr’s throat
like a wolf. The others hastily backed off, blinking and squinting in
the indirect light, their wizened faces a curious combination of
animal and human, with short, snouty noses and tufts of matted fur
around their faces like scraggly beards. Their eyes gleamed with a
cunning knowing expression that Leifr found repulsive and evil.
Brandishing his sword and wishing Thurid would stop his useless
flaring outside, Leifr took a step forward. The trolls shrank back with a
ferocious hissing, spitting and growling.
“You’d better run, you filthy little cowards,” Leifr snarled, “or
I’ll make you into rat bait for our traps.”
The trolls laid back their ears and growled louder, cringing
together in a knot of utter defiance.
“Thurid!” Leifr called hopefully. His only reply was another
blast from outside and a triumphant chuckle.
The trolls crouched, their ratty tails twitching.
“Thurid!” Leifr called insistently, taking a step backward,
which seemed to encourage the trolls greatly.
Grinning, they sidled closer with a scuttling of long claws which
turned into a rush. Eyes glaring with malevolence, they sprang at
him with roars and gibbers.
Leifr shouted, “Thurid!” and flung himself backward.
Suddenly a white wash of light swept into the barn, showing him
the wave of trolls rising around him, almost frozen in midair by the
glare. Their expressions changed from wicked glee to wild terror. Then
the stable shook with thunderous explosions. An unseen force knocked
Leifr off his feet and propelled him into the midst of a tangle of kicking,
threshing trolls, who seemed to be pelting him with a hail of rocks.
“It’s all right now, they’re done for,” Thurid said, playing his
light around the barn. The light blazed from the end of his staff in a
radiant beam almost too brilliant to look at. With his toe, he
disdainfully nudged a heap of rocks aside into the barn gutter. Barely
able to keep his expression neutral, he turned to glance at Leifr.
Too stunned to be properly appreciative of Thurid’s technique,
Leifr goggled at the heaps of rocks that had been trolls only moments
before.
Thurid’s voice trembled with excitement or rapture. “Did you
ever see such a burst of alf-light? I don’t quite believe it myself. It was
nothing like anything I’d ever imagined doing . before. Confound it,
Fridmarr, perhaps you’re right. I could learn to enjoy using powers like
this.“
Leifr took some deep breaths to steady himself. “Thurid, you
amaze me. You saved my life with your magic. I’ll always be grateful to
you.” He extended his hand, and, after an astonished moment, Thurid
clasped it warmly.
“Fridmarr, there are moments when you amaze me ,” he said
solemnly. “I never thought you’d learn the meaning of gratitude. I feel
as if you’re almost a
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