by Rinelle Grey
Kriss was comforted by his presence as they walked out into the centre of the camp together. Even if their romantic relationship was a farce, they worked well together as co-champions.
Jasyn stepped up in front of the crowd. “As you all know, our raid last night was a success. We have the gem that allows us to use magic within the human village,” he said.
He paused while people cheered and Kriss could see the strain in his smile. He held up his hand and the cheers died away. “We could, if we wished, use this gem to defeat the humans for good.”
There was silence now and every face looked serious.
“But, the last few months have shown us that the trolls are able to achieve much more when we’re not fighting. We’ve discovered that when we work together, we can do amazing things. The vegetable gardens we’ve built are producing enough food to sustain us. We no longer have to fight for our basic needs. That is a great start, but now it is time to find out what else can we do when we put our minds to it.”
Kriss felt goose bumps on her arms. Jasyn had a way of inspiring others with his words, even her.
The trolls looked at each other, surprise written on their faces.
“But… I thought we were going to get the humans to turn us back into humans.” A voice spoke up. “So we could live over the ridge with them.”
Jasyn nodded. “That was the plan,” he said slowly. “But when I was in the village I discovered more about how we ended up here in the first place. It seems the humans have a law requiring twins to marry the same person. It was this law that sparked the fighting between the two groups that led to us being cursed as trolls. And it appears that following this law is required to trade with the humans. There’s no point in us being human if we can’t trade with them anyway.”
Yass clutched her baby boys to her chest. “That’s crazy. What if they don’t want to?”
“This whole war started when one woman objected to marrying the man her sister chose,” Jasyn said seriously. “And still the humans couldn’t see that the law needed to be broken. They believed in this law enough to insist on it until both women ended up dead.”
“Then we want nothing to do with them,” Uma said stoutly, putting his arm around his wife.
“You’re seriously going to let the wishes of two babies get in the way of achieving your goal?” Mugos sneered.
Even though his pessimism wasn’t unusual, his response surprised Jasyn. “You didn’t want us to talk to the humans in the first place. Why are you upset now that we’ve deciding not to?”
“Your ideals are making the trolls weaker, whether it’s by trying to talk to the humans, or making decisions based on the needs of the minority. That’s what I object to. And I’ll continue to object to it. You need to grow some balls and start doing what needs to be done.”
“I am,” Jasyn said calmly. “There is no weakness in changing your plans when you gain new information. Just as there is no weakness in choosing to avoid an unnecessary fight. The trolls don’t need the humans. We’re doing quite well by ourselves.”
Jasyn looked out over the crowd and his eyes softened. “We thought there was no option other than stealing food from the humans, yet look at what we’ve achieved together. Not only can we grow our own food, but when we don’t have to fight for it, we can grow ourselves too.”
Mugos folded his arms and glared at Jasyn.
Kriss cleared her throat, and everyone turned towards her.
“I was as ready to fight as any of you,” she said. “But under all of my bravado, I really just wanted to feel safe. Jasyn has shown us that we can’t find safety by fighting, that there is a better alternative. And with his help, we’ll continue to find new alternatives together. We’ve spent so long struggling to survive that we don’t even know what else we want. I think we need to start discovering that.”
She could see the widening eyes and beginnings of smiles on troll faces as they considered that possibility.
Mugos had lost again and as the crowd began to discuss the possibilities, he slipped away behind the tents.
11
Attack
The dirt was soft and rich beneath Kriss’s knees and sweat trickled down between her breasts. Ignoring it, she pulled out several handfuls of crowded silver beet seedlings, and tossed them over the fence. The rabbits, who had been captured when they came to nibble on the garden, ate them hungrily. It was getting hard to keep up with their ravenous appetites again, it must be nearly time for another culling.
Her stomach rumbled at the thought of fresh rabbit stew.
She heard voices and laughter from the woods and sat back on her heels to see who it was, stretching her aching back.
Jasyn emerged from the trees, a deer slung over his shoulders. Beside him, Yella and Kais, Yass and Uma’s twin boys, chattered excitedly, waving their miniature sized bows. One of them carried a rabbit.
Looked like she’d have that stew tonight after all.
Jasyn wasn’t looking her way, so she let herself smile at the image the three of them presented. Jasyn seemed to feel extra protective of his twin nephews, perhaps because it helped give meaning to all they were working towards.
He would have made a wonderful father.
She felt a familiar pang of disappointment that their one night of passion hadn’t produced a child. They'd had two long years of peace and many trolls had begun to think they might be able to live and grow without fear. Even Bekinda had married a young mage and was expecting her first child.
Maybe it was time for Kriss to let go of the past and allow herself to plan for the future.
Standing up and brushing the dirt off her knees, she lifted her hand to wave to Jasyn when his head jerked up. He stared at the ridge, off in the distance, a frown on his face.
A sense of foreboding settled in Kriss’s stomach.
“You boys run along and take that rabbit home to your mother. She’ll show you how to skin it,” Jasyn urged.
The boys ran off laughing and Jasyn hurried down the path towards their tent.
Dropping her tools, Kriss ran to catch up with him.
“What is it?” she asked, breathless.
Jasyn turned to her, his expression grim. “I sensed magic.”
A shiver ran through her body and she rubbed her arms. Away from the warm garden, the evening summer air felt chilly. “But distant, right? Like you’ve sensed before?”
Even as she said the words, she knew that couldn’t be it. He was always nervous when he sensed magic far away, but this was different.
The shake of his head confirmed her fears. “No, it came from just over the ridge, not far from the human village.”
Kriss stopped walking and stared at him. “Do you think it’s the humans from the village, or the others?”
Jasyn shrugged helplessly. “I have no idea. There’s no way of knowing.”
A million other questions raced through her mind. Who was it? Why were they here? What were they doing?
And the biggest question of all. “Did we make a mistake? Should we have fought the humans while we had the chance, before they learned about magic?”
Jasyn shook his head, his movement definite. “We’ve spent the last two years happy and safe. That’s better than fighting.”
Panic rose in Kriss’s chest. “But we’re weak now. We haven’t had a real fight in years. And you yourself know that training doesn’t teach you the same way. If they attack us…”
Jasyn dropped the deer onto the ground and took her hands. “It’ll be all right, Kriss. Don’t imagine the worst. They may not be here for us. They could just be…” He trailed off.
He was just trying to comfort her. She could see that he had no more idea why the other mages would be here than she did.
If they came over the ridge looking for them…
She needed to do something. “We need to warn everyone. And start training in earnest.”
Jasyn’s hands tightened on hers, but he didn’t object. That scar
ed her even more.
His expression was twisted with guilt and fear. “I’m sorry, Kriss. I didn’t know this would happen. Perhaps the humans told the others that we had stopped raiding. I don’t know. What if they come looking for us, to see what happened?”
“Then we’ll meet them face to face,” Kriss said stoutly. “I’m not afraid of humans and neither are you. They can’t use their magic here either now, remember?”
Jasyn’s face brightened. “Right. And I can.”
Kriss nodded, the fear receding a little. “Those puny humans are no threat to us.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard those words.” Jasyn laughed.
Kriss felt invigorated. She’d missed this feeling. Peace and wellbeing were all well and good, but they didn't get your blood racing.
By the time they’d returned to the camp, some of her excitement had been replaced by the fear that even if they won a battle with the humans, they would lose trolls. And over the last two years, she’d gotten to know every single troll in the camp, warrior and Mage alike. She couldn’t imagine losing any of them.
Who would she send to battle the humans? Bekinda, with her newborn daughter? Or one of the other warriors who had thought they were safe starting a family?
By the time Jasyn had instructed Insy, the best cook in the camp, to prepare the deer for a feast, Kriss had come to a resolution. Once they were back in the privacy of their tent, she said, “The magic is over the ridge, right? On the other side of the human village. So far, they’re no threat to us.”
Jasyn nodded. “Right. I think we should wait. Be ready for an attack, but wait until one comes. Maybe it’s a coincidence. Maybe they’re not coming here.”
Kriss nodded. “There’s no need to scare everyone. This could come to nothing.”
“I hope so,” Jasyn said soberly.
“We need to keep our own magic use as low as we can,” Kriss said. “Because if we can detect their magic, they can probably detect ours.”
Jasyn shook his head. “I doubt it. The amount of magic we use in the gardens is miniscule. For it to be detected over that distance, it has to be quite significant.”
Her fears settled a little. “Good. Let’s keep it that way.”
As the evening wore on, and they ate venison and watched trolls dance around the fire, Kriss began to relax. There were no signs of humans coming through the pass and Jasyn didn’t detect any more magic. Maybe the humans were content to stay on their side. It’s not like there was anything here they could want.
She went to bed intending to pretend to sleep so that Jasyn would, but she must have nodded off, because she woke to the smell of cooking porridge. For a moment, she forgot the worry of the previous night, until Jasyn’s drawn face reminded her. He hadn’t slept as much as she had.
Accepting the bowl of porridge he handed her, she asked, “Any more magic?”
Jasyn shook his head and his expression relaxed a little. “Nothing. Maybe they’ve left again, after seeing all was quiet in the village?”
“Have you ever sensed them coming this close before?”
“No, never. They’ve always been a long way away, more than a day’s travel I’d guess. Never this close.”
There went the idea that this might be a normal occurrence, a regular checking of the village and the people there. “I wonder why they’ve come this far.”
Jasyn looked uncomfortable. “I wonder, do you think they might have detected that we have one of the gems?”
Kriss frowned. “We stole the gem two years ago, and it took them this long to get here? That doesn’t seem plausible.”
“Right.” Jasyn nodded. “Of course not. Well, hopefully it has nothing to do with us and they’ll go home again soon. Then we can all relax.”
“I hope so,” Kriss agreed. “But I think you should stay close to the camp today, just in case.”
“How about we do a spot training check together?”
Kriss nodded. “Good idea.”
They finished breakfast, then dressed in their armour and headed down to the training tent.
There was a hush as they walked in. The young adult trolls all straightened up from where they had been lounging on furs. Lassa, the troll Kriss had put in charge of training, came to greet them. “Good morning. We didn’t know you were coming.”
That much was obvious.
They’d grown weak. The lack of constant battles and raids had caused the trolls to relax. They weren't taking their warrior training seriously. It was Kriss’s own fault. How long had it been since she visited the training tent herself?
Too long. She’d been busy worrying about gardens and babies. Thank goodness she hadn't given in to her weak desires for a family. The trolls would be in a right mess then.
“A surprise inspection wouldn’t be a surprise if you knew to expect me,” she said sternly. “And it wouldn’t give me a chance to see how you conduct yourself when I’m not around.”
“And the answer is, not very well,” Jasyn added. “Warriors don’t lie around chatting. Why, if Kriss had trained me in this manner, do you think I would have been able to survive my first battle and steal the magical gem? Would any of you be able to do the same thing?”
Kriss grinned as she watched the young warriors straighten up and look indignant.
“I could beat you any day,” one of the older boys, Tras, boasted. “I heard that you weren’t a true warrior anyway, just a weakling who worked hard.”
“Working hard is more important than brute strength,” Jasyn said. “And I’m happy to prove it. Out in the practice yard, now.”
This would be interesting. It had been a long time since Jasyn’s one and only battle, but he still insisted Kriss train with him regularly, and he had continued to improve. Hunting and gardening helped keep him fit as well.
Tras jumped up. “Sure. Any time, old man.”
Kriss hid a laugh at the look of surprise on Jasyn’s face at being called an old man. He wasn’t that much older than the boy in question, but apparently being married and a champion aged him considerably, at least in Tras’s eyes.
“Anyone who can beat Jasyn can fight me,” Kriss promised.
Jasyn didn’t bother to hide his laugh. “Are you trying to imply that you’re a better fighter than I am, darling?”
Even though she was used to the endearment in public, it never failed to make her stomach feel all gooey. Not the best feeling when she was preparing for a fight. “I’ll give you a chance to disprove that after we’ve sorted out these young’uns,” she promised. “Just to show them what a proper fight looks like.”
Jasyn grinned. “You’re on.” He motioned to Tras. “Let’s get this done, I need to settle a score with my wife.”
The young troll looked from Jasyn to Kriss, then followed Jasyn out to the practice yard. He raised his sword and took up a fighting stance. At least he had some idea what he was doing.
Kriss leaned on the wooden fence, watching as Jasyn signalled to Tras.
The young troll rushed in, swinging his sword with a strong arm.
Jasyn blocked him easily. What he lacked in strength he made up for in skill. “Not a bad opening,” he said, as he pushed Tras’s sword back.
The comment only seemed to make the young troll angry. Perhaps that had been Jasyn’s intention.
Tras grunted in reply and ran at Jasyn again.
This time, Jasyn sidestepped and Tras ran straight past him. Jasyn gave him a thump on the back with the flat of his sword as he went past. “Take your time, don’t rush into things. In a real fight, rushing only gets you killed.”
She shouldn’t have doubted him. When Jasyn decided to do something, he did it properly and he’d spent a lot of time practicing. He may not be able to beat her in a fight, but he was far above these amateur warriors.
Tras turned and glared at Jasyn. “What do you know of a real fight? You’ve only ever been in one. You’re not a real warrior.”
Kriss winced. Though
he spoke the truth to an extent, it wasn’t the sort of comment to make to a champion.
And it led her to consider the young troll with new eyes. Was he considering challenging Jasyn? She hadn’t even given much thought to possible challenges in the last couple of years. A miscalculation on her part. She’d grown far too lax and casual.
She watched the fight with more care.
Jasyn didn’t respond to the young troll’s comments, but his stance changed minutely. This time, when Tras rushed him, Jasyn ducked to the left of his swing and brought the sword down on the Tras’s sword arm, cutting just through the leather armour and into his skin.
Tras swore and dropped his sword. He stared at Jasyn for a moment, eyes wide.
“It’s never a good plan to underestimate your opponent,” Jasyn said quietly. He held out his hand to Tras and after a moment the young warrior took it. Jasyn shook his hand firmly. “You have courage though and that is an important attribute in a warrior. You just need to temper your overconfidence.”
Kriss waited, holding her breath, wondering if the words would upset Tras, but he just nodded.
“I’ll try,” he said.
“Anyone else want to try?” Jasyn asked.
The warriors looked at each other and shook their heads. “We’re not ready to fight the champion,” one young woman spoke up. “We need to train more first.”
Jasyn nodded solemnly to her, then turned to Kriss, a twinkle in his eye. “Well then, my wife, are you ready?”
“Sure.” Kriss vaulted the fence, then pulled out her sword.
She and Jasyn faced off against each other and the rest of the training yard faded into the background. All Kriss’s attention was on Jasyn. She watched his every move, looking for the twitch that signalled that he was about to attack.
He did the same. They’d played this game long enough that he knew what she was waiting for. So she moved first, darting in and swinging her sword at his left arm. To her surprise, he didn’t even try to block and she had to pull back more quickly than she had intended, to avoid wounding him.
Jasyn jerked back, but his eyes weren’t on her. They were turned towards the ridge.