Troll Brother
Page 65
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With everyone safe on the ground, Kile, released his hold on the scruff at Scrimps neck and slid down his back to land on the ground. Waving his hand at the group the little troll said, “Long time, no see!”
If ever Kile understood the nuance of human sarcasm, that was the one time for certain. Robert and Marissa laughed and huffed at the same time, nearly at tears from the intensity of their adventure and from the relief at seeing their friend again. Junior and Sara also smiled, Sara covering her mouth slightly to hide her own relief from showing too much. Little Ricky just stared, open mouthed.
“Man, am I glad to see you Kile!” Robert said and gave the little troll a great hug, lifting him from the ground, heavy though he was.
“We saw them start the hunt!” Kile explained. “They didn’t care at all about the cave entrance. You’re plan worked great, Mr. Johansson! But when they caught your smell they headed straight for you.”
“Told you,” Marissa breathed heavily but smiled all the same.
“Yes! They were on a kill hunt. They mean to destroy all of you!”
Then that giant, tree-ripping crash and a terrible, deep howl resounded from across the airfield. All turned and looked.
“Oh…and they have a Bridge Troll with them,” Kile finished casually.
Dronosh and Scrimp looked at each other wide-eyed and then returned to watching the field. Sure enough, something massive stomped slowly up to the tree line and then parted six or seven of the Aspens like twigs.
Its head had to have been at least twenty feet above the ground. It stood up practically in the canopy, the tallest of the Aspens only being thirty feet tall or so. It’s shoulders seemed nearly twice as wide as Dronosh’s and it’s arms were like great redwood trees, finished with a very powerful looking pair of palms like the root clump to one of the great towering trees themselves. The skin was dark forest green, teeth large enough to be seen a couple hundred yards reflecting yellow in the late afternoon sunlight. Its eyes were too small and too beady to be seen. Giant horns started above its very sloped forehead and swooped back over the scalp towards its back.
Rick asked under his breath, alarmed, “What on Earth is that thing?”
“That…” said Kile in a monotone, “Is a Bridge Troll.”
“HOLY CRAP!” Little Ricky blurted out uncontrollably.
Kile turned to Robert and Daniel who had joined his friend at his side. “I told you about them, didn’t I? Now do you believe me?”
Across the field the grotesque Bridge Troll raised its massive arms and flexed them, bending forward and howling in an incredibly piercing yet low-pitched ferocious belch.
Rick took up position behind a boulder and checked the safety on his rifle.
“What do we do now?” he asked.
When no one else responded, he looked at the larger troll beside him. Dronosh just shrugged and raised his hands palm up shaking his head. He looked to his comrade. Rick turned his head just in time to see Scrimp also shrug and turn back to watch the field.
“Great.”
“Now might be a good time for humans to bring very big guns,” Kile said from behind his bush nodding his head.
Rick just shook his.