by Becky Biggs
“Now I can see what it’s like to look down on a princess,” Maple joked. Emerald shot her a look, but the two of them froze as they heard the sound of voices too close for comfort.
“Quick,” Emerald hissed, throwing her friend up on her shoulders and handing Maple the small pack of food and her shoes. She rolled up her pant legs and stepped into the chilly water. While it had been refreshing to drink the night before, it was so cold this morning that it almost took her breath away. Emerald took a deep breath and quickly began wading up the creek in the waist-deep water.
The voices of the royal guard grew louder and closer. Emerald could hear the tracking hounds barking loudly. They must be picking up their scent. Emerald began moving faster, her feet slipping over the slippery stones and rocks. She tripped and nearly fell as she painfully stubbed her toe on a large rock.
“Ow,” she groaned. Maple gripped her head tightly as she swayed. “Sorry. Didn’t see that rock.”
“Um, Emerald?” Maple sounded strange.
“Yes, are you okay?” Emerald asked, still moving as fast as she could.
“We have company.”
Emerald swung her head around and Maple gasped as she tightened her grip so she wouldn’t fall. One of the castle hunting dogs stared at her. There weren’t any guards around him, but Emerald knew they couldn’t be far away.
“Shh, good boy,” she cooed soothingly, holding out her hand in a peace offering. The dog wasn’t fooled. It began barking wildly and Emerald heard one of the guards shout,
“Over here! He’s found something.”
“We’ve got to run,” Emerald said in a hushed but urgent voice to Maple. She jumped out of the creek, swung her friend down, and grabbed the pack. They darted into the woods and began running, keeping the creek to their right-hand side. Fortunately, wood imps were very fast for their size, so Maple easily kept up with Emerald.
They could hear splashing and crashing from behind them as the dogs and their handlers crossed the creek and began tracking them through the woods. Emerald’s heart was pounding. They couldn’t get caught now. She put on an extra burst of speed and suddenly she and Maple burst through the trees into a large clearing. At the edge of it was a beautiful waterfall cascading over a tall cliff. The water fell about a hundred feet into a pool of shimmering blue water that narrowed at one end and emptied into the stream that Emerald and Maple had been following. It was absolutely breathtaking. It also posed a problem. The stone was urging them to keep going straight, but the cliff expanded far on either side of the pond, blocking their way forward.
Meanwhile, the sounds of baying dogs and shouting men drew closer behind them. Emerald could practically feel the hounds’ hot, foamy breath on her ankles. She knew that if they didn’t find an escape route fast, they would be ensnared. At any second, the blood-hungry hunting pack would burst through the woods into the same clearing. She knew the guards wouldn’t let the dogs hurt her, but she wasn’t so confident about how they would treat Maple. She desperately looked around for any escape. There was nothing. She could feel her heart sinking with each second.
“What are we going to do?” Maple whispered, staring at Emerald in fright. Emerald shook her head, not knowing what to say. They were trapped.
Chapter Twelve
WORKING IN A TROLL GANG
“We have to climb.” Emerald eyed the sheer rock face. She was doubtful even as she said it. There was nothing to hold on to. It looked impossible.
“Maybe there’s another way,” Maple suggested, scampering off toward the waterfall. Emerald also crossed the clearing and began frantically searching the side of the cliff for anywhere they could get a foothold to climb.
“Emerald, come here!” Maple called. Emerald looked around but couldn’t see her friend anywhere.
“Up here!” Emerald looked up. Through the mist at the side of the waterfall, she could barely see Maple. It looked like she had scaled a few rocks to a ledge hidden behind the cascading water and protected from the powerful flow by a part of the cliff that jutted out above it, directing the water away from the ledge. The waterfall itself hid the ledge from the front and the mist took care of the sides, so you had to look closely to notice it was even there.
With a quick glance behind her, Emerald darted over to the waterfall and carefully scaled the slippery rocks. The mist and draft from the waterfall made damp tendrils stick to her face, forcing her to keep pushing them out of her eyes. Each time she brushed hair away, she felt herself waver a little on the moist stone, the action throwing her a bit off balance. She quickly steadied herself, though, and determinedly made it to the top. Emerald plopped down next to Maple, panting, after she pulled herself over the ledge.
“I think this is a tunnel!” Maple gestured into the darkness behind them. Emerald peered into the dimness of the hollowed-out space behind the waterfall. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust, but she could just make out a small speck of light coming from deep within the cavern.
“Well, I don’t think we have much choice,” Emerald said.
“And maybe the guards won’t find the tunnel. I could barely see you up here.”
Together, Emerald and Maple plunged into the darkness. Not thinking about whether she’d actually be able to see the arrow on it, Emerald took the stone out of her pouch and held it up. To her surprise, it began to glow and cast a warm light on the stone walls and floor around them.
The darkness closed around them as they drew deeper into the cave, making Emerald very thankful for the bubble of light cast by her little stone. After walking for a few minutes and hearing no sounds behind them, Emerald and Maple decided to take a short break. They were exhausted from their sprint.
“Do you think we could have a bite of cheese?” Maple asked hopefully. Emerald laughed and began digging through the satchel in search of their remaining provisions when suddenly they heard voices. She froze. Maple sprang up, grabbing the stone from Emerald’s hand and hiding it in her cloak.
“Shhhh,” she breathed, pulling Emerald down behind a boulder on the tunnel floor until they could determine if the voices came from friend or foe. Whoever was approaching was speaking in a thick accent that Emerald didn’t recognize.
“Trolls,” Maple whispered. “They’re very feisty. I’ve met a couple of nice ones, but I’ve also met plenty who wouldn’t think twice about biting off your head.”
Emerald swallowed nervously and rubbed her neck.
The shadows around the two friends shifted as the light from torches the trolls were carrying spilled over their rock. The voices suddenly stopped and Emerald could hear at least one of the trolls sniffing the air.
“Who goes there?” a deep, gritty voice called out authoritatively. Emerald and Maple looked at each other. Maple was shaking in fear.
“We know yer there. Ya might as well come out or we’ll have tuh drag ya out!” another grumbly voice added.
Emerald groaned internally that she hadn’t thought to bring her sword. What kind of hero heads out on a dangerous adventure without some kind of protection? There’s always diplomacy, she thought to herself. It wasn’t exactly her strength, but maybe she could just talk with them. She’d tell the trolls that she and Maple meant no harm and that they just wanted to get on their way. She hoped these were the friendly sort of trolls.
“It’ll be okay,” Emerald whispered to her friend and tried to give her the most reassuring look she could. She tucked the guiding stone back into its pouch and hid it under her shirt. Before Maple could respond, she stood up and stepped out from behind the rock. Emerald motioned for Maple to stay hidden. “Hello, um, greetings, sirs and madams,” she said, though she wasn’t sure if there were actually female trolls in the group. They all looked the same to Emerald. They were a bit shorter than her and had bumpy green skin, unruly brown hair, and bulbous noses. “I am Princess Emerald of Medina. I mean no harm. I would just like to pass through this tunnel.”
“A princess? Here?” The largest of the trolls,
who Emerald assumed was the leader, croaked as it approached the princess.
“What brings ya so far from home, little princess?”
“Yeah, and without nobody tuh protect ya,” A different troll eyed Emerald hungrily. Perhaps these weren’t the friendly sort of trolls.
“I’m going to see my godmother,” Emerald responded as calmly as she could. She held her sweaty palms tight to her legs so the trolls wouldn’t see them shaking.
“Well your visit is gonna have tuh wait just a little longer then, princess,” the troll leader chortled, smacking its lips as it grabbed Emerald’s wrist. “First ye gotta pay the toll.”
The troll gang started laughing at this.
“A toll,” chortled one of the trolls who was shorter and fatter than the rest. “Like we’re bridge trolls. Can ye imagine?”
The troll leader shot the fat troll a dirty look and it quickly sobered up.
“What sort of toll?” Emerald asked nervously. “I don’t have any money with me . . .”
“No money, eh? Guess ye’ll just have to work it off, then,” the troll leader chortled as it forced Emerald’s arms behind her and began binding the princess’s wrists. Maple caught her eye and made a movement as if to stand, but Emerald shook her head as inconspicuously as she could. The troll leader caught her movement.
“Something wrong, Princess?”
“No, I, uh. Itch on my neck.”
“And such a pretty neck it is,” the troll said, touching it with a rough, wrinkled hand.
“Hey Mavis,” called one of the other trolls. So the troll leader was female, marveled Emerald.
“Whadda ya want, Ernie?” Mavis snapped. “Can’t ya see I’m busy?”
“Well, we was just wonderin’ what ye thought went better with princess—potatoes or boiled turnips?” Ernie asked with a horrible grin. Emerald felt herself go pale.
“I don’t know, Ernie,” Mavis responded. “What do you think goes better with annoying troll?”
“Ohhhhhhh,” a chorus of troll voices responded and Ernie turned a darker shade of green. Mavis pushed Emerald forward and the trolls parted to let the two of them through.
“You aren’t going to eat me?” Emerald asked timidly. Mavis snorted.
“What sort of savages do ya take us for?” she responded.
“That’s the very stereotype that forces us to live in caves like this.”
“Oh, sorry,” Emerald murmured sheepishly. Mavis grunted and continued to push Emerald forward. The troll’s torch cast a dim light over the tunnel floor in front of Emerald, but she still stumbled a few times over unseen rocks and uneven parts of the path. They turned off the path leading to the other side of the cave and began making their way down a long dark passageway, walking for what seemed like hours. There didn’t appear to be any light at the end of this tunnel. In fact, the change in air pressure and cooler temperatures made Emerald think they were going deep underground.
As she walked, Emerald could hear the rest of the troll gang behind her chatting and joking with one another. She began to wonder about Maple. Hopefully she was safe.
“What are you going to do with me?” Emerald asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.
“Why, yer gonna dig,” Mavis responded as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Dig?” Emerald exclaimed, surprised.
“What, ya got dirt in yer ears?” Mavis quipped. “Yes, dig. Them nymphs in Eseland can’t get enough tallyweed. Only grows in caves, ya know.”
“Oh,” Emerald said. “What’s tallyweed?” She couldn’t remember any reference to the plant in any of her books.
“Ya don’t know what tallyweed is?” Mavis asked, her eyes widening in amazement.
“Well, uh, no.” Emerald stumbled a bit but caught herself before she fell. “I guess we don’t have it where I’m from.”
“Oh. Thought everybody knew about tallyweed. Has healing powers. Nymphs say it keeps their skin beautiful and youthful,” Mavis said. “Can’t say it’s ever worked on me, though.” She chuckled in her horrible, grating way. “Where did ya say ye were from again?”
Before Emerald could respond, there was a commotion from the rear of the group. Shouts echoed throughout the tunnel.
“What’s going on back there?” Mavis yelled, her gravelly voice echoing off the walls.
“It’s an imp and a human!” the response came back. An imp and a human, thought Emerald. One of them must be Maple. But who was the human?
The gang of trolls parted as much as it could in the narrow tunnel and between them passed a tall young man and a little imp girl. The man was brandishing a sword in front of him. Porter!
“Let her go, in the name of the king!” Porter demanded. The trolls around him laughed but let him through. A wave of happiness went through Emerald. She was saved!
Chapter Thirteen
TALLYWEED TEA
Porter bravely walked right up to Mavis and looked her straight in the eyes.
“Let her go,” he demanded again.
“Now why would I do that?” asked Mavis, her eyes sparkling. Suddenly, Emerald noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye. A troll standing off to the right of Porter lifted a club in his hand. Before Emerald could scream, it brought it down on the young man’s head. Porter collapsed on the cave floor, unconscious. His sword slid across the ground toward Mavis who kicked it disdainfully out of the way. Another troll picked it up.
“How dare you,” screeched Maple. The troll who’d knocked Porter on the head scooped her up and put a hand over her mouth. She wriggled back and forth violently but couldn’t get free of his strong grip.
“What should we do with them?” the troll holding Maple asked.
“Please, don’t hurt them,” Emerald begged.
“Take them with us,” Mavis said, ignoring Emerald. “We’ll make them dig too. If they don’t. . . .” She shrugged and slid a finger across her neck. Emerald shivered and Maple’s eyes grew wide. Mavis pushed Emerald forward and the entire group continued walking for what seemed like an eternity. Emerald kept trying to look back and see her friends, but every time she turned her head, Mavis pushed her forward again.
Finally, they reached a place in the cave where it widened out and branched off into several chambers. As the trolls entered the center room, they began putting their torches into sconces drilled just above their heads on the cave walls. The collection of torches cast a warm glow on the cave walls and floor and made it possible to see a bit more of the chambers. Though there wasn’t any furniture that Emerald was used to, she could tell that boulders had been chipped and worn down into chairs and tables. There appeared to be piles of leaves in the chambers. Those must be their beds, Emerald realized.
“Ya’ll start digging at first light,” Mavis told Emerald. “Not that ya’ll see the sun come up, though.” She chuckled at her own joke and pushed Emerald down next to one of the stone chairs. The trolls threw Porter, still unconscious and now tied up, down on the floor across from her. Maple was also tied up and a piece of material was shoved into her mouth. She was put on the other side of the chair Emerald was next to.
“Time for grub,” Mavis called to the group. Two trolls ducked off down one of the side passages. Emerald had a chance to look around, now, and counted about ten trolls total, including the two who must have gone for food. She, Porter, and Maple were outnumbered for sure, but perhaps there was some way they could trick the trolls into letting them go.
Emerald heard a little grunt and saw Maple struggling against her bondage. Emerald tried to make eye contact with her friend to get her to stop struggling. She didn’t want them getting in more trouble before she could think of a way out of their predicament.
“Quiet, ya,” one of the trolls said, kicking at Maple. She went silent but shot him petulant look. Luckily the troll just grunted and walked away. Clearly a little imp wasn’t worth his trouble.
The two trolls who left soon returned carrying a big
pot and loaves of what Emerald assumed was bread. The rest of the trolls pulled out bowls from the other chambers and lined up for a scoop of whatever was steaming in the big pot. Mavis brought a bowl and a chunk of bread to Emerald and untied her hands. The troll queen then untied Maple as well and removed the cloth in her mouth.
“Eat up. Ya’ll need yer strength.” Mavis shot them both a stern look. “And no funny business.”
Emerald nodded and accepted the bowl. She looked down at it and her stomach churned. It was a soupy grey mess with some unidentifiable chunks in it. The smell was like dirty socks. She hadn’t eaten since breakfast, though, so she decided to give it a try. After all, some of the smelliest cheeses were the most delicious. She tentatively dipped a corner of her bread into the bowl and then took a bite. It tasted like dirty socks too.
Sighing, Emerald put the bowl down and gnawed at the bread. It was nearly hard as a rock, but at least it tasted like bread.
“Psst, Emerald,” Emerald heard Maple whisper. “Any ideas how to get out of here?”
Emerald shook her head and the two of them quickly pretended to be eating as Mavis shot a suspicious look in their direction. She eyed Emerald and Maple for a moment and they stared back at her innocently. Mavis grunted and turned back to her own meal.
“Where did you find Porter? And how did you find me?” Emerald whispered.
“After the trolls took you, I didn’t know what to do,” Maple said quietly, eating the grub as though there were nothing wrong with it. Emerald marveled at how her friend could truly eat anything. Maple wiped a bit of grey juice from the side of her mouth with the back of her hand as she continued talking. “Thought I should get help. Didn’t think we could fight off a bunch of trolls ourselves. I went back to the clearing near the waterfall, but I didn’t see any of your father’s guard. So, I raced to the woods and—smack—ran into Porter. He was looking for us. Wanted to warn us your parents had people looking for us.”