The Troll

We were warned not to go into the woods. But I did it anyway. I was what they called the black sheep of the family, the one most likely to break the rules. So, I figured I’d live up to my reputation and go. It was getting hard to find game now. The area had been overhunted. Drought had driven off much of the remaining animals. I really had no choice if we were going to eat anything other than vegetables, roots, and berries, and little enough of them. To be honest, I hate vegetables. I have a hard time eating the damned things and then my mother shouts at me. I don’t know what it is, my mouth just rejects the stuff unless it’s ground and cooked soft. Plus, as I said, this drought was affecting our harvest terribly. It was all we could do to bring water from the river and grow anything. We really needed meat and so into the woods I went. After all, they were just woods. True, the trees had sprung up quicker than most but still they were rooted in the ground. Most wild animals are more afraid of me than I am of them. What harm could they do to me? 

At first, I didn’t see anything to really worry me. To prevent my getting lost I decided to follow what a boy in a fairy tale had done and throw pebbles behind me. But soon I ran out of stones and so I cut marks into the trees as I went by. Fairy tales are good and all, but not to be followed blindly. Anyway, I went deeper and deeper into the woods. The trees seem to close all about me the further I went in. It was quiet, a quiet I had never known before. No bird called, no insects hummed, even the air was still. It was as if a weight had fallen upon me, if silence can have a weight. I found myself humming just to break it, but nothing seemed to penetrate it. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. I turned around to try to find my way out. Did I say the trees had closed in on me? I swear they had moved. I followed my cuts back. But I could see from my footprints all I was doing was circling. How could that possibly be? I was trying not to panic but I failed.  I started crashing around.  Finally I  broke through two of the biggest trees and found myself in a small clearing of green grass and bright blue flowers. Squatting in the middle of it was a very short, ugly old woman in a black shapeless frock. She looked up at me and growled. Great, a troll. She had horns on her forehead and tusks in her mouth. This was why they had warned me not to go into the woods. Well, Mother if you had been more specific maybe I would have listened. 

Yeah right, sure you would have. And pigs fly, Sam. Now what do you intend to do? 

 Maybe I could talk my way out of this. They do say trolls aren’t too bright. If I was to die anyway, I might as well go down fighting. Besides maybe this was a princess under an enchantment. Although to be honest, a princess wasn't exactly what I wanted. I know that's strange. Every young man wants a beautiful maiden, right? But I didn't and I can't help that.  

Sure, like you’d be that lucky to get one anyway. “Umm, hello,” I said. “Can you help me? I seem to be lost here.” 

“You’re unwanted,” growled the troll woman. “Why should I help you when you invaded these woods?” 

“Aye, well I meant no harm, I really didn’t,” I told her. 

“Of course, you didn’t. Your people hunt us!” 

“Well we have reason to, meaning no disrespect. Don’t you eat us?” 

“They hunt us even when we're minding our own business! And no, we don’t eat you. You’re getting too stringy lately.” She stood on badly crooked legs, limped over to me and poked my stomach with a long fingernail. I stepped back and felt branches push me forward. I was a bit surprised. I had always thought trolls would smell terrible, but she didn’t. She smelled of moss and stone, but it wasn’t unpleasant. “Stringy,” she growled and moved away from me. 

 “Yea, well these droughts have been killing us. I swear I mean you no ill will. I was just seeking my dinner. I’ll be on my way now.” I turned but the trees and bushes had closed in so much I couldn’t get out. There were thorn bushes now. Very big thorns grew on them, sharp as a rapier. I sighed, “Look you can eat me if you want. But I really was here just looking for game.” 

“Wait, what?” she frowned at me. “You’re not going to try to kill me?” 

“I can try I guess,” I told her. “But judging from your horns and your teeth I think you’re going to kill me before I can string my bow and nock an arrow. I’ve got a knife but it’s nothing against you. I really wasn’t prepared for this. Story of my life, you see.” 

The troll growled, but I had the oddest feeling she was laughing at me. I didn’t mind. I’ve gotten out of a few bar fights by getting some moron to laugh at me. So, laughing was good. 

“Tell me your story,” she said, “I like to hear a good one before I eat you. You’re stringy but beggars can’t be choosy I suppose.” 

I thought about this. She was probably playing with me, stringing me along like a not so hungry cat plays with its prey. It’s torturous but I’ve seen the prey get free, leaving behind a very humbled cat. Besides, what choice did I have? She didn't seem steady on her feet and she limped. Maybe I could take her. I decided to go the easy route first.  “There’s not much to tell. My name is Sam. Near as I can judge I’ve had sixteen years on this earth. I’ve got one living sister, my brother, and my mother, who is a widow. Plague took my father and my other sister.  In any case I’m not so good at farming so usually I hunt. That’s why I’m here today, trying to find at least a couple of squirrels.” 

“Didn’t your people warn you to stay away?” she growled. “I go to the edge of the forest and shriek every night. Isn’t that enough for the likes of you?” 

“Thought that was the wind blowing hard off the moors.” She growled angrily. Sam you idiot. I backed up, raised both hands, and said very quickly, “No one ever said I was blessed with brains. Also, I don’t listen too well.” 

“You weren’t blessed with brains. You’re right about that.” 

“Agreed. Or probably I wouldn’t have come here. After all, I was warned not to go into the woods because those that do never come out of it.” She paced near me and away again, frowning, staring at me, growling softly. She had brown hair. They weren’t strands exactly. The hair had formed several twisted locks and hung about her face. She looked like a cat about to pounce. My brain seemed to have left my body. My heart was pounding. I didn’t recognize my own voice speaking under its own power. “What’s your story?” 

She stopped. Then she came over to me so close I could smell her breath, like decaying plants. Unpleasant but again, not the dragon breath I assumed trolls would have. She also wasn't as tall as I would have thought. She was my height. I'm tall but not giant sized by any means.  I was looking straight into her eyes. One was brown and one was green. It’s amazing the things you notice when you’re about to die. “You ask my story?” 

“Yes.” 

“You're trying to buy time, are you?” 

“Can you blame me? Besides I'm curious. Why are you here? I thought your kind lived in caves and couldn't bear sunlight.” 

The troll did that growl laugh again. Behind me, a rustling in the branches. I could swear they were parting. Then I was sure of it. “You're free to go.” 

“Um why?” 

“You got me to laugh,” she said. “Can't bear the sunlight! What foolishness is that? What do you think we turn into stone or something?” 

“Frankly, yes.” At this point any smart person would run for their lives. But something bothered me. There was something about those trees. Also when she had said “go" she had looked at the trees then back at me. As she looked at me, she shook her head at me. No. I looked at her and she wouldn't meet my eyes anymore. I walked to the edge of the clearing and turned around. “But I still don't know your story although you know mine.” 

“Why do you care about a troll!” 

Her anger startled me. I said, “I don't know. I just know I'll always wonder why you're here.” I put my hand on one of the trees but couldn’t bear the feel of the bark. “I told you, I'm not all that smart.” 

She growled, “I'm under a curse. Satisfied now?” 

“Are you a princess or prince?” 

“No. Just a troll. But why do you care? I told you I was going to eat you.” 

“Well.. to be honest I suppose I do look like a tasty morsel if you're stuck here.” Sam quit blathering you idiot, I told myself. I was probably crazed with fear. Yet I almost felt sorry for her, troll or not. I reminded myself she could be lying. But why do that? Why not just kill me right away?  

“You’re too stringy for me!” She gestured at the trees but said no more. She just stared at me, some silent message in her eyes. Also the tree I had touched had felt rotten to its very roots. Worse than that. It felt...very wrong. 

Now I didn't know what to think. Either she was toying with me or trying to warn me. She kept looking at me then back to the tree. “So you say I can leave?” 

“For the devil’s sake yes!” But she looked away again. Then back. “Why would you not want to go? I've no treasure, I'm not going to become human and I can’t grant you any wishes. So what's your problem?” 

I spoke very softly into her ear. “Honestly? You could be controlling those trees and could command them to kill me.” She stared at me, then shook her head. She was grimacing as if in pain. She could have been lying. Trolls are untrustworthy, right? Yet I didn’t think she was. Something seemed wrong with her and something was definitely wrong with the forest. “Then I trust those trees about as far as I can uproot them and toss them.” Then I spoke louder, “Besides I'd hate for even a troll to be living here cursed.” I whispered again, “And it does us no good either. We've got an evil forest to avoid.” 

“At least you can!” 

“Aye,  but ever since these trees grew, we've been dealing with drought and disease. So if you know the answer feel free to clue me in.” I was speaking softly but I could swear the trees were trying to hear me. 

“I don’t know how to break the curse.” I couldn't tell if this was true. She appeared to be fighting herself. She spoke but now her hands were clenched and her eyes looking back and forth from me to the forest. 

I pulled flint out of my pocket and silently showed it to her, hoping the damned trees didn’t have eyes to see. 

“Use it, burn the woods down!” But she shook her head so hard I feared her horns would fall off. Don't if you value your life.   

“Of course,” I muttered, “my luck. It should be so easy as all that.” Here I was, stuck with a troll in the middle of a cursed forest. I laid back on the ground to relieve my aching back and tried to think of what to do. 

The troll kept trying to get me to leave. “Go to your family!” she said. Her voice was loud but her eyes were sad. 

“No hurry,” I said. I wanted to go but I didn’t. My mother wasn’t exactly what you would call kind and loving. I couldn’t blame her. Life was hard. She had watched one of her children and her husband die, and not quickly. Furthermore I was a disappointment to her. I was strong but terrible at farming. I wanted book learning, which wouldn't feed us. This had made her bitter and harsh which she took out on us. By that I mean literally, with her words and the belt. I don’t know which hurt more. I explained this. 

“She shouldn't do that.” 

“I hold her no ill will. She isn't young and certainly life is bitter hard for her now. Tell me, Have you family?” 

“I -did once upon a time.” She looked at me wide- eyed that I had asked. “A male child. He's probably with his sire. I'm sure now he's grown big.” She smiled at the memory and spoke a bit of him, sounding much like any mother would. But it appeared the trees liked not this talk. The air became very hot and stifling. It evaporated my very sweat from my body. My head ached badly. I was thirsty beyond anything I'd felt before. My mouth was sand. I thought I had swallowed one of those thorns from the bushes and it had clawed my throat- no. I felt like I had swallowed a hunk of hair and it was stuck. I reached into my bag and pulled out a canteen. I drank but it only seemed to make things worse. Each sip made me yearn more for the next. I could have drunk a lake's worth when I became aware of the troll. 

This started an argument in my head. It made it hurt even more. I sat there with it in my hands. She's probably as bad off as you and worse. Where does she get water here?  

It’s a troll who was going to eat me!  

Still a living creature and a mother. And I believe she's trying to help you. Certainly she could have taken your canteen by now. She hasn’t. 

My God you're an idiot thinking to do this!  

Aye. Your point is? 

I prayed to God the creature didn't need it and offered her my canteen. Unfortunately God didn't seem to listen because she drank. We shared it. Each time she drank I became more angry. I barely was able to give her the last drop. Honestly, I was fighting a deep desire to kill her by then. In fact I was struggling to not pull out my knife. By the looks of her clenched hands she felt the same. Then I felt it. A drop of water. Both of us looked up. Thunder clouds. Soon rain poured down on us. The trees began to steam and whither. A mist appeared and rolled away. The trees were gone leaving me and the troll woman. My thirst and my rage were gone.  

“Um...My God. So the curse?”  

“You broke it,” she said. “Thank you.” 

“Because I shared my water with you?” 

“Yes and I with you. You shared it knowing I couldn't help you. I believe so anyway.” She shrugged and went on, “one day I was cutting wood for a fire. Apparently, I cut down the wrong tree, a cursed one, with an evil spirit. Been there ever since under a very bad spell.” She sighed, looking away. “I was gagged and couldn't speak freely. Some evil spirit controlled my voice.” 

“Fire?” 

“Causes them to grow stronger. But water kills. So the drought. Sharing something when it's against our interests must banish the spirit.” 

“You tried to warn me.” 

She nodded, looking at me. “I did.” 

“Why? You could have eaten me, and taken my water. You could have done that at any moment.” 

“You could have fought me and tried to kill me. I'm crippled and not all that strong. At the least kept all your water for yourself. Most humans would have.” 

“I'm not most humans,” I said. “And you tried to warn me.” 

“You asked to hear my story.  You asked if I had family. No one does that.”  

“Perhaps we have things in common.” I held out my hand. “I think this helped both of us. You're free to find your people and maybe we can grow some crops now.” 

She held my hand, smiled and we went our separate ways. So I got no treasure or anything from what I did but my life slowly got better all the same.  

My mother was relieved the drought had ended. I made an effort to help her and work the land. We had a good harvest and she, seeing I was trying to help, became kinder over the years. I never found a princess. But years later when everyone had moved on and my mother was old, a traveling beaten down soldier came to our cottage seeking shelter and work. He had with him an orphan boy from the last war he fought in. He was somewhat learned and he taught me and the child, called Paul, how to read. We live together now. 

 Sometimes if I walk at night, I see a glimpse in the shadows of the troll woman with her child and his sire. It's no more than that and it could be imagination. But she smiles every time.