Hearth Fire

Beyond the wide and jagged cave mouth was nothing but darkness. Stronric warily made his way inside. He could see that a path had been worn into the rock, different sized footsteps indicated a once heavily trafficked tunnel. It looked as if dwarves had once used this place for something. The path curved and bent in this naturally formed cavern. Some tunnels looked like they’d been widened even further either by brute force or crude instruments. Where the floors had once touched too closely to the ceiling, it had been mined out. Gashes criss-crossed the top of the cavern and some of its walls.

Stronric continued walking for some time. His vision began to flicker with color. There must be a fire up ahead. As he came to a bend, he slowed his walking and began to sneak. He peeked his head around a corner and he saw a large fire in the center of the an open cavern. Sitting inside of the fire with coals and firewood wrapping around the base, was a massive cauldron big enough to boil a couple humans inside. The cauldron had a spout on the top of one side. This isn’t a cauldron; it was a smelting pot to melt ore during the refinery process.

The cavern had smoothed walls and the floor, small alcoves were spread through the cavern. No alcove went deeper than a stride or two. Dead animal bones and filth filled the alcoves and spilled into the cavern. A carpet of the dead and grime spread on the floor of the chamber like a stream of putrid death. The debris was burnt back by the fire in the center of the room. On one side a stack of soiled and dirty wagon canvas laid atop of crushed bushes and long dead carcasses. A garbage pile in one corner of the room would loom over Stronric. The sound of bleating goats drew Stronric’s attention to a shoddy built pen directly across the room on the other side of the fire pit. Ahh old girl, ye want ye babies back. Three kids skitted around in the small pen.

Looming over the kids was a filthy creature with blue skin that wreaked of death. It stood nearly the height of two humans. Its limbs began long and lanky but widened dramatically ending in bulbous swollen appendages. It’s feet were large with curved toes and pad like soles similar to a bears. Its long arm reached out with a huge three fingered hand and ran its long dagger like claws along the pen. The goats bleated out in fear and ran from the hand thrashing out to grab them. The troll finally caught one goat and lifted the small animal to his nose and sniffed. The goat thrashed and cried out in turmoil in a desperate attempt to escape from it’s soon to be butcher.

The troll turned and walked over to a large blood covered stone, still with its back to Stronric, it slammed the goat down. The goat let out a small desperate bleat before falling still. The animal was stunned and shocked from the blow, unable to bring air into its lungs to bleat any more. Stronric took this moment to approach. The monster was busy with the goat, he wouldn’t get a better opportunity than now.

A large thud echoed in the cave as the troll sat down. It picked up a halberd with a broken haft, using the two handed weapon as a kitchen knife. It pulled one of the goat's legs aside and brought the halberd blade into the inner thigh to skin it when… Crunch! Stronric’s pick axe sank through the troll's flesh and bone with ease. The pick axe sank to the haft in the troll’s skull.

“How do ye like that, ye beast!” Stronric yelled as he twisted the weapon free.

The tunnel shook with the bellows of the beast as it dropped the halberd and clutched it’s head. Stronric jumped away to safety. The troll slapped its head several times and writhed on the ground, screaming. Stronric heard wet sloshing sound as the wound began to close with bone and flesh sewing itself back together.

Stronric turn and ran towards the large camp fire in the center of the room. He grabbed a burning branch out of the fire, sprinting with the branch in one hand and his pick axe in the other, he jumped on the writhing beast. He jammed the branch into the monster's eyes and it let out another scream. Stronric wasn’t fast enough to dodge the troll’s hand that swatted him away.

The air was driven from his lungs as he crashed through the goat pen and slammed against the wall. He dropped his pick axe, he rolled to his stomach retching and gasping for breath. He turned his head towards the beast, who was still writhing in discomfort. The troll then unsteadily began to stand like a toddler, coming up onto its hands and walking it massive feet towards it’s head. Stronric gathered the strength to stand forcing himself up on shaky legs. Forcing in a deep breath, he raised up his pick axe ready to continue the battle.

The goats cried and ran from the broken pen. They fled towards the cave entrance. A warm feeling came from watching their escape bringing a smile to Stronric’s face. Just then the troll released a shrieking roar that vibrated the cave, snapping him back to focus. Only the beasts six giant tusks jutting from its lower jaw could be seen from where it loomed in the shadows. Its mouth had too many teeth to fit naturally together. The one good red eye of the monster locked onto Stronric, and he matched the gaze. Squaring himself to the monster, Stronric let out a war cry of his own.

The troll hunched over and sprang forward. Stronric leapt to the side as the cavern walls shuddered with the troll’s strike, which sent broken rocks and shards flying. One swift blow to the troll’s ankle, Stronric rolled forward tearing his weapon free leaving a gnarly wound. He attempted to impale the other ankle, but the troll dodged. He noticed that the monster’s wounds weren’t healing as quickly as before. I need to expose this beast to more fire. It's the only thing that stops its healing. I have slowed it with the branch in its eye but the ankle and head are still slowly healing.

Trolls are known for their healing. They say even if you quarter a troll, it will grow back all of its limbs. I need to get the troll into the campfire. Stronric looked around the room trying to form a plan. He saw a boulder in the wall he could pry free, he could use it to pin the troll. He would need to lure it that way. He took a step forward causing him to studder for half a second as pain from his ribs shot through him. He felt his side gingerly and pain again lanced through. Broken ribs, they’ll have to wait till this is over.

Ignoring the pain, Stronric ran away from the troll towards the garbage pile. The troll crawled after him, faster than Stronric had expected. It’s lumbering and lanky form made it seem ponderous and oafish, but that wasn’t true. The troll belied that notion, its clawed hand coming down on Stronric. He jumped away, not fast enough to avoid the pain as the troll’s three nails racked down his back. Stronric dashed for the garbage pile and clambered to the top. He turned to face the troll only to find the troll hadn’t given chase. The troll sat back on its heels and let the dwarf’s blood drip into its mouth.

“It has been far too long since I have tasted the blood of dwarf.” The troll’s low and deep voice rolled across the cavern echoing off the walls.

Stronric was shocked. Back in his world, trolls were no better than beasts. They were not smart but instead filled with a guile of cruelty. Ambushes and raids were their tactics. They had rudimentary villages, but calling them villages was being kind. Even calling them camps was a stretch. Never had Stronric heard of a troll speaking. Only the fathers of the troll’s race were known to use words but they were dead long ago according to the myths of old.

“Ye can speak beast?” Stronric said.

“Oh yes, always have. How else does the taste of fear get into the meat of your prey?”

Not much has changed about the cruelty part.

“Come fight me. Why waste time with banter? Are you that afraid beast?” Stronric shouted.

“Before I eat you, answer me this: Since when have dwarves lived in the mountains? Hasn’t your kind destroyed itself? Fallen to the elves as mere pets? Groveling and begging for food and shelter…” the beast probed him curiously.

Anger filled Stronric. His hands tightened on his pick axe. The vein on his forehead bulged as he took a step forward. Dwarves begging?! Dwarves no better than pets?! DAMNED LIES. Hate filled Stronric’s heart as he crushed the garbage pile with his hobnail boots, shredding the ground beneath him.

“My name is Stronric Wraith-Thane, I declare an oath of vengeance in the name of Thoranthana and the dwarves. This blood seals my oath!” Stronric shouted as he pricked the top of his finger on the pick axe.

Bing!

Oath of vengeance activated, go forth and repay the grudge in the blood.

The pain faded from Stronric’s ribs and back. He charged the monster who lumbered towards him. The troll attempting to smash him with its swollen meaty hands. Stronric dodged the blow and swung his weapon across the troll’s wrist, severing the tendons. He battled on, lacerating the beast's already damaged ankle. The creature buckled under the weight of its massive size. It fell to one knee and reached for the dwarf. Stronric circled around the troll to it’s back. He let out another war cry as he swung at the good ankle.

The troll collapsed onto its knees, unable to move.

“I’ll tell you of the dwarves’s hidden vaults. Just let me go.” The troll pleaded. “I know the secrets of the mountains. I have lived here for decades.”

Stronric couldn’t listen. The oath had to be fulfilled and he would not barter with monsters. The creature spun on his knees, turning to face him. It reached out with his good hand for Stronric. Stronric didn’t retreat this time. He sprang forward with all of his weight, battering the troll’s hands aside, and slammed into the creature’s chest. The creature toppled back towards the center of the cave, unable to support its own weight, let alone Stronrics.

The head of the creature landed in the fire. Stronric brought up his hobnailed boot and stomped down. The creature screamed and thrashed, its claws cutting at Stronric, but he didn’t care. Stomping over and over, the troll’s thrashing became the twitching of the dead. Stronric stumbled off of the troll and fell onto his knees. He heaved in breaths and his ribs ached and he was bleeding badly from his back and a mix of new wounds from the desperate last thrashing of the troll. He tried to stand but couldn’t. He slumped to the ground. Clunk, clunk, clunk was all he heard before he passed out.