[Primrose Bolger]

‘Here’s our path,’ cried Grimm, motioning the others closer. ‘Can’t hardly see it, brother,’ grunted Broga, who had grown tired of their long hours of running. Two deer only they’d seen and those small does. ‘No time for cooking,’ he’d been told. ‘Got to eat them on the fly. We’re to be ready when the Chief drives the men and Elves to us.’

Arald and Dim peered down the faint and overgrown track the Grimm had spied. Choked with fallen stones and trees it was, but they could tell that at one time it had been much used. It was a wide path, really, though the low growing grasses had crept in upon its edges. Someone or ones, strong of arm and heavy feet had made it. Old trees had been cut or pushed over, and large rocks had been split in two or heaved aside to make the way.

Down the track and through the dense fir trees they lumbered until they came at last to the stone walled foot of a hill. Grimm hurried ahead, halting as he reached a door hanging crookedly ajar on a great metal hinge. ‘This is it,’ said Grimm with a satisfied grin. ‘Now to see if the old buzzard’s home.’

‘Harry!’ the voices called out; one of them yelling into the dark, littered cave, the others bellowing about the camp. ‘Wonder where he’s got to,’ Broga muttered, following Grimm down through a thick wooded slope to a clearing a little ways away. Three Trolls the others could see – one was stooping while the other two stared at him. ‘What’s ‘e bendin’ over for?’ asked Dim, craning his neck to see. Arald inched forward, his great foot stepping on a downed branch. Crack! The snapping sound echoed in the area but Trolls in the clearing did not move. ‘Must be deaf!’ Dim said. He frowned as Broga chuckled. ‘ ‘ere! what’s so funny?’ said Arald wondering if the three Trolls they were spying on were of the hospitable sort.

A great rumbling voice startled the four lurkers from behind. ‘They’re deaf alright, and stone to boot, poor sods. Kilt by some wizard afore the war. Now what are you four doing in my little bailiwick?’

Grimm came forward and made the greetings for the group, reminding Harry of their distant relation. A few questions from Harry resolved the truth of the blood connection for him and he invited the four to share in a large pot of mutton stew he had going at his little place further along near the creek. Rested and well fed, the four Trolls invited Harry to have a bit of fun with them. They spoke of how the Orcs were driving some men and Elves to the bridge and how they had promised to harass the small group from the east while the Orcs pressed them from the west. Grimm looked up to see where old yellow face was in the sky. ‘In fact, if we amble back to the clearing where the Stone Trolls are, we can find ourselves some good places to swoop down on the blighters.’ Harry was none too sure about working with Orcs, but Grimm just shrugged, saying, ‘They get in your way, just mash ‘em.’

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Harry elected to take up a position atop a large rocky formation that stood to one side of the clearing. There were plenty of loose boulders strewn on its surface that he intended to rain down on the foe. The four other Trolls hid in the shadows of the thick stands of fir that ringed the area, spacing them selves about the clearing.

Now all there was, was to wait for the Orcs to drive their quarry to them . .