* The torch-light swayed nearer and nearer. About a quarter-mile away it lowered to hover just above the ground, and stayed there. For a time nothing happened, and Taradan and Andros stared at the fateful flame with wide eyes, breathing furtively, as though a strong exhalation would put out the light. *
* Then a stumbling sound was heard, and crashings, and snapping branches of tree and bush, and heavy brutish breathings, and odd deep mumblings, and a rumble on the ground ... Too late they saw the boulder! Now the massive round rock thrown like a bowling ball smashed into the front of the shallow cave, trapping the two Men encamped within. There were only small hand-sized cracks allowing air to pass through, and daylight, should they live to see it. *
* Two voices without roared and bellowed victory. The first voice cried, * "We smelled them sure enough, and now we've gots them sure enough! Men and beast! Beast and men! Gus knew! Knew Gus! Us!" The second voice babbled incoherently in what sounded like agreement.
Gus, the two-headed Mountain Troll, slobbered front and back as his primary, forward-facing head descried the horse he'd smelled. Stomping over, he picked up the horse and tucked it under his left armpit, squashing the wind out of it just a little to keep it from kicking.
"Back to torch, build a fire, hang horse over it, horse to scorch. Back to fire, build with torch, horse tightly tied, horse nicely fried."
Gus trundled away, looking behind him with his backwards-facing head at the boulder blocking the entrance to the cave as he looked forward to a sumptuous supper.
[ January 12, 2003: Message edited by: Gandalf_theGrey ]
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