It was a late day, it started out good but Brettâs day had to get worse. She was being chased from her main route and into a corner by Arthurâs guards, believing that she was a spy. Breta cursed herself for not bringing a weapon.
An arrow flew through the air and skimmed her arm, then another embedded in the ground next to her.
The knights were toying with her, they didn't plan on making this quick.
A shadow fell over her.
The stench reached her nostrils first, the smell of one who has rolled in entrails and enjoyed it. But then the bottomless blue eye caught her in its icy depths, weighing her.
"Pact Troll." Gunmar said, blinking as the knights froze at the sight of him.
The question was so unexpected that for a moment, all Gunmar could do was blink down at the inquisitive gutter troll.
"What do you mean?"
âWhat was your life like before now? Like your parents and suchâ Breta looks up at him, her knees bending in an unknown rhythm.
"......I never had any family growing up." Gunmar said slowly, "I was raised by Nullhullers."
It hadn't occurred to him that there might exist a troll who didn't know who he was.
âI see, what are nullhullers? Even though my village didnât do much, we are very sheltered and donât know much about anything outside the village.â
"Nullhullers were a species of troll born for the act of stealing human children. They went extinct, some time ago. So you have not heard of Gunmar the Black?"
A strange band of trolls, to say the least! There was foolishness, but this was pure ignorance.
âA bit but not a lot, I all know is that he is a warlord that cares nothing but himself, at least thatâs what the elders sayâ
âWhy you know him?â
"I know him well." Gunmar replied, tilting his head slightly.
Selfish.
He'd been called worse things, but to be called selfish surprised him.
The anger would come later, for now, he was curious about this gutter troll.
"You will sleep pile with me." Gunmar stated, "Since my hospitality is what brings you here."
âOh okay, sooo what is there to do here? Like fun?â She turned around and started to walk backwards, looking around at the camp trying to figure out where everything belonged.
"We do what any troll does for fun." Gunmar stated, "There's drink. And games. Puzzle shields are a popular one. Song. Dances."
true, they were rare, since Bular's mother died, but the gumm-gumms did still dance to their wardrums.
âOoo, where I live we only drink, nothing else. For some reason I feel like this place is better, I donât know why thoughâ she gently hummed before looking back down at the ground.
"Because this is a true tribe. We Gumm-Gumms stand together under one rule, one will, and because of it, we can focus our strengths against our true enemy. The humans. Tell me, what do you think those humans were going to do with you?"
âI thought they would have just toy with me then kill me, I would have left me cousins aloneâ she rubbed her arm, breta was biting her tongue, rubbing her hand across a scar along her arm. It was abnormal and old, it looked to be a deep scar.
"Did a human give you that?" Gunmar asked, guiding her to one of the tents. Inside, Gunmars favorite generals were clustered together, curled up atop a pile of furs.
Gunmar settled down beside them, and signalled for Breta to make herself comfortable.
She sat down, curling herself into a ball, âno not a human, I did something wrong, and was punished for it, I believe I had shove a male off of meâ she rubbed the floor gently, few something she never felt, comfort? Safety? It was something she couldnât put her finger on.
Gunmar's eye flashed, and he said nothing, looking down at her.
"Are you not free to mate as you choose?"
He asked outright, not beating around the bush.
Her eyes met his, her eyes said everything that need to be said, âI am just worried about them, I have never left them alone this longâ
Her pinky finger was grazing the metal ring that was tightly digging into her finger. It had no diamond, just a strip of metal.
Gunmar nodded grimly.
"In the morning, after we have eaten, you will take me to your people." he said very quietly. "Am I understood?"
She nodded, bringing her knees to her chest, breta laid her head on her knees. She didnât lay down, her body stiff in the sitting position.
Gunmar settled down beside her and pretended to be asleep.
After a days rest, Breta started to make her way home, as promised she allowed the troll who protected her to follow her back. She rubbed the trees before making a small jog. Breta pointed to small huts that were closed in, there were only 40 maybe 50 different trolls.
âThis is where I live, not much but itâs what we have.â












