A Crack in the Ice

The fire cracked and popped as the wild boar roasted over the spit. Ashintina cleaned her sword and shield as Moringar sang a song of the ancient days of old. Ashintina was a young girl in her late 20's with an average and yet curvy build. Her pale skin highlighted her emerald eyes and her curly raven black hair that was cut to her shoulders. Moringar was also of an average build while also looking to be in his early 30's with short cropped salt and pepper hair and a short cut beard. The fire glowed off his blue tattoo that covered the left side of his face and his eye that had a scar from his temple to his cheek. He stopped singing for a moment to rotate the boar and watch Ashintina under the light of the fire.

"Ash I have been meaning to ask this". She stopped polishing the shield and looked up "hmmm?  oh wait a moment here you best not have any ideas that mind of yours bard, because my sword is nice and sharp now!" Morn laughed as he sat back down "oh come now great warrior at least give me more credit then that, besides I'm not as fond of you as you wish I would be."

She eyed him with that look she always gave him when he came close to crossing the line with her. "Good keep it that way and continue to romance your tavern wenches that keep falling for your words and honeyed voice so easily, because it doesn't work on me bard." She stood up and started to mock one of the girls she was speaking about. "Oh my lord please sing to us about your adventures while we keep you warm at night tee hee."  She smiled and sat back down to polish her shield as Morn got up and bowed to her with a smile.

"A good impression I must say you should do that more often and oh and thank you for the compliment on my voice. No what I was going to ask was what got you into the line of a mercenary anyway?  I mean for one such as beautiful and strong of heart as yourself there must be a grand tale to tell? " Morn awaited her reply and noticed she stopped outright from cleaning her shield as she looked out into the sky. Again she mocked her voice "oh my lord you think I am beautiful?" She gave him that look again and sighed. "I would prefer to leave that tale for another day as you still have yet to tell me yourself about the ship you just so happened to own when we first met. Though I can tell your looking for some sort of story to pass the night with, and since there are no females about to woo I will grace you with one. Now not a word to that last comment and I will tell you of one of my toughest battles and how I got this shield I am cleaning here." Morn appeared pleased and gave all his attention to Ash as she began her tale...

I had travelled into the north by guarding various caravans when the chance arose. It was here in a small town I found myself waiting for my next job. The wait wasn't long as the town guard found me a little drunk and arm wrestling the locals in the tavern. Well after a few buckets of water later and one guards broken hand for thinking he could help dry me off, I ended up standing before the mayor. He had pardoned my actions because there was something much bigger plaguing his town. Word it seems was brought to the mayor about my deeds of fending off bandits and orcs while protecting the caravans and my talents could be used for just this situation. As it so happened an ice troll had taken up residence in the area and was capturing any traders that came through the northern pass.

Well what could I say the coin was good, I needed the reputation, and not to mention I was also young and a fool at that. I only ever heard tales of trolls before and figured this would be easy. It also didn't help that after what I did to that guards hand my fate could have been much worse if I had declined. So with an easy decision ahead of me I spent the morning fully sobering up and went on my way to find this troll.

I packed my gear that consisted of my armor, a spear, a few health potions and some climbing gear for the mountains. I then made my way up the pass through the icy mountains looking for signs of my adversary. It wasn't before long I came upon a cave that showed signs I had reached my destination. There were bones thrown all about the entrance and while some were only half eaten animals others resembled that of humans. I now knew why the troll was capturing them and what it was doing to these poor souls. As well as the blood and gore there were destroyed carts and trading supplies all around. It was afternoon when I found the trolls home and like any animal I figured it should be out hunting, but boy was I dead wrong.

As I made my way into the lair I heard the sounds of sobbing, without haste I rushed in looking to free who made those sounds and in my haste I set myself up for a nasty trap that was awaiting me. Now before I get into what was to happen next let me give you the layout of this lair. The troll had chosen a breath taking place for its home as the ice itself was made of blues and greens that reflected light all around. The cavern also held within it an interesting surprise but I will get to that soon. Now the sobbing noise was coming from a hole that was broken into the back of the cave in the floor that I believed was made by the troll itself.

Making my way to the hole I found a man and women holding on to one another awaiting there doom. They looked as if the troll had thrown them in to save for later. Looking up at me when I approached they had terror and joy in there eyes. They asked me if I saw another man the girl was calling her father, and as I was about to answer I heard a monstrous roar from the side of me. Turning around a large grey creature was standing on two feet before me, with spikes on its head and a club made of pure ice. Blood was dripping off its large fangs and behind I now saw the creature had waited in a hole till my attention was elsewhere. It must have caught my scent or heard me approach, because this was not the dumb creature I was thinking it would be, I was in deep trouble here.

I swore as the creature came charging at me, and realizing it's plan too late, it slammed me with its arm aiming my fall for the hole.  Fate was on my side though as I just missed it and slid even further away on the ice. The monster was furious and with its massive ice club came charging again ready to squash me. Swearing for the second time I realized my spear was laying on the ground near the opening as I had put it down when I was getting rope out to help the others. This time however I was ready and quickly dodged as the club came crashing down where I was once. It was then I noticed something that changed the tide of the battle and allowed me to be here this night to tell you this tale.

The ice started to crack like an intricate web around the troll. I looked below me and found there was a structure below us. This was the edge I needed and realized then what I had to do. The troll roared again at me echoing off the carvern and I'll tell you Morn that roar could scare the bravest of knights or kings no matter how fearless they boasted to be. It went to crush me again but while using my surroundings I quickly slid away as the club came crashing down cracking the ice even more. The thunder of the second smash echoed off the walls and I started to hear chunks of ice break off below us. I started praying to any god that would hear me that this plan doesn't back fire as I made my way to my spear just in case.

I quickly slid my way to my spear and as the troll advanced the ice gave way as I hoped it would. The hole itself luckily only broke where the troll did the most damage and I stood where I made my stand holding my spear and shaking for my life. I looked down to find that the drop was about six or seven feet give or take and the troll was laying in the ice barely breathing. The room below looked to be of some sort of armory in a fort that the ice must have covered all around the structure ages ago. Where the ice had broken it looked as if it smashed right through the roof dropping our furry friend to his doom.

Debating with myself I could now leave the creature and save the captives hoping it would die soon enough or I could jump down and kill the monster with my spear ending its torment. My stout heart as you call it got the best of me and I jumped. As my spear was about to pierce the trolls heart the creature surprised me yet again. When the troll hit the bottom it had only knocked the wind out of it and thinking it was dying it surprised the hell out of me as it roared at me as I was plummeting to it.

As I fell downward the troll moved to block my spear which pierced through its arm instead of it's heart as I intended. I tried to hold on to the spear but the troll had the strength of ten men. It flung me off and I crashed into the wall behind us. Now it was my time to have the wind knocked out of me. The troll roared as it broke the spear still embedded in its arm, and made its way to me while kicking the fallen ice in my direction.

I had to think quick and yet again the fates had decided to save me, because laying by my side was a magnificent shield made of a dark bronze in the shape of a lions head. I grabbed the shield and blocked the ice coming at me with a concussive force. 

Now I really don't know how to explain this next part it could be divine help or just something I activated on the shield but what it was I am here now to tell you of this. As the troll was coming toward me the lion in the shield had roared and shot fire out of it's mouth engulfing the troll in flames. I knew this was my final chance to end this here and now as the troll roared in agony. It all happened in a matter of moments as I dropped the shield, grabbed an axe which happened to be the closest weapon, and using a table I ran to, I jumped onto the troll while embedding the axe in it's skull.

My strike was true as the troll stumbled around and crashed to the ground. I panted heavily and dropped to my knees knowing I had nothing left to give in this battle. I was bloodied and battered but I was victorious and I had gained a very impressive artifact to boot. The troll laid there twitching and writhing in the flames as I moved about looking for a way out. Most of the weapons were rusted except for a few so I grabbed a sword and my new shield and made my way above through the opening. After helping the young couple out of the hole we found the father who was barely alive and missing an arm. I gave him one of my healing potions which had helped and we made our way out of the hellish den.

I was rewarded of course and given free drinks and a room at the tavern till I was fully healed and ready to leave. It wasn't long before word got around and I was called for yet another task further north, but alas that is a tale for another night. 


"Wow that must have really impressed you because by the way master bard I think the boar is burning", she laughed as Morn who was so intrigued by the tale quickly realized that Ash was right and worked fast to save there dinner while laughing with her at his foolishness...