Chapter Two
"Me name be Zan'Zan, but ya may call me Zan." The troll smiled at her from across the campfire. "Just one Zan." She smirked. He'd removed her gag, but warned her that no one was around to hear them. The troll, with uncanny strength, had managed to get them high up in the side of the mountain that bordered Felwood and Darkshore. "What be ya name?" he asked. "Ayysa Darkmoon."
"Ey see. And who might ey be sending the ransom note to?" he asked. "Like I'd tell you." She hissed. "You may as well kill me, it's not like I have much to life to live anyways." She pouted. "Don' ya night elves live foreva?" asked the troll, slightly interested. "No. We lost our immortality when the Well of Eternity was shattered. We normally live for hundreds of years anyways, but I was cursed and only have fort-nine left to live."
"Forty-nine be a long life ta some." The troll mused. "Not to an elf." She bit her bottom lip in anger. "I want my years back. If I could get them back then at least I could have more time to see the end of this war and help my people. But in my state I'm just useless. I was about to spend the rest of my forty-nine years being married to a worgen, but thanks to you, it seems as though that won't be happening." She bitterly looked up at the sky.
The troll raised a colorful brow. "Marryin' a worgen? Are ya mad or did gettin all dem years sucked out o' ya make ya lose common sense?" She looked down at the ground and muttered, "We are children of the moon, you would not understand." Shaking his long colorful locks the troll looked up at the sky, laughing. "Tell me da name of ya love and I be sending word his way." He snickered. Looking at the ground, Ayysa wondered if it would be a good idea. "What be the matta? You worried he won' come for ya?" Part of her had to admit that wouldn't be farfetched, but she knew Corey was a lovesick boy who would most likely stop at nothing to get her back. At the very least, he could maul this troll for her. "Corey Langley." She finally hushed and looked up at the sky.
The troll stared at her for a few moments and then burst out into laughter once again. "What kinda name be dat?" he laughed. "Ya were about ta marry a man wit such a name?" he laughed even harder. "This coming from a man name Zan'Zan." She rolled her eyes. "Ey, what be wrong wit me name?" his eyes were suddenly wide with serious curiosity and, if she didn't know any better, she would have thought he looked slightly wounded at her insult.
She sighed and shook her head as her silver eyes looked up to the moon goddess in a silent pray that Corey would find her soon. With her hands still tied behind her back, she laid on the ground and rolled over on her side, facing away from her captor. "What ya think ya be doing?" asked the troll. "Getting sleep. I assume we will be traveling even more tomorrow?" she asked. "Ya be right about dat, but ya can't sleep like that in dis whetha. It be too cold." She peered over her shoulder in an uncomfortable manner and stared at him with a piercing glare. "What do you expect me to do then?" she asked him.
The troll sighed as if the elf had no sense in survival. He got up from the fire and walked over to his raptor, searching through his pouches of gear. He came back to her with new rope and pushed her into the ground on her belly. "Dis will be uncomfortable, but it will keep ya at bay while I retie ya." Before she could ask what he'd meant, the troll practically sat on her; and he was large for his kind. Gasping for air, she felt her hands free for only a few moments before the troll retied them above her head. The bindings were tight, but one long piece of rope remained. With a small wooden stake in the other hand, he made a small noose and slung it around the wood and staked it to the ground.
"Der. Now ya can't get away." He said simply. "Great. Now can I sleep?" she asked, although she had to admit it was nice to have her arms back in front of her. "Nay. It's too cold remember?" The troll was getting out sleeping equipment and pulled out a bed roll with a blanket. Setting it up within her range and taking care to make it neat. "There. Now ya can sleep." She was surprised that he was taking such good care of her, but then she remembered that if she was in poor condition, the chances of him getting his money were slim. Well, she placed as an afterthought, they were slim either way.
Crawling into her bed, she struggled to get her blanket on with her bindings so tight and with no use of her hands. Zan, who was setting up his own, recognized her struggle and came over to help. "I do not need you to tuck me in like a child." She hissed, embarrassed. "It be cold at night in Darkshore. Ya sure you want to freeze before dat Langley boy can come save ya?" he taunted. She looked down on the ground, but before she could even agree, he pulled the sheet up over her shoulder. "Der. Now sleep ya wretched ting." Ayysa watched as the troll retreated to his own sleeping mat and she huddled her nose under the blanket for warmth; she worried what tomorrow would bring.
And of course she had a right to worry. Sunlight barred down on her from their barren position and warmth flooded her. Sighing in comfort she snuggled in closer to the warmth. Suddenly something tugged at her hands and she realized the troll was trying to wake her up. "Do ya damn elves neva wake up?" he was snarling. "I'm nocturnal." She retorted lightly and snuggled deeper into the sheets. "Come on! We don' have all day! We need ta make it ta Ashenvale tanight." Looking up at him, she asked, "Where exactly are we going?"
"I be takin ya to da Moonglade." The troll said quickly and without looking at her as he began to pack up their camp. "Cenarion Circle means der be no need ta worry." He seemed to be trying to convince himself. "So you intend for us to just sit there and wait for Corey to come?" she eyed him, hoping she could manage to take him down if given the chance. "Dat be right. Smart girl ya be."
"And what a stupid troll you are. My fiancé is a worgen; he should have no trouble tracking us down." She snapped. "Ey, don' be callin' anyone here stupid. An ya forget yaself missy; ol' Zan'Zan be a jungle troll an a good tracker meself. Ya wolf may wanna watch himself before he tink's he can take on me." The troll pulled the mat from beneath her making her slide into the dirt. She glared at him and remembered that he'd tied her hands in the front; it would be easy to get away if she could take him on. Being proficient in close ranged combat, she figured that even if she'd dulled she should be able to take on a sleepy troll even with her hands completely tied.
Standing up, the troll didn't seem to mind her as he finished packing up the rest of the items. Quietly, she moved to be completely behind him. He faced his raptor, and she was sure that she could get away if he startled the beast in the process. She looked over at the dagger that her rope was tied to; picking it up she dashed towards the troll with her new weapon of choice.
He seemed to be aware of her attack and as he dodged her in one fast movement, he prevented the elf from harming his raptor. "Dat be a stupid ting ta do, Ayysa." The troll rolled his eyes as he held the elf up by her arms. "I see ya going ta make dis difficult, so I have ta retie ya."
The two were on their way down the side of the mountain they'd been camping on, Ayysa now tied with her hands around the raptors neck and unable to move. There was a slight nerve that had now made it's way into her mind; the troll had been right, he was no amateur. Despite his slender figure, he packed enough muscle to be a worthy match for her and her worgen love even if both were fighting side by side. She watched with careful eyes as the troll walked slightly ahead, pulling the raptor along to guide it. She had to admit, he was an odd troll; she'd never seen one so colorful in both personality and being.
He must have felt her heavy gaze on him because he asked stated, "Ya neva see a troll before or am I just dat pretty?" Looking down at the ground, she blushed slightly. His large tusks swung around to face her. "What be wrong? Ya tinking of anotha brilliant plan ta escape?" Grateful for the change in subject, Ayysa looked up at the sun-ridden sky. "Perhaps." She responded. Snorting, Zan's laughing amber eyes looked up at her, "Don' be. There ain't no point in it. Besides, Zan is not here ta hurt ya. Just business." Laying her head down on the raptor's smooth neck, she stared at the dark forest. "It doesn't matter what you do with me really... It's not like there's enough time to do anything."
"Ya be a petty ting, Ayysa." The troll, now looking away from her, stopped before she could say anything more. "Ya keep tinking that ya life be ova. But dat not be da truth. Some don' see tamorrow and here ya are crying about forty nine years dat haven' even happen yet. Pathetic." His blue shoulders rose and fell in a shrug as he shook his pink mess of hair. "It be sad really. A pretty ting like you moping so much. A waste."
"Who's the one thinking the other's pretty now?" Ayysa dared to tease the troll. Laughing in confidence, she was unsure that she'd even managed to unnerve the troll when he replied, "It be dull of me ta not admit ya be beautiful. I may not be an elf, but I know a ting or two about pretty women." Blushing she looked down at the ground and refused to say another word.