Chapter 9
Kel'nar leaned back and settled into his story-telling posture again. "Vance the Brave decided to try to get some sleep and retrieve his arrow in the morning. He crawled back into his shelter and closed his eyes. Vance was almost asleep when he heard a low, rumbling groan. His eyes flew open. He sat bolt upright and gripped the top edge of his blanket with both hands. He sat perfectly still, listening. A rumbling growl echoed through the forest, and it sounded like it was coming from right outside. The hairs on the back of Vance's neck stood up. A shiver ran down his spine. He tipped his head to the side and held his breath. That's when he heard it—loud breathing.
"Vance leaned toward the flap of his shelter. He reached out, opened the flap the smallest fraction, and peeked out. The troll he had killed was sitting up. It was holding his arrow in one beefy hand and scratching its head with the other.
"Vance gulped hard. He wasn't sure in the dark, but it looked like the troll's injured eye was fine. His mouth dropped open, and he stared with wide eyes.
"The troll snapped the arrow in two as if it were nothing more than a matchstick, then pushed itself to its feet with another rumbling roar.
"Vance shrank back deep into his shelter. He wasn't feeling so brave after all, but he knew he had to do something. He grabbed his sword, held his breath, and tugged up the pegged-down cloth at the back of his shelter. He slipped out into the night."
Kel'nar paused, and Violet stared at him with eyes as round as saucers. "More, Kel'nar! More!"
Zak agreed, but he didn't say anything. He just waited.
Kel'nar raised an eyebrow. "Well, Vance was smart to slip out the back. He snuck into the forest, silent as only an elf can be, and circled around through the trees at the edge of the clearing. At last he was directly behind the troll, which had ripped open the front of his shelter by now and was peering inside.
"Vance raised his sword, rushed at it from behind, and chopped off its—"
"Drizzt!" Mum interjected, covering Violet's ears.
"Well, dispatched it with a mighty two-handed swing."
Zaknafein grinned.
Violet bounced up and down on Mum's lap. "Chopped off its head! Chopped of its head!" she proclaimed, swinging her right arm as though she held a sword too.
Kel'nar laughed, and Mum gave a grudging smile.
"Vance quickly wiped off his sword, took down his shelter as fast as he could, stuffed his supplies into his pack, and rushed home as swiftly as possible in the dark."
"What?" Zak blurted out. "He still hasn't figured out that he should burn the dead troll?"
Kel'nar raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Well, not everyone is as clever as you, Zak."
Zaknafein grinned.
"So, Vance hurried all the way home, and by the time he arrived at his village, it was dawn. He was so out of breath, he could hardly speak.
"His father and the village leaders crowded around, waiting until he caught his breath. They could see that his face was pale, and he kept glancing fearfully behind him.
"At last, Vance managed to gasp out his story about the troll coming back to life despite the arrow in the—" He glanced at Mum and smiled. "Despite the arrow."
"The oldest hunter of the village, a grizzled old elf by the name of …"
"Grand Old Violefein," Zak supplied.
Kel'nar grinned. "Grand Old Violefein. Yes. He squinted at poor Vance and said in a gruff voice, 'Ye hafta burn trolls, boy! Else they grow back! And new trolls grow from every piece!'
"Vance felt as though his stomach dropped to his boots. 'Th-then there's going to be two trolls there,' he stammered. 'Or three.' Maybe something had been stuck to the end of his arrow.
"The village warriors exchanged grim looks. 'We'd best go deal with this now,' Grand Old Violefein said.
"The warriors armed themselves with swords and bows. A few of them had chainmail, and they put it on. Some of the younger warriors tried to convince Grand Old Violefein to stay behind, but he insisted on coming along too despite his advanced age.
They set out with Vance the Brave leading the way. He still wasn't feeling very brave, but he had to show them where the trolls had been. Vance was impressed by how silently Violefein could sneak along.
At last, they came upon the clearing where Vance had spent the night, and there they were—three brawny trolls."
"What's bwany?" Violet piped up.
Kel'nar smiled. "Big and strong with bulging muscles."
Her eyes widened. "Ooh."
Kel'nar glanced out of the shelter, and Zaknafein followed his gaze. The rain had almost stopped.
Kel'nar turned back toward them and leaned forward, hands planted on his thighs. "There was a mighty battle, and at last all three trolls were slain.
"Grand Old Violefein started chopping wood. He was the only one who'd thought to bring along an ax. Some of the younger warriors hauled fallen trees in from the forest and broke off branches. They made the biggest fire Vance had ever seen. The fire was so hot you couldn't get within ten feet of it once it was really going. They had arranged the wood around and beneath the fallen trolls, of course.
"After most of an afternoon had passed, nothing remained of the three trolls but ashes. The elves returned to their village, weary but satisfied.
"As luck would have it, Vance never saw another troll again in all his life. He made a living crafting bows and arrows, and he taught the young elves of the village how to use them. And the one thing he never forgot to teach his young archery students was that you must always, always burn a troll."
Kel'nar smiled at Zak and Violet in turn. "And that's the story of Vance the Brave. The end."
Zak returned his father's smile.
Violet bounced up and down on Mum's lap and clapped her hands. "I like that stowy, Kel'nar. Tell it again!"
Kel'nar chuckled. "Maybe another time, Vi. I'm going to get a fire ready for supper."
"Aww."
Mum smoothed back Violet's hair. "Don't pout, Violet. You can help get out the plates and cups."
Zaknafein thought that sounded boring, but little Violet's eyes lit up.
"All wight, Mummy!"
Kel'nar clapped Zaknafein on the shoulder. "Come on, Zak. Let's find some dry tinder."
A/N: In progress. More to come!