I apologize for the short chapter... I also apologize for the month long hiatus I'm going on. I really am sorry. But I'm not ok right now and need a break, with so much going on in my life right now. It's just another thing to worry about, and if I can let go of something for just a bit I'll be able to get back on track. But don't worry. Double chapters the day I come back.
I was going to post just a Hiatus notice, but I couldn't do that to you guys. So I was able to write this much on a frazzled brain, sorry if there are numerous grammatical errors, along with other mistakes. Like I said, I'm not ok and I'm missing the smallest things.
TrollhuntersFan: You are right to be worried about their friendship, but don't worry. I still don't know what I'm writing and have yet to plot ahead at all. So I don't even know what happens next.
Chapter 21: Forgetting something obvious.
As soon as it was dark we made our way back to Maggie's house. She had a big backyard that met the forest, and her house was farther from the others so I thought it would be a good place to introduce her to the three rules of trollhunting.
Claire settled down on a lawn chair behind me with a bag of popcorn. A small smile on her face. She'd told me that she didn't get to see the hilarious sight that was me when Blinkey was chucking rocks at me in the forge for the first time. And she wanted to see how it went with Maggie. Didn't think she'd bring popcorn though.
"Widen your stance, keep you back up, good. Bend your knees more," I instruct. As soon as she has the right posture I wordlessly sumon my armor.
"Are you sure you want to use a sword?" I ask.
"I thought you were teaching me swordplay," Maggie says.
"Well, not at this very second. Right now I'm teaching you how to be a Trollhunter." I tilt my head slightly to the side. "You're not used to using a sword right now… you know what, it doesn't matter."
She gains a confused look, and Claire stifles a laugh behind me.
"Rule number one; Always be afraid."
Using the tip of the sword I toss a stone up in the air and hit it like a baseball toward Maggie. She rolls out of the way.
"Hey!"
"Get back up," I instruct. She does quickly. "When you're afraid, your senses are heightened, and you are more aware of your surroundings."
She narrows her eyes at me, but keeps listening.
"Rule number two; Always finish the fight." I toss up two more stones and snatch them out of the air before throwing them at Maggie, she dodges the first. But I make sure the second would hit her.
"OW!" She looks at her arm, a purple and blue bruise will be there by morning. "What was that for?"
"Stop dodging. You doge a sword wrong and you're dead. Block, hit the stones with the sword to keep them from hitting you."
She nods and gets back into her working horse stance.
"In our world, it's kill or be killed. Get that in your head right now, I don't care. Just do it." I say, growling a bit.
"Rule number there; When in doubt, always kick them in the gronk-nucks." I throw some more rocks her way, she tries to dodge one and it hits her in the head, blood spills down the side of her face.
I stepforward to help her, but she holds her hand up stopping me. "I'm fine."
"Block, don't dodge, got it?"
"Got it."
"You've seen Claire execute rule no. three on Drake, the second day of school," I continue.
Her stance falters, and her position relaxes as she looks dumbfounded. "Wait, you're telling me that if all else fails, I kick a troll in the balls?"
"Saved my life twice," Claire provides.
"And mine more." I throw another round of stones at her, and she does her best to block with the sword, but several still hit her in the legs, arms, and chest.
She gasps out a pained breath, starting at the falchion like it betrayed her.
"There are exceptions to every rule though. Goblins smell fear, and I spared several of my opponents, gaining allies. You need to use good judgement, I know you have a brain, use it."
Blood still flowing down her cheek, she nods once. Her whole attention on my every word.
"Ready?"
She gives another nod, tightening her grip around the hilt. I begin throwing rocks relentlessly. Stopping after about thirty seconds and she only blocked about two.
"Mags, what would be your weapon of choice? Right now, if you had to pick a weapon you know how to use?" I place Dusk on my back and walk forward to her.
"Probably sticks," is her simple answer. "Escrima sticks," she explains after seeing my confused face.
"You have a pair?" She nods. "Go get them. Clean up your head."
I run my fingers through my scruff and up my horn as I walk back to Claire. Crouching down next to her chair.
"Entertained?" I ask.
The popcorn had been set aside, and she was watching Maggie and I closely. She shook her head. "I'm surprised she couldn't block the rocks."
I nod. "Me too, I'm not going to let her out in the field wielding a blade. She needs to use something she has experience with."
"Think she'll be able to handle the kind of life we lead?"
"Without a doubt. She's bored by school, always looking for a challenge. I'm sure the only reason she was interested in me was because I'm different from every other guy she's ever encountered. What I'm worried about is her pushing herself too far."
"You mean, diving head first into trollhunting and ignoring the rest of her life and education?"
"Yeah, we need to make sure she balances it. And better than we did, because we didn't do all that great."
Maggie comes out the back door with a white wrapping around her head and two wooden sticks. "K, I've got the sticks. Wrapped up my head, now what?"
I raise a brow at her, walk over to where she was standing before and gather up the rocks again. Dismissing the armor and filling my pockets with the rocks.
She lets out a whine. "More rocks?"
"You need to learn to block, be glad I'm only having you do this for tonight, and not a full week. Those sticks, they are now your best friends. Get in your stance, don't be afraid to move around. No fight ever stayed in the same place for more than a few seconds."
She nodded and did as she was told, holding her weapons at the ready.
Not knowing how well she could wield them I throw only one rock. Her reflexes and aim are much better with the sticks. I throw two more, slightly harder, with the same result. Slowly speeding up my assault, she blocks every rock.
I keep her going and on her toes for an hour before I give her reprieve, and she finally lets her face show her fatigue and exhaustion. She goes inside and gets a water bottle. After drinking a large amount, she picks up the sticks and start at it again.
I'm crawling around, picking up rocks and hurling them in her direction. The floodlights on the back porch allowing her to see the projectiles. After another hour, I don't let her stop, instead I yell for Claire.
"You will not always face one on one, especially if we're dealing with goblins."
A rock hits her in the back of the head, she turns to see Claire fiddling with a handful of rocks. I take that opportunity to throw a few rocks, teach her to never turn her back but she blocks them, as if she'd known what I'd do.
I bark, a show of approval. She grins and glances between Claire and I.
"Bring it." She looks like she could take on the world, the look in her eyes; pure determination. The white wrapping around her black hair, seeping read. Once again beginning to drip down her forehead. The blood only adding to her look of intensity.
Claire and I, from opposite sides of Maggie, begin relentlessly throwing the rocks. And Maggie takes it in stride.
Her movements are fluid, clean, precise. Dual wielding escrima sticks with perfect execution and grace.
"Keep going, I'll be right back." I leave the two girls and dash inside the hazard room, and I grab a tanbō.
I come out and test the weight of the tanbō. I've never used a lot of the weapons the Maggie owns, but she's just not ready for sword fighting. Let alone for me to attack her with one. I hold the stick as if it was a sword, about a meter long, and snarl to get Maggie's attention.
Claire quickly steps aside, and I run at Maggie and jump at her. Bringing the tanbō down at her head with a minimal amount of strength. She holds the stick up in a cross, sufficiently blocking me.
I growl and grin.
Beginning my attack while she blocks me efficiently. She's slowing down, and I see my chance to knock her off her feet. But before I do, she lunges. Attempting an attack with a stick. I go to block it, raising my forearm to stop it. But she'd tricked me and changes her stance, kicking me in the stomach.
Dang she's clever!
I shake off the shock, and deal with the small amount of pain she caused me. I swing for her head from the side, as I expected, she uses both of the sticks to block me. At that same moment I stick my leg behind her and kick her feet out from under her.
She hits the grass with a thud, and moans. She opens her eyes wide, staring deeply into the night sky. "How much have you been holding back?"
"I'm at about 10%," I grin.
"Well," she takes a breath and gets back up. She wipes at the blood dripping into her line of vision and wipes it on her dirt covered jeans. "Looks like I'm going to have to up my game." She readies her sticks again, getting into a defencive stance.
I drop the tanbō, and shake my head. "Mags, it's two in the morning. We've been going since nine. You at least need a break. I know I did."
Claire comes forward, taking her position next to me. "How about any more questions?"
Maggie pauses to think, then she holds up a finger. "This morning, you said you don't have the ability to sleep during the night 'anymore'. Do trolls sleep more when they're younger, or was it because of geography? You know, 'cus you were back in california."
I'm confused, and Claire seems so too.
"What," she says.
"Wait, Maggie. You know what I am, right?"
She gives a half smile, but she is wearing a confused look to match Claire's and mine. Nodding, she speaks. "You're a troll."
My mate shakes her head and starts laughing. She turns to me and smiles. "We missed telling her something very obvious Jim."
Realization dawns on me and I facepalm. I also give a small smile and laugh. I look at Maggie and tell her.
"Maggie, I'm half human."
Tada, that's what she was missing. Obvious when you think about it.
Brain: Month hiatus?
Max: Yes.
Brain: Why?
Max: Because you've messed me up to the point were I can't function.
Brain: What? That was the Body's fault.
Body: Hey, if Max doesn't get her sugar she gets cranky! It's not my fault you can't process the chemicals right!
Brain: You made her pass out at work last night!
Body: You made her break down in the middle of the shift!
Me (Max): *Laugh sobbing* I need sleep, and for my mind and body to stop fighting.
Please review, I would like feedback on the story. If you have any lies you would like in the story, comment of PM me.