With Jim and Claire as her guides, Trollmarket was still intimidating, but not as scary. There were so many new things here.
She could swear she saw a tiny person dart across her path – a man with a beard, wearing a tall, pointy, red hat. He vanished behind a stack of crates. Joan followed.
Is this even possible? Am I losing my mind? She turned a slow circle and then shook her head. Then again, I am seeing trolls, so… Joan bent down and peered behind the crate.
The little man popped out, his wide mouth lined with sharp teeth as he jumped at her.
"Arghhh!" Joan stumbled back and hit the ground with an "Umph."
"Hey!" Jim jumped in and grabbed the tiny man. He held the toothy little guy up by his collar and glared at him. "What did I tell you guys about behaving?"
"Are you okay?" Claire knelt beside Joan.
Joan stared at the little man. "What – what is that?" She pointed.
"It's just a gnome." Jim sighed. "Most trolls consider them pests. They're sentient though, so I'm trying to help them get along with the trolls, but it's not always easy."
Joan pulled her knees up to her chest. "Heh. So, gardening gnomes aren't the only kind, huh?"
The tiny man in Jim's hand hissed and waved his short arms as he spouted something akin to words, but Joan couldn't understand him.
"They don't like being compared to garden gnomes." Jim smirked. "They think humans are trying to insult them." He addressed the gnome. "Calm down. There's nothing to see here. Go on home." He set the gnome down. It gave an offended huff and then skittered off.
Joan looked after the little creature in wonder.
"You're adjusting pretty well," Claire said as she helped Joan up.
"This is just… so wonderful," Joan said in awe. "Trolls… gnomes… Do dragons exist too?" She looked up at the high cavern ceiling.
"Oh, I sure hope not," Jim groaned.
"Why?" Joan asked.
Jim shook his head. "Because if they do, I'm sure I'll probably end up having to fight one someday. A big, giant one that spits fire and grabs me with its huge claws as it flies away. And it'll probably have a secret ability nobody except Blinky knows dragons have, and he'll forget to tell be about it – like it drools acid or something."
"Yeah…" Claire sighed.
Joan stared at the half-troll and his shiny armor. Nobody else here wore armor. "Are you… some sort of warrior?"
"Jim is the Trollhunter," Claire said, the light of pride glowing in her eyes as she stood next to him. "He's the champion and defender of Trollmarket, and he's already a legend! He defeated Gunmar the Black and saved Arcadia."
"Who?" Joan raised an eyebrow.
"Oh… Well…" Claire paused as Jim gave her an amused glance. "Well, this… really bad troll," Claire said. "And I mean really bad, and strong – so strong no other Trollhunter could defeat him – not even Kanjigar the Courageous. At first, it was just his servants, the Changelings. Then they took my brother, Enrique, then there was Angor Rot! Strickler just didn't know when to give up. Then Jim went to the Darklands, and then he got out – Gunmar got out, I mean – and he took over Trollmarket and there was a war, and we had to go find Merlin, and I was possessed, and then there was that last battle." Claire sucked in a long breath. "It was pretty crazy for a while."
"Wh - what?" Joan stuttered. The flood of information rolled over her, too deep to comprehend it all at once.
"You had to be there, I think…" Jim said.
"Wait, no, I was possessed first, wasn't I? Then we had to find Merlin." Claire tapped her chin then crossed her arms and frowned.
Joan stared at Claire at this second mention of Merlin.
"You okay?" Jim said.
"I'm just… trying to process all this… Trolls, gnomes, possession? A guy you keep calling Merlin – like in King Arthur?"
"Erh… yeah," Jim said. "Like in King Arthur."
"Exactly like King Arthur actually," Claire added with an awkward smile.
"Wait… What?!" Joan's eyes flew open wide. "You're not telling me – You mean, the actual Merlin? You know him? The one from the legends?"
Jim nodded. "He's ten minutes' walk that way." He raised a thumb over his shoulder.
"Yeah… he lives here," Claire confirmed.
"Hey, don't make fun of me!" Joan protested. "I'm new to all this," she gestured around the cavern, "but it's not nice to just tell me stuff to see how gullible I am."
"We're not lying. Seriously," Claire said. "Merlin was asleep for a thousand years, so, well… he had no place to go when he woke up, and now he's here with us."
Joan gaped.
Jim cleared his throat. "I would invite you to go see him, but he really doesn't like visitors – especially uninvited ones."
Joan frowned. "But… isn't Merlin supposed to be nice?"
Jim snorted.
"What?" Joan crossed her arms.
"Merlin… Heh… Nice probably isn't the word to describe him," said Claire. "He's… actually kind of mean."
"And condescending," Jim added. "He talks down to everybody; it's annoying."
"I suppose he is the greatest magician who ever lived," Claire said with a sigh. "But Morgana might be the exception to that."
"Arthur's bane?" Joan breathed.
"Huh?" Jim and Claire chorused.
"You are talking about Morgan le Fay, right? Merlin's apprentice – Arthur's half-sister, born out of wedlock. She was filled with such a strong lust for vengeance that she didn't just kill Arthur but turned him onto a devastating path. She took his pride, and then destroyed his legacy."
Jim and Claire both stared at her.
"It… isn't that Morgana." Joan shivered.
"No – that's the one," Claire replied. "I just didn't know all that about her."
"Me neither," Jim said. "I should have read up on those legends better."
"She killed Arthur?" Claire said.
Joan nodded. "According to the legends, at least. I mean – from what I remember anyway." She scratched her cheek and bit her lip.
"So, you like legends and fairytales?" Claire asked.
Joan blushed and looked away.
"I think that's cool. You probably already know more about this world than I do," Claire said.
Joan kept her eyes on the ground.
"You all right?" Jim asked. "You need to go lay down?"
Joan shook her head.
"Wanna see more of Trollmarket?" Jim said.
Two gnomes scooted past Joan's feet. One hauled a shiny, red button on his back and the other shook his little fist and chittered as he tried to catch the trinket thief.
Joan nodded to Jim.
"I don't know that much about the other creatures living out there," Jim admitted. "But Blinky does, and I'm sure he would be more than happy to tell you. In fact, be careful with that. You might have a hard time getting him to be quiet. He loves to talk."
Jim and Claire led Joan farther into Trollmarket.
Joan glanced up at her guides. "What about… Nomura?"
"Oh." Jim looked to be at a loss. "Well… Nomura is – She – has some difficulties."
Joan gave him a questioning look as they passed a vendor stall with a picture of a smelly sock plastered above it.
"I mean – I don't think Nomura would hurt you – or anyone. She's just… She doesn't like to talk much – to anyone. She's had a rough time."
"How so?" Joan said as they passed what looked like a small tavern.
"That's complicated, and I'm not just saying that to get out of talking about it." Jim sighed. "You don't need to be afraid of her. Just… he nice. I know she can be difficult."
Joan stared at a cart heaped with balls of old, hard gum. Next to it stood a tower of dirty tires.
"Joan?" Claire tapped her shoulder.
"What? Oh!" Joan looked up. "Please, show me more."
"This way," Claire smiled and beckoned her down another street.
Joan tried to enjoy the amazing sights and sounds of Trollmarket, but as she passed each shop and house, Nomura's terrifying words echoed in her head. "You can stay in my keep until the danger is past. That's it. After that, you're out!"
What's going to happen to me? Would Nomura just dump me back on the street after a couple days? Joan ducked behind a pile of rusty tin cans for a second and squeezed her eyes shut. Maybe I can convince Blinky to let me stay. Or maybe Jim, or Claire? She took a deep breath and stepped back into the street.
Jim and Claire were talking to a giant purple troll. He laughed and straightened his piles of broken silverware.
No… They don't know me. They're just acting nice, but they won't stay that way for long… No one ever does. Joan slowed her pace and stuffed her hands in her pockets. They'll throw me out eventually. That's just how the world works.
"Joan! Come on; you've got to see this juggler up ahead of us," Jim called back. "He's got two swords and a lit torch in the mix."
Joan pasted on a smile. "Be right there."
Editted by dtill359