The sky darkened with the setting of the sun, ever present despite the concealing clouds that remained all during the day. Inside the cave, low growling voices and the scrape of metal armor against stone heralded the awakening of destruction. The horde of Gunmar, led on this eve by Bular himself, was preparing itself for battle.
The general was once more at the front of the cave, staring out at the deepening night. The last night many humans and quite likely, if Bular was right many Trolls from both sides, would ever see. That same something in his chest that had been twisting itself up into knots as he'd tried to rest gave another jerk, almost drawing out a flinch. But as the command was given to find their ranks and move out and he was forced to go to his warriors – forced to, for the first time having no enthusiasm of his own to drive him forward – he couldn't help but think that perhaps this, too, would be his final night.
Oblivion, defeated and little more than a stone statue for all eternity, or a pile of stone rubble to be forgotten. Maybe that would be better.
As they moved out under the cloud-blanketed sky, he just another warrior of the horde, the clouds rumbled and once more released their burdens upon the world, and again the falling rain was cool.
oooooooooooooooooooo
The sun had set a bit ago, and most of the Daylight Trolls were going about their early shift routines. Some were preparing food for everyone, while others performed weapon and armor maintenance or sparred together, or even just sat and talked, sharing friendship and camaraderie.
Blinkous for his part was perched a safe distance from the training area, reorganizing his notes and taking a moment to add information where it was needed. These were copies of the reports he turned in after every mission he undertook as he felt that, should he survive through all this, the events that happened and the heroism of those involved should be properly archived.
"Trollhunter! Trollhunter!"
The call echoed over the casual din of the camp, catching all's attention. One of the scouts, those who departed the first moment the sun was down to look for enemy movements, was running through camp as fast as his legs could carry him. Deya, casually-clad and taking a meal, set her plate aside and stood, moving quickly to meet him.
"What have you seen?" she asked. The scout gasped for breath for a moment before he answered.
"Gumm-Gumms, a large warband, moving on a human city! Bular leads them!" Instantly Deya called her armor, then yelled loudly to the forces in the cave.
"Make ready, find your commanders! We march!" She then listed off certain commanders by name, meaning they and their warriors were going to be moving out. Blinkous listened intently, then caught his own immediate supervisor's name among the others. Quickly he shoved his notes and papers and books into his bag - careful of the wrapped bundle he'd acquired from the village before – and hurried to report in. His role in this was to be expected: find a suitably safe location and watch, this time for signs of Bular as the scout had said, and signal his location as well as the location of any other targets of interest, or of humans in need of assistance. A set of special flare crystal would help him mark these targets, and he was given five of them to use.
As they began their hurried march towards the human settlement, briefly Blinkous' mind went back to the Gumm-Gumm he'd met before, and wondered if he would be there as well. And should he be, what would Blinkous do about it.
He stepped out of the cave, one among many yet feeling like a part of the greater whole, just as the sky rumbled as if in anticipation of the upcoming battle, and upon his skin the falling rain was cool.