The Guardian
by Concolor44
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Author's Note: This one hasn't been beta-read. I've been through it several times, but I ALWAYS miss something, so if you see a goof, PM me and let me know, k?
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Chapter 2: Troll Logic
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"Fire crystals? Is that what they're called? That's a really pretty orange. How come …" Her eyes widened and she snapped her fingers. "That's where I've seen 'em before! The trolls were wearing the same kinds of gems."
"Oh, I don't think they qualify as gems, exactly. That's not what they're for."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, see, a troll earns the first fire crystal when …"
"Whoa. Earns? I remember some of them were just decked out in those things!"
"Yeah. Trolls live a long time, and whenever one does something …"
"Are they like rank badges?"
"What? No!"
"That old troll … Grand-Something?"
"Grandpabbie?"
"Yeah, him. His were different."
Kristoff gave her a look. "What do you mean by 'different'?"
"… I dunno. They just … felt different."
"Maybe it was him you were picking up on. He's the one that knows most about magic."
"Eh. Maybe." She gestured at his crystals. "So what are they for?"
"Different things. Trolls are magical just anyway, so they can use magic, but the younger ones can be really, ah, foolish with it, so …"
"Is that part of that 'prank experts' thing you mentioned?"
"And how! Anyway, before a troll can begin to learn about really using its magic, it has to show a level of responsibility. That's why Krondy was so proud to show off that he'd earned his first crystal."
"Oh! So … the more crystals, the more responsible a troll is?"
"In a roundabout fashion, yeah. But that's only part of it. They also play into troll religion."
"Trolls have religion?" Lydia sputtered.
Anna breathed, "Huh. Never really gave that idea much thought."
"Well, sure." He nodded. "They're a type of Earth Elemental. They follow the Old Ways."
That brought a sharp gasp from Anna. "You mean," she whispered, "like human sacrifice?"
Kristoff's eyes rolled so hard they could practically hear it. "Oh, come on! Seriously? Don't be ridiculous. As far as I know, humans are the only species that practices human sacrifice. No, I mean they respect the Elemental Lords, care for the Earth, and celebrate the seasons. The well-being of the Earth is sort of their responsibility. The parts of it we can see, that is. They don't have anything to do with waters."
"Or air?" asked Lydia.
"Right. Or fire, either. Just earth and rocks and whatnot. And, well, things that grow in the earth. Some of them." He scratched his head. "I never was really sure where the cutoff point was."
"Oh." Anna thought that over for a few seconds. "Soooooo … where'd they come from?"
He shrugged. "Where'd humans come from?"
"God made people."
"Maybe God made trolls, too."
The Princess worked that one around a bit. "But … why?"
"Why, what?"
"Why would God make two different intelligent races? And why give magic to just one?"
He gave her an incredulous look. "In the first place, what makes you think there are only two intelligent races? And besides that, what do you call what your sister does? Party tricks?"
"That's different!"
"I don't see how."
"It just is."
Kristoff knew a closed subject when it popped him on the nose. Grinning, he started in on the dried fish again.
After half a minute of nothing but chewing sounds, Anna asked, "So, how'd you end up with fire crystals? You don't look like you're part troll."
"No such thing as 'part troll'. The two races can't cross-breed, not even with magic."
"Don't dodge the question."
"I'm not. Just making a point." He wiped his mouth. "I got my first crystal when I was about twelve."
She didn't question his use of the word 'about' in relation to his age. They'd established months ago that he didn't know when his birthday was. "Really? What did you do to earn it?"
"Showed some responsibility."
"Heh. Just like a troll."
"They are my family."
"So, can you do magic?"
"Of course not! I'm a human."
"So then the crystals themselves are magic? Is that right?"
That stopped him. He had honestly never considered the question from that angle before. It was just one of those things that was, that no one questioned. Like air. "I … don't know."
"So how do the trolls use 'em?"
"They focus magic through them."
"Does that mean the crystals don't, like, store magic?"
That was another one he'd not examined. He gave her a shrug.
"Well, what do yours do? You've got five, you must know something about them!"
He lifted them up in front of his face and studied them.
"What's that cord made of?"
"Braided leather."
"Hmh." She held out a hand. "Can I see them?"
He scooted over beside her where she could get a good look at them lying across his palm.
"No, I mean take it off."
"Oh. Nope, can't do that."
She opened her mouth and closed it once, one eyebrow raised. "Excuse me?"
"I never take 'em off."
"… Really."
"Yes, really."
"You mean you never take off that necklace? For anything?"
"Nope. Not for going on a dozen years."
"Doesn't it get … kinda icky?"
"No. The crystals … well, they keep the cord leather soft and supple and clean." Then, sort of to himself, he murmured, "Huh. I guess they are magical, at least that much."
Anna reached for the braided cord, twirling it between her fingers and thumb. "Do you think I could get some?"
Her question surprised him after what he'd told her, but he just shrugged and said, "No. I think you'd have to join the family. They don't give them to outsiders, ever. That much I do know."
She dimpled and said, "Join the family? That can be arranged."
His grin was epic. "I like the way you think."
Lydia loudly and pointedly cleared her throat.
Anna gave her an exasperated look. "What? We're just flirting! He's my fiancé, for God's sake!"
"Yes, and you know how easy it is for you two to get carried away with it."
"Oh, really? Out here in front of eight guards, and you? How carried away could we get?"
"Best not to stir the waters in the first place."
"Hey, it's not my fault! Talk to Mister Walk-Around-Half-Naked over there."
Kristoff chuckled. "Still don't know why you think it's such a big deal."
The girls chorused, "It just is, okay?"
He held up both hands in surrender. "Fine! Whatever." But in doing so, he dislodged his makeshift cape, which slid away into a soft heap around him. He looked down at it and sighed.
The girls didn't say anything about it. Just stared.
He shrugged. "Sorry. It slipped."
Lydia shot a glance at Anna and gave her head a tiny jerk in Kristoff's direction.
"… What?"
"Aren't you going to, you know, tell him to … um … cover up again?"
"… Why don't you tell him."
"He's your fiancé."
"That's your ground-cloth."
"Technically, it's Queen Elsa's, being part of the castle stock."
"Okay, then, we'll let her tell him to cover up."
Kristoff's laugh was long and loud. "I don't believe you two! Getting that bothered by a little skin."
Lydia gave a small cough. "If God had wanted you to walk around bare, He wouldn't have invented shirts."
"I'm pretty sure people invented shirts."
"No, it says in the Scriptures, God made Adam and Eve clothes out of animal skins."
"Shame I don't have an animal skin to throw on, then."
She huffed, "It's the same principle!"
Shaking his head, he gathered up the ground-cloth and re-arranged it like a poncho. "This isn't very comfortable, you know."
Anna sniffed, "It wouldn't have been a problem if you'd kept your shirt clean."
"Yeah, well, next time pick a spot for a picnic that doesn't have any bees."
The Princess, none too fond herself of things that could both fly and sting, didn't have a ready comeback. Finally she said, "Well, no matter, once we're married you can talk Grandpappy into …"
"Pabbie."
"Whatever. You can talk him into getting me a fire crystal, too."
That gave Kristoff a bit of a pause. "I … don't think he'd do that."
"Oh, come on! He'd make an exception for a Princess, wouldn't he?"
"I think that might be one of the reasons he wouldn't."
She crossed her arms and grumped. "Not fair."
"Fair doesn't have anything to do with it. The crystals have deep meaning for the trolls. They aren't just decoration." He leaned in her direction. "And isn't that what you want them for?"
"… Um …"
"I rest my case."
"SO not fair."
He tried a different tack. "Well, look, even if …" But then he stopped as a pair of the Guard ran up to them.
"Highness! There's a large group of men moving this way! We have to hurry!"
They didn't bother with the picnic basket or the ground cloth. Kristoff snatched up his half-dry shirt and shrugged into it as they ran for the horses.
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End Note: Obviously, the Guard were aware that such an encounter was a possibility. If they hadn't been watching carefully, they wouldn't have been ABLE to give the alarm.
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