How could she have overlooked the fact the hunter would be nearby?
Oh, did he ever look angry. Taiva had seen a few Trolls in her lifetime, but never so close up like this. Locked in place and heart pounding wildly in her chest, she could only fixate her gaze on him. She wouldn't show any signs of fear, not in front of the enemy. Even so, she thought his appearance to be quite daunting. Extensive slightly yellowed tusks curved from his thick lips, wild, wiry mane of sunset hair framed his broad face. His eyes were blood red, deep-set and unforgiving.
She wanted to reach down and pick up her staff, there and then. It was right by her foot, the one not in the grasp of those wretched steel jaws denying her of mobility, so temptingly placed; gleaming blades almost seemed to be winking at her. She would likely be able to swing it with ease in an attempt to end the troll, as it was her first intention to do so to his foolish bear, but she wouldn't get far after that. Any sudden movements and he'd likely pull the trigger. Her efforts would all be in despair, and she'd fall to the ground, dead and alone. He would likely just walk away, take his injured pet along with him and pretend nothing had ever happened. That's how they all were, weren't they? Weren't all members of the Horde merciless beasts?
Well actually, the certain Tauren she'd come to know of in Moonglade were not like that in any way, despite the fact they were the owners of the most bestial appearance among races of the Horde. She didn't consider them to count as members of the Horde though, because they were all only affiliated with the Cenarion Circle.
They were often peaceful beings, and they would gladly share knowledge of the different things they knew with her. From them, she learned more of her Druidic arts, even after training. Though Taiva wasn't a member of the Cenarion Circle herself, they would treat her with respect nonetheless, and she would always be willing to listen to their teachings. The things they taught her about druidism wouldn't help her here though, but something else may.
"And you are…?" She managed to choke out a sentence in Orcish. Though she had became fluent and developed a well understanding of the language over the years by learning from the Tauren, she knew herself she carried out a heavy Darnassian accent in her speech. None of that was her concern right now, the pressing matter was the gun aimed at her head. Though she obviously was one, she knew better than to seem a threat. For now she'd try and play coy.
The troll cocked a brow at her, after her snappy bit of orcish, and for a moment his riled expression became almost confounded. He took one hand off the blunderbuss making it point downwards instead, and a wave of relief washed over the Night elf. Perhaps she could make a run for it while he had his gun lowered a bit. He seemed to have taken advantage of a brief moment in which she wasn't all focused on her surroundings, why couldn't she? Thoughts about herself stumbling clumsily about trying to run away with a trap on her leg flashed through her mind.
Oddly though, he didn't seem as menacing as he did before.
He can still blow your head off if he wants to, idiot.
"I be da guy who dat bear belongs ta. Dah one ya nearly put ta death."
He rubbed the back of his head with his free hand almost awkwardly.
"Uh, so yah be part of DEHTA den?"
Taiva suppressed the urge to smirk. She couldn't believe it. He actually thought she was a member of DEHTA just because she was a druid and could speak orcish? Well maybe Trolls were as naïve as she was told them to be.
If it were going to save her life, then she would have to just play along. She hated having to lie, she really did, but it's not like she had any other option that may keep her alive in the situation. If she were to say something like: "Nah, I'm still an enemy with every intention to kill you but can just speak your language," he'd likely turn the blunderbuss right back at her.
In a way, she wasn't really lying, rather ignoring his question and letting his own ignorance believe what it wants to.
"So that's your pathetic excuse of a pet then, you should have kept him under control." She shrugged and feigned innocence.
"I was minding my own business, honestly. You look a little pissed about his fate, but he should have known better than to fight a battle he was sure to lose." Taiva stated in a smug, matter-of-factly kind of way.
The temporary puzzled expression on the troll's face was almost immediately washed away as soon as she said that, and replaced with the same intimidating, angered scowl she had seen before. Whether his own mind thought of her to be neutral or not, she still felt her heart beat quicken. The druid found herself biting on her bottom lip both because of the pain that was shooting up her ankle, and the fact she wished she could bite back the words that bought him back into his previous state.
The troll gestured towards his bear, now a slowly heaving heap of fur resting on its side by him in the grass.
"I sent Ek aftah ya 'cause I thought ya be some dumb animal out in dah open who make fo' an' easy kill. Wasn't 'is fault."
"Oh, alright. Then it was yours. Turns out the dumb animal wasn't an animal or dumb in the least. You don't have to come about sulking and pointing guns at me."
She heard the bear, "Ek", apparently, grunt from behind the Troll, and he bought his other hand to grip the gun again. He didn't exactly point it at her, but just the fact her fate rested on whether or not he felt like shooting her wasn't comforting at all.
"Yah know, I be wonderin' why ah druid so keen on protectin' animals be shakin' dat poor thing silly in her jaws before takin initiative tah chop 'is head off."
Shit. He didn't buy it after all.
"But I'm not gonna kill yah." He continued.
Taiva narrowed her eyes at him. "Such a generous notion. And why is that?"
She should have been relieved he said he wasn't going to kill her, but she still wasn't sure of his intentions. He had seen her just about to kill his pet, in whom he seemed so attached to and angered about.
The troll took a moment to swing his gun around his back. But he knew better than to keep himself defenseless, Taiva could see, even if she had her staff on the ground and her foot jammed up in some trap. He kept his right, three fingered hand by a long dagger strapped to his waist.
"'Cause as I said befo', I dint come out here tah be huntin' helpless elfies. Da trap aint made for yah, ain't it obvious?"
Isn't that nice, he got to see my clumsy stumble into his hunting trap as well.
For a moment she actually thought that he might have not seen her step in it. It was well hidden in the grass, and he hadn't mentioned anything about it up until now. She was proved wrong, however.
The troll stepped away from his pet and began to move closer to the druid. The rattling of his chain link armor and quiet pants of the beast behind him was all that she could hear in the still night air. Her muscles tensed as he neared, and he stopped less than a foot away.
"I tell yah what, elfie. I be makin' a deal wit' yah."
From being closer to her, Taiva could better see his face. He looked perhaps middle aged in observation, slight creases in his blue-grey skin betraying his otherwise youthful appearance. She wasn't certain how old he exactly was, but doubted he was as aged as that human woman she'd came across earlier.
"And what is that?" she questioned cautiously, gritting her teeth at the increasing pain on her ankle. She could now feel blood on the smooth leather against her leg.
The hunter gestured at her ankle, the sharp jaws of the trap had torn up the material of her boot, and Taiva could feel the tension of it getting to her. It was apparent she was bleeding by it, even if you couldn't see it under the leather. She couldn't help but shift away uncomfortably from the troll when he neared, but the slight movement had greatened the pain tenfold.
A smug grin spread upon the Troll's face, only seeming bigger by his protruding tusks. Taiva knew he was probably pleased with how his stupid trap was hurting her.
"It be uncomfortable for yah, I can see. Perhaps yah are a dumb animal aftah all, I nevah got the chance tah catch anythin' worthwhile in it, even actual dumb animals know bettah than ta be walkin' up into da trap. Wit' dat attitude yah be lucky I stopped considerin ta leave tha elfie here."
He was enjoying bashing her obviously, but she wouldn't complain. As long as he was taking out his frustrations on her in broken words and not by breaking her skull open, she couldn't care less. Taiva was actually taking amusement in the way he talked, and smirked a bit. Even her grammar in the foreign language was better than a troll's.
The Troll looked at her and frowned. "Wat is it yah find tah be amusing? Tha fact yah could be left here tah rot?"
Taiva forcefully got rid of her own smile and tried to keep a straight face.
"No, not at all." There was still a hint of laughter there, but she suppressed it completely in her next phrase. She wouldn't tell the troll she found him amusing, as she thought it would be best not to further offend the enemy in the sort of useless state she was in. Instead, she nonchalantly met his gaze. "Stopped considering leaving me here, you say? What is it you have in mind then?"
"I acknowledge mah mistakes, I expect dah elfie ta know 'ers too." The troll shrugged. "Can't really hold ah grudge on yah for fightin' back 'gainst Ek, I plan on bandagin' him, it's no biggie. But thing is, while he be ah loyal pet, he also be ah heavy load tah carry back tah camp fo' some medical help."
Taiva squinted at a small flickering orange spark in the distance, past the wide fields of open brown grass, as he mentioned 'camp'. She had noticed it before, it was at least a half mile away from where she was and pretty well hidden amongst the bases of the mountains so it didn't concern her much on whether or not it was an enemy's campfire. Seeing said enemy was before her and caused her some issues she could of spared, she probably should have been concerned.
So, that's what he wanted with this "deal" of his? He needed her assistance to drag along that forsaken bear she caused damage to in the first place. What was in it for her though was him not killing her for it, she supposed, and well, he couldn't expect her to be able to aid him with the declining wellness of her ankle. In this case, there couldn't have been a better offer. Some mild labor wasn't such a bad outcome to the situation considering he had a gun pointed at her head mere moments before.
Oh, and the fact he also admitted he needed help carrying that likely quarter ton bear a mile to his camp was some humility she thought a troll would never have. She would of thought he'd be able to take his pet there himself, she didn't deny the Troll before her was exceptionally tall in stature and had quite a muscular build. Solitarily, however it's not an easy task or at least one you can complete in time before the creature bleeds to death. Taiva less-than reluctantly nodded.
"I see where you're going. I oblige, but may I request something first?" She responded as coolly as she could. "On my behalf?" the Night elf added in.
The Troll rolled his hands out in a gesture for her to go on in her speech.
"Get this fucking thing off my foot, and stop calling me elfie."
She flashed him a sarcastically polite grin to match her tone.
"Ah, such etiquette yah have, elfie." He had already kneeled down in the grass and started tweaking with some springs and other odd metal parts Taiva wouldn't bother to ask about. She observed his doings for a few minutes slightly uneasily, his bare arm brushing against the skin of her calf while he tinkered with the device. The apparatus made a loud clinking noise and loosened. The Night elf breathed a sigh of relief from the pain when it did so, the jaws didn't seem to be squeezing her ankle so much anymore, but the next words had her worrying.
"Brace yahself." The troll whispered after waiting a moment. He had his hands around the jaws of the trap, still cutting deep into her ankle. He then began to pry it off. It wasn't just like some bandage that you would rip off quickly; there wasn't just pain for a matter of seconds. He pulled at it torturously slow; though she knew it was for the better. He didn't want to risk doing anymore damage, and for this, she was grateful, he could have been careless. Taiva balled her fists at her sides out of agony and quickly turned her gaze to the inky sky in hopes to be distracted. Waves of pain shot up her leg. Her ankle felt like it was on fire. Goddess, help me. Her golden eyes squeezed shut, and she couldn't help but let out an afflicted gasp.
"Yah… alright dere?"
She heard the rattling of the metal device being lifted from her ankle.
Taiva opened her eyes again. The troll was standing up straight again- or as straight as a troll would often stand, bloodied hunting trap dangling in hand. Dark red eyes burned through her comfort, and she felt her face flush.
Taiva cleared her throat awkwardly and quickly replied. "Er, yes, I'm fine." She straightened out her fingers in a rush to regain composure and flicked a lock of white hair out of her eyes to dare a glance down at her mangled boot. Even knowing she wouldn't be pleased with how torn up it must have been, it was a decent excuse to not have to look back at that Troll who was still staring at her. After kneeling down and undoing the laces and buckles to lift it off her leg, she slid it off and forcefully suppressed herself grimacing. She threw it to the side and it landed by her staff.
The dreadful wounds on her leg were in view now, sharp punctures along her lilac flesh like the large teeth marks of the steel jaws. Taiva turned away and sat down on the grass she came to love for its comfort, injured ankle propped up on one thigh as she sat cross-legged. She then started to run her fingers lightly over the skin, ivy light emitted in the gloom of the night. When she was done, they were minor slices, the inconvenience they'd cause be pale in comparison to their previous condition.
Taiva could still feel the eyes of that Troll hunter on her. She took a quick glimpse over her shoulder and confirmed this, then nonchalantly stood and started to make her way towards her sack of supplies several feet away. "Why do you find the need to be looking at me like that?" she questioned, trying her best to sound unconcerned. "Is it that I'm taking too long?" She was now rummaging through her supplies, finally pushing some woven blankets out of the way to find the bandages underneath.
"Nah." He waved his hand in the air, dismissing the idea and watching her wrap her ankle in the material. "Take as long as yah want."
Taiva tore the fabric from the rest of the roll to keep it on her ankle after she finished, and tucked it back into her sack. She glanced back at the Troll slightly puzzled.
Was he using sarcasm or not?
She found it hard to tell with that accent of his, but decided to shrug it off. It didn't matter. "Well then, shall we go now?" She stood from the ground, pulling her sack on her shoulder and began to make her way back towards her staff and the mangled boot. The Troll stepped infront of her, blocking her path.
"Nice try elfie. Yah leav'in yah junk 'ere." He articulated it in a way that was more like a command.
Taiva narrowed her eyes irritably. "Oh, am I? I didn't know you could see into the future." She tried to shuffle to the side and go around him, but he put his arm out across her.
"I am not in da mood fo' yah foolish games." Something about the way he said that made the druid reluctantly back away, and sent a shudder down her spine. There was that same compelling edge to it as when she heard him speak before. She dropped her sack off of her shoulder and stood there, staring at him. He was still an enemy, just one who wanted to negotiate.
…
The walk in the direction of the Troll's camp was silent. Neither of them said anything, despite the growling in the druid's ear every so often. The troll assured her that "Ek" wouldn't harm her if he commanded him not to, even when he could easily take a bite out of her neck from being at this proximity. How comforting. She found herself carrying the bear by pulling his massive front limbs over her shoulders while the Troll had been carrying the burden by his hind legs. Taiva had been right when guessing that the orange glow in the distance was the fire of the Troll's camp, and by the time he had finally decided to say something, the tiny spark in the distance had progressively grown in size.
"So, if tha elfie does not like tah be referred ta as wat she is, wat shall she be called?" His voice seemed to be booming in comparison to their silent rustle of their footsteps as they treaded in an even pace.
Taiva turned her head to look over her shoulder as best as she could and cocked a brow at him. "Are you asking me what my name is?"
Of course she already knew he had, but found more amusement in hearing him admit to it.
"…I suppose yah can say dat." He replied after a brief moment of silence.
"I think sometimes you should check with yourself if you're willing to answer the question you've asked someone." She heard him grunt behind her after her remark, but it didn't sound to be out of strain while they both walked carrying Ek, rather it sounded out of annoyance. Taiva smirked.
"Tha name's Jul'dan. I can ansa mah own question, don' be thinkin' yah so smart wit' dat snappy tongue ah' yahs."
The weight of her load suddenly increased, and the night elf nearly toppled over. She stopped walking and decided to let the creature slide off her shoulder, and fall carefully onto the ground. Taiva spun on her heels and gave the newly named troll, Jul'dan, a glare. She didn't find the need to use his name though. She didn't know him, and she didn't plan on getting to.
"There you go, sulking about something stupid again. This isn't my pet, but if you don't want to help me because you disagree with something I say, then so be it. I don't know how else you're supposed to get him there."
"Such an arrogant leetl elfie yah are." His voice was laced with a chuckle, and that only fueled the fire that was Taiva's temperament.
"I thought we had a 'deal'." She mocked him. "I thought not calling me elfie was something for my half of it."
"Den tell mah. What's yah name?"
The druid looked at some invisible spot in the grass and grudgingly muttered. "Taiva."
"Ah, yah gotta learn tah speak up. I dint 'ere yah."
She snapped her head towards him, golden eyes glaring. "Taiva." She said it with venom. It seemed like he enjoyed getting the better out of her as much as she did him.
"Dere we go. Good el— Taiva." He was completely unaffected by the fact he was pissing her off, and he made it obvious.
"Leave your petty praising for your foolish bear. Tell me why we've stopped."
"It'd be best for yah ta not come anymore near. I can take Ek da rest ah da way. Be ah real shame if yah had ta come out all da way out 'ere only ta get yah pretty head sliced off."
Taiva felt her anger wash out of her slightly. At least he wasn't trying to lead her into a trap, if there were others there who would kill her on sight. "I thought you were the only one out here. Why are you around these parts anyway?"
Jul'dan chuckled again, to her annoyance. "See wat I mean wen I say dat yah arrogant? Why would yah assume dat for? An' perhaps ya should take yah own advice. Check wit yahself if yah are willin ta ansa yah own question befo' yah ask it." He made his way over to Ek, and the druid stepped away from him to allow him space as he pulled him over his shoulders. She was silent, in fact, part of her agreed with that Troll. She sort of was a hypocrite in a way.
"I don't get you, Jul'dan." The Troll had already began to stride away slowly with the bear over his broad shoulders. However, he halted when Taiva said his name. She could tell he was listening.
"You saw I could heal myself back where we were before. You saw that I even had bandages after that. I don't understand why you couldn't have me tend to your pet there and spare the labor and troubles for the both of us."
Jul'dan glanced back at her. It was difficult to decipher what emotions were on his face, or what was going through his mind. "I couldah. But mayba dah labor and troubles were wort' it." Taiva gawked at him when she saw a crooked grin on his face. "Same reason I dint shoot yah. I find yah interestin'."
He turned his head away and started to move again in the direction of the flickering campfire, pace slowed by the weight of the beast.
"See you around then." The druid called after him.
What the hell am I thinking? Of course I won't.
She heard Jul'dan sigh. The troll sounded displeased, although she wasn't sure why. He called back to her before disappearing into the distance within the shadows of the night. "I hope dat is not dah case. If I be see'in yah again it is likely 'cause I'm supposed tah kill yah."