CHAPTER 1 – Boy in the River
Humans are disappearing in the middle of night. Everyone hears the strange noises from the mountains, the sings of Trolls.
Many stories are told, they are always different, and nobody knows how the real trolls look like. They guessed, there are more variant of trolls. There are big and small, hairy or bald. But in all description there is one thing about them: They want to kill. They kill people, and eat them all.
Two small children were collecting woods in the forest, near by a river. One of them was six or seven years old, while the older boy were around twelve. The smaller child ran down to the river.
- BROTHER! – The little boy shouted.
The older brother looked up scared; he thought something happened to his little brother. He dropped the woods and run there immediately. The younger pointed into the River, where there was a little boy, hanged onto a broken tree; half of his body was in the water. He couldn't hold it longer.
- We have to help, or he dies! – the younger boy said to his brother.
They looked at the huge waterfall. The water was fast and very strong. A child, like him, couldn't survive it.
The child who was hanging on the tree above the water had very skinny body and he didn't seem strong. Probably he wasn't eating for long time. His body was very light, the water could move him very easily. But he didn't give it up.
- I… I can't do it. – The older brother said and stepped back.
The younger child didn't understand his brother. He knew, he can't do anything, his body was very light too, and the strong water would move him too. He grabbed his brother's clothes and tried to make him help the young in the river.
- HE IS A TROLL – he shouted at his younger brother.
- No way! He is just a child, like me, you can't let him die!
- You can't see? He has horns, he must be a troll!
- Dad used to say to love every living creature; even it is a moose, a bear, a horse or just a bug!
- Mom said, the Troll eats us and run if we saw or hear them!
Strange noises broke their conversation. Sounds of groans came from the little Troll. The brothers look at the Trollchild, who was holding the wood only with one hand.
The Older brother couldn't hesitate anymore, and run into the river. He was big and heavy, the water didn't shove him easily. He stopped; he felt the water would be way too deep if he goes ahead to the Troll. He tried to reach the troll with his hands, but couldn't. And the trollchild didn't cooperate.
The boy was surprised. He noticed the fear in the Troll's eyes.
The fear of Humans.
He tried to find other way to save him; he looked around. He saw nothing. He had no time, he knew that. He tried to step closer to him, but nearly fell into the water, caught the troll, but he couldn't stand.
Both of they was in water that shove them to the waterfall. The Boy was heavy enough to make this all slower and tried to stop them by legs, but without luck. They had no much time, but the Boy saw another broken tree, and caught it with one hand; holding the troll with other hand. He could stand up and get out of water with the little trollchild who was holding the boy strong close.
The Troll was very tired and fainted immediately they both were in safe on the side of river. The brothers had no idea what to do with him. They didn't want to leave him there, but they had to go home.
- We have to leave him here – the older brother said. – Mom would be angry at us, if he saw him. Who would hurt a troll? They eat all everything, not everything eats them!
- Like we are unarmed against a Wolf, while our father was strong and could defeat it without any weapon.
The older brother was surprised that his little brother was smarter than him and then he started laughing loud and added "oh, I knew it too!".
- If we can't take him home… THERE! – he pointed at a small cave. – we can leave him there. It's safer!
The older brother nodded and picked up the trollchild, then brought him into the cave. The cave was small, only two of them could stay in there. No more. He stayed with him for a minute, looked at him. He brushed the troll's hair, and touched his horns. The Trollboy moved, but didn't wake up.
He left the small cave, and step next to the collected twigs. The younger boy joined him to help and both of them went home.
"I hope nothing will happen to him" He looked back the older boy…