Fallen Angel: Chapter Ten

[the_siobhan]

I was awakened before dawn the next morning by birds that would have put an average Saturday night in the Entertainment District to shame for cacophony. Seriously, anybody who looks to the country for peace and quiet needs their head examined. Sue was already up and cooking something that smelled almost but not entirely unlike bacon.

I stuffed my sleeping bag back into my knapsack and accepted the proffered plate of breakfast. As was his usual routine, Gealhaad was out scouting the day's route. We hadn't finished packing up from our morning meal before he returned, beaming from ear to ear.

"We're in luck," he said "There is a Christian encampment a few miles up the highway."

Sue and I exchanged glances as we slung our backpacks over our shoulders and climbed back up onto the broken asphalt of the highway we were following. In retrospect we should have asked more questions. Especially since the angel's excitement over encountering a group of believers completely overshadowed the existence of an entire troll army on the road.

That particular section of road ran through a small section of woodland that had been designated a wildlife corridor. Since the lapse of anything resembling highway maintenance, the trees had taken over, creating a green tunnel of branches and upthrust wooden knees. I was climbing over a tangle of roots when I suddenly realized there was a very sharp and very shiny wedge of metal pointed directly at my breastbone.

I looked at the spear and then looked up. For the first time my eyes focused on the very very large number of very heavily armed trolls all staring back at me.

So help me, the very first thing I thought of, and the very first thing that came out my mouth was, "You poor things! What are you doing outside?"