The Grip of Tragedy, part IV

Trolls are hidious, ugly brutes. They have floppy gray ears, a bulbous nose, and reek with such a stench that it would put a skunk to shame.

They also happen to be frightfully good at biting, despite the tusks.

The horse pranced anxiously as the troll came closer, the only thing keeping it from bolting being Merrick's hold on the reins.

“Do something!” I hissed, glaring down at the apprentice wizard. I hadn't signed up to face a troll.

Trolls would either eat a princess right off, or take her down into their caverns to fatten up for later.

It really depended on the troll.

Merrick grimaced as the horse jerked against his hold. “Get down.”

With a troll around? I would rather keep clinging to the horse. Then again, if it did bolt, would the ring cause me to fall off in order to stay near Merrick?

I slid out of the saddle as gracefully as a princess could when the horse is nearly terrified out of its mind. Really, you would think even a prince who is a younger son would have a mount that could handle getting near monsters.

As soon as I was safely on the ground, Merrick let go of the horse. While it bolted away, Merrick said something I couldn't understand and clapped his hands.

The grass surrounding us shuddered, growing taller and weaving together to form a wall. When it got about four feet high, the growth stopped.

Merrick sighed as he pulled me down. “That won't slow the troll very well, and it didn't look like it followed the horse.

I wrinkled my nose as the troll's stench drew nearer. “Do something, oh great and terrible wizard.”

Merrick tapped his chin, thinking over his next move for far too long in my opinion.

“Can't you simply put it to sleep?” After all, that seemed to be his usual method for dealing with problems.

“Trolls don't sleep.” Merrick shook his head, frowning as the troll gave a grumbling noise from the other side of the grass wall.

“Turn it to stone?” I suggested, and Merrick frowned.

“I'm not that good at transfigurations.”

“Well, do something!” I said, voice rising as rips appeared in the grass wall near where we huddled.

The troll's tusks retreated, only to reappear as the beast jabbed at our feeble defenses.

The troll's entire head came through, and the beast gave a grunt as some sparkling spell struck it.

The spell did nothing, and the troll thrashed its way through the grass wall.

As the beast loomed over me, I did what any proper princess would do.

I screamed.

Merrick shouted something as the troll lowered its head to impale me with its tusks.

My eyes shut.

And something heavy and furry hit my chest.

My eyes shot open, and another scream broke free.

The world's most hideous, misshapen, mutated rabbit was scrambling at my gown.

“Told you I wasn't good at transfigurations.” Merrick said, his voice a weak wheeze.

I flung the horrid troll-rabbit away and sat up to look at the wizard. His face was ashen, and his hands shook as he lowered them to his lap. I was fairly certain that his fingertips were smoking.

“You are a horribly dark wizard, to have waited until the beast was on top of me to defeat it.” I said rather sternly, my shivers not pretended whatsoever. If he'd purposefully allowed my life to be in danger just to pass some silly exam, then I was going to do something ignoble that was unbefitting a princess.

I would punch him.

Merrick gave a shaky laugh. “I wasn't even sure that would work. Transfigurations do work better if the subject is close to the one casting the spell, but something could still have gone wrong.”

“I could have been impaled.”

“That would have been very unfortunate.” Merrick shivered and rubbed his arms. His fingertips were smoking. “I would have felt very guilty if you'd died. This should have been a simple walk back.”

I rubbed my temples, and frowned at the troll-rabbit as it headbutted my leg.

“I insist that we depart from this place immediately.” I said, using my best commanding tone.

Merrick nodded, and leaned back against the grass. “Certainly, princess. As soon as I–” he gave a yawn, “– recover my strength.”

And without another word, the wizard fell asleep. How rude.