Welina-Grace and the Forest Uglies

WG - Chapter 15 - The Ribcage

“What do you mean, the book tried to steal your daughter!” Duskin asked, wide-eyed.

“Exactly what I said. I believe Queen Rissa is trying to take my daughter”, Zinah relayed, then went on to tell Duskin what happened in her dream as well as waking and seeing the book restored.

“Just for a millisecond, I saw Crimson's eyes black as night! It's scaring the sh*t outta me, Duskin. Who the f*ck do I need to fight to protect my daughter, huh?! Who!!!” Zinah said as her voice raised in pitch.

“I canʻt give you an answer that I donʻt know. Maybe Queen Rissa would know?” Duskin said.

“Wait?! You want me to interact with the crazy woman?” Zinah replied harshly.

“I meant the real Queen Rissa, not the one from your dream,” Duskin said.

“Oh, I knew that,” Zinah said, flushing a bright pink at the mistake she assumed.

“But Duskin. I canʻt just get up and leave to see her. What is Queen Dessa gonna say? She's not going to allow me to leave for a few days”, Zinah explained.

“Zinah, donʻt you have the pendant Queen Rissa gave you? Isnʻt that a way to communicate with her?” Duskin mused.

“I guess. I thought the pendant only worked as a one-way thing where she could see what was going on. And if she could, then she'd see what was happening right?” Zinah wondered.

“Well, maybe when you get a chance, in private, try to see if you can communicate with her. Be careful now. Make sure no one is watching or hearing you”, Duskin added.

After breakfast, Zinah checked on her daily tasks and finished them early. She then went back to working on the tincture for the Trolls. Having a working lab in the castle proved helpful for this as it allowed Zinah some trial and error as she worked. Limited supplies of cloudberries for the juice were proving to be a problem. Zinah needed to find out if there was something other than cloudberry juice that the Trolls liked to drink that could be made in abundance. Time to hit the forest.

Explaining to Crimson that itʻs important to keep quiet, making it a game that the toddler can understand. Zinah and her daughter head out into the forest to watch the trolls in the hope that she can find something to use.

Zinah sits quietly on a hill, under a bush, downwind from the trolls' village. She is thankful that Crimson is tired enough to choose this moment to take a nap. Zinah sits and watches. The trolls' village is no different from where Zinah comes from. They have families, hierarchies, and elders that take care of the young. Baby trolls run around playing with no worries in the world. The more Zinah watches, the more her heart breaks about what she is being asked to do to them.

A group of warriors that look to range in age from young adult novices to older experienced adults head out to a clearing. Zinah works her way around the back of the hill to follow the group. She finds an outcropped stone with a small enclave. Checking to make sure it is safe for Crimson, she lays some grass before laying a blanket and then her sleeping babe. She then sits to watch the trolls.

“No! You never leave yourself open, right here!” a burly troll yells at a young novice while slapping his ribcage.

“By leaving your whole side open, you also open yourself to fatal blows! Blows that your enemy will not hesitate to take if given the chance!” Burly says

“Yes, sir. I understand” says Novice.

“Good, okay, let's try again,” Burly says. Again they practice the move and this time the younger troll makes sure to cover his open side and takes Burly down by quickly moving and sweeping him off his feet.

A chorus of cheers erupts from a group watching in a circle. Zinah checks to make sure Crimson is still asleep, and she is.

“Now, if we can get all of you to be as vigil as Nuro was just here, there may be hope for us in the upcoming war” Burly praises, as he slaps Nuro on the back for a job well done. “But here is a tidbit of why it is important to cover that ribcage of yours. Nuro, come here” Burly says as he turns Nuro around and lifts his arm to expose his ribs.

“You see this area here?” Burly points out “Between this rib and this one” again he points, as the rest of the young men look closely. “If any of you are stabbed in this specific area, it is a shortcut straight to your heart” Burly continues as the men stand with mouths open.

“Now, there is another reason I am telling all of you this. Should you EVER come across a fallen troll whose heart has just stopped beating and compressions donʻt help, here is where you cut. You will stick your hand in, find the heart and give it a massage in the hope of getting it pumping again”, Burly explains, while the men are shocked at the revelation.

“I pray none of you will ever have to do that, but in the worst-case scenario, you'll find the information I just shared could just save a friend's life,” Burly said sadly, as if remembering something sorrowful from his past.

Upcoming war? What upcoming war are they talking about? Zinah continues to listen in the hopes of hearing something else.

The groups of trolls are separated into smaller groups throughout the clearing and all work individually on fighting tactics. Each group has at least two experienced warriors teaching the novices, which number about 6-10 per group.

When they break for a bit, Zinah notices they head toward a large stone well to drink. An older troll is tossing something into the well. Zinah couldnʻt see what it was but it was enough to know that it quenched the thirst of the trolls without having them drink too much that it would cause them pain when they started training again. She needed to find out what it was she put into the water.

Crimsons stirring had Zinah gathering her up and making plans to come back later when she was alone to find out what was put in the water.

The elder troll watched Zinah as she left the area. Her old eyes, though aging and not so clear, were still enough to know there was something ominous in the actions of the human hiding in the rocks.

As Zinah arrived back at the castle, she went straight to the kitchen to speak to Duskin.

“I went to see the trolls today” Zinah explained.

“Oh yeah? And they let you live?” Duskin stated.

“Are they really that bad, Duskin? I mean they seem to have the same family and community structure as we do. For goodness sake, I watched the young ones play!” Zinah was exasperated.

“Of course, they are structured. Most every living being is. What I am saying is that because they are, does not mean they are friendly, Zinah. Trolls will kill first and ask questions later. They do not trust anyone besides their own”, Duskin finished.

“Okay Duskin, I get it. I'll be sure to watch my back and make sure not to make the mistake of trying to make friends with them. But just for the record, that's not the reason I went to see them. Queen Dessa wants me to come up with a tincture to poison the clan”, Zinah claimed.

“Are you serious?!” Duskin said in surprise. “Zinah! You just said they have a structured community! You JUST mentioned the babies that were playing! And yet in the same breath, you talk about wiping them off the face of the earth?” Duskin fumed.

Zinah hung her head in shame. “I know Duskin. I donʻt want to do it but Queen Dessa is forcing my hand”, she stated “I would not ever want to hurt a child, regardless of what kind of being they are. As a mother, this is the last thing I'd wanna do. If there was any other way, I'd do it in a snap”, Zinah continued, but Duskin interjected.

“Then do it, Zinah! Find another way! Don't allow the Queen to cloud your mind and make you do her dirty bidding!” Duskin screeched.

“Is that so” came the voice of the Queen from inside the hall area leading to the kitchen, making both Zinah and Duskin jump.

“What would you have her do then, sweet, sweet Duskin?” Queen Dessa sneered.

“Dessa, you know as well as I do, that starting a war with the trolls could only end in a m******e,” Duskin said.

“Of course, I know that, Duskin. A m******e on their part, not ours” the Queen stated menacingly.

“How can there be a war if they won't even know what hit them? Isnʻt that right, Zinah?” the Queenʻs steely stare burned a hole through Zinah

“Yes, Your Majesty” Zinah quietly replied, looking down and then at Duskin.

“Donʻt let me find out you have betrayed me, child. My revenge will be the lease of your worries” the Queen berated as she stared at Crimson with an unspoken threat.

Zinahʻs eyes went wide with fear for her daughter, and as the Queen turned to leave, turned to rage. She looked over to Duskin, who quietly shook his head in warning not to act out on whatever hatred he saw in her eyes. , to his dismay started going black….