by Rinelle Grey
Bound by Magic, United by Love.
Jasyn is at the bottom of the food chain in the troll camp. As a mage, he lacks the brute strength that he could use to demand respect. He certainly will never catch the eye of a warrior woman like Kriss. But when he finds a book in a human village detailing unknown facts about the curse of the trolls, he knows he has to act before the trolls fight themselves into extinction.
Ever since she was a little girl being bullied around by her brothers, Kriss has been determined never to be weak. She’d never look twice at a troll like Jasyn. Strength and being able to beat anyone is her goal, and she won’t let anything distract her from it. Until Jasyn stands up to their leader and insists there is another way. A more peaceful way.
The two of them form an alliance, bound in a marriage of convenience, focused on finding a way to end the fighting. An alliance that tests them in more ways than one. But can a people who have been ruled by strength and war ever find a peaceful solution to their problems? And can Kriss and Jasyn find time to look for their own happiness?
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1
Taking a Stand
Jasyn edged around the sides of the tent. Despite the chill that seeped in where the tent's outer coating of mud had worn off the furs, he didn’t venture near the warmth of the fire in the centre. Better to stay far away from the roughly built centre table where the best warriors sat.
Only a dozen of them, clad in leather armour, had the honour of sitting there.
The firelight glinted off their green skin and made the red ridges on their ears glow. Raising their dented mugs, the warriors crashed them together, the last of the ale slopping out.
“Those humans aren’t going to know what hit them,” one of them grunted.
In the centre of the feast sat Mugos. The champion’s arms bulged with dark green muscles. As a badge of honour, he wore the plaited hair of the last champion tucked behind his pointy, red rimmed ear. Jasyn turned away as Mugos’s girlfriend, Kriss, leaned over and half kissed, half bit, the champion’s ear.
Jasyn should have stayed away tonight. Every night he felt the need to come and see, to reassure himself that she hadn’t fully committed to Mugos. To his relief the strength of her magic, and that of the champion, remained unchanged.
Unbonded.
It made sense. Mugos wouldn’t send her into battle knowing that if she died, so would he. The magical bond was why so many warriors married late, after their fighting days were done.
The warriors’ laughter rang in Jasyn’s ears as he scanned the edges of the gathering. Almost all of the camp was here tonight, nearly a hundred trolls crowded into the tent, all hoping to share in the last of the food available.
His sister, Yass, waved to him from a table in the back corner. With one last look at the warriors, he skirted around the tables, avoiding eye contact with any of the other trolls, to join his sister. His brother-in-law, Uma, moved over to make room for him.
“Here. We managed to grab this before the others arrived.” Uma held out some stale bread.
Jasyn’s stomach growled as he looked at the bread, but he shook his head. “I'm not really hungry, I ate before I came. Yass can have it.”
Uma and Yass looked at him in disbelief, but he shook his head again. “I'm not hungry,” he insisted.
Yass looked exhausted, her cheekbones sunken, her arms and legs skinny. Her huge pregnant belly, stretching the leather bindings of the fur coat she wore, was the only part of her that didn’t look like it would disappear behind a tree trunk.
She needed food far more than he did.
He glanced back at the centre table, where Mugos gnawed on a scrawny rabbit leg, the sound of his teeth grating on the bone sending a shiver down Jasyn’s spine.
Sitting on the champion’s knee, Kriss grabbed his arm and pulled it towards her, baring her teeth to chew on the rabbit bone. Everyone around them laughed, but Jasyn saw the flash of anger on Mugos’s face.
His movement a blur, Mugos flung Kriss onto the ground and stood over her, his sword at her throat. “No one steals my food.”
The room fell silent. Everyone held their breath. For once, Kriss didn't fight back. There was nothing she could do.
Mugos’s laugh broke the silence. He re-sheathed his sword and held out his hand to Kriss. “Got to keep you on your toes and ready for the battle tonight. You can't afford to become complacent. Complacent trolls are dead trolls.” He handed her the bone, not really a generous move since there was no meat left on it. “Eat up.”
Kriss bared her teeth in a half snarl, half laugh. But she accepted the bone and everyone went back to laughing and drinking.
Jasyn didn't take his eyes off her, and moments later was rewarded by the sight of the glare she shot at the back of Mugos’s head.
Why did she put up with Mugos? She obviously didn't love him.
Still holding the bone in one hand, Kriss picked up the last few tiny potatoes off a cracked plate and stuffed them into her mouth, charred skin and all.
His stomach growled loudly. “It's not fair,” he grumbled.
“Don't even think it,” Yass said quickly. “Besides,” she looked at the centre table, “There isn't enough there to be worth it.”
Jasyn sighed. It was true. Even the centre table had almost no food left. The hard, frozen ground outside would grow nothing, and it would still be several months before animals woke from hibernation and hunting would be worthwhile. There was no food to be found on this side of the ridge.
After tonight’s raid on the other side though, there would be enough to feed everyone for months.
Those who returned, anyway.
Jasyn’s stomach turned at the memories that flashed through his mind. He had seen the pain in their eyes and the wounds on their bodies after the last raid. Many had died even after making it back to the troll camp. Jasyn tried not to think of how many could have been saved if they had accepted the mage circle’s magical healing.
Tonight, Kriss would be one of them. Every nerve in Jasyn’s body was wound tight. He had no right to worry about her or to care if she came back or not. She never paid any attention to him, even after the day when he’d first noticed that she was different.
But he did care. And the thought of her dying or coming back with horrific injuries scared him more than anything else. Jasyn had worried about her each time she’d gone over the ridge, but thus far she had always managed to return unscathed.
But such luck couldn’t last.
“There has to be a better way,” he said, banging his fist on the table.
There had to be.
“Have you found anything?” Yass asked sympathetically.
“Nothing. Our history only goes back a few hundred years and most of it is vague. There’s no indication how long these raids have been going on, or what started this war. If only we could ask them…”
He’d never seen the humans, of course. Any of them that made it over the ridge didn’t live long enough to reach the encampment. Everything Jasyn heard and read indicated that humans were sentient, thinking, feeling beings, like the trolls. Killing in self-defence was one thing, but this glorification of violence turned his stomach.
If only he knew why magic didn’t work in the human village. If he had magic, then he could walk right into the village and try to talk to them. Maybe they knew something about the history that the trolls didn’t.
Either way, there had to be a better solution than killing them all.
A cheer went up from the centre of the tent. Jasyn glanced back and saw Kriss standing on the table, demonstrating a thrust with her sword. “I’m going to spear two of them at once,” she boasted.
Jasyn felt sick. How could she stand there and talk about killing another creature so callously? She wasn't really like that. Under all that tough exterior, she had a heart. He was sure of it.
“They don’t deserve to die,” he blurted out.
&nb
sp; Suddenly, the whole room was silent. All eyes turned in his direction and he wished he could sink into the ground.
“What did you say?” Mugos demanded.
Yass reached for his hand, but Uma pulled her back.
The urge to deny having said anything was strong. But Jasyn was tired of accepting the way things were. Even if Kriss came back safe and sound again, it was still wrong. And he didn’t want to sit by and say nothing any longer.
He straightened his back. “Why do we need to kill them?”
Mugos stared at him, then started to laugh. He waved to his friends and pointed to Jasyn. “This mage doesn’t understand. Tell him, Kriss.”
Kriss glanced at Mugos, then turned to Jasyn. This time, her eyes didn’t pass over him as though he weren’t there. The wicked smile she gave him caused his heart to flip-flop. She stalked slowly towards him and Jasyn held his breath. “Because, mage, they have all the food. Do you think they’re going to share it with us if we ask nicely?”
It almost looked like the red ridges on her ears were pulsing. Her plaited hair swung around her face and her eyes bored into him. Jasyn could barely breathe.
“Well? What’s wrong? Human got your tongue?”
Jasyn swallowed. “Have you…” His voice squeaked and his lips were dry. He licked them, then tried again, “Have you tried?”
She stopped dead and stared at him. “What?”
“I said, have you tried to speak to them? To ask them for food instead of taking it? They care for their young like we do, surely they have some compassion.” The damage was done now. If they were going to kill him for his radical ideas, he might as well take this chance to express them. “We spend so much time preparing and training for battle, and each time we lose valuable warriors. What if there was a better way? A peaceful way?”
A deafening silence greeted his words. Then someone on the other side of the tent snickered. Someone else laughed out loud, and before he knew it, the whole tent was laughing and jeering at him.
Jasyn’s gaze slipped to the floor and he kicked at the dirt with his feet. His ears burned. How stupid was he, to think that the other trolls might long for peace as much as he did? Or that Kriss might.
An indrawn breath caught his attention and he jerked his head up. Kriss stared at him, her fierce expression wavering.
A look he’d seen before.
The memory of that afternoon was burned into his brain. He’d been out fishing that day, and was taking the few small fish he’d caught in the half frozen stream home to his mother and little sister. He hadn’t expected to run into two bigger trolls, Hasp and Orlis, Kriss’s brothers. He’d tried to hide the fish, but they’d snatched them away, jeering that he was so scrawny that no amount of extra food would ever help him. They needed to grow big and strong, because they were going to be warriors, and beat the champion and lead the trolls to their greatest victory ever.
Next thing he knew, he was using all his wits to protect his stomach and face from their blows.
A high pitched battle cry was all the warning they’d had, then Kriss had come out from nowhere and launched herself on top of Hasp, pulling his hair and clawing at his eyes. Hasp’s attention had been immediately diverted from beating Jasyn to trying to pull his sister off his back. But she’d clung on tight, kicking out at Orlis as he tried to pull her off Hasp’s back.
Jasyn had stood there, wanting to help her, but not knowing how. He’d tried to swing at Orlis, but had tripped on a tree branch instead. By the time Jasyn pulled himself to his feet, Orlis was lying on his back and Kriss’s punches to Hasp’s face were drawing blood.
Both brothers had run off as soon as they got the chance, leaving Jasyn’s fish lying in the dirt.
Kriss had looked at him, then down at the fish. She’d turned up her nose, and said, “They aren’t even worth my effort. Get out of here.”
He’d run all the way home.
But he’d never forgotten the look in her eyes and he had always been sure that she’d left the fish out of compassion, not disgust.
The same look had flashed in her eyes now. Hope lifted his heart. She understood. That was worth all the risks he’d taken. And if she took his side, surely Mugos would listen?
But before the hope could take hold, her eyes hardened and his stomach fell. She turned back to Mugos. “Do you want me take care of this nuisance for you, Mug, before these crazy ideas of his confuse trolls?”
More laughs rang out. Jasyn could barely breathe. This was it. He’d given it his best shot and he’d failed. It was over.
Kriss reached for her sword. Panic welled up in Jasyn. Even if she didn’t remember him, surely she wouldn’t…
She couldn’t…
Could she?
Mugos raised his hand and the room went silent.
The champion sprawled in his chair, pulling at his beard and staring at Jasyn.
This man held Jasyn’s life in his hands. Jasyn didn’t hold much hope. Mugos was well known for his contempt of people who studied magic instead of weapons training.
“No,” he drawled. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you take him with you? You can show him, and any other troll who gets the same idea, just how friendly the humans are.”
This time, Jasyn was sure his heart stopped. Go with them on a raid? Was Mugos crazy? That was no better proposition than dying here and now. At least that would be quick.
Maybe that was his plan? To make Jasyn suffer?
“What?” Kriss demanded. Her attention shifted from Jasyn back to Mugos and she turned on her heel and strode towards him. “If you want this idiot gone, I’ll get rid of him for you, but I won’t take him with us. He will jeopardise the raid and get my warriors killed.”
Her words stung, but Jasyn couldn’t argue their truth.
“Are you so ill prepared that you can’t protect one little troll? He doesn’t need to fight. But surely he’s capable of finding and carrying food. And he can have a go at talking to the humans for you. Who knows, maybe they’ll stop and apologise for killing so many trolls and for not sharing their food all these years.” Sarcasm coloured his voice.
Kriss and Mugos stared at each other, neither backing down.
Jasyn held his breath. Was Kriss thinking of challenging Mugos? The idea wasn't so far from possibility. Rumours that she would one day challenge the champion were rampant. But so far, she never had.
Far from it.
Memories of their public kisses flashed through his mind.
Now would be a stupid time to try, with the raid planned for tonight. No matter who won, the troll warriors would be weakened and less likely to have a successful raid. Kriss would never risk that.
Especially not over him. Would she?
Before Jasyn could figure out how he felt about that, she backed down.
Giving a deliberately careless shrug, she said, “Sure, if that's what you want. But if he becomes a liability, I'll kill him myself.”
“I expect nothing less,” Mugos said in amusement. He gave Jasyn a disdainful look. “You'd better give him armour and a sword, otherwise he’ll make you look weak.”
Then he turned away to demand more ale.
“Come on, we'd better get you kitted up,” Kriss said gruffly.
Not knowing what else to do, Jasyn followed her out of the tent.
Snow fell lightly outside, the moonlight glinting off the white flakes. Jasyn began to shiver so violently he could barely walk. What was he doing? Mugos might be saying he could go talk, but why would the humans listen in the middle of a raid? A raid wasn’t about talking. It was clearly about fighting. And when he couldn't use his magic, he had no way of stopping them killing him for long enough to make them listen.
“Psst!”
Uma hid behind a tent, beckoning to him. Jasyn stared at Kriss, but she strode ahead, not listening, so he paused near his friend.
“Are you all right?” Uma whispered.
“What am I going to do, Uma? I can’t go on a raid.” J
asyn’s shoulders slumped. He glanced up at Kriss, but she didn’t seem to have even noticed that he wasn’t following her.
“Who said you had to fight them? Go and talk to them. This could be your best chance.”
“But this is a raid. Do you really think the other trolls are just going to wait around while I try to talk to the humans? They’re going to be too busy fighting. And…” he hesitated, but the truth couldn’t be ignored. “What if one of them attacks me?”
Uma was silent. He didn’t have an answer either.
Jasyn heaved a sigh and Uma echoed it.
Then Uma straightened his shoulders. “Look, no one ever said this was going to be easy. But this is what you’ve always wanted. It’s the best chance you’re going to get to see if there is another way. Could you really live with yourself if you didn’t take it?”
“Well, it’s not like I have another option anyway. If I refuse to go, Mugos will kill me.”
Uma hesitated, then said quietly, “Not if you run. Just say the word, and we’ll come with you.”
Jasyn stared at him. “You couldn’t do that. We’d all die.”
Uma shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. You’ve said yourself that if we put more time and effort into magic, then we could find a way to grow food, even here in the snow. If there were enough of us, and I’m pretty sure there would be, we’d find a way.”
It was a huge offer from his friend. Jasyn’s heart warmed at the thought that they cared enough about him and his beliefs to even consider it.
But he couldn’t let them. “No, that’s not fair on you or Yass. But thank you for offering.” He squared his shoulders. “You’re right. I have to go. Even if just to see what’s on the other side of the ridge for myself.”
“Are you going to stand around in the cold chatting all night?”
Jasyn turned to look at Kriss, her hands on her hips, glaring at him.
“Just a minute.” Now that his decision was made, some of the fear had left him.
Uma clapped him on the shoulder. “Take care, friend.”
It hit him. This could be the last time Jasyn saw his friend. He was heading off to battle.
