Troll Mountain: The Complete Novel

Chapter 28

With the trolls vanquished, crushed in their own lair, and the Elixir obtained — if not in the manner Raf had intended — Raf set about returning home.

As the river settled into a more regular flow, he and the others dismantled the trolls’ wooden dock by the dam and set about crafting several broad rafts from its slats.

As they went about their work, Raf conversed with several members of the Southmen tribe and he found them to be fair and decent folk — which was totally contrary to everything he had been told about the Southmen.

Raf pondered this.

So many of the things he had been told had turned out not to be true — the nature of the land to the north of the mountains, the general roguishness of the Southmen. It made him wonder if people accept what they are told too quickly.

In any case, after a time the rafts were completed and soon Raf and the group were sailing down the wide free-flowing river out of the land of the trolls.

In the Badlands, the river had reclaimed the muddy bogs and swamps, and at one stage in their journey back, Raf saw the place where he and Ko had met Düm for the first time — only now the gripping mud beneath the Broken Bridge was completely submerged by the river and was no longer a danger.

Although he was keen to return to Kira, Raf stopped at Ko’s shack. There, Ko and the three trolls, Düm, Graia, and Vilnar, stepped off their rafts.

“Thank you both for everything,” Raf said to Düm and Ko. “I would be inside the Troll King’s belly now were it not for your cunning plan, Ko, and your clever following of it, Düm.”

Ko nodded. “It was my pleasure. I always thought there was something in you, Raf, but your bravery is greater than even I imagined. I hope your sister recovers and you both live long and fulfilling lives.”

“I should also return this to you.” Raf offered Ko his crossbow.

“Keep it,” Ko said. “Take it apart and see how it works, and then perhaps build your own version.”

Vilnar stepped forward and took Raf’s hand. “And let me thank you, young man. You had no obligation to free me and take me with you, but you did. I shall forever be in your debt.”

“Where will you go from here?” Raf asked.

“I will stay with Ko for a while. It will be quite nice to discuss philosophy with an equal mind. Then I plan to head back to the plains I once called home. You know what they say, once a field troll, always a field troll. It will be wonderful to live under the wide blue sky again — that is the gift you have given me.”

Finally, Raf turned to face Düm. “And what will become of you now, my big friend?”

Düm took Raf’s hand in his own giant gray paw. “Strange, but Düm not sad to see trolls finished. Troll society cruel. Now Graia and Düm last trolls left in these parts. Think we head north, to find nice cold place to live in peace, away from humans. Not all humans as nice as Master Raf and may not like trolls living nearby. Thank you again for saving Düm’s life.”

“I think we can safely say that you have repaid your debt to me.” Raf smiled and Düm gave him a sudden hug that almost crushed him.

“It’s time I returned to my tribe,” Raf said, looking away toward his valley.

Ko gave Raf an odd smile. “You have achieved much, young Raf, and you have learned much, too, but I fear there is one more lesson for you to learn and it will be a hard one.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have actually told you already,” Ko said. “But I cannot tell you again. This you must discover for yourself.”

Raf nodded warily. “Goodbye, Ko.”

“Goodbye, Raf. It has been my pleasure to assist you in your noble quest. Now, go and live.”