young Sigli and Leif should take the story from here.â
Sigli and I looked at each other and gulped.
It was up to us.
I took a deep breath, and began.
âBANG!â I shouted, making everyone jump. âCRASH! ROAR! An attack was going on up ahead! We rushed forward, yelling and thrashing through the undergrowth, and I think we must have sounded like a much bigger party than we really were. By the time we reached the clearing where Sigli and Quickfingers were camped, the attackers had gone â and so had the old Pedlar.â
Well, I thought, that at least is true!
âWhat had happened, Sigli? Can you tell us?â asked my father in a kind voice.
âTrolls,â said Sigli. His voice was low, but the word carried to the furthest corner of the Hall and made everyone shudder â even, I noticed to my surprise, Thorhalla!
âThey came⦠no warning⦠so awfulâ¦â He covered his face with his hand.
âTake your time,â said my father quietly.
Sigli nodded, and paused for a moment. Then he squared his shoulders and tried again. His voice was stronger now.
âI was waiting at the foot of the Pass, just as my master had ordered, but the days went by and he didnât come back.â
âHe was with us the whole time,â I said, and everyone nodded.
âAh,â said Sigli. âWell, I didnât dare move from our campsite â he could be harsh, my master, if you disobeyed â but then the first snow came and I thought Iâd have to leave or freeze to death. Before I could act, though, he came back, laden with stolen goods and chuckling with pleasure at how well heâd tricked you all.â
There was a low, angry murmur at that, but nobody wanted to interrupt the story. Sigli was in full swing now.
â âGet me food, you lazy scum!â my master growled, but before I could stir, a horrible, rumbling, roaring noise sounded from amongst the trees.
â âWhatâs that?â my master cried. âHas someone followed me? It canât be those stupid villagers â I sent them off in the wrong direction using their very own stupid cow â who could it be?â
âThe horrible noise came again â from two places this time. My master began to panic.
â âIt sounds like⦠it canât be ⦠is it?⦠oh no, oh no â
trolls
!â
âThe moment the word left his mouth, rocks began to fly out of the woods from every side. The roaring got even louder, and there was trampling and thundering as if the undergrowth was being crushed under angry, giant feet.â
I glanced round the Hall. Every eye was fixed on Sigli; every mouth was a round O.
âIt was terrifying. My master was tottering back and forth, whimpering, trying to find a place to hide â and then one of the trollsâ rocks hit me. I felt as if my head had exploded and then I⦠I must have fainted. The next thing I knew, Leif and the good Artificer werebending over me and looking after me and being so kindâ¦â
His voice broke a little here, and everyone tutted sympathetically.
âAnd where was your master?â asked my father gently.
Sigli shook his head. âI donât know. Gone. Disappeared.â
âHe maybe ran away or it might be that the trolls took him,â I suggested. âIt looked to us as if there had been a desperate struggle.â I put on my very best beseeching face and looked up at him. âNo matter which, poor Sigliâs all alone now. He has nobody. Donât you think, Father, that he could stay here, with us, at Frondfell?â
This was it. This was crunch time.
I could see Thorhallaâs eyes light up and I knew what she was thinking before she even opened her mouth. When she looked at Sigli, it was as if there was a great big sign hanging over his head that said âLaundry Assistantâ. I gave Queue a sharp nudge with my elbow.
âOw!â
Learning to Kill: Stories