The trolls didn’t know if the newcomers wanted to eliminate all of them, or if, for some strange reason, they had wanted to help. It was hard for them to believe that such horrifying beings could come to their aid, but they soon realized their mistake.

“Are you okay?” asked Goldmi

“Yes, we fine. Thanks helps we,” reacted the troll mother, after a few seconds of stupor. Meanwhile, her daughter remained behind her, terrified.

“Will you be okay? Do you think anyone else would want to kidnap your daughter?”

The troll gaped at her. She was unable to understand how this being knew what had happened. Nonetheless, she could understand why the elf had helped them, which left her even more astonished. She stared for a while at the elf, and the lynx, who had approached her sister. The feline was apparently calm, but she was alert. If something happened, she was ready to react.

“You good heart. We very grateful. You not worry. They here more no. Strange they here.”

“In that case, we’ll continue on our way. Goodbye, good luck,” Goldmi parted.

In fact, she was somewhat anxious to leave. Those beings over two meters tall were intimidating, as well as somewhat repulsive. Try as she might, both their looks and their scent were hard for her to bear.

“Goodbye savior. Mother Nature protect you,” the troll said goodbye, while her daughter poked her head shyly.

They both watched as the elf and the lynx walked away, not quite believing what they had experienced. That they had been saved by an elf.

“Why he so ugly?” asked the girl, curious.

“Nature ugly and beautiful beings make. We lucky. Trolls be Nature’s favorite children. Make we beautiful,” answered her mother.

“How live like this they? Not scare they see others like they? Not scare they of they?” continued asking the girl.

“Nature wise. Nature make they ugly but ignorant of ugliness. Nature make they can live with appearance. They ignorant so can live.”

“Aahh. Already see. Why talk he so weird?”

“They not very smart. They use too unnecessary words when they can few. They not know save in words. Only I feel pity for they. Especially now I know he good-hearted elf. I wish he luck. He needs luck, he not very clever,” the troll mother shook her head.

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“Poor elves. Feel pity. Why he so strong? Elf look weak,” continued questioning the girl.

“They sickly. Not strong as trolls. But Nature give all opportunities. All can strong. But never strong as trolls if trolls strong. You train hard if you want strong”

“I train hard! I protect mother!”

The troll lovingly caressed her daughter, as feeling moved by her. She seemed incredibly cute in her attitude. Without a doubt, the girl was also quite curious, as she kept asking.

“Why animal with elf?” the girl was interested.

“Animal not smart, like elf. Animal ugly, like elf. I believe that not smart and ugly can friends. Ugly can ignore ugliness,” she deduced, once again feeling pity for them. As unpleasant as they were, they had saved her and her daughter from a cruel fate.

“Why so many clothes? He many and ugly.”

“Be normal. Their bodies puny and ugly. Although they not very aware of ugliness, they should know others be. They hide bodies out of shame.”

“Make sense. I also do if so ugly. How you know he male?”

“I not know. Be impossible to distinguish. They not different nose,” the patient mother shrugged.

“How they distinguish?”

“Not know. But mother nature wise. Mother nature help they distinguish. So they do children.”

“How they do children?”

“Time go back,” the mother replied, so avoiding the question.

She took the girl by the hand, and they returned to the village, where there was soon a great stir. None of them could believe that a group of that faction had reached their lands.

Therefore, they soon alerted other villages and organized patrols, although with a somewhat strange command. If they saw an elf, especially with an animal, they could drive him away, but not attack him.

They preferred not to have him around, as he was terrifying for the children, but they couldn’t help but be grateful to him. Not only had he had saved two of their own, but he had killed off a threat.

“Hard believe elf help, elf so strong,” a troll commented while they were eating

“Exist bad trolls. May exist good elves. Maybe, I try barter with they”

“Barter? What they have? They horrible clothes. They ridiculous weapons, weak weapons.”

“They wine. Not smart, but make wine. I tasted. Good wine. But little. Maybe can exchange.”

“How? They not smart. They not appreciate good clothes, good weapons. Good sculptures either. They no taste.”

“Yes, they very stupid. Therefore, they like shiny useless stones. Can try change.”

“How do? They not want be with we. Normal, they jealous. See us, they ashamed of they. And maybe afraid. They puny. And they believe all bad like many they.”

“Not easy. Also, hard deal with they. They unpleasant. But wine good. I try little by little. They not very smart. They need get used slowly. Like kids.”

“Yes. Patience required. But maybe possible. I prepare some stones. Although not know which they like.”

“Better bring differents. So they choose. Their tastes absurd. Impossible understand. When opportunity, show stones. Expect stones attract interest.”

Although it seemed impossible, after a few years, an incipient commerce was established between some daring individuals on both sides. Even, over time, there came to be friendship between some of them, although not excessively close. After all, their customs were very different, so they didn’t have many hobbies to share.