The ground shook setting off the rumbles of more avalanches in the surrounding valleys. Azkar and Geoffrey fell to the ground as it shook, their horses clattering back down the path away from the danger. The mountain troll paused with its arm beside their prone bodies.

Its dark eyes turned and looked at them.

  "Who wakes my slumber." said the Troll. His booming voice echoing throughout the valley with its ponderous rumble.

  "We seek a pass to High Shale Village." Geoffrey called against the wind.

The Troll ponderously shook his head.

  "Village closed. Troll sleeping in pass." his giant hand shifted as if he was readying to bring a second blow.

Azkar pulled at Geoffrey's arm, signalling to back away.

  "You're not asleep now." Geoffrey said, "give us passage."

The Troll cocked his head absorbing the question, clear, carried through the wind to his block like ears.

  "Danger, little people. The village bad place now."

  "This is the mighty Azkar, I am Geoffrey, we fear nothing." Azkar gripped Geoffreys elbow a little tighter.

  "Brave little man?" The Troll lowered his face to their level, shifting his feet somewhere deep in the valley below. Geoffrey felt his heart beating. He knew Azkar was brave and strong, but he wasn't sure if he'd ever defeated a Mountain Troll made mostly of thick rock and brute power.

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  "What is your name?" Geoffrey asked faltering at the sheer size of the Troll blocking out the mountains behind.

  "I Klock." he said. Geoffrey felt the warmth of his mountain breath upon his face.   

  "Klock, tell me why is the village a bad place now."

  "My family, Mountain Father, chained to earth at High Shale."

  Azkar moved for the first time, speaking to Geoffrey. "Only powerful magic can stop a Mountain Troll from roaming."

  "Klock, I saw a vision, and I believe what I saw is important. I think the village may hold the answer to one of my visions. Maybe it will also help you. I am not afraid to find out." he said, his heart beating with the truth that the fear was real.

Klock did not move. His deep-set eyes set in the shadows like caves.

  "I like you. Head like rock, same as me." the crevasse like mouth ground, curving into a grin. "Take this." Klock opened his giant palm and poking at the mountain with his oversized fingertip. Rock fell where he pressed and a small blue stone tumbled to Geoffreys' feet. It cast a blue glow against the inside of his foot.

Geoffrey took the rock in his hand. It felt warm.

  "What does it do?"

  "Light. Warm. Guide." Klock said simply.

  Geoffrey bowed, "Thank you Klock." he said, holding the rock high to thank him.

Klock swept his cliff-like arm towards them, sweeping them up and depositing them on the other side of the pass. As he deposited them, he swung back and returned with their horses, their legs skittering to get a foothold on the rocky pass. They whinnied and shook their manes at the humility of being carried by a larger creature.

Lowering below the pass and resting his head on the side on the rocky slope, he again became one with the mountain, and snow gathered on his shoulders and boulder head.

Geoffrey waved goodbye with the hand that held the rock. He didn't know if Klock knew he waved, and didn't mind that he didn't wave back, he was likely to set off another avalanche if he did.

They reset themselves on the horses and slowly picked their way back to the path up the mountain.