The Horns of Kern
Copyright 2012 John J. Bielski
Chapter One:
Millenniums had passed since the first human caught sight of the first troll. Was it by chance or design? For now, how and why it happened is hidden in the fog of history.
With time, humans assumed they were superior to trolls. And the trolls? Well, the trolls just wanted to be left alone. They didn’t care who was superior, they just wanted to live quietly and in peace. As with everything, though, change is inevitable.
*
Common to both humans and trolls, there were those who sought power and wealth. This brought war, and more war. Humans bloodied their hands with their brothers’ blood, over and over, and trolls did the same. Troll and human blood cried out from the ground in battle after battle, for control of the land, and one another.
The last of the wars was fought amongst the trolls themselves. One large group of trolls wanted closer ties with humans, feeling they held much in common with them. Those opposing their plan wanted limited contact with humans. Quarreling escalated and the trolls who didn’t want change declared war upon those who sought greater understanding of the humans. The war was one of the bloodiest ever recorded in the Journals of Time, ending suddenly when one of the leaders of the movement was killed.
Humans and trolls then continued avoiding one another after the war, but as I said before, change is inevitable, and it was born in the smallest of the kingdoms on a crisp, sunny, fall day.
*
In the kingdom of ‘Glennmorley’ lived the beautiful Princess Norman. Yes, the princess was named Norman. Her father thought for sure his wife was going to have a boy. He insisted that the child would be named after his father who had died the previous winter. Upon the arrival of a girl instead of a boy, the king still demanded that his daughter be named Norman. So it came to be, that the beautiful baby girl would be called Norman.
Norman grew into a beautiful woman and she was loved by all who met her. It was said that she could charm anyone with just her smile.
One day, Princess Norman was walking through the rose garden enjoying the scent of the roses and the warmth of the sun. Suddenly out in front of her jumped an ugly, hideous frog troll. Norman screamed. She was so startled by the ugly creature that she fainted. When she opened her eyes she found herself eyeball to eyeball with the troll frog.
“You are Soooooooooo ugly!” shrieked the princess.
“You are soooo beautiful, my Princess.” cooed the little creature. “I am so sorry that I startled you. I was walking through the garden gathering nectar for my mother so she could make some worm cookies. I wasn't paying any attention to where I was walking. Please forgive me. I have to go now as I am sure my mother is wondering where I am.” Without further words, he hopped into the rose brambles, disappearing from Norman's view.
With a confused look on her face, Norman lifted herself from the garden path and brushed herself off. What a curious little creature he was, she thought. Norman ran back to the castle's main hall where her father was having his afternoon tea.
“Father, Father! The most extraordinary thing just happened to me in the rose garden.”
The King looked up and smiled broadly, waving a hand for his excited daughter to sit down and join him for tea. “Now, my child, what adventure has befallen you?” he queried, as he noticed some grass stuck in his daughter's hair.
“Father, Father, there is the most hideous little creature out in the garden. I was walking along enjoying the day when this ugly little frog-troll appeared in front of me.”
“Did he hurt you in any way, Norman? One lump or two?”
“Two, please. Oh no, he didn't hurt me in any way.” Norman accepted the cup of tea from her father. “No.” She stopped and put her hand up to her hair where her father was pointing, and she felt the piece of grass and pulled it out of her golden hair. “I was going to tell you that he was so ugly that he made me faint. When I awoke, he was staring at me.”
“Shall I send a guard down there to get rid of him?” The king asked.
“No, Father. He is no longer there. He had to go home to give his mother the rose nectar he was collecting. Funny, I do not think that he would have harmed me and he could have if he had wanted to.”
The King frowned slightly. “You be careful, my daughter.”
The next day turned out to be even more spectacular than the previous day and once again Norman found herself walking through the rose garden. As she rounded a bend in the path, there on a bench with a small basket alongside him, sat the ugly little frog-troll. This time she wasn't as startled and walked over to him.
The little creature smiled a huge, toothless smile as the princess approached. He jumped down from the bench and bowed deeply. “I hoped that you would have a walk today,” he croaked excitedly.
Norman smiled. “You are sooo ugly on the outside, but you are so nice on the inside.” She giggled and walked closer to the little creature.
With those words, the troll waxed a darker shade of green, turned to the bench, reached up, and drew the basket that was sitting next to him. Just as quickly, he thrust the tiny basket towards Norman. “This is for y-y-you….you.” He stuttered.
Bending over to accept the small gift, Norman remembered the circumstances of yesterday’s meeting and why the ugly little creature had been in the garden. “These are not your mother's worm cookies, are they?”
The troll at first looked confused, and then laughed at the look on the princess’ face. “No, my mother makes the cookies to sell to the other trolls. She is the best worm cookie baker in this kingdom.”
Norman sat down on the bench and gently lifted the small napkin that concealed the basket’s contents. A look of wonderment appeared on her face. Ever so carefully, she picked up the tiny object inside, awed by its artistry. In her hand she held a tiny glass sphere etched with delicate roses. Norman was beside herself and looked incredulously at the little creature. “Did you make this.........for me? Oh my! I just realized that I don’t even know your name. I surely can not accept a gift from a total stranger.” She smiled at the frog-troll.
The little creature spoke softly and appeared embarrassed by the question. “My name is G-g-er-r-trude,” he stammered.
Norman smiled, picked up Gertrude's hand and shook it vigorously. “So happy to meet you, Gertrude! My name is Norman.”
Gertrude frowned at first, thinking that she was making fun of him, but realized that Norman was really telling the truth.
The two started laughing so hard that tears of joy ran down their faces.
Norman was the first to regain her composure. She had almost accidentally dropped the beautiful sphere. She gently placed it in her apron pocket and told Gertrude thank you.
Gertrude hesitated at first, but saw something in the princess’ eyes that made him feel more comfortable. “My grandmother thought my mother was going to have a girl because of the way she was carrying me in her womb and by the cravings that she was having. When my mother went into labor, my grandmother came rushing over to our house to help in my birth. Unfortunately, she met with an accident. She apparently tripped and fell and hit her head quite hard. She managed to walk to our house, but collapsed on the floor and died.” Gertrude became silent.
“How horrible! Then your mother named you after your grandmother out of grief?” Norman’s eyes were filled with tears.
“No, my grandmother’s name was Florah, but that was my great grandmother’s name. When they went to pick her up, they found a small shirt in her hand with the name ‘Gertrude’ embroidered on the front of it. My mother was so over-wrought with grief that she vowed that she would honor her mother’s last wish, so even though my father protested v
ehemently, my mother gave me my name when I was born the next day. It was hard growing up having a female’s name, but it made me strong, and I learned how you should never judge someone because they are different from you.”
Gertrude looked up at the sky and said that he had to hurry home to help his mother. He turned and hopped once again into the rose thicket and disappeared.
Norman cried out after him, “Will I see you tomorrow?” There was no answer, only the soft sound of Gertrude's webbed feet hitting the dirt as he jumped away. Holding onto the prize in her pocket, she ran back to the castle, eager to share her day with someone. Sitting on the stairs leading to the main door was her mother, reading a book. “Mother, Mother...! He was there again. The frog-troll… His name is Gertrude,” she said breathlessly.
The queen looked up and smiled at her daughter, then frowned. “You must be careful, Norman! Some trolls are dangerous!” The queen then sighed and motioned for Norman to sit down beside her.
“Mother, I have no fear of this troll.” She put her hand in her pocket and pulled out Gertrude's present to her. She handed it over to her mother and Norman could tell immediately that her mother was very impressed with the delicate sphere she held in her hand.
“The troll gave this to you?” The queen asked.
“Yes! He made it himself. Isn't it beautiful?”
“It is beyond beautiful, my daughter. Your gift is a true work of art. Your father told me about your encounter with this troll. He surely is different from other trolls. I have heard some very bad things about them.” Her mother handed back the tiny treasure to her daughter. Frowning, she added; “This troll creature isn't trying to get something from you, is he?”
“Mother, what would a troll want from me? Surely you don't think he is after more than I have... It just doesn't seem possible. He seems far too kind.”
“Just be careful, my daughter.” The queen stood up. Bending over to get her book, she turned and walked up the stairs through the main doorway. Just as quickly as she left, she popped her head out of the shadow and proposed, “See if your new acquaintance would care to meet me.” With that said, she once again disappeared through the doorway.
Norman stared at where her mother had just been and shook her head in disbelief. Didn't her mother trust her judgment? Then she got a wonderful idea.