Troll Mountain: The Complete Novel

Начало книги

Once upon a time in a river valley far to the north, there lived a tribe whose members suddenly started dying from a mysterious illness.

It was a singularly horrible way to die. Pus-filled sores would appear on the victim’s skin, then their gums would begin to bleed. Soon, unable to move, covered in boils and with their teeth falling out, the victim would fall asleep, never to wake.

Then, as if to compound the tribe’s misery, the river that flowed into their valley from the north dried up.

Even though the tribe had sent forth its annual tribute to the trolls, the trolls had decided to cut the flow of water from their dam upstream. This was something the trolls did from time to time, for no other reason, it seemed, than to remind those who lived in the valley of the trolls’ cruel dominance over them.

In a few short months the lands in and around the valley became dry and barren. The soil crumbled. Game became scarce. It was said that even the hobgoblins — who with their wiry little bodies could survive for longer in tougher conditions than just about any other creature — had abandoned their lair in the low mountains in search of more plentiful lands.

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