Page 25 of Hallowed & Haunted

The bear growls, deep and angry.

But Sander nearly jumps out of his skin when he opens his mouth andspeaks.

“No.”

It’s unmistakably Niillas’ voice, but rougher, wilder, laced with authority.

My God. The bear really is Niillas.

The thought is equal parts horrifying and glorious, and maybe he’s losing his mind, but Sander can’t bring himself to care. Niillas didn’t leave him. He stayed, as promised, and the gratitude and relief make Sander’s chest flood with warmth. Maybe not all is lost yet. Maybe there’s still a way out of this dark fairy tale.

The troll laughs, and the sound is so horrible, Sander has to clench his hands in Niillas’ fur to ground himself.

“Very well, you found him first. But I wandered far tonight, and I’m hungry. Why don’t we spare us the fight and share? Half the meat for you, half for me. I am not unreasonable,noaidi.” It licks its lips with a tongue like old leather, and Sander can’t turn his eyes away from the teeth like sharp rocks.

Niillas growls again, his muscles coiling as if he’s ready to pounce.

“I’m no shaman. I’m the bear. Spirit and body. And I do not share. He’s mine.”

“You would spill blood over this mortal scrap?” The troll sounds honestly surprised. “Why waste our strength fighting when we could feast together?”

“Because the mortal warrior is mine, and you’d be dead before you’d even touch him. Go back to the woods and find a reindeer to hunt, or die in this abandoned place. Your choice.”

“Doesn’t look much like a warrior to me. Just a scared boy.”

The troll’s massive hand twitches around its club, and Sander is reminded of a particularly vicious defense player ready to launch an attack. It isn’t going to back down without a fight. And though Niillas’ polar bear form is huge, probably larger than any natural bear would ever be, and undoubtedly dangerous, the troll still towers over them both. Its claws look deadly, and what the club can do, Sander witnessed first-hand on poor Marta.

He can’t allow Niillas to fight that thing. Not because Sander was too proud to refuse a silly bet from his teammates. There has to be another way.

“Wait!”

Sander is surprised that his voice comes out steady, almost commanding. He’s always been good at faking confidence.

And now he’s going to outwit this foolish heap of rock and bark.

As a child, Sander loved reading fairy tales and fantasy books. He knows from Tolkien and from the fairy tales of Asbjørnsen and Moe how to defeat a troll. Sander takes a quick look at his watch. 3 am. There will be no sunlight for hours, but trolls haveother weaknesses, don’t they? Sure, they’re strong, but they’re alsodumb, and Sander is going to exploit that weakness.

Rising to a crouching position, he makes himself more visible to the troll while staying within the protective circle Niillas has created with his body.

“I have something to offer you, stállu.”

The troll’s burning eyes fix on him with predatory interest.

“What do you want, human worm?”

Sander can barely stand its malevolent scrutiny, but he forces himself to remain calm. He rises to his feet, and he’s incredibly grateful that Niillas rises with him, staying close.

“I challenge you to a contest. A battle of wits, like in the old days.”

“What are you doing?” Niillas rumbles next to his ear, low enough that only Sander can hear him.

Burying his hand in the fur on Niillas’ neck, Sander tries to convey a calm he doesn’t feel.

But the troll goes very still, and Niillas tenses further, probably wanting to tell him to shut up and let him handle the negotiations with teeth and claws. But Sander won’t put him in danger if he can help it. And if Sander’s knowledge holds true, the troll is bound by ancient laws. Ithasto honor a properly issued challenge.

“What stakes do you offer, boy?”

The troll sounds very sure of itself.