Page 170 of I Ran Away to Evil 2
Instead, Donna was standing in front of a very miserable Gerda the Bridge Troll.
“What falls from the sky
And makes me want to go back inside?”
CHAPTER 104
Belladonna Windrunner
Brownie
Brownie burst into laughter. “You can’t be serious, Gerda?”
“Just answer the question. I’m cold and wet and I was reading a good book.” The bridge troll was in a cloak with a heavy canvas parasol open above her head. Despite the cover, the falling rain hit so hard it bounced up, and a mist of water wet her boots and the bottom of her dress. The troll’s braided tresses frizzed, fuzzy green locks framing her face and sticking up all over her head.
Brownie’s own curls were suffering as well.
“Rain?” Rufus answered beside her.
Her beastman looked so pleased with himself, and Brownie didn’t have the heart to tell him that Gerda was going the easy way out.
“Yay,” Gerda said, deadpan. “You guessed it. Now you’ve finished an encounter and—Oh, for the love of—”
The bridge troll cursed, activated her teleportation skill, and vanished, presumably for another bridge.
“Well,” Rufus said, smiling. “That was nice of her. Shall we go on?”
Donna stamped her foot and then carefully walked forward to cross the bridge. Since it was a magical bridge, she wasn’t surprised Donna didn’t just barrel across.
“Have you hit one of Gerda’s bridges before?” she asked. Her horse sent her an aggrieved reply, including the faint memory of her broken nose. Then Donna followed it up with stealing a heal root from the bag she’d been delivering. The operative she’d dropped off the bag to hadn’t been pleased, but he hadn’t suspected thehorse. The more fool he.
Brownie was sad they’d crossed the bridge so easily because she was hoping to stop in for a short visit, or even convince the troll to transport them closer to the Hollow.
They made it to the other side, and her horse promptly kicked off again.
“Donna, are you alright if I look at your character sheet?” Brownie asked, knowing the horse could hear her through their bond even if she couldn’t hear her with her ears.
That was met with begrudging consent.
Brownie activated the [Bond] level two ability, wondering what a knowing animal’s stats looked like.
Name:
Belladonna Windrunner
Occupation:
Bonded Companion
