Short Fiction - Poul Anderson (books to read for self improvement .TXT) 📗

“Aaaarrrgh!” It was like thunder drowning him out. The troll-wife turned and went on all fours and poked up the fire with her nose.

Cappen stepped softly around her and touched the girl. She looked up with a little whimper.

“You are Svearek’s only daughter, are you not?” he whispered.

“Aye⁠—” She bowed her head, a strengthless despair weighting it down. “The troll stole me away three winters agone. It has tickled her to have a princess for slave⁠—but soon I will roast on her spit, even as ye, brave man⁠—”

“Ridiculous. So fair a lady is meant for another kind of, um, never mind! Has she treated you very ill?”

“She beats me now and again⁠—and I have been so lonely, naught here at all save the troll-wife and I⁠—” The small work-roughened hands clutched desperately at his waist, and she buried her face against his breast.

“Can ye save us?” she gasped. “I fear ’tis for naught ye ventured yer life, bravest of men. I fear we’ll soon both sputter on the coals.”

Cappen said nothing. If she wanted to think he had come especially to rescue her, he would not be so ungallant to tell her otherwise.

The troll-wife’s mouth gashed in a grin as she walked through the fire to him. “There is a price,” she said. “If you cannot tell me three things about myself which are true beyond disproving, not courage nor amulet nor the gods themselves may avail to keep that red head on your shoulders.”

Cappen clapped a hand to his sword. “Why, gladly,” he said; this was a rule of magic he had learned long ago, that three truths were the needful armor to make any guardian charm work. “Imprimis, yours is the ugliest nose I ever saw poking up a fire. Secundus, I was never in a house I cared less to guest at. Tertius, ever among trolls you are little liked, being one of the worst.”

Hildigund moaned with terror as the monster swelled in rage. But there was no movement. Only the leaping flames and the eddying smoke stirred.

Cappen’s voice rang out, coldly: “Now the king lies on the sea, frozen and wet, and I am come to fetch a brand for his fire. And I had best also see his daughter home.”

The troll shook her head, suddenly chuckling. “No. The brand you may have, just to get you out of this cave, foulness; but the woman is in my thrall until a man sleeps with her⁠—here⁠—for a night. And if he does, I may have him to break my fast in the morning!”

Cappen yawned mightily. “Thank you, mother. Your offer of a bed is most welcome to these tired bones, and I accept gratefully.”

“You will die tomorrow!” she raved. The ground shook under the huge weight of her as she stamped. “Because of the three truths, I must let you go tonight; but tomorrow I may do what I will!”

“Forget not my little friend, mother,” said Cappen, and touched the cord of the amulet.

“I tell you, silver has no use against me⁠—”

Cappen sprawled on the floor and rippled fingers across his harp. “A lovely lady full oft lies⁠—”

The troll-wife turned from him in a rage. Hildigund ladled up some broth, saying nothing, and Cappen ate it with pleasure, though it could have used more seasoning.

After that he indited a sonnet to the princess, who regarded him wide-eyed. The troll came back from a tunnel after he finished, and said curtly: “This way.” Cappen took the girl’s hand and followed her into a pitchy, reeking dark.

She plucked an arras aside to show a room which surprised him by being hung with tapestries, lit with candles, and furnished with a fine broad featherbed. “Sleep here tonight, if you dare,” she growled. “And tomorrow I shall eat you⁠—and you, worthless lazy she-trash, will have the hide flayed off your back!” She barked a laugh and left them.

Hildigund fell weeping on the mattress. Cappen let her cry herself out while he undressed and got between the blankets. Drawing his sword, he laid it carefully in the middle of the bed.

The girl looked at him through jumbled fair locks. “How can ye dare?” she whispered. “One breath of fear, one moment’s doubt, and the troll is free to rend ye.”

“Exactly.” Cappen yawned. “Doubtless she hopes that fear will come to me lying wakeful in the night. Wherefore ’tis but a question of going gently to sleep. O Svearek, Torbek, and Beorna, could you but see how I am resting now!”

“But⁠ ⁠… the three truths ye gave her⁠ ⁠… how knew ye⁠ ⁠… ?”

“Oh, those. Well, see you, sweet lady, Primus and Secundus were my own thoughts, and who is to disprove them? Tertius was also clear, since you said there had been no company here in three years⁠—yet are there many trolls in these lands, ergo even they cannot stomach our gentle hostess.” Cappen watched her through heavy-lidded eyes.

She flushed deeply, blew out the candles, and he heard her slip off her garment and get in with him. There was a long silence.

Then: “Are ye not⁠—”

“Yes, fair one?” he muttered through his drowsiness.

“Are ye not⁠ ⁠… well, I am here and ye are here and⁠—”

“Fear not,” he said. “I laid my sword between us. Sleep in peace.”

“I⁠ ⁠… would be glad⁠—ye have come to deliver⁠—”

“No, fair lady. No man of gentle breeding could so abuse his power. Goodnight.” He leaned over, brushing his lips gently across hers, and lay down again.

“Ye are⁠ ⁠… I never thought man could be so noble,” she whispered.

Cappen mumbled something. As his soul spun into sleep, he chuckled. Those unresting days and nights on the sea had not left him fit for that kind of exercise. But, of course, if she wanted to think he was being magnanimous, it could be useful later⁠—

He woke with a start and looked into the sputtering glare of a torch. Its light wove across the crags and gullies of the troll-wife’s face and shimmered wetly off the great tusks in her mouth.

“Good morning, mother,” said