Page 10 of Sky and the Grumpy Troll

“I can see that reality has set in, and that calls for some tea,” I said, rushing away before I did something stupid like sitting him in my lap and rubbing his back.

He gave me a small, watery smile. “Will this tea perhaps take me away from reality?”

“No, but it’ll fortify you with the energy you need for the journey ahead.” The kettle started to whistle, and I poured two cups and set one on the table in front of the chair nearest the fire.

He shifted in his chair, pulled the cup toward him with both hands, and inhaled the steam with an expression of such uncomplicated pleasure that something in my chest squeezed, wholly unauthorized. “This is so good. What kind of tea is this?”

“My custom blend, mountain sage mixed with black tea from the south. The sage grows on the ridge above the cottage.”

“You pick your own tea?”

“It grows on my land. I would be a fool not to. Are you hungry? I can make us something to eat.”

Nodding, he grinned at me over the rim of the cup. His smile restructured his whole face, carving deep dimples into his cheeks.

Unwilling to be moved by something as simple as a smile, I busied myself with bread and cheese, sliced them thin, and arranged them on a board with the preserves, setting it between us on the table, a fussy domestic gesture I normally reserved for when my sisters visited, and I wanted to prove I wasn’t subsisting on tea and self-pity.

I sat across from him and took a long sip of my tea.

Sky ate like a man who hadn’t been fed in days. He made sounds while he ate. Small appreciative sounds that were going to be a problem if he kept making them, because I could picture those same sounds happening in a much more erotic context.

“So,” he said, through a mouthful of bread and preserves, “I was thinking. About my friend Pip.”

“The one who came through before you.”

“Yeah. He went through hours before I did. He’s out there somewhere and he could be in trouble. I need to find him.” He swallowed and set down the bread. The brightness dimmed, and worry came through, raw and genuine. “He’s not like me; he’s sweet and kind and completely gullible. I was the one who first got him that job, so if anything happened to him because of me, I’ll never forgive myself.”

He stopped, pressed his lips together, and looked at the table.

“You didn’t cause this,” I said. “You couldn’t have known.”

“The point is, I need to find him. And I know you said something about a library—”

“The Great Archive at Highmark.”

“Right. But—” He bit his lip. “I know I promised to keep you company for a few days, but after that, how do I get there? Maybe there’s a… I don’t know, a bus system?” He was fiddling with the pendant and radiating a determined independence.

“Highmark is a long journey by wagon, even longer on foot. You don’t have money, you don’t know the roads, and you are quite small.”

“I prefer to think of myself as perfectly proportioned, thank you very much.”

Again, I fought back a smile, clearing my throat and giving him a serious look. “Highmark is high in the mountains, north of Stonedeep County. It’s not a safe journey for someone new to this world to do alone.”

He slumped, eyes going glassy again. “So I’m stuck. In a big country where I know no one and have no transportation.”

A tear leaked down his cheek, and I clutched my cup a little harder to stop myself from wiping it away.

“You’re not stuck.” I heard the words coming out of my mouth, and I was powerless to stop them. “I will help you look into it. I just wanted you aware of the dangers so you don’t try to take off on your own.”

“Oh,” he whispered, brushing away the tears again. “Really? Are you sure? Would it be very expensive?”

I shrugged. “I’m quite wealthy and rarely have a thing worth spending my coin on, so don’t be bothered by that. But to be… frugal, we could even start with my library and move on to bigger libraries if we find nothing here.”

He glanced around my cottage, a question in his eyes. “Wealthy?”

I shrugged. “I’m a simple man. I do not need lavish accommodation. But my books earn a decent amount, and I have no shortage of funds should there be a true need.”

Sky sniffled. “And you’d consider this a true need?”