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Lost Souls

"Ouch; where are you off to know?"

"I lost Karl coming back from the Cedar Bridge Tavern."

"I'll help," I offered; "where should we start?"

"We can pick up the Tuckerton Stage Road at the bottom of Halfmoon Hill—did I ever tell how it was named?" He didn't even wait for me to tell him I heard it a million times. "See, I got drunk one night with Karl and while I was coming home I fell forward onto my knees, while watering this tree, with my ahrse hanging out right before sunrise. It froze with my head in a crater caused from the fall—it took me two days to dig my way out from under all of that sand from the Great Sandstorm of 1696."

I zoned out and watched a bluebird fly by.

"Boy, are you listening ! " Gramps roared.

"Yes, Sandstorm…"

"Karl laughed for half a day, rolling in front of me. He created the headlands for the Danvenport Branch after his elbow dug so deep it hit the spring there—You believe he just left me…"

"So, should we cut the corner on Jones and Dover Road and stop for some water at the old general's house?"

"Sure, you can get some water; I brought some of Bjorn's mead—hair of the dog and all…"

So we travelled on past Twenty One Lakes. The Great Horned Serpent raised his head, but dove quickly.

He might like to play tricks on Bjorn , but the first time he tried it with Gramps, Gramps just tied his neck into a knot. The second time, before he could escape, Gramps wore him as a next tie for a full moon.

We continued on straight on the stage road to the crossroads. 

There we picked up Sammy Buck. He was traveling to the bridge next to the old General Howe's house to have Fossegrim tune his violin. He had three pigs from around the woods of the Forked River Mountains and some mutton to pay for his Thursday night lesson. I got off Gramps' shoulder and rode with Sammy.

"Did you see Karl after you were playing at the tavern last night?" asked Gramps.

"I think he left with a nixie he met on the bridge outside of the tavern," answered Sammy, rubbing his chin. "I think he drank the place dry again…" Trolls can drink up a lake depending on how large they grow before they pass out, or how high the roof is…

When we got to the bridge just after Dover Road, me and Sammy got down. Fossegrim took one look at Gramps and started laughing. Some jokes never get too old—even after two hundred years. Fossegrim remembers his full moon...

Gramps muttered under his breath as he lifted me onto his shoulder and we continued. I could here Sammy begin to play In the Hall of the Mountain King drifting into the distance.

We just made it to the bottom of the Forked River Mountains, near the boulder the jötunn Olaf threw, trying to hit the church bells in Whiting. He threw it too high to get over the hills and it fell short on the Stage Road. There we bumped into Mrs. Clevenger coming back from selling Cedar Bridge tavern some witch bottles. "Where are the two of you off to?"

"Gramps lost Karl at the tavern last night."

Then Gramps started laughing out of joy.

"Why are you so happy?" she asked. "I thought he was your good friend. Why did you leave him?"

"I'm happy because if I stayed with him, I would have been lost too, and it is hard enough to find him on his own. Imagine if we had to find me too."

 

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We are releasing our second collection of Trollheim stories in print, named Trolling About. It will be available on this website at www.salemhousepress.com and Barnes & Noble. Pick up your copy today, pretty please with sugar on top...

 

 

Make sure you pick up the first collection of tales too...