Backwards Words for Love (part 1 of 3)

a Original Fiction fanfiction by silverferretfox

	Trolls.... It was an unsaid rule you didn't bother them. You only 
mess with trolls when you have no other choice. They're opposite of 
everything we know. Our compliments are insults to them. Our insults are 
compliments. Everything about them is backwards. When you tell a troll 
you hate their guts, in they're odd lingo, that means you really like 
them. When you say they're beautiful, it's an insult to them. It would 
be like walking up to a human stranger and saying they're hideous.
	Trolls value ugliness, vile, disgusting things. They thrive off 
it. When two trolls, as they call it, get horribly stuck with living the 
rest of their life with their disgusting pile of puke of a partner, that 
really means to them that they love each other and are thrilled to spend 
the rest of their life together. If a troll likes another troll, 
ignoring them shows you actually like them. The more they ignore you, 
the more they like you. Same goes for the silent treatment. Or say, they 
have a huge verbal argument, I mean it gets to the point your throwing 
things and breaking things. Its considered romantic proof that your 
partner loves you.
	You would think, with all this confusion, being as we're raised 
that insults are just that, insults, that a relationship between trolls 
and other so called "civilized beings", would never occur. And, I must 
say, impossible can most times, be proven possible. Not always, but 
quite often. Eventually it happens. I mean, it doesn't usually get 
proven for a long, long... very long time. But in this case, as others, 
it does happen. Oddly enough, the very beautiful, graceful, delicate 
elf, was the very being to break this impossible act.
	Now, as said before, trolls despise beauty. But somehow, with this 
odd barrier in lingo, they said exactly what they thought of the other, 
meaning it as insults, but actually saying compliments in the others 
language. In the end, somehow, they did join. Don't dare ask me how. The 
complications simply baffle me. Because really, elves value beauty like 
trolls value disgusting. How they ended up overlooking that, and 
actually staying together for a rather extended period of time until 
some odd happening caused both of their deaths, still is beyond anyone's 
understanding. I heard that the elf was in danger and the troll jumped 
in trying to save her. It is said they both died. Unfortunately, they 
did leave a child behind.
	Now comes the interesting part. Being part elf, she did inherit 
her mothers beauty. But, humans and elves had a hard time looking long 
enough to see it because she also had the long greasy hair of her 
father, his oddly green skin, leaves here and there growing out of her 
head, and his rather squat stature. Elves are tall, dainty, and 
graceful. She is short, sturdy, and undeniably clumsy. Still, if they 
looked past the dirt and grime, washed the unruly tangles of dark green 
hair, and ignored the fact she was only a different skin tone, they 
would have to agree she was beautiful.
	However, that beauty made her an outcast with the trolls as well. 
She did end up in their care. They felt a grudging responsibility to 
take care of her, though they would have gladly tossed her out if she 
hadn't been part troll. She grew up with the harsh compliments they 
threw at her. Being raised as a troll meant that each compliment was 
truly a dire insult. It was not rare for her to try faking warts, or 
covering herself in filth, or being as repulsive as she could. Sadly, 
she never got the insults she so wanted.
	I say, it's really hard to get all this straight. Being in my 
shoes, I know full well how complicated it can get. I had to deal with 
the trolls. It was an odd thing, one of my very first adventures. Well, 
one of, not the first, but certainly one OF the first. I have to explain 
time and time again, this story. Why? Well, lets say, shouting 
obscenities at your beloved in public can be taken quite the wrong way 
if they don't know the background of this whole thing. 
	I've incidentally ruffled a few feathers... unintentionally of 
course. I've even gotten quite a few threats thrown at me for calling my 
beautiful beloved a bog ridden sow with two left feet and beans for 
brains. I think they overlooked the fact that from that remark, my 
beloved was grinning from ear to ear. And, we hastily had to retreat 
before people started throwing things other then dirty looks at me.
	Forgive me, I'm getting side tracked again. My story with the 
trolls. An odd twist of fate, I must say. I ended up in their 
underground caverns by fault of my current employer at the time. My 
employer was actually known for getting in too deep. And, he had managed 
to do it again. Trolls were always known for their amazing ability with 
metal. They knew all there was about it, and how to shape it exactly 
like they wanted it. My employer was a merchant, and I had offered my 
help in exchange for a ride with his caravan to the next town. So, being 
his slick, conniving self, he put me to a task no one else would take.
	Troll gold. He wanted the glittering treasures of jewelry and gems 
they had. He assured me just a few small pieces would be all he needed. 
I was supposed to go down and bargain with them. He told me to ask what 
it would take to get a few glittering prizes, and then after relaying 
the information, go back with said trade. Truly, he should have known it 
was impossible. But, I was desperate enough for safe passage to the next 
town, I was willing enough to at least try.
	I walked up to one of the known entrances leading deep 
underground, and took my knife and used the hilt to knock soundly on the 
rock wall before me. There was silence, then the ground rumbled and the 
door opened a crack. A foul smell greeted me, and a pair of yellow eyes. 
I had to swallow repeatedly just to get the nerve to speak.
	"What do you want, human?" demanded the hoarse grumbling voice.
	"I've come with a business proposal from my employer."
	The voice grumbled.
	"Business proposal? Over what? Is your employer greedy for our 
gold as well?"
	Though I was trembling, I could not help but smirk at the troll's 
remark. An image of my employer, sprawled gracefully across his silk 
pillows eagerly counting a large stack of troll gold, passed through my 
head.
	"I must admit he is." I said without thinking. Another grumble, 
and I was beginning to suspect it was his way of laughing.
	"There have been many, coming to us with such wishes. None have 
ever walked away with our treasures." he answered haughtily. I shrug.
	"I told him as much, but I was in no position to argue. I merely 
said I would try." It was the oddest thing. Trolls despise beauty, but 
they create glittering prizes that are absolutely breathtaking. I think 
it has something to do with how the said items shine. They are oddly 
possessive when it comes to their gold. "I told him he had nothing he 
could offer you, really. Trolls don't take fancy in the things we do. 
They only thing we both fancy is the gold you create."
	The troll watched me silently for a moment.
	"You humans know nothing of what we like. That is truth. We like 
the dark, the ugly of the world. We like everything you hate. None of 
you would think to offer us anything we would think worthy."
	It was my turn to ponder. I was still trying to get over the fact 
I was having a conversation with a troll, and it had probably lasted 
longer then any other human could account to. Finally, I had a 
respectable argument.
	"You said you appeal to things we hate, correct?" I continued 
before he could answer. "Well, we hate waste. It's disgusting. It smells 
horrid and it stinks up our towns. We would do anything to be rid of it, 
have it taken elsewhere."
	He paused again.
	"Hate to you is like to us." He finally answered. "How do you 
purpose to give us this waste?"
	I rubbed my chin.
	"Our bargain would have to be more then a little gold. We need to 
create tunnels, or pipes, to carry the waste away from the town, to 
wherever it would suit your needs. Trolls know everything there is to 
know about tunnels and pipes. You would have to build the method to move 
it out of the town. At least, the underground part. I can discuss the 
necessary changes to the surface levels, but you would need to show me 
what needs to be done by way of design on paper, so I can give it to 
those who can build it. It would be hard, dirty work."
	I could almost feel the trolls smirk.
	"I'll take this idea to my king." He shut the door at the end of 
his sentence.
	When I returned to my employer with the news, he was both ecstatic 
and disgusted.
	"They want our waste?!" he howled, covering his face with a dainty 
hand covered in rings. 
	"Is that not a plus? We get a cleaner town and the gold you 
wished. Are we not getting the better deal?"
	He stopped to consider me, his hazel eyes staring baldly into my 
brown.
	"You've done quite well, if that is truly what they wish. Did he 
say when they would respond?"
	"No. He merely said he would take the idea to his king."
	"I'm surprised they didn't slam the door shut in your face. I 
highly doubt that they kept it open because you're female."
	"Wouldn't have a clue," I muttered.
	"In any case, you're doing well. I'll let you handle everything. 
If something needs to be brought to my attention, tell Gatid, and he 
shall bring me the news. We'll stay here in Mastrid until this affair is 
taken care of."
	"Are we going to only suggest Mastrid for this work, or would it 
be preferred to offer some other cities the same construction?"
	"We shall wait and see how well it goes for Mastrid before 
thinking of offering it to other cities. If it does come to that, we can 
make quite a profit acting as liaisons between the trolls and the 
cities."
	"If that is a possible business opportunity, we have a lot to 
learn about their customs. He kept saying, they like what we hate."
	"Well, you will have to learn more, then, and keep me informed."
	"Of course." I dipped my head then exited.
	I was contacted the next day. How? A hand grabbed my foot from 
under a bush. When I fell with a cry of alarm, a voice came to me from 
underground.
	"Go to the door. We have your answer."
	The door opened as soon as I arrived, the same voice as yesterday 
calling me into the darkness.
	"Come inside where that beaming bright sun cant touch my skin."
	Again, though my knees knocked, and my stomach churned at the 
smell, I took a last deep of fresh air, and stepped inside. I stood a 
moment in silence, letting my eyes adjust to the blackness. A torch 
flared to life before me, and I got my first good look at the door keep. 
He grinned a yellow toothy grin at me. His hair was greasy black and 
looked to have insects happily crawling around in it. His frame was 
squat, broad, and heavily muscled. He wore a soiled pair of pants and a 
countless stained shirt and a thick leather belt with a blackened metal 
buckle. His yellow eyes watched me intently as I examined him. Finally, 
he turned and started walking away. I quickly trotted after him.
	"Keep in mind what I said before," his voice rumbled. "We like 
what you hate. If you wish to remain in our good graces, do not praise 
us."
	Confused, but glad for the information, I tried to figure out how 
to approach the king.
	"Whoa!" I struggled to remain upright, clutching at the thing that 
had run into me. When the head rose with a growl, I couldn't help but 
catch my breath. "Beautiful," I whispered without thinking. The face 
contorted, tears springing into the large dark green eyes.
	"Shove off!" came the gruff answer, before the creature 
disappeared. The door keep roared with laughter. I looked between him 
and the tunnel the creature had exited through.
	"What did I do?" I asked, baffled. He finally caught his breath 
enough to answer.
	"You just hurt her pride. It's true, she's beautiful." He frowned 
where she had disappeared.
	"I... don't understand."
	He grinned lopsided at me.
	"No, human, you don't." 
	Two trolls pass us, both screaming at each other.
	"You ugly sack of lizard guts! Don't you know how to do anything 
right?!" said the first.
	"Me?! Why, you wouldn't know right if it came and bit you in that 
disgusting moldy butt of yours!"
	My jaw hit the floor.
	"Aw, the first signs of a good coupling." the door keep was 
grinning broadly.
	"What?! A coupling!? They're fighting like cats and dogs!"
	The obscenities continued as the couple wandered away.
	"Exactly," answered the door keep. "To show how much you respect 
or like one another, you throw the most insulting things you can think 
of at them." He rumbled with laughter at my baffled expression. "I told 
you human, we like what you hate, and hate what you like. Insults are 
like gold to us. The more we get, the more we respect you."
	"So, if I told you that you smell like a rotten egg and look like 
the backside of a donkey, you would take that as praise?"
	His grin spread.
	"Yes, I would." He dipped his head to me. He started leading me 
away again.
	"You seem to know how humans think pretty well."
	"I've learned a few things as door keep. Your idea, being the 
first sensible one I've heard, I figure it wouldn't hurt to explain how 
we think so you might actually survive the experience and somehow work 
this idea into becoming reality."
	"When I talk to the king, and he says my idea is ludicrous and 
stupid, and other such insults, he would actually mean he likes it and 
would love to take part in it?"
	"Basically."
	I frowned.
	"This is going to be confusing."
	He laughed again.
	"Yes, it will. But your mush for brains might be able to figure it 
out."
	I smirked.
	"Oh, your foul disgusting mouth spews some respect."
	He grins at me over his shoulder.
	"See, you're getting the hang of it already."
	I laughed.
	"Basically, all I have to do is speak my mind, and I should do 
alright."
	We went the rest of the way exchanging insulting banter. I'm 
relieved that he had taken the time to help me adjust, for the first 
thing the king did when I entered, was spit at me. Taken off guard, but 
going with what my guide had said, I spit at the king in return. He 
blinked at me.
	"You've fouled my chamber with your pretty smell and unsightly 
clean skin for what purpose?" he boomed. Trying my best to hide my 
nervousness, I boldly sniff and frown.
	"Your smell is noxious. I think you curled my toenails." A small 
twitch of his lips proves I'm playing my cards properly so far. "I came 
into this hellish hole wanting to make an exchange of sorts."
	"An exchange of what, you disease ridden beast?"
	"An exchange of our dislikes to your likes, you bloated sickly 
green toad."
	"What do you brainless bunch think we want from you?"
	"I would say your unsightly smell could be made horribly worse 
with our waste. Of course, you uncreative creatures might not be 
creative enough to put it to more use."
	"And in return, you bloated drowned rat?"
	"Merely a way to rid us of our waste and a few small pieces of 
gold, you dilapidated fever pocked slug."
	"That is a lot to ask for, for just some waste, you maggot filled 
carcass."
	"Only in the beginning, diseased cow. Waste is always endless in 
supply. It's foul stench is limitless. You would only be paying a small 
fee to get an endless supply, you greasy pit of dung."
	He finally let a smile split his face. I have to say I was 
relieved. I was starting to run out of insults.
	"It's an outrageous, stupid, disgusting idea. To think you brought 
it to me. You are dismissed."
	The door man came, and I followed him wordlessly. Finally at the 
door, he put a hand on my shoulder with a grin.
	"Your portion of gold will be sent to you, and we'll begin 
construction right away. The designs will be brought to you as well. 
Have your workers start as soon as you receive them." He pats my back, 
nearly causing me to tumble forward. "Your performance could have made 
bats sick of your voice."
	"You muck ridden bunch have certainly darkened my day." I say, 
smirking back. He winks.
	"Keep it up. I think you even impressed our king. You'll hear from 
us soon enough."
	I almost skipped back to inform my employer of the news.
	As promised, half the gold was delivered to my employer, as well 
as a detailed set of plans. My employer sent me to the human king to 
deliver them, and he had his best workers start right away. My employer 
had also managed to get a fee from the human king as well. He made out 
like a bandit, playing both sides just like he said he would.
	I went to visit the trolls often, actually. I was beginning to 
find their insults amusing, and it also gave me new material for the 
times I had to visit the king again. My friends would stare at me with 
wide eyes when I'd tell them where I was going. When I relayed my 
findings to my employer he would snort in disgust, but had his page 
taking careful notes. The door keep ended up being a good friend, other 
trolls agreeing after hearing the insults we tossed back and forth. And, 
if I disliked a troll, the best way to get rid of them was to tell them 
they were looking slightly splendid that day. They would leave in quite 
a huff and not bother me again.
	Finally, as plans were about half way to completion, I saw that 
one troll again, the one that was beautiful. I had learned her whole 
background from the door keep, and I decided it was time she got the 
insult she was looking for. You should all know that I mean to 
complement her with insults by now. If not, you better get your head out 
of your arse and pay attention better.
	She was in one of the store rooms, and I happened to pass by and 
see her. I decided now was my chance to make up for my previous mistake.
	"Hey, you!"
	She turned around quickly, her eyes slightly panicked.
	"What do you want?"
	"To tell you that you look exceptionally ugly today, and that you 
smell worse then the waste your king is about to collect."
	Her eyes widened, then narrowed.
	"Is this some trick, you lying sack of dung?"
	"As if I would lie to something as repulsive as you."
	She started looking hopeful.
	"And your disgusting comment of beauty?"
	I smile. I couldn't help it. She looked so cute, seeking attention 
like a lonely puppy.
	"A kindly remark due to my failings to understand trolls. I'm only 
human, after all."
	She still looked hesitant.
	"So you punish me with your presence because of this?"
	"Only half so much as you punish me."
	"You're the only one who has called me ugly."
	"Well, the other trolls must be blind not to see your 
unsightliness. Really, rabbits would run for cover from your looks and 
dogs would drown themselves trying to escape your smell." If she took a 
bath, she would look only more beautiful. Her wide dark green eyes 
captivated me, and it was hard not to stare. I ended up turning away, 
crossing my arms over my chest. "Are you going to insult me with your 
presence further today? I still must find my way around these caves, and 
being stuck with you makes me cringe."
	Her smile made me want to cheer. I'm glad I found her. Every time 
I caught glimpses of her, she always seemed ready to cry. Even though it 
felt really awkward to throw insults at her, seeing that smile banished 
my worries.
	"You're lost already, you brainless stump?"
	I frowned.
	"Beautifully lost."
	She giggled.
	"Well, though I don't wish to burden myself with your smell of 
mold and face of fish guts, I must grudgingly help you find the exit, if 
only to be rid of you."
	"Since you're the only pile of puke around, I suppose you shall 
have to do."
	She happily snorted and turned rudely to lead the way out. 
	Eventually, I began spending even more time down in those caverns, 
a good portion of it with her. I spent hours trying to convince her she 
was ugly. How backwards that was from the truth in our lingo. How many 
times I wanted to tell her she was beautiful. Trying not to stray from 
troll tradition in language, I decided to break a different one and take 
her outside. It took me days to convince her. I decided to take her out 
at night first, to get her used to the light of the moons, then slowly 
bring her into the light of day.
	Her first cautions steps outside, and she gasped.
	"It's positively hideous." she murmured. She walked around in a 
daze as I pointed out this and that. I told her how many moons there 
were, and all about the sun. We sat on a fallen tree and talked long 
into the night. Actually, the sun began rising, and we ended up staying 
to watch that as well.
	"Hideously bright?" I asked. She was grinning.
	"Yes. I hate it."
	I had to smirk, reversing that back into human lingo to get 'I 
love it'. It still throws me off to replace love with hate and vice 
versa.
	"You best get back. You don't want your ugly skin burned."
	She looked at me in surprise.
	"Burned?!"
	I laughed.
	"Well, maybe it wont burn you. You're not fair of complexion. I 
have been underground so often of late, that my skin is pale, and long 
exposures to the sun will turn it red and possibly blister it."
	She looked awed.
	"The sun burns you?"
	"Yes. I'm not certain it would you, though. I think the issue with 
trolls is it hurts their eyes." I looked at her. "You're only part troll 
though, so it seems it doesn't hold true for you. If it did, you would 
have run for cover ages ago."
	She frowned.
	"Part troll.... They call me beautiful, like my mother."
	"She was elf. Dridg'den told me."
	She only looked more upset.
	"I hate it when they call me beautiful. I'm troll. I'm ugly."
	"... Can I change your perspective?"
	"What do you mean?"
	"Well, if you were to be raised with the elves, you would hate 
being called ugly."
	"What?! I would not! I'm ugly! I'm troll!"
	I smiled patiently.
	"Hear me out. Elves and humans mean things differently then you 
trolls. Trolls take ugly as a compliment, yes?" She nodded. "Humans mean 
ugly as an insult. They say it to make you feel bad, not good. We say 
beautiful to mean good, to make you feel happy. It's meant as a 
compliment."
	Her brows furrowed.
	"I don't understand."
	"When a human says you're beautiful, it would be like a troll 
saying you're ugly. When a human says you're ugly, it would be like a 
troll saying you're beautiful. See?"
	"So... It's all backwards?"
	"Yes. If you talked to an elf, and they said you were beautiful, 
it would be a great compliment. Elves take beauty as serious as trolls 
take their foulness. When a troll prides himself over his disgusting 
looks and overpowering smell, an elf or a human would pride themselves 
over their cleanliness and their beauty."
	She stopped staring at the ground to look at me.
	"So, when you said I was beautiful, did you mean it as a troll 
would, or a human would?"
	I smiled.
	"I meant it as a human. I didn't know troll customs at the time, 
so I said that as a human."
	She stared at me a long time in silence. Finally, she looked away 
and at the trees.
	"It's all... very confusing."
	I laughed. 
	"I know how you feel. I've accidentally made some human friends 
angry because I forget what I'm doing. They take my troll answers like 
humans. Sometimes it's difficult to remember what I'm supposed to say." 
I scratched my head. "Don't get me started on food. That is the most 
bizarre and confusing bunch. I've decided to avoid troll food 
altogether. Only thing I touch is the drink. The rest.... Lets just say 
it doesn't agree with my stomach or my taste buds." I made a disgusted 
face. She laughed.
	"Spoken like a human?"
	"Of course."
	We had many such conversations after that. Slowly I begin getting 
her molded into the human world, little by little. She started coming to 
town, after I spent ages trying to get her to take a bath. We spent days 
walking up and down the market, and she would ask me about everything, 
and how to describe it in the human tongue.
	I spent a great deal of time with her, but I also spent a great 
deal working. My current employer had decided his revenue in this area 
of business was quite profitable, and he decided to pursue that instead 
of his wandering merchant caravan. He got rid of everything, and began 
spending time with the trolls as well. I, out of my ride to another 
town, had to work until I could find another group to go with. Luck was 
with me though, for another caravan, oddly made all of women, was 
passing through. They were going to stay for winter, then continue on. I 
had jumped on the opportunity, and began running errands for them, as 
well as the prior duties I had taken on until I found another ride out 
of here.
	One evening, on a rare break from work, my elf troll wandered 
around examining things as I watched from a bench. Trer'mon popped up 
beside me, like he usually did. He smirked at my customary jump of 
surprise. Darn fairy, his magic teleportation always caught me off 
guard. 	
	"How are things going? I thought you would be in Ishire by now."
	"I would be if my employer hadn't decided to try a new trade in 
dealing with the trolls." I rubbed my eyes. "I've been doing odd jobs 
after finishing helping him get his new venture started."
	Trer'mon quirked an eyebrow.
	"Did you get paid for this?"
	"No, actually. I hadn't really thought about it. I think the troll 
king might give a few trinkets though. He still hasn't handed over the 
other half of the pay. I don't think he intends to give it to Gar."
	He does a double take.
	"Who on earth is that green skinned sprite?"
	I grinned.
	"I was wondering when you'd notice. It seems I found a rare 
treasure down there. She's part elf and part troll."
	"Beautiful."
	"Yes, but don't say that to her. She still gets ruffled by that 
word. Trolls are so opposite of us. To them, being told their ugly is a 
compliment, and telling them they're beautiful is an insult."
	He glanced at me from under his long lashes.
	"Really? That's interesting."
	"I've learned quite a few interesting things down there, 
especially a choice few insults." I chuckled. "I really pissed Gren off. 
I didn't know it was her that came into the room, and I rattled off 
quite a trill of insults. I got slapped for it."
	Trer'mon chuckled.
	"I had wondered where that hand print came from." We were silent a 
little while, listening to the birds play in the trees behind us. 
"What's her name?"
	"Na'nal. But she hates it. It's an elf name, and she still has an 
issue with all things elf."
	"It seems she's doing alright."
	"Yes, but I've been working a lot with her. You should have seen 
her before. The first time I called her beautiful, she was almost in 
tears. I felt horrible."
	"So, another stray pet?"
	I blushed.
	"It's not like that."
	"Grant it, she doesn't walk on all fours and doesn't have a tail, 
but she still is a bruised little thing in need of some protection." He 
laughed at my frown. "When I brought you to our world, it was out of 
kindness for helping some of my own. But even here, you cannot help but 
help. The wildcats were only the beginning, it seems."
	I huffed.
	"What do you expect me to do? Turn a blind eye?"
	He watched Na'nal, arms customarily crossed across his stomach.
	"Most probably would. You seem to be one of those exceptions, my 
girl."
	He smiled down at me, and I turned away muttering non-committal 
stuff under my breath.
	An exclamation made us look up. Na'nal was gawking at a couple 
kissing beneath a tree. I laughed as Gren quickly tried to calm her. 
	"You've found another caravan, I take it?"
	"Yes. Winter here has been kind, and is now almost over. I'll be 
leaving with them in about eight days."
	"What will you do with Na'nal?"
	"I'm.... I'm not sure."
	"You can't really leave her behind, can you? You are the one who 
ultimately brought her into this world. She isn't ready to chance it on 
her own."
	"I know." I stared at her in silence.
	"How long have you known her?"
	I turned away from her, fixing my gaze on the cloudy sky.
	"Four months, I suppose. I really haven't been keeping track."
	"Yes, you do lack the dedication to track time," he said with a 
smirk. A fleeting smile passed across my face.
	"I don't know what to do. I don't know if she would even want to 
leave. And... It's not like I can..."
	"Can what?" I tried too avoid him. He would have none of it. 
"Cenin, must I result to using your true name?"
	I looked at him sharply. He looked back sternly.
	"I ... I just thought maybe I could leave her in someone else's 
care for a while, okay?" I growled and looked away. He considered me 
quietly until I seemed to have cooled off a little.
	"Is that such a bad thing?"
	I sighed.
	"I don't know. Trolls are so backwards, and she's so ... well, 
troll. I don't even know how it would turn out..." I couldn't finish the 
rest.
	"You mean because she's troll and they wouldn't be?" he asks. 
Always so good at hitting the nail on the head. I nodded mutely. "You 
could always ask."
	"Yes, and then again, no. Trolls are cruelly berating when they 
like you. Each insult is a treasured bit of pride to them. And, I can't 
bring myself to do that, drop her on someone, hoping they could teach 
her. They don't know a thing about trolls."
	He looked quizzical.
	"It is rather complicated."
	"Yes. I've been trying to think what to do for ages. I really 
can't sit still here too much longer. My feet still want to wander. And 
yet... I really don't want to leave her behind. Gren has been a godsend. 
She's been helping me with Na'nal. Gren did make a ruckus though when 
she wondered aloud how trolls made love. Na'nal didn't have a concept 
about it at all. I had to work, but Gren wandered off with Na'nal, to 
explain, I guess."
	"Any idea how she took it?"
	"Not a clue. But she's been spending a lot of time with Gren, 
asking questions. I would help, but I've had too much work lately."
	"Not worried that Gren would fall for her?" he asked jokingly. I 
snorted.
	"It hadn't crossed my mind. Gren seems to treat her more like a 
good friend then anything else. I don't think she sees her that way."
	"I was only joking."
	I stuck my tongue out at him.
	"Whatever."
	"If you did go, would you come back for her?"
	"Yes."
	"How long would you go for?"
	"I... don't know."
	"How would then be any different then now?"
	"... I guess a part of me is hoping she'd learn how to be more 
human."
	"She's not human."
	After a moment of silence, I growled, tossing my head.
	"You're not helping."
	He grinned.
	"I'm not always here to help."
	"No, just to be nosy."
	"Cenin!" called a voice. I sighed.
	"Back to work."
	"You really have been busy, haven't you?"
	I smirked.
	"Yes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see what else I'm needed 
for."
	I ended up being asked to move some clay jars into a wagon. Each 
jar was about as big as my torso. Those suckers were heavy. Trer'mon 
just watched from where I had left him. I caught his eye and stuck my 
tongue out at him, then continued on my way to the wagon with my third 
jar. I was just picking up the fourth when Na'nal called to me.
	"Cenin!"
	I paused and grinned at her.
	"Na'nal. Anything wrong?"
	"Um, well I, that is, Gren said that when a person feels their 
stomach go flighty, and they keep finding themselves thinking of one 
person, that they're in l-l-love, and that their heart feels like it 
could shine. She said that trolls probably say the opposite, like they 
hate that person."
	"Well, yes." I shifted the jar in my hands.
	"Well, when I saw those people kissing, she explained it again, 
and well, I think I get it. B-but I'm not sure. B-but, I, I..."
	I couldn't help but smile at her blush.
	"What is it? You think you love someone?"
	Her blush deepened.
	"I-I think so. I've n-never felt like this before."
	"Really?" A part of me wanted to hold her, another part was 
terrified. "Then you might be." 
	"W-w-well, the, the person that I l-l-l-" She was still having 
issues with that word. I guess I couldn't blame her, but it was cute to 
watch her struggle with it. She puffed out a breath in exasperation. 
"The person that I l-l-love is y-y-you."
	I never heard the crash of the jar when it slipped from my hands 
and broke on the cobblestones.

Onwards to Part 2


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