Part 4: A Troll Meets a Goblin

“Listen Cormac, Wendigos are hungry. Always hungry. Hungrier than you when you see a can of peaches.” Cormac gave some grunts of disbelief. “Yes, it’s true. And they’re fast too. They say when a person gets trapped and resorts to cannibalism in a cold environment, they can get possessed by a wendigo spirit. As far as I know, there have been a few popping up on the mountain over the years, but my Dad and uncle took care of them before they descended far enough down to where our family lives.

“There are two places where they normally crop up: the caves and the old mineshaft. The caves are closer, so I’m guessing that’s where it came from and where Granny is currently being held.

“Wendigos take their time eating their prey, trying to make the meat last.” Cormac grunts started to turn into cries. “Yes, so we’ve got to get to Granny as soon as we can. I think we’re being hunted too.” There were more intense cries. “We must be going the right way otherwise the wendigo would have reappeared and snatched one of us by now… We’re saving it the hassle of carrying us all the way back.” The cries were borderline screams now.

“Can’t you be more quiet-” I finally turned on the heavily salted path to see Cormac had managed to stick his finger two knuckles deep into his nose and got it stuck. “How did you…?” I started to help yank the long, grubby finger out Cormac’s nose. “How is it so stuck?” After a solid minute of yanking, the finger finally came loose along with a long trail of thick snot.

“That’s disgusting.”

Cormac and I froze. For the last couple of hours, we had been walking deeper and deeper into the woods of the mountain. Until now, there hadn’t been a single person or spirit in sight. “Stay on the salt path,” I whispered to Cormac before I began to look for where the voice came from. My hand grabbed Granny Liadan’s gun from the holster I put on earlier. It was loaded with emergency silver bullets.

It was easy to spot his long, red nose. Standing at the height of trees, with poorly stitched dungarees, and tall wispy hair that needed a trip to the salon for a treatment course; the troll was staring down at us. “Hello, cousin.” He raised his hand to wave, causing a family of birds to flee.

“Hello?” I looked at Cormac to see if the goblin knew the troll. Cormac was putting his hand to his head, then pointing at me with his hand raised slightly more, before pointing at the troll. It seemed like the height of the creature was baffling to him. No wonder Granny Liadan said it was a miracle he survived the mountains.

“Cousin, what brings you to these parts of the woods?”

“A wendigo took my granny.”

“Wendigo, hmm.” The troll decided to take a seat causing several trees to fall with a massive crash. Cormac covered his ears as he grovelled in pain. They must be more sensitive than mine. “That’s a tricky situation you have there, cousin.”

“You’re a lord of the mountain, have you seen a wendigo around these parts?” They were lucky. Usually, the mountain trolls ignored others.

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“Sorry cousin, I haven’t seen one recently.” Enough was said for the recovered Cormac as he began trying to pull me down the salt path. “But I have heard whispers about the mines getting a new occupant.”

“The mines?” It was going to take longer to reach there. But they hadn’t lost any time since it was in the same direction as the caves. “Hold on, Cormac.” I said to him. He began spouting gibberish at me. “The nice troll is helping us find Granny, so let’s hear him out.” Cormac still seemed sceptical as he spat towards the troll and began picking his nose again.

“Goblins are filthy creatures.” At least the troll acknowledged it wasn’t a child.

“I don’t know the mountains that well,” I admitted. “Could you guide us to the mines?”

“That awful salt path should lead you to it. Good luck, cousin.”

“Awful salt path?” I asked, slightly defensive. My Dad made this path with Grandpa when he was a child. It was a way for our family to safely get home if we were to go into the woods.

“Cousin, look at where you’re standing.”

I look down at the metre-wide dirt path. There was not even a blade of grass protruding from the soil as underneath the thin layer of dirt was a thick layer of pure salt that Dad and uncle renewed every few years to keep it effective against most spirits in the forest. “It shouldn’t bother you?”

“Oh, but it does, cousin. I may be able to cross the salt path, but many cannot. Even nature cannot trespass onto that land now.” Mountain trolls were too sensitive when it came to nature.

“Right… Come on, Cormac. Let’s get going before Granny is eaten.” Cormac didn’t need telling twice as he leapt up and began pulling my arm again. His fingers were still covered in snot which rubbed off on my long sleeve shirt. I held in my disgust as best as I could. “Thanks for the help.”

“Be careful, cousin.”

“So, how did you end up in the woods?”

Gibberish.

“You got real lucky that Granny found you.”

Gibberish.

“I’m still not sure why she thinks you’re a kid though.”

Gibberish.

“You better not eat her.”

Offended gibberish. Cormac stomped in front of me and began pointing at my face while he spouted rubbish.

“What do you think I am going to eat her?” I snorted. “Why would I eat my Granny? Your kind is known for being the vulture of creatures. You’ll eat anything.”

Cormac didn’t refute as he turned around to storm down the salt path by himself. He still refused to acknowledge me following him as we hit a fork in the road. Not knowing which way to go, Cormac held out his finger, closed his eyes, and spun until he fell over. The finger landed pointing right. Satisfied, he jumped up and began to walk down the right path.

“Nope, wrong way.” I shout. What kind of system for deciding which direction to go in was that? Granny was right. It truly was a miracle that Cormac survived in the woods for so long. “When Granny found you, were you following the salt path?” He continued to ignore me. “There are not many creatures not affected by salt. I guess it would be technically safer for you to travel on it.”

Cormac stopped just within my sight and began pointing into the tree while freaking out. I didn’t change my pace since I already knew what lay ahead of us. It had taken a day of walking, and the sun was starting to set, but we had managed to reach the mineshaft.