Flash Fiction #402 -- Lost in Elsewhere/12

As the troll growled and leapt at me, I tried to decide if the dragon could -- or would -- help me this time.  I wasn't sure if he was aware of the trouble down by his tail.  Lord Ice was still a bit groggy --

I ducked, and the troll flew over the top of me, burrowed into the snow beyond.  That blinded the troll for a moment, so I scrambled back over Lord Ice's tail and looked for cover.

I could burrow into the snow like the troll had -- though intentionally on my part.  That would blind me to what the troll was doing.  Better to just keep my head low and --

Trolls are good at leaping.  This one did a standing jump worthy of the Olympics as he bounded over the dragon tail -- and would have made it if the dragon hadn't suddenly stood and taken a step backward.

The troll gave a little squeak of protest just as it impacted with the side of Lord Ice.

He landed on his back in the snow, and I had the sudden feeling that he might start making snow angels if he tried to move.  He didn't move, but I did hear him moan a couple times.

"Thanks," I said.  Lord Ice gave a rumble of sound and settled back down.  He didn't seem very steady on his feet.

The snow still fell in white sheets around me, and I could barely see even the hint of others moving.  I couldn't tell Maggie from trolls at this point, so I tried to spot Lord Snow instead.  I wanted to find Edmond and Five, but they were both smaller and --

And apparently, Edmond couldn't tell me from a troll either.

I heard the unearthly scream and then saw the ball of black fur and sharp teeth and claws coming out of the snow straight at me.  I screamed.  Edmond screamed.

I had just enough sense to throw myself down.  I still felt Edmond's claws catch at my hair as he went over and sailed across the dragon's tail --

Edmond thumped into the troll's head as the creature started to sit up.

"Ack!  Eeek!"

"Argh!"  The troll fell back down, and Edmond just sort of rolled over the top of him and into the snow again.

The troll didn't look likely to get up again.  Edmond walked carefully around him, up over the tail, and launched himself into my arms.  I tucked him into my jacket.

"Thanks," Edmond said.

"I can't find the others," I said and stared around us.  I didn't know how many more trolls there might be.

"Five is with Lord Snow," he said, his voice muffled under the cloth.  "I saw Maggie flyover once.  I think she landed, but I don't know where.  Is Lord Ice going to be okay?"

"He's recovering," I said and hoped that was true.  "Do you know where we are?  Is this Lord Ice's land?"

"I think so," Edmond said.  His head popped out of the jacket's opening, and he looked around.  "I want to know who brought us down."

"And why," I added.  "You don't just drop dragons out of the sky for fun.  We need to find Lord Snow and ask if there is any --

"Troll!" Edmond warned and ducked into the jacket.  "I think."

I couldn't tell either, but the thing was coming straight at us, so I figured I better be ready.  I brought up my hands and tried to remember the defensive magic my father had been teaching me.  It wasn't easy.  I felt as though my brain was starting to freeze.

Good thing.  Maggie wouldn't have appreciated being attacked.  She had her hands up as well, though, and lowered them as quickly as I did.

"Maggie," I said and reached to hug her even as Edmond's head popped up.  He made a muffled sound but didn't appear to be unhappy. "What is going on?"

"Nothing good," she admitted, though she didn't look as worried as she had been a moment before.  "Lord Snow and Five are at the shelter --"

"Shelter?" I asked and tried not to sound too hopeful.

"That way," she said with a faint wave of her arm.  It was not the direction we were headed.  "We had to run the trolls out of it.  Most of them headed straight inland.  As soon as we're certain Lord Ice is okay, we'll head for slightly better weather as well."

"I like that idea," I said.  "You know where we are?"

She pulled out the compass and held it up where I could see it.  The arrow pointed almost straight to the right.

"What is it pointing at?" I asked.

"It should be your father's castle," she said.  "That's where we want to go, and the compass should pick it up.  At this point, though, I'm not so sure.  I don't care, though, as long as we get out of the snow before this gets worse."

"Worse?" I said.  "Don't even think such a thing."

We were walking back along Lord Ice's long, white body.  The dragon blocked some of the wind, so it wasn't so difficult.  I was glad to see his eye open when we neared the head, and he even turned slightly.

But I thought he must be very weak and that worried me.  I hoped Maggie knew something about dealing with injured dragons.  I was anxious about what would happen if we lost Lord Ice.  I didn't know enough about what his position in Elsewhere really was, now that I thought about it.  I wasn't even certain of my father's place in this strange, magical world.

Never mind my place.

Maggie had begun making some sort of examination of the dragon.  I just stepped back out of the way and watched.

I should have been watching for trouble, of course.

I swear, my brain had frozen.