"Urggg," said the troll, in what Shale hoped was a conversational tone. Her sword would be useless against the troll's tough hide. Shale took a quick mental inventory of her other belongings. One pair of scuffed boots, leather breeches and vest, brass wristlets--

Hmm. Her gaze flicked to the thick metal bracelets. Trolls were known to favor golden bribes. They were also known to be fairly stupid, and the moonlight was not exactly blinding, even if the moon was nearly full. Shale slipped off one of the wristlets and waggled it invitingly at the troll. "Troll like nice gold? Pretty. See?"

With a swipe of its massive paw, the troll grabbed the proffered bauble. It held the bracelet above its head, examining it for a moment. Then the troll sniffed the air with a decided air of disdain and flung the wristlet down the hill, toward the forest. No mistaking the meaning of that, Shale thought. Not so stupid after all then, at least when it came to brass and gold.

Instinct, more than cunning, directed Shale's next move. She ducked and rolled. The slope of the hill was not great, but it was sufficient for her purposes. At the bottom, she rose and ran, trying to ignore the thundering footsteps in pursuit. Earlier, when she'd scouted the area, she'd found a narrow crevasse which led back into a stony hill, just beyond the end of the high, smooth wall that surrounded the tower. With luck, she'd fit into that hole. Otherwise, she'd probably end up as the troll's midnight snack.

Pumping her legs as fast as she could make them go, Shale raced along the wall. The troll's fetid breath steamed against her bare upper arms, and the massive swings of its huge arms set her short hair aflutter. Mother of a Bog-Burner, it's going to be a tight fit, Shale thought, as she jammed herself into the narrow hidey-hole, scraping her arms raw in the process. Good thing she and Karl had been on such tight rations since they left the city of Noria six weeks ago. At her normal weight, she might not have fit.

Squeezing herself sideways into the crevasse, she turned her head to watch the troll. Maybe it will go home, Shale hoped. Wherever home might be for the creature. There weren't even supposed to any trolls in this part of Askuria.

Instead, the troll sat on its haunches, nasty yellow eyes glaring at Shale. Dawn wouldn't break for hours. Shale supposed she was in for a long and miserable night.