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We have bigger prey now, Laszlo answered, turning us toward the rising heap of jagged rocks that rose up around the cave entrance. And as he spoke, the rocks shifted, weeds swayed, and the large, stony figures of mountain trolls shook themselves free of their hiding places.
"Will a bolt even hurt them?" I asked, gasping at the sight of the massive creatures.
I'd met river trolls and forest trolls in the past, as tall as mature trees, but these were practically giants, with flat, craggy faces and a tangle of grasses in their hair.
Aim for eyes, throat, genitals, Laszlo instructed.
I didn't wait. One stomp from these mountain trolls would seriously injure any of the men on the ground. I lifted the crossbow back into position, holding onto Laszlo as he shot forward.
Here comes Hywel, Laszlo told me, and a streak of heavy red was gliding around the corner, approaching from behind.
One of the trolls was turning toward Rolant, who was busy snapping and clawing at a cluster of werewolves that took turns diving and scratching at him. I took aim as Laszlo flew nearer and shot for the throat. I reached for another bolt immediately, twisting and staring as the troll screamed like thunder and scrabbled its four-fingered hands at the wound in its throat.
"Turn back!"
Laszlo spun us and I fired once more, this time at the troll's eye, a whoop bursting from my lips as the bolt struck true.
A little valkyrie,Rolant's voice boomed from below. His tail slashed, cutting down the troll's legs from behind, the mountain quaking as the heavy body hit the earth.
Hywel swooped from overhead, a scorching blaze striking three mountain trolls.Myvalkyrie, Rolant.
I grinned and Laszlo soared us up into the air, narrowly missing the swiping reach of another troll.
Conall, Laszlo snapped.
I was already putting the next bolt in place, strangely bloodthirsty and eager for my next target. Laszlo flew us toward the path where Conall was cornered against a rock by five of the remaining werewolves. I shot one from the air, only managing to catch it on the thigh as he leapt onto Conall's shoulder.
I need to go low, Laszlo warned me.
The ground below was beginning to thin out, Asterion clearing away the last of the werewolves as Rolant and Hywel turned on the trolls. I tightened my body on Laszlo's back, tucking my heels up and lying low as he dove for the weres attacking Conall.
Laszlo's talons reached out, snagging one werewolf before he lunged at Conall.
"Get her away from here!" Conall snarled at us.
Laszlo flew high with a sudden flex and beat of his wings, swooping us to the edge of the mountain and dropping his prey. I sat up, loading another bolt and firing it into the crotch of an approaching troll, cursing as the creature twisted aside and the shot was wasted.
We dive again, Laszlo said, and I made myself small on his back.
It was organized chaos—blood and screams, talons and claws, blades and fangs. It was ugly work, but my mind cleared, crystalline, shoving aside fear in order to better watch, plan, move. Every shot that missed made me more careful the next time, and every one that hit my target left me stronger, surer.
Laszlo tossed the last of Conall's opponents over the mountainside, and I patted his back.
"Put me on the ground."
I don't think—
"The others need your help, and I need to see how badly wounded Conall is."
Laszlo spiraled. There were five trolls left, and they were sturdier foes than the werewolves. Rolant had twisted his long body around one, slowly crushing its stony body, but that left Hywel and Asterion to tackle the majority of enemies left.
Conall was limping toward them, and Laszlo hissed in my thoughts.Getbothof you safely out of the way, he said.
"I promise."
He slowed, and I swung my leg over his back, dropping down before he'd even put so much as a claw on the ground. Conall froze, shuddering in his beastly form, huge green eyes staring as Laszlo turned and flew toward the others.
"What are youdoing?!" Conall snapped.
