"It's near their territory, not in it. I just pass on information so you'll have to go it alone. If you wait until tomorrow though I often hunt near there and you can tag along until you have to break off. Fortunately it is not far from here so they'd be little chance of getting lost."

''I..I guess I'll go with tomorrow, I don't really feel like going alone to that place..I hope I can stay here tonight..'' She ask for the sage's permission to stay over the night, with the sage giving her a positive answer to stay. Valentine regretted she didn't allow the hunter to come along, if he does, she wouldn't had to overcome all of these. But, return to home and walk the Shadow seems to be more important to her.

"This is not a bed and breakfast -" the sage was beginning to say though he saw something in her features that made him chance his mind. "I have only one bed ... stay here if you like if you can make space between all the piles of books."

He got up. "In any event it grows late and I'm going off to retire for the evening. If you need me I'll be in the bedroom." He departed then. When next she saw him he was refreshed and dressed in a fresh pair of clothes. He had a bow, a quiver too and made a little breakfast, no charge because he sort of felt bad for her. It was just simple eggs though and she left with him as he hunted that morning.

After a time of walking he stopped, looked west and pointed. "Your destiny takes you there. In an eighth of a mile there is a briged, cross it and head due west until you arrive where you;re going half a mile later, there you will discover the tears of the kings,"

'' Th..thank you for your help, I appreciate it..'' After she gave her thanks to the sage, she went off to the direction pointed by the sage. After a long walk, she finally reach the bridge.
I..I'm tired now..Why is it so far away from there..Maybe I'll get some rest by the river..'' She sat down by the river near the bridge hoping to rest her tired legs.

She rested by the bridge. The water was actually in a small ravine about ten feet down though the bridge seemed to be well kept up. It spanned about 20 yards across the ravine that sloped up steeply from the river to each side.

The sage was somewhat helpful and it had been years since he was last in these parts so he didn't know changes to the land, well not necessary the land itself ...

She heard something after about 2 minutes. It sounded as if someone was sniffing the air and it was ... a rather tall gray-green creature with dull black eyes and a hairless ape-like body swung up onto the bridge from beneath it.

It was large, larger than a man on horse back, and a row of jagged yellow teeth lined it's mouth. A troll! And it was glaring at her, the source of what it smelled as it took a step forward wooden planks creeking under it's weight as it neared,

'' *Gasp* A..a troll! A troll the sage told me earlier!!'' Without hesitate, she hurriedly get up and trying to ran over the bridge while dodging the troll so she can reach the tomb in time in search of the Tears of the Kings.

As she got up and started the mad scramble across the bridge it was rushing in her direction. Her trajectory took it closer to the troll and as she tried to make a run past it the thing grabbed her, wrenching her to the ground with ease.

He was quiet powerful, and heavy too probably at least a half ton in weight if not more. It growled and while she might have been expecting it to end her life with a quick bite to the throat she instead found the lick of a tongue there as it attempt to hold her down uon the ground near it,

'' Oww...what are you going to do to me!? W..why are you licking me!! Let me go!! I must reach the tomb by nightfall!! '' Valentine struggles to try to get out from the troll's grip, but failed to do so.

The troll's mass was much greater than her own. That and he was much stronger so her pinned her two arms down with a single hand grabbing the two by the wrists and pressing them down over her head. The creature attacked her with it's tongue, growling out as it did so.

It's head drawn to one of her breasts that had been exposed through her shredded top. A tongue coursing over a small breast licking up the nipple than swirling against it softly.

"Mug gonna enjoy." His other hand swept to her side, claws lightly scratching against her while a knee began wedging itself between her thighs to make space for him between them.

''Nnnnh..aahh~..G..Get off me..!!'' Valentine struggled and kick the troll trying to separate her things. Her constant kicking on the troll had enraged the troll yet she didn't knew about it.

Mug had planted his knee between her thighs, her kicks were hardly felt against the thickness of his hide, though the blows mere more annoying then anything. Naturally he did not listen to her, his hand going down between her thighs, hitching up her tattered dress to expose her panties, then seizing them by the side he tore them off her placing his hand over her sex and rubbing vigorously against it.

He chuckled, showing off his discolored teeth then lift up slightly, his head cast down to get a partial view of her flower as his hand coursed over it. "Mug gonna fuck you good and hard."

H..hey! What have you done to my..nnnh aaaah~ aah~ s..stop...nnnh..no..not there..I..I don't want to have sex with you! N..no!!'' No matter how loud Valentine yelled on the ugly troll, Mug didn't even care a bit about her. He continue to get rough and started to release his enormous member out.

The troll grinned, removing his loin cloth and exposing his large and throbbing member. Gods! It look like a third leg it was so big that there was no way that it would fit! In fact she could feel him press up against her sex but it was like trying to put a round peg in a square hole, it did not fit, at least not initially.

Mug groaned and tried again using more force this time howling out in what she considered to be frustration though it wasn't until a moment later when she felt the splattering of blood of her chest did she realize that there was an arrow jutting out of the eye of the troll.

The troll turned was hit by a few more arrows that did little than graze it's thick skin as it got up with a growl leaving his lips as it rushed at the man with the bow who faded back into the trees still firing at the beast as he did so probably aware that an enraged troll was single minded.

But who was the man? It was not the sage she guessed. The hunter? The troll atop her had obscured most of her view as it did now blocking her sight to it. Puck?

Who did she meet that would take on the ire of a troll? She was left to wonder this for a moment, the sound of flowing water was beneath her from the river, but other than the troll bellowing she heard nothing else at the moment.

The arrow continues to fire at the troll, one after another the troll couldn't hold his last breath. He fall on the ground pile of blood came gushing out from his wounds stabbed by arrows. Valentine's still wondering who's the man that save her, by any chance it would be the hunter from before. She sit herself up then tries to stand up and walk towards the man who saved her.

" Y..You're the hunter right?'' Valentine asked but she didn't receive an instant reply for her question, leaving her staring blankly at the direction of the bunch of trees.

A man came out of view, walked casually over to the troll, drew his dagger and plunged it into the creature's throat first and foremost. He nodded in answer to her question though he had no need of doing so for she could see him clearly now.

He wiped black blood from his blade onto the back of the troll, resheathed his weapon then gazed at her. "are you alright?" He asked he had been following her for little over a day now and it was a good thing he was. "I told you that their are more awful dangers then mere goblins. You do know that crossing that bridge leads you to the guardian, right?"