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Amora whispered,
"Two floors up is where they're holding the little prince. But there are two troll guards stationed outside the room—it could be tricky."
Rowe thought for a moment.
"Let's head up and see what we're dealing with."
The three exited their hiding place, cautiously making their way through the dim corridor. After several turns and pauses, they reached a vantage point beside a massive stone pillar, carefully scanning the area.
Rowe's eyes narrowed as he spotted movement. In the corner of his vision, a troll guard emerged.
Peeking further, he confirmed—two bulky troll guards stood at attention outside a reinforced door. That had to be it. Behind that door was Prince Hogan of the Vanir.
"Captain, what's the plan?" Fairwind asked. "Do we just take them down?"
Rowe pointed to a door set into the adjacent wall.
"Anyone inside that room?"
"One troll," Amora responded. "Asleep."
Rowe nodded and slipped into the room silently, locking the door behind him.
On the bed lay a slumbering troll—its gender indiscernible by Asgardian standards. Trolls all appeared the same: massive, hairy, and crude, like primitive beasts stuck mid-evolution.
Easing the door shut, Rowe crept to the bedside. With one swift motion, he clamped a hand over the troll's mouth as it jolted awake—too late. The glint of enchanted Uru steel flashed, and his dagger pierced the troll's skull at the crown.
Its limbs twitched briefly before falling limp.
Trolls were tough—high-tier beings known for tenacity. Just in case, Rowe made several more surgical cuts to ensure it wouldn't rise again.
"Fairwind, check the prince's room," he whispered, cleaning the blade.
Fairwind pressed her ear against the thin wall.
"The prince is inside. Alone. But the wall's thin and we're close to the guards. If we use magic to breach it, they'll hear us."
Rowe sheathed his blade and began carving silently with the dagger. Immortal steel worked quickly, and he sliced a narrow opening just wide enough for someone to slip through.
Behind the wall was a wooden cabinet. They gently moved it aside and entered the nursery.
The chamber was modest in size but tastefully furnished—clearly reserved for royalty. In the center, a baby cot cradled a peacefully sleeping infant.
Rowe approached carefully, administered a trace amount of odorless potion and Greenhilde's sleeping drops, then swaddled the baby and secured him inside the carrier fastened across his chest.
The sight of the stoic warrior carrying a baby drew a chuckle from Fairwind.
Rowe shot her a sharp look and rushed to muffle her laugh—but too late.
Footsteps echoed outside. A handle twisted.
The trio dove into cover as the door creaked open.
A troll guard entered, brows furrowed but not alarmed. He strolled toward the crib, assuming the noise came from the child.
From the shadows, Rowe struck—dagger plunged into the skull, hand muffling any sound. The guard collapsed without a cry.
Rowe exhaled and glared at Fairwind, who looked properly chastised.
Keeping his voice low, Rowe pointed at the hole.
"I'll head out. Fairwind, once I'm out, lure the other one in."
He slipped out through the wall opening and crouched behind the pillar.
Outside, the second guard called toward the room,
"Is the child crying again? Should I fetch the nurse?"
Rowe gave a silent signal and gripped his dagger.
Inside, Fairwind answered with a dramatic series of coughs.
"Cough… cough, cough, cough!"
The troll paused.
"What was that?"
Fairwind hacked louder, exaggerating the sounds to the point of absurdity.
"You choking on diapers?" the guard muttered suspiciously, hand on the hilt of his cleaver as he stepped into the room.
Rowe seized the chance. As the guard crossed the threshold, he dashed forward and repeated the maneuver—this time, though, carrying the baby made it awkward.
The troll struggled briefly, and his blade caught Rowe's arm before succumbing.
Rowe grimaced and clutched the wound.
"Block the door. We're leaving—now."
Amora and Fairwind dragged furniture to block the entrance. It wouldn't hold for long, but it would buy them precious seconds.
They retraced their infiltration path, moving swiftly and silently until they returned to the utility room where they'd first entered the castle.
The baby stirred slightly in Rowe's arms but remained asleep. Relief softened their expressions.
Rowe's tone turned urgent.
"We've taken out two sentries. Won't be long before someone notices. We need to move."
He handed out vials of Swiftness Potion.
"Only use these when absolutely necessary."
"Let's go!"
They exited into the streets, staying under the cover of night. But before they reached the town's perimeter, a horn blared behind them.
Lights flared on. The trolls had noticed.
"The baby's gone!"
"Find them! Now!"
A storm of troll warriors poured into the streets. Warhounds howled, their sharp cries cutting through the darkness.
At first, Rowe's team used stealth to move undetected. But within minutes, multiple patrols crossed their path.
Realizing they'd be pinned down, Rowe passed the infant to Fairwind.
"Take him and stay hidden. I'll draw them off."
Activating Blessing of Kings, he leapt into battle, hurling a holy Judgment to smite the lead troll, followed by a radiant hammer strike that felled a second.
Boom! Two trolls crumpled instantly.
"There they are!"
Wolfhounds bayed and more trolls charged.
Rowe's ambush scattered the initial wave. Amora joined the fray with precise arcane blasts. Fairwind, now armed again, picked off stragglers with her bow.
Still, the trolls swarmed. Cavalry thundered in the distance.
"Swiftness Potions—now!" Rowe barked.
Everyone downed their vials. Energy surged through them as they sprinted toward the rendezvous point.
"Don't let them escape!" bellowed a troll commander. "Seize them!"
As they ran, Fairwind glanced over her shoulder, half-laughing and half-panicked.
"Didn't they say there were only two or three hundred trolls in the whole town? Feels like we're fighting the entire horde!"
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