Day 310: Stalk Like A Snow-Troll

[tanaquiljall]

When we were discussing the Long Winter which was the setting for yesterday's drabble, elena_tiriel suggested I write something about snow-trolls.

Day 310

Stalk Like A Snow-Troll

In the long, drowsy months, they retreat to ice caves beneath the glaciers to dream away the heat of summer.

As the last leaves fall on the lower slopes, and frozen flakes dance in the moonlight in the high pastures, they stir, wake, renew their strength on a first meal hoarded in packed snow since the previous spring.

When a soft white blanket stretches across the land, they venture further, to where herds of shivering horses and cattle huddle together. From time to time, they cross paths with unwary travellers, hunters and herdsmen, lost children.

They fear nothing, save fire.

Comments

[elena-tiriel.livejournal.com]

Oh! Very evocative, Liz... the environment sounds absolutely beautiful... (except for the unspoken part about freezing your assets off....)

Well done!

- Barbara

[tanaquiljall]

Thanks! And I'm sure if you have a big woolly white coat, you wouldn't mind it being cold. ;)

(Is it my turn to laugh at you Californians who don't know what cold is? :-P)

[dkpalaska.livejournal.com]

This has to be the first fanfic I've seen about snow-trolls. The descriptions are stellar, as always, and you gave a really romantic spin to them - at least, up until the line about unwary travellers, hunters and herdsmen, lost children. Yikes!

[tanaquiljall]

Heheheh - well, there is only one mention of snow-trolls in all of Tolkien's published writings, AFAIK. So not surprising they're one of the... ahem... lesser explored subjects in fanfic!

I had fun drawing on my experience of visiting glaciers in Norway and the snowy Midwest for the descriptions.

And hey, can't have Dark creatures without an uncurrent of darkness.... ;)

(And love your new icon too!)

[dkpalaska.livejournal.com]

(And love your new icon too!)

Thank you! Although... I was still using the old one when I made this comment, and have since discovered a quirk of LJ: Once I changed which icon was my default, it got changed in every comment in which I'd ever had "(default)" selected as the icon to display. So the lesson is: don't change your default icon! At least, not too often... *g*

[tanaquiljall]

LOL the quirks of LJ-land...!

[jay-of-lasgalen.livejournal.com]

This is lovely, so descriptive and poetic!

*Shiver* I pity the poor unwary travellers, though ...


Jay

[tanaquiljall]

Thank you. I really enjoy creating these mood pieces and bringing the descriptions together.

And hmm, yes - maybe the experiences of unwary travellers is why Boromir suggested you only survive in the high mountains in winter if you have fire...!

[gwynnyd.livejournal.com]

I have to go outside today, into the cold. Fortunately there is not enough snow to hide a troll or two,or I might be tempted to just stay home.

[tanaquiljall]

Hmm, they might lurk in piles of shovelled snow though?

*imagines snow trolls stalking round the streets where gwynnyd lives....*

[rakshathedemon.livejournal.com]

Ooh; scary-good. Very slow and lazy and evil drabble, just like the monstrous trolls.

[tanaquiljall]

Thanks! I can see snow-trolls being pretty laid back and relaxed most of the time - except when they bound into action against their prey. Rather like polar bears?