Ciaran and the Peninsula of Plenty

There weren’t always dragons in the Valley, and there weren’t always trolls on the Peninsula. Ciaran sat on a round, flat stone flipping a golden coin. His favorite sitting stone sat at the southern tip of the Peninsula of Plenty, at the point two rivers, Troll Brook and Mink Creek, met the ocean. The sun was setting over the ocean to his right. As he looked out at the ocean south of his favorite rock on the cliff, the oranges, pinks, and purples were shimmering off the gold coin flipping through the air. As Ciaran flipped the coin another time, a shadow blocked out the beautiful sunlight. A gray-skinned troll with brown vest and pants had come up on Ciaran, trying to catch him unaware. Its short dagger and menacing smile would have intimidated many normal humans, and other than a coin-shaped birthmark on his left shoulder, Ciaran was a normal human. However, his life had been affected by trolls before, and his birthmark lent him an extraordinary skill. As he caught the coin, he flipped it much higher in the air. The troll could not help but follow the coin with its eyes. Ciaran pulled a second coin from his pocket and threw it, striking the troll between its two eyes that were still focusing up at the coin. The coin hit the troll with such force that it killed him. Ciaran deftly caught the coin that was falling from the sky and went to retrieve the other one. Casting one last cold look at the corpse, he walked out of the clearing and back into Larchcorn Forest.

***

Larchcorn Forest was not creatively named. It did indeed consist mainly of cornstalks with many large ears of corn and a fair amount of larch trees here and there. What made Larchcorn Forest unique was the sheer height of the corn. The stalks were evenly spaced out and at least ten feet tall. The larch trees’ branches were around 150 feet in the air, and the trees were separated by many acres of corn. The large, magical cornstalks sprouted new ears every thirty days and had even inspired Ciaran’s people and their calendars. The deer of the area were larger than whitetail deer, which was essential for them to reach the higher corn cobs. The raccoons were expert climbers, able to scale the sturdy cornstalks and take down ears of corn. The larch trees were home to blackbirds and robins, and every so often Ciaran was able to spot a blue jay or his favorite birds, the red-winged blackbird and the bald eagle. The two rivers flowing through Larchcorn Forest helped make it an idyllic setting, but cornfields can also be eerie places to walk, especially after Ciaran’s recent bout with the troll. Any wind moved the cornstalk leaves, and each movement of a cornstalk leaf almost certainly sounded like a troll walking through the forest and accidentally brushing a cornstalk. Ciaran kept his hand in his pocket and his eyes peeled. As he neared the city of Granite, he approached the ferryman’s cabin to see if he was inside. Ciaran had stayed staring into the sunset too late, and the drawbridge had already been lifted. Luckily, he caught the ferryman before he brought his boat back over to Granite for the night. Sid the ferryman untied his boat, and they pushed off to cross Troll Brook. Ciaran’s thoughts were moving a mile a minute. What was a troll doing off on its own, almost as if targeting Ciaran?

Granite was visible in the west as they crossed Troll Blood Road. The city was tucked between the river and ocean, with moats on the north and south of the city, connecting Troll Brook to the ocean. The lumber of larch trees and cornstalk-thatched roofs made for uniform cottages surrounding the castle, which was made of large red granite stones, giving the city its name. Quartzite, the city with a duplicate castle obviously made of quartzite, on the opposite coast was identically tucked between Mink Creek, two moats, and the ocean. Lord Aidan and Lady Alina held the city and castle of Granite, while Lord Aidan’s cousin and his wife, Blaine and Blair, held the city and castle at Quartzite. The trolls usually inhabited the lands north of the two cities and south of the mountains, where the rivers were farther apart and the ocean was out of view. Aidan and Blaine had worked well together to keep the trolls far from their cities and out of the minds of the commoners. Therefore, Ciaran encountering a troll that far south was all the more surprising.

Alina, the daughter of Lord Aidan and Lady Alina, was walking out of the castle when Ciaran was approaching. “Ciaran, how are you? Actually, you look troubled.”

“Alina, I was just at the very tip of the peninsula looking out over the ocean and was attacked by a troll.”

“A troll that far south is very odd. Come with me, we will talk to my father.”

Ciaran and Alina crossed the drawbridge over the dry moat that surrounded the castle. The Granite Castle was designed as a stone keep castle, with a beautiful courtyard at its center. Crossing through the courtyard, Ciaran and Alina made it to the Great Hall where Aidan was still supping on bread, venison, and ale. Aidan looked resplendent in chain mail with his family’s crest on the chest. His left sleeve covered a birth mark shaped like a crown, which had always given Aidan the impression that he was a natural choice for a king instead of a lord. However, he and his brother had always gotten along and shared ruling the Peninsula of Plenty. Aptly named, the peninsula had rarely experienced hard times, making ruling relatively easy.

“Ciaran, my boy, what can I do for you?”

The king may have been on his second mug of ale in Ciaran’s opinion, and he hated being called a boy. However, he calmly replied, “I was attacked by a troll at the very southern tip of the Peninsula.”

“That’s odd. I will have to speak to the captain. Perhaps his scouts were able to see the troll or trolls and their movements. Naturally you gave the troll the old one-coin, two-coin trick?”

“I did, sir.”

“I will send a few troops after the body. No use letting the coyotes massacre it.”

“Thank you, sir. I just wanted to let you know they were this far south.”

“Very good, Ciaran. Have a seat and some supper. Your father has already dined with me, but you can certainly take his seat. The venison is particularly tender tonight.” Ciaran’s father was a merchant for the king. Needless to say, Ciaran was never short of coins to throw. Ciaran was not particularly proud of this, but he enjoyed growing up in the castle and seeing Alina. Her high cheek bones, hazel eyes, long flowing brown hair separated her from other the other young ladies of the court in Ciaran’s mind, and she was an accomplished rider with little desire of being called Lady. The two were often joined by Connell, Lord Blaine’s son. He had been sent to Lord Aidan at a young age to be with children of a similar age. Many of the common folk thought the two cousins, Connell and Alina would later be wed to unite the throne after Aidan and Blaine passed. Ciaran had never broached the subject but quietly hoped that it was not the case. Also joining Ciaran, Alina, and Connell on their young adventures was Ciaran’s sister, Erin. Each of them was nearing adulthood and had unique birth marks on their shoulders, though they were less sure of their meaning compared to Ciaran.

As Ciaran sat down to eat, two soldiers with Lord Blaine’s crest entered the Great Hall. “Lord Aidan! Trolls everywhere!”

“Calm down, son. I have heard a few reports of trolls in the Larchcorn Forest.”

“No, my Lord. The trolls are everywhere in the city of Quartzite.”

Lord Aidan knocked over his mug. “What do you mean?”

“Your brother has replaced us with trolls, sir. It appears they do his bidding now.”

The soldiers sat down and had a mug of ale to calm their nerves. Ciaran leaned over to Alina. “Lord Blaine’s shoulder always looked like troll skin to me. Do you think his unique skill is to control trolls?”

“It looks like you are right about that,” Alina replied.

***

The city of Granite was overwhelmed in the next few days. Blaine’s soldiers and as many commoners that could had escaped Quartzite and come to Granite seeking shelter. Sid the ferryman had never been so busy, and he was sure to end his nights on the Granite side of Troll Brook. Trolls were commonly seen in the forest at night, as if scouting Granite. Lord Aidan was speaking with his advisors, trying to decide on an attack of Quartzite. There were still commoners in the city that would surely be oppressed. A few days later, Lord Blaine was spotted in the middle of a guard of trolls, holding a white flag. Lord Aidan allowed him to cross with Sid the ferryman rather than putting down the main drawbridge. The trolls stayed behind in the forest.

“Brother, great to see you.”

“Lord Blaine, I would rather not claim you as family if you are going to go about ruling with trolls.”

“It is my unique skill to master trolls. Therefore, I should use it. Do you wish to rule with me or under me?”

“Neither; I do not want to be associated with you. Just because you have a unique skill does not mean you can use it for any means you wish. Those with unique skills should use them for the greatest good.”

“Well, if that is how you feel, you should prepare your city for war. I will be the master of both castles, and a troll lord will occupy your seat.” Lord Blaine turned on his heel and left at once.

As soon as he had left, Lord Aidan sent out hunting and fishing parties. They were to stock up on venison and fish in case of a prolonged siege. Then Lord Aidan called Ciaran over. “You know your skill better than anyone. Do you think you could puncture mail with a coin?”

“I have never tried.”

“Soldier! Put some mail on that post.” The beam coming from the ceiling was quickly fitted with mail. Ciaran threw a coin in front of everyone. The coin hit the mail and fell to the ground. The soldier pulled off the mail. The wood of the beam was splintered underneath.

“Ciaran, I have a plan for you. It is risky, but I would like to strike Blaine before he strikes us.”

***

“This castle and Quartzite Castle are mirror images of one another. What I am telling you must not be revealed to anyone else. Each castle has a secret entrance from a cave in the water. This is made for quick escape if the Lord and Lady were threatened. I will send soldiers with you to find this cave and attack Lord Blaine. He of course knows of this tunnel. So, it is probably being watched. You let the soldiers fight their battle and worry about your mission. I am sending Connell with you.”

“Connell, my lord? He is Lord Blaine’s son.”

“He has grown up here, and I know he is not a fan of trolls. I have full trust that he will protect you, even in this mission.”

“Yes, my lord,” Ciaran said with doubt in his mind.

“So, your job is not necessarily to kill the lord. I want you to get a coin to hit his birth mark through his mail. If my idea works, you will damage his birth mark, and he will not be able to control the trolls any longer.”

The next morning the troops pushed off being carried by a schooner of eight sailors. They took the ocean all the way around the peninsula. It was nearing sunset on the following day when the crew spotted the cave. The schooner stayed as close to the cliff as possible to avoid being seen. The soldiers were off-loaded quickly, and the schooner retreated, dropping anchor and waiting for a signal to take the soldiers back home. Torches were lit, and the soldiers moved quickly up the secret passage without any resistance. It seemed too easy. As they were nearing the top of a long staircase, torches were suddenly seen and fighting began on the stairs. Trolls had indeed been waiting for them.

Ciaran’s job was to wait at the back and let the elite group of soldiers in front of him push through. He looked over at Connell next to him. Ciaran was understandably uneasy. Though he and Connell had been friends for many years, Ciaran knew it was a tough position for Connell to be in. He hoped his friend’s animosity toward trolls and years of friendship kept him loyal. In the meantime, the soldiers had pushed through the door at the top of the stairs and fanned out. The sun was about to touch the horizon. Trolls were entering the courtyard at an incredible number. Ciaran was shocked the secret passage led to the courtyard of all places, thinking they would be outside the dry moat at the least. He was even more shocked when Connell began a feverish fight with five trolls. Connell quickly disposed of them and led Ciaran onward. Ciaran had never seen his friend fight like this. He wondered if something about trolls had triggered his friend, but then the image of his friend’s birthmark popped into his head. It was of a circle touching a line. Ciaran had never known what it meant and neither did Connell for that matter, but it was pretty obvious now. The circle was the sun and the line was the horizon. Connell seemed to gain extra strength at sunset.

With Connell’s amazing strength and skill, they quickly made it to the Great Hall, where they thought Lord Blaine would be dining. The two of them walked in. The trolls of Lord Blaine’s guard were all out in the courtyard fighting. Lord Blaine sat calmly eating his venison. “Connell, I had hoped they would send you along. I know my boy would never hurt me.” Ciaran slowly edged to the Lord’s left while Blaine was addressing his son.

“Father, you of all people know I do not care for trolls. I had hoped the fact that they had killed your wife and my mother would prevent you from acting like this, even if your birth mark is an affinity for trolls.”

“What you don’t know son is that I had them kill your mother. I also have a son I love more that helps me lead the trolls. He is part troll, and when your mother found out about his birth, I decided it was time to have your mother accidentally attacked by trolls in the forest and send you away to Lord Aidan. I have chosen my true family.”

“How could you?” Connell began to charge. However, the two had been so immersed in their conversation; they had forgotten about Ciaran. Just after Lord Blaine stood up, Ciaran’s coin caught him square in the shoulder, piercing the mail easily. Blaine turned to look at Ciaran as Connell reached him. Pain was clearly etched on Blaine’s face. He did not see his son still charging. Connell’s blade also easily pierced the mail with his extra strength. The Lord died at his table, and quickly things changed around them. The sun had set in full and Connell dropped down exhausted. The trolls had begun a full retreat out of the city of Quartzite when the king’s shoulder had been pierced. The soldiers picked up their wounded and made their way toward the schooner. Ciaran supported his friend down the stairs, and the two young men were the last ones on the boat. The light of the full moon helped guide them home to Granite.