‘Silence, fool!’ the figure hissed. ‘Stupid! Thoughtless, with so many Trolls and other bad things about! Come! There is sanctuary, not far from here.’
‘And why would we trust you, an Imp,’ said Haloch darkly.
‘Because, Elf with no brain, if Trolls find us here, all three of us will be Troll-food! Come, now, or I leave you here.’
Haloch needed only a moment to listen to the approaching whispers, when he nodded. ‘Lead on. But if you think to betray us, I carry with me an object of great power.’
‘Hah!’ scoffed the Imp, leading them away towards the round hill. ‘Great Power! Send the Trolls away, then!’ She urged them to cover behind some bracken, and they saw the dark lumbering shapes of several giant Trolls, wavering from side to side, walking almost on all fours, making their way down the hill to their left, and off into the mist. The moment the sounds of their movement receded into the distance, the Imp urged them on again. ‘Great Power is the cause of all this. Mighty Elves! Stop the Seasons! Try to slay the Earth Mother! Pah! Keep your Great Power! One does not need it to live as one should.’
Mraan was listening to little of this. Instead, he was transfixed by the strange being who quite clearly was leading them away from danger.