Troll: Taken by the Beast by Jayme Knight Page A

show your stone . The one with the troll’s eye is the chosen one,” the priest instructed. “Do you understand?”
    “Yes Gooar, “she said using a respectful old term for the priest that performs the choosing, and she heard the other girls answer similarly.
    “Which of you was born first in the year?” the priest asked.
    Kara and the other girls discussed amongst themselves and found that Kara was born first in the year so she stepped forward. The priest stepped up to her making her feel small as he stood several inches taller than her and she was tall for a girl almost six foot. He held out the sack and Kara put her hand inside and closed her eyes as she felt each stone trying to find any stone that spoke to her through its shape. After several moments she closed her hand around one stone and pulled her hand out with the smooth stone clinched tight in her fist. She watched the other girls pick the same way and the last girl was left with what everyone else did not pick.
    “Each of you, place your hand with the stone in it out in front of you palm up, and I’ll have you all open your hands at the same time ,” the priest instructed. “If you have the black stone you have been chosen, and will be prepared to go to the troll”
    Kara held her hand out palm up and fist clinched so tight her knuckles were turning white. She was shaking with fear and she could see the other girls were as well. The priest motioned for them to open their hands. Kara knew she had the black stone she just could feel it was in her hand, she closed her eyes and opened her hand not looking at first. She slowly opened her eyes and saw a gleaming white polished stone in her hand. She did not realize it but she was holding her breath and she exhaled sharply and a huge smile came over her comely face. Then a thought passed through her mind, ‘If not her, then who has the black stone?’
    Kara looked around at the other girls and one was just sitting paraly zed with fear the black stone sitting on her palm. Her name was Edda and Kara had gone to school with her and now she was to go to the troll. Kara felt deep shame because she was glad it was not her, happy it was all over, all that was left to do was to prepare Edda and deliver her to the troll. More shame filled her as she watched the girl start to shake and tears rolled out of her deep green eyes down her cheeks.
    “No…..” came Edda’s soft voice. “I will not do this.”
    “Child, do not make this harder than it has to be,” the priest said softly wrapping his hand around the silver hammer necklace that was his holy symbol. “Come peacefully and accept your fate.”
    Kara watched the girl start to back away from them in apt fear, the priest started chanting softy, and Edda turned to run for the door.
    “EDDA,” the priest yelled as a bright ray of light burst forth from his hand holding his holy symbol and hit Edda in the back of the head causing her eyes to roll back in their sockets. “SLEEP!”
    Kara watched Edda stop dead in her tracks and crumple to the ground, her fiery red hair covering her face. Kara looked back to the priest and he stood there shaking his head.
    “She is not going to accept her place,” he said with a grave look on his face. “Kara when you come back tomorrow stop at Oleg’s shop and bring some rope with you, four to five lengths should be enough.”
    “Must we do this to her Gooar?” Kara asked in a low soft voice.
    She watched his gaze come to rest on her and he walked to stand directly in front of her staring into her deep blue eyes as he spoke.
    “ She does not have to go,” he whispered to her. “However we owe a debt to the troll for his protection. She can stay but only if you wish to take her place. Do you want to take her place Kara?”
    Kara felt fear grasp her inside at his words and shame filled her as she answered, “No Gooar.”
    “Then stop at Oleg’s tomorrow and bring rope,” the priest ordered.
    Kara found she could not