Pedersen hadn’t been lying.
The best walls were rubble.
We looked them over and finished off our brandy.
“You’re a Blood,” he stated.
“Aye.”
“Is it true?”
I chuckled. “Depends on what your mother’s been saying.”
He snorted a laugh. “Oh, I deserved that one. Right. Can you take a blow that would be death for another?”
“That’s true enough.”
“Does it hurt?”
“Like hell.”
Pedersen nodded. “Well then. The walls.”
“They’re worse than I thought.”
“This is better than most,” he retorted. “What do you want done?”
“We’ll put the bells in behind us. And we’ll have them ring out all night.”
“And when the trolls come?”
“We’ll kill them.”
“How?” For the first time, I heard real fear in his voice.
“Knees first. We’ll set up the cannons to aim at knees and ankles. Slow them a bit.”
“They’ll come after the cannons,” Pedersen mused. “Even with broken knees and shattered ankles.”
“I know. But we’ll keep ringing the bells. That’ll keep them from thinking too clearly. They’ll focus on the cannons, and we’ll pull back the gunners. I’d rather lose the guns than the men.”
Pederson grunted his approval. “What then?”
“When the men are safe and the bells still ringing, I’ll have you all pour down fire whenever you can. We’ll isolate the trolls, one by one.”
“Where will you be?” he asked.
“I’ll be out with the trolls.”
“You’ll be what?”
“With the trolls.”
“Won’t a troll kill a Blood?”
“Of If they catch me. That’s why you’ll all be firing. You’ll keep the other wounded trolls back, and I’ll kill them one at a time.”
“With what?”
I patted my Colts. “The revolvers to start. A few shots to the head will settle them down, but I’ll need something to finish them off.”
“What’s that?” he asked, his voice filled with bemused wonderment.
“A hammer,” I answered. “A nice, big hammer.”
Pedersen laughed. “Well, come then. There’s a smithy up the road a bit. I’m sure we can find something even Thor would be pleased to wield.”
“Let’s hope,” I said. “And mayhaps we’ll come across some more brandy.”
“It so happens,” Pedersen stated, “that I might know where some more brandy is tucked away as well.”
Grinning, we set off.
If I was going to die tonight, at least I’d be in good company.
#Denmark #supernatural #monsters #paranormal
