So a Couple, a Goblin and a Troll Walk Into a Swamp... - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - Meeting the 'King'

Margaret was jolted awake by the trireme slamming into the muddy shore of a much smaller tributary than the one they were sailing on when she fell asleep. She groaned and got herself out of bed. She could tell before even going up on deck that it was morning, although they were so deep in a swampy jungle that it hardly looked so. The second thing she noticed, was the heavy and laborious panting of the crew that just rowed the vessel onto the river’s shore.

I don’t know that Franklin’s going to be able to take these men anywhere in their state. Goodness. They sound like they’ve just run for miles… Is rowing harder on the body? Margaret thought, not having been forced to do such back-breaking work herself at any point in her life.

Emerging on deck from below, she spied her husband and Adam standing on the shore and waving their hands inland. Looking in the same direction, Margaret then saw a host of what must have been the river trolls that Franklin’s second in command was speaking of last night. Although their skin camouflaged them to mix in with the drabby olive green and reed-covered environ, the pack of monsters were still easy to see and observe.

The trolls varied in height and weight, as well as muscle, girth, and gender. The males seemed to all be big-bodied, both in the overweight sense and the muscular sense. Interestingly, despite looking threatening, they all had big childish grins on their faces. The females were smaller and more lithe, but still wart-covered. Several of the troll women approached Franklin and Adam, and stood as tall as they were. The males that stayed back were perhaps nine feet tall in some cases.

Margaret’s husband and the female trolls exchanged words. Her man had to do a lot of gesturing with his hands to convey whatever he was trying to communicate to these ladies. Eventually two of them sprinted back through the growing crowd of their kin. Knowing better than to interrupt a meeting like this, Margaret remained onboard the ship and watched.

After several minutes passed, a loud jovial succession of grunts came from behind the large gathering of river trolls. The crowd parted so that the source of these sounds could get through. Margaret was somewhat stunned to see the largest of the trolls lumber up to her husband, while holding hands with one of the orangish-lime colored female trolls that had previously darted through the crowd. Now it was these two trolls as well as Franklin and Adam exchanging words. 

Margaret couldn’t make out anything that the four of them were saying, but the nine-foot tall finned and fishy looking giant was surely the loudest. After several minutes of banter, Franklin spun around and locked eyes with his wife, and beckoned her forward. She carefully stepped down the wooden boarding plank that had been arranged from ship to shore.

As she approached, Adam turned to leave. After he passed Margaret, he climbed aboard the ship and went below deck. Nearing her husband, Margaret could see that he was proud. Being so near the river trolls too, gave her a better look at the male in charge.

Franklin spoke, “As you said, I got to meet your... Not quite wife, but female friend! Here is my wife, Margaret." He grinned at his wife. "Big Fin here said that he’d be interested in hosting us for a while as well as assisting us in combat! He wanted to meet you and have a sit down with the both of us in his hut.”

Margaret could see Big Fin’s big, yellow eyes roaming over her body. She also noticed him scratching and adjusting his loincloth which did very little to hide his male assets. Although his genitals were hidden partially, that was about all that was covered on the troll’s body. While some of the trolls wore hoods, cowls or masks, Big Fin didn’t wear anything on his head. His name was most certainly due to the large serpentine looking sails all over his form, the largest of which ran from his head down his neck and to his lower back. On his face was a large, curved nose that was as thick as two bananas. His hair was matted and oily, no doubt because these beasts spent most of their time in the muddy bogs.

If Margaret were to guess, she’d have put this beast at around three-hundred-and-fifty pounds. “I suppose there’s no harm in that! Ah, nice to meet you!” Margaret said, quickly composing herself and she reached out to shake hands with Big Fin.

To her and Franklin’s dismay, the troll reached right past her hand and groped one of her large breasts through her silk dress. This made her squeak, but not loud enough to alert any of the men on the trireme.

Seeking to move things along and preserve his wife’s dignity, Franklin spoke up. “Ha-ha! Alright! Greeting’s out of the way Big Fin. So let’s head over to your hut and continue the conversation in more detail!”

Margaret exhaled with relief when the troll’s hand left her chest. Then she huffed when she saw the fabric was stained with some sort of fishy swamp grime. Without a word, she wrapped an arm around Franklin and followed what must have been this tribe’s leader onto more stable, earthy soil away from the muddy riverbank.

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The group proceeded along a gravel and dirt path, to an admittedly well made series of tents and reed walls. There were some torches mounted on the trail, but there were far more luminescent swamp plants used to provide light in the area, giving it an undeserved beauty - compared to the trolls living here. No other trolls followed the four of them, and then Big Fin’s female partner left to do who knew what.

Franklin comforted Margaret, “They really are friendly, albeit a bit handsy. Forgive him dear, these ‘people’ aren’t exactly… You know.” So sure of his intellectual superiority over these river trolls was Franklin that he said this while right behind their leader.

Fortunately for him, the leader simply didn’t care what tiny humans thought about the trolls, and let the comment slide. Then, he welcomed the couple to take a seat in chairs that looked like hollowed-out tree stumps with lichen covered bark still on them. These stump chairs were set in front of a stone slab table. On the other side of that slab was a much larger, bone and birch throne of sorts.

Franklin sat and remarked, “This is actually a pretty nice place, I have to admit. Of course it pales in comparison to my throne room - a place you will be most welcome to visit once my home is reclaimed. Here’s what I’ve got to offer you as a payment for your services.” Franklin put his hands on the stone slab to show off his rings. 

Big Fin had walked to the other side of the slab. He reached over the stone slab and gripped the knight’s hands with his own gnarled, bubbly skinned hands so that he could feel and look at the gems. The troll leader seemed pleased with what he saw, but his eyes kept darting to the human's wife.

Flustered and now blushing, Margaret noticed his constant glances. She also grew disgusted by the smudge on her fine silk dress when she realized that the grime likely came from Big Fin’s repeated crotch touching. Uncomfortably, she suffered through this because it was her duty as a knight’s wife. Margaret remained silent. That was, until the troll finally spoke.

“We love gold. But not need. This tribe not need much. We…” The troll had a reasonable handle on the human's common language as he spoke, which impressed Margaret. “We not need gold. We have all we need.” He nodded sagely and continued to undress Margaret with his gaze, making her more and more uncomfortable. “Me want human companion. Like troll woman you meet.”

Big Fin then pointed at Margaret, which made her ears buzz, while her vision grew white, making her lightheaded.

Franklin stood, “Woah, woah, woah. If you mean what I think you mean, you’re way outta line! That you’d ask for such a thing is astonishing!” It took everything Franklin had to keep himself from shouting. He had half the mind to eradicate these trolls after mustering a new round of recruits back at his soon-to-be reclaimed castle.

Big Fin put his hands up apologetically, realizing that he must have done something not customary to humans. “Sorry... Not need this human. Could be another?” His tone was strangely polite, but the throatiness of Big Fin’s voice made it clear that he was a troll, no matter how nice he could sound.

Franklin sounded relieved at how quickly the troll’s attitude changed. “Uh. N-no. But there aren’t any other women on the ship. Just my wife.” Briefly, the knight considered promising this troll a woman from New Caltian once the battle was won. That of course, would never fly, and it would damage his reputation. “Alright… Actually… Let me speak to my wife in private for a moment.”

Margaret was aghast and took in a sharp, deep breath when she heard her husband say this.

Nodding, Big Fin stood and walked outside.

Franklin’s mind was racing, as were his words in an effort to convince Margaret. “I know how bad this sounds. Don’t get mad at me. I’ve been in the army, fought tons of battles and all that. I can tell you right now, by looking at the trolls we passed and the chief here? They’d all die in combat, I’m sure of it. We could just send them in head-first on the front line while all the skilled troops move to flank. In fact... That’s it, I’ll get more soldiers from nearby. Adam and I learned of several mercenary bands, and if this troll leader won’t take our gold, I can use it to buy the mercenaries.” Franklin seemed insistent on working something out right here and now instead of waiting for help from their king.

Margaret didn’t realize that her husband's drive to be renowned was so strong. She couldn’t have spoken up against him in this moment, even if they were in a normal situation.

Franklin continued his stream of thoughts, “We’ll lie to this troll. We’ll tell him that he can fool around with you after we win. I’ll make him lead the charge, he’ll perish. It’s as simple as that. You heard him, he can barely speak common and didn’t realize he was in the wrong for what he was asking for!”

It had been many months since Margaret saw this frantic and eager-to-appease side of her husband. Franklin was damn loyal and really patriotic for the realm. He had served and earned so much, so she understood. But to even consider putting her in this position… Perhaps it was his lack of sleep that was making him so brash. “I mean, you’re right Franklin. You know how these things work.” To contest her husband now would be a bad idea, as he really was an excellent strategist.

Whether he intended to or not, Franklin had backed Margaret into a corner, but he continued to be reassuring. “Hun, I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of that gross troll fucking you. If push came to shove and we somehow made it work with him alive, I’d slay him then and there. That’s how sure I am of this. Hell, going at our old town with just the trolls would probably work fine. Buying more mercenaries to help us is just the icing on the cake. Trust me.”

Franklin said all of this while facing his lover, then brought both of his hands up to her shoulders. Then he leaned in and kissed his wife. She felt the energy of his churning calculations seep into the kiss as it turned more passionate. Her pulse quickened as their tongues tangled briefly, and then the kiss was over.

Margaret caved in and agreed to go along with everything. “Alright Franklin. You’ve never been wrong before when it comes to combat and honestly... The way you handled the surprise attack back at home was really impressive. I never said it, but I was thinking about it in bed last night. If we’d fallen asleep sooner, neither of us might be alive right now.”

Franklin shook his head and waved his hands. “You know I don’t think about failure or death. Life’s too short and we’ve come too far to worry about such things! But something I am worried about is...” Franklin paused to kiss his wife on the forehead, then continued. “The terrain that we are going to have to traverse on foot is no place for someone wearing royal silks. I’m going to leave two men behind here to guard you and keep you safe while I head out to find the mercenaries."

Deciding then to go in wholeheartedly with her husband’s plan, Margaret nodded. “If you need all the men, you can take them with you. What good are two soldiers protecting me if misfortune befalls you in the field? If we’re going to go with this course of action, we need to commit to it. No half measures, right?” Margaret asked.

This steeled her husband’s heart. “You’re right. Let’s do it with rigor. I’ll leave a weapon with you if you need to use it. Surely these beasts will know that if anything bad happens to you, I’ll... Well, I’ll tell him as much! Big Fin!” He shouted for the king of the river troll tribe.

Franklin was pleased to hear the big troll rushing back to his throne as though he was a servant. “So listen up pal.” Franklin took on the tone of a confident negotiator. After all, he and his wife used to own a castle, so he couldn’t be faulted for having a bit of an ego to play off of when needed. “We talked and we agreed to your terms… On the condition that you can get handsy with my wife after you’ve secured victory for me. If there are any other ladies you like in New Caltian when it’s reclaimed, we may pick one of them instead of my wife." 

Somehow Franklin’s voice got even more commanding. “I’m about to head out with my men to secure additional aid to help with our attack. Our agreement with my wife instead of gold, will free the coin for mercenaries. I am going to leave my wife here for her own safety while me and my men scout out the mercenaries. If I get back and she has any complaints about you, we’re gonna have trouble, ya hear me?”

The troll king nodded, “Big Fin not troll king by stupid. By smart. Me understand. Marg-et safe here like any troll woman. More safe.” Big Fin still sounded apologetic, but he made it clear that he understood the terms. “Big Fin agree. Big Fin get human after we take castle.” 

Thinking he had this river troll hook, line and sinker, Franklin stood up and thrust out a hand to shake on it. The troll did the same and they shook hands. Margaret also rose, emboldened by her husband as much as ever. Together the two of them headed back to the ship, walking through various packs of trolls who watched them curiously.

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Franklin explained to Margaret, “Alright, I hate how brief all of this is, but we need to move. Time is of the essence. If I show up at New Caltian at the same time as the king and his forces, I’ll be on his shit list. We have to move quickly. We can rest when we get to the next settlement be it a goblin or troll camp. So expect us to be out for three or four days. When we get back, we’ll gear up and take back our home!” Once again Franklin gave his wife a very indulgent kiss.

She reciprocated by squeezing his manhood through his breeches and then spanking him. “Do your best! I’ll be safe. I’ll sleep on the ship. The main cabin is secure, so I won’t have to worry about anything getting in. Snakes, spiders or river trolls!”

Together the duo laughed at Margaret’s comment. Then Franklin went below to explain to his men where they were headed. Margaret remained on deck and gazed at the troll village. She wasn’t sure if she was going to take residence there or just stay on the ship. At least the ship had a generous amount of provisions for more than three dozen men during times of war.

After a few minutes passed, Margaret could hear the men below deck groaning and cheering in equal measure. She figured that the response Franklin received was because of how tired so many of them were. It was also when she heard the sighs that she realized just how lucky Franklin and her were. If half of these men wanted to go flee or betray Franklin, they could have done so easily, except for the fact that these men were under Franklin's command, by the King’s order. If they betrayed her or Franklin even in a situation such as this, they’d be exiled at a minimum. Hopefully this meant that the men who weren’t happy about being put on a forced march would continue to obey Franklin.

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The sound of marching boots filled the air of the swamp. One by one, Franklin's men walked above deck, down the plank, and off of the boat, towards the shoddy river troll village, with Adam at the front and Franklin at the rear. Margaret watched from the bow of the ship as Franklin blew his wife a kiss. Then he was off, headed through the village and onto some rough dirt trails that he was told would take him and his men to a settlement known for welcoming any and all races.

It was after the marching men faded into the distance, that Margaret actually felt a bit of fear. It was still early in the day, and while she could sequester herself away on the trireme, she felt that it was her duty as the sole remaining representative of her husband’s house, to make an effort to mingle and appease the trolls to some degree. Preparing herself for that potentially agonizing task, she went back into the main cabin and brushed her clothes. She grabbed a dagger and its belted scabbard, so as not making an effort to hide that she was armed. Thankfully, she had seen none of the river trolls carrying weapons. With the belt secured around her wide hips, Margaret was ready to see how Big Fin and the other trolls lived.

She lifted the skirt of her dress and carefully descended the ship's boarding plank. She retained hold of her skirts as she traversed the muddy riverbank and only released her dress when she was standing on dry ground. Having expected muddy reed huts, what little of the river troll’s village Margaret had already seen had impressed her. Even thinking back to the troll king’s yurt - it was authentic and charming. And if she were honest with herself, if it didn’t smell swampy, she’d have appreciated the colors and atmosphere of the huts to the ship's regal appointed, red and gold cabin.

Margaret was able to see the civic establishments of the river trolls. Obviously not on par with humans or goblins, they had stalls that were tailored to cater to beings other than their own tribe. Seeing a shop which was rife with jewelry, Margaret’s eyes went wide and she had to examine it closer. Not vain or haughty, the freckled redhead only wanted to peruse the wares that the short female troll was hanging around her wooden, vine-covered shack.

As Margaret was looking over the rugged and handmade baubles, she felt a large hand pressing on her generous ass. Worried that she’d be molested by a pack of trolls, she placed a hand on the hilt of her dagger and turned to expect a group of dirty troll men. But it was only Big Fin by himself, standing behind her, with a hand on her rear.

Relax, she thought. It’s just the troll king and all he’s doing is touching my arse. Annoying, but I have to keep the peace for Franklin. This is the sort of thing women of my position suffer through at times. Besides, if we didn’t escape last night, I’d have been raped and possibly killed by Roland and his men. Right. A casual groping and his lecherous gaze is better than being raped and killed. Even after convincing herself of the situation, her first instinct was to pull out her blade and stick this man in the throat with it.

Margaret controlled herself and even managed to avoid recoiling. Inwardly she was cringing. “Ah, hello again sir, or king?” Margaret managed a respectful tone.

The topless female shopkeeper interjected, “He king of village but not proper king of land. Yes king of swamp huts.”

Margaret was floored by the shopkeeper’s words and looked at Big Fin, expecting him to put his boulder-sized fist in the woman’s face. To her amazement, the river troll king threw his head back and laughed hard. Much like his display of shame during their earlier negotiations, this act was endearing in a way.

Big Fin smiled. “Call me any thing. Take any thing from this shop you like.”

His statement made the troll shopkeeper scowl, but she didn’t contest her leader.

“Ah, how generous of you! I was surprised that uh, I don’t mean surprised because you’re trolls, just, um.” Stammering at first, Margaret managed to sort herself out. “It’s very kind to let me have something, is all. I’ll take you up on that offer though. This necklace here, we’ve nothing like it in New Caltian.”

Margaret pointed at a necklace woven together with some sort of rubbery but tough red vines, with a red shell. Big Fin grabbed the necklace and then raised it over her head, before lowering it around her neck.

Hanging from the twined ropes at its center was a red, limestone encrusted shell which was actually fairly plain. The thing that made this piece of handcrafted jewelry interesting was what was inside of the shell. Seated within was a living organism that was arrested by some sort of magic. There were four separate holes on the shell that the little guy could have moved out of if it wasn’t magically trapped, and its form constantly shifed color. Why, Margaret could only guess. But the colors ranged from blue, to pink, to hot white, and a glowing orange reminded her of embers. It was beautiful.

Big Fin explained, “Not need feed. Rainbow Oyster. Common here. Eat magic. Live many years. Good snack.”

His words did not compel Margaret to view her newest acquisition as a food of any kind. Not just because the idea of eating something raw was unsavory, but because the thing made cute little chirping sounds from time to time.

The short shopkeeper grunted, “Spell on necklace take all mana for one day. Big Fin big gift...” She sounding agitated and ignored Margaret as she continued to arrange her wares.

Margaret did not want to impose. “I didn’t know it was expensive! That is what she’s implying, right?” Margaret asked Big Fin.

He placed his right hand on her ass again. “She difficult. Come. Me show you village.”

Since she was just given something valuable, she felt as though she had to tolerate the groping. She also understood that if she became unappealing to the troll king, that he could back out of his deal to help her husband. Margaret had planned to head back to the ship and hide in her cabin until Franklin returned.

“Oh! I uh, I suppose you can show me around your village! I’ll be here a few days anyway. It’s best I know the layout.”

Margaret's stomach began to growl. Knowing full well she had plenty of food available on the trireme, she thought she’d be social and learn some things about the river trolls.

“So, I’m famished, what do you guys have around here for food? Besides the rainbow oysters?”

Big Fin kept his hand on her ass while they walked. “Hungry? Good. We eat! Me ate before. Eat again with you good!” Big Fin declared and redirected her.

Sharply changing the direction that they were walking, the direction the breeze gave Margaret her first real whiff of Big Fin. She audibly gagged as his sour body odor mingled with the mildewy dirty smell of the swamp, and filled her nostrils. Big Fin turned to see what was wrong. He was oblivious to the fact that he smelled anything other than normal.

Margaret held the back of her hand to her nose briefly. “Oh, hoh… It’s nothing, don’t worry about it. I will say though, as thanks for this trinket, I might be able to give you a rare um… A human… A machismo lotion!”

Thinking quickly, Margaret invented an appealing name for soap. She thought she’d be able to get the troll king to bathe, and make his presence less taxing on her nose. Although, it would have to wait until after they had breakfast. Depending on what these creatures ate, she might vomit breakfast before getting back to the boat.

Big Fin struggled with the new word. “Machimo?”

Deciding now was a good time to see if he was receptive to criticisms, Margaret corrected him. “Ma-chis-mo. It means masculinity. Manliness. Male power.” Margaret actually liked to teach children and the poor back in New Caltian. She showed some of this passion by speaking cheerfully. “It will help keep your dick up!" She immediately regretted the words.

Understanding what she meant now, Big Fin properly said the word. “Machismo! Make human dick big. Make troll dick big!” He laughed loudly, shouting for everyone they passed to hear.

Unsurprisingly, none of the other trolls thought this was vulgar. And many failed to respond at all. Margaret’s filthy host proceeded to squeeze her ass, and fingered the valley between her silk covered ass cheeks. Fortunately this didn’t go on for long as the pair arrived at a building that wafted the aroma of smoke and dried fish.

Margaret inhaled deeply, relieved to smell something different. “This is what you eat? This is remarkably civilized.”

She saw rough hewn tables, but there were no chairs. Instead, the trolls were using a bench made of large rocks topped with scrubbed driftwood. Margaret chose a curious table. It was a human-crafted wooden table. Perhaps it was  purchased or stolen from someone, but it reminded her of being aboard the trireme.

Big Fin gestured to hanging strips of salmon. “Smoke fish. Big export. Sit. We know more between us.”

Clenching her teeth when she heard Big Fin say this, Margaret begrudgingly prepared herself to tolerate this man’s company for a bit longer. Export? This village isn't large. Maybe one hundred river trolls in total. I suppose I don't really know anything of the area. Margaret listened to Big Fin order for her. She wasn’t sure what he asked for, as the words he spoke were in the troll tongue. She kept to herself while the jovial king of the river trolls conversed with the cooks.

Eventually, he sat down across from the table and smiled at her nice and wide, showing off his sharp teeth. “Food come! All made. Fresh every day. After food we catch fish?”

Realizing that Big Fin thought of her as his prize already, Margaret decided she’d blunt his eagerness before he got ahead of himself. “Okay, uh, here’s the thing Big Fin. You’re really friendly, and I can’t wait to try some of this food. It smells great! I have to uh, I’m not yours to fool around with until after you help my husband, you know? And I have many things I have to tend on our ship.” Stating all of this as firmly as she could without sounding harsh, Margaret smiled.

Big Fin nodded up and down without losing a bit of his cheer. “Good. Me no break deal. We do other things no break husband deal.”

Annoyed that Big Fin wasn’t getting what she was saying at all, or maybe just didn’t care, Margaret sighed deeply as their food arrived. Unlike the trolls here, their food actually looked respectable, although they were apparently going to be eating with their bare hands.

She cocked her head to the side. “Right. Yes. I suppose we can do things like eat and fish before my husband returns. Those activities are acceptable. Perhaps you can help repair portions of our ship.”

Choosing to ignore Big Fin’s lack of understanding, Margaret sank her fingers into a large piece of dark red, savory salmon. She brought it to her mouth and loved the salty, smoked taste of fish. She was also pleased to be served half of a pomegranate, a most unexpected treat.

“Big Fin promise keep you safe in village. If we not fish, Me show you my home? You sleep there. You safe. Me protect. Not safe night on boat on water. Alligator. Spider. Many bad things. Venoms. Poisons.”

An alarm bell rang in Margaret’s brain. This big, oafish, fat-bellied creature knew enough of the world to know that poisons and venoms were not the same thing? The fact that he knew they weren’t just magic or the spite of the gods implied that he had intelligence. Considering this, she wasn’t as inspired by her husband’s plan as she had been before. With an idea forming that these trolls could potentially be deceitful, Margaret was more cautious. She also decided to try and intimidate the troll king some.

“I’m quite fine on the boat.” Margaret said, as curt as possible, and tapped the dagger pommel that she wore.

That brought an understanding grunt out of Big Fin. To her, it sounded almost dismissive in a way, but she may have just been over thinking things here.

“Fine. No beg. You choose.” Big Fin then dug into his food.

Unlike Margaret who was slowly scooping out each individual seed from within her pomegranate, her host threw the entire half of his fruit into his mouth, rind and all. Red juices ran down his green chin.

Margaret stopped eating, having finished only half of what she was served. “I think I’ll be on my way then! This was delightful. And thank you for the meal.” Her stomach heaved slightly.

Margaret stood up and brushed off her dress, which was getting grimier and filthier as the day went by. Seriously lamenting her lack of fresh clothes to wear, the noblewoman looked at Big Fin so that she could respectfully hear his reply after he finished chewing with his mouth open.

BURP! "Good. Me visit you on boat. See you safe. See good place catch fish. You tired of boat, me take you on my boat!”

Hearing from the troll king that he had a boat, Margaret’s eyebrows rose in interest. “You’ve got a boat? And just how big might it be? Large enough for a band of soldiers to sail upon?” Eagerly Margaret asked Big Fin, hopeful that whatever vessel this troll had could be of use to her husband.

“Big boat. Not fancy like your boat. Big and strong and flat. Me use boat catch fish. Use boat go fight.” He sensed her excitement at hearing about his vessel. He adjusted himself in his seat, moving his loincloth to the side so that she could see his green manhood.

Even from several feet away, Margaret could see the bumps and veins on the river troll’s green member. Her steady gaze upon it made Big Fin very happy, as he saw that she was captivated by it, albeit briefly.

Coming to her senses, she looked away from it and Margaret started to blush and fan herself. “Ahem, excuse me! You really should spend some time learning how to make more clothes! Not just you, er, all of you, your race! I mean trolls, not that we are totally different. Goddess!” Speaking at a very fast pace, Margaret was giving Big Fin the impression that she liked what she saw when in reality, it was a cultural curiosity that drew her eyes to the troll's organ. At least that’s what she told herself anyway. 

Waiting to respond to what she had to say, Big Fin moved a hand to his still exposed cock and began playing with it right there in public. No other trolls seemed to care, as it must clearly be normal. While he stared at the sputtering Margaret, he spoke. “You want my boat go fight. No boat deal before. No husband here. Me you make second deal and keep husband deal. Not… infringe... husband deal.”

With the proper use of the word ‘infringe’ coming from Big Fin, Margaret knew for certain that despite how these beings carried themselves, they could learn and have sharp intellect.

“Ah, maybe? Maybe! I really need to go, we’ll talk about this more tomorrow or something!” Totally embarassed, Margaret shouted this and started to fast walk away.

Peeking back at Big Fin was a mistake, as she could see his cock getting big enough for him to stroke it, which he did. Laughing, the troll king sat and pleasured himself while Margaret distanced herself from him. Once she was out of sight of the other river trolls, she began running. She made it back to the beached trireme and hid inside of the captain’s cabin with the door locked shut.

“What the hell am I supposed to do!? These filthy trolls are the worst, I almost regret... No.” About to say something to herself about her marriage that wasn’t true, Margaret let her anger subside so that she could think out loud with a level head. “Relax. I still don’t have to have fornicate with that thing. He seemed content to masturbate while I remained clothed. Perhaps the troll king is going to be easy to placate. First and foremost, I need to see his ship for myself. It’s not anywhere near here!”

Deciding then that she might work a deal with Big Fin, Margaret knew that she’d have to visit him again so that he could take her to his vessel.

“Yes… If he was masturbating to me in dress, then perhaps a simple strip tease would be enough to get him use his boat. I’ll consider that... Honestly, I need to try and give these clothes a wash anyway. The dress and the troll at the same time might be the right move.”

As the gears were turning in her head, Margaret went into one of the cabin’s drawers and started hunting for the soap that she mentioned earlier. She also removed her dagger belt, as it was clear that she would not be harmed.

Continued in Chapter 2

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