''And that one you use directly on the burn. Just rub on a skin, like this. See?"

"Oh, I see! It's called Aloe Vera, right?"

"Yup!" elderly woman nodded and smiled.

It turned out inn's owner wife was herbalist. Her face was covered in wrinkles, yet she looked lively as ever. She found you sneaking around corridors since you woke up early. You were just searching for something to do. You didn't dare to go outside, taking into account pervious night incident.

Granny, as you decided to call her, showed you to her little study and invited for a tea. You got interested in plants you saw all around place. For last hour she taught you about different herbs.
You enjoyed your time with woman and spent entire morning with her. You were surprised to see that your companions slept for so long, after all it was almost noon. You wondered if it is another dragon thing or that they are just tried.

***

Four of you left the town next morning. You regreted that you couldn't stay till the flower festival was over, but tried not to complain. (Though disappointment was clear as a day on your face.)

Nobody brought up night incident again and you were grateful for this. Atem wasn't angry at you anymore and everything was good again.

On another note, the weather was getting hotter and hotter. The Vasanta season, where the nature was at its full bloom, was coming to it end. And soon, the Vesavi season will follow. The days were noticeably longer, and nights warmer, and stars shone more brightly.

And at one of those warm, starry nights you experienced your first encounter with Forest Trolls.

Your party decided to camp on one of the meadows near road you followed. It was nice little meadow surrounded by bushes and tall trees. Soon you laid on blanket and admired stars. You liked watching stars. In the cave you only had small space in the ceiling, yet they never cased to amaze you.

You were almost asleep when you felt something poking your side. You meet gaze of Laegil.

"I need to pee," she announced quietly.

"Okay."

As for a dragon, Laegil was quite 'distressed', as she put this, about going into the bushes alone. Of course, she wouldn't ask boys. You learned she was simply afraid of bugs, and somehow your presence made it safer. So much for horrifying dragon, you mused.

You waited for her yawning. You heard some rustling near you. You assumed it was fiery red head and turned to face her. What you saw wasn't
face of your companion, but yellow glowing eyes.

"Gah!" you screamed and jumped backwards.

You heard more rustling and fortunately it was Laegil this time. You relief was short-lived, as you met the gaze of another pair of yellow eyes.

"Damn!" she-dragon cursed loudly. "My dagger is left on campsite!"

Laegil jerked your hand and made a run for your camp. You noticed that lately lot of people were yanking or tugging you.

"What are they!?" you asked.

You heard sinister snicker behind you and run faster. Soon you saw the meadow you stayed.

"Gyaah!" you collided with somebody's chest. Fortunately for you it wasn't one of yellow-eyed monsters, but your half-dragon companion.

Atem caught you and pushed you behind him and drawn a sword. You saw Yugi waiting in anticipation and Laegil drawing her dagger.

When creatures emerged from the shadows, you were astonished. They were surprised to see rather small, green, dwarf-like creatures. They surrounded your party carrying wooden maces. There were at least dozen of them.

"Forest trolls!" you've heard Yugi exclaim.

They attacked you with loud shouts. You saw as Atem cut through trolls and Yugi casting some spells that made them fall down. Laegil on the other side of meadow stabbed green creatures with smirk on her face.

You saw as one of trolls moved towards you with sneer on its face. You bend down for a twig you saw on a ground. Panicked you started swinging tree branch at troll.

"Oh, it worked," you said as you saw creature stagger after your blow. It seemed like troll was just as surprised as you that your miserable attempt to fight worked.

After a moment of hesitation, creature jumped right at you. It knocked out branch from your hands and swung its mace at you. You tried to protect yourself with hands when you heard troll's shriek. You were pulled backwards as shining sword stabbed creature in its guts.

Atem held you in half-embrace while finishing lasts of trolls.

"Are you alright?" he addressed you and let you go. He inspected you from head to toe.

"Yes, I'm fine. What were those creatures?" you asked and looked around the meadow.

Atem cleaned his sword and put it in its sheath.

"Forest trolls. They are quite common in this lands."

It wasn't like you weren't familiar with idea of trolls, but you never thought they were actually real. You only read about them in books. Well, you thought, if dragons exists then why not trolls?

It took a moment to calm your fast beating heart down. Outside world never ceased to surprise you. Trolls could've hurt you badly with their wooden weapons, and you felt little scared of thought that you might meet them again.

"Well, we were lucky we met forest trolls, not stone, for instance," Said Laegil. She wiped her brow.

"So more creatures like them exist?" you asked.

"Of course," She informed matter-of-factly. " But they live in more deserted places. Like in Moratu Kingdom. They have tough skin that is harder to cut. And they are more intelligent like those ones, surely."

You nodded processing new information.

"I don't want to interrupt your little lecture, but we need move. More of them could come," announced Yugi.

You apologized and started to pack your things. Whole meadow stank with odor of blood. As you went closer to one of trolls you felt nauseas when you saw its ripped guts. You quickly turned around. You didn't like the idea of killing and cutting.

You recalled 'the punishment' Atem served man in the alley. You flinched as you remembered red blood flowing from the man's limb. And today too, even though you knew trolls could easily kill you, you felt bad. You weren't sure if you could kill anything.

Of course, you had to agree with hunting for food. For days you saw as Laegil shot rabbits with swift arrows. But if anyone told you, that you should try to do it, you refused. You already tried and it ended with you throwing up in the bushes.

You tightened you grip around half-dragons abdomen as you rode further east.

And then again, if something similar happened in future? You were travelling by the hills more than roads now. What if something more dangerous attacked you. You didn't want to rely on Atem that much. Your helpless fight with a man in the alley and useless swinging at trolls showed how unsuited you were for such journeys.

You felt as if your only asset was your voice. All you could do was to sing. You were supposed to have great magic of Light, yet you were unable to use it. You didn't even know how to. To be honest, you felt useless.

But you were quite determined to change it.

***
A/N:
Geez, it was supposed to be light-hearted chapter, yet it ended gloomy. Ech~~
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Comment below, what do you think~?