Page 5 of Trolling For Love

“No trolls!” he grumbled and stomped off ahead of me.

I laughed again before jogging to catch up. “So, tell me who your perfect match would be,” I said, unable to stop myself and almost forgetting we were at work.

“Someone durable,” he growled and put his hand to his chin. “Someone who likes the outdoors.”

“Durable? Why dur—” I stopped when he gave me a look like I wasn’t getting what he was saying. “Oh, okay. Don’t need to know about that. So, someone who likes the outdoors. That’s good. What else?”

“I don’t really know. I suppose someone who is patient enough to teach me how to be in a relationship. How to share and be less selfish.”

“I’ve tried to fill out surveys about what I want in a relationship and it’s hard. But I think you’ve got it figured out pretty well,” I said and moved to another tree before marking it for cutting.

“This tree will be cut?” Gunnar asked.

“Yes, it’s not as healthy as the surrounding trees. The others will be stronger when it’s gone.” He stood back to look up at the top of the tree and I couldn’t stop myself from looking athis fangs and his ears that were slightly pointed. His skin had a slight grey tinge, and he was massive. Making me question where he’d found the flannel shirt, jeans, and work boots he wore because he was far bigger than anyone I’d ever met.

“Gunnar, do me a favor. If I ever choose the wrong tree, please don’t hesitate to tell me. I want to keep the forest strong, not make it weaker.” His strange dark eyes met mine then, and he nodded. Even though he looked fierce, and was definitely built to destroy, he had a gentleness and intelligence about him that fascinated me.

“I will do as you ask,” he said, and continued to walk tree to tree with me.

“Flynn, we’ve finished the last tree, should we start in this area?” Ben, one of the workers, asked.

“Yes, I’ve just marked one there. Gunnar, how about you work with Ben the rest of the day.” Ben’s eyes widened before he nodded and then led him off to the tree they’d be cutting down. Gunnar glanced back at me before turning and walking back to where we’d just come. I watched for a moment and then got back to work.

Chapter 5

GUNNAR

The day was pleasant. The smells and sounds were all still new to me and slightly overwhelming. But not in a bad way. It was more that I could not choose what to pay more attention to. The sound of birdsong and seeing them flying tree to tree while squirrels chittered and other small animals I could not name played and foraged throughout the forest caught my attention and made it hard for me to focus on anything else.

“Gunnar, help me gather all the branches into a pile,” Ben Jackson said.

“Yes, Ben Jackson,” I said, and I watched as he showed me exactly what to do. I picked up as many branches as I could carry and set them down where he’d indicated. He looked at the pile then looked at me. “Did I do it wrong?”

“No, you did it all,” he said and laughed. “Come on, let’s see what else we can find for you to do.” He led me closer to where the human with the chainsaw cut the fallen tree into shorter pieces. “We need to put these all in a pile. Get the other end and you and I can—” He stopped midsentence as I hefted the log on my shoulder.

“Where did you want it?” I asked. He pointed to a flat area, and I put the log down there. “Do they all go there?”

He shook his head before answering. “Yes. We need to put them all there.”

I walked back over, and he and another worker picked up one log while I hefted another over my shoulder and set it down next to the first one. “Did I hear you say you’re a troll?” asked Ben Jackson.

“Yes.” I walked back to pick up another log and could feel his eyes on me the whole time. Humans were curious—when they weren’t terrified.

“So, what’s that like?” he asked and hurried to catch up to me.

“What do you mean?”

“What’s a troll?”

“Iam a troll.”

“I know but I meanwhatare you? I watched one movie, and it said trolls help witches, then I saw another and they ate kids. Then there was another that they were giants and were asleep for years, but no one knew because they looked like rocks and mountains. So which kind of troll are you?”

“Icelandic trolls are all made of rock. It is said that a witch brought us to life, but I have never seen a witch, so I do not know if this is true. It’s also said that we turn back to stone if we’re out in the sun, but that’s not true either. We justare. I don’t know how else to better explain it.”

“I think you explained it pretty well. I’ve always been very curious. If I ask too many questions just tell me to shut up,” he rambled.

“I don’t mind questions. I too tend to be curious which is what made me leave Iceland through the monster realm to get here.”

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