I Don't Want To Be A Troll!!

Chapter 3b

Author's Note: This and last week were pretty rough (for reason I can't get into), but I'm going to try to get back on schedule!

Sally woke to a dim room, the strange lights had dimmed to a glowing ember. With no windows she had no idea how long she had slept for. Sally hadn't even seen the sky since she was taken. Who knew how long she had been out the first time? Her head ached from dehydration, the last thing she remembered drinking was a diet soda between her last two classes. She raised a hand to massage the throbbing in her head but instead of finding soft flesh over bone her hand collided with something curved and hard two inches from her skull. As if in a dream she traced the curve as it bent towards the back of her head until she reached a blunt tip and then, with dawning horror, traced it back to the slightly thicker base where it connected to her forehead at the hairline.

"Aaah!" She looked around for Cael, desperate for answers but he was nowhere to be found. Instead she spotted a mirror above a stand with a large stoneware pitcher in a larger bowl made from the same material. Racing over Sally looked at herself in numbed shock. 'This is just a nightmare.' She ran her hands over her face to prove to herself that what she was seeing was real. 'I got hit by a car while I was waiting for the bus and now I'm in a comma.' She laughed a little hysterically at that, but bit it off quick. That reality seemed somehow worse than this, but this reality meant that Sally had horns. 'Not just horns.' She helpfully reminded herself as she stared at the reflection, refusing to believe it was hers. It was true in addition to the, rather small in comparison to Cale's, tan-coloured horns Sally also sported two sharp looking lower canines that protruded over her top lip. She touched them, at which point she noticed the rather dangerous looking claws she had where her nails had been. They were thick and smooth, which was made all the more wicked looking with their light brown colour. She stared at her hands and then back at her reflection with deepening anxiety. There where her ears used to be small and round now they were large and pointed. She gave out a whimper as she poked at them, there on the tops could be made out a soft down of dark hair. 'Could this get worse?' She felt a swish by her ankles.

Turning her upper torso ever so slowly as if she could brace herself any better, Sally looked behind her. There was no doubt of it. Coming from the small of her back was a tail. It might have been a nice tail for all Sally knew, but humans did not have tails and so any tail on a human is not a nice tail. It came down as long as her heels and looked not unlike a rat tail, covered in fine hair, at least until the last few inches at which point the hair became longer and darker. She took it in her hands, almost unthinkingly, and stared. It reminded her of the time she took the neighbour's prized main coon to the groomers for a lion cut. 'What did he do?'

When Cael returned Sally was not in a much better mood. "What did you do to me?" She nearly screamed she was so upset. Without answering he shoved a huge stein filled with what looked like water into her arms. "Drink some water, slowly. Then we'll talk." She sipped at the water before taking a huge gulp. 'Did water ever taste this good before?' she wondered as she drank, slower now. Cael was busying himself with something and she watched him over the rim of the cup. Which was how she noticed that he looked different somehow. Had his horns and lower canines always been that large? Did he have a tail when they first met?

"You have a tail!" Her voice sounded a little screechy, even to her, he looked at her in mute surprise.

"Yes," He looked at her with a calm suspicion, "I've always had a tail."

The panic had taken over her better sense and there was no filter on her mouth now. "No you didn't! I know you didn't!"

He gave her a slightly amused look. "So. You were looking then?"

Sally blushed a fierce red, but continued unabated. "What is going on?" She had not meant to sound so lost. She had hoped that it would come out like a demand but the slight hiccup of tears in her voice ruined the attempt. Cael sighed and looked towards the tapestry over his bed as if it could tell him what to say. After a pause that went on long enough to become uncomfortable he spoke, "a little glamour is all."

Sally had no idea what he was talking about. "Glamour? What does getting fancy have to do with this?" She gestured at herself.

The look of incomprehension on Cael's face was enough to make her wish she was anywhere else. "Wha do you..." He trails off and sighs, "Glamour's a kinda spell. Makes you look like something yer not."

Sally's face pinched up in confusion, "makes me look-?" Then it dawned on her and Cael could see the understanding soften her face. "So, I don't really have a tail?" He gave her a slight smile.

"Nay. But it is strong magic. So it will feel real to anyone, even yourself." She gave him a suspicious look.

"So you aren't a... a troll then?" Without answering he picked up his coat that he had given her and shrugged it on. She briefly thought it unfair that such a large garment should look so good on someone. But she realized that it was more a matter of perspective, as in this place she was very, very small. She refused to think child-like. But with her small size and plump face, 'not to mention body,' she was very sure that was exactly what she looked like. He handed her what she could only describe as a hooded caplet. The cape only came to her elbows but the hood was huge, it fell over her eyes and it seemed to take her forever to navigate how to hang it over her new horns. "So, what is going on around here?" Still refusing to answer Cael grabbed the stein and finished off the water. Sally wanted to press the point but she had never been good at speaking up and the panic had receded enough for her, rather strong, filter to snap back in place. She settled for staring in a way, she hoped, conveyed her irritation at being ignored.

Grabbing a leather satchel, which was at least as long as she was tall, Cael motioned for her to follow him. She stood with only a little huff of irritation and moved towards him. She had expected him to open the door and leave without a word, but instead he leaned down till they were eye to eye. "While we are out there," he pointed to the world beyond the door, "you are my little sister. You came from the Schools and you do not talk to anyone without me near." He leveled her with a dead serious look. "Accord?" Sally had no idea what he meant, but it sounded like 'agree' so she nodded, wide-eyed. Seemingly satisfied Cael rose up to his full height, opened the door and waited for Sally to follow. As she kept pace behind him all Sally could think of was bright golden eyes and oddly sweet breath.

Author's Note: It finally happened!! Does this count as a title drop? lol
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