The wagons rolled out of town not much later, the last leg of the journey now underway. Saga had noticed how the weather had gotten increasingly milder the farther south they had gotten and soon they had trade the extra furs they had been wearin on the first leg of the journey for a heavy, wool blanket they shared with Sasha. As the two sat, swathed in it together, Saga wondered idly how long this would last.

It was a thought that seemed to pop up throughout their life, long before they even came here. They were always expecting things to t come crashing down as soon as they had even the smallest of victories. Their thoughts were disrupted by Sasha laying her head on their shoulder. Their eyes found hers and they were immideitly anchored, no longer drifting trough the deep, troubling depths of their own self doubt.

“Two silver for your troubles, Sweet-tooth.”

“I swear I will push you off the wagon if you insist on using that nickname.” Saga said, but gave her a warm smile. “I just wonder how this will end.”

“Are you talking about us? Because If your already thinking about our break up, I got to tell you to slow down. We haven't even gone out yet. Lets not rush to the end, yeah?” Sasha said, her tone soft and full of concern for her confused lover.

“Not us.” Saga said with a soft chuckle. “I am still wrapping my head around how to even be in a relationship, let alone imagining how I’d screw up enough to ruin it. No, I mean this. The Berserker Path, the fighting. The fact that It comes naturally. I was a store clerk, just a nobody without anything to my name.” Saga sighed as they rested their own head on top against Sashas.

“When I saw you, I knew I had to fight you. Not just becouse of the death thing. But because you kind of enter a place with very palpable energy. It's like you are always ready to knuckle down. It's pretty hot.” Sasha said with a chuckle. Saga raises an eyebrow at that. “My mother used to say that all stories have a beginning and an end. But while you have no control over the beginning, you always have control of the ending.” Sasha continued without missing a beat.

“She sounds like a wise woman." Saga said and almost imminently regretted it, remember Saga lost her parents just like Saga had.

“She was. I miss her.” Sasha said, a soft sigh escaping her as she buried herself more firmly against Saga's shoulder. Saga could feel the gentle breath and let out a chuffed, pleased noise.

“At Least I am doing something right.” They said, mostly to themselves as Sasha had begun lightly dozing off. She looked up with sleepy eyes that were such a strange, striking purple color that Saga kept being distracted.

“What's that.” The sleepy warrior asked with a yawn.

“I got buff.” Saga mused and looked to the river.. “No more boney shoulders for me. You’re lucky. Had it been me from a year ago, you’d never be able to rest your head against them.” They said only to realize that Sasha had now entirely dozed off. The young berserker smiled to themselves and looked out towards the horizon. Their life had become so strange so quickly. They glanced over to Jasper's carriage, seeing Jasper staring at them through the back window. They gave him the finger, which seemed to confuse him, telling Saga that the sign was not universal across universes. For some reason this upset them. So the decided to flip him a double. To establish precedence.

As the caravan continued to roll down the smaller, winding road near the river bank, Olaf sat in deep thought. The attack on the caravan had been well set up. Clearly, the four heavy hitters that embedded themselves within that particular group of bandits had clearly been more than enough for any less guarded caravan. But there was also the fact that they had known who he was by name and had still chosen to attack the caravan. It felt a lot like the siblings had moved too early or rashly, hoping to gain favor by killing him. And in doing so likely exposed something that wasn’t meant to come out into the open.

This would definitely force the Jarl to move though. War was closer than Olaf could ever have guessed. And he knew, was never a good thing. With weary sigh, he looked towards the river, where a barge carrying crates and barrels floated towars the city and saw two figures he felt he recognized. Looking closer, he realized exactly what he was looking for.

“Lenara” He spoke out loud, and the elven woman came moving at speed towards him a second later, landing crouched o on top of the wagon.

“Yes?”

“I think you need to take a barge to the city” He spoke glancing over to the barge with two recognizable men who appeared none the wiser.

“Ah.” Lenara followed his eyes and saw what he was referring to and smiled. “It appears I do have to take the barge into Alebridge.”

The next few days were blissfully peaceful in comparison with the ones at the previous stretches of travel. The caravan took the long route around the rock-troll, that was so big as to be visible even from their route. The large boulder would get up, walk a few steps to the east then settle down somewhere else and just look like a giant boulder again. It was fascinating and Saga could understand why it was something you didn't take on lightly. This world was wonderous to be certain, but it was so full of things so big and vast you'd be a fool to take it lightly.

They spotted another troll only a few hours later and Saga tried and failed to not geek out as what should have been a a rocky hill started to move. This thing was bigger then the rock-troll. It was as if the entire hill rose up, trees and all. The troll was a massive, slowly meandering creature It had a massive nose and small eyes that hone like gold within its rocky face. To Saga, it was the stories of their childhood made real. Like a John Bauer painting come alive, the large creature moved to intercept their path. It moved with deliberate, slow movements as if doing its best to not step on things with its massive bulk as each step made the earth rumble beneath it. Due to the sheer distance each step would take it, it was soon by the road they were travelling on. Olaf told the caravan to stop as Ordan hopped off and motioned for Saga to follow him. They did so, and even if they were very nervous they were also incredibly excited.

“Greetings and fair tidings, young stone.” Ordan spoke and the giant creature sat back on its haunches. It observed them with eyes that seemed to be cut out of gemstones and polished to fine gleam.

“Greetings. Human.” It spoke with a voice that sounded like the scraping of rock down a large empty, echoing tunnel. It was entirely inhuman in its cadence and it threw Sagas mind for a loop. It reminded them of finding abandoned mineshafts and other tunnels and just yelling into the darkness, pretending the echoes were a answer from another person.

“It is not often I get to meet one of your kind. Can we help you?” Ordan inquired without missing a beat. He didn't seem thrown off by the voice at all. He took in stride, much like he did everything else.

“No. Human. I wanted to say hello.” The troll spoke again, and looked past Ordan who looked unsure of how to intepret this turn of events.

“Oh?”

The large troll pointed directly at Saga.

“Hello” It said in that deep, cavernous voice and Saga blinked. They stared up at the troll, who simply stared back. There was a deep kindness in those eyes and Saga felt a stirring in their very soul. As if they were being allowed to peek into a secret part of the world to vast and to immense for them to fully undertand.

“Hello?” They answered, unable to look away. There was something strange about the troll. More so then the fact that it was a troll. It was as if deep inside, Saga could feel that deep resonance bulding. They heard a sound if drums, sounding far off. They glanced to the mountains, still visible in the distance. Those giant peaks seemed different. They heard something, feint but building. Drums and song.

“We greet the Berserker. Your story is yet to be written, but we know it will be one for the Sagas.”

“That is my Name…” Saga said, with a dumbfounded look on their face. They were too busy staring the massive troll to notice the shift in Ordans body language. He had gone from relaxed and friendly to oddly stiff and eyeing Saga.

“We will watch. And we will sing, to the rock and to the moss, to the trees and to the little ones who are yet to stir. About the one called Saga. This much our King has told us. If it is a song of jubilance or mourning, we do no not know.”

“Wait. What does that mean.”

“It means” Ordan said, looking between the troll an Saga. “That you have seed of greatness. The trolls are as old as this world is. They were the first, and by all accounts, they will be the last. They write and sing of those that leave an impression. A impression great enough to be honored to the end of this world.”

“Yes. The Bright Fire is correct.” The troll spoke and once more drew unsettled, flinching reaction from Ordan. Ordan looked to the troll that pointed a finger at him this time.

“You are the Bright Fire. We seen part of your song. The Winds come from the south, carrying it with them. Loss and Death. It is a sad song. But you to have a name that will be etched in the Sagas. To Echo forever.” The troll said that same, echoing voice and this time Saga caught the shift in Ordan. He got a hard look on his face that passed as quickly as it appeared.

“I think that is it for me. I am going back.” He said. Leaving without another word. Saga turned to ask him what the hell that was about but the troll was not yet finished with them it seemed. It blocked their path with one giant hand of stone.

"Saga. A question." It rumbled.

“Yes?” They asked curious as to what they could possible know that a ancient troll did not.

"When we sing of your story. How shall I start? With Rye or Wheat?"

“What?” The absolute look of confusion on the young warriors face must have been incredibly funny to the troll, becosue it began laughing. It was a very strange and very loud sound and Saga found that yes, that must be exactly what a mountain would sound like if it could laugh. They just stared at the troll as it turned away from them and began to move away, trudging with very slow, large steps that shook the ground. Saga just stared.

"What do you mean? Why Rye or Wheat?!"

They got no answer, just laughter. Confused and and bewildered, the young warrior headed for the caravan. Eager to reach civilization again, away from cryptic trolls and their strange humor.