Haf'gifr

Clair moved as far away as she could from the leering creature. The crude cage only aloud so much room. The thing had really long arms and legs attached to a small torso. It had long hands and feet that were webbed and it was using those hands to push rotten fish in the cage all the while never taking its eyes of her.

 “Youur the Prettiest. Eat, stay pretty.” The creature said as it pushed pieces of fish through the holes.

Clair was frantic. Her head was still fuzzy so it was hard for her to think. Each time she told herself to calm down all she could think about was that she was in a trash cage and some monster was staring at her, not only that but it was talking!

Calm down, Clair thought. I have to calm down. She looked around the room, if only to stop looking at the monstrosity long enough to compose her-self. She was in the cage and the cage was in a large cavern. The walls wear slick and a sort of slime or moss grew on them and glowed bathing everything in a yellow light. That shouldn’t be happening either, Clair thought and shivered.

Hers was not the only crud cage in the room. There were more like hers and they weren’t all empty. There was a red fox in one cage, it kept passing its cage every now and then it would give a small bark and hide in a corner. A white tailed deer, with beautiful clear white spots running along its back and sides, was curled in a ball its head tucked in its stomach. Some sort of bunny or hare was in another every once in a while it would run back and forth looking for a way to escape. A large sea otter poked its head through a hole in the cage next to hers and looked at her curiously. She heard a loud whinny and looked over to see a painted horse staring at her it eyes rolling in fear.

“You not hungrey? Why you no hungry?” and just like that she was back to looking at the strange monster. “Maybe you not hungery… maybe you wants to see other pretties that I finds in ocean? Yes I show you those.”

With that the creature ran off. It was more of a lurching lop, but it was fast. In moments the thing was back carrying a gigantic sea chest on its back, one of those old mettle strap ones. As it got close it upended the chest right outside of her cage and spilled out all its contents. Clair could only stare at the appropriately named treasure. Gold coins jumped across the floor and a silver plate rolled passed her cage. The creature had to be very strong because the chest must have weighed a ton in gold silver and jewels. Most of it now spilled across the cavern floor.

All the while the creature was staring at her. Looking to see what she thought. Clair swallowed, this was no time to be scared, or to be caught staring at the treasure. She had to find out what was going on.

“what…” She took a moment and swallowed what she had been about to say, disguising it by clearing her throat. “Who are you?”

The creature jumped up and down excitedly “She wants to know who I is. Me name is Haf’gifr Hagson the sea troll”