At the Bridge of the Troll WHO: The travellers and the Troll WHAT: Coming to a bridge, facing a troll WHERE: Troll Bridge WHEN: Day 12 mid morning WARNINGS: tbd
((OOC: If you want to rp in this thread, you're welcome to. If not, either mention what your character does or how they react. If you don't want to do either, it will be assumed they're along for the event and feel free to have them comment in the journals about it later.))
In the rainy morning, three of the travellers were found turned to stone alongside the small wagon which bore the Spell Anchor. For whatever unknown reason, Corrie, Spike and Aisling were no longer flesh and blood. Though the Doctor scanned them, his sonic screwdriver only told him that they were made up of mostly mineral elements, yet they weren't dead. But as for an answer to why, when originally they had been told this wouldn't happen, the Doctor wasn't enlightened. Curse-breaker and wizard Bill Weasley looked at the unwelcome surprise from a different perspective. He pointed his wand at them, doing some charms of analysis. As he considered what they told him, running different possible solutions through his mind, he welcomed help from the other magical folks so the frozen trio could be levitated when everyone travelled onward.
The rainfall lessened, still sprinkling lightly, while the sound of a river grew louder. Soon trees to their left thinned out, and then they reached a clearing where the road, curving left, advanced to a stone bridge. This arched crossing over the broad, swiftly flowing water looked as if someone had been taking care of it. The river banks immediately around it weren't choked with springtime weeds. The flagstones of the road itself had been picked clean of grass. But who was around to do such a thing?
A gryffin landed on the other side, flapping her wings as she viewed the travellers. But it surely wasn't this creature. She flapped her wings again, as if deciding whether or not to take off when something large, broad and not human came out from under the bridge. The troll grunted audibly as it moved with surprising speed, stopping only when it blocked access to the bridge. Its eyes, black of pupil, iris and sclera, stared at the humans. It knuckled an eye as if disbelieving what it saw.
"Rules of Old," it stated in a harsh, deep voice. "Rules of old and toll needs be paid. Two goats be the price of passage."
It brandished a huge club, slapping this into its grey palm while the monstrous creature awaited payment or challenge.