Two Crows Watch from the Gallows Tree (part 9)

(Ah okay that works out then!
See my PMS starts the day before, the day of, or the second day and then it's done)

"Then stay," he said reluctantly. "Tell me about gods, Ash."
"They're almost certainly waking up," Gaius began. "It's just a question of when."
Rönn shuddered, reaching up and gripping his horns anxiously, tugging on them. "Bad. Very bad for us, for all. How you know when?"
"We were hoping you might be able to help us with that," Gaius said. "Do you know how much the trolls have been acting up?"

(that sounds nice lol see for me a lot of times I didn't realize I was PMSing until like a week later I'm like 'ah' because the unhealthy eating + lethargy suddenly made sense lol but also I have endometriosis so periods are hell in general haha I'm thankfully on birth control now so I don't have periods anymore but when I did I would be literally bedridden for the first two or three days of my period... but then again I have literally passed out from pain of mine and usually can't eat anything more than crackers for three or four days. Not gonna do that to poor Ky haha)

Ky buried her hands in her pockets, still ruffled at the close call, but determined not to react to anything she heard, lest they send her inside like a child.

(Oh geez that's not fun at all! That sounds terrible; I'm glad you're doing better now. Definitely wouldn't want a period that bad)

"They moving more for few months now," Rönn said slowly. "No attacks on villages yet, just worry and angry. One couple days from here talk with me, she worry lots. Think something big happening, but I not know until you tell me what."

(Thanks! Me too haha I'm ace so the birth control is in actuality endo control exclusively haha I refer to my uterus as 'the terrorist' so my friends all collectively know my period as 'the terrorist attack' haha)

"Are they able to be reasoned with?" Ky asked gently.

(That's awesome XD)

"Some. Not all. Wood trolls most often easier."
"One lives near here?" Gaius asked, interested.
Rönn nodded. "She have tree few days from here, that all I say."
"Have they been talking about any particular weather events or something similar?" he went on.
"Long night, like always. They like long night."

"Why is that important to them?" Pratik asked. "The long night?"

"Good for hunting without being seen," Rönn explained. "They kill more that way, eat well."

"What sorts of things do they eat?" Pratik asked. "Are other things out and about more then, too?"

"They eat anything, everything. Peoples favorites for stone trolls. Hunter things always out in long night too; good eating."

"Something that big bothers with something as small as humans?" Ky asked, steeling herself before she said that so that her voice wouldn't waver and she put on a braver face than she felt.

He shrugged. "You eat berries; is same."
"What other creatures from the myths are real?" Haius asked.
"Most," Rönn replied. "Maybe all. You want meet them?"
"Perhaps one day. Can you recall the last time the gods were awake?"

If Pratik didn't have strong mastery of his persona, he would have laughed at the comparison to berries. It wasn't funny. It wasn't... but it kind of was. He glanced over at Ky, but her focus was entirely on Rönn.

"Centuries before," he replied slowly. "I remember I praying to Builder, to Fjori, and next night trolls rampaging and angry and scared and skalds I see when I hunting praying with no answers. Everything settle down after weeks and then back to normal except no gods anymore."

"How did you know that?" Pratik asked curiously.

Rönn thought for a moment. "I spend much time around humans in those days. I hear them talking, worrying. I speak to trolls and others, they say same. Gods sleeping, abandon us all."