[Peter Ebbesen]

�Some Say In Ice: Year Of The Troll

Grudgingly, I have come to value these watery monstrosities. From their spawning pool in the Celestial Palace of Hebei, ranks of Sea Trolls have marched, soggily, at the behest of their kings, to swell my growing armies. With their aid I have regained control of the countryside around Hebei and relieved Angkor Wat. While the road to Niefelheim is still blocked by the forces of Arcosphaele, news has arrived on the wintry wind of magnificent battles outside its icy walls, and the triumph of the defenders. Ane, the Jotun Gode leading the defense, has now gained a reputation for quickness and his blessings and sermons of courage spur on the defenders. I have no doubt that he will soon have amassed an army strong enough to begin reclaiming the surrounding forests.

He had better. I will tolerate to failure.

In the mountains, fighting has been fierce, but the brunt of the casualties has been born by the Sea Trolls sparing the fragile Jotuns of whom only a scant dozen remain in the South. As I survey my encampment in the ruins of an ancient temple in this comfortably cool Tibetan valley, I have high hopes for the battles to come. The guard is in high spirits, so Tjordulf assures me, and they are better provisioned than ever before. Sure, the magical food from the cauldrons Angerboda has prepared does not have the flavour of a good mammoth served raw and seasoned with herbs and a handful of salt, but it is filling.

It sure beats eating ice.

My lookout reports that only sixty or eighty defenders guard the crone, who holds the Heart of Caelum, and I have triumphed often enough in the past against larger armies of the birdmen On the morrow, we march, and the Himalayas will fall.