Thud. Clunk. The rhythmic clinking of a worn flask punctuated each lumbering step. His hand hoisted the flask to his lips, swallowing mouthfuls of the fiery liquid within. His gait was unsteady, a wild cavort of sways and staggers as he grumbled to himself.

“Pah, Gorm and his little human pet,” Ravgar slurred, a hint of bitterness oozing from his tongue. “Why does he get all the warm cuddles, hm?”

He navigated the treacherous cliffside, his vision swimming, the edge blurring with the darkening sky. Each footfall sent loose stones skittering. His foot caught on a rock, and he tumbled down the cliff, crashing through the wall of a hidden dwelling.

He lay amidst the debris, momentarily stunned. His initial thought was a grunt of confusion.

“Eh?”

*With a groan, the large and disheveled Unseelie troll stirred, green eyes blinking open. A piece of crockery rested atop his head. *

“M’apologies,” he boomed. “Wall jumped outta nowhere, I swear.”

He didn’t plan on crashing into a stranger’s home, but there it was. His night had taken another unexpected turn.