As she had never dealt with trolls, she did not, regrettably, know how fast they moved.

So, when he caught her with his claws in the back of her tattered gown and took her off her feet, she was surprised.

She tossed the crate up and out, and it crashed to the cobbles.

Glass could be heard breaking.

Then she was tossed, and she grunted in pain when she landed hard against a wall right before the troll roared his fury so loud, if there was any glass in the panes of the dwellings around her, it would have shaken.

She landed in a crouch on her feet, got herself in hand, and watched the troll tear off the top of the crate.

Apparently, what was inside was not salvageable for his head turned her way, and his large mouth opened to emit another roar.

Oh, shite.

He was enraged.

How long had they been gone?

Two minutes?

Three?

She surged up to make a getaway at the same time lead him away from where Gal and Brix were doing their work.

But she got not a step in before she was grabbed again by her gown at the back. She heard a rending of fabric but ignored it, endeavoring to twist her body out of his hold to gain her feet.

She could fight on her feet.

She could run on her feet.

She could not do either dangling in the air.

Alas, she was not that way for long for she again was thrown with some power against a wall.

She felt the impact throughout her body.

However, she was prepared this time. Thus, she landed light, head up, aware, and was able to duck a swipe of the troll’s large hand. A swipe, that if it had landed, would likely have sent her staggering several feet and who knew what damage it would have done to her body.

Serena ducked again when he swiped the other way, this time scuttling out from between him and the wall.

She did not have time to get a hand on the dagger in her boot. She only had time to dodge two more blows before, when his torso was twisted, she raced beyond him at his other side, doing this away from the building he had guarded for so long.

He gave chase, and in the now, Serena did not bother to appear inebriated and ungainly.

She could not go so fast she would escape, and he would give up and return.

She absolutely did not go slow.

She shunted into an alleyway she knew was a wynd.

But he surprised her again by catching up with her, nearly grabbing hold on her, so she was forced to make a quick turn.

Sadly, doing this took her down a close.

And at the dead end of it, she knew she’d have to turn, stand and fight.

This she did.

Doing a whirl with her arm and fist in position, she caught him in his starkly protruding jaw.