Grumple could see bodies on the ground, and stray horses trotting away without riders. Grumple wondered how many? Yes, how many? Grumple knew this was important.
Grumple was not like other trolls, Oh, no. Grumple could count.
He had learned how to count from the wizard's daughter. Grumple had spent several years standing guard at the base of the wizard's tower. The wizard (what WAS his name again?) always said "A Troll in Thrall is the Best Guard." Which was true, since they are big, not-just-dangerous-but-also-dangerous-looking, and very, very hard to kill. In addition, very magic resistant, particularly with the proper magical precautions in place.
So, twenty years ago, Grumple (very big and well-fed Grumple) stood guard, as usual at the base of the tower. And the little girl played in the safest spot in the castle; at Grumple's feet.
"Grumple" the little red-headed girl would say, "count with me!" "One, Two, Three, Four, Fi..." That's as far as Grumple could get. Grumple had only three fingers on each hand, and as everyone knows, thumbs don't count very well. What's more, Grumple's second hand was always occupied counting on the first, so if Grumple tried to count on the second hand, Grumple had to start over.
Still, sometimes, just sometimes, Grumple could get to Four. It was hard.
So here and now, Grumple looked out this evening from a tree shared with a very nice bugbear and noticed there were... well...
One, Two, Three good guys left, and... One, Two, Three bad guys left!
That didn't look so bad.
Another soldier cried out and died with a crash, spurting blood. Then another.
So that meant there were... well...
One, Two, Three good guys left, and... One, Two, Three bad guys left!
Counting was easy, thought Grumple.