Gusts of wind traveled violently over the tall mountain peaks, screaming in shrill pitches as it carried snow through the half-buried trees.  The cold wind whispered through the matted fur of the giant beast that sat quietly atop the peak, his eyes staring inquisitively at the scene unfurling below.  Despite the thick curtain of snow, the mountaintop provided a rather clear view of the mesa on which the castle sat.  Gusts of powder carried from snowdrifts seemed to pelt the castle like waves crashing against the shore, and at times would wash over the party that gathered around the stone fortress.  The troll leaned in, observing every motion of these small creatures that had traveled through this ferocious weather.

Blood-Mane didn't care much to join the crowd of humans that gathered, assuming that they might begin doing something irritating like shouting or throwing little pointy sticks at him.  Aside from the collection of humans he used to protect at his old home, most tended to fear him as a monster, and would respond to his presence by running or attacking...or fainting.  It was understandable.  They were little creatures.  

Blood-Mane knew that they were not all [i]actually[/i] human, but all the little human-like creatures looked about the same from his viewpoint.  He usually just considered them all to be humans.  The ones that gathered in the distance, however, were an interesting collection, appearing similar to the brave ones that used to challenge his strength in the past.  There were creepy looking ones, wearing black robes, riding on the backs of horses.  A group of really short ones gathered nearby, talking to another group on...bears?  It had honestly been many years since Blood-Mane had seen so many humans gathered in one place. 

A large bird-like shadow glided over the tops, landing and disappearing into the castle.  That looked more like the type of creature Blood-Mane expected to be aiding in this type of quest.

The troll turned his gaze to the castle.  It was well built, but small, about the size of the rock that Blood-Mane used as a chair in his current dwelling.  Needless to say, there was no way he would fit through that small door at the front.  

The castle looked warmer than the outdoors, and Blood-Mane remembered that this type of weather was usually uncomfortable for humans.  They looked cold, and it remained a mystery why they simply didn't enter the castle.  As for himself, Blood-Mane was perfectly comfortable in this weather, protected from the winds by his thick layer of fur.  The troll would have considered turning back, returning to his cave and enjoying the eternal winter season, were it not for the requests of his old kingdom and the descendants of the humans he had vowed to protect.

He noticed some of the humans moving into the castle, the crowds of interesting little creatures scurrying out of his view.  Blood-Mane resolved that he would need to get closer if he were to figure out their plans, and decided it necessary to travel down the mountain.

Snow-laden winds continued to rush noisily around the peaks of the mountaintops.  The ground rumbled as the beast steadily stood up, and began his decent closer to the castle beyond.

The beast was unsure whether his steps could be felt as far away as the castle, and hoped his movement would not alarm the humans within.