From Chapter 19

Grim Gruesome offers to spare Ragi’s life - but only if he will join forces with the villain! What should he do?

     Meanwhile, Ragi was saying in desperation, ‘But I won’t be any use to you, now I’m an outlaw.’
     ‘Rubbish!’ roared Grim Gruesome. ‘I shall disguise you. Not even your own mother will recognise you.’
     He pulled out his sword and held the blade teasingly to Ragi’s throat.
     ‘This is your choice, Ragi,’ he hissed. ‘Work with me – or die!’
‘But what you’re asking me to do – it’s wrong!’ Ragi protested.
     ‘How can anything be “wrong” for someone who is already outlawed?’ Grim Gruesome mocked him.
     Ragi prayed silently, desperately to mighty Thor, the god who protected good people. Give me strength to resist him!
    But Grim Gruesome’s voice droned on, drowning out his good intentions: ‘Don’t throw away your young life, Ragi. Instead, enjoy the glory of sharing power with the most dreaded villain in the North Lands!’

From Chapter 23

When Kadlin and Unn get caught up in the treasure quest, they find themselves taken prisoner by Grim Gruesome - and carried away to sea in his boat!

‘Urgh! Ooargh! Yearrgh!’
     Unn was kneeling at the side of Grim Gruesome’s boat, being violently sick into the sea. ‘Awf! I’m puking up all my insides. I feel so dizzy and faint. I want to die!’
     Kadlin squatted beside her and put a comforting arm round her cousin’s shoulders. Both girls’ clothes were filthy, torn and dishevelled, like beggars.
     ‘Mind out,’ gasped Unn. She heaved again. ‘Awoomph!’
     ‘I’m so sorry,’ whispered Kadlin tearfully. ‘It’s all my fault. Oh, if only I hadn’t wanted the treasure so much!’
     ‘I wanted it just as badly as you,’ groaned Unn.
     Kadlin twisted a strand of her lank, tangled hair wretchedly round her fingers. ‘I honestly don’t want it any more,’ she said.
     ‘Nor do I…’
     A shadow fell over them. ‘But I want the treasure, my beauties,’ said Grim Gruesome.
     He squatted beside them, the wind flapping his cloak against Unn’s vomit-stained dress. He was monstrously huge. His rotting meat smell was overpowering. He flaunted his finger-stump in front of Kadlin’s face, then pulled it away with a rasping laugh.
     ‘Let’s play the game one more time, little girls. Go on, prove yourselves bolder than namby-pamby Ragi. Bring me treasure from the mound before the trolls attack you – and perhaps I will still let you go free.’
     ‘I don’t believe you,’ choked Unn.
     ‘Ha! Then perhaps I won’t, Unn Sharp-Tongue,’ Grim Gruesome answered her. ‘That’s all part of the fun.’
     He stood up and began to stomp around the boat, muttering crazily. ‘No treasure, no chance. Enough treasure gives you a small chance – depending on how ravenous I am to hear your screams and gnaw the flesh from your dead bones.”

From Chapter 34

It looks as if the three children will escape safely in Ragi’s boat.  But just as they are rowing away, Grim Gruesome appears! 

Grim Gruesome suddenly swept his boat in front of them and turned it sideways against the opening. Frantically, Ragi tried to steer past. But Grim Gruesome zigzagged in their way, then back again, blocking them off. 
     Then his boat bore down on theirs, forcing them back to the shore.
     Ragi dropped his oars and grabbed the troll sword.
     Across the water, Haski whinnied. Grim Gruesome stood up, towering monstrously tall. He reached under his cloak and pulled out his own sword. Then he leaped into the water. With giant-like strides, he waded towards them.
     Ragi jumped into the water too.
     ‘Keep rowing!’ he yelled at the girls. He gave their boat a hard shove. ‘Go on, get away while you can!’
     He ran nimbly through the waves to the beach. Grim Gruesome was just behind him.
     Unn grabbed the tiller and tried to swing the boat round towards the open sea.
     ‘No, wait!’ Kadlin begged her. ‘We can’t just… He saved us from the mound, Unn! We’re all in this together now.  We’ve got to help him.’
     ‘Don’t be stupid,’ snorted Unn. ‘He’s a boy and he’s got a sword. If he can’t beat Grim Gruesome, what use are we?’
     ‘We’ve got to try,’ Kadlin insisted. She was already clambering out of the boat and splashing through the shallows.
     ‘Come back!’ Unn screamed at her. ‘You’re so delicate, you’ll be hurt in no time. You’ll spoil…’
     But Kadlin was running up the short beach onto the grass.
     Unn stared after her in despair. She put down her oar uncertainly and bit her lip. She dabbed her eyes. Then with a sigh, she too clambered out and lumbered after her cousin.
     Ahead of them, Grim Gruesome and Ragi were already fighting. Metal clanged and clashed. Unn screamed as she saw Grim’s enormous, bloodstained sword coming down on Ragi’s neck!
     But Ragi ducked and dodged it. He raced up the slope. Grim Gruesome, grunting like an angry boar, strode after him. Foul black spittle dribbled down his mufflers.
     The troll-mound stood at the top, its entrance gaping open. Grim leaped at Ragi, knocked the troll-sword from the boy’s grasp and forced him towards it. Ragi struggled wildly.
     Grim Gruesome held up his left hand and waved his repulsive finger-stump before Ragi’s eyes. To and fro it went, to and fro, stinking of festering pus.
      Ragi screwed his eyes tight shut. Grim Gruesome poked them open with his hairy thumb, and thrust his throbbing stump before them again.