After several months I’d gathered my translation team for the first Human/Troll trade negotiations: Ilithilia, for Human to Elvish; Dwahin, Elvish to Dwarven; and Skarn, Dwarven to Troll.
Following etiquette, I opened by praising the Troll kingdom.
“Your homeland is like mighty coastal boulders.” Unfortunately, similes don’t translate well…
Ilithilia: “Your fatherland is large rocks on the shore.”
Dwahin: “Your motherland is big stones on a beach.”
Skarn: “Your mother is a fat pebble.”
My entry in the May 2021 75 Word Story Challenge at SFFChronicles
Theme: Language/Translation
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
M. Robert Gibson 