This is an AU, I was set three challenges for this fiction, Bergans have to find a way that makes them happy that doesn't involve eating trolls but still involves them (so the film doesn't happen), Branch has to become blue some other way than singing with Poppy and Poppy has to be against being romantically involved with Branch to start with (she also doesn't have to end up with Branch). So this idea was born from this challenge. Any way my usual warnings, angst, darkness and fluff. I don't own anything here I am simply borrowing the characters for a while. I have dyslexia so please leave your comments about spelling and grammar at the door thank you.
Healing hearts.
Chapter one:
The trolls and the Bergans had come to a truce many years ago, this had happened when it had been discovered by the two kings of the tribes that the Bergans didn't have to eat trolls in order to be happy, they in fact could be happy as long as the trolls were through an empathic link which had been formed between the trolls and the Bergans over the years without either side becoming aware of it. The link was only discovered when the Bergan's one day realised they were happy after a few harmless experiments between the two peoples both the trolls and Bergans realised they were now linked. Chef had lost her job but been given another she was now responsible for making sure that the trolls stayed happy so that her own people would also be happy. Both the trolls and the Bergans were very glad to have found a way that they could live peacefully together at long last. Every year when the time that the peace was made came the trolls would mourn the loss of those who had to die before the peace in the morning of that day and in the evening, they held a grand celebration with the Bergans. Over time the town was made more troll friendly so that the trolls could now go were ever they wished around Bergan town, the healers of the troll tree were permitted to leave the town to forage for their medicinal items they needed but these trolls had to sine in and out. There was one exception to this rule and that was Branch the grey troll, Chef allowed him to come and go living permanently in hope that one day he would find his happiness and colours one day.
Many years after the peace had been made King Peppy fell very ill, the healers of both the trolls and the Bergans had tried all they knew to heal the troll king but to no avail. The Bergans wanted to make sure that King Peppy was well once more because they didn't want the death of the troll King to make the trolls unhappy and therefore by extension them unhappy. As hope dwindled the old troll had done something which had made Poppy very angry with her father, she understood that it was traditional but that didn't mean that she had to like it. King Peppy had offered her hand in marriage to the troll who could cure his illness, this offer caused many of the residents of the troll tree had tried but still the old King could not be cured. The whole tree were surprised when Branch the one grey troll of the tree came forward to see if maybe he could cure King Peppy's illness.
When Branch came into the royal pod so that he could make an attempt to heal the old troll, Poppy had looked to her father and said to him with feeling. "If Branch cures you I am not marrying him!"
The grey troll ignored these angry words from the princess, he carefully placed his back pack down, located the kitchen of the pod and began to work. After a while the pink troll came into the kitchen, she stood in the door way her arms folded glaring at Branch, but though he was aware of Poppy the grey troll ignored her in favour of continuing with his work. The grey troll worked methodically, chopping things up and slowly putting them into a pot of boiling liquid. Branch leant over the pot, he seemed to be watching for something Poppy noticed but she had no idea what and then when whatever he had been looking for had happened the grey troll stopped adding things to the pot. Branch located the spoons, the princess watched as he discarded all of the other spoons in favour of the only wooden one she and her father had. The grey troll slowly but carefully stirred the steaming liquid, eventually Branch stopped stirring, he riffled through the kitchen cupboards until he found a sieve and then the grey troll poured what he had made through the sieve into a bowl. Branch gathered up another spoon, then located a tray, placed the bowl on it, before carrying it out of the kitchen and back to the room of the old King with Poppy trailing behind him. The grey troll put the tray on the bedside table, he helped Peppy sit up, brought the tray over, sat on the bed and then placed the spoon into the steaming liquid before addressing the King. "This won't taste very nice I'm afraid."
"I understand." Peppy told him, he took a spoon full of the liquid, blew on it to cool it down, then the King sipped the liquid and sure enough the old troll grimaced as he tasted it. "Do I have to drink all of it?"
"I'm afraid so. I do have some mints with me for you to have after." The King sighed, but he slowly but surely took all of the mixture Branch had made and the grey troll when he had finished handed some mints across. "Here you go. We should know if this has worked by tomorrow…I won't say it will cure you strait away you'll probably need to take my cure a few more times but I have high hopes." As he spoke Branch gathered up the bowl, the spoon and the tray.
"Thank you for trying to help me." Peppy told Branch with sincerity.
"You are welcome." With this said the grey troll carried everything back to the kitchen and once there Branch cleaned everything up. When he had finished doing this, the grey troll left the kitchen, he walked back to the King's room and addressed Peppy. "I hope you won't object to my sleeping on the couch over night I want to be able to see if what I have tried has worked."
"Of course I don't object, you don't have to sleep on the couch we have a guest room. I am sure Poppy can show you were it is."
Branch shook his head at Peppy and said as reassuringly as possible. "I will be just fine on the couch." The grey troll then left the room, leaving the King and his daughter alone.
The old King looked at his daughter with an expression which told her exactly how disappointed in her he was right now. "Poppy I know you haven't been happy with my decree but you are being more than just a little rude to Branch. If Branch does cure me he has the right to expect the same reward as any other troll."
"Dad, I will not marry him, just about any other troll I could have lived with but that…That grey grump never and if you try to make me I promise I will run away." With this said the princess stalked out of her father's room and into the living room. Poppy came to a complete halt, Branch had already set the couch up from him to sleep on later, the grey troll was sitting cross legged on the floor and was reading a book. The pink troll knew she was staring at the other troll but she had never seen him look so at peace or content before.
Without even looking up at her Branch spoke. "Yes Poppy can I do something for you?"
"Nothing." She told him in a sharp voice before she left the living room heading for her bedroom.
A few hours later the princess found herself, looking out of the gap she had left between the door to her bedroom and the frame into the living room watching Branch. Poppy had absolutely no idea why she was sitting on the floor in her room spying on the other troll but she couldn't seem to stop herself. The grey troll set aside his book, he stood up stretched, took off his leaf jacket hung it on one end of the sofa before he turned off the light. Poppy was confused when Branch didn't settle himself down for the night strait away, instead he stood in the darkness for a few moments and then said softly. "Good night grandma, mum and dad, I hope that your all well in heaven." This said the grey troll then pulled back the blanket he had put on the sofa before laying down to get some sleep.
Poppy's eyes had gone wide, she had never realised that Branch was all on his own and the princess found herself wondering if this might be the reason that the other troll was grey. With this thought in her mind the pink troll, got up from the floor, she got into her own bed and then went to sleep. When Poppy woke the next morning she could smell toast, the princess knew that this had to be Branch making himself something to eat because neither her father or herself ate toast for breakfast. The pink troll got out of bed, she dressed then made her way to the kitchen and sure enough Poppy found the grey troll there making himself toast, Branch looked up at her. "Morning."
"Morning." Poppy said in return.
The grey troll settled at the kitchen table and ate his two slices of toast quietly, meanwhile Poppy had got herself a bowl of cereal, she joined Branch at the table and ate her cereal. Neither of them said anything, once they were done eating the grey troll washed up his plate and knife, he without comment also washed Poppy's bowl and spoon. When Branch had done this, the grey troll then went to the King's room and he knocked politely on the door. "Come in!" Peppy called out.
The grey troll entered the room, followed shortly by Poppy, Branch crossed the room to the bedside of the King and looked down at him. "You look better, how do you feel?"
"Better." Peppy said with a wide smile for the grey troll.
"Good. I shall start to brew the next batch then."
"Thank you Branch." The old King said gratefully to Branch.
With a nod to Peppy the grey troll left the room of the old troll, making his way back to the kitchen so that he could get started on making his cure for the King. Poppy meanwhile had come over to the side of her father's bed, she looked down at him, the princess could see that her father was indeed looking a lot better Poppy smiled at her father and said with relief clear in her voice. "You do look better."
"Poppy if this works I will have no choice but to keep my word you know that."
The pink troll glared at him and folded her arms. "I am not marrying Branch."
"Poppy…" Peppy began in his most reasonable tone.
Before he could get any were in what he had been about to say his daughter interrupted him. "If you offer me in marriage to Branch and he says yes then I will never forgive you." With this said Poppy stormed out of her father's room, into her own and slammed the door shut.
Over the next few days King Peppy took Branch's medicine every day twice a day and sure enough it did in fact return the old troll to full health. When the King was at last at full health, he had Poppy and Branch meet him in the main room of the royal pod. The grey troll gave Peppy a respectful bow as he entered, the King gestured at a chair and said to the one to heal him. "Please sit down." Branch did as he was directed to and Peppy addressed the grey troll again. "Branch as you know the troll who cured me wins my daughters hand in marriage and as you are the one to have healed me you are therefore the one who has won the right to marry my daughter."
"I am well aware of this King Peppy but princess Poppy has made it very clear that she has no wish to marry me. I have no wish to force her to do so and I cannot help but think that your daughter would not make me a good wife so I respectfully decline my prize."
Poppy was staring at Branch not able to believe what he had just said, King Peppy raised both eyebrows at the younger troll. "Very well if that is your wish Branch then so be it. I do feel that you still deserve some kind of reward for saving me Branch is there nothing I can give you?"
The grey troll sat quietly for a few moments clearly thinking this offer over before he answered the King. "I would like to train as official troll tree healer, there are only two left as is and Oak is getting old now. I think that being a healer would suite me well."
Peppy gave him a nod. "Very well, we shall go to see Oak and Daisy, I am sure they will be excited to have a new apprentice let alone one who is so clearly already skilled as you are. If they agree then I shall announce this decision to the rest of the trolls."
Branch and the old King left the royal pod, Poppy followed them as they walked to the pod of the two healers who were a father and daughter team. Peppy knocked on their door, it was answered a few moments later by Daisy, the yellow haired troll quickly let the other trolls into the pod and together they made their way into the main room of the pod. Oak looked up from a book her was reading, he smiled at Peppy, Branch and Poppy before saying to them. "Now how may we help all of you?"
It was the King who answered this question. "Well Branch was the one to cure me of my sickness, so I kept my word and offered him my daughters hand but Branch has refused to accept instead he has asked to be trained as another troll tree healer."
Both Daisy and Oak looked at the grey troll, Branch met their gaze and smiled slightly. Daisy turned to her father and said to him. "The tree could do with another healer, you have been talking about retiring and since Branch healed the King he obviously has some skills."
The green skinned Oak gave his daughter a nod. "You are correct Daisy, I think Branch would make a fine healer and I do not think it would take long to train him."
"Thank you." Branch said softly giving them both a small bow.
Peppy grinned round at them all. "Good, then it is decided. I shall make the necessary announcement to the troll tree."
Before any of the trolls could leave Daisy smiled kindly at Branch and said. "We can even start as soon as the announcement by King Peppy has been made, you'll need a healer's bag for carrying all your equipment, not pads, pens and some new clothing."
Poppy snicker as the clothing the grey troll wore was mentioned, the white skinned Daisy shot Poppy a scathing look, this action was also mirrored by Peppy and the pink troll looked down at her feet feeling a little ashamed of what she had done but not enough that she wouldn't have done it again. Together the party of five trolls made their way through the tree, it didn't take long for the news to spread that Peppy was well and that he was going to the meeting place in the clearing under the troll tree. By the time that the five trolls had arrived at the clearing and made their way onto the top of the largest mushroom there all of the trolls of the troll tree were there as to where the Bergans. "As you can see I have been healed, Branch was the one to return my health to me, I kept my word and offered to him my daughters hand in marriage. Branch knowing that Poppy did not care for him refused to have an unwilling bride and asked instead that he be allowed to formally train to be a new healer for our tribe. Oak and Daisy have said they are willing to train him so from now on Branch is a healer in training as well as the one to have saved me so he will be granted the respect such a position demands."
The trolls and the Bergans cheered glad to hear that the troll King was now safe, they were also glad that Branch had been so wise with his decision and their happiness caused an impromptu party to start, Daisy, Oak and Branch quietly slipped away. The three trolls made their way to the shops the two healers took the grey troll into the tailor's shop, Branch walked round the shop, he found a shirt in healer's green, he drew it out and realised it had balloon sleeves, the grey troll placed it over his arm before starting to look for new trousers, he found a pair of ankle length serviceable brown trousers which he also placed over his arm. Branch went into one of the changing rooms, he quickly changed into the new clothing then stepped out in them. Oak gave him a nod approving of his new cloths, Daisy smiled at him and then said to the grey troll. "You look very smart."
"Thank you." Branch said blushing slightly, he then turned to the tailor and said to him. "I'll take these." The grey troll quickly paid for them and then together the three trolls went to the next shop. In the stationers, Branch quickly brought several note pads as well as several new pens, with this done they then moved on to the next shop which sold bags. It took the three trolls quite some time to find a bag which would work well as Branch's healers bag, it was made of stout brown leather, it had a long strap, the bag was large as well as rectangular, and an over flap which fastened with a metal clasp on the outside. Then on the inside the bag was divided in three in one part there were fittings to hold bottles, A large middle open section and then the third section had lots of small pockets which herbal remedies and a pad for notes could be stored in. The grey troll brought this bag, he slung it over his shoulder walked up to the counter and paid for this bag very happy with his purchase.
With the shopping now done the Daisy, Oak and Branch returned to Oak and Daisy's pod, together the three trolls sat together in the main room and the old green haired healer asked. "So Branch we know you have knowledge of healing do you want to tell us how you know what you do?"
The grey troll gave him a nod. "Of course, my grandma was Rosiepuff, she was as I am sure you know a healer. When she died I was on my own, but to keep her memory alive I studied all of her books this included all of grandma's books on healing and there were a lot of them. Since I am on my own I have spent a lot of my time leaving the troll tree and going out into the wild beyond the Bergan town. I have learnt a lot from my trips out into the wild, I experimented with what I found and I started to make medicines from them. It was one of these cures which I had been working on that I used to heal King Peppy."
Oak's smile grew and then he said to Branch. "I am glad to know that you kept Rosiepuff's knowledge alive. I think the best way to decide how much you will need to learn from us is if we simply give you some of our books to read and then when you have finished reading them you can tell us if you already know what they contain."
Branch gave the older troll a nod, Oak stood up, he crossed the room, went to the bookshelf, he pulled out several books, brought them back to the grey troll and handed them across to him. Carefully Branch accepted these books from the older healer, carefully he put them into his new bag and then stood. "I shall get started on these as tonight and I shall let you know what I already knew when I have finished them." With this said the grey troll wished both Oak and Daisy goodnight and then he left their pod and returned to his own pod for the night.