Chapter One – Two Worlds

He was only a baby, hardly a year old, so he didn't understand things like how adults do. He could feel his blanket around him, and his mother clutched him to her chest so tightly he could feel and hear her pounding heart. Thankfully, he didn't have to feel the stinging, freezing rain. His parents, on the other hand, got the full brunt of the storm. The baby's mother kept the blankets tight around her son. The father rowed with all his might, fighting the waves that tossed around their little rowboat. The storm raged and roared, threatening to capsize their little dinghy. If they could, they would've taken a larger boat. But escaping their prison-like homeland would be worth it if they survived this trek.

Then again, the father began to wish he had some sort of map or something to tell them where they were.

The mother scanned the storm. They had floated and rowed on the ocean for several days. They were out of food and fresh water. If they didn't find something soon, their mission to find a new life would abruptly end in their untimely demise. Then, the mother pointed to something behind the father. The father turned around.

As lightning flashed, the parents looked ahead to see the tide taking them to the shores of a vast, forested region.

This wide, forested, wild region was known as Darknem. Within this land lived a wide variety of wondrous and sometimes strange creatures. One such species of strange creatures were the wolf-trolls. They had the appearance of rainbow trolls, complete with tall hair, colorful skin, and even more colorful outfits. But they had a unique gift: the ability to change into the form of wolves at will. Now, they were still troll-sized wolves, but they were predators nonetheless, and could easily fight off most of the creatures in the forest. When a wolf-troll changed into their wolf form, the color of their hair dictated the color of their fur. They wore clothes, which somehow magically disappeared when they changed to wolves and then reappeared when they were in troll form again.

Deep in the forest lived a pack of wolf-trolls led by their alpha, Peppy. The pack was undisturbed by the storm and simply took shelter in a large cave. Peppy did his rounds while in troll form: peach-colored skin, dark pink hair, and dark hazel eyes. He dressed in dark khaki pants and a teal vest. Peppy nodded in satisfaction at seeing his pack safe and sound, and he returned to his mate. Rosiepuff, Peppy's mate and second-in-command, had lavender skin and jade green hair, her eyes the same color as her hair. She wore a cream-colored dress and magenta shawl with pink hearts. Rosiepuff smiled up at Peppy, and he mirrored her grin. He came to sit beside her as she played with their toddler son. The wolf-troll boy had his mother's eyes and looked much like his father. Currently, he was in half-wolf form: he looked like a troll, but his ears were more pointed and furred, his fangs were showing, his snout began to show, and he even had a tail poking out of his shorts.

The pup bounded over to his father and leaped into Peppy's open arms. The alpha held his son close, rubbing the boy's head affectionately.

The rainbow troll couple were pushed ashore by the waves, and they spent the night on the beach. In the morning, they saw a wild and untamed forest. With nowhere else to go and both trolls unwilling to go back into the ocean, the little family was stuck where they were.

"We can make this work." The father assured.

The mother nodded agreement. "We should find shelter first. But where?" The baby in her arms fussed, wanting food. But they had to find it first. The troll couple started walking into the forest, scanning the trees. They brought so little with them. Luckily, the father studied flora and fauna in their home country, so he was able to find fruits they could eat. He went to retrieve those fruits so they could all eat. But they still had much to worry about. Both trolls had ideas on what creatures would be out here, but even knowing what might be out there wouldn't be helpful when they had little to defend themselves.

"We need a high shelter." The father mused. "Something that will give us a bird's eye view."

The cooing of their baby caught the parents' attention. They saw the child trying to climb up a nearby tree. He wasn't nearly strong enough to do so. Curious as to what their son might be looking at, the parents climbed up into the tree. The mother held her son, and the two trolls climbed higher and higher. They went above the first layer of canopy and found another level of canopy made by the tree they climbed. There were plenty of branches, and the second canopy rested high above the rest of the treetops.

"It's perfect." The mother sighed in relief.

The father tousled the hair of his son. "Good boy."

Peppy, in the form of a dark pink-furred wolf, beamed proudly as his son easily transformed into his wolf form. Like his father, he had dark pink fur when in wolf form.

The pup barked excitedly as he galloped towards his father. Peppy crouched down, his tail wagging, and dodged the would-be attack. But Peppy's son did a quick turn and tackled his father, biting and tugging on Peppy's ear playfully. Peppy moaned dramatically and fell over "dead." The pup got off his father and sniffed him curiously. Peppy suddenly shot up and nuzzled his son lovingly. Laughing, the pup bounded over to his mother and went back to his troll form on the way.

He leaped into Rosiepuff's arms, and she pressed her forehead to his. This was a special form of communication between wolf-trolls. More intimate than a hug, and more meaningful than a kiss. The pup saw a butterfly and bounded after it excitedly. Rosiepuff and Peppy shook their heads and laughed.

The troll couple only had a few tools: a hammer, a serrated sword, some rope, and a tarp they found folded in the bottom of the boat. But with these, they could gather materials to make a home in the high canopy. They found leaves and branches to weave into hanging pods, like birdhouses. In one pod, they had beds. In another, they stored food. On a platform—built with wood resting on branches and glued together with tree sap—they made a small kitchen area. The mother even crafted cooking utensils, bowls, and pots and pans from hollowed-out animal skulls, seed shells, and shells she found on the beach.

In no time, they had their own little home in the forest. It was the start of a new life. A life of freedom for themselves and their son. The father, especially, had faith in his ability to keep the family safe from danger.

If only he knew the true dangers of the forest.

The wolf-trolls were arguably some of the strongest creatures in the forest. They had the physical prowess but also wisdom, cleverness, skill, speed, among other traits that made them excellent fighters and hunters.

There were few creatures who could match them. One of these was the felidala, a cat creature of similar size to the wolf-trolls. They had large, circular ears, stubby tails, non-retractable black claws, and grey fur with purple stripes. The felidala and wolf-trolls sometimes competed for territory and prey.

One such felidala was known as Zina. She was one of the best hunters of all the felidala clowders. But she did not often obey the laws of the forest. She killed to eat but also for pleasure. She liked the thrill of the chase and digging her claws into the flesh of her prey. Sometimes she killed just so she could get a taste of blood.

Tonight, she wanted a taste of wolf-troll blood.

Peppy and Rosiepuff—in the form of a dark pink wolf and a jade green wolf, respectively—curled up next to each other with their son tucked between them. The pup was also in his wolf form, dreaming peacefully.

Then, his ear twitched, and he blinked his eyes open to see another butterfly flittering past. His tail wagging excitedly, the pup leaped out from between his parents and darted after the butterfly. He snapped his jaws, trying to catch the insect.

Nearby, Zina stalked the pup. She stayed quiet save for a soft growl in her throat.

The pup yipped and giggled as he chased the butterfly.

Zina sped up as she came closer and closer to her prey.

The pup was blissfully unaware.

Zina leaped from the bushes.

The pup skidded to a halt and stared in horror as the felidala before him roared.

Peppy and Rosiepuff awoke at the sound of the roar, and they sprung to their feet when they heard the frightened screams and whimpers of their son. They sprinted through the forest, following the sound of their son's cries that were almost drowned by the startled calls of the birds in the trees. The pup ran for his life, Zina close behind him.

Peppy suddenly skidded to a halt, going from wolf to half-wolf in less than a second. His eyes widened when he heard what the birds were saying. He turned and grabbed his mate before she could continue running. He held her back despite her struggles, shaking his head slowly.

Rosiepuff shifted to half-wolf form, staring out into the forest. She no longer heard the shrieks of her child. Grief overwhelmed her, and she buried her face into the crook of Peppy's shoulder as she sobbed. Peppy held her close, his own eyes becoming teary.

A few days later, the pack moved on as they usually did. Peppy led the pack, staying in his wolf form for protection's sake. He glanced back to make sure nobody was left behind. As he did, he noticed Rosiepuff trailing behind them. She was in her troll form, her head down and basically trudging along. The death of her child hit her hard. Peppy mourned as well, but he had to put on the image of a strong leader. He was the alpha, after all. He also knew the best way to help his mate was to leave her alone. There was nothing he could say or do to make this better.

Rosiepuff felt numb to everything around her. No words can describe the grief of a mother who has lost her child. She rubbed her arm, feeling a sense of emptiness in her heart. She needed something to fill that emptiness. Something more than her own mate.

Suddenly, she froze. What was that? That sound. It was…a baby!

Rosiepuff knew it was dumb, but she broke away from the pack and just started running. She focused completely on the cries of the infant echoing over the land. Or maybe the sound just seemed to echo because of her sharp hearing. She remained so focused on the cries that she hardly noticed herself turning half-wolf, and then full-wolf. She followed the sound through the forest until she came to a tree much taller than the others in the forest. Rosiepuff ended up circling the tree and discovered it was the source of the sound. Changing back to her half-wolf form, she began to climb the tree. She reached the canopy, but the cries continued. She climbed higher, and she poked her head out from the top of the foliage. She looked up and saw another, higher canopy.

The cries came from inside.

A/N: Fun facts!

Darknem is an anagram for "Denmark," the birthplace of the troll dolls! Some of you may remember the felidala from Poppy and the Grey Troll.