((And a sparring scene, because who doesn't love them? I perhaps took a few liberties with exactly what Draal can do with that 'tuck into a ball and roll' technique, but I thought it looked good in my head, lol!))
Soon the entire group was assembled in the backyard under the starry night sky. Jim stood facing Draal, both with their swords in hand. Blinky, Aaarrrggghh, and Barbara were safely by the back door where they wouldn't be in the way. Barbara was tense again as she saw her only offspring standing opposite the huge, stone-skinned warrior and how deadly the moonlight gleamed off their respective blades.
"Do not worry," Blinky reassured softly. "This is sparring. Draal's purpose is to instruct, to teach Jim to improve even beyond what he already has, not to harm. Though they will strike as if their lives depended on winning, neither will seek to grievously wound the other."
"That's not a lot of comfort," was the pained reply.
Jim nor Draal seemed to hear her words as they watched one another, waiting for one to make the first move. Jim saw Draal's mouth quirk slightly in a smirk, and he knew some verbal taunting was incoming. He wasn't disappointed.
"Hesitating, Trollhunter?" Draal carefully began stepping to the side, so naturally Jim imitated his movements so they circled one another. "Worried about how you'll perform with your mother observing?"
"Not in the slighest." Jim could feel his own confident grin. Granted, his mother watching him spar was an oddity, but at the same time there was a thrill to having Daylight in his hands and the knowledge that in a few heartbeats he would be in battle once again.
The additional knowledge that his death wasn't a likely outcome was a bonus.
They made this slow, circling pass once, then again. Each was watching the other for signs on the moment they intended to strike. The tell could come from anywhere. A glance in the eyes, a sudden tenseness in the arms, bracing one foot against the ground - anything could reveal that singular moment that could also easily spell the end of a fight a moment later. Eyes narrowed, and in almost perfect tandem the pair lunged, and the Troll's sword rang against the edge of Daylight.
Over in safety, Barbara gasped, eyes widening as without further preamble Draal and Jim began sparring in earnest. Their swings came within inches of landing against the other, as at times it looked like Jim would have lost a limb were it not for a last-second parry. Both their expressions revealed intense focus on every nuance of their match; it was clear neither remembered where they were art this point. They only knew the battle..
"This doesn't seem exactly safe or friendly," Barbara fretted.
"Safe?" echoed Blinky. "No. In sparring there is always a chance of an accidental injury. But it would be accidental. And as for friendly, Draal and Jim have a great respect for one another. In a way, these matches affirm their friendship." Blinky chuckled. "Not that I would care to say that too loudly; Draal would deny it until the end of time." Aaarrrggghh softly chuckled, and Barbara couldn't help but smile.
"He didn't strike me as a demonstrative sort - oh!" Her cry came as Draal bashed Daylight wide, using his greater strength again his human opponent then simply grabbing Jim by the front of his armor and flinging him across the back lawn. Jim grunted as he hit the ground and rolled several times, and the big Troll followed. She started to move to intervene, but Aaarrrggghh put a hand on her shoulder, restraining her.
"No. Stay here. Safe. Jim fine."
"I agree. Master Jim is in no danger, and in fact taking any action on his behalf would either stop their match or cause either them or you unintentional harm." Barbara looked between the two Trolls, then back at Jim, who was still laying on the ground.
"He - he's not getting up!"
"Be patient, please. I have personally seen Master Jim take far worse blows and roll right back up again. See his hand, flat on the ground? I would wager that he is using Draal's approach to catch his breath, and his hand to feel it through the ground. Knowing when to strike is just as important as knowing how or where to strike."
"Get up, Trollhunter," Draal ordered in almost a sing-sing manner, or as close to it as he ever got; he was well aware that Jim wasn't hurt from his tumble, just trying to bait him in. He paused about seven feet away, well within a quick lunging strike. "You will not get out of this match so easily." Jim abruptly jerked, rolling over to face the Troll and Daylight vanishing even as his daggers formed on his thighs and he grabbed them, throwing first one, then rolling once more towards Draal and throwing the other. At such close range, even though he'd expected some kind of maneuver like this, Draal could only parry the first one, then had to quickly pivot to dodge the second. Jim was already on his feet, shield forming in his grip and rushing Draal in a reckless move to shove against the Troll warrior with all his might. Normally Jim could've never out-muscled Draal, but he used the Troll's own turning momentum to try and trip him. Draal did tumble, but quickly tucked himself into a ball and rolled with it, building momentum and breaking clear before Jim could re-summon Daylight to try and gain the upper hand.
"Well done, Master Jim!" Blinky praised from the sidelines. Jim flashed a grin at them before he found Draal had reversed his own momentum and was rolling back towards him at a fair rate of speed. Naturally the human did what anyone would do in such a situation: he turned and ran!
"How is Draal doing that?" Asked Barbara as she watched Jim dart this way and that, trying to evade the rolling ball of Troll but Draal always right on his tail.
"Such a rolling attack is quite common among some Trolls," informed Blinky. "I believe Draal favors it almost as much as his sword, as it takes advantage of the spikes upon his back. It takes quite a bit of training and practice to be good at, because it's also very hard to suddenly stop momentum... ah! See?" Jim had twisted mid-run and thrown both his daggers so they landed cross-hilted right in Draal's path. Though he wasn't hurt when he impacted them, the bounce rolling over the half-buried blades was enough to slow him down to the point that he uncurled and simply charged Jim head-on. Once more swords locked, and both warriors were breathing heavily. Though Jim, to Barbara's eyes, looked to be the more winded.
The bout continued for about another ten minutes of relentless combat that held Barbara somewhere between terror for Jim and blatant awe at his skill before Draal dropped down in a sweep that took the boy's legs out from beneath him. He fell flat onto his back and lay sprawled, visibly panting for breath and eyes closed.
"Do you yield?" Draal asked, though he sounded winded as well.
"Y-yeah," Jim replied, smirking a bit as the other tapped his right arm, then left leg, then chest with the tip of his sword. It was how Draal always ended their sparing matches since Jim typically was the one left on the ground, a small nod to one of their far earlier bouts. Then the Troll reached down, grasping Jim's hand when he raised it, and pulled him to his feet again.
"That was wonderfully done, Master Jim!" Blinky praised again. "A stellar performance; I'm pleased to see that you were able to utilize some of the new techniques we were working on last week."
"But – he lost." Barbara pulled a confused face, even as she moved to check Jim over for injury and he assured her he was fine.
"Perhaps, but in a real battle it is highly unlikely that such would've been the case. Exhaustion was Master Jim's downfall, not a lack of skill. By my guess, that match lasted around fifteen minutes, am I correct?" Barbara checked her watch.
"Close to."
"A real battle would have never continuously lasted that long. Should Master Jim have been engaged with a actual enemy it is far more the average that the battle is over within a handful of minutes, five at the most. Anything longer usually involves more maneuvering, hiding behind obstacles and stalking his enemy, thus also giving him time to regain his breath and rest for small increments if needed. So in short, Master Jim would have bested his foe three times over in that same duration."
"Said Jim good," rumbled Aaarrrggghh with a smile. "Push hard, make stronger." Jim was nodding in agreement, even as he dismissed his armor with a small sigh of relief.
"So you see? In a real fight I'm more than ready to deal with it, and that's just if I'm on my own. Factor in Draal and Aaarrrggghh and Blinky, and Toby and Claire of course, with me and it's over even quicker, most of the time." Barbara took a deep breath, held it a moment with her eyes closed, then let it out again and opened them.
"I – I think I finally understand." She smiled at Jim. "You really are good at that. I mean, I thought for a moment I was watching stunt doubles on some movie set. I would've thought you were putting on an act for me if I didn't know better." Draal snorted.
"Playacting a combat is what children do."
"Yes, somehow I thought you'd say something like that. But honey, I just have a couple requests?"
"What is it?"
"I understand that you feel really strongly about this. And in a way I guess it's similar to if you said you wanted to join the military. It's just as dangerous, in a sense, and I'd still have to live with the fact that you might not come home someday. Just like if you became a police officer or any other number of dangerous jobs that any mother would be proud to say her son had taken up." Barbara smiled a touch sadly, but proudly. "I just can't go bragging to everyone that my son saves the entire town on a regular basis. But I am your mother, and a doctor, so I want to know when you get back from these... missions, or whatever you call them, so I can make sure you're okay. And that goes for Claire and Toby too." The last of the weight fell from Jim's chest leaving him feeling almost lightheaded.
"Can do, mom!" Barbara glanced at Blinky, Draal, and Aaarrrggghh.
"And maybe, if I learn a bit more about Troll physiology, I can extend the offer to you too."
"I have quite a few books on the subject," Blinky immediately offered, making Jim and Aaarrrggghh laugh. "Perhaps we can trade, as I have only a rudimentary understanding of human physiology, and after a time where Master Jim suffered from influenza I realized that a few of my books may be out of date with modern knowledge."
"Ah, you did it now, mom," Jim teased. "You hinted at 'books' around Blinky."
"Well, I do happen to have the most extensive library in all of Trollmarket, if I do say so myself," retorted Blinky with a proud smile. Barbara chuckled, then looked at Jim very seriously.
"And no more secrets, Jim. No more lies." Jim nodded in full agreement.
"No more secrets, and definitely no more lies. I really didn't like lying to you from the start, but I didn't see any other way." She pulled him into a hug.
"Then lets start over with this whole 'Trollhunter' thing."
"Deal!"
"I am very pleased that everything is out in the open at last," the scholarly Troll concluded. "But I know it is getting late, and young humans need eight hours of rest, correct, Barbara?"
"Right." Jim groaned
"Great, you're already teaming up on me." He was grinning as he said it, though, and they headed back inside as it was a bit easier, and safer, for Blinky and Aaarrrggghh to return to Trollmarket via the tunnel beneath the house, and Draal settled down in the basement for his nightly vigil over the household.
Jim bid everyone goodnight as the Trolls and humans separated, and his mom gave him a final hug before he headed upstairs. He changed into his nightclothes and dropped into bed, feeling finally at peace with his mom, his destiny as Trollhunter, and with himself. He wasn't sure what the future would hold now that his mom knew, but he was certain of one thing and that was his mom knowing about the Trolls and his role would certainly make things interesting.
Barbara sat up at the kitchen table for a time with a fresh cup of tea, musing over everything that had happened. Quite literally her entire world had changed in at least a hundred ways, but she felt closer to her son than ever before, even counting before he was the Trollhunter. Would she worry? Oh yes. Would she dread seeing him come home banged up? Most definitely. But at the same time she knew she was fully willing to support him, and was proud of him. A sound from below got a smile as she also couldn't help but think that they had the best theft-protection imaginable, and took a sip before sitting back with a sigh and a small smile.
The future was uncertain, but she was ready to face it, for Jim.