A Time to Heal

So this is the continuation/part two of my story "Find Me—I'm Lost." For the new readers, this can be a bit of a stand-alone, but a lot of the backstory is needed from my first tale to really get why this story is taking place. Again, this isn't quite an AU story, but it is different. Please let me know what you think, good or bad, and I hope you enjoy.

I own nothing. Nothing.

Chapter Ten

"You bet and…oh! Look, Prince Branch," Creek started before eagerly pointing out something on the horizon, "It's Master Thorn and I swear I think I see Kiv."

"Alright! First trading mission," Branch cheered, hopping up, "Creek, go get Poppy for me. I'll go greet our guests."

Creek nodded and hurried away as quick as his healing hip would allow. Of course he found the queen singing and dancing.

"Poppy!" Creek tried to call as the pink troll bopped around, "Oh, for goodness sakes."

Creek shook his head and snatched at the queen's hand to twirl the surprised lass into a dip while other trolls gasped.

"Got to go. Put on a show," Creek sang as Poppy giggled before the purple troll swung her back up, "Your lad is waiting so no going slow. No need to brag. You've got the swag. Master Thorn is here so no time to lag."

"Cause I have that swag!" Poppy belted out before taking off with a squealing giggle as Creek swatted at her.

"Get with you," Creek laughed out before noticing the other trolls staring at him, "Sorry to interrupt. The ice troll representatives for the new trading route just arrived and my prince asked me to fetch Queen Poppy."

"Not a problem," a troll called out as everyone shrugged or nodded as the group dispersed.

Creek felt warm at the nonchalant atmosphere. There hadn't been any wariness or mistrust. Spoke too soon. There it was.

"Hello, Cedar," Creek sighed, turning to see the troll walking up with his son, "Hello, Glade."

Cedar looked as happy as a troll stuck in a pod with an angry bee. It was the child who was looking up at Creek with such hope that the guard realized this meeting was about Glade. Creek didn't need to see the lad's aura to know that Glade wanted something. What was this about now?

"My son wanted to ask you a question," Cedar said, using a gentle voice when his lad looked up at his father with an eager grin, "Go on, Glade."

"Um…uh," Glade began, starting to look unsure as Creek looked to him, "Mr. Creek…uh…"

"It's okay, Glade," Creek encouraged as Cedar gave him an irritated look over his son's head, "Just take a deep breath and ask away."

Glade nodded as he breathed in deeply. So deeply that it looked like the child was about to hold his breath.

"May I learn yoga too with Ray and Sherbet and JoJo and Estella and Brian and Keith?" Glade finally blurted out in one big breath, skipping over as Creek blinked at the eager lad, "I can do the flower pose too. See? Ray showed me how to do it. See? And the dragon. Rah! I'm a dragon! See, Mr. Creek? I'm a dragon."

"I do see," Creek offered as the child straightened back up to look hopefully at him while Cedar rolled his eyes in secret from his son while the guard tried to figure out from Cedar's mannerisms what he should say, "You are very good at those two poses and I'd be happy to teach you yoga. As long as your father says you are allowed, you can join the class next Tuesday at 3:00 in the afternoon."

"Can I, can I, can I?" Glade babbled, turning to tug on his father's pants as Cedar smiled at his happy lad, "Please, Daddy?"

"If that would make you happy," Cedar agreed as Glade beamed at him.

"Yay!" Glade exclaimed, taking off as he started yelling for his friends to tell them the good news.

"I don't like this," Cedar snapped as Creek glanced to him once the boy had disappeared around a corner, "I don't like you."

"Understood, but why allow Glade to ask me to join in with the class?" Creek asked as Cedar sighed softly.

"My son has been sad that his friends were starting your mumbo-jumbo without him," Cedar allowed as Creek listened, "I don't trust you and I'll be a Bergen's rump if I allow you alone with my child. I'll be at every class!"

"Sounds good," Creek offered as Cedar gaped at him in shock, "Look. I know you don't like or trust me, but yoga is simply yoga. No manipulations there, Cedar. Having a parent present is good for young beginners so you can watch Glade and made sure he is not over stretching. Plus, some of the poses require another person and children like to do yoga with their peers and parents. You being there is a good thing for Glade."

"Great to know, but what if I'm there to watch you?" Cedar snapped.

"Then you will feel better when you see that I'm not up to no good and simply enjoy sharing my craft," Creek stated, turning away, "Good evening, Cedar. I'll see you and Glade at the next lesson. I need to get back to my prince."

"Whatever," Cedar grumped, stomping away as Creek sighed softly once again before the other troll stopped and turned, "The only thing that I like about you is that you didn't deny my child the right to learn yoga with his friends even if you and I are at odds. Not bad, Loser."

Creek hid a grin as he watched Cedar leave before trotting down the pathway to reach his prince and the two ice trolls. That had been unexpected. At least Cedar had some couth about him…not much, but some. The guard smiled at seeing Branch talking animatedly with Thorn with Poppy chirping in too while Kiv glanced up and smiled wide.

"Creek," Kiv called, coming up to offer a handshake to his fellow guard, "You are looking better. The crutches are gone. Bit of a limp there though."

"Still stiff and need to work the kinks out a bit, but getting there," Creek answered, shaking Kiv's hand, "Didn't think I'd see you back here so soon."

"King Frost sent me to watch over Master Thorn and check up on both of you," Kiv admitted, "He hates the distance between here and home. Wishes he could be in two places at once, if you asked me."

"He is passionate over his brother," Creek snorted, fondly remembering the large troll, "Our king is something."

"He is passionate over you too and so is Queen Crystal," Kiv voiced, with a small laugh, "I've been ordered to check up on you and to make sure that you are eating well. I'm assuming your training has been on hold with your hip."

"Sure enough," Creek agreed, glancing to see Branch and Poppy still talking happily with Thorn before gazing up at Kiv, "I see your aura and you have a secret."

"Not quite a secret," Kiv denied, showing Creek a scroll, "Our king and queen sent this by way of a carrier bird from the ice lands. The birds are fast and rarely used except for emergencies. The ice twins communicated with the young prince earlier this week and felt his unrest so they are concerned. What is going on, Creek?"

"Our prince must have had this talk with the king and queen after the meeting the other day," Creek hummed to himself before glancing up at an insistent Kiv, "There are some minor problems with a troll and his friends. He is causing some issues and angered Prince Branch and I, but it has been dealt with."

"How so?" Kiv demanded, making Creek blanch a bit, "Nope, Honor Guard, full report."

"Sir, yes, Sir," Creek snapped out as Kiv nodded at the proper response.

"Now go one," the captain ordered, listening to Creek's report before growling softly, "So Cedar is inciting his friends and this Sam touched our prince? Touched the ice opal? How dare he!"

"It will never happen again, Kiv," Creek soothed, seeing his captain getting more and more angry as he thought about what had happened, "I will not allow Cedar and his friends near Prince Branch again."

"Good," Kiv sniffed, allowing himself to calm, "Prince Branch expressed worry for you and it concerned our monarchy a lot. Why was our prince so worried for you, Creek?"

"I might have been attacked a little bit and it made Prince Branch pretty furious," Creek explained as Kiv turned to him sharply, "Cedar was to blame for the whole mess and our prince threatened to toss him off the top of the Troll Tree if it ever happened again. I don't think you or our monarchy need to worry. Prince Branch has it all under control and I can hold my own too."

"Our prince is the spitting parallel of his brother," Kiv snickered out as Creek smiled with a nod, "The king and queen are not going to be too happy about this."

"Just tell them that some problems arose and have been handled," Creek advised, "We all knew that with all the new changes, kinks were going to need time to work out when they showed their heads. Kinks have come up and are being dealt with. None of what has been happening has been anything major."

"Only because you dealt with Sam before he could break the chain on Prince's Branch's opal, accident or not," Kiv sighed, rubbing at his chin, "Very well. I will be careful in my wording when I report back to our king and queen once I've ascertained that these 'kinks' are truly minor."

"Fair enough," Creek agreed.

"Thorn!"

Kiv and Creek turned to see Satin and Chenille trotting eagerly over to their ice troll friend.

"My little sisters," Thorn crooned, waving a hand to sparkle the twins' outfits with ice dust as they posed happily for him, "How do you say it?"

"Très chic," Satin giggled out as Chenille bounced over to hug Thorn, "We've missed you, Darling. Come and have some dinner."

"Yes, do," Chenille urged as the three took off talking happily.

"I have never seen Master Thorn so bubbly," Kiv blinked out as Poppy and Branch came over to laugh in secret at the guard, "I hear you two."

"Thorn and the twins bonded the most when we stayed with him during that howler," Poppy explained as Kiv nodded, "Though I will say that this is the first time I've heard him call them his sisters before."

"That is how ice trolls show affection," Kiv snorted as Branch glanced at Creek in shock, "We adopt what we like and protect them like family."

"Ice troll," Creek cheered, booping Branch's nose as the troll swatted playfully at him, "It all make sense to me."

"Sure it does, adopted, little honor guard brother to our king and queen," Kiv laughed out as Creek blushed, "Feed me. Travel rations stink. Want…cake!"

Creek laughed loud and followed as Branch led Kiv to their home as Poppy tagged along. Turned out that Thorn and Kiv both would be staying in the bunker during their visit. Creek was a bit surprised to hear Kiv leaving early in the morning and quietly followed his fellow guard as Branch and Thorn slept on. Kiv seemed like he was on a mission.

"Uh-oh," Creek thought when he saw who the mission was.

"Hello," Kiv greeted as Cedar gasped at seeing the larger troll outside his pod waiting for him when the troll made to step out of his home, "Cedar, right?"

"Kiv, stop," Creek ordered, hurrying over as Cedar eyed the two of them distrustfully, "Let it be."

"Let what be?" Cedar demanded, glancing between Creek and Kiv, "You brought an ice troll here to threaten me, Creek?"

"Nope. I came with Master Thorn to assist him with the first trading run," Kiv answered, reaching to pull Creek behind him gently as he leaned into Cedar's space, "You have every right to whatever opinion of me or even of Creek here. We are just common citizens in our tribe despite being honor guard, but you tell your friends and that Sam to never, ever touch Prince Branch in any way shape or form. Understood?"

"A-alright," Cedar stuttered, looking stunned.

"I'm not here to threaten," Kiv assured as Creek relaxed a little, "But I will say this, ice trolls do not allow our people to be bullied, Cedar. You have a right to your opinions, but not to lay a finger on one of my tribemates. I am the new captain of the honor guard. You attacked one of my lads who is here to protect our prince. I have the right to file a formal complaint with your queen."

"So?" Cedar spat.

"So that means if I file that complaint you are to be brought to the ice lands to be judged by King Frost," Kiv grinned out as Cedar paled, remembering the large, large king, "Our queen is much more lenient than our king, but it is King Frost that makes all trial judgements. Hate to be in your shoes if that comes to be since you've been basically attacking my monarchy's family, but I don't think I'll need to file that complaint because I don't think you and I have a problem anymore, right? I will never have to hear about you touching Creek or our prince because you are a smart troll. Great to get to know you. Come on, Creek."

Creek closed his eyes to hide his eyes rolling as Kiv marched away before looking to Cedar.

"Overprotective," Creek whispered as Cedar cocked his head at him, "Sorry. Don't worry about any of this…well, except for the telling your friends not to touch my prince. I'll break hands next time, but other than that sorry about Kiv. See you later."

"Creek."

"Coming," Creek called to his captain, hurrying away as Cedar watched him go, "Bye, Cedar."

"You shouldn't have apologized for me," Kiv fussed, as Creek caught up, "He needed to be put in his place."

"Not with threats," Creek denied, "This tribe do not understand the ice troll ways. They are soft and threats only make them unsure and make rash decisions."

"Like you and the Bergens?" Kiv asked as Creek nodded sadly, "Look at how much stronger you've gotten since making that mistake, Creek. This tribe cannot float through life forever. Our prince told me last night of the group that doesn't want to pull their weight and how they are trying to wiggle out of their duties. Prince Branch and Queen Poppy are on the right track to fix the problem, but I cannot stand back and allow a threat to my prince or his guard to be left unpunished. The punishment is the fear of what will happen developing in Cedar's mind. Ice trolls are not to be messed with."

"Kiv," a voice sighed as Creek turned to see his prince walking over, "Did I just hear right? Did I hear you say you threatened one of my father's people?"

To be continued…