The firelight was bright across the room, flickering and spitting in the fireplace with such a rattle that made the small troll scoot further towards the foot of the bed. She swung her feet over the edge back and forth, trying to occupy herself as her mother stood in front of the mirror in the corner, finishing up her hair. The pink troll eyed her daughter using the mirror's reflection, noting how incredibly bored the young troll looked.
"You know, the party will be done especially early tonight since we couldn't get Hubert to play the accordion." She mentioned. Silence.
She reached into the small box upon her desk nearby, producing three small hairpins that glittered like the night. With a small smile, she turned to the small blue troll, marveling for a moment in the fact that she had inherited such colors from the love of her life. She held out the pins, causing Willow to turn her head towards her.
"Would you like to do the honors?" She asked. The Princess immediately perked up at that, bounding over to her mother as she knelt for the little girl. Gently, she tucked each pin in a flattering spot, and once she was done, she grabbed a hold of Willow and spun her about to face the mirror with her. Admiring her own reflection for a moment, she beamed down at the little girl.
"Beautiful placement, Willow." She said, kneeling and blowing a raspberry against her cheek, making the girl shriek and giggle while playfully trying to squirm from her arms. Poppy laughed as well, holding her daughter close.
"Beautiful placement, indeed."
Poppy and Willow turned about to face Branch, who was all gussied up as well for the holiday party that evening. He smiled lovingly at them both as Poppy let go of Willow and crossed the room to greet him. The two embraced, and Branch pressed a gentle kiss to her lips while holding the side of her face.
"You look amazing, Poppy." He mumbled. The Queen was about to reply, but the tiny voice of their daughter popped up from behind them.
"Ugh, get a room you two!" She groaned. The two turned to their child, eyeing her thoughtfully.
"And who, might I ask, did you learn that from, Willow?" Branch asked. He already knew the answer, but wanted to see if his daughter would throw the troll under the bus.
"Guy Diamond…I heard him say it to you guys in the woods a few days ago." Willow explained happily. Branch smirked while Poppy gave him a warning stare. He winked at her, kneeling and fixing the headband atop his daughter's head.
"Well, when you see Guy Diamond with DJ tonight, I want you to blurt that out really loud to them, okay? I bet you they'll laugh really hard!" He said in a tone almost too peppy. Willow giggled.
"Okay, Daddy." She agreed, and the royal family made their way out into the snowy village.
Later that night, just as Branch had instructed, Willow kept her eye out for the two all night, weaving her way through the crowd. Finally, she spotted them behind a building, and she noticed how close the two were. As they started to exchange a kiss on the cheek, she spread out her legs slightly and cupped her hands to her face.
"Hey you two! Get a room!" She cried out, loud enough for everyone to stop for a moment to look at their beloved Princess. Across the way, Branch smirked deviously as Poppy's mouth hung open in shock.
It was true, it did make the trolls laugh. But Willow watched in confusion at the two trolls turned a shade of color she had never seen, and they shoved away from one another as Guy Diamond looked to the small princess.
"Willow, that was totally uncalled for!" He scolded her, and she began to back up in surprise at his sudden anger, and she continued to do so until she met the warm, strong front of her father, who placed a gentle hand on her shoulder as he continued to smirk at them.
"What's the matter, Guy Diamond? Don't like the little phrase you taught my daughter the other day?" He asked sarcastically, and he watched as the two blushed yet again. Willow giggled.
"What does it even mean, Dad?" She questioned. At that, all three trolls blushed heavily and Branch stuttered.
"Uuuhhhhhmmmm let's go, Willow. I think you've done quite enough." He said, guiding the girl along back into the warmth of the village's party. The princess rolled her eyes as he avoided yet another question of hers involving a phrase she didn't understand.
"Da-ad, what does it mean?" She pleaded for him to tell her,
"Let's just drop it okay, WILLOW?" He said, but she jumped back at the way he said her name. "WILLOW!"
"WILLOW!"
The Princess' eyes shot open and she stared into the face of her dear friend Canella, who had been violently shaking her awake for several seconds. She blinked rapidly, rubbing at her eyes and giving a heavy groan.
"What is it, Nell?" She asked.
"Get your stuff packed, we're moving out." She ordered.
"What? Wh-?" Willow began, but it was then that she noticed her surroundings. Verne, Jules, Arnold, and Briar encircled their camp with torches in hand, peering out into their designated direction. She cocked a brow in confusion until an audible howl could be heard off in the distance.
Wolves.
Willow quickly scrambled to her feet and shoved everything back in her bag, looking around wildly to have an extra eye out for any advancements in movement. Verne came up to her and extended a torch.
"Where did you get these?" She asked.
"My mom had a whole bunch of them in our shed. I figured this would be a perfect opportunity to utilize them." He explained. She nodded, taking the handle from him and beginning to think up a strategy on how they would avoid contact.
"Okay, if we stick to the pathway ahead, we should be able to break free of this area pretty quickly." She said, automatically taking charge.
To her surprise, nobody argued with her and one by one, they filed out of the clearing with their ears still primed for the howls. They continued for a while, still echoing in their vicinity nearby, and the group made their way into a thicket where clovers of every variation grew untamed. The rustle of their feet, bodies, and belongings riddled the air as they brushed along, careful not to be too loud in anything they did. Once they heard the howls cease for a good fifteen minutes, Canella dared herself to speak.
"I think we lost them." She said.
"I hope so. The last thing we need is somebody being made into a meal for those things." Willow conferred.
Wolves of the forest were rather large, dwarfing a Troll by at least double. They had very bad tempers and were very seldom found alone. Once confronted by them, a Troll's chances of making it out of the exchange alive and in one piece was slim to none. Though it seldom occurred, the threat was still prominent, especially beyond civilization as the band of misfits found themselves.
The thicket was alive with noises from animals big and small. They heard a large bullfrog croaking nearby, and at this Willow made a sharp turn towards it. The rest of the group looked to each other in confusion, following the princess until they found themselves at the edge of a small pond. Without hesitation, Willow trudged into its depths, finding the very center of it to be just past her knees.
"Uuuuuummmm Willow? There's plenty of dry land around here to walk on." Canella said, gesturing to the surrounding area.
"Uh huh. Plenty of dry land for the wolves to track us on." Willow said. "Walking through water helps mask your scent."
"Only partially true. It masks the scent for only a short while, maybe thirty feet." Briar corrected, causing Canella to roll her eyes. Willow smiled at him sweetly.
"Then I guess we should find an ample place to be in thirty feet then, huh?" She replied without any effort. Briar ignored the obvious sarcasm in her voice, looking around before pointing off to the west of their position.
"There's a rock shelf over there that we can climb on top of and survey the scene." He suggested, and Willow nodded.
"We'll make for that then. Everyone, take a walk through here and follow me." She said, and everyone complied. Briar ran through it last, kicking away the excess water as he emerged.
"Verne, status report." Willow called back, and in no time at all the inventor produced the hand-made compass and held it steady for a few moments.
"Currently headed west northwest and beyond the cliff…..there seems to be some pretty flat land." He rambled off, Willow giving a nod. Briar had come up alongside him while he was talking, and once he had finished he spoke.
"How do you guys follow her so blatantly?" He asked. Verne turned to him, surprised that the brooding male was even talking to him. Blinking a few times, he adjusted his bag and Flick before answering.
"Because she's our Princess and best friend. We trust her with our lives." He explained.
"What if she's wrong about something? Won't that bother you?" Briar asked, genuinely curious. However, his intentions were once again ill-received as an offended look crossed Verne's features.
"I've known her for ten years and she has yet to prove me wrong on anything she sets her heart to." He said pointedly. Briar looked up to observe the blue troll again, watching her move about for a long moment.
"I sure hope she knows what she's doing." He commented.
"Even if she didn't, that wouldn't stop her. Willow's a go-getter. She always has been." Verne replied, starting to ease up on his haughty tone as he recognized a look on the troll's face he had not seen since meeting him.
"I guess you would kind of have to be if you were in her position." Briar said, an air about his tone that almost seemed versed. Verne could only stare back at him, trying to process what he was observing. Was he being….considerate? He held his breath on that one.
Reaching the very base of the shelf, the group realized the climb was a lot steeper than they realized, and Willow frowned.
"Wow, that's really high." She said with an incredulous amount of worry.
"Don't worry, Princess. I've got you." Arnold piped up for the first time that evening, gently cupping her in his hands and standing on tip-toe to set her down on top of the ledge. She teetered a bit before regaining her balance, smiling down at her friend as the rest of the group was lifted to her spot.
"The perks of having a Bergen for a friend." Willow said, holding up her hand for a high-five. Arnold shyly climbed the ledge himself and extended a finger to meet it, since the size difference would have knocked Willow clean off her feet if he had used his whole hand. "Thanks, big guy."
"Wow, Verne. Your contraption was right. There's not a hint of anything around here." Canella said, observing the vast flat field that lay beyond the rocky shelf.
"Of course it was! As long as we have this baby, we'll find Queen Poppy in no time!" He declared, throwing his hands up. Unfortunately, as he did so, his grip on the device loosened and sent it hurdling over the cliff's edge.
They all peered over and watched it tumble, hitting a few juts on the way down and ultimately landing in a broken heap in the mud. An awkward pause fell over them.
"Well, shoot." Verne declared.
"No worries. I can get us a direction." Willow said, dropping her bag to the ground once more and getting to her knees to rummage through it.
"How? We have no compass now!" Briar piped up, throwing up his hands in defeat.
"What are you talking about? We have the biggest compass in the world right above our heads!" Willow argued, pointing upwards. It was with this that every head turned up and looked upon the glittering show above in the dark night sky.
"Of course! Star-mapping! How could I have missed it?" Verne exclaimed. It was in no time at all that Willow had two sets of maps set perfectly flat in the dirt and her drawing compass in hand. Glancing between the stars above and her map, she worked flawlessly as the rest of them watched her deduce their next course of direction.
Briar in particular was intrigued. Who was this troll? She was unlike any one, troll or not, that he had ever met. She had intelligence, a fiery personality….a kindness that he had not seen since his own family.
"Bring that torch a little closer, Jules." Willow asked the little troll gently, and she scooted forward while dragging the scarf behind her. Several moments passed with not another word, then finally she clicked her pen shut and looked up to them.
"According to what I've gotten from the map, Lyra is set to move at least three leagues to the west by this Friday, which is in two days. Vega is also set to move that far, being the forefront of its form. Draco, neighboring Lyra, will be set to be at exactly 90 degrees above the fourth crystal and therefore we must travel north or east northeast for the remainder of the journey to its spot. Any questions?" She said.
Open staring was her response.
"What?" She asked innocently.
"English, Willow!" Canella cried. Willow gave them a flat expression, then jutted her finger towards the sky once more.
"See those three bright stars above the tree-line?" She asked. They all looked for a long moment then nodded softly. "The one that seems to be a little further out than the other two is Vega, the brightest star in Lyra's constellation. The other two are the brightest stars in Draco's constellation, Rastaban and Eltanin. Follow those two stars on a straight path, and we'll make it to the fourth crystal in no time."
"Okay, that's better." Canella decreed.
Willow began to wrap up her materials as the other's checked each other's supplies.
"Wow, I didn't realize you knew so much about stars." Briar's voice was a surprise to her, and she looked up at him.
"Well, when you've been at it as long as I have, you kind of get that way." She said. He bit his lip.
"Look….I'm sorry. I've been kind of nothing but a jerk since I got here, and as much as it is tempting at times….I don't think anyone would want to be thought of that way." He said. Willow stood up at this, her thumbs hooked in the straps of her backpack as she looked up at him curiously.
"With all due respect, Briar, I don't think I'm the one you need to convince." She said. He furrowed his brows, and she jerked her head in the direction of her friends. Briar glanced towards them to see them eyeing him rather judgingly, starting to move into the field while still stealing a few haughty glances at them.
"I guess not." He agreed. Willow smiled, waving a hand forward.
"Come on. You can talk to me until we get there." She said. He looked hesitant, but followed behind her nonetheless.
"So, what pod do you live in? I don't think I've ever seen you around in Troll Village." She began the conversation with a harmless question. Briar stared at her.
"I….I don't live in Troll Village. I live in my village." He said. She frowned.
"But in the story that my grandpa told me, he said that there are only two places Trolls have lived, the homeland and Troll Village/Tree. And we're way too far away from homeland." She said. He fought back the urge to reply with yet another snarky comment.
"Well, whatever your grandpa told you is only half the truth. You see, our ancestor, King….?"
"Rowan." Willow answered for him. He nodded.
"King Rowan did lead his trolls away from homeland, but there were some amongst his group that didn't like the fact that they were wandering around aimlessly in the wilderness for a new home. So, they broke away. Made villages of their own in the high mountains of the north and the swamps of the east. I'm from one of those villages." He explained. Willow nodded slightly, trying to add this new information up in her head.
"So how do you guys protect from the purebloods?" She asked.
"It's not been easy. Our village in particular has been attacked at least a handful of times over the centuries since Rowan led his people away from the homeland, each time nearly decimating our entire population." He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply. "The latest attempt had been when I was just eight years old." His eyes lifted to the dark tree-line ahead. Willow sensed his discomfort at his own words. It surprised her when he carried on. "My father….he was amongst the losses of that day…..he died protecting us from purebloods who ransacked our home."
Willow's heart sank as he delivered the information to her. He felt her gaze heavy on him, and he sighed.
"Well, I guess you could say that's my 'tragic backstory'." He said in an attempt to lighten the mood, cracking a forced half-smile. He could tell by the look on the Princess' face that she was not buying into the humor for once.
"What did you guys do?" She asked, prying even further. He took in a deep breath.
"The only thing we could do. Build ourselves up again, and strengthen the numbers that we had. I was dragged from home five days a week to practice sword fighting and basic hand-to-hand techniques….I was top of my class." He said, looking down at his opened palms. He clenched them shut, looking to Willow once more.
"There hasn't been an attack since, but I for one don't let that deter me. My father meant too much for me to become lax…." He said, his fist clenching angrily as he fought back the swell of emotion in his chest. The gentle weight of a hand on his shoulder made his gaze snap to Willow. She had a soft smile on her face, her glittering eyes looking up at him in understanding. Not remorse, not pity…..understanding. He had never seen such a vibrant shade of pink.
"You remind me a lot of someone I know." She mumbled as they stepped over a rut in the ground. The torchlight was getting dim, but still provided enough for them to walk safely across the plain. Briar couldn't find the words to say in response, so he just cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"So how do you get all these things out of the sky?" He asked. "All I see is a bunch of flickering dots."
"It's quite simple actually. You just have to use a bit of imagination." She said, pointing to a series of stars just ahead. "See that? That's Draco. He's supposed to be this long legless dragon. See?" She traced her finger along as Briar fought to see it. He watched her finger connect the dots, and she landed on a particular spot.
"And that's Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra." She made a curving motion. "And see that cluster of stars along Draco's belly?"
For once, Briar could picture what she was talking about and nodded.
"That's Ursa Minor, or the little dipper." She explained.
"The Big Dipper is really the only one I even know the name to." Briar admitted, sheepishly scratching at the back of his head with embarrassment.
"Well, maybe I can educate you." She said softly. And for the first time since meeting Willow, Briar smiled back at her.
"Hey, you two! What are you going on about back there?" They heard Canella call back, and Willow smirked with a shake of her head. Noting Briar's expression change to slight annoyance, she leaned into him a little.
"Don't mind Canella. She really is a lot cooler than she seems." She reassured him, and he nodded. She gazed at them fondly.
"Honestly, I can't think of a better group of people to help me find my mom." She said. Briar's interest peaked at this.
"Your mom?" He repeated. Willow's heart skipped a beat for a moment. She hadn't even told him why they were out here.
"Yeah, my mom. It's the whole reason we're all out here in the first place. She went missing over ten years ago and there hasn't been a sign of her since. We're hoping we can find her before it's too late." She explained.
"Why now? Ten years is a long time to wait before sending a rescue team." Briar asked, genuinely confused as to why they had taken so long. He watched Willow's demeanor completely droop at his question, and he almost regretted asking.
"My dad….he's dying. And if we don't bring my mom back in time to restore his true colors…..he may not make it." She choked out that last part, turning her head away from him and swallowing the lump in her throat, tears beginning to fill inside the ducts of her eyes. Okay, nowhe really regretted asking. Before he could utter an apology, he was once again cut off.
"What's going on? Why is Willow crying?" Canella asked, and it was then that he realized the rest of the group had slowed up to allow them to get closer.
"What did you say to her?" Verne asked him accusingly before Willow held up a hand.
"No, guys. It's okay. We were just talking, that's all." Willow said between sniffles, wiping at her nose with her forearm. Verne put two fingers up to his eyes and then pointed the same two at Briar. Willow snorted while Briar arched a brow.
"Verne, you're not my big brother." She said as she stifled her laugh. However, that didn't last long as he put a hand to his chest and mustered up the most fake-looking hurt expression that he could.
"You insult me, Your Highness! As your oldest and dearest friend, I must protect you from all matters, physical and emotional!" He said in a mock accent, making Willow double over in a fit of giggles. Briar himself couldn't hide the smirk on his lips as Verne gestured to him with dramatic spite.
"Verne, you are seriously the biggest dork ever." Canella said, fighting back her own smile that threatened to tug at her lips. However, the laughter in her voice was a dead giveaway.
"A title I carry proudly, Miss Canella. Now fetch me my coat." He continued the acting flawlessly, giving her a nod and turning about to saunter dramatically in the other direction. Willow was on the ground now, clutching at her sides as the laughter started to hurt.
"You're so embarrassing." Jules mumbled, which only made Verne and Willow laugh harder.
Once they had collected themselves again, Verne walked over and extended a hand out to Willow. She took it, allowing him to pull her to her feet as she released a sigh.
"Boy, I needed that. Thank you, Verne." She said. He smiled at her.
"You know I can't stand to see you sad, Highness." He said.
"Alright, I let it slip one time, but two is pushing it." Willow said, trying to sound serious but her tone was still somewhat playful from the laughter she had just calmed herself from.
"Okay, okay, Will. Calm down." He said, throwing up his hands in defense. However, he gave out a small grunt of surprise as she yanked him into a hug. He returned it gently, his shoulders slacking.
"Seriously, though. Thank you…..for everything, not just this." She whispered into his ear. He could only smile wider at that.
"Any time, Will. You know I'll always be here." He said, and the two pulled away to give another smile to one another.
Briar watched this exchange along with Jules and Canella, a pang of something in his chest. He ignored it as the two trolls began their walk over to rejoin them and begin walking again.
A few hours passed and the group was inevitably near, the sun beginning to peek its head over the horizon and changing the sky to a hazy gray rather than a deep blue. Terrain had changed slightly to more mountainous, beyond that lay yet another thick group of trees. Something about the way they stood raised a feeling of déjà vu to Willow, her gaze locked on the contour of each towering pine tree in the distance.
"How close do you think we are now?" Verne asked.
"Close." Willow said, her absent-minded tone making Briar look at her and observe her skeptic stare. He wondered what she was thinking, but barely had time to ask as she bolted ahead.
"Everyone, stay close. I think I know where the next crystal is going to be." She said, making a beeline straight for the trees ahead.
"I swear, she's going to be the death of us." Canella commented as they picked up their pace a bit.
"Come on! I have a good feeling about this!" Willow called back at her friends' sluggishness.
"Goodness help us when Princess Willow has a good feeling about anything!" Verne yelled back, and Willow just laughed. For a good quarter mile, they ran, until they almost collided with their blue leader as she stopped abruptly.
"Willow…..you seriously….need to work on…..your communication skills." Canella puffed out as she hunched over to catch her breath. The princess held up a finger, her sights set on the spot ahead. She waited.
"There." She said as a flicker of something flashed nearby. They all saw it, and booked it the rest of the way. (Much to Canella's chagrin)
Willow could barely contain herself as she almost slammed into the very same crystal she had discovered ten years ago, finding the number 4 carved beautifully into its staff.
"Ha ha! We found it!" Verne cheered.
"Correction: Willow found it. We just happened to be here for it." Canella said jokingly, and Willow beamed once again.
"So, what now?" Briar asked.
"Well, I-…." She froze. What was next? Seeing as the directions had stated it would show them where to go, she had not given it much thought.
"I don't know…..my grandpa said that this crystal was the one that would lead us where to go." She said.
"So you don't have any idea what to do?" Canella asked, her eyebrows raised and her hands on her hips.
"Don't worry, just…..start looking." The Princess reassured them, setting the example by turning and beginning to skim the ground for any sign or clue of a way they should head to.
There must be something here. She thought to herself as her eyes flitted frantically around her in search of anything that could point her to her mother's whereabouts. Then, another glint amongst the rocks below her feet made her stoop down immediately, pinching at it until she was able to break it free from its spot and lifted it closer to her face. She knew its structure immediately.
Mom's hairpin.
"Guys! I found something!" They hurried over and all locked eyes on the glittering piece wedged in the Princess' fingers.
"Mom's hairpin! I know this is hers! It means she must have been this way!" Willow gushed excitedly. They all looked to one another.
"Willow….that still doesn't give us any incentive on where to go…." Canella reminded her reluctantly.
"Yes, it does! She had three of these! So there's two other ones lying around somewhere, possibly like a trail leading to where she is! Like breadcrumbs!" The Princess quickly assured them.
"Yes, but where? I'm not about to go looking for two tiny little hairpins. It's like trying to find a needle in the haystack." Briar added, crossing his arms.
"Mom was taken from the Southern Boulders. Her hairpin here indicates that the purebloods who took her must have ventured past here." Willow deduced, putting a finger to her chin in thought.
"Yes, that makes sense because the homeland is to the north." Canella said incredulously.
"But why here? Why this spot exactly? They could have gone north any way they wanted but chose to come to this crystal…why?" The blue and teal troll furrowed her brows as she tried to concentrate.
"Well, I'd say that if I had a hostage Queen in my possession, I'd want to get to where I'm going as soon as possible to avoid getting caught." Verne hypothesized. Willow's eyes widened slightly as the combination of his words and a sudden memory from her first encounter with the crystal rung like a bell in her mind. Nearing the crystal again, she held a hand out.
"Everybody stand back."
"What? Why?" Canella asked.
"I want to try something." Willow mumbled, outstretching her hand and slowly inching herself closer until her hand was on it. At first, there was a ripple of purple light just as there was before, but the longer she held her hand there, the more the lights began to materialize into a circular shape until before anyone knew it, they were staring into a glowing ring.
"Whoa….."
"A portal…." Willow identified it without hesitation, then turned to her friends once more.
"This has to be where they went." She said, taking a step forward before Canella lunged for her arm and grabbed it.
"Hold up, Will. We have no idea where this goes. We can't just walk through haphazardly." She exclaimed, ever so cautious about everything. Willow frowned, pulling her arm free from her grasp.
"I meant what I said at the beginning. I'm finding my mom and bringing her home. No matter what it takes." She said.
Nobody argued with her after that, and they all gathered around the glowing opening, except for one. At this, the Princess turned to face her Bergen friend, who had not moved a muscle.
"Arnold?" She whispered. He shook his head, fiddling with his fingers anxiously.
"I can't go in there, Willow. I'm much too big and…..I miss home. I've been gone way too long." He said.
"Arnold…." Willow said again, moving closer to her large friend.
"Please, Princess. You're going to do just fine without me. All of you." He pleaded, and Willow's demeanor softened after that. Taking a few more steps forward, she looked up at him sympathetically.
"I can't make you go, you know that." He extended a finger to her, and she hugged it tightly before pulling away and giving him a bittersweet smile. "Take care of yourself getting home okay?" He nodded before eyeing his narcoleptic friend, who was still strapped to Verne's back. He extended a hand once more.
"Here, I'll take Flick. Something tells me you won't be needing him much either." Gently, Verne unslung him and placed him in his hands. Willow continued to watch him, and when he turned back to her one last time, she smiled.
"We never would have gotten this far without you, big guy." She said gently, and once again it made the Bergen smile like an idiot in return.
"Thanks, Willow. Be safe." He pleaded, beginning to turn and walk off in the opposite direction.
"Jules, go with them." Verne piped up. The little purple-haired troll snapped her gaze to him in surprise.
"What? Verne, I—"
"Go home and see Mom. Tell her everything. I'm sure she'll want to know." He said, fixing her scarf and guiding her along by the shoulders.
"Yeah, you can be our voice for the past few days. Get everyone up to date on our progress." Willow suggested, completely on board with the idea. Jules only nodded nervously, looking back at Arnold and Flick before turning to them once more.
"O-okay…..but Willow?" She asked.
"Yes, Jules?"
"Please….be careful. I may not be as intuitive as you, Verne, and Canella but…..something makes me feel off about this….." She said, eyeing the portal again as she spoke. Willow understood her concern, and took the girl's hand for a moment to give it a squeeze.
"We will."
With that, the two groups went their separate ways, and Willow steeled herself for the walk ahead. No matter where this portal led them, she was convinced that it was one step closer to bringing her mother home.
Cautiously passing through, the four felt the weight of the pressure change and the immediate sound of rushing waters greeted their ears. Looking around, they found themselves in the thick density of yet another forest. A river twice the size of the one they were used to seeing rushed nearby, and the vegetation was so thick that the group could barely see ten feet from their spot.
"Where are we?" Canella mumbled.
"If I had to guess, somewhere near the homeland." Briar replied, looking around suspiciously.
"Well, let's get moving. We don't want to stay anywhere for too long." Willow said.
"Hold on, half-pint." Briar said. At the mention of the nickname again, she shot him a glare but he jutted a finger upwards.
"Tell me what you hear." He said.
The three perked their ears to the surrounding area and only looked back at him in confusion.
"I don't hear anything." Willow commented rather haughtily.
"Exactly. Nothing. No birds, no animals…..it's deathly quiet." Briar pointed out, and now that he had, it made her uneasy. The forest was always so teeming with life back in Troll Village, this was entirely new. Like at any moment, something could happen to where they would be joining its unsettling peace.
"We should still get moving." The princess argued after a moment or two.
"And where exactly are we going?" Canella argued.
"The only way we can go: north." She replied.
Again, the others wordlessly followed her into the forest, and it was a long time before any of them spoke again.
"I wonder if this is the same exact way Queen Poppy went." Verne commented, but before anyone could answer they heard another, much more unwelcoming voice.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"
They all looked to spy Thorn, along with those two nameless trolls, appear behind a particular cluster of bushes off to the left. Again, they wielded some rope and were also carrying swords this time. They all reeled in shock at the sight of Thorn's scar, red and jagged, streaking across and over his left eye socket.
"Like your handiwork? I've come to like it myself." He said, knowing exactly what they were staring at as he pointed to it.
"You again? Are you stalking us or something?" Canella snapped loudly.
"Relax, everyone. I promise this will be over quickly." Thorn said, running his hand along the entire length of rope and collecting it on his upper arm, his eyes locked on Willow. The blue troll's fists balled and her expression turned bitter.
"I told you then and I'll tell you now, I'm not going with you." She barked,
"Oh, we'll see about that. You see, we haven't come alone this time." A rumble of growls could be heard behind them, and it was then that the four trolls realized that there were sets of yellow, cat-like eyes glaring at them amongst the foliage all around.
"How did you-?" Willow mumbled in disbelief. Thorn chuckled.
"Don't worry, Princess. We won't set them on you as long as you come quietly." He said in a tone that could make milk curdle on contact. She shot another glare at him.
"Why do you want me so bad? Obsessed much?"
"Oh, my dear, sweet Princess. There is so much more to it than that." It was then that he advanced, dodging her blows and kicks almost too easily and grabbing for her arm. The other two trolls started for Verne and Canella, the latter stepping in front protectively and wielding the same knife as before.
Once Willow's wrist was in Thorn's grasp, he twisted. Hard. Willow let out a shriek of pain, and he was about to coil the rope around her when Briar charged forward.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" He bellowed, producing his sword. The two clashed with metal on metal, the sound ringing through the air as Willow was thrown from Thorn's clutches, landing harshly in the dirt. She whipped her head back up, and she spotted a wolf prowling behind Briar, its ears pinned and its body low to the ground, ready to pounce.
"Briar, watch out!" She yelled, and with ease Briar dodged the lunging wolf's jaws and landed in a fighting stance, his sword held out in front of him at an angle. Thorn and he squared off for a long while, grunting and slashing along the forest floor. Amidst their own chaos, Verne had reached for something in his bag and held it up in the air.
"Will! Catch!" He called, and she quickly caught it. A pocketknife.
She stood up and steeled herself for combat again, but just as she laid eyes on Briar, he was knocked across the face by Thorn and fell back onto the ground in a heap. Thorn's yellow eyes glided over to pierce into her, and her breathing hitched as he was on her in a matter of seconds. He was so fast….
The two collided again, this time with Willow able to take a jab at him almost immediately in the side, making him hiss and kick at her feet. It threw off her balance, but she quickly regained it with the aid of a tree stump and roundhouse kicked Thorn in the arm, throwing him into the dirt and allowing her to stomp her heel into his sternum, her pocketknife held dangerously close to the cornea of his eye. Willow's face was flushed with colors, and strands of deep blue hair frizzed out in all directions. Her look, however, was downright psychopathic.
"Where is my mother?" came the hiss of her low voice. Thorn smirked deviously.
"What a trivial thing to ask, Highness." She shoved the blade into his cheekbone, the tip barely puncturing the skin.
"Don't play smart with me! I know that you know! WHERE IS SHE?" She screamed in his face. Thorn only could continue to smirk at her obvious distress.
"Rest assured she is quite comfortable where she's at…..and quite far from you ever finding her." He said matter-of-factly. So, she is alive. However, Willow was under no inclination to trust or believe Thorn in any way, but something within her made her feel as if he was telling the truth. Regardless, the rage it ignited within her at his pompous statement fueled her to no end.
"Take that back." She threatened. Thorn laughed, throwing his head back.
"Oh, Princess. Princess, princess, princess. There's still so much you don't know." He said through his bouts of laughter. Her grip tightened on the pocketknife and she shoved her heel deeper into his chest, making him grunt but otherwise continue to chuckle.
"TAKE IT BACK!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, getting ready to slash his throat right then and there when Briar's voice caught her off guard.
"WILLOW!"
Blunt, heavy force crashed into her and sent her sailing at least six feet to the left, landing once again in a rough heap on the ground. She gasped for air and her vision spun, but she could make out Briar fending off a wolf. During the struggle, the wolf was able to claw into Briar's back, producing a deep gash where blood immediately began oozing.
"AAAUUUGH!" Briar cried, cinching his shoulder blades together in agony. Canella and Verne were finally able to join the fight, dragging the two unnamed trolls with them. The three against three was quite a match, but ultimately Canella had managed to badly injure many of the wolves and one of Thorn's henchmen, a fire in her eyes that could be compared with the pits of Hell. Thorn started to charge again, but she held up the blade in his face.
"Get back, before I slice the other side of your face!" Canella hissed at him, and it was with this that Willow had finally gathered the balance to stand again, breathing heavy and her hand still clutching her own knife. Thorn looked at her with such malice that she was convinced he could have murdered her where she stood had his gaze held a weapon.
"You can't run forever, Highness. Sooner or later, you will come with us. Just watch." He said, his grin spreading as the two henchmen followed him back into the woods, disappearing from view.
Cowards. She thought. Wasting no time, Willow scrambled across the way, throwing herself to her knees next to Briar. He laid with his belly down, a bright red gash seeping blood through his cloak.
"Briar! Briar, are you okay? How bad does it hurt?" She said, rolling him over gently until he was staring up into her eyes. He was extremely winded.
"Just…..get us…..away from here." He forced out through heavy breaths, and Willow took one of his arms and hooked it over her shoulders so she could pull him to his feet. Verne took up the other side and they began to retreat into a grove nearby. They sat in a small clearing where a few logs were placed almost thoughtfully, facing each other. Once she made sure Briar has a seat at one of them, the Princess reached into her pocket and produced a small cinch bag. She hurriedly stepped about twenty feet away from the clearing, sprinkling the contents of the bag into her palm.
"Uh, what are you doing?" Briar asked.
"Making us safe. These are fragments of a broken crystal, like the ones that guard our village. They have powerful spells attached to them." Willow replied, carefully placing it in a circle around them.
"How is a bag of invisible rocks going to help us?" He snapped. Willow finished up and tucked the bag away.
"Because, they've helped the people of Troll Village this far, I figured that one more night really wouldn't make a difference." She explained to him, and after that he fell silent. Willow wasted no time in letting her backpack fall and began sifting through her belongings. Ultimately, she produced a small vial of seemingly clear liquid and turned back to him, making a swirl with her finger.
"Turn around." She ordered. He looked at her for a moment, and watching her eyes harden with insistence, he sighed and did so.
"Take off your cloak and shirt." was her next command. However, she was surprised to find he held no resistance to that order, and in a flash, they were off. Her eyes widened a bit at his bare, toned back, but she scooted closer to him with the vial and leaf in hand nevertheless.
"Stay still." She said last, this time her voice a lot softer.
Verne and Canella watched this exchange with rather high amusement. Willow's flustered expression had not gone unnoticed, and Canella decided to make the most of it.
"So, Briar, I have to admit. You were pretty brave back there, putting yourself in front of that wolf for Willow." She said, a small smile on her face as she watched the troll's face darken in color a bit.
"Uhhmm thanks, Ca—OW!" He yelped, jerking himself away from the pressure of Willow's fingers against his back.
"It's almost as if you were protecting her….." Verne joined in. Briar shrugged, trying to look indifferent about the accusation.
"Well, I guess you could say tha—YOW! What is in that stuff?" He cried, yet again flinching away. Willow huffed.
"If you wouldn't move so much, it wouldn't hurt as bad!" She scolded. Now she understood how her mother had felt when Willow refused her medicine when she was younger. Again, to her surprise, the troll fell quiet again, turning his gaze back to the front.
"Hey Verne, shouldn't we go find some firewood?" Canella asked in an almost too loud tone.
"What? We have plenty right he-!" He started, but the copper brown troll yanked him by his collar into the woods before either of them could protest.
Silence. Willow continued dabbing lightly over the affected area, watching Briar wince at each brush. She kept her eyes glued on the wound, not daring to glance even a fraction of an inch away.
"To answer your question, this vial contains extract from the santania flower. It has rapid healing elements in it." She said, letting a pause go between them before she added, "….my mother used to use it on me when I had a cut or bruise."
Briar sensed the sadness in her voice. He allowed his posture to slacken, and even though it still burned, he leaned back a bit to give the Princess better access to the gash. She noted the change, and smiled at him softly, though she knew he did not see it.
"And….Canella's right. You were really brave back there." She confirmed. Briar felt a heat coming to his face.
"Uh-um….well, I…..I figured someone had to do something." He said, cursing himself a million times over at the lame statement. However, he came to realize that Willow didn't seem to mind as the warmth of cotton pressed against his back. He turned to look, and found her starting to wrap the wound with bandaging from her first aid kit.
"I'm glad you did. I'd say you did your job well." She replied, and it was the first time the pair had locked eyes all days. She smiled, and in the dimming light of day, her magenta eyes looked as if they glowed. Try as he might, he couldn't look away. She cleared her throat, tearing her own gaze away and looking down.
"Well, um, I guess I should finish wrapping this up, huh?" She asked, and she dared herself to do the one thing she told herself she wouldn't. Her eyes wandered as she stretched the bandages taut over the affected area. They scanned and glided over every curve and defined muscle, until something caught her eye. She leaned a little closer, and she watched Briar jump at the feeling of her breath on his neck. She ignored this, brushing a finger along the nape of his neck, a small star-like scar almost perfectly centered there.
"What's this?" She asked, and Briar tried to ignore the shiver climbing up his spine at her bare touch.
"Well, this isn't the first time I've gotten into a bit of a conflict." He explained mysteriously. Willow's eyebrows raised slightly, and as much as she wanted to, she chose not to pry for the sake of making things incredibly awkward. She shouldn't have even brought it up.
Briar sensed her curiosity, but felt his heart sink a little as she finished up dressing the wound without another word, her breath tickling him once more as she gave a heavy sigh.
"Well, that's that. Give it 'til the end of tomorrow and it should be mostly healed." She said, and he turned around to find her arm outstretched with his shirt in her fist. He took it, holding the material close to him and looking up to her again. She was already turned away, her deep blue ponytail bobbing with her movements as she fussed around for her sleeping bag. Something tugged at him relentlessly, and he rested his hands and shirt in his lap.
"Willow, I-!" He began to say, but Canella's voice cut him off.
"We're ba-ack! Did we miss anything?" She joked, but upon further observation she found the two standing a few feet apart, looking to her. Briar's shirt was still off, and Willow had her sleeping bag in hand.
"Nope. Not a thing." Willow replied, returning to her task at hand and turning her back to all of them. Canella and Verne exchanged yet another look before Canella made her way over to Briar.
"Wow, Willow, you did a good job wrapping this up." She commented as Briar threw the shirt over his head and began slipping it down.
"I should be able to, considering how many times I had to wrap up Verne during one of his 'chemist days'." She joked.
"Hey! Those were the best days of the week and you know it!" Verne argued.
"I swear, you've had enough chemical burns on your body to erode the entire village." Willow declared.
"Even if that were true, which it isn't, I doubt it would erode even a square foot of space." The chemist proclaimed with a rather annoyed tone, though they could tell by his body language that he wasn't mad.
"Well, regardless, I'm sure Briar isn't complaining." Canella said. At this, he felt the heat rushing to his face again.
"Um, no. I'm not. Thanks, Willow." He said, giving a short nod. Willow flashed a smile at him over her shoulder, and it was with that that the group settled in for the evening, the question of where they would end up tomorrow at the forefront of everyone's mind.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Snack Pack and Peppy were huddled around the small troll listening intently to what she had to say. Rosemary stood behind her, and Mira stood across the room next to Branch's bedside.
"So, they found a portal?" DJ repeated.
"To another dimension?" Biggie exclaimed, clutching Mr. Dinkles closer.
"Well, I wouldn't say another dimension, but they're definitely not anywhere near Troll Village anymore."
Jules was quite shy at relaying the information to them, but to her relief they asked no further questions. Peppy shook his head and sighed.
"To think they've made it this far in just a couple of days…..it's quite remarkable." He said.
"Well, if there's one thing I know, Your Majesty, it's that Willow's not going to give up. I think that's really all that's gotten us to where we're at. She's always been so strong-willed."
Rosemary looked at her daughter in surprise. She hadn't heard the young troll say so many consecutive words in years. King Peppy smiled warmly at the young teen.
"Indeed, Miss Jules. Indeed, she is." He said. However, the moment of warmth was short-lived as Mira turned to him.
"Your Highness, he's getting worse." She declared in worry, and everyone watched in silent horror as Branch continued to gray even more, releasing a pained sigh. He looked sickly, and it was with this that everyone gasped and whispered to themselves. DJ took a step out of the room, looking out into the wilderness beyond through the window nearby.
"Princess, wherever you're at, you better hurry girl!" She said inadvertently into the night. Hoping that her words carried in some way to where they needed to go.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Phew! This was one of the longer chapters I've written for this story! I'm starting to get into the final stages, so my mind is going over every possible thing in my head that I need to cover so everything makes sense by the final chapter.
As always, thank you for encouragement and be sure to check out my fanart! I've added a few since the last time I mentioned it, and always update it periodically. The search instructions are on my profile, if you so wish to peruse.
I hope to have the next chapter and another one-shot up within the next day or two, so stay tuned!
Other than that, I hope to see you all in the next installment! Take care!
Sincerely,
Heartforhumanity845