Chapter 13: Like a Disney Princess

"It has been hours. We need some answers. Sooner rather than later," said Kanjigar softly as he watched the pudgy whelp curl up on a bed fur and start to pass out.

Tobias was his name, he believed, and the boy was the seer's companion. When asked, Tobias had been distant about Jim -the seer- and his visions. He merely explained that Jim had some weird dream, that their teacher was apparently evil wooing machine, and that they went to the museum to get something called a Fetch. He claimed to know little else.

Kanjigar felt the boy knew much more, but Tobias was still fumbling around all the trolls. So, when the whelp had started to wind down and nod off, Kanjigar left the whelp be. It was probably best to ask the seer himself anyway … if the whelp ever showed up again. In fact, he had sent BaaAch and Draal out to sniff the Foresight out. It had felt like hours and it was likely reaching daylight outside. They best have a chat before Seer Jim before they all had to rest.

Then, there was also the nagging worry about the gaggle-tack. Tobias had merely taken it in hand and looked up at all four of them expectantly. He then said he wasn't very good at horseshoes and that was that. Why a horse would wear such a valuable item was beyond them all.

"I agree," said Blinky as he walked up to Vendel and Kanjigar, looking down at the trollish notes strewn all over the work-slab. "Have Draal or BaaAch returned? Or shall Aaarrrgghh and myself join the search for Young Jim as well?"

Kanjigar was about to agree, but then noticed the absence of the ex-General. It only took a second of searching until he surprisingly found Aaarrrgghh covering the pudgy human with a sleeping fur. Kanjigar frowned slightly. He had seen this behavior a few times before with other troll-whelps in the market. Aaarrrgghh just had a fatherly and protective streak to him … to bad Aaarrrgghh couldn't see those qualities in himself. Kanjigar knew that Aaarrrgghh would never forget the sins of his past as a General to Gunmar, but there was a difference in learning from your past mistakes and harboring them close to your heart.

Aaarrrgghh probably didn't think his stone was worthy to help carve out a new life.

Looking away from Aaarrrgghh, not wanting to interrupt the son of the lost Johanna Mmmm (even though Aaarrrgghh never felt worthy to carry the title of a mother he never knew), the Trollhunter merely said, "BaaAch and Draal were raised in Troll Market. I'm sure they know more nooks and crannies than the rest of us. Let them be a bit longer."

And so Kanjigar let the moment hang, silently dwelling on what pacifism really meant to Aaarrrgghh.

…

Draal drew in a deep breath, catching the prophet's scent. He had been catching it on and off for the last hour and it was driving him mad. It was like it was in the very water yet was in the mist and the air at the same time.

"Where is he? We've walked around this side of Troll Market ten times. He is here. He has to be," grumbled Draal, his fists clenching in irritation. Sometimes he wondered where his father got his patience because he sure didn't have it.

BaaAch stepped up next to him, his nose in the air. "Yes, I agree. The waterfall's throwing him off. It's like his scent is in the air … up high."

Immediately, both of them looked upwards towards the top of the waterfall. Their forms were too large nowadays to make the slippery trek upwards to the overhangs, but they remembered when they were young. It had been a refuge from all the work and chores as the adults toiled away to build Troll Market into what it was today. In fact, all whelps seemed to find the overlooks by the waterfall sooner or later. And it was there … that most fell in love with Troll Market. For there was never a more perfect sight of the Hearthstone than in the mist of that roaring waterfall.

"Sooo, which one of us wants to fall to our death?" joked BaaAch as he bared all of his teeth in a grin.

Draal sighed, "Of course, he had to crawl up there."

"Only makes sense," said BaaAch as he scratched the back of his head, stalling as he found a ghost-scorpion in his hair. He flicked it away as Draal gave him a confused look. "Hardly is there a young whelp that doesn't find himself up there once in their lives. Your father probably knows the best … since he has to crawl up there at least once a year to fetch one that can't make the way down by themselves."

Huffing air out of his nose, the smell of fresh water nearly washing out the prophet's scent once again, Draal nodded in agreement as he eyed the sword indentations that his father had made to get up there without falling. He had done it so many times that those marks were now like handholds leading up.

"I think you should cross the stream and take the left side up," commented BaaAch as he puffed the hair out of his eyes again.

Draal sighed in resignation, knowing that there was no point in arguing with BaaAch about who was going up, because BaaAch really needed a haircut or something. So, finding the first handhold, he found himself crawling upward, following the path his father had made as he muttered back, "No, I think I'll take the right."

"You're going to regret it," jested BaaAch at the base, smiling almost knowingly.

A few minutes later, Draal pulled himself up onto the first overhang with a grunt, nearly slipping for the fourth time. He quickly looked around at the nearby overhangs that seemed to grow around the waterfall's top like mushrooms. In fact, some of the overhangs were actual giant mushroom caps. He was instantly greeted by the smell of moss and fungi as well as a spray of cool water. He also caught the scent of the prophet amongst the mix of smells… only to immediately groan and knock his horned head against the damp stone in front of him. There, on the other side of the waterfall, he smelled the whelp and could even see one of his boots.

Grumbling in his chest, the blue troll immediately started crawling down again. BaaAch was already laughing by the time he leaped the last few feet down from the handholds, chuckling about being correct. Draal made sure to punch his sparring partner in the gut as he passed. He then hopped the stones over the river, ignoring the grumble of one of the water-trolls that lived in the water at the waterfall's base. It was hard to tell with water-trolls what was a rock at the water's edge and who wasn't, but Draal didn't dawdle to see who's back he had stepped on.

A few seconds later, BaaAch still laughing even though he was holding his gut, Draal made his way upward. He slipped only once, surprisingly, but otherwise made it to the top of the correct overhang unheeded. He soon found himself towering over the whelp, wondering if anyone would notice if he threw the pain down instead of carrying him.

Surprisingly, the boy didn't seem to notice him at first, his gaze looking elsewhere as if lost and tormented by a thought. Then, as if acknowledging Draal's presence, the prophet closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he released it through his nose and looked up. There wasn't an ounce of fear there, like a human new to troll-kind should be. Instead, it was a sad look, pained and full of regret.

"Hello, Draal. It's good to see you well and … unmarred," said the whelp knowingly, his gaze falling to Draal's right arm.

The sorrowful stare and ominous words immediately set Draal on edge and, despite himself, he immediately rubbed his right arm. Vendel nor the others had gone into great detail about the prophet or his visions, but there was definitely magic at play here. So, not knowing what else to say, Draal merely returned the salutation. "Greetings, Young Prophet. I am Draal, son of Kanjigar."

The boy smiled mournfully and stated simply, "I know."

That completely unnerved Draal. He was not used to the magically gifted. True, magic could technically be learned, but magically endowed beings were rare having almost completely faded from the surface lands. That was probably why humans no longer believed in magic … especially humans with magic. It is said that it used to be Merlin's sacred obligation to gather the few human souls that obtained magical gifts and whisk them away to the Wandering Kingdom of Avalon. Sadly, the city and Merlin were both lost long ago. Which was probably why Vendel and his father seemed fit on grabbing the prophet as quickly as possible. They didn't need the changelings or Bular getting ahold of such a gift.

"And don't you mean seer and not prophet? At least that's what Vendel seems set on calling me," said the whelp almost bitterly, looking away from Draal as he pulled his knees in closer to his chest.

Lip twitching into an uncertain grimace, unsure of how to deal with the whelp's sulking, Draal finally sighed and flopped down next to the human. The impact nearly made the boy bounce from the impact. Nonetheless, they both just sat awkwardly next to each other with Draal opening and then closing his mouth a few times like he was trying out different words.

Finally, Draal admitted, "I do not know what Vendel has said to you, Prophet. That is between he and you. I was merely sent to fetch you. The others have need of your gift … but I can tell you need a moment more to yourself and you could not have picked a better place. Even I came to these falls to think when I was young and my horns weren't fully grown in."

Shifting awkwardly, unused to this Draal that wanted to speak with him instead of beat him into the ground, Jim sagged slightly, "It's not the same for me … thinking will do nothing for my situation. It can't prove to anyone that my memories are real. In fact, Vendel just called all my memories visions, but it was real to me… It was real."

Draal's face scrunched up and Jim couldn't help but notice that the troll glanced at the edge of the overhang for a moment as if wondering if it would be easier to jump than to have a heart to heart moment. In the end, rubbing his right arm as if to rid Jim's gaze from it, Draal said uncertainly, "I … understand your frustration."

Jim gave him a dull look and asked somewhat sarcastically, "So you understand my huge existential crisis in the few words that we have spoken to each other? Draal, I am questioning the very memories that make me, me, and if I've always been a seer or not. I think we need more than an awkward heart to heart to get that kind of understanding."

"Well," said Draal as he rose to his feet, struggling to find the right words. "Perhaps next time then, but for now I can say that it's not uncommon for anyone to question themselves, seer or not. I understand that feeling well for I came up here lost many years ago. I questioned who everyone wanted me to be and who I wanted to be. In the end, I made my decisions."

Jim's shoulder's sagged, glad for Draal's advice and yet lost because it wasn't his Draal saying it. "It's not the same as making a life decision. Everything has already changed. Just like you. You are the same … yet you aren't. You're less angry and murderous and …"

The prophet went silent for a moment as he stared at his hands, his right hand seeming to enclose around nothing before he sighed and softly muttered, "… Never mind. I'm not making any sense and I shouldn't burden you with what apparently never was. Just … take me back. I'll tell them what I can and then go home. It's not like it's my responsibility to fight Bular."

Draal raised a stony brow, wondering how he had been more murderous to the whelp, but he was already very uncomfortable with the direction of this conversation so he let it slide. It was unsettling how the boy spoke to him anyway as if they had known each other for years. It was just so uncanny. Was this how prophets always were?

Nonetheless, Draal tried to speak kindly to the seer for he was the reason Draal had more time with his father. "I'm sure your worries will make sense in time, Prophet. Now, let us be off. Kanjigar the Courageous, my father, and Vendel wish to speak with you."

Sighing, knowing that he had made this choice to no longer be Trollhunter and that this dilemma was now his punishment, Jim decided to power through this. He would help Kanjigar where he could without rushing the timeline too much so everything wasn't completely unpredictable, and then he would go home. That's what he had wanted in the end, right? To not be the chosen one?

"Okay, fine. I'm done moping for now. Let's just get this over with," said Jim as he headed towards the thin and slippery path that had led him upward only to stall when Draal suddenly put an arm in front of him, stalling him.

"And where do you think you are going, Prophet?" said Draal, brow creasing.

"Ugh, down," said Jim simply as he pointed downward. "And its Jim. Not Prophet. That's not my name."

Nodding, Draal said, "I understand, Prophet Jim, but humans are … squishy. I cannot let you go down that way. Your leg his obviously injured and it is harder getting down that path than up."

Eye twitching at his new title, Jim asked, "And how will I be getting down then? I don't exactly have a grappling hook with this costume."

The smirk that covered Draal's lips immediately made Jim regret his words.

"I thought you would never ask. Now hold tight, Prophet Jim," said the troll and with that he threw Jim over his shoulder in a fireman carry and jumped off the edge of the outcropping. Jim screamed the whole way down even as Draal grabbed handholds and slick stone walls to slow their descent. In the end, Jim's gut took most of the jarring abuse. So BaaAch and Draal were both stuck awkwardly patting him on the back as he threw up in the river.

…

A few minutes later, his mouth now full of bile and his entire form feeling battered and abused, Jim found himself in a stone chair before the trolls. He was officially greeting Kanjigar the Courageous in the flesh. It was disquieting seeing the armor on someone else, but it was even more unnerving to speak with Kanjigar in this way. Kanjigar had been different as a spirit, somewhat professionally distant and yet obviously upset with the amulet's choice in successors. There was still that knightly professional grace in the way the blue troll held himself, but Kanjigar also seemed … warmer somehow. Alive was probably the right word for it.

"Greets, Young Foresight. I am the Trollhunter, Kanjigar the Courageous, Son of Tal. My companions are Elder Vendel, Son of Rundel, Son of Kilfred; and our resident historian and trainer, Blinkous Galadrigal, Son of Ulus," said Kanjigar neutrally as he brought a curled fist up to his chest, bowing his head slightly. Jim knew it was a sign of respect of some kind. Something traditional, probably, that he had yet to learn in his … not-life.

Jim swallowed a lump in his throat and did an awkward head-bow back, his tongue heavy in his mouth. "Greetings Kanjigar, Son of Tal. Greetings Elder Vendel. Greetings Trainer Blinky-B-Blinkous. I am Jim, Son of Barbara."

Blinky opened his mouth, as if to confirm he would rather be called Blinky, but Kanjigar nodded and spoke first, "Hello, Jim, Son of Bar-ba-ra. It is nice to officially be introduced … though you could have saved us a lot of trouble by merely speaking with me the morning we met. It would have saved us both much confusion and heartache."

And there it was … lecturing-mode Kanjigar. He almost missed it.

Almost.

Swallowing the bitter feeling of failure, Jim couldn't find the energy in him to disagree with his predecessor. Instead, he softly muttered, "We were never supposed to meet again, Kanjigar. That is why I left after giving my three warnings. And honestly … there isn't much else to say."

Frowning at Jim's underwhelming tone, the blue troll sat down on the other side of the stone table, his gauntlets making a soft clank as they met stone. He really looked at Jim for a moment, noting how the boy looked exhausted with his sunken eyes and messy hair … He was also young. In fact, he was just too young even for a human whelp to be burdened with any form of foresight.

Vendel had told both Blinkous and himself to speak calmly when addressing the seer because seers were … unbalanced. Never had one survived long in the world as they were driven into battle and suicidal plans to fulfill a life they had never lived. They believed they had skills or magic they never learned, apparently. Most seers apparently died trying to stall or fulfill their vision-life.

It had been a stroke of pure luck that the trolls had happened upon Jim before he got himself killed by Bular. Kanjigar wasn't about to let the whelp do something so foolish again. In the absence of Merlin to guide and watch over the seer, he supposed that responsibility fell to the closest magical beings in Arcadia: the trolls.

"I understand that having foresight is difficult, Young Jim, but your companion reveals otherwise. Apparently, you sought out a Fetch at the Arcadia Museum tonight because of a vision, did you not? And I don't recall any of your warnings mentioning a Fetch that had to be retrieved."

Eyes going wide in realization, Jim hurriedly asked, "Wait … friend? Is Toby here? Is he okay?"

"Tobias, Grandson of Nana, is fine, but Young Jim, you must understand that at this revelation and the fact that you seemed to know Vendel before meeting him … I must question the validity of your prophecies," said Kanjigar carefully, watching the boy squeeze the wrist that had the boundary-band on it in irritation. "Were the words you told me imparted to you by an otherworldly voice … or was it a vision of some kind, like another life, that you created them from? Vendel says it's important that we know because different types of foresight can-"

"My life was not a dream!" finally defended Jim, his voice nearly breaking. "My suffering was real! My feelings were real!"

Kanjigar was at first surprised with the outburst and where his words faltered, Vendel was quick to interject, "And yet you seem to want that suffering to repeat itself, do you not, Young Seer? False prophecies will only cause more heartache than good. So why make them?"

Jim, disliking the feeling of being ganged up on, threw a pleading look to Blinky who had yet to speak. Blinky merely gave a sympathetic look but didn't interpose with Vendel like he used to. He knew that made sense … this Blinky didn't know him yet. He wasn't quite Jim's Blinky just like Draal wasn't quite Jim's Draal.

Would any of the trolls ever be Jim's trolls again?

Tugging at the wristband, Jim tried to defend himself, but his mind felt muddled and troubled and he just …

"They aren't false!" finally barked Jim, jumping to his feet as his hands slammed onto the stone table, scattering the papers there. "I just … couldn't do nothing, yet I just can't tell you everything. You wouldn't have believed me and even if you had, you would have moved too fast in the timeline and messed everything up! So I decided to give you a warning, a clue. So my prophecies are real! And I will tell you what I feel you should know when and nothing more!"

He was panting by the time he finished, expecting some kind of backlash, but surprisingly Vendel sat there calm and collected even though Blinky looked highly uncomfortable. Kanjigar just seemed disturbed.

Finally, the Elder troll rose to his feet, leaning on his staff, "Your will is understood, Young Seer. So, since we must wait for you to impart us with another prophecy, I do hope you enjoy the hospitalities of Troll Market and our Trollhunter. The day will soon be upon us so the city guard will show you to your dwell for the day."

And with that, Vendel bowed his horned head slightly and left.

Jim, standing there, was confused for a moment as Kanjigar rose with a sigh of acceptance as well, the large troll waving a hand towards the exit where two red trolls suddenly perked up. The two came forward, looking confused as to why there was a human there yet both still awaited directions.

"Klaam. Guuk. You both are tasked with taking Seer Jim, Son of Bar-ba-ra, to his assigned dwell and watching him and his companion for the day. Call on myself or one of the Trollhunter trainers if there is truly a problem. Jim, these are two of Troll Market's best city guards. If you need anything, within reason," he stressed, "please ask them. I need my rest since I apparently have a Fetch to collect when the evening comes."

With that, Jim was apparently going to be left in the care of two strange trolls, but the boy quickly interrupted, "Wait … that's it? You aren't going to make me tell you what I know?"

Blinky was finally the one to speak as he placed a notepad back into his satchel. "Young Seer, as a human I'm sure you are not informed, but a true foretelling can never be forced from a being with Foresight. Such beings have a subtle magic that protects their mind. Plus, everyone knows to force an admittance is to invite mistruths."

Jim stared at Blinky almost in shock so the historian continued, "I hope you will impart more information to us soon, but we cannot force you. So, until then, rest well Young Seer."

Still standing there, feeling almost like this was a weird nightmare, Jim looked up to Kanjigar for confirmation. The current Trollhunter merely raised a stony brow and agreed, "As Blinky said, seers have a subtle magic to them, Young Jim. We cannot force you to speak. So, until then, a dwell has been prepared for you and your companion."

Now frowning up at Kanjigar, the situation finally setting in, Jim asked, "Wait … a dwell? As in a room down here in Troll Market? But I need to go home, especially if the sun is going to rise soon. My mom will notice I'm missing."

At this, Kanjigar merely nodded in agreement, "As a mother, I'm sure she will notice your absence, but as a seer, your protection falls onto me. And there is no place safer than Troll Market, Young Jim. Perhaps, in time, I can allow you to return to your domicile above ground, but for now … your place is where I can keep an eye on you."

Jim could only gape in horror.

"Y-you can't do that? He can't do that right?!" added Jim as he looked at his two guards; both merely gave him a shrug before Jim looked back at Kanjigar. "Listen here. I'm not some Disney Princess that can be locked away. I don't even have the hair or the animal companion for that kind of gig."

Kanjigar gave Jim a confused look.

"Bad analogy," confessed Jim, his mind subtly wondering if he would get a gnome as an animal companion if he did become a Disney Princess, "but people will notice when Toby and I don't show back up. Kids just don't disappear."

Stepping closer, huffing hot air out of his nose and onto Jim, Kanjigar stated simply, "Have you ever heard of the Milk Carton Epidemic?"

Frowning but refusing to take a step back even as the blue troll invaded his personal space, Jim admitted, "No, I haven't."

Hot air spilling over Jim again, Kanjigar stated, "Exactly. I do not wish to sound cruel, Young Jim, but human children go missing every day. And, being magically endowed as you are, you belong far more to this world down here than above the ground. Rest well, Seer Jim. I will talk to you more in the coming days."

And with that, Kanjigar stepped away, leaving Jim with his two market-guards … and completely horrified. Truthfully, in the back of his mind, he understood that Kanjigar was right. If Jim was caught by Bular or the changelings, it could be disastrous knowing what he knows. But, the very thought of never returning to his mother encompassed all other thoughts. It was like he had just discovered he was drowning and the surface was just too high up.

XXX

Paw07: Well, after watching season three, I realized Draal is a lot older than I thought he was, but I still like the idea of him growing up in Troll Market especially given his immature attitude at times. Also … I love how badly he handled the Jim-bonding. I also wanted to touch on the troll-Dad theme a bit with Tobes. And its totally head cannon for me that Johanna Mmmm -from the book- is Aaarrrgghh's mother. It would make sense that Gunmar would steal Aaarrrgghh as a child if only in defiance of Johanna. As for Jim's new crib … Well, its probably better than being a changeling prisoner and at least Kanjigar means well. ^.^;

Also, Princess Jim is best Disney Princess. XD