Chapter Four – Christening and Camping
Per Branch's suggestion, Clampers, Coral Blush, Ozzy, CJ, Cadence, and Blue began coordinating their free time to hang out together. Their activities randomized each day, from chess to squish ball to simply coloring during a picnic. They didn't care what they did, as long as it was together. In the process, it seemed that Clampers became the unofficial leader of the little pack. In doing so, she steadily spent less time nestled in her aunt's hair. Delta Dawn encouraged Clampers to go out and make friends. In Lonesome Flats, Delta Dawn sometimes worried about her niece wandering off in the treacherous terrain. In Music Central, there was nothing to really fear, and there was always an available adult nearby.
"We should have a name for ourselves." Blue said one day. They could see trolls working together to place half of the new sculpture on top of the highest castle tower. Soon, it would be complete and unveiled at a party where everyone would see the kids' design.
"A name like what?" Ozzy asked. "Like a band name?"
"Sure, why not?" Blue said. "Queen Poppy has a group of friends called the Snack Pack. Not sure how they came up with that."
Cadence did a head count. "There's six of us."
"The Super Six?" CJ suggested.
"Nah, that sounds like we have superpowers." Clampers said. "What about the Art Gang?"
"The Remix Rascals?" Coral Blush suggested.
"The Music Makers?" Ozzy offered.
"The Peace Kids?" Cadence said.
"Does it matter that much what we call ourselves?" CJ asked.
"Of course!" Clampers said. "We're the first group of friends that includes someone from every other kingdom. This name is going to define who we are to everyone!"
"Well, when you put it that way….." CJ mused.
"We're quite the friendship mashup, aren't we?" Cadence said.
Ozzy looked to each of them in turn. They were so different from each other, and they only just became friends. It felt like they had been friends all their lives. "We're a mashup. The Mashups. Lots of different music put together to create a great…uh, what's that word, Cadence? Sim…..sim-fo…..syphilis?"
Cadence giggled. "Symphony. And you're right!"
"The Mashups it is!" Clampers declared. The friends nodded in agreement. They paused for a moment. "So, what should we do next?"
"It's a nice day. Want to go for a swim?" Coral Blush suggested. The Mashups nodded and they ran off to the lagoon.
Part of creating Music Central was bringing in traditions from all their neighbors, from holidays to special events. The Country Trolls brought with them the annual camping adventure, where a handful of adults would act as camp counselors and guide a group of trollings on a trip through the wilds of Lonesome Flats. Now, they had the entire forest to work with.
"Parents, please make your way to the sign-in table so we have an accurate roster!" a Country Troll instructed through a megaphone to the approaching families. "Youngins, once you're signed in, make your way to the area over here marked by the ribbon!"
"Hey guys!" Ozzy ran to Clampers and Coral Blush. "Guess what? I think my brother's going to be a Camp Leader!"
"Aunt Delta, too!" Clampers added. All the kids had backpacks and knapsacks, packed and ready for their trip.
"Hello everyone!" Cadence greeted. Blue and CJ were with her, and thus The Mashups were whole again. "This will be fun, I think. I've never been camping."
"Classical Trolls don't like to get dirty, do they?" Blue guessed.
"We are rather proper." Cadence shrugged.
A shrill whistle caught all the kids' attention, and they looked to Delta Dawn standing with a group of adult trolls on a small stage.
"All right, youngins!" Delta Dawn called. "Here's how Camping Adventure works: you all will be split into teams and then assigned two Camp Leaders. You'll spend the next week hiking in the woods and doing activities with your leaders. The idea is just to have fun and bond with your teammates, but remember to obey your Camp Leaders. Three simple rules: listen to your Camp Leaders, don't wander off, and don't do anything stupid that would hurt you or others. First things first: choose your groups! Six kids to a group, and then come up here and we'll assign a pair of Camp Leaders to you."
The Mashups immediately hugged each other. Staying in that group hug, they shuffled up to the stage.
"Will you be our Camp Leader, Aunt Delta?" Clampers asked the country queen.
"No, baby. I got maps from the other leaders and will be checking in on everyone throughout the week." Delta Dawn said. "You guys are the first up, so you get first pick." She held out a small bucket filled with slips of paper. The Mashups encouraged Clampers forward, and she rummaged through the papers inside before picking one.
Clampers opened the paper. "It says, 'Pop Rocks'?"
"That's Branch and Riff." Delta Dawn pointed to the aforementioned trolls, who waved to the kids. The Mashups cheered and ran over to them.
"You're going to love our trip." Riff assured the kids. "I'm going to show you lots of cool stuff, and Branch is going to show us equally cool stuff while making sure we don't get eaten by anything."
"It's what I do best." Branch shrugged.
Once all the groups were assigned Camp Leaders, Delta Dawn permitted them to leave, and Branch gave Riff the map to guide them. Branch stood at the back of their pack, making sure nobody was left behind or strayed off the path. Soon, they couldn't hear the other campers talking excitedly. Then, the castle of Music Central disappeared. Still, they walked on. Around lunchtime, they stopped at a small lake.
"Okay, guys! We're here!" Riff announced. "This is going to be our home base, where we'll put up the tents and sleep every night. Branch and I will help you put up your tents, and then we'll have lunch and talk about our plans for the week!"
Everyone began unpacking and putting up their sleeping spaces, with some help from Branch and Riff. While the kids unpacked, Branch and Riff made a fire and set out small blankets where they could sit around the flames. Blue and Coral Blush were unaccustomed to this type of camping, yet they were able to construct their tent with minimal assistance. Cadence, however, struggled greatly with the bundle of sticks, tarps, and rope her parents packed for her. After the roof caved in on her for the third time, she was about ready to give up and start crying in frustration.
"Here, let me help." Branch pulled the tarp off her head. "Never gone camping before?"
Embarrassed, Cadence only shook her head.
"That's okay. This will be a new adventure for you." Branch assured. "Let me show you how to put the tent up. It's a lot easier than it looks." With Branch's encouragement, Cadence helped him construct her tent, and she listened carefully to his lesson. When finished, her tent looked just like her friends', and she hugged Branch.
"Thank you." Cadence said.
"My pleasure." Branch patted her hair. "Okay, guys! Lunch time!"
"I'm making instant popcorn!" Riff announced, placing the tin over the campfire.
Ozzy suddenly darted back into his tent. "What's wrong, Ozzy?" CJ asked.
"My brother isn't great at cooking." Ozzy emerged from the tent wearing a helmet and protective goggles. "Trust me."
"Hey, I'll have you know I've been taking cooking classes in Music Central." Riff pouted. "I'm not nearly as bad as I used to be."
"Besides, instant popcorn over a fire is really easy." Branch added. "You just wait until the foil expands like a balloon, and listen for the popping to slow down. See? The tinfoil hasn't puffed up much, so we know it's still—"
Suddenly, the instant popcorn container caught fire.
"Aaaahhhh!" Riff screamed. "Put it out put it out put it out!"
"And this is why we have a bucket of water nearby at all times." Branch picked up said bucket and doused the flames. "At least the smell of burnt popcorn should keep the predators at bay."
Riff rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish chuckle. "Maybe Branch should handle the cooking."
"We'll cook something for dinner. Just sandwiches for lunch." Branch passed out the sandwiches. "So here's our plan: each day of the week will be a new activity. In the morning, we'll have breakfast together. Then we'll hike out to our activity, have lunch while we're out, and come back where you have free reign to do whatever you want until dinner. We've got the lake here where you can swim and a nice big field where you can run around. After dinner, it's right to bed so we can get up the next morning and do it all over again. While we're here in camp, the borders are the tree line. Don't go past there. The woods are dense in this area, and there are lots of critters out there that might not be friendly. Understood?" The Mashups nodded. "Just remember to tell us if anything looks wrong. If you're scared or need help, you need to say so. Riff and I are here to take care of you."
As promised, each day brought a new activity: archery, tracking critters, making traps, and learning what plants and wild foods were good for you and what was poisonous. Unfortunately, Riff found out the hard way that lucky berries were, ironically enough, the type of berry that caused vomiting.
"They looked like huckleberries." Riff groaned, hurling into a bucket back at camp.
"Huckleberries don't have tiny red spots." Delta Dawn reminded him. "I better take him back to Music Central. He should see the doc."
"Oh fine." Riff reluctantly mounted Delta Dawn's horse half, still clutching the bucket. "Ozzy, do what Branch tells ya, okay?"
"Yes, Riff." Ozzy nodded. "Get better soon."
"Eh, don't worry about me. I'll be okay when I'm done—" Riff puked into the bucket.
"I swear, if you hurl into my hair, I'm going to trample you." Delta Dawn warned. "Take care, Branch! See you back home!" She galloped off, as smoothly as possible so the jostling wouldn't make Riff sicker.
Branch and the Mashups finished their dinner and started the s'mores.
"What will we do tomorrow?" Coral Blush asked Branch.
"I think we'll hike up that small mountain. At the top, I want to show you something special." Branch said.
"That mountain is quite a distance, isn't it?" Cadence noted.
"Yep." Branch confirmed. "We'll have to pack up camp, and we'll spend a few days up there before we return home."
"What if the weather turns bad?" Blue asked.
"I know how to read the sky." Branch assured. "Ever heard the phrase, 'Red sky in the morning, a sailor takes warning. Red sky at night, a sailor's delight?' That's a saying people use to predict if the weather will be good or bad the next day. Plus, I've traveled those mountains before. I know all the safe caves where we can camp out should bad weather come through. Get a good night's sleep tonight, and we'll head out first thing after breakfast."
The kids could hardly sleep from excitement. After they ate in the morning, they packed their bags and Branch led the way towards the hills. They ran into a lizard critter that tried to eat them; but before Branch could even jump in to defend the kids, Clampers shot forward and clamped her teeth on the lizard's leg. The lizard critter squealed in pain and scurried away.
"Go Clampers!" Ozzy cheered.
"Nice job, kid." Branch complimented. "Next time, I would analyze the situation for a moment, and then decide how to act."
"I did decide how to act." Clampers shrugged. "I decided to bite him."
Branch rubbed his knuckles into Clamper's hair. "More importantly, you acted in defense of your friends. Great work. Let's keep going, guys!"
It didn't take long for Ozzy to get bored, snap a stick in two, and start tapping out a beat on the rocks and trees while they walked. Blue beatboxed, and Cadence pulled a violin from her hair to join in. Clampers had her jaw harp, and Coral Blush had a flute. To Branch, it seemed like an odd assortment of instruments. He was pleasantly surprised to hear the kids in perfect harmony, especially when CJ started to sing. Branch sneakily took a few pictures. He knew Poppy would adore this, and the other troll leaders would be delighted to see this blooming friendship.
They had to stop at the bottom of the slope for a lunch break, and the kids wondered what was so special about this hill. Delta Dawn mentioned that the other campers were kayaking, hiking the mountains, learning survival techniques in the desert, and more. Branch taught the kids many different skills. What sort of adventure would they have in their final days of camp, when they were simply climbing up to the top of a tall hill?
"Are we there yet?" Clampers panted.
"Halfway there." Branch answered.
"Are we there yet?" Ozzy wiped the sweat from his brow.
"A little less than halfway there." Branch replied.
"Are we there yet?" Blue carried Cadence, whose wings were too tired to even flitter.
"One-third of the way there." Branch said.
"Are we there yet?" Coral Blush dragged himself along by his arms.
"A little more than one-fourth of the way there." Branch chirped.
"Are we there yet?" CJ groaned, pulling her backpack behind her.
"Almost." Branch assured.
Silence for a moment.
"Mr. Branch, sir?" Cadence sighed. "Are we there yet?"
"Yes!" Branch announced. The kids gasped happily. "After we get over this ridge." The kids groaned.
"This had better be worth it!" Blue complained.
"Trust me, it will." Branch said. They finally arrived at the top of the hill, and the kids collapsed.
"Can we just sleep out in the open tonight?" CJ requested.
"That's not safe." Branch said. "But you can rest for a bit before we set up the tents. First, I want to show you guys something." He moved to the edge of the flat surface and sat down. "Come on. Careful of the edge. Just sit here and look out." The kids tiredly pulled themselves to where Branch sat. They followed Branch's gaze, and their exhaustion evaporated.
It wasn't quite a bird's eye view, but they could see far and wide, a full circle around them. Nothing but a beautiful view of the land as far as the eye could see. Branch passed around telescopes and instructed the kids to scan the area.
"I think I see Music Central!" Blue gasped.
"I can just make out the beach near Techno Reef!" Coral Blush announced.
"I see the hills outside Symphonyville!" Cadence squealed happily.
"This is so cool." CJ breathed.
"I found this spot soon after we finished building Music Central." Branch explained. "I come up here a lot, reminiscing about the places I've been to."
"There's so much of it." Ozzy said. "I feel…..smaller…."
"That's okay. You should feel small. It's a big world out there, especially for rather small creatures like us." Branch said. "But something I learned not too long ago is that you shouldn't be afraid of the world. I thought visiting the other troll kingdoms would be nothing but danger and trouble. But I was wrong. Out there is the opportunity for adventure, friendship, and learning about yourself just as much as you may learn about others."
"Will we stay up here for the rest of the trip?" Clampers asked hopefully.
Branch nodded to confirm. "Up here, I'm going to show you guys how to predict weather, survey landscape, make maps, and more. Then, we'll have to go home."
The Mashups had so much fun on that hill the next two days that they pleaded for Branch to take them up there again in the near future. Branch promised he would, and they all exchanged stories on their way back to Music Central.
"And then I flew in on a flyer bug! I raised my sharp fencing post to the sky and I dove down to the killer plants!" Branch secretly enjoyed the gasps of shock from the kids.
"Did you die?!" Blue asked.
"Sadly, yes. But I lived!" Branch joked, causing them to laugh. "I swung left and right and I was all like—" He picked up a stick and swung it about wildly, repeating the moves he used on the Eye Stalks when he saved Poppy. However, he didn't see Delta Dawn behind him until she caught his stick mid-swing.
"Mind watching where you swing that, honey?" Delta Dawn said with a raised eyebrow.
Branch chuckled and dropped the stick. "Sorry."
"Glad you guys made it back in one piece." Trollex said. "Hickory and Dickory nearly got their campers buried under an avalanche."
"Aunt Delta!" Clampers scurried up into her aunt's hair. "Mmm…..cozy…" She sighed, and then poked her head out. "Hey Aunt Delta! Branch taught us how to find food in the forest!"
"And how to make maps!" CJ added.
"And how to escape a greygon!" Ozzy said.
"And how to do a perfect cannonball!" Coral Blush piped up. The Mashups talked over each other, to the adults' amusement.
"All right, all right." Delta Dawn plucked Clampers from her hair. "And what do we say to Branch?"
Clampers tackled Branch in a hug, followed by her friends. "Thank you, Mr. Branch!" The kids chorused.
Branch laughed. "It was my pleasure. Come on, I'll take you guys home."
"We'll help." Trollex offered, cradling a sleepy Coral Blush in his arms. Clampers climbed up into Delta Dawn's hair, and Blue, Cadence, and CJ climbed onto Delta Dawn's horse back. Branch gave Ozzy a piggyback ride.
"I didn't know you were so good with kids, sugar." Delta Dawn nudged Branch playfully.
Branch chuckled. "I'm better now than I used to be. Poppy can tell you all sorts of stories. Kids used to run away screaming when I came around."
"I don't believe it." Trollex scoffed. "These guys love you."
Branch readjusted Ozzy on his back. "I like them, too."
Trollex delivered Coral Blush to his parents and bid everyone else goodnight. Branch dropped Ozzy off at Riff's home near the castle. He helped Delta Dawn bring the other kids to their guardians, and she thanked him one more time before they parted ways in the castle. Every royal from the troll kingdoms had their own suite in the castle, complete with a full-sized bedroom and bathroom. Delta Dawn drew a bath and let Clampers wash up while she readied for bed. In no time at all, they were both in their nightgowns and ready for sleep.
"How'd you like your trip?" Delta Dawn asked Clampers as she tucked the girl into bed.
"Really fun." Clampers yawned. "Aunt Delta, what kind of troll is Branch?"
"He was born in the Pop Trolls. Why?"
"Just wonderin'. He looks a little like a Rock Troll, but he knew a lot about all the trolls."
"Smart boy."
"I like him, Aunt Delta. Do you think he'd take me and my friends camping again?"
"If you ask nicely, and if he has time." Delta Dawn kissed Clampers' head. "Get some rest."
Clampers snuggled under her quilt. "Aunt Delta?"
"Yes, baby?" Delta Dawn asked.
"Do you think Branch really likes me and my friends?" Clampers asked.
Delta Dawn smiled and brushed the girl's bangs from her eyes. "I'm very certain of it."