Don't do it guys, it's a trap. Don't be an adult!

Fangirling101B: If they just paid a bit more attention to any of this. They aren't listening to the very small details. And that's were they're missing it.

Disclaimer, blah, Enjoy, blah.

So the chaos ensues

Chapter 30: Dropping Clues

Saturday Morning

"She just kept talking and talking and talking," Alex moaned, she buried her face in her pile of blankets. All three humans walking slowly and painfully up the stairs to Jim's cave.

"How can one troll be so patronizing?" Amanda asked.

"I didn't know being a human was something worth insulting," Alex said.

"And I thought the little green one was bad," Kyle took a deep breath. "Let's get the rest of the day over with, I'm super tired."

"Day? It's like… Three in the morning!" Alex shouted at her boyfriend.

He nodded, noting the time shown on his watch. "This sucks, this sucks so bad."

The three entered Jim's cave dropped the blankets on the couch, collapsing on top. And not being there for more than five minutes, they'd all fallen asleep.

Their rest didn't last long though, after about half an hour, Jim, in human guise, came in. Waking them with an unsettling snarl. Jumping like they'd dyed in their sleep, they all fell off the couch, their blankets tumbling on top of them.

"Wakey wakey, time for your lesson with Blinkey," Jim said. He leaned over the back of the couch, watching them gently.

"Why… We were sleeping," Amada said. Yawning wide and rubbing her eyes.

"Because, trolls are nocturnal, by extension, so are Claire and I, and now you. Now come on, Blinkey is waiting in his library."

"Well, you're in a better mood," Alex said. Looking at Jim unamused, and exhausted.

The troll in disguise shrugged. "Got some air, ate some food, ran off my angry murderous energy toward you guys."

"Eh heh heh… You and that other troll, really freak me out," Kyle said.

"Oh, I'll freak you out quite a bit more once you figure out what's really going on here, now come on, it's time for you to meet my mentor," he said. Waving them out of the cave.

The group followed Jim to the heartstone, noting it's powerful energy, and the warmth and strength it feed them.

Jim nodded. "It's the reason the trolls settled here, they can't live properly without it. Blinkey will tell you all about it."

Leading them into Blinkey's library, introduced everyone.

"Alright, Blinkey this is Amanda, Alex, and Kyle. Guys, this is my mentor, Blinkey. He taught me all about Trolls, their history, he taught me how to be the Trollhunter. Everything."

Blinkey turned around, holding two books in his bottom arms, and crossing his top set. "Ah yes, I am Blinkey, leader of the New Heartstone Trollmarket. I am not pleased you entered uninvited," he said. Somewhat glaring.

"Uh… Sorry," the three said. Responses varied.

"No matter, you came here to learn, so I will teach. Have a seat and I will begin. The task Master Jim has given you is simple, and here you will gain the most clues and knowledge to figure out his secret. Though, your minds must be below average if you haven't figured it out yet," he chuckled and flipped through the pages in his books.

The three gave protest to his insult, and Jim only laughed.

Jim jumped an inhuman height to a large alcove on the third level of bookcases to where he usually did his studying, settling in on his mound of blankets and pillows to watch the three learn. And once again listen to his trainer and friend go over the history of trolls.

Kyle, the only one who saw Jim jump, stared at him wide eyed before shaking his head. Because, he could only be imagining what he saw, he was just really tired.

"Now," Blinkey started. "Trolls have existed for millennia, trying to avoid the human eye. At one point in time, we lived in peace with your kind…"

…

Hours later, and Alex, Kyle, and Amanda had listened to a summary of A Brief Recapitulation Of Troll Lore: volumes 1-12. It was around seven in the morning.

"Damn, I'm hungry!" Alex said.

"I don't appreciate your language, and will not tolerate that in my library. Now off you go, it's late. And I'll infer that Master Jim has another grueling night for you tomorrow," Blinkey said. Shooing them out of his library.

Jim laughed as he said good bye then lead the others in the direction of his cave. upon arriving, and seeing Claire eating some food, Kyle asked a question.

"Do we get to eat yet?"

Jim shook his head. "No."

"Why?" Amanda asked.

"Trolls don't eat have to eat for weeks or months at a time, and on our way here. I didn't eat for days at a time, Jim hardly ate a single thing for the whole three months," Claire said.

"So we don't get to eat?" Alex asked, incredulous to what the girl ment.

"You can eat in a few days," Maggie said. Licking brownie batter off a whisk before rinsing it in the sink.

"Woah, hold up. What do you mean, 'on your way here'?" Amanda asked.

"Ah, getting closer to the right questions," Claire smiled.

"Alright," Jim said. Jumping over the back of the couch and landing in a crouch, he settled next to Claire. "That supernatural battle, called the Eternal Night. That was all true. I had to fight an evil troll, Claire fought the witch, our home was destroyed. The original Heartstone Trollmarket, and the only other one on this continent would be found in New Jersey. So, for three months, Claire and I, along with all of the other trolls walked here from California. Settling in about a week after we arrived in your little town, that was about three weeks before school started. We've been here ever since, just trying to rebuild."

"On our way, we weren't always close to a town, and I would run out of food, and would sometimes go days without eating. Jim once carried me for three days straight,"

"You walked from Claifornia?" Alex asked, shock clear on her face.

"Yeah, because we definitely could get bus tickets for over two hundred, two tone trolls," Jim deadpanned.

"Not to mention the sun," Maggie added.

"I'm still confused, how do you play into all of this?" Kyle asked Jim.

"I'm the Trollhunter, that's how I got roped at first."

"Claire?" Amanda asked.

"Jim dragged me out of my house as soon as I found out my brother had been replaced with a changeling, told me goblins were after me, I thought he was crazy. Until goblins actually started attacking us, and Jim didn't have his amulet. So he didn't have a weapon. He did pretty well with just a stick and his training though."

Shaking his head, Jim laughed. "I would have done so much better as I am now"

"More experience?" Kyle asked.

The Trollhunter gave a short laugh. "Sure, let's go with that."

Maggie laughed from the kitchen. "This is so much fun to watch," she said. Only confusing the three in the dark. "Anyways," she said. Coming out with three full water bottles and handing them out. "You guys have earned yourselves water, at least. You did surprisingly well in training this morning. But Jim, I think we'd better switch Amanda to a blunt weapon, she kept cutting herself on the katars."

Amanda's pants were shredded on the calfs and thighs, her dark jeans spotted with blood where she'd accidentally nicked herself several dozen times.

Jim scented the air toward Amanda, not discreetly, and frowned at the two girls.

"What?" They asked.

Being polite about it, Jim whispered in Claire's ear. The girl immediately stood up and placed her hands on her hips, frowning at her friends.

"Why didn't you tell me? I'll get you some midol and show you where my things are, come here." She waved her hand, becoming the girls into the kitchen area. "Amanda, I've got some pants you can have, they should fit, come into the bathroom and I'll clean up your cuts."

Both girls dropped all tension they were carrying and sighed with relief, and promptly got up, following her to the kitchen.

Kyle looked like the kid who didn't study for the chem test. Glancing around and trying to figure out just what he was supposed to be doing. "What just happened?"

Jim shook his head at him. "I'm not going to explain that to you," he blushed.

The Alex and Maggie were chatting in the kitchen, and Claire was dressing Amanda's wounds in the bathroom.

He looked around, and nodding at the pile of blankets in the corner, spoke. "I'll make you guys a nest, if you sleep closer together your body heat will double. You'll be warmer, and more comfortable that way."

Kyle tried to find words to stop Jim, but just couldn't figure out what he was going to say. What do you say to that, he thought. So he instead, watched Jim meticulously weave, wrap, and fold the blankets into a pile near the wall, pulling some pillows off the couch and tossing them on the pile, then laying out the last blanket on top.

He stood back and looked proudly at his work.

The girls came back from the other rooms and Amanda slowly nodded, looking surprised and impressed. "I heard nest, from the bathroom, and got worried. But that looks really comfortable."

The bed was indeed nest shaped, the sides came up higher than the middle sat, but it was fluffy and big enough for several people. Like a giant flat bean bag.

Claire clapped her hands together and leaned on Jim's shoulder, yawning. "Alright guys, it's getting really late, get your sleep, you're going to need it," she said, before dragging Jim toward their bedroom.

"Maggie, make sure they stay here," Jim said. "G'night everyone."

A chorus of goodnights and such echoed through the cave as everyone settled down. It took Kyle a while to get over himself and get in the makeshift bed with the other girls. But as soon as he stopped complaining, everyone fell quickly to sleep.

…

Entering their room, Jim practically ripped the mask off and go on his fours. Stretching out his limbs as he settled down next to Claire. A long yawn escaped lips, and he nuzzled Claire's head under his chin, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close.

"This is going to be a looonnnnggg week," Jim said tiredly.

"And it's only Saturday," Claire said, laughing.

"Think they'll figure it out before Thursday? Cus I'm not having Thanksgiving Dinner with the glamor mask."

Jim felt Claire shrug, then let out a long held breath. "I'm not sure, but Jim. How long are you willing to let this go on for? Schools starts back up next Monday. What if they haven't figured it out by then?"

He thought for a long moment before answering. "I don't know Claire, but they aren't going to appreciate the knowledge they have if I just tell them."

Slowly, she began nodding. "I think I'm really beginning to understand this plan of yours, Jim."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. anything you work for yourself, instantly becomes more valuable. So if they work for the right to be here, the right to know about the trolls, and the right to know that you're half troll… they'll treat the secret better. Be more careful about it then Justin was." She paused for a second to smile. "Jim you are a clever one," she said.

Jim chuckled, almost asleep at that point, but replied. "And you're more clever to figure out my cleverness. Now, let's get some sleep," he said. Nuzzling his nose into her hair, and slipping into a calm sleep. Claire following not long after.

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