I don't own Hilda.

"My turn?" Hilda repeats, a laugh in her voice, "But I haven't any stories to tell."

"Well, maybe none come to mind right at this moment, but I'm sure you do. Even if it's something you already told me, like your experiences with the vittra or the weather spirits and the lady who can't brush her hair-"

"Victoria Van Gale," Hilda corrects him.

"Indeed," Alfur nods, "the mad scientist lady who, and I must be blunt, certainly had it coming."

Hilda laughs.

"She definitely got karmic justice for what she did, I'd say." She glances up at the clock.

"It's so late, but I'm still not tired," she muses as she looks back to Alfur, holding out one hand and smiling as he casually rests his head against it, affectionately holding onto her thumb almost as if it were some kind of security object to him, "I guess I was having fun."

"Really?" Alfur's ears perk up slightly, "that's good to know, but... it wasn't quite my intent to keep you up."

"That's all right," Hilda replies, changing her position so she's lying on her stomach with her feet in the air, "You know what? I think I know a story that I can tell you."

"You do!? Yay!" Alfur claps excitedly for a moment before mimicking Hilda's position, swinging his little legs back and forth in a childlike manner. Hilda can't help but laugh again.

"All right. But this isn't really a legend, but more about something that happened to me in the past."

Alfur gasps.

"Am I about to receive the honor of getting to reminisce memories about baby Hilda?"

"Reminisce?"

"Well, you know, our elf colony goes around your house in every direction and has been for many years. We actually... kind of got to watch you grow up, too."

"Oh..." the girl mutters softly, "right, when you were invisible to us..." She seems to be pondering the implications, " You were there too, then?"

Alfur nods.

"We would never invade your privacy without issuing warnings beforehand, so we never snuck into the house, but when we had the chances to, we would observe you when you went outside. Being able to see the kind of person you are beforehand made it much easier to approach you during the whole house eviction havoc. And you were a really sweet little girl."

Hilda blushes in mild embarrassment, hiding her face in her hair.

"I was delighted to see humans back there, though. Your old cabin was abandoned for a long time until your mother moved back in with you all those years ago," the elf muses.

The girl pats Alfur's head lightly with one finger.

"It's a little uncomfortable to be talking about the old cabin right now."

"Oh! Right, right- pardon my scatterbrained behavior!"

"It's okay. I'll just tell you my story."

Alfur sits patiently, giving Hilda apologetic puppy dog eyes while resting his head on her finger.

"Awww," Hilda coos softly, "Alfur, it's fine. Don't be sad." She clears her throat to tell her story.

"A long time ago, when I was three or four, I wandered away from home for the first time by myself. (I like stargazing, you know? Too bad the city is so bright there's barely anything to look at...) Mum had already shown me a way around the woods, so I wasn't concerned at all. When I passed the river that night, though, I heard the most beautiful music playing. From where I stood, a fossegrim was sitting on a rock under the waterfall playing his fiddle, and I couldn't help but sit there for a while and listen, mesmerized by the graceful way that he played.

"A moment had passed and he finally noticed me sitting there, and he asked me if I wanted to learn how to play. I told him no, I only came to listen, but he insisted and put me in his place, putting the fiddle in my hands and holding my right hand over the strings. The fossegrim told me to close my eyes and when I did, I realized I had pricked my finger on one of the strings- but before I could do anything, the fiddle music started playing again. And I, seemingly with no effort, was making that music. It was beyond my control, I believe, but I still felt proud of myself. I even attracted an audience of water spirits. That was the first time I'd ever seen a water spirit, and it was just... incredible until the song was done. The fossegrim took his fiddle back and disappeared back into the river, and the spirits did, too, and I went home still awed by what I had just experienced. It's a memory I still remember vividly. Mum said I may have just dreamt it because the fossegrim hadn't returned since, but I can't believe that."

Hilda shows a small scar on her finger from where the fiddle string had pricked her.

"See?"

Hilda smiles weakly at the memory before her eyes clouded over with melancholy.

"I wish I could've seen that! You must have been wonderful!-" Alfur tilts his head in curiosity, "...Hilda?"

"Trolberg might be my home now, but it's not easy looking back on the memories back at the old house," the girl mutters, looking out the window.

"You can always look back on your memories back in the wilderness, but think of all the memories you made here, too! You did so many things to help the creatures here, I certainly wouldn't be surprised if they gave you some kind of medal- oh-" Alfur is interrupted by Twig softly nudging him with one hoof, pulling him close like some kind of comfort toy.

Hilda gently takes the elf from the sleepy deerfox, putting a soft squeaky toy in his place, which Twig seems to prefer. Alfur sighs in relief.

"I just still feel... I don't know. A little out of place," Hilda finally states, placing Alfur back on her pillow.

The elf glances up at Hilda, for a moment not saying anything, but quietly starts humming to himself until the song escapes him. It's a lullaby-sounding tune, soft and sweet.

"Gamla sidor berättar

Berättelser om antiken

Av hopp och av makt och kärlekens hängivenhet,

Här sitter jag och drömmer om framtiden

Har du skriver ut

Jag gillar också att rekryteras

Och för att bli älskad under en lång tid att dö..."

"What song is that?" Hilda asks, intrigued, "it's pretty! I didn't know your voice was so nice."

"Oh! Um," Alfur blushes, "it's just something... My mother used to sing to me- Ahem," he clears his throat, struggling to change the subject, "it's my turn to tell you a story again!"

Hilda rests her head in her arms, smiling at Alfur.

"You can tell me your story after you sing again."

Alfur pouts, his face slightly red in embarrassment.

"Hmph, fine! Then I'm going to tell you one of my least favorite stories! I mean, I still like it, but it's really kind of... meh..."

"...Does it involve paperwork being left unsigned?"

Alfur jumps in terror.

"Heavens no, Hilda! It's not that terrible!"

The girl giggles softly, laying her head back down on her pillow so Alfur can crawl close to her ear again.

"Sing again first."

"..."

Hilda could sense Alfur's shy irritability without even having to look at him.

"Please? I liked it."

"...Okay."

Alfur best tiny dad

Sorry this took a while. It takes time for me to find my inspiration to write.

That song Alfur sings is literally just a crude Google translated Swedish translation of the first verse of Kate Covington's Latin cover of "Secret Library Daguerreo" (first song that reminded me of Alfur!) I figured keeping the original Latin wouldn't be appropriate for a creature of Scandinavian folklore. Also I'm lazy. Sorry if the quality is shoddy