Draal stared at the fragile human in front of him in growing disbelief. "I'm sure I heard you correct, but I still can't understand what you are saying."

Juniper felt her cheeks warm up. She didn't like repeating herself, especially when she was out of her comfort zone.

"I want to learn to swim", she pronounced the words slowly, glaring defensively up at the large troll before muttering the rest. "But I can't do it alone."

Draal still stared at her like she had suddenly sprouted wings, then raised one of his large fingers to point at his massive chest. "Do I look like I swim?"

"No, you dolt", Juniper sighed in exasperation, brushing reflexively at the back of her shaven head. An unavoidable consequence of her many chemotherapy treatments, and not the only one still burdening her. "I need you to fish my sorry ass out of the water if I get too exhausted and start to drown."

Draal crossed his spiky arms over his chest and gave her a dubious look. "I still fail to understand why you're asking me and not one of your human friends for help."

"Because…" Juniper stalled, biting back the snarkiness that her discomfort brought out in her, and met the heavily-built troll's gaze with the bare truth. "I'm scared, alright? More than scared, I'm terrified of going into deep waters."

Lowering her eyes, Juniper stepped closer to reach out and grasp the large warrior's hand with both of hers. She inspected the smooth stone skin and the width of the huge palm and fingers.

"I have to have someone I can trust with my life. And... these hands feel safe to me", she pondered, briskly continuing to cover her sudden embarrassment. "I trust you. And I've seen you coach. I like that you don't go easy on anyone."

Doubt hammered in Juniper's mind. She had said what she had come to say, and she had sounded like an idiot doing so. Maybe she should've just made a gracious retreat. Before she could do that though, she felt a light squeeze as the thick fingers curled and enveloped her hands. She looked up, surprised to find Draal smiling at her.

"If you are ready to place your life in my hands..." the horned troll nodded earnestly. "…then I will use them to make sure your fleshbag body stays afloat, no matter what."

A slow smile spread to Juniper's face. She squeezed the blue-skinned hand back. "Thank you."

"We'll leave come nightfall", Draal announced and looked away, in search of something. Juniper remained in place, feeling unexpectedly warm and reassured, until she heard the low muttering.

"Now where did I see that rope…"

The distant drone of far-away cars didn't disturb the serene lip-lapping of black waves on the secluded beach. The night had mostly worn down the heat that had accumulated in the sand, but the air still stood stagnant, just waiting for a purifying bout of rain.

"Why… is this... so damn hard?!" Juniper's voice echoed from the surrounding cliffs. "Even frickin' babies know how to swim!"

"Really?" Draal stood waiting in the shallow water, watching Juniper stumble back to shore and flop stomach first onto the wet sand. "There is still much I don't know about humans."

"It's… I don't know…" Juniper rolled onto her back, coating herself in a layer of sand in the process. She had already used the last of her strength to rage at her own inadequacy and didn't care. Waves lapped at her feet as she worked to steady her breathing.

"You're getting better."

Juniper had just closed her eyes, but opened them again and turned her head to give the large troll an annoyed look. "In submarine standards or…"

Draal sat down next to her, his huge shadowy form bringing to Juniper's mind the jagged cliffs rising high up behind them. "I didn't have to carry you back this time, did I? And you do not seem to fear going into the water anymore."

"I can assure you that is not the case."

"Then you are conquering your fear successfully."

Juniper huffed a joyless laugh. "You must be an eternal optimist."

She, herself, was not. She was encrusted in sand, shivering with cold and exertion and tired of playing a bottom-dwelling crustacean. The thought of forcing her heavily slumped body to move again didn't excite her just yet, though, so she focused on the large angular face that was looking down at her thoughtfully. "What?"

"We could find ways to motivate you to stay afloat", Draal pondered slowly.

Juniper liked Draal very much, even more now that she had gotten the chance to spend some time with him alone. Draal was a vigilant and unwavering guardian. Completely trustworthy.

Except when he used that scary, deliberate tone of voice.

"Alright, help me up, will you?" Juniper lifted her arm up, having quickly found the will to move again. She had heard of the Grit-Shaka incident and what had happened to Jim, and she wasn't keen on hearing what other ideas the horned warrior might've had.

Draal did as asked, pulling the shivering girl up with him and leaving his much bigger hand under hers for support. "Why is it so important for you to learn this swimming?"

Juniper shook her head. "It's not the only thing. I actually have a list."

She leaned heavily against the strong hand, fighting off a moment of dizziness before continuing. "A bucket list. You know, things I aim to do before I… well, kick the bucket. If I get them done, I win at life. Or something. Does that make sense?"

"If it does for you", Draal shrugged. "What else is on your list, then?"

Juniper gazed at the night sky with a contemplating look. "Mostly going places and seeing sights, learning to swim of course, kissing a troll, doing a photo collage, finishing my old horror short story..."

Juniper had watched Draal from the corner of her eyes while listing things, and wasn't disappointed. The yellow eyes had widened comically in the middle of her sentence. She couldn't stop the joyous snicker that escaped her and only grew louder when the large troll grimaced and heaved an awkward sigh.

"What is this fleshbag obsession with the face smushing?"

"Ah", Juniper beamed. "It happens to be fun for most people. Why not trolls too?"

"It's not going on my bucket list", Draal muttered, clearly disturbed by the thought.

Juniper laughed again, patting the hard-skinned warrior on his spiky shoulder with gleeful mischief. "Never say never."

"Quick! Near the cliffs! There are shadows you can hide in!"

"There's no time, Juniper!"

"Uh… hit the sand then!"

"What?"

"Curl up or something! Pretend you're just another rock!"

"That's not going to work."

"Trust me, it will", Juniper glanced frantically towards the approaching human silhouettes in the distance and turned Draal so he was facing their direction. "Okay, now drop!"

"Urhh…" the large troll groaned, but complied, tucking his arms and legs under himself as best as he could and pressing his forehead into the sand.

Juniper crouched behind him, peeking past the thick back spikes. As she had suspected, the couple walking towards them had their arms around each other and were probably too lost in one another's eyes to notice anything out of the ordinary.

"It's fine", she assured with a hushed voice. "They're probably here for a quick skinny dip. No way they would've come this far this late otherwise."

"A what?" the inconspicuous rock muttered back with a low voice.

"They're going swimming nude. And… other things lovers do."

Juniper heard a sound of disgust, then rapid spitting as the troll's horned head lifted slightly.

"You stuck your tongue out into the sand, didn't you?" she asked, holding back laughter.

Draal chose not to answer, instead flopping his sizeable head back down and grumbling. "I'm not going to stay here if the fleshbags are doing what you suggested."

"As focused on each other as they are, I don't think a massive troll tip-toeing past them would go unnoticed."

"If I throw a rock into the water close to them -"

"No no no!" Juniper interrupted right away, seeing in her mind a human-sized boulder careening through the night sky and towards the unsuspecting people. It only solidified her impression that Draal should not throw out ideas too much. Or rocks for that matter.

"I don't want to read from tomorrow's news: A young couple crushed under a surprise meteorite."

An exasperated groan vibrated to Juniper's hands through the stone-like skin, drawn-out and full of impatience. "Then what do you think we should do?"

"Nothing", Juniper turned around and sat down behind the uncomfortably curled up troll, propping her knees up. "The water's cold. They'll soon be running for a warm hotel room. Until then, just keep your head low and… I don't know… tell me a story of one of your glorious battles."

"Juniper", came Draal's adamant voice. "I will not relive the heat and frenzy of memorable battles with my head buried in the sand."

"Alright", Juniper stated innocently, knowing half a dozen ways to tease the impulsive warrior in their current situation, and just barely resisting temptation. "Then a story of some less glorious and memorable battle?"

Draal's following groan held a tone of deep despair.

"First Gunmar's troops, now this! Truly a glorious night, this one!" Draal announced heartily, giving Juniper an excited pat on the back and in the process knocking her over into the water. "Oops."

Juniper's thrill of success wasn't distilled by it and she was still grinning widely as Draal took her much more carefully by the arms and hoisted her back up. "I couldn't have gotten this far without you, Draal. I owe you big time."

While the heavy troll was still hunched over, Juniper threw her hands up on a whim and planted a firm kiss on the wide stone cheek.

A choked up sound escaped Draal, who turned to her with what was clearly a reflexive protest about to come out. Instead it turned into a puzzled stare and then, much to Juniper's surprise, rambunctious laughter. After a moment's bafflement, the contagious display of mirth pulled her in too and she joined in on the laughter.

"That's two things off my bucket list in one day", she said, still half-laughing and holding up two fingers for emphasis.

"That you did, my fleshbag friend", Draal put his arm behind Juniper and lifted her flamboyantly up on the nook of his elbow. "And so did I."

Juniper grasped one of the tall horns for support, feeling briefly like a parrot on a pirate's shoulder. "Hmm? One must be the foolhardy walloping you gave to Gunmar's troops, but what's the other?"

"Helping you reach your goal, of course", Draal was still all smiles, walking them back towards the shore. "Seeing your determination through your struggles made me promise myself I would not allow you to quit before you succeeded, even if I had to throw you deeper into the water to encourage you."

"Gee, thanks Draal…" Juniper said dryly. "Nothing like the old 'get good or get dead' approach to learning something."

"I would've used the rope", the large troll said defensively.

"Ah, of course…" Juniper tried to keep a straight face, but failed, leaning over and bumping her head affectionately against Draal's. "You're a great friend, you know that?"

"Not if it means more of that kissing."

"Can't promise anything", Juniper shrugged happily. "Every relationship has its perils."

You thought I would let your insolence go unpunished? Making a mockery of me and my forces. Trying to thwart my plans. Before, I would've granted you a swift death by the edge of my blade, but now… my blade will make you show me the way to make you suffer.

"Where is he…?" Juniper sighed for the third time, shooting an accusatory glare at the slowly climbing full moon in the sky. Today was the last time they were supposed to come to the beach, wasn't it? She hadn't gotten the days mixed up?

The moon had no answers and Juniper gave up on it, rubbing her bare arms for warmth. She considered getting dressed and leaving, when something at the top of the surrounding cliffs caught her attention. Even in the pale moonlight there was no mistaking the silhouette with massive upper body and horns.

"What took you so long?!" Juniper hollered impatiently. "Don't tell me the kiss from last time almost scared you off!"

The trollish figure stood still, silently looking down at the beach. Juniper squinted her eyes. It had to be Draal…

Just as doubt began to set into her mind, the figure up on the cliff jumped. The physical abilities Draal possessed had impressed Juniper many times before and continued to do so as she watched the large form plummet from the sky and land heavily with a shower of sand splaying around him.

"Show off…" she muttered half-amused, half-annoyed, then raised her voice again. "I'm getting cold waiting for you, slowpoke. How about I'll make my victory lap quick and we'll go somewhere warmer to cele… brate…"

Juniper's voice drifted off. Draal was walking towards her and again something disturbed her, though she couldn't explain why. Something in the bulky warrior's eyes and in the unsettling way they reflected the moonlight, glowing with a strange blue hue.

"Draal…?" she called tentatively, thrown off by the uncharacteristic silence. By now she would've expected him to shake his large head and make a remark of her weak fleshbag body needing toughening up, or cheerfully announce some great skirmish that had delayed him on the way.

Instead, a low, guttural growl emanated from the approaching troll, making Juniper feel the first shiver of fear. She took a step back. "If this is a joke, Draal, it really isn't funny."

The hulking figure stopped, glowing eyes fixated on her. There must've been twenty feet between them, but it didn't make Juniper feel any better. She knew Draal could easily cross it in one leap. At the same time she knew this was Draal she was thinking of. There shouldn't have been any reason for her to fear him.

And yet her every instinct was telling her to run.

Juniper glanced at the shoulder bag lying in the sand a couple of steps in front of her. Her phone was there. She looked back up, seeing the gleam of large teeth as the once friendly warrior's mouth twisted into a menacing grin.

Juniper stopped clinging to reasoning and obeyed the burst of cold dread that compelled her to move. Dashing for her bag, she tore it open and grasped for her phone. A beastly roar made her knees tremble, but she stumbled back up with her electronic lifeline and turned to run faster than she ever had.

The beach had never felt so long and empty as her feet struck the sand in rapid succession. She needed to get to the bend in the tall cliffs and to the waiting strip of road behind it. Blood rushed in her ears so loudly she couldn't tell if she was being chased or not, but she resisted the temptation to look back and raced towards the distant rock face.

Until the patch of sand in front of her suddenly exploded.

It happened so abruptly Juniper couldn't stop her momentum and lost her balance, diving face first into the sand. Still panting from exertion, she scrambled quickly back to her hands and knees, only to see the moonlight blocked by the massive troll towering over her.

"Why are you doing this?!" her anger surfaced alongside her fear. "This makes no sense!"

The weight of the powerful troll's wide hand slammed on her back faster than she could move to avoid it, thick fingers curling to dig into her sides. She gave a pained gasp, realizing in an instant how much Draal had restrained himself every time he had handled her in the past. The vice-like grip hoisted her up in front of the large face and brightly glowing eyes. Juniper breathed in quick, short huffs, too shocked and stunned to do or say anything sensible.

The fingers squeezed, slowly adding pressure until Juniper couldn't keep from crying out in agony. She grasped and pushed frantically at the stone hand clutching her and at the broad jaw that loomed too close to her own face, but there was no relief.

"D-Draal… Plea… se…" she begged, certain that she was only seconds away from hearing her bones crack.

As soon as she had forced the words out, the crushing pressure eased. Juniper gasped in quick, shaky breaths, barely able to focus on anything else than the burning ache in her middle where the thick fingers maintained their inescapable hold. She still had the phone clenched in her fist, resting against the powerful jaw she had futilely tried to push away.

The sound of hoarse chuckling sent shivers down her spine.

"So easy to break."

Juniper stopped breathing for a second, stunned by the cold, gruff voice that sounded so different to Draal's usual way of speaking.

"And scarcely any meat on those brittle bones."

The meaning of the eerily contemplating words hit Juniper full force, filling her with a primal fear she had never felt, even with her medical history. This wasn't a case of coming to terms with a slow deterioration and shutting down of her body, this was -

The wide mouth in front of her opened, revealing large blocks of gleaming teeth and a pungent metallic odor that wafted to her nostrils.

"Draal -!" Juniper uttered a terrified squeak, turning her head away and squeezing her eyes shut. After a heart-stopping moment of dreadful anticipation a warm and coarse weight pressed against the base of her neck. She shuddered at the sensation of the troll's broad tongue sliding upwards with a savoring pace, momentarily covering first her jaw and then the side of her face with its width.

"Tantalizing…"

The tongue had withdrawn, but the mouth stayed close to Juniper's head, blowing slow gusts of hot air into her ear. A content rumble emanated from the troll. "I bet I can taste the fear in your flesh."

The last remark was too much for Juniper. With a whimpering cry she swung her hand and smacked the phone in it as hard as she could against Draal's nose.

The following snarl didn't reveal whether the warrior had been hurt or just surprised by the sudden blow, but whatever the case, it made him drop Juniper and clutch his face. Juniper fell heavily on her hands and knees, wincing from the jarring pain in her ribs. Shattered pieces of her now broken phone lay in the gravelly sand, a sobering reminder to ignore her bruises and leave as fast as possible. She tried to do just that, unable to take more than two running steps before having her arm forcibly caught. The world made a quick spin and she felt herself fly through the air.

A flight that ended short as she plunged into cold water.

The icy shock almost made Juniper forget about the fiery pain in her middle. Her earlier swimming accomplishment meant nothing in the face of the old fear that overwhelmed her for a few frantic seconds before she realized her flailing limbs reached the bottom. As soon as she found out she wasn't in fact drowning, a newer fear compelled her to spring back to her feet. Draal's hulking form was already stepping into the water to come after her.

The glowing eyes and the massive blue frame stalked closer one step at a time. Juniper backed up further in the freezing water, already waist-deep and feeling the pull of water slow her down. There was only one way to go now and she knew she wasn't that good a swimmer yet.

And it seemed she would never get the chance to be.

"Nowhere to go", the unfamiliar, malicious voice with Draal's features mirrored Juniper's thoughts. "If you wish to beg for your miserable life, now is the time."

Juniper shook her head slowly, just as much in need of answers as she was in need of a miracle. "This… I don't understand… What happened to you?!"

The large troll ignored her question, wading through the water with powerful splashes. Juniper couldn't get away anymore as the bulky hand reached towards her, eliciting a strained scream from her by grabbing her once again by her sore waist.

"Not going to beg? Save your breath then."

With the shock of reignited pain, Juniper caught only a brief mouthful of air before the huge hand pushed her down beneath the dark surface. Water rushed above her head, enveloping her and immediately making her panic. She struggled to loosen even one of the thick fingers around her, but it felt like trying to split a rock bare-handed, all the while the rhythmic pounding in her ears growing louder and more demanding.

In the cold, muffled darkness, Juniper's desperate thought's slipped back to the day she had asked Draal for help, and to the irony of how she had marveled at those strong hands and the feeling of safety they had given her. She grasped the stone-skinned hand with both of her own, voicelessly begging Draal to keep his promise and pull her out of the water.

She was reaching her absolute limit. Juniper's last fleeting realization persisted as her oxygen deprived body forced her to finally draw breath.

Draal would've… kept his promise…

An enraged roar bounced around the tall cliffs, unheard by human ears and only disrupting a nearby flock of birds. There was no one to fight, no one to tear apart for what had happened. Draal roared again, slamming the sand with his fists and throwing whatever rocks and driftwood he came across with into the rock face.

It did nothing to relieve the relentlessly gnawing pain within him. Breathing heavily, Draal turned back to the motionless girl he had carried out of the water after Gunmar had released him from his enslaving spell. Released only so that Draal would have to bear the guilt of what he had done with his own hands. It was all clear in his memory, every plea and scream, the fear in her eyes, the feel of her soft body writhing in his grip… It was driving him out of his mind!

He looked closer at the small human face. Now there was no sign of fear anymore. Only an expression of peacefulness, the kind Draal remembered seeing on her whenever she had exhausted her limited reserves and lied down to rest.

He knew full well she wasn't just resting this time, yet still he felt the need to do something, to explain somehow. To let her know it hadn't been him who had wanted to hurt her.

"Juniper…" he knelt down and cradled the cold body in his hands. "I swear to you I would've never willingly brought any harm to you. This was Gunmar's doing and Gunmar will pay heavily for this should it be the last thing I do."

With care, he raised the limp body up and propped it against his chest in a tight embrace, feeling the rage of injustice overshadowed for a moment by the cold void of loss. "Whatever spirits guide you humans, I hope -"

The body in his hands spluttered.

Draal's eyes shot open wide as he looked down at the frail creature he had thought lifeless. Water gushed out of her mouth in convulsive bursts, soon coming to a stop and leaving her still once again.

"Juniper?!" Draal called, shaking the girl's slender frame, and when that did nothing, squeezing her against his chest again.

Another gush of water, followed by a violent bout of raggedy coughing. Unsure of what else to do, Draal kept repeating the same cycle of loosening and tightening his hold, until amidst the horrid choking sounds he heard an unmistakable mewl. Feeling Juniper try to move, he loosened his hold again and lowered her so that she was nuzzled securely between his arm and chest.

"Can… can you hear me?" he asked worriedly, looking down at the quivering eyelids and unevenly rising and falling chest.

Juniper made another small noise, then her hands shot abruptly up, flailing weakly in the air and smacking against the stony skin surrounding her. With a pained jolt, Draal realized she still thought she was fighting for her life.

She was terrified of him.

At that instant, Juniper's eyes flew open and her body froze mid movement. Draal held his breath as the wide eyes darted wildly around for a second before fixating on his. He was too worried of frightening her more to make a move and the tense moment drew longer.

Juniper opened her mouth first. Her lips quivered as she tried to turn her raspy breathing into words and failed, her face contorting in what was clearly pain. Draal snapped out of his inaction, quickly thinking of anything to say.

"You're safe! Gunmar… I failed and let myself be controlled by him. But he's gone now."

Draal's enthusiasm faded away and he looked away, unable to overcome the shame that had imprinted itself on him.

"… K-knew…"

The barely audible croak drew Draal's evasive gaze back to the small human, who despite her pain tried again to form words.

"… Wasn't… y-you…"

To Draal's surprise he found the bruised girl struggling to maintain a faint smile. She tapped her hand lightly against his chest and closed her eyes again.

Draal watched her shallow breathing a moment longer, then forced back his own guilt and took off with his light cargo. As much as he disliked seeing the changeling Stricklander, the Trollhunter's mother would know how to help Juniper.

After that there would be time to atone for what he had done.