Find Me…I'm Lost
Okay. This is a unique take on Trolls. I wouldn't exactly call this an alternate universe, but it is a little different. Bear with me, but also tell me what you think…good or bad. This is a look into what could possibly be.
I own nothing. Nothing.
Chapter Seven
"If you've got something to say, say it," Branch ordered, lifting his head to glare at Creek, "What is your problem?"
"Nothing is wrong," Creek denied as Branch raised an eyebrow.
"Don't lie to me," Branch insisted as Creek looked away, "I might not remember very much anymore, but I know when you are not being honest, Creek. Please don't make me give you an order to tell me as one of the royal family. I want you as a friend and not as a subject."
Creek groaned softly as he stared at his feet.
"I'm a bit irritated, my prince," Creek finally spat, looking back up before calming himself, "Look, it isn't your fault that I'm angry so let's just get you to your room, okay, Mate?"
"Mate? You say that a lot," Branch snorted, "You always use that word. It seems almost a part of who you are."
"Suppose it is in a way," Creek agreed as the two resumed their way, "My father used that term and I've always done the same."
"Tell me what's wrong, Mate," Branch pushed with a teasing wink.
Creek snorted as a bit of Branch's naturally dry humor emerged. It was good to see a glimpse of who Branch had once been.
"Fine, my prince," Creek finally allowed, "I don't like how hard you are being pushed. You just started recovering, for all trolls' sake. You should be resting more and not being paraded about like a trophy of some sort. That is what I'm angry about."
"You are kind to care so much, but it is my fault," Branch advised as Creek blinked at him, "If I hadn't gotten sick and forgot so much, I'd not have to relearn my duties. I can't believe all that I'm missing. I barely retained anything since I can hardly remember anything clearly. That frustrates me. Ice trolls do not allow weakness. I'm so ashamed."
"I could just…gah!" Creek fussed as Branch glanced at him in surprise when the purple-skinned troll threw his arms up in frustration, "You are not to ever feel shame. Ever, Prince Branch. Nothing you are going through is your fault. Everything will be fine very, very soon."
"You keep saying that too," Branch blurted, offering a shy smile as Creek smiled softly back at him in hopes of offering some comfort, "How do you know that? What if I can't be the prince I was before my illness?"
"Because I know you well, my prince. You are too stubborn to allow anything to keep you from doing whatever you need to do," Creek chuckled as Branch tilted his head at him, "You survive. That is one of your greatest strengths, Mate. Everything is going to be fine. I promise."
"Thank you," Branch whispered, looking away in embarrassment, "You always make me feel so much better, Creek. I don't know what I'd do without your words of encouragement sometimes. Really, thank you, but please don't tell our king about this. He…Frost is trying so hard to ease my way, but I see that weakness is not forgiven among my tribe. I need to show my strength so my siblings can trust in me again. I don't wish to be seen as a child or disappoint my people.
"You are no child, nor will you ever disappoint anyone," Creek soothed, "You are learning a lot very fast. Slow down a little, Prince Branch. It is okay to say when things are too much for you. That is not weakness, but wisdom.
'You are correct," Branch agreed, blushing as he looked down again, "I thank you. That seems to be words I just keep repeating to you, Creek. I will be glad when I feel surer within myself. I know I will be fine with all the support so many show me. Excuse me now. I really am tired so I'm going to go lay down. You are dismissed."
Creek watched as a Branch entered his room before the purple-skinned troll stepped over to the small door that led to his bedroom. He secretly watched as Branch settled in bed from the door that joined their rooms before nodding to himself as he gathered what he needed. It was time for more exploring while Branch was safely sleeping. It shocked him sometimes how vulnerable and young Branch seemed at present. Stripped of his memories, Branch was having to "relearn" everything that he thought he'd lost.
"What you've really lost is what makes you who you are, Mate," Creek thought as he checked on his charge one last time, "You need Poppy. Once you are back with her, I know I can help you jog the memories that have been suppressed. You'll be Branch again. The real one and not this unsure creature you've become. I see a younger version of Branch in you, but not the troll you are deep inside. Time to fix that."
Creek crept through the inner workings of the palace as he continued adding to his hand drawn map. He was beginning to pick up on the lay of the land and the pattern of the guard patrols. He just needed to get a handle on this weather.
"Want to tell me where you've been?" was Creek's greeting once he entered his room and found Kiv waiting for him.
"Exploring," Creek answered, glad that he'd already hidden his map away in the guard uniform he wore, "Trying to learn the palace grounds so I can be of more assistance to Prince Branch in relearning all he needs to know."
"So, the hidden sled I found and supplies are not yours?" Kiv pushed as Creek remained nonchalant despite his panic building, "Talk to me, Creek. Are you planning on abandoning your post?"
"No. I'd never leave Prince Branch," Creek denied quickly as Kiv studied him closely.
"There were too many supplies for just one, little troll," Kiv began as Creek hid his unease, "What are you planning? You aren't…you are, aren't you?"
"Confused, Mate," Creek huffed crossing his arms, "I'm what exactly?
"You're planning on taking the little prince with you, right?" Kiv demanded, making Creek gasp in horror that his plan had been discovered so completely, "You are! How can I help?"
"Um…what?" Creek breathed, looking in shock at the silvery guard that stood before him.
"I heard everything you said to King Frost on the evening that the twin rulers erased their brother's memories and in that cell the next day. I also eavesdropped the evening King Frost spoke to you in your room since I was guarding the prince's door," Kiv admitted with a shake of his head, "I am proud of being ice troll and love my monarchy, but after that final conversation I overhead…I was ashamed for the first time. Ashamed to know that the young prince had his mind basically kidnapped and now he is as we see today. I see his strength and determination, but that is not the young troll that first awoke when we brought him here. What are you trying to do?"
"Get Prince Branch back to his real home," Creek sighed, taking a seat as Kiv did the same, "Look, Mate, the real prince has a lovely lass he adores named Poppy who is the queen of the warm climate trolls. They are truly soulmates. I know that if I can get our prince to Poppy, whatever spell is on him can be broken so he remembers himself. Only when he is complete can Branch make the decisions that are his own to make. Manipulating him is wrong."
"I agree with you, even if that makes me a traitor to my king and queen," Kiv offered, "Ice trolls are tough and not full of a lot of charm, but we are not kidnappers. That is what I feel happened to Prince Branch. You stole him and now his siblings have made things worse. You are trying so hard to help our prince now, but you were willing to steal him to be a part of this tribe. Why this change of heart?"
"I was hurt and lonely," Creek groaned, looking down in shame, "I was angry that I'd been banished and wanted someone else to feel the same for a moment. I thought that if Prince Branch was with me and feeling the same…it was stupid, I thought I'd feel better. I had convinced myself that he took Poppy from me, but he didn't. I have a bad habit of placing blame on others rather than acknowledging my own faults. My past actions ruined any chances of being with Poppy and I had actually realized that the prince and she were destined for one another long ago. I just didn't want to accept the truth. I worked up this bogus notion in my head that Prince Branch would just get used to being here and we'd be in this together, kind of like when we were little…like I had a friend again."
"But you were wrong?" Kiv asked as Creek nodded.
"I wanted to force my will on someone else that I decided had wronged me, but I wronged him," Creek continued, "Prince Branch kept to himself when he lost his colors so I decided he was selfish, but he never was. He was the strongest of my tribe because he endured countless lonely days in his goal to keep the rest of the tribe safe. He sacrificed himself to protect others, thinking he was a curse. I've been his curse recently and brought him to this, but I'm going to fix it all. I'm going to take Prince Branch home and help him remember himself. I'm going to stop being the arrogant bully I allowed myself to become and be a better troll. Prince Branch has inspired me to want to change myself which is why I have to protect him from even his family."
"The king and queen?" Kiv pushed as Creek nodded, "The little prince is precious to them. They will follow their blood. "
"I hope so, Mate," Creek snorted as the guard glanced at him in surprise, "I want them to see the strength of their real brother. I want them to respect who he is and accept his choices so they can be a real family, but Prince Branch needs to be with Poppy and not here. He cannot be separated from his soul mate. They need one another. Poppy is the prince's strength."
"Why have you not mentioned this Poppy to the twins before now?" Kiv pointed out, "Maybe they'd have reconsidered the cleansing."
"Or maybe they'd eliminate someone who'd hinder their plan of making Prince Branch a full ice troll," Creek snapped as Kiv flinched, "Your king could only talk about what a strong warrior his brother could be for the tribe. Would he have really cared that Prince Branch loves a lass so completely that they complete one another? Or would he see the love for Poppy as a weakness? My actions endangered my tribe once before and I can't allow that to happen again. I couldn't take the chance that your king would order a war against my old tribe to keep the prince here. You ice trolls are pretty black and white thinkers."
"Perhaps," Kiv hummed sadly, "We are survivors, but have we lost ourselves so much that we'd ignore another troll's feelings and needs? Maybe it would be a good thing for King Frost and Queen Crystal to see their brother with this Poppy. Maybe the two need to be reminded of what love looks like again. Their upbringing was harsh after the disappearance of their mother and the two turned colder than was necessary. I am torn, even now, because they are so happy having the little prince here."
"But Prince Branch doesn't belong here and you know that," Creek urged as Kiv nodded, "Please help me get him home and then bring your king and queen to see their brother. All three can be happy if they can accept one another for who they are. Maybe Prince Branch will even decide to come back, but let that be his choice and no one else's. I just want to make things right again and then life will happen as it is meant to when the ones involved can think for themselves. Please, Kiv. You offered to help before. Please help me now. Help me, help your prince. Prince Branch needs us, Mate."
"I vowed to my king to keep his brother safe," Kiv spoke as Creek watched him warily, "I feel like helping you is still keeping my promise. Tell me your plan."
Hope filled Creek as he settled next to the larger guard. Kiv's aura had no dishonesty mixed within. Finally, things were looking up.
oOo
"Ugh! Snow and wind!"
Thorn looked up from playing a game of checkers with Guy Diamond and shrugged as Poppy continued to fuss over the weather. Howlers were howlers. They ended when they were ready.
"Oh, divine, Darling," Stain cooed over the braids she and her twin were twisting in his mane, "So très chic. How do you get anything done with your hair getting in the way?"
"Don't get in the way," Thorn snorted, taking out two of Guy's pieces in one move while the little, sparkly troll frowned, "Just tie the stuff back with a cord. Never bothered with braids like the royal court. How do you sunny trolls get through doors with that hair of yours? Do you get stuck?"
"No. Our hair moves when we need it to," Chenille giggled as her twin and she displayed some of their hair abilities while Thorn whistled in appreciation, "Is it true that you can't do that with your hair, Thorn?"
"Course not. I'm of ice," Thorn denied, waving a hand as two, ice tiaras formed on the twins heads while the rest of the warm climate trolls gaped in surprise, "Ice trolls use our ice for protection and to create shelters."
"But why doesn't the ice melt?" Biggie asked, pointing to the walls of the bunker that were closest to the fire.
"Comes from within me," Thorn spoke as he won his game against Guy before noticing the blank stares, "Troll ice doesn't melt unless the troll wants the ice to melt. We control it like a part of our body."
"Like our hair," Poppy sighed, coming to sit down unhappily, "My people can't use our hair constantly without needing rest. How do you maintain all the ice you form on a regular basis?"
"Don't know," Thorn hummed, standing to stir some stew simmering above the fire, "Feel it always in the back of my mind and I just do what is needed."
"Must be a strain," DJ Suki called as Thorn closed his eyes for a moment in what looked like deep thought, "Mr. Thorn?"
"Not a strain," Thorn admitted when he glanced back at the orange-haired troll, "But always there. Guess ice trolls are just used to maintaining our ice. It is as natural as blinking our eyes or breathing. Stews ready."
"When will the weather be done with?" Poppy moped as Thorn chuckled at her while the Snack Pack hurried over for some dinner, "It has been over two weeks. I've got to reach Branch."
"I know, Queenie, your Branch needs you. Heard that hundreds of times by now," Thorn hummed as he began dishing bowls of stew out to his eager audience, "But you all picked a terrible time to need to travel. I don't usually try another trading trip to the palace until after the wind howling season. Howlers are unpredictable and this is one doozy of a storm. Ain't safe to travel in."
"I want my Branch," Poppy whimpered as Guy handed her a bowl, "I'm sick of all this snow."
"That's why you ain't an ice troll," Thorn pointed out as Poppy nodded at him, "Love me some snow and ice, but was born knowing my lands. This Branch laddie must be pretty important to step into lands you don't belong in."
"He is to me," Poppy insisted, walking to eat her stew alone by the one window the bunker possessed.
"Soul bonded," Biggie whispered as the Snack Pack nodded around him, "Looking back, I think those two have always been connected."
"Makes sense to me," Guy agreed, "Mr. Thorn, do you have any clue as to when we can leave for the palace? Poppy's getting desperate and we fear she'll take off on her own."
"I think the storm will let up in three to four days," Thorn spoke loud and clear as Poppy bounced up, looking excited, "Don't feel another howler brewing on this one's tail so we should have a good window to reach the ice palace. Hear that, Queenie?"
"I do!" Poppy gushed, rushing over to hug the ice troll as Thorn startled at all the touching, "You are so much like my Branch. He took a lot of time to get used to hugs."
"Did he?" Thorn asked, narrowing his eyes as he thought, "And that Creek critter said that your Branch's colors were pretty similar to my tribe. Tell me more about your laddie, Queenie. What do you know of Branch?"
"He's wonderful," Poppy sighed as her friends smiled around her, "Had a pretty rough beginning due to Bergens, but now he has learned to be happy again and he's just the sweetest, most kindest troll I've ever known and…I'm going to strangle Creek with my hair when I find that…that louse who stole my troll!"
"Good thoughts there," Thorn teased as Poppy blushed, "So Branch is a warm climate troll too? Who are his parents?"
"Poppy was too young to know Branch's parents since they both passed away before she was born," Biggie advised as Thorn turned to him, "Branch's father was a gatherer. Knew the forest like no one else. Branch inherited a lot of his dad's traits. Hm. I was always told that Branch's mother was a bit of a puzzle. She was the spitting image of her son in lassie form. Dark mane and blue skin, but she was found by Branch's father wondering in the forest all alone. No one knew her. It was said that she must have been a lone troll that had left the Troll Tree prior to Bergens deciding to eat trolls which was why no one knew who she was before joining the tribe."
"Eat trolls? That's disgusting!" Thorn growled, "I'd stab an ice spear through their hearts if they tried that with my people. Or yours too now that I see I like wee, sunny trolls."
"Bergens aren't a threat any longer," Biggie soothed as Thorn relaxed, "All I know was that Branch's parents seemed happy. I was pretty little then, but I remember Branch's birth. He was real tiny, but was a strong baby. His parents were killed three, short days after his birth. He was raised by his grandmother then, but she was taken by a Bergen when Branch was just a tot. He disappeared for a long time after that, but reemerged after our escape from the Bergens, grey and closed off to everyone. Hated singing, dancing, or any type of physical touching. Poppy helped him with that after an eventful adventure years and years later which helped him regain his colors, but that is a different story."
"We've got the time thanks to the storm," Thorn pointed out as Poppy perked up, "Tell me more of this adventure. Branch intrigues me. There are tales of a few of my people going grey. The life of ice can be trying."
Poppy eagerly started her tale. If she couldn't be with Branch, it was nice to talk about him. Helped ease the knot of worry she kept in her heart ever since Creek took her lad from her. Hopefully, she'd get him back and things would be okay again. Hopefully.
To be continued…