Kanjigar was alert as he walked through the emerald lit caverns. Merlin had assured him that as he was invited he would be perfectly safe but the place still stank of magic. It radiated from the very stone under his feet. One could never be too careful around sorcery.

Eventually he reached an intricately carved wooden door.

He lifted his hand and knocked, careful to not scratch the wood with his knuckles. Nothing. He knocked again. There was no answer. With a frown he tried the handle and found it to be unlocked.

The cave behind the door was well lit by candles and crystals and a warm fire. Scrolls were spread haphazardly across the sturdy oaken table in the center of the room and piled on top of each other on shelves carved into the wall. Jars of herbs and other things were mixed in with the scrolls. A gnome skull grinned at him from the mantle of the fireplace.

"Master Merlin?" Kanjigar called out as he took a step in.

Still no response. The thick red-brown rug muffled his steps.

Had the wizard forgotten about him? He didn't want to be disrespectful but in the short time he'd known him, Merlin did seem a little… well… absent minded.

Kanjigar glanced at the fire. Merlin couldn't be gone too far if he'd left a fire going. Of course there was the possibility it was sustained by magic…

A quiet shuffling noise drew the troll's attention. He looked across the table and then blinked in surprise. There, peering warily from just over the edge of the table, was a pair of bright blue eyes topped with an unruly mop of black hair.

It was a child. A human child.

They let out a yelp when their eyes met his and ducked back under the table.

Kanjigar's nostrils flared in surprise.

What was a child doing here?

"Ah! There you are."

Kanjigar startled at Merlin's voice. He glanced back and saw him just coming in from the tunnels. How he had managed to open the door without Kanjigar hearing he wasn't sure.

"I'm afraid it will be a while yet before your charm is ready," The wizards said as he started setting his bags down on the table. The scents of various herbs wafted into the air as he jostled them. "I have had more pressing matters to deal with and I am lacking ingredients. Perhaps you can find some of the rarer ones for me."

"Why is there a child here?" Kanjigar asked.

He didn't like to interrupt but he was very puzzled.

Merlin blinked at him for a moment, before understanding appeared on his face.

"Oh you mean James."

He looked around with a frown.

"Where has that boy gotten off to?"

"I'm here," A soft voice said from the far side of the table.

The boy's head poked up just enough that he could see Kanjigar before he vanished again.

"Why are you hiding?" Merlin asked with a huff. "Come out and greet the Trollhunter properly. You have nothing to fear."

"The Trollhunter?" The boy, James, poked his head up again, eyes wide. "He's the Trollhunter?"

Evidently Merlin had told him about him.

Kanjigar slowly moved around the table. James watched him warily but didn't hide again. Was this his first time meeting a troll? If it was he was taking it really well.

Kanjigar glanced around noticing that there were a lot of scrolls about troll history and rudimentary knowledge of the magical world lying among the more complicated texts.

It clinked. This must be Merlin's new apprentice. Kanjigar gave the boy an appraising glance over. James shifted nervously under his gaze, blue eyes flickering to the side. He looked like he was barely out of welphood. A mere youngling. If he had been a troll his parents would have been still keeping him close.

Kanjigar frowned. He had never understood why humans would send their children off so young, but they had always been strange creatures.

He approached James. Once he was about two paces away Kanjigar stopped and knelt to the boy's level.

"Hello Young James, I am Kanjigar son of Terragar. It is an honor to make your acquaintance."

The boy stared at him with wide eyes. His gaze snagged on the amulet hung around his neck for a moment, before he looked at Merlin uncertainly.

"Go on and introduce yourself, boy," Merlin said.

James looked back at Kanjigar again and took a nervous step forward and then another. The troll held himself still so as to not startle him. Finally James stood in front of him.

He held out a quivering hand toward Kanjigar in what the troll recognized was an invitation to shake hands. Another odd human custom.

"I'm Jim… son of Barbara," The boy said haltingly. "Nice to meet you?"

Kanjigar carefully took the small hand and moved it up and down once.

"Well met young Jim," He said.

He gave the boy a gentle smile, careful to not show his teeth.

James'… Jim's eyes studied Kanjigar's face. The boy's shoulders relaxed just slightly and he smiled back.

"Kanjigar!"

The Trollhunter chuckled as the tiny fleshbag launched himself at him.

"Hello young Jim," He said as he caught the boy mid-air.

"Are you going to stay for a while?" The boy asked as he squirmed in the troll's hands. "Did you bring me anything? Did you have any cool fights? What the weather doing outside? Did it snow? Did you make a snowman?" He let out a little excited gasp. "Or a snowtroll?! Do trolls make snowtrolls?"

Kanjigar laughed, eyes crinkling as warm amusement course through him. The boy had been rather shy at first but now, after several months of visits to Merlin's cave, the young human had gotten quite comfortable with him.

"Perhaps if you quieted for a moment you might get some answers."

The boy bit his lip and stared up at him with bright eyes. Kanjigar could feel him quivering. He chuckled again. Jim reminded him a lot of Draal when he was a youngling. So eager and excitable.

He shoved down the quiet pang in his core when a memory of Draal's disappointed face from the last time they'd talked flickered through his mind. It was for the best, he reminded himself.

He set Jim down on one of the chairs and the boy immediately began pestering him with more questions.

"So what has Merlin been teaching you?" He asked when the boy finally stopped to catch his breath.

Jim frowned slightly and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"He's been teaching me about the … Gum-Gum Wars."

Kanjigar frowned at that.

"That must be a scary. Those were dark times."

Jim nodded, slightly.

"Merlin says it's important."

"I see."

There was a moment of silence.

"So what have you been doing when you are not learning?" Now that he thought about it Kanjigar hadn't seen any toys in the cave, on any of his visits, but they were likely kept in another room. The vigorous play of children did not mix well with delicate things like potions and scrolls.

Jim looked down and picked at his fingers.

"Not much," He said with a shrug finally. "Merlin says I can use the training room, but all the swords are too big. I don't get to go outside so sometimes I explore in the tunnel… It's kind of creepy though. Merlin gave me an old scroll to draw on. I'm not supposed to draw on the other ones. He wasn't happy when I did that. He says the new empty ones are for his research."

Kanjigar frowned.

"Don't you have any toys?"

Draal had been absolutely obsessed with magnets as a youngling. His minerals were of the type that magnets would stick to him, so he was often covered with them. It was a pity that cameras had not existed back then or Kanjigar would have collected some memorable and amusing pictures.

Jim shook his head.

"Merlin doesn't think they're important."

Kanjigar's frown deepened. He would need to talk to Merlin when the wizard returned.

"Would you like to hear about my journey to Argentina?" He asked.

Jim immediately brightened up and nodded.

As it turned out Kanjgar's talk with Merlin ended up getting put off for a couple days. Simply because the wizard had not returned.

"Does he do this often?" Kanjigar asked Jim carefully.

"Sometimes," the boy said with a shrug.

His tongue stuck out slightly as he tried to pour the oats out of the sack into the bowl without spilling too much. The stool he was standing on teetered and Kanjigar quickly steadied him.

"Let me help you with that," He said taking the bag.

"We need to talk."

The wizard frowned at those words and gave a brief glance at his Trollhunter before returning to the scroll he was writing on.

"I'm listening."

Kanijagar decided to cut straight to the point. It was hard to say how long he would have his attention for.

"You cannot simply leave Jim on his own for days at a time," He said, careful to make his voice firm but respectful.

"I don't see why not," The wizard responded without looking at him. "He's a resourceful enough and hasn't had any problems."

"That's not the point," Kanjigar said nostrils flaring just slightly. He had the distinct feeling this was going to be like arguing with Blinky.

"Then what is?"

"Jim is a child; a mere youngling. He needs attention and time… and more than just books! He needs fresh air and play and toys." Kanjigar grimaced slightly. "And a change of clothes."

From what Kanjigar learned about humans if their cloths started smelling appetizing it meant they were too dirty for the human to be wearing. Humans needed to be somewhat clean or they risked sickness and parasites.

"I suppose he is due for a change of clothes," Merlin responded finally. He paused and frowned before giving Kanjigar an affronted look. "He does actually have more than one, but he doesn't know how to use the washing potion yet and I was gone longer than I expected. I shall look for another set on my next trip."

"What about the other things?"

"What about them?"

Kanjigar took a slow breath.

"Are you going to do anything about them?"

Merlin huffed and shot him an annoyed look.

"Do I look like I know anything about children?" He said irritably. "When I was a child we amused ourselves on our own just fine."

Kanjigar's ears flicked back and he had to clench his teeth against the urge to snap at the wizard that he shouldn't take on such a young apprentice if he wasn't good with children. He looked away and took a slow breath.

"Perhaps you could take care of those things you mentioned."

Kanjigar looked back sharply to find that the wizard was studying him.

"Me?"

"Sure. You are already a father. James always goes on and on about you after you leave each time. You are sure to do a better job than I will."

Kanjigar opened his mouth to protest. It was one thing to indulge the child a little when he visited, it was another to take responsibility for his care and well-being. Kanjigar's job was dangerous and historically Trollhunters tended to die early. If he got too close it would only hurt the boy more when his time inevitably came. He had already distanced himself from his own son for that very reason.

But then he closed it. He glanced around at the musty cave full of scrolls and dust and herbs and then at the prickly old wizard. He thought of how excited Jim was every time Kanjigar visited. Given how hard it was for Kanjigar himself to get much interaction out of Merlin, he had no doubt the child was very lonely.

The Trollhunter's duty was to answer every call and Jim needed him.

Kanjigar sighed and rubbed at his browridge. What was he getting himself into?

"Very well," He said. "I cannot live here but I will visit more often. I will bring the boy what toys and amusements that I can but you must at least try to be more involved with him. And please, tell me if you expect to be gone for more than a day. If something happens to him while he is alone, he could be badly hurt or worse."

Merlin's hummed and stroked his beard.

"I suppose you are right. I'll see what I can do. In the meantime I'm off to get some venison. I grow weary of oatmeal."

With that he walked out the door and was gone.

Kanjigar stared at the closed door and then back at the stone hallway that led to Jim's room. His hand strayed to the Amulet hanging from its chain around his neck. He toyed with it apprehensively.

"Oh Deya, what am I doing?" He murmured to himself.

Author's Note:

The next chapter should be interesting. (It will be also the final part of this 3 part set.)

The thing with magnets came from a discussion on tumblr about what sort of toys young trolls might play with.

I'm half tempted to do some little side stories about Kanjigar and Jim bonding, since I skipped ahead a bit in this.

As always please leave a comment. I'd love to hear what I did well or what I need to work on since I'm always looking to improve and feedback really helps (and it also just makes me happy!)

And to those of you who leave reviews: Thank-you! I appreciate every one of them.