The Strength of Silence

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

It was cold.

Surrounded in a puddle of red that poured from the child's open wounds as she tried to whimper in pain; only for it to turn into wet gurgles. The young brunette tried to move but her body was completely numb as her vision slowly started to go dark. Until a familiar anguished scream caught her attention as Gemma's only working eye glanced up; seeing only a blurry figure. But she knew who it was:

Mother

The dying child tried lifting her head but everything felt so cold and sluggish. The blue eyed youngling tried to breath but all she could do was take a rattling breath as a wet warm substance cascaded down her bottom lip. The tired girl didn't like this warmth, it brought bad vibes with her wavering consciousness; unlike her mother's who was inviting and full of love. Gemma started to shiver; why was everything so cold?

Her fingers twitched as she willed her hand to lift as it sluggishly moved towards the distressed woman. The eleven year old spots another figure behind the other as fear washed over her frozen body while she screamed a silent scream.

꧁☯︎︎꧂

Aaarrrgghh's ears twitched when a strangled cry sounded next to him. He groggily groaned while cracking an emerald eye open as a wail echoed through the dark library; the fireplace now only dimming embers. The male troll leisurely stretched in an almost cat-like manner, shaking his dark green mane and smacking his lips together, before making his way over to a pile of pillows and blankets; formed to resemble a nest. Cautiously peaking over a pile of books, Aaarrrgghh spotted Gemma, still in her true form, shivering and twitching in her sleep; making the troll to lower his ears and whine in worry.

After retrieving the unconscious Dragon Folk from the pub, Blinky and him had brought her back to the library before placing the young woman in a nest she made from when she had stayed in Trollmarket during her recovery from her confrontation with Bular. Gemma let out a whimper that caused Aaarrrgghh to instantly trod over to the sleeping dragoness before sitting next to her. He was unsure if he should wake her up since she needs to rest after after consuming so much trollish alcohol; thus decided on laying next to the brunette before gingerly petting her head all the way down to the middle of her back. Her long ears twitched but the girl continued to be trapped in her hellish nightmare as she continued to shiver while muttering a single word, "M-Ma..."

Aaarrrgghh's body froze as he watched the distressed woman's hand slowly reach out for nothing before her lips parted to scream in anguished silence; brows furrowed as tears violently dripped down her cheeks. Not wanting to watch her suffer anymore, the grey skinned male snatched her up in a protective hold while a deep rumbling purr resounded in his throat. Gemma sighed in blissful relief as her quaking body slowly came to a halt; snuggling her face into the troll's soft fur as the brunette gave a content smile.

"A-Ar..."

The mentioned being's breath hitched while his cheeks darkened and his markings slightly glowed green from the dragoness' unconscious whisper of his name. Aaarrrgghh's shocked green orbs softened, a fond smile decorating his face as the troll started to stroke her long hair; enjoying the scent of crisp water and earthy forest that wafted from it. A warm bubbly feeling consuming within his chest as he watched as Gemma's shoulders peacefully moved in sync with her breathing; how her tricolored scales glimmered in the dim light, the way her tail slithered over his waist and lazily hung against the male's back, and how her lashes fluttered elegantly in her slumber. This experience was nothing like Aaarrrgghh had ever been in but hoped it never ends while his eyes finally closed shut; letting out his own sigh of content as he unknowingly brought Gemma closer in his hold before falling asleep.