The Curse Of The Forest

Chapter 8: Troll Family

[Jacki's P.O.V]

My heart sank, this baby Troll Vinulea was trying to say my name. It was so cute but Vinulea wasn't an average human sized baby, she was half the size of me, even though her parents told me she was only born a couple of months ago.

Her scaly warm arms wrapped around my hips and her warmth and comfort reminded me of Miley. The problem was, Tazga (Vinulea's father) didn't know where she could be or how they were going to help me. He said that if Miley was alive and found by the Crown she wouldn't see the light of overground ever again. I assumed that meant there was no hope, but not for me. I came all the way down this terrifying hole and I wasn't leaving till I found her.

However, I couldn't do that at the moment because this family was surprisingly nice and I didn't want to worry them if I went to investigate all on my own. So I was keeping it low till I had a chance to get out quietly and leave to search for her.

Vinulea was now pulling at my brown waves of hair and smothering it over her face. Then she put her hands in my hoodie pockets and was trying to fit her head inside them. Then Dieara came in and put something on the wooden platter which was placed on a huge white boulder. A table? I looked to see what she had bought, in a pot was some water and in the other..

'I didn't know what you eat so I just bought some soup, have some and then you can rest.' Said Dieara and then she laughed when she saw what her daughter was doing.

'She really does like you doesn't she? Well, there is no other she can play with around this part of Troll Valley. Her father likes it that way, so that she is kept safe.' Her eyes wandered.

I took a sip of the water which was cold and sweet.

'What do you mean stay safe?' I asked.

'Well, the other Troll's in Troll Valley are not like us, they aggressively fight while playing and are really bad-tempered.' She replied, with an unknown sadness in her deep blue eyes.

I thought about this, these creatures 'Troll's' (I was still getting used to the term) were so similar yet so different in so many ways. I thought about their looks and appearance and then about their behaviour and minds. I then wondered why we didn't get along and why they hated us, Humans.

'So why are you so different? I mean shouldn't you be the same as them?' I asked Dieara, who was now cradling Vinulea and humming the same eery song I had heard when I first came here.

'I guess we're the only good apples left on the tree, there are some good Trolls at times who are different to the others but they usually get cast out. Some of us are different, like the..' She drifted off.

'Like who..?' I asked, shuffling on the stone chair.

'Nothing.. no one.. I shouldn't mention him to you.' Her body straightened. 'But there are some good Troll's at times' Dieara coughed or sneezed, I wasn't too sure as it sounded somewhere in between.

'Okay..' I said. 'But why can't you tell me?'

Dieara looked at me with a discerning look, 'He is not to be mentioned by the Troll's of Troll Valley as long as he is alive.' Her face changed slightly and then she shut her eyes.