Geronimo [Dreamworks Trolls]

Chapter 5

Hair-swinging was a super fast way to travel if you were a troll. Skitterboarding could be quick as well, but it just wasn't as speedy as whipping through the forest using your own long magic locks.

"What do these giants look like?" Poppy asked as she, Branch, and Fletcher headed deeper into the valley.

"Not super scary, but they're so tall and they had weapons and stuff," Fletcher said, "But they don't look like they'd eat us, if that helps."

"That's not enough to trust them," Branch said. Looks weren't everything. Sometimes the fluffiest, cutest things could unhinge their jaws and devour something twice their size. And if these things were so big, scooping up a handful of trolls and turning them into a troll pastry or troll-ish dessert wouldn't be too hard.

"We should at least try talking to them," Poppy said, "Maybe they're just passing through the valley."

"Or maybe they want to cut all the trees down and set up a spa where our home used to be," Branch said, just as optimistic as ever.

"Hey, a spa could be nice." Poppy smiled as Branch shot her a frown. "Kidding, you know I'm kidding."

As they made their way to the giants, Branch started going over evacuation routes and survival guides and back-up plans, to the point that Fletcher and Poppy tuned him out. Poppy was used to Branch reverting to this kind of behavior.

Back when she had told him they were going to have a kid the first time, he had gone straight into crazy-overprotective-overprepared dad mode. He had created a dozen scrapbooks about baby plans and child raising and everything they would need to do to take care a baby. Planning was one of his things, and it made him feel better, or at least it wouldn't do any good if she tried to stop his process.

So she just let Branch create plans while she thought about other possibilities. She wanted the giants to be nice and fun and exciting, not scary. Having big new friends would be great. Maybe they had their own kinds of music and parties and all sorts of stuff, and they could exchange cultural things. That would be amazing.

A campfire's glow flickered through the leaves of the forest, and Fletcher stopped on a branch above a clearing. She put one hand to the tree's trunk and pointed down at the ground below. Branch and Poppy peeked through the leaves to get a better look at the newcomers.

Geez, but they were tall. Twice the height of a Bergen, they were the height of some of the young trees and they had that same graceful, willow-y look about them. They all had long green hair with pointed ears, and just one of them could've stepped on about three grown-up trolls at a time. There were about fifteen of them sitting around a campfire, cooking something over the flames. It looked like a rabbit to Branch, which was a relief. At least it wasn't a Bergen or a troll...

There were two monstrous wagons there and six gargantuan creatures with four legs apiece, flowing hair on their necks and long tails. They were even bigger than the giants, and Branch had no idea why Fletcher hadn't mentioned them too.

Instinctively, Branch reached out and took hold of Poppy's hand. If she got a grand idea about jumping down there and introducing herself to the giants with a big welcoming fanfare, he was going to stop her. Even if he had to sit on her or something.

"They don't look so bad," Poppy said, "Look, they have little shoulder guitars."

"Those might be weapons," Branch said.

"But they're making music with them," Fletcher said. Obviously she was on Poppy's side about this whole strangers thing and didn't think they were as dangerous as Branch did.