Changling Families

A Fary in Trollmarket

AN:  A pretty short chapter. It's mostly  to show a few characters that haven't been seen much. Also,  Jim, Toby, and Mary  are five years old now.

Two cars pulled into the Arcadia Oaks Canal and under the Arcadia Centeral Bridge. Four people got out and, looked  around for anybody watching them. Otto, Lenora, and  Barbara each got out one of the three children from the cars while Walt made his way over with the Horngazle to open the portal. The families made their way down the christal staircase. Otto chuckled as he watched  the look on his wife's face.  It was Lenora's first trip to Heartstone Trollmarket and her excitement was made evident by her wide eyes behind her violet glasses.

"Zaubermaus,*" Otto reached  forward and  caught Lenora by the arm, "I am happy zat you are excited but you can look around vvhen vve get to ze bottom of  ze stairs. I do not vvant you und Mary to go tumbling down zem."

Lenora blushed and shifted the little girl in her arms, "Sorry Bussibär*. I-I'm just so excited!"

"I know, Lenora," Otto shifted Toby to his other hip and  kissed his wife, "Und vve can ask Blinky all your questions vvhen vve get to ze library."

"Can I go swimming in the lake again, Papa?" Mary chirped.

"Yeah!" Jim and Toby began cheering.

"If you three behave," Walt promised, "We'll go to the lake when we finish  at Uncle Blinky and Uncle Arrgh's."

"But you lover birds might want to keep the  kissing to a minimum," Barbara joked, "You know how  Draal feels about kisses."

The two families shared a laugh at their friend's expense. At the foot of the stairs, Jim, Toby, and Mary were set on the ground and allowed to run  forward. Everyone knew not to harm the three 'whelps'. Jim shifted into his troll form and Toby into his Acoridian form as  they ran. 

Otto thought he could hear a slight buzz coming from Lenora as they walked. He knew his  wife well enough to know that if he let go of her hand, she would run off into Trollmarket and it would take him hours to find her again. The children, at least, knew how to get to Blinky's library and who to ask for help if they got lost. It wasn't long before Lenora started dragging her husband along as she ran past all the different shops, giddy as a schoolgirl.

Jim came running back to his parents, "Mummy! Daddy! Uncle Kanjigar and Draal are here, too!"

Walt scooped his son up onto his shoulders, "Are they really, Young Atlas?"

The families entered the library to find Blinky and Kanjigar talking about some of the ancient books on Troll lore. Blinky had him and Arrrgh's geode in his lap as he always did when reading. Arrrgh was resting his head on the table while Mary braided his thick green hair. Draal was participating in a tickle fight with Toby. A tickle fight that was more Draal tickling Toby than Toby tickling Draal. 

Lenora's eyes grew wide again and she gasped. She darted forward and started running around the trolls. Arrrgh and Draal she had met several times. In fact Arrrgh would occasionally stay in their basement, at the request of Kanjigar after Walt got back from a bad meeting with the Janis Order. But, she had never met Blinky or Kanjigar themselves.

"OhMyGosh! OhMyGosh!" She squealed, before babbling off in a language the trolls  couldn't understand.

"An excitable one I see," Kanjigar chuckled.

Otto shrugged, "It's her first time in Trollmarket. Und she's been out of ze magical vvorld for a vvhile. Just give her a moment, she'll  calm down."

"Speaking of which," Walt turned to the trollhunter, "I wasn't expecting to see you untill after my meeting tonight, Kanjigar."

"Oh," the trollhunter looked away, "Blinky and I were just discussing...um...Ok so it's a book club. Don't tell Vendel."