Song Defies Color

The Only Friends in the World

Song Defies Color

A/N: Wow! I'm actually surprised that so many people like this already. Well, sorry for taking a little longer on this, but I hope this will be worth it. Let's get on with Chapter 2. Roll it!

Chapter 2

The Only Friends in the World

The next day, Branch was cleaning the crystal chandelier that was hanging from the high ceiling in the main foyer of Guffin's manor while balancing precariously on top of a tall wooden ladder, a feather duster in his hand. Glitz was outside, wanting to be let in, but Branch had to reluctantly shoo him away because Guffin was still inside the manor.

Just then, the sorceress Troll in question appeared, standing a few feet away from the ladder. "Branch." She said sharply, making Branch almost lose his balance and his feather duster, but he quickly recomposed himself before he could fall off. 

"I'll be back very late tonight, so don't bother waiting for me. Though I would like some bread and fruit for me while I make my trip."

"Yes, madam." Branch answered.

"And don't forget those other chores that I have assigned for you today." Guffin said. "Make all the beds, sweep upstairs, weed the garden."

"Yes, madam." Branch replied, but Guffin wasn't finished.

"Also, beat the carpets that are in the hallways, wax the dining table, polish all the silver, and do the draperies." She said.

Branch looked down at her from the top step of the ladder, his eyes wide. "But I just did the draperies two days ago." He said.

Guffin only glared at him and formed a green ball of energy in her palm. Then, she fired it at the ladder that Branch was standing on. On impact, it blew the ladder apart into hundreds of splinters and Branch fell onto the ground with a short yell, landing hard on his side. He could've used his hair to catch himself, but the last time he did that, she fired another blast at him, yelling at him to not let his "disgusting black hair" touch anything.

"Do the draperies again, and clean up this mess." She said firmly while gesturing over towards the broken pieces of the ladder around the foyer. 

Branch glanced over at them and then back over at Guffin as he slowly stood up. "Yes, madam." He said obediently, not meeting her eyes.

Guffin smiled rather cruelly at Branch. "Now that's a good Troll." She said, coming over to him and patting him on the head rather hard. "Once you're done with all of that, then you are free for the rest of the evening."

With that, she donned her cheery disguise with an ironic wall of green flame briefly enveloping her and then left the manor, haughtily stepping around the mess of splinters in the foyer. Branch looked up at the sparkling chandelier and sighed.

"Well, I was just about done with that anyway." He muttered to himself before he got to work on cleaning up the mess of the broken ladder.

***********************************

Later that afternoon, Branch was weeding the large vegetable garden after he had finished all of his other chores that had been done inside the manor. He was lucky that hardly anyone came to see Guffin, even though she was a well-respected member of the village, so being outside around her manor or cottage didn't worry him so much.

Glitz was out there with him, buzzing insistently around his head, trying to convince him to play by tugging on a strand of his hair, making him chuckle lightly.