Faded Rainbows

Extended family

Trollex had, at some point, fallen asleep in the river, snoring softly as the current washed over him. He had always forgotten how nice it felt sleeping under water. Of course, that meant the only really comfortable thing there was to sleep on was sea sponges, but that was the price he paid.

Of course, sleeping under water had its disadvantages, such as when someone is looking for you, and can't for the life of them find you.

Such was the position Trollzart found himself in. He knew that Bach had brought Trollex over to this part of town, and he knew that the aquatic troll would like the water, but he himself couldn't dive in. Classical trolls weren't able to use their wings in the water, needing to rely on their rather stumpy arms and legs. To make matters worse, they had to wait for their wings to dry before they could fly again.

At this point, he had two options. He could either give up the search, or start tossing rocks into the river and hope he managed to hit Trollex.

That idea was quickly discarded, leaving only the one. He sighed, looking up towards the clouds. "Ooh, how could I lose one of our firsts guests... how embarrassing..." His hand drifted down to his stomach, tapping lightly at the gem there. He always did it when nervous or thinking. Their histories said that there was once an entire race of trolls, called treasure trolls, with gems in their bellies capable of granting wishes.

There was, of course, no proof that the gems could. It still calmed Trollzart whenever he would tap the gem. He closed his eyes, thinking. He couldn't just give up the search. He needed to come up with something. He looked towards the river again, and approached. Trollex said that music affects him, so perhaps...

Trollzart zipped off. He knew that when they repaired the home that he put Trollex in, they had left the original occupants instrument. It didn't take him long to find it, pulling it from its stand. He wasn't very proficient in the Mandolin, but he could work with it.

He flew back to the river, and took up a position hovering above it. "Now, let's see..." He didn't have a pick, but this would have to do. He played a few notes by plucking lightly on the strings, tuning it slightly, and then deeming it ready.

He began to play a chipper and up beat melody, though he played a few missed notes by mistake. He closed his eyes and focused less on the strings, and more on the music in his heart he used to guide his tribe by.

Trollex could feel his heart beating a little faster, rousing him from his peaceful rest. He let out a groan, rubbing his face. "Ugh... what's going on...?" He looked up, and saw a distorted image of Trollzart above him, holding some kind of instrument. "Huh...?" He flicked his fin and made his way to the surface, poking his head out of the water.

Trollzart didn't seem to notice him right away, focused more on the tune than anything else. Trollex could tell somehow through the melody that the conductor was unsure of himself right now. Weather in general or just with the instrument he couldn't say. "Is everything alright, Trollzart?"

The troll in question let out a squeak, dropping the instrument in his fright. It was lucky Trollex was right below, as he was able to easily catch it. Upon seeing the Mandolin safe, Trollzart let out a sigh. "There you are, King Trollex... I've been looking everywhere for you!"

He arched a brow at that. "What time is it...?" He looked around, seeing that the sky had begun getting dark.

"It's nearly 9 at night, I came to get you around 5 or so in the afternoon for tea time, but no one had seen you since Bach brought you here. Is the home not to your liking...?"

Trollex's eyes widened, now worried he had insulted his host. "What? No, no! The house is wonderful! It's just... Well, I heard what happened to your trolls...And it felt wrong for me to stay in a home that someone could never return to..."