Hilda and the Pride of Sparrow Scouts

Chapter 2- The Nisse's Warning

When Hilda got home, she saw her Mum sitting on her usual seat drawing. Twig, Hilda's pet deerfox, was snoozing comfortably on the sofa. 

' Hi Mum! ' Hilda greeted. Mum turned and smiled.

' Hilda, how nice to see you, have you been picked for the Warblers? '

Twig immediately shot his head up and leaped off the sofa to paw Hilda with his tiny, front paws, standing on his hind legs. Hilda bent down to pat him on the head.

' No. Not yet. But I will tomorrow!... maybe... ' Hilda hugged Mum and sat on the sofa, suddenly looking worried.

' Hey, where's my sketchbook? ' she looked under the sofa and behind it. ' I just put it right here before I left! '

Just then, Tontu, a nisse, appeared out of the blue and landed onto the sofa.

' Sorry, ' he squeaked. ' I found it here on the sofa. And no one was using it, so I thought I should take it with me for safe keeping. '

' Tontu! ' Hilda sighed as she smiled and took her sketchbook from him. 

' Anyways, I got you hot chocolate. Also, I think I put to many marshmallows in here, you think you'll be able to finish dinner? I wouldn't if I were you. ' Tontu held out a cup of hot chocolate which couldn't be seen. The drink was all covered up my a mountain of marshmallows. Hilda giggled as she took the drink and Twig sniffed at the marshmallows and grunted. Hilda spent the last one and a half hour just drawing the view of Trolberg. She was busy drawing the outline of the wall that surrounded the city when Tontu appeared again, but appeared as if he was being thrown out of Nowhere Space.

' Tontu? What happened? ' Hilda closed her sketchbook and helped the nisse up.

' Ugh, nothing. ' Tontu said as he brushed the dust off himself. ' Just that we've got a visitor. Or two. '

' Really? Who? ' Hilda rushed to the door. And opened it. No one. 

' Pretty sure the visitors will surprise you more than a bunch of these visitors made of air. ' Tontu sighed as he indicated the empty street. He held Hilda's hand. ' Come on. ' 

Hilda, still holding Tontu's hand, followed Tontu to a corner and jumped in after him into Nowhere Space.

Landing safely onto the bouncy ground, Hilda gasped in horror as a humongous black figure approached her, only to find out it was Jellybean, a huge barghest, but also known as the Black Hound to the people in Trolberg.

' Hello, Hilda! ' the nisse, who is Jellybean's owner, appeared on the top of Jellybean's head. ' We just stopped by for a visit. Also, Jellybean and I also came here to warn you. '

' Warn me? Tontu is this a visit or just a stop- by to warn me? ' Hilda turned to the nisse who was sitting on an old armchair reading an old newspaper. He lowered it and said, ' No idea! ' and buried his face in the newspaper again.

' Anyhoo... ' the nisse began. ' Jellybean and I were in the forest when we heard a group of men talking... '

Flashback...

The nisse and Jellybean were happily strolling through the forest when Jellybean sense smoke. He followed the smell and found a group of three men gathered around the campfire. Jellybean whined softly and lowered down behind the thick trees. The nisse stroked Jellybean on the head and said, ' What is it Jellybean? ' 

Jellybean whined again and indicated the group of men. The nisse dismounted him and signalled him not to move and stepped closer. Behind a hedge, the nisse listened...

' So, next week, at dusk, we will lure the trolls to Trolberg and they will get the city's attention. '

The nisse looked over at the huge group of rocks in a huge cave just nice for all of them to fit in and looked back at the men.

' But we don't even know what they will do. We can't just assume the city will go all quiet! '

' But it's our only chance to get that remaining little baby troll rock and earn money! '

' But why not these big ones since we already have them? '

' But a baby troll will prove the effort! '

The two men looked at each other and nodded, agreeing without thinking.

' So where is this troll rock? '

' I was looking for one, but I saw a little boy with an orange shirt and brown hair with it. '

' Great catch. You're the boss. And then what? '

Harold Gray, the " Boss " of the group, smirked.

' The city will be no use. Trolberg is a place where trolls are forbidden. And if we want more trolls around... then we will burn the city down... '

The two men looked at each other and nodded, with a menacing, cunning smile.

Flashback ends...

Hilda and Tontu sat there with their eyes widened. ( despite Tontu, whose eyes couldn't be seen ).

' Who would want money by just simply selling a baby troll rock? ' said Hilda.

' Ugh... whoever that got the idea to do so, that's who! ' came Alfur's voice from Hilda's right ear.

' Alfur! What are you doing here? '

' Dunno. I've been with you the whole time! '

' " The whole time "? You mean you've been listening to every conversation I had today? '

' Uhh, well, heh heh, I didn't mean to eavesdrop... ' Alfur mumbled. Hilda looked at Jellybean who was playing with a bone he found. The nisse was just wandering about as if it had never been to Nowhere Space before.

' We've got to find out who that is! 'Hilda protested. ' To tell him that there is no use burning down a whole city with people in it just for trolls to come! '

' Do you know how he looks like? ' Alfur asked the nisse. The nisse thought

' No... ' the nisse sounded as if she wasn't sorry at all. Hilda sighed.

' Anyways, why do take this so seriously again? ' Alfur said with a nervous smile.

' Because he is going to burn Trolberg down! ' Hilda said briskly. ' I've got to tell Frida and David. '