Cold (Trollhunters Fanfic)

A Ghost of a Debt (13)

Short sniffles, and the occasional rustle of fabric against stone, were the only noise being made in Vendel's office. Both Vendel and Blinky were struck silent, for two different reasons.

The older of the two had his head buried in a book, pouring over age-old text, while Blinky sat nervously behind Aaarrrgghh, wringing out his hands for about the hundredth time in the last half hour. Jaylen had stopped crying a few minutes beforehand, but she still held tightly onto the larger troll. Her face buried in the crook of Aaarrrgghh's neck, hands knitted tightly in his fur, and eyes screwed shut as she trembled.

The stone behemoth didn't seem to mind, he just sat still and let her cling to him like a baby would, his back leaning against the table. He was worried, for sure... but, he knew everything would be okay. His friend wasn't injured, just scared, like really scared, but that wasn't the point! Fear was a thing that could be driven away, but wounds would take much longer to heal. (Or would they...? That's beside the point-)

By the time Jaylen had gathered her wits enough to speak again, gathered enough courage to open her eyes, nearly two hours had passed...

She mumbled a shaky apology as she, reluctantly, drew her arms away from Aaarrrgghh. He didn't mind though. Simply offered a big comforting smile in return and pat her lightly on the head. It seemed he was much more appreciative of how soft humans were. It made Jaylen want to smile... but she couldn't find the strength to force one onto her face.

"My lady Jaylen..."

Said girl was startled before looking up to meet Blinky's worried eyes. Her brows furrowed slightly as she took in the worried expression on his face. She couldn't help but feel guilty for causing his distress.

"M-Mr. Blinky! S-s-sorry, I didn't mean to w-worry you-!" she started.

Blinky cut her off, offering her two of his hands. "It's alright, my dear." Jaylen placed her hand in his palm, and he hoisted her to her feet. "Are you alright?" He pulled the younger human child gently into his arms before pulling back to check her over for any injuries. "You gave all of us quite a scare when you woke up like that!" Blinky softly brushed her tousled hair from in front of her face.

"I-I'm okay!" She said hurriedly, a slight nervous blush coloring her cheeks pink. "J-j-just a nightm-m-mare is all..." She shuddered deeply at the memory of the dream. Her skin paled, and her hands trembled. The way the red blood dripped off her mother's-

Jaylen closed her eyes and sucked in a deep, steadying breath. "... j-just a nightmare..." she whispered to herself. "B-but it's ok-k-kay! Don't wor-r-rry about m-me Mr. B-B-Blinky!"

All three trolls wore matching looks of concern as they watched her brush away the fear creeping up on her. They watched as she put on a brave face despite the way her nerves betrayed her, and her hands shook terribly. Blinky hadn't known her for very long, but he supposed that's how she always was... Brushing off such things that concerned herself, like it was nothing. Especially things that were cause for concern or panic. She didn't treat herself like she was worth anything.

Blinky and Aaarrrgghh sat on each side of their human friend as she explained her dream to Vendel through shaky words and terrible stutters. Every so often, she would wring out her hands, fiddle with her fingers, or clench the fabric of her pants tightly in her fists. Blinky idly wondered how the pant's fabric hadn't torn by now. He placed a comforting hand on Jaylen's shoulder, smiling warmly at her. She offered a watery half-grin in return. He couldn't help but think it looked more like a grimace than anything.

Her retelling left a sour taste in Vendel's mouth. It was understandable that her mind would react in such a way, considering she'd had so many near-death experiences concerning Bular. It was natural for fear to spark such a nightmarish scenario, especially during sleep.