The Love of a Troll Warrior

The Big News

"I must be seeing things, but is Gwendolyn the Determined afraid to confront her own father about going above Trollmarket?" Draal teased. "What? No I'm not! I just don't want to ask him, is all" Gwen said, crossing her arms as well. "Admit it, you are afraid" he retorted. "I am not!" she almost shouted, her face almost flushing. 'I'll admit, this is kind of adorable' the blue troll thought. "Look, I'm not afraid, and I'll definitely prove it!" the girl said, her voice very determined and confident. "Very well, here comes your chance" he said to her. Before she can ask him what he meant by that, she hears the voice of her father entering the Hero's Forge, calling out her name. "Gwendolyn! I thought I'd come by to see how you're doing" Blinky said, walking up to her with AAARRGH!!! walking beside him. "He got nervous" the green manned troll said. "No, I was not!" the six eyed troll said to him. Gwen's eyes widen as she sees them. She turns her head to Draal, who gave her a smug look. "Uh, yeah, training's been going good" she said. "That's great, dear. Glad to see that you weren't dismembered or broken" Blinky said to her. Gwen awkwardly laughs at that joke. She looks out of the corner of her eye and sees Draal urging her to talk to her father more. She sighs and turns back to the six eyed troll, giving him her full attention.

"Father, there's actually something that I wanted to talk to you about" Gwen said, twiddling her fingers nervously. "Oh, that's funny, I wanted to talk to you about something, too" Blinky tells her. "Very important" AAARRGH!!! said. "Really? Well, in that case, I'll let you go first" the girl said to the six eyed troll. "No, no, if yours is just as important as mine, I'll let you go first" he replied. Gwen started to feel a little anxious all of a sudden. What is this important thing Blinky wanted to talk to her about? "I insist, Father, you go first" she said, curious as to what her father needs to say. "Very well then, I think that you'll love this" he replied. Draal gets up from the stairway and stood next to the young girl, curious to hear this as well. "So, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I've even consulted AAARRGH!!!, Vendel and Kanjigar about this. With that being said, I've decided to allow you to go to the surface!" he said, opening his arms wide as he did. "Aha, I told you he was going to say that, Draal. He was going to say exactly that-" Gwen said, turning to her mentor and friend, but paused halfway through. "Wait, what did you say?" she asked him, surprised by what she just heard. "I said I've decided to allow you to go to the surface" he replied. The girl couldn't believe her ears. "Are you sure you're not joking around with me?" she asks, wanting to believe it but not wanting to at the same time. "I tell you, my child, this is not a joke. I noticed you staring up the rocky ceiling and watching the night sky through the bars and openings of the sewers. I talked to everyone about it, even Draal hear. So, for that, I think that you're ready to go up there and explore the world above!" Blinky explains.

Gwen was at a total loss for words. She was not expecting something like this at all. "Wow, this is, this is amazing!" she said, her voice growing in excitement. "I know, right? You'll go up there within a few days, and go to a school there as well" Blinky said to his daughter. It was becoming more and more harder for the girl to contain her happiness. "Oh, was there something you wanted to tell me?" the six eyed troll asked her. She was about to reply, but thought about what she said earlier. "Uh, nevermind, it wasn't that important anyway" she said to him. "Excellent! We will begin preparations at once! And I will try my best not to cry during the process" the six eyed troll said, trying not to whimper. The girl and AAARRGH!!! looked at each other, knowing very well what will happen. Blinky and the green manned troll left the Hero's Forge, leaving Gwen and Draal alone by themselves once again. The girl looks at the blue troll, who only gave her the same look as before. "You knew the whole time, didn't you?" she asks him. "Possibly" he replied. She was about to say something to him, but she decided against. "You know, I was going to say something to you, but because of this exciting news and my excitement, I will let it pass for now" she said to him, a smile replacing the hard stare she had before. Those words made the troll chuckle. "Don't worry, I probably heard worse from you" he said, which made the girl playfully punch him in the arm.

"Well, I better get going now. Thanks for the training session, Draal, I think I needed it" Gwen said, preparing to leave the Hero's Forge for the day. Before she left, however, Draal calls her name. "Gwendolyn, wait one moment" he said. The girl turns around, looking at the blue troll and wondering what he needed. The troll felt nervous all of a sudden, a little anxious even. "Uh, I'm not the best with these things, but...I have something for you" he said, handing her a small bag. "Okay, if this is another joke you're playing on me, it won't-" Gwen was about to say, gently taking the bag and looking inside it. When she did, her words stopped. She takes the item out of the bag, and she sees a green stone gem being held by black lace. It was indeed a beautiful small trinket. "I-Is this?" Gwen asks Draal, wanting to be sure with her mentor if this is what she thinks it is. "The sapphire emerald you were talking about? Yes it is" he replied.

Gwen's eyes widen. She had always talked this kind of gem all the time when she was little. Of course, it was hard to find these days, so she wondered how in the world Draal was able to obtain such a rare jewel. "How-How did you get this?" the girl asks him, looking up at him with curious eyes. "I've spoken to someone here in Trollmarket that had it, so we worked things out, and that's how I got it" he explained. Gwen looks at him, eyebrow raised and a smirk plastered on her face. "Worked things out? Are you sure you didn't threaten them or something like that?" she said. Draal laughed at those words. "No, I didn't threaten them. I only hit them very hard that they gave it up" the blue troll said. The girl chuckles as she slips the necklace around her neck. "Still though, it's very nice. Thank you Draal" she said. As she said that, she goes up to him and wraps her arms around him, giving him a kind felt hug.

Draal was caught off guard. He didn't expect Gwen to do a thing such as this. But still, none the less, the blue troll returns the hug, being careful not to crush the girl. This lasted for a few seconds until they both released themselves. Realizing what she did, Gwen's face started to burn lightly and backs up a few steps. "Uh, um, thanks again for the necklace, Draal. And the um, training session. I should go now, yep, that's exactly what I'll do. Have a good rest of your day" the girl said, leaving the Hero's Forge very awkwardly and her face as red as a tomato. Draal watches her leave, a smile on his face, his heart almost beating a million times faster. "You as well, dear Gwendolyn" he mutters, as he goes a different direction to exit the Forge, ending his time there for the day.