... The only response Trollex got was a Poppy who fell, collapsing to the snowy ground, exhausted.
...
When Poppy awoke, the heat was surrounding her; she was wrapped in blankets, her cloak was on a chair next to her bed and she was only dressed in her underwear. Branch was on top of her lying directly against her skin, sharing his body heat with her; whoever put them there knew how to survive the cold.
(AN: Nah seriously, before everyone start scream (LMAO) because Poppy is in her underwear; That's the thing to do when someone is in hyporthermia: use body warmth. Words of Lee who lives winters of -40 C ° and who is also the girl to who they repeat this every year :D)
Poppy looked around the room; everything here was built to survive the mountain cold. In two other beds, Darnell and Hickory were still unconscious. In the arms of the yodeling troll, Mr. Dinkles was also unconscious. While near his big brother, the egg, intact, was wrapped in blankets, Prince D had his neck wrapped around it.
- Ah, you're waking up! A voice whispered
It was a little pop troll, which Poppy immediately recognized; Maya, who had disappeared during the flight from the volcano a year ago. The pink troll wanted to hug her, relieved to know that the turquoise troll was okay ... but when she tried to stand up, Branch groaned, suddenly trapping her against him, pressing his lilac nose to her cheek. affectionately. The simple breeze of cold that had come in contact with her pink skin convinced her to hug her sweet puppy troll back.
- Take it easy, Trollex will be back soon with berries for everyone, Maya laughed softly, this shelter is well hidden .... I can't believe you two did all this way ! How did you guys find us ??
Poppy, who was quite awake by now, began to tell her all of what happen during their journey; her escape into the forest, her meeting with Branch, and how the puppy boy had guide her here by following Trollex's trail. Maya was in awe of this whole story;
- So he brought you here? It's unbelievable ! She marveled as Branch, still sleeping, let the gentle troll clean the wounds on his hurt leg.
Then, with a teasing little laugh, she added;
- He seems to like you a lot, he came all alone in your bed.
- I don't know where he's from, Poppy confessed, hiding her slight blush at that comment, but I couldn't leave him trapped there, something told me he shouldn't be there.
- Why didn't you ask him where he came from? Maya asked, confused.
For only answer, Poppy shook Branch slightly, he opened his blue eyes to look at her, a little sleepy.
- Hey, did you sleep well? She whispered, stroking the black hair of the wild troll.
- Aurf! Branch barked in response, looking at Poppy with such admiration and affection that his pupils dilated widely,
- Oh, Maya understood, laughing because she had forgotten this small detail.
Poppy ends up getting up to put on her clean clothes, and that's when Trollex chooses to enter the room with a small basket filled with berries.
- HELLO GUYS ! The techno troll exclaimed out loud, look at all the berries I found out there !!
Immediately, Maya scolded him gently, using her lilac hair to cover his eyes;
- There is a girl who is half naked here ! She hastened to tell him, still holding a sheet in front of Poppy, even Branch has a little respect, come on !
She turned him around and pointed to Branch who was sitting, turning so that he wasn't looking at the two girls. Honestly, Poppy didn't care a lot, knowing that Branch was unaware that his gaze on someone's body might be disturbing, cause of that time they had swimming in the little lake, he had already see her in underwear... but Maya had managed to gently convince him to turn around, so he did.
- Five minutes ago, he was sleeping on her ! Trollex joked, but okay girls, I'll let you your privancy !
He then go to another room, letting Poppy finish putting on her clothes. When she was done, Branch hurried to her side, sniffing her bag of berries like when he was hungry.
- Don't worry, we'll eat soon! Maya reassured them, you are safe here !
And it was true that this place was peaceful; the storm was over, giving way to the sun shining the snow outside and camouflaging the shelter. This one was large enough, consisting of a bedroom, a small bathroom and a kitchen which also served as a living room because we cooked on the fire. Maya explained to Poppy that she had found this abandoned house and had fixed it and moved in to live there while they ate the berries that Trollex had thawed on the fire.
- After QueenBarb's rock concert, I managed to escape ... except that I never find the rebel camp, and I was not captured by the rock trolls hunters either ... so I ran out here, and I made my little shelter here ... and then Trollex came along, and now here you are !
- Do you think Darnell, Hickory and Mr. Dinkles will be okay? Trollex suddendly asked, his voice was filled with worry.
The three trolls sitting at the table turned their gazes to the other room, where the two still unconscious trolls and earthworm were. Were they going to wake up one day? ...
Branch just leaned his head to the side, let out a little cry. Poppy tried to give him another berry but he refused to eat it.
- Hmm ... I think someone is bored, right? Trollex asked
An idea occurred to them all at the same time and a smile appeared on their faces.
...
- AURF AURF !!! Branch barked happily, jumping into the snow.
What could be better than having fun while playing in the snow? The gray troll obviously loved the idea, running around as Poppy threw snowballs at him which he tried to grab, jumping and falling back into the cold white snow.
Maya laughed every time the snowball burst in the gray troll's mouth. Nearby, Trollex was sitting on a small rock, doing calculations in a small notebook. The cure, that famous miracle cure that he had been looking for for months ... he had found it ! But what did he throw at this zombie? What mixture had work? And why now ?? What made the remedy works this time?
Poppy, curious, came and sat down next to him to see what he was doing;
- How do you manage to sweat in this cold? She joked as she saw the techno troll wipe the sweat off his forehead.
- Stress ... Trollex whispered, I just can't figure out what made my potion react, He explained, it is a simple mixture of medical berries with a rainbow flower that I have tried like... a thousand times and that had never work ! Why only now ?
Poppy could see that the poor Trollex was racking his brains trying to figure out this puzzle. Poppy shrugged helplessly and Trollex sighed, closing his notebook and just looking at Maya and Branch playing in the snow;
- Who's a good boy, huh? Your leg is much better, huh? Maya laughed as she scratched Branch's ear, who was growling happily and nibbling her scarf as his leg tapped the ground in rhythm.
In Poppy and Trollex's chest, something tightened painfully at the sight and they groaned. Startled, the two trolls turned their gaze to each other, asking the same question at the same time;
- Are you jealous ?
Then, blushing, they spoke again at the same time;
- Me ? Jealous? PFFF, Naaaan !!! ....
There was silence, and it was Trollex who spoke first.
- Okay maybe a little bit ...
- Ah, our little Trollex is in love! Poppy laughed, giving him a teasing little shoulder nudge.
Chuckling nervously and his cheeks flushing, Trollex shrugged as Poppy giggled and grabbed the notebook to look at the calculations inside. Seeing that the Queen of Pop was trying to change the subject, Trollex raised an eyebrow, amused;
- I don't think I'm the only one, he remarked.
But Poppy raised an eyebrow;
- What do you mean ? Branch is my friend, and I don't think he knows what love is ...
She was serious; she didnt think Branch had any feelings for her.
- Why wouldn't he know what it is? Trollex asked, he is obviously very attached to you, when we tried to help you, he refused we approach until Maya assures him that we did not want to hurt you ...
Poppy felt her heart melt; really ? But she thought about it ... Branch was acting like a puppy, he was her friend and he stayed with her for that reason, right? And it was okay like that, wasn't it?
- Branch is my friend, she smiles, the best friend I've ever had, and we're a team. Without him, I think the rock trolls would have captured me ... Without him, I don't know what I would do all by myself.
Trollex only smiled, shrugging his shoulders;
- If you say so, he laughed, so did you find something? He asked, looking in the notebook to see what the pink troll had written.
She was about to show him a little -stupid- theory when Branch ran over to her and jumped on her and started to lick her face, all happy.
(Weird sketch lmao-)
His snow-covered coat made contact with her skin and she tried to push him back, laughing;
- BRANCH! STOP, YOU ARE COVERED IN SNOW, BUDDY !! The pink troll laughed as Branch trapped her on the ground and the two trolls began to roll on the snow together, ITS COLD !!
- THAT'S IT ! Trollex screamed, suddenly, finally coming to understand from what Poppy had said, and also startling Maya, THE POTION MUST BE COLD !!!