"Branch!" Poppy screeched out in terror as her best friend was tackled roughly to the ground right in front of her horrified gaze, the young princess watching the struggle with wide eyes as she fought for her own life at the same time, another mysterious creature holding her in place. "Branch! No!"
Terrified for the safety of both himself and the troll he cared more about than anything else in the world, Branch rolled around on the ground, the young boy wrestling fiercely with whatever was trying to take him down...
"Grrrr..." the little Weretroll growled his eyes glowing with fury as he fought to gain control over his attacker, the survivalist finally ending up on top as he pinned the unknown creature in the dirt...
Panting heavily in both fear and exhaustion, Branch held his prey roughly to the ground, his eyes suddenly widening in shock when he realized who it was he was currently on top of...
"Creek?" he questioned in pure confusion, not believing his eyes...
The purple nuisance looked up in fear at the gray troll who still held him firmly in the dirt, the jerk troll suddenly realizing in frustration who he was...
"Oh... Branch..." he grumbled angrily, his eyes narrowing in pure annoyance...
Quickly, still concerned about his best friend, the village grump not knowing weather her attacker was friend or foe, Branch climbed off of the non-threat, the survivalist looking immediately back to Poppy who, to his surprise, was currently being cradled comfortingly in her father's arms...
"King Peppy?" Branch questioned, tilting his head slightly to the side as he looked at the old king in confusion... What were these two trolls doing here?
At the sound of those confused words, Peppy looked up to see Branch, the orange troll sighing in relief once he realized it was just the young boy he considered his son...
"Branch, my boy. It's only you," he exclaimed in relief, rushing over to hug the gray troll tightly in his arms, Branch actually accepting the act of concern. "We heard growling, and assumed it was the wolf... so we followed it here..." He paused for a moment, looking to the young boy in slight suspicion as the orange troll pulled slightly away from the hug... "It's... strange... that the sound was coming from you, Branch..."
"Y... yeah..." the survivalist stuttered nervously, the gray troll rubbing the back of his head as he looked away from the old king in complete terror... "I... I know..."
They had heard him growl... would... would they figure out his secret because of that?
Poppy looked to Branch with worry filled eyes, the young princess clearly able to see her friend's fear... and she knew... she knew what question was coming next... why had the little troll been growling like the wolf?
"What are you two doing out here?" she quickly asked to change the subject, Branch looking up at her with a thankful gaze, the young boy knowing she was trying to protect him...
"We were hunting for the wolf before this freak got in our way," Creek grumbled as he crossed his arms in frustration, Branch not even bothering to give him an angered sneer...
"The real question is..." Peppy began, looking back to his daughter with a firm gaze. "What are you doing out here, Poppy? I told you not to leave the village..."
Poppy's face went blank as she remembered their conversation from the night before...
"Oh... oh right..." she stuttered nervously, not knowing what to say to keep the little gray troll out of trouble. "I'm... I was..."
"It was my fault, King Peppy," Branch suddenly interrupted in a loud yet soft tone, everyone quickly turning to him in surprise...
The poor boy gulped slightly at the sight of all eyes now being on him, knowing full well he could possibly get exiled from the village for putting the king's precious daughter in danger, the village grump rubbing the back of his head nervously as he tried his absolute best to avoid eye contact...
"I was sleep walking," he admitted in a muttered whisper, which wasn't completely the truth, but these two didn't need to know what had really happened... that would just make the situation worse... much... much... worse... and that was the absolute last thing he wanted to happen right now... "Poppy just wanted to make sure I was ok," he continued, finally looking back up to the king who was looking down at him in assumed disappointment. "You know... so that... monster... didn't attack me... a... again..."
At the sound of that explanation, Peppy looked at the young boy for a moment longer before then turning his gaze back to his daughter...
"Is this true, Poppy?" the old king asked in a firm sounding tone, Poppy gulping slightly before looking to Branch in concern...
She had seen many trolls who she used to consider friends get punished for 'convincing' the young princess into doing dangerous things like cliff diving or indoor sledding... and this... going out into the forest at night... especially with a 'dangerous beast' on the lose... this was much more dangerous than anything she had done in the past... and the last thing the pink troll wanted was for her overprotective father to deem Branch as a bad influence and ban her from ever speaking to him again... or worse...
"I... I..." Poppy started, looking back to her father in fear. "I was just... and... and Branch... he... he just... i... it was my..."
"Please don't blame Poppy," Branch suddenly continued, catching the king's attention once more as he cut off Poppy's words so she wouldn't take the blame for his mistake. "It wasn't her fault. It... it was mine..." He lowered his head in shame, the poor boy's ears drooping slightly in despair. "I... I'm sorry, sir..."
The king looked to his daughter for just a moment and then back to Branch, seeing the shame and sorrow painted clearly on the young boy's face, the orange troll finally sighing deeply before walking slowly towards the village grump to place a comforting hand on his shoulder...
"It's ok, my boy," Peppy assured gently, Poppy looking to her father in slight shock as Branch's head remained hanging low. "Thank you for telling me the truth..." He paused, looking to Creek for a moment, the purple nuisance still covered in dirt from the fight he had just gotten into with the survivalist. "Also... you were protecting Poppy, yes?" he finally continued after a few short moments of silence as he looked back down to Branch. "That's why you were wrestling with Creek?"
Branch nodded slowly in response to the question, the young boy raising his eyes a bit to meet the king's gaze...
"Thank you, my boy..." Peppy thanked sincerely, giving Branch a short hug to which the village grump reluctantly returned, his eyes wide as he stood there awkwardly, having no idea what the hair was going on...
"You're... you're welcome?" Branch questioned softly in pure confusion before looking to Poppy who seemed just as bewildered as he was...
So... the king of trolls wasn't mad at him?
"By the way... the way you took Creek down so quickly..." the old orange troll suddenly continued, pulling away slightly to look Branch in the eyes. "I didn't know you were so strong..."
"He's not strong!" Creek quickly objected, feeling extremely offended by the king's words. "The sun was just in my eyes..." He crossed his arms, looking away from the other three trolls in denial...
"Anyways..." Peppy continued, smiling kindly at the little gray troll, the king's large hands still resting gently on Branch's shoulders. "I want you as head hunter on my wolf hunting team..."
"What!?" Branch and Creek both yelled out simultaneously, their eyes wide in disbelief...
"But... but Peppy..." Creek objected sternly. "I'm head hunter!"
"Not anymore," Peppy said with a smile, putting his arm around Branch's neck and hugging him close. "So... what do you say, Branch?"
Branch looked at him completely speechless, the little Weretroll's eyes still wide in complete and utter shock...
"I... I..." the survivalist stuttered nervously, having no clue on what to say. He certainly couldn't say yes... he was the wolf! He couldn't hunt himself! But he also couldn't say no... everyone knows you never defy the king. When the king asks you to do something... you do it... no questions asked. That's what his grandma always told him when he was little... when... when she was still around...
"Great!" Peppy suddenly exclaimed, not even waiting for the village grump's answer, already assuming it was going to be 'yes'...
"But... but King Peppy... I..." Branch started, but he was quickly cut off by Peppy, the old troll seeming more excited than ever before...
"I'll see you tonight, my boy," the king of trolls said with the biggest grin on his bright orange face. "We hunt the wolf at dusk!"
"But, King Peppy! I don't..." Branch tried to explain, his voice starting off as a shout but lowering to a soft mutter as Peppy and Creek walked away together, the purple nuisance giving the poor boy the death glare until he finally faded off into the distance, the two of them leaving Branch completely alone with Poppy once more... "want to..."
Poppy watched her father and friend both leave her sight before then looking back to Branch with a sorrowful gaze, the poor boy seeming to be frozen in fear as he continued staring off in the direction the two trolls had taken...
"What are you going to do, Branch?" she asked in a worried tone, now completely concerned for her best friend's safety. "My dad just asked you to help kill the wolf!"
"Yeah... I know..." Branch replied in a soft muttered tone, not even looking back at her as he reached up to clutch his aching stomach, the survivalist suddenly feeling as if he were about to puke...
"Branch!" Poppy exclaimed in a panic. "You're the wolf!"
"Yeah..." Branch groaned, the little gray troll still gazing blankly off into the distance with wide fearful eyes. "I know..."
Horrified by the situation Branch had just unfortunately found himself in, Poppy began to pace anxiously back and forth as the young princess continued voicing her concerns...
"This is bad..." she explained as if it wasn't already obvious, the pink troll only helping to make Branch even more terrified than he already was... "Yeah... I know..." Branch replied, still not looking over at her, the poor boy petrified by fear...
"But this... this is really bad..."
"I said... I know..."
"But seriously... the level of badness in this situation is like..."
"Poppy!" Branch suddenly interrupted in a harsh shout, the village grump finally looking over to the young princess as he grabbed roughly at her shoulders. "I know!"
Shocked by her best friend's loud and angered outburst, Poppy blinked, staring up at him for just a moment before then pulling away from him, making the little gray troll release her from his grasp...
She could see his fear as she gazed straight into the survivalist's crystal blue eyes, the young girl knowing he hadn't meant to shout at her...
"So..." Poppy finally asked softly after a few short moments of silence. "What are you gonna do..."
With a soft groan, Branch turned away once more before answering the question in a tone that clearly showed his terror, the young boy moaning softly in despair....
"I'm gonna die..."