Trolls and the Search for the Missing Mom (remake)

Chapter 16

The two trolls, struggled up the cliff, Poppy pushing Branch to help him climb.

     Finally, they reached the top. Poppy helping Branch stand.

     "Sorry..." he apologized, feeling bad that she had to help him.
"It's ok," she assured, kissing his cheek, gently. "It's not your fault."

     She turned to the river, looking at the water rushing by. How was Branch ever gonna get across that, when he couldn't see?

     "Branch... you said there was a way around the river, if we go through the mountains, right?"

     He nodded, pulling the map out of his hair, raising it up to his face, as he squinted, but all he saw was blackness.

     "Here..." Poppy said, gently taking the map from him. "Let me look."

     She looked at the map, seeing the path they needed to take to get around the mountains. It was just so far... she didn't know how they would ever make it.

     Slowly, she turned her gaze to the big red ❌ marking the spot where her mother was.

     It was a lot closer than home was. And the terrain seemed much safer.

     She looked up at Branch, who was rubbing his eyes again, trying to clear his vision.

     "Branch?"

     He looked up at her, blinking, but still... all he could see was a pink blur.

     Finally, he sighed, looking away again.

     "I'm just putting you in danger..." he said, softly.
"What? No you're not, Branch. This isn't your fault."
"But it is... if I hadn't taken the map... we wouldn't even be here..."

     She walked over, hugging him, comfortingly.

     "It's not your fault," she said, softly. "You where just trying to help. And how where you supposed to know this trip would be dangerous? My dad gave you the map. He would never send us on a dangerous journey."

     He looked up at her, sadly.

     "Yeah... your dad gave it to me..." he said, softly, looking away again.

     Poppy looked at the map again. It wasn't that far to the ❌ at all. It was just a little ways up the next hill, but even if they could get there... there was no way of knowing if they would find her mom... or if she could help Branch.

     She looked up at the sky, the sun beginning to set.

     It didn't matter which path they where going to take. They where going to need to find a shelter to rest in until morning.

     "Come this way, Branch," she said, gently taking his hand, and leading him forwards.

     They found a nice clearing covered in soft grass, that they could rest in for the night.

     "We'll figure out what we're doing in the morning. Ok, Branch?" He nodded, trying to kiss her forehead, but ended up kissing her nose instead.

     Carefully, Branch laid down, still sad about the situation he had put Poppy in. He only wanted to protect her... keep her happy... but right now... he wasn't doing a good job at either of those things.

     Slowly, he pulled his blanket out of his hair to snuggle up in for the night, as he closed his eyes, ready to go to sleep.

     He smiled, slightly, as he sighed with content. He always felt safe and warm when he was wrapped in that blanket. His grandma had given it to him, when he was just a little troll. It still smelt faintly of the Fluffleberrie cake he had accidentally spilt on it once.

     Whenever he was sad, or scared, he would take out his blanket, and wrap himself up in it to remember his grandma.

     When he was little, whenever he was scared, his grandma would wrap him up in that blanket, and sing to him, softly, as she rocked him back and forth in her arms.

     That memory always came to his mind, when he snuggled up in that blanket. It always comforted him in the worst of times, and right now, it was helping quite a bit.

     Poppy smiled down at him, as she watched him slowly drift off to sleep. She kissed his cheek, and then went to find a spot she could sleep in.

     She lay down, reaching into her hair to pull out her blanket, but quickly realized, she had forgotten to pack it. She was so excited to find her mom... she hadn't thought to bring anything with her.

     Slowly, she lay her head down into the dirt, not worrying about the blanket. She would be fine. Or... so she thought.

     Throughout the night, it got colder and colder. Poppy had been sleeping, but woke up, shivering from the cold.

     She rolled over onto her side, curling up into a ball to stay warm, but that didn't help.

     Branch was sleeping, but awoke to a strange sound. The sound of teeth chattering.

     He opened his eyes and looked over, seeing the pink blur on the ground shaking.

     Without hesitation, he grabbed his blanket off of him, and stood, walking towards Poppy.

     He put the blanket over her, and she flinched a bit, not expecting it, as she opened her eyes.

     She rolled over, watching Branch as he went back to his spot, laying back down on the ground, shaking in the cold air.

     "He gave me his blanket?" she whispered to herself, looking over at him. But... but now he was cold... why would he do that?

     Branch hadn't noticed Poppy was awake. He thought she was sleeping, which is why he was surprised, when he felt something fall over him.

     He rolled over, seeing the pink blur standing over him, gently placing the blanket back on top of him.

     "Poppy?" he said, softly.
"It's ok, Branch," she whispered back, laying down next to him, so they could share the blanket.

     He smiled, and then kissed her head.

     "I love you, Poppy," he said, softly.
"I love you too, Branch."