Hilda and the Magic Feather

Prologue: Under Pressure

Woffs flew across the heads of the townsfolk, the rat king scurried through the sewer in search of fresh secrets, and the Trolls hunkered down in their caves until nightfall. Another sunny summer day in Trolberg.

For Hilda, today was supposed to be a simple day. Get up, finish homework, help Frida with magic practice, and then be at the walls of Trolberg by nightfall, ready to resolve any potential human-on-troll disputes. Nine-thirty AM came and went, and Hilda was still in bed.

"Hilda?" Johanna knocked on her bedroom door. "Are you up yet?"

Begrudgingly, Hilda rolled out of bed, her long groan turning into a yawn. Twig hopped off shortly behind her, rubbing against her leg affectionately. But she ignored him, trudging towards the door as if he wasn't even there.

"There you are!" chirped Alfur, popping out of the little house Hilda kept on her shelf. "Your alarm rang three times over, and you still didn't wake. Are you alright?"

"Fine," Hilda stated bluntly, not making eye contact.

"You've been sleeping a lot more, lately," Johanna commented. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I said, I'm fine!" Hilda shot Johanna a hard glare. "And I won't be having breakfast, so leave me alone."

"Hilda!" Johanna stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "I know you're tired, but that's no excuse for using that tone with me."

"Mum, please, don't start," Hilda groaned, rubbing her forehead. "I've got enough to do already without getting grief from you."

"If you want my opinion," piped Tontu, sitting at the kitchen table across the room. "Then breakfast would be a good idea. I always feel more awake after your Mom's fantastic breakfasts."

Hilda clenched her fists. "What part of 'leave me alone' don't you understand?!"

Alfur's jaw dropped. Even Johanna was momentarily at a loss for words. The brief moments of silence were all Hilda needed to realize she'd gone too far. Even Twig held his ears flat against his head, backing away with a whimper.

"I'm sorry," she said, hanging her head. "I've got a lot on my plate. You can ground me if you like."

Johanna knelt on one knee and wrapped her arms around Hila, hugging her tightly. "I'm not grounding you," she said. "But only on one condition: talk to me. I can't help you if I don't know what's going on in your life."

Hilda let out another long sigh. This one, however, was not of annoyance, but of relief, the tension draining from her body. "Can I make a condition, too?" She asked, leaning into the hug. "I'd like some hot chocolate, please."

"Wonderful!" Tontu added. "I was just about to ask for that. Great minds think alike."

With her favourite mug in hand, Hilda climbed onto the sofa and took a small sip of her piping hot chocolate. Though the amount she drank was small, its effect was immediate, eroding the stress from her body. The effect was doubled by Twig, who had chosen to curl up in her lap in a manner that resembled a cat more than a deerfox.

"Is it good?" Johanna asked.

"Do you have to ask?" Hilda smiled softly. "Of course, it's good!"

"Fantastic," Johanna blew on her drink and sipped it. "So, what's been on your mind?"

Hilda took a deep breath. "I feel like I've been under a lot of pressure lately. So much has happened since we moved to Trolberg. Starting school, meeting Alfur, becoming a troll and then befriending trolls. Don't get me wrong, I love it here. I wouldn't trade the life of an adventurer for the world. But with both homework and troll responsibilities, lately it's been hard to find time to enjoy an adventure for myself. I feel like I'm cracking under the pressure, and now with my first exams coming up, I don't know if I can keep up without letting somebody down."

Johanna let the words settle for a moment, taking in Hilda's worries with another long sip.

"I understand what you're going through," she said. "I don't have one foot in the magic world as you do, but I know what it's like to feel overwhelmed. I love graphic design. It's my dream job, after all. But it's so easy to get stuck juggling more work than you can handle at one time. Sound familiar?"

Hilda stared into her mug. Her reflection in the drink was murky, but she knew it could only degrade so much of her real appearance.

"It does," she replied. "I guess it's also a touch of envy, too. Frida also has a lot of responsibilities, both mundane and magical, but she's such a workaholic, she breezes through it all. Why can't I do the same? Am I not good enough?"

"You are absolutely good enough," Johanna said, reaching over Hilda's shoulder to gently pull her in. "Everybody has different limits, and it sounds like you've hit yours. My advice is to take the day off. Go for a long walk, and take in the atmosphere of Trolberg at a slower pace. It will help clear your head."

"But what about my homework, Mum?" Hilda protested, the hot chocolate shaking in her unsteady hands. "I can't fall behind, or I'll get in trouble and—"

"I'll help you through it tomorrow," Johanna interrupted. "You've got the whole weekend to catch up. Today, give yourself a break, and relax."

Finishing her drink, Hilda looked up at Johanna and smiled. "I think I'll do that. Thanks, mum." She put her mug down on the table and hugged her mum. Twig looked up at her and whined, so Hilda reached over with her free arm to hug him, too.

"Any time," Johanna said, hugging her back. "Do you feel like breakfast now?"

Hilda's stomach answered before she could, letting out an audible grumble. "That would be a good idea, yes," she said, blushing.

"I'll help lay the table," said Tontu, zipping into nowhere space and promptly returning with freshly washed dishes.

"This information will be useful for my next report," added Alfur, already transcribing the events on his tiny notepad. "With your consent, of course."

"That's fine," Hilda chuckled, feeling like a great weight had been lifted off her. "No one should have to over-work themselves, human or elf."