Mixed Signals

Friendship gained

You wake up to the feeling of someone tapping your horn. Groaning as you sit up, turning your head you see Jim.

"Oh hey um sorry I just . . . wanted to talk to someone, Dictatious left a little bit ago and you're the only person left here." Jim said nervously as he waited for you to answer.

"You sigh as you turn to fully face him,"what would you like to talk about human?" you said. Jim smiles as he scoots a little closer to you.

"How long have you been down here?" Jim asked.

"I have been down here for eons almost the beginning of my existence, but I came from the surface just like you Jim." you said as you poked the boy's chest feeling the armor that protects him.

"You came from the surface? Who were your parents?" Jim said, confused.

"Hmm, I don't know of these "parents" you speak of but I did not have a family. I don't remember how I came into this world, all I know is that I could feel the sun's glow and cold breeze." you said as you thought back to your first moments on the surface.

"Why did you come down here?" Jim said.

"The heat from the sun was too much for me so I dug into the ground and I came across this place, it was cold so I stayed. "You said," Why are you so curious about my time on the surface?"

"I um, just curious?" Jim said, trying to sound convincing. You growled at the boy knowing he was lying.

"What else did you want to ask? It seems you don't trust me to tell me the truth so I guess this is a one-sided conversation now." you said annoyed. Jim felt ashamed that he lied to you, the trollhunter sighed.

"Ok I am just checking to see if you are an enemy, I didn't want to bring you back to the surface to find out you're a warlord or something." Jim said. You processed his words as you let out a fit of laughter.

"Oh you silly human, I mean no harm to anyone on the surface. My appearance may seem otherwise but all I desire is to slumber for entirety. You have nothing to worry about trollhunter." you said as Jim sighed in relief as a smile appeared on his face.

"Alright I am happy you understand, sorry about me not trusting you." Jim said.

"Oh it's alright, now I have a question for you Jim , how is the surface fairing?" you said.

"It's nice, there's pollution now and trash but it's quite nice. How can you see if you have no eyes you said before you see with sound, is that echo location or something." Jim said as he moved to sit right next to you.

"Think of it like this, every sound you make, every breath you take, I can hear you. And when I hear you I know where you are. But sound is not enough so I use smell to help tell the difference between people. Like right now you reek of the surface and trolls." you said as you heard Jim shuffling probably trying to smell what you smell.

"I am back~" Dictatious said as he entered the cave,"Oh did I interrupt something?" Dictatious said cautiously.

"No you're fine, come sit with us." you said as you patted the ground in front of you.

"How is my brother doing Trollhunter?" Dictatious said as he sat down.

"Your brother is doing just fine without you." Jim said, annoyed.

"I know you're mad at me Trollhunter but you must understand I never wanted to join Gunmars side, I had to at the moment or I would have been killed on the spot. I found the warden here on one of my walks, they were about to kill me till they realized I was a troll. So I stayed with them to get away from the big brute." Dictatious said as he glared out of the cave.

"Sorry it's just Blinky misses you and thinks you're dead." Jim said.

"What! He thinks I'm dead!? I wouldn't blame him, I would think the same." Dictatious says as he messes with his hair.

All of a sudden you smell something of gumm-gumm origins and you growl as you stand up. Making your way out of the cave a click is heard from you as you see a single gumm-gumm soldier in front of you.

"Leave now if you don't desire me to consume your soul." you said as you towered over the soldier, intimidating them. The soldier gulped as it handed you something and quickly left. You sniff the object in your hand as Jim and Dictatious exit the cave.

"What did they want?" Jim said as you handed the object to Dictatious.

"Not sure.  Dictatious, what did I give you?" you said as the troll looked at it.

"It is a scroll, I shall read it for you." Dictatious says as he clears his throat and opens the scroll,"Trollhunter I will break your will as you soon will become mine, the warden of the darklands won't always be there to save you from me. The next time we meet you watch as I eat your loved ones and make a throne out of their bones." Dictatious closes the scroll as he stuffs it into his pocket.

"I should leave. I don't want you guys to get hurt because of me." Jim says as he starts to walk out of my cavern. Growling you grab the boy and push him up against the wall.

"Listen here boy I don't know what you are thinking but this war that he started is my problem too. We are in this together, trollhunter." you said as you dropped the boy. Dictatious comes up behind you as he watches Jim rise to his feet.

"I wish for this to end as well so I am with you to Trollhunter." Dictatious said. You heard sniffles in Jim's direction as something wrapped around you. Sighing you pick up the Crying Trollhunter as you bring him back into the cave. Sitting back down you lean your back against the cave wall as you listen to Jim's breathing. You hear movement from the outside of your den, you waving a hand over for them to come over. Hearing hurried footsteps approaching you they slow down as they sit next to you. You feel the troll lean on you as Jim's breathing has returned to normal, you assumed he fell asleep. Adjusting slightly you let yourself return to your slumber, with a couple of others joining this time.