AT Presents: Comfort Epilouge

The rain weakens to a drizzle. A house under the bridge lay silent as its only two occupants took their time to think over their conversation. The troll who owned it picks up a coasted cup of tea from his chair and drinks it. His guest, a green, wounded and exhausted princess of the Olden Woods, sat there, staring at blankness, her eyes tearful of her sudden realization. She began to sob and cover her face; the troll looks back with a sympathetic face and approached her back.

“you’re not a monster. You’re mortal, like you and me. We’re prone to mistakes and rushed calling, but we learn from them. You had learned it, but your emotions had gotten over and forced you to forget.

I once cursed the gods themselves for taking away my family. I lived a life of simplicity and trials, yet none of them was as terrible as what I had right now. I live alone, isolated from the world because none would accept me. I try to help people, but they’re all frightened of what I am or to how I looked like. I didn’t make a choice to be what I was born as, but I was scorned off even by my own kind. But in the end, it’s either to myself for the mistakes I’ve made, or blame no one, for it all happens for a reason.
Tell me this now, Herbie. Do you think Gordon would have done plenty to bring Carmel back?”

“Yes”

“And do you think he would have given up?”

“No! Never. I know him, he wouldn’t…”

“Well, then. Think. Why do you think he had let go of Carmel, if he could had done anything to keep her by his side?”

“…I don’t know-“

“Think, princess.” The troll grabbed herbie’s hand and gave a slight squeeze; herbie glances at the troll and noticed something she hadn’t of all this time with him: his eyes are beautiful and warm. Scared, but caring. Herbie sought to understand why on earth this troll is so caring, but she realized it that it is just in his nature. And to fail this creature’s simple sacrifice of his time to help her by not thinking deep enough is a disappointment she’s not willing to go through anymore. So she thinks. And think. And then…

“He would have done a lot to keep her…unless there’s nothing else…and to keep Carmel the way she is, trapped and forced, is no different to what I was doing when I fell in love with Gordon. I spent many of my times dedicated to him, but when I began to notice he was happier with Carmel, I gave him up…for the greater good.

So he must have given her up…for the greater good…and I scolded Carmel for it…”

Herbie once again covered her face, the troll pats her hand and grabbed a shoulder, “sleep now, Princess…sleep and we will get you home tomorrow…”

“What’s your name?”

“…Thomas. Thomas Ficklefoot. I’m 346 years old and I’m an old troll that you had never met this night. Tomorrow, your Fiancé will find you walking out of the forest with a strange pack around your head that you’ve found mysteriously in the woods. You spent the whole night asleep underneath a tree, courtesy of the God of the Lost.

I was never there.”

“Will I meet you again?”

“…If you wanted to. But you have to try hard…”

That next day, after a long night’s sleep, Herbie made Thomas breakfast that they shared; Herbie began telling funny moments of her life with the troll, which in turn the troll listened patiently. After helping him sweeps his house clean, Herbie was lead out of the forest. Herbie could easily walk back to her kingdom, but she couldn’t leave the troll alone after all that.

“Thomas”

“Yes, Herbie?”

“You think Gordon can try again sometime later in his life?”

“If he wanted to and if Carmel will allow him, yes.”

“You think she will still love me, after I slapped her and scolded her for not remembering?”

“After some time, too, I know she will. Besides, you were her friend before, I’m sure you can start over”

“…Thank you, Thomas.”

“herbie.”

“Yes, Thomas”

“Just remember. The world cannot exist without shadows. There will be, and always be challenges. It’s how you accept it and fight it that makes the world a worthwhile place.”
“Okay…goodbye, Thomas.” Herbie looked away for a moment, and when she turned back, the troll was gone. She looked around trying to spot him, but Bit already saw her in such a state, shocked yet happy to see her again.

The blue prince strokes the hair of his princess, embracing her as if he never wants her to leave him again. Herbie couldn't do anything but cry at her shortcomings. Cry that she almost killed herself and leave this man alone. Cried that, once again, she lived after a close call. She couldn't stop apologizing to her prince, but deep inside, they both knew that they needed each other now, to be strong, after all that had happened...

From afar, the God of the Lost watches the couple back to their arms from behind the thick of the trees, as Thomas sat right next to him to a small stump, opening a pack of biscuits.

“I know you what you’re thinking, but there was really nothing you can do to fix that apple girl’s condition…”

The horned god removed its own head, revealing a somewhat more human-esque visage underneath it; he sat down with his troll friend and sighed at everything that just happened. “I just thought, when I agreed to give up my humanity to become a god, I can finally help everyone…”

“If you’ve done that, then what’s there to exist for?”

“Must the world always be cruel?” asked the god

“Yes, and we grow every time we go through it…” replied the troll.

END.