A Free And Magical Bedtime Story!
Chapter 2 - Rootwish
The little mushroom troll rubbed the sleep from his eyes, shuffled out of bed, and splashed water on his nose from the bowl sitting atop the old dresser, its paint peeling and flaking.
He went straight to the window, pressing his nose against the cold glass. His paw’s was tucked down in wooly slippers. His breath fogged up the pane, but thankfully it didn’t freeze. Good! thought the little mushroom troll. The snow hasn’t come yet, so I still have time to pick more blueberries and lingonberries to store away. He peered out—phew, the coast was clear. No sand trolls stomping around outside.
He padded down the stairs, opened the door, and cautiously peeked out. Pulling his mushroom cap snugly around his ears to shield them from the wind, he stepped outside with his woven basket hanging from his arm.
The hare Hermina hopped through the withered grass, a little further from the sandy hill where the moss and brush began. She spotted the little mushroom troll struggling to drag his basket behind him, weaving through the dark red rowan leaves and yellow birch leaves scattered around a grove not too far away. The leaves lay like a crackling carpet, and they were so big that the little mushroom troll had a hard time making his way through them.
“Need a ride?” Hermina called, swiveling her ears back and forth to ensure the fox, Reidar, wasn’t lurking behind any stumps.
“Sure!” said the mushroom troll. “I’m heading over there to gather the last berries before the cold sets in!”
Hermina nodded and stretched flat on her belly, letting the mushroom troll climb onto her back. Then, she rose up on her strong legs and hopped along, much faster than the little mushroom troll could have managed on his own.
As they ventured a little deeper into the forest, Hermina suddenly stopped. Her ears twitched—danger was near! Fox Reidar was here! Hermina flattened her ears, pressing herself into the moss to stay hidden, hoping Reidar hadn’t seen them. But, to their dismay, two bright yellow eyes appeared under a nearby bush, and Fox Reidar stuck his nose out. “I’ve got you at last!” Reidar shouted, leaping from the bush to catch them in a flash!
Hermina sprang up from the moss, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, her tiny forelegs trembling. She bolted as fast as she could, racing blindly into the forest. The little mushroom troll clung tightly, his heart racing, sweat dripping as he struggled to keep hold of her fur tuft. His grip slipped, and soon he tumbled, colliding with a fallen leaf and rolling over in the moss several times before coming to a stop.
Now, all was quiet—Hermina and Reidar were both gone. I hope Hermina managed to escape to safety! he thought, brushing dirt and leaves from his face. I can’t leave her in danger; I must do everything I can to save her! But it wasn’t completely silent.
A faint complaining sound echoed from the ancient forest. Bearded lichen draped down in long, stringy strands from the spruces, and towering pines loomed overhead. He had left the younger trees behind, and in her wild panic, Hermina had run straight into the old forest. Here, the trees whispered to each other, and the moss was likely older than the path itself on which he stood.
The mushroom troll looked around. There—there was something! At first glance, it looked like an old uprooted tree, groaning in the shadows. Curiosity piqued, he approached, only to discover that it was not an uprooted tree at all. It was a witch with her tangled hair caught in a bush, muttering and struggling as she sat trapped.
The mushroom troll carefully climbed onto the twisted branches and began to untangle each knot, one by one. His heart was still pounding, and his fingers shook, but he pressed on. The witch-troll squinted at him, falling silent as she watched him work. When he finished, she spoke in a raspy voice, “You are a brave one! As thanks, I shall grant you one wish!”
The little mushroom troll caught his breath and sat down, letting his legs dangle over the branch he had just balanced on, uncertainty washing over him as he pondered the weight of his choice.
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