The trolls returned with their sticks and started a small campfire with them to keep warm.

It was a lot colder in the forest during autumn compared to the village. The winters are longer, the summers are shorter, it's like a whole new world.

Branch fell asleep against a tree while they were gone, his jacket zipped all the way up and his head was inside the hood. Before he left he assumed the jacket would be warm enough, but he was very, very wrong.

Poppy, Guy, and Hickory sat around the fire to keep warm, watching Branch sleeping comfortably.

"I wish I could be that comfortable right now." Guy crossed his arms, "can we sleep? We don't need to watch him all night, nothing is gonna happen."

"I ain't watchin' him." Hickory flopped on to his side and turned away from them to sleep.

Poppy sat against the same tree Branch was by and went to cuddle with him, "I'm not letting anything happen to him."

"Just because he got really hurt the last time he was out here doesn't mean he can't handle himself this time. He'd be okay without us." Guy sat beside the fire and hugged his knees.

"I know and I trust him, but I just worry about him a lot. What if he was alone and found Biggie dead? He'd kill himself and none of us would be here to stop him." Poppy held Branch's hand and leaned on his shoulder, "Back at the village I'll give him more space, but not out here."

"I know it's not likely, but I really hope Biggie is alive." Guy dug his finger in the ground and drew random circles, "Branch's confidence in Biggie being alive makes me miss him even more."

"Please don't get your hopes up," Poppy pleaded Guy, "I don't want you both to be really disappointed."

Guy took a deep breath and nodded his head, but of course still wanted to cry inside. He missed Biggie so much, they'd been best friends for years. It was hard to think about him being dead, "you don't understand how much Biggie meant to us. It's like when Branch was bleeding to death and there was almost no chance he'd survive, how much you cried, how many times you begged for him to wake up, knowing it wouldn't do anything."

Poppy looked at Branch's waist, thinking about the bandage hiding underneath the jacket and vest, horrifying flashbacks returning to her mind.

— flashback woosh take a tissue —

"I'm sick of causing people pain and feeling all of this pain.." Branch looked directly into Poppy's eyes as he jabbed the knife in to his side.

Poppy watched him do it, as if in slow motion. "BRANCH!"

"BRANCH? ARE YOU OKAY?" Guy stood in front of him, waving his hand in front of his face and placing his hand on Branch's shoulder, "calm down!"

Branch fell on to the ground, still touching the wound area. "I c-can't-"

Poppy sat in the grass and had Branch on her lap. She hugged him gently, "You're gonna survive.. I know i-" She sighed, "I hope."

— flashback end woosh dispose the tissue —

Guy looked at Branch's leg bandage, "and Biggie told me about Creek stabbing Branch and how scared he was, but he knew that Branch would die if he didn't get over his fear."

Hickory sat up and curiously listened to the story, "woah.. this Biggie troll sounds tough."

Poppy giggled, "Biggie was the softest softie that's ever softed."

"Actually, he's probably stronger and tougher than me and Branch. Branch is the softest softie that's ever softed." Guy pointed over at Branch.

Branch yawned and flopped on the grass, beginning to snore quietly.

"Yeah, he is." Poppy smiled at Branch, "don't be certain he's alive, okay? Goodnight Guy, night Hickory."

"Gute nacht." Hickory yawned and snuggled back into the grass by the fire.

"I'll try," Guy smiled and laid on his side to fall asleep.

Poppy laid on her stomach and rested her cheek in her hand. (please tell me you understand what I mean what is it called-)

She looked at Branch who slept with a small smile on his face.

She couldn't control their emotions, but truly wished they wouldn't get excited about seeing Biggie alive. The two of them would be completely crushed if they came across his dead body.

She tried to think of ways to possibly make them lose hope in finding him. Talking to them and explaining the low chances didn't work at all, it may have just made them more excited.

Poppy stared at Branch, trying to think what things make him sad— literally everything.

Then she came up with a plan.
A genius, devious, definitely will work plan. She looked at the bOyS plus Hickory with a sinister Grinch-like grin. It would work perfectly.

(uhm that was bad 🤢)