The Troll Who Tried to Steal the Pure Hearted Faerie’s Magic

Once there was a pure hearted faerie who lived in the forest of foxes. A very long time ago, men would charge between the trees and undergrowth in search of the rare silver fox. They would use bow and arrow to pierce through the heart and their pelts would be sold for coin. 

The silver foxes have been extinct for years, after the majority had been killed by men the rest of the troop appeared to fade away. Red foxes now reside here; creatures of the night that protect the forest from wicked spirits and harm.
The pure hearted faerie was a mage. Mortals, celestial beings and mythical creatures all visited her for medicine and sightings of the future. She lived beneath the small lake that was nestled in the heart of the forest. This is where she painted beautiful scenes of nature’s magic and tiny illustrations of her foxes.

One brisk Autumn morning when the pure hearted faerie was perched on a rock reading to the birds, a huge dark cloud appeared and with it came the sound of a drum, echoing in the vast chamber of trees.

A guttural sound alerted her to the grotesque troll that plodded forward. The pure hearted faerie had heard whispers in the market of these hostile trolls that stole magic from the innocents. They were described as squat, foul smelling and unsightly. 

The troll’s attire consisted of a badger‘s pelt, mud stained trousers and big stomping boots. He wore a belt of knives and an immense brown hat with a ravens feather covered his lank, greasy hair. 

“I am going to take your magic from you, faerie. Your light and goodness is sickening”, the troll announced, steadying himself on a fallen log.

The pure hearted faerie stood tall and graceful; unafraid of the troll who collected magic since he had none of his own. 

Twilight descended and the red foxes bounded from their den, coming at once to the aid of their guardian. The troll grinned maliciously and uttered a loud caw. An enchanting white raven flew down gracefully from the tree branches above and perched on the troll’s shoulder. 

A crescent moon bathed the glade in light and the faerie’s hair glimmered like the silver scales of a fish. Her emerald green gown swirled in the breeze, caressing the reddish fur of the foxes. The five of them watched with feral eyes, while the troll and his white raven stood in the shadows facing them.

“Well well… judging from your silence you have nothing to say. I will order Bran to attack you and your tame foxes will be useless against his beak. It is time to take what is mine. Perhaps your foxes will dine well this eve!”, the troll’s laughter filled the clearing and after murmuring a few words the raven took off with powerful wing beats that struck the air. 

The pure hearted faerie had no response for the troll, instinct told her to remain quiet. She mind spoke with the bird, offering him companionship rather than life exploited as a cruel weapon. 

“No!” the troll cried, placing one disfigured hand in the air. A stream of white light issued forth and the faerie felt a tug as her essence began to wane. She fell to the ground and the leaves and earth closed over her.

Bran did not attack, instead his eyes blazed with anger as he turned on his master. 

As the raven continued to peck and wound the troll, the white light still lingered. It was scorching everything in its path; trees, wildflowers, leaves. Three foxes tugged on the troll’s limbs as he took a swipe at the bird. 

A peculiar thing began to happen; the troll lost his focus and aimed the luminous glow at himself. His figure grew slack and he snarled one last word before exploding into a thousand tiny crystals. When the crystals settled onto the leaf strewn ground, they bloomed into exquisite flowers.

The red foxes surrounded the faerie and nudged her with their muzzles. The white raven croaked loudly and she gingerly raised her head. A carpet of flowers dazzled in the moonlight where the troll had previously stood. His demise had brought new life.  

“Thank you”, the pure hearted faerie whispered into the night.