SUMMARY:

The Huldrefolk (The Little/Hidden Ones) have each other's backs as they continue the ceaseless adventure they call Life. This is but one of their misadventures.

31 Days Of Halloween (Stray Kids):  October 2023

Story Eleven:

The Huldrefolk (The Little/Hidden Ones)

-

  Minho had his bow and arrow available as they replenished their magic with the sun.
  Moon, the ladybug was on her back, napping, Changbin mirroring her.
  Felix and Jisung were collecting broken glass and rocks for arts and crafts ingredients.
  Chan and Woojin had gone swimming and Hyunjin had climbed a bush to collect berries.
  "Yah," Minho yelled.  "Watch out for birds.  "They may try to carry you off."  He could hear the scrabbling sounds of his claws as he moved from limb to limb.  Honestly, he'd probably eat the bird but he had to give him a hard time.  "Don't laugh.  Chan Hyung isn't here to go Jotun and save you."  Now Felix and Jisung were giggling.  These three were all menaces.  He smiled where they couldn't see.

-

  Camp that night actually did take place in a bird's nest.
  No... they hadn't been carried off and no they hadn't eaten it, unfortunately.
  "I'm really getting tired of fish," Changbin complained.  "I want land meat."
  "Technically it's air meat," Jisung said...
  Felix let out his little gremlin laugh.
  Minho ignored them.  The moon wasn't bright tonight, tomorrow there'd be no visible moon, and he looked forward to two nights of a dark night's sleep.
  Chan tossed the bones from his fish out of the tree.
  "Oh, Hyung, I could've used those for weapons," Jisung cried.
  He a piece of fish into his mouth and chewed.  "I am a weapon."
  "You better not ruin this perfect sleeping space where I plan to sleep late, I tell ya," Minho threatened.
  "Don't worry.  There's no threat."
  "I'll shoot the threat myself.  I still have my bow and arrow."

-

  Jeongin and Woojin could see Chan growing larger in the distance.  They were running from a wolf and it was literally biting at their heels.  They ran behind him and heard a yp.  Some bushes whoosed and no more wolf.

-

  "Channie Hyung," Jeongin said.  "Sorry, you turned to stone for the day.  He was as tall as half a tree and the sun had turned him to stone because it was the way of the Jotun.
  Humans described it as, "An ugly, hideous beast by night and mountainous stone by day."
  He didn't particularly find his Hyung attractive, because that was weird, but he was far from hideos.  As a Huldrefolk, he was more attractive than all of them, except maybe Felix by human standards.  Felix sparkled and his cuteness could charm the hardest of hearts - and he had.  He was a pixie, known for using their assets to get whatever they wanted.
  Woojin was chopping firewood with a vengeance.  He felt guilty that he hadn't heard the wolf sneaking up on them.  He had really big ears and it was a pride thing.
  Felix rode Moon up to Chan's face and patted his cheek.  "He'll be awake in no time," he said.  "Right, Channie Hyung?"  Obviously, he didn't answer.  He kissed his cheek and went back to the firepit.
  That night his skin turned flesh colored and he rubbed his eyes.  It took him a few minutes to gather himself.  "Woojin, Jeongin, guys," he called.  The sound of a limb snapping made him raise his head.  Minho was in a tree.  He had his bow and arrow out and had been guarding him while he slept.  Not that anything could hurt him while he was stone.  The sentiment was appreciated, but Minho would pretend he hadn't heard him if he thanked him, so he just smiled.
  "They're here," Felix said.
  He turned around, shrinking to Huldrefolk size as he did, and followed him to camp.  They couldn't have built a fire near him.  What if when he woke up, he backed into it or fell into it?  He heard leaves moving above them, which would be Minho following them, purposely being loud enough to be tracked.
  "Hyung," Jeongin cried.  He hugged him.  "I'm sorry."
  He smiled and ruffled his hair.  "What are you apologizing to me for?  I saw that wolf chasing you guys and it scared me half to death.  I just got to take a really great nap."  He held Woojin's hand who'd reached for him.  "Are your arms sore?"  The entire group... except Felix... divided who split firewood.  He couldn't be trusted with sharp objects.
  "No... a little.  Nothing I can't handle.  If you'd waited a few seconds longer, Minho could've nailed it with his bow and arrow.  We could've eaten well."
  "Stop," he said, smiling.  "I should be able to help too."
  "Yeah, I know."
  "Okay.  With that settled, I'm starving.  I think I'm going to hunt for real tonight.  I need to eat for my big size which means I won't be able to shrink until I digest all the meat."
  "You're giving me some of that, right," Changbin demanded, jumping up, excited.
  "Which means we need to find a cave," Jeongin said.  "If you can't turn back, you need a place to hide from the sun."
  "Come here, Moon," Felix called, smiling in adoration.
  "She may as well just be yours by now," Changbin grumbled.  "Just look at how she hums her wings at you."
  "It's because I love her and spoil her."
  "We all love her and spoil her."
  "But did you sew her a double-layered blanket with fresh floral rose petals to sleep under?"
  He scowled.
  "Exactly."

-

  Chan caught two deer, one mountain lion, and a Jeek (A sharp tooth bird that ate meat).  He ate his fill and split the rest, helping them cook their portions.  "I really am glad you guys found me under that bridge all those years ago.  It truly was a lost and lonely life."
  Jisung's cheek was already bulging from meat when he took another bite.  "I can't imagine being along like that."
  "Don't talk with your mouth full," Minho said.  He wiped his lips with a cloth square.
  Jisung blinked, confused at his action.
  Felix grinned, knowingly.  Moon was asleep by his feet.  He'd used a stump to sit on and they were dangling over the edge.
  "How did you even think of all those riddles you made people solve before they could cross the bridge," Changbin asked.
  "Magic," Minho teased.  "Had to be.  Channie Hyung's not that smart."
  "Hey."  Chan raised an arm, which was like a thousand times bigger than him right now.  He obviously would never actually hit him with it.  "People rarely ever came to the Troll Bridge and certainly not a second time.  I only had to know a few.  Besides, that was almost a century ago.  People back then weren't that smart and they were quite cowardly."
  "This is true," Woojin said.  He tossed the bones from his meal in the fire.  "It's bedtime, everyone."

-

  The Huldrefolk, also known as the Little One or The Hidden Ones, continued their ceaseless travel called Life.
  There'd be good days and bad ones.
  Regardless, they had each other's backs.

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Thank you for reading,

Demitria_Teague (Author ;)

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