A thousand years after the curse of the Blood Moon was unleashed upon the world, on a warm summer night, Brynja, a young troll of just twelve years, wandered through the forest in search of wild berries for her family. The air was thick with the aroma of damp earth and leaves, and everything seemed calm. But as she picked the berries growing among the bushes, a sharp scream shattered the serenity of the night.
"Help! Please, someone help me!", a clearly human voice echoed from a distance.
Brynja stopped in her tracks. Her heart began to race in her chest. She had never seen a human up close, only heard terrible stories about them. Her parents had warned her that humans were dangerous, treacherous, and that she should stay as far away from them as possible. But the curiosity she felt, so typical of her youth, fought against those warnings.
"I’ll just take a look... I won’t get too close", she murmured to herself, as if saying it out loud would convince her that she was in no danger.
With cautious steps, she followed the direction of the voice until, among the trees, she found the source of the scream. There, on the ground, trapped between the roots of a fallen tree, was a human boy of her same age. His face was pale, and his expression of pain was unmistakable.
Brynja's eyes met his, and they both froze for a moment that felt eternal. They knew what it meant to come face to face. They were of opposing species, condemned by the curse to a perpetual enmity.
"Who are you?", the boy asked with a trembling voice, breaking the silence.
Brynja hesitated for a moment, but ultimately responded with the same shyness. "My name is Brynja. What happened to you?"
"I’m Roland... and... I fell between these roots. I can’t get out. Please, don’t hurt me," he pleaded, frightened but not showing hostility. "I just want to go home."
Brynja took a step back, torn between obeying her family's warnings or following her impulse to help him. She had never had a reason to distrust a human, beyond what she had been told. Roland didn’t seem dangerous, just a hurt boy, trapped.
"I... won’t hurt you," she murmured, making a decision. "Wait, I’m going to help you."
Carefully, Brynja approached and knelt beside him, observing how the roots had ensnared his leg. Her strong hands, typical of trolls, began to move the heavy wood that held him immobilized. After several attempts, she finally managed to free Roland.
"Thank you!", he exclaimed, relief in his voice, although when he tried to stand, his face twisted in pain. "My leg... I can’t walk."
Brynja watched him in silence, feeling a mix of pity and responsibility. "I’ll help you get back to your village," she said firmly, even though she knew she was breaking all the rules her family had imposed on her.
"Why... are you helping me?", Roland asked as he leaned his arm on Brynja's shoulders to keep his balance. "My father always says that trolls hate us."
"My family has told me the same about humans," Brynja replied, walking slowly alongside him. "But I don’t understand why. I had never seen a human until today."
"I’ve never seen a troll either... You’re different from what I imagined," Roland confessed, glancing at her grayish skin and the small horns protruding from her forehead. "My grandfather tells stories about trolls, but... you don’t seem like the ones in the stories."
"Stories?" Brynja smiled, though with a hint of sadness. "My mother says that humans are cruel and that they caused a lot of pain a long time ago. But you don’t seem cruel."
"Maybe they only tell those stories so we don’t talk to each other," suggested Roland, with a thoughtful look. "Perhaps... things aren’t the way they used to be."
Silence fell over them as they moved through the forest. Their steps were slow but steady. Though they barely knew each other, the initial tension gradually dissipated, replaced by a strange yet comforting sense of companionship. Each had grown up with fears instilled by their respective families, but in that moment, the two children realized that what they had been taught might not be entirely true.
Upon reaching the edge of the forest, close enough to the human village for Roland to return on his own, they stopped.
"Will I see you again?" Roland asked, looking at Brynja with hope.
"I shouldn’t..." Brynja looked away, knowing how dangerous it would be for both of them if anyone discovered their meeting. "But... I also want to see you again."
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They both smiled shyly, aware that they had broken the first barriers that separated them. Their friendship, though forbidden, had just been born under the same stars that, a thousand years earlier, had witnessed a tragedy. Perhaps, within them, a hope was being born that the world had not known since then.
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Years passed, and with each season that faded away, Brynja and Roland strengthened their friendship. Under the cover of night, they would meet in the same clearing in the forest, always in secret. They knew that a discovery of their relationship would be catastrophic, not only for them but for their families and their respective villages. However, the bond they had formed was stronger than the fear of being discovered.
Their conversations, which at first were shy and filled with uncertainty, soon became the most cherished moments of their days. In those shared hours, they were free to explore the depths of each other’s worlds, discovering that despite being from different species, their hearts beat with the same curiosity and kindness. They laughed, shared stories about their families, and often marveled at how similar their worlds were, even though history had separated them.
"What is it like living in your village?" Roland asked one night as they lay on the damp grass, gazing at the stars. "What do trolls do for fun?"
Brynja laughed softly. "We... have fun in nature. My father always says that trolls should live in harmony with the forests, not dominate them. We spend a lot of time taking care of the plants and animals. It’s our way of respecting the life around us."
Roland nodded thoughtfully. "My father, Baron Godwin, also believes in taking care of the land. He says that if we mistreat it, one day the land will punish us. That’s why he has always been fair to the peasants and careful with the forests under his protection."
Brynja turned to him, surprised. "I never imagined a human would think that way. The stories I heard always said that humans destroy everything they touch."
"I’ve heard the same about trolls," Roland replied with a smile. "But after getting to know you, I know those stories aren’t true."
They fell silent for a moment, listening to the soft whisper of the wind among the trees. Although they shared laughter and anecdotes from their lives, there was always a shadow looming over their conversations: the curse of the Blood Moon. That curse had condemned their two species to enmity, and no matter how hard they tried, they could not ignore the chasm that existed between them.
"Do you ever think about the curse?" Roland asked softly, as if mentioning the words could invoke its dark power.
Brynja nodded, her face serious. "Sometimes. I wonder why it has to be this way. What did we do to deserve this?" Brynja paused and added, her voice tinged with sadness, "My mother always says that the Blood Moon is a reminder that we must not cross certain boundaries. That we are destined to remain apart."
Roland looked at her with determination in his eyes. "Brynja, I believe together we can find a way to break it."
Brynja smiled sadly. "Really? I want to believe you, but sometimes the fear I feel because of it paralyzes me, and I can hardly breathe."
They both shared that burden, the duality of their relationship. On one hand, they felt immense joy in being together, sharing their worlds and dreams. On the other, they could not escape the sadness that came with the knowledge that their friendship, their connection, would always be marked by the curse.
But they knew their worlds were not as far apart as they had been led to believe.
Roland came from a respected family. His father, Baron Godwin, was known for his wisdom and justice. He was a beloved leader, one who prioritized the well-being of the people and respect for nature. Under his leadership, the village thrived, and Roland had inherited those same principles. He knew his life was destined to follow in his father's
footsteps, to become a man who looked out for the well-being of his people.
Brynja, for her part, came from a small but close-knit troll family. Her father, Rundak, and her mother, Vilda, had always taught Brynja to respect the natural balance of the forest. Zugmar, the elder of her family, told her stories of the ancient wisdom of trolls, reminding her of the importance of living in harmony with the land.
Both families, although separated by species, shared a similar philosophy: respect for life and nature. But that invisible and silent connection was not enough to change the legacy of enmity that weighed upon them.
Roland gently and securely took Brynja's hands. He wanted his next words to be a balm that would ease the sorrow in Brynja's heart: "I swear we will find a way to break the curse."
That night, as the moon shone above them, they shared the hope of a different future. They knew that their friendship was a risk, but they also knew it was a risk worth taking.