#dendingo

Trobu paused and blushed as Jaz hung from his neck as she hugged him. He smiled and hugged her back. Though he did lean down to place her back onto the ground and let her ruffle the water from his hair.

“Trobu saw Jazali from air! Was landin’ but...er...Trobu...sink...flylin’ ting…” He sighed “Trobu Okeh. Jaz be good?”

Jazali ‘ooh’-ed finally and snorted before finally letting him go with a shake of her head “Well ju ken jus’ say ‘Hi’ da old fashioned way next time.”

Trobu rubbed his neck awkwardly as he followed her tugging. He didn’t want to admit he was trying some smooth Raz swag by trying to land his goblin flying machine. So he simply said nothing and just looked down before shaking the water off.

She placed her hands behind her head and grinned up at him excitedly “Jaz be good indeedy! Jaz been travellin’ round lots now! An’ I gots me more gold an’ blades an’ funneh shits to tell!” She suddenly stopped rambling and tugged him up as she frowned at his wet shirt “...ya probableh don’ wanna hear while ya be standin’ der drippin’..”

“Oh! Trobu listen.” He said nodding as he took off his shirt. He wrung it out, causing water to pour from it “Trobu like listen to Jaz.”

Jazali gasped and shuffled up onto more stable ground as she patted the ground in front of her eagerly before smiling “Okee, Jaz tell ya, come come!” It wasn’t everyday someone actually wanted to listen to her babble! She sat down and picked up her melon piece again before she shuffled around in her cloak and pulled out the last melon piece to the big tree “I also gots foods! Trobu like melon?”

She then tilted her head sheepishly at the fruit “Jaz ate all da jerky alreadeh…”

Trobu followed her and sat beside her. He nodded while sheepishly blushing as he replied softly in his deep growling voice “Trobu like Jaz stories.”

Jazali snorted dorkily with a small blush and scratched the back of her head sheepishly “Hehe..”

He tried to put his shirt back on, but it was proving to be difficult. At first he tried to shove his head through one of the arm holes, but after realising that wasn’t right he took it off, looking up with a smile at the food.

The little Darkspear froze for a moment as she observed the giant groo- tree try to put on the shirt. She tilted her head at his weird attempts, wondering if such a task was really that difficult.

“Oh wat dis?” Trobu said taking the offered food and sniffing it before popping it into his mouth.

She took pity on him and took the shirt with a grin “Mon, dat ain’ how ya put on a shirt.” Jazali put on the giant wet baggy item on herself with a few hard tugs and shot her arms up triumphantly with a dorky grin “Daz how it be done!..Oh, daz a melon!”

She gasped and asked excitedly “Ya ain’t nevah had a melon before?” Trobu was chewing the fruit when Jaz took the wet shirt from him and put it on. Her triumphant look and how the shirt overwhelmed her small frame roused a snort of laughter out of Trobu.

“Dat too big for li’l Jaz.” He laughed, then shook his head “No. Trobu nevah had no melon. Trobu like!” He tilted his head as he looked at her however and said somewhat dejectedly “Jaz wet now.”

Jazali crossed her arms mischievously with a snort “Jaz may be startin’ new fashion trend, ya nevah know.” She took a large juicy bite from the fruit and nodded enthusiastically while muffling “Mmmhmm be mah favfoorit!” before she gulped and wiped the juice off her chin.

She shrugged and pulled the collar up as it started to slip “I like bein’ wet! Ain’ no bettah place fo’ a Darkspear den near da water!”

He nodded again to her “Trobu love water too. Trobu like wet too.” He said, not realizing the pervy innuendo that could be used. “Donno if all Amani like water like Trobu but… Trobu love water.” He said as he fidgeted with his wet clothing.

The tin troll grinned brightly “Well den Amani should ‘cuz ya gots good tastes for likin’ da water an’ bein’ we-” The little troll stopped herself right there as she noticed the implication. She cleared her throat suddenly and loudly, looking away with a purple tint to her cheeks

Trobu nodded, but looking back he sighed at the sunken aircraft before looking at Jaz again “Where Jaz been? Trobu no see in long time.”

Jaz’s ears perked up at the question. “Oh! Jaz been travellin’!” She smiled brightly and waved her hands excitedly “Been ta da barrens fo’ a while, den we been in Ashenvale fo’ a while, Oh! Also  Bilgewater...but Jaz no like it.” She scrunched her nose up in disgust and stuck her tongue out slightly like a ‘blep’ before she gasped excitedly “Oh! Oh! Ja also been helpin’ Zari boss and Bru’mon, been punchin’ good an’ kickin’ ass!” She rambled excitedly as she kicked a foot up in the air in her enthusiasm to demonstrate.

Trobu casually dodged the enthusiatsic kick, seemingly unphased by it “Oh! Trobu been dere! Goblin Island. Lotta bombs. Ye.” He nodded as he sat quietly just listening to Jaz. He was lost momentarily with the hint of a doe-eyed gaze when he snapped out of it.

“Oh! Oh...er...Zari...Trobu no like Zari...She...hmmm..” He blushed but not in a good way as he frowned “Bru’mon tho! He like engineerin’ like Trobu! But he no blow up like Trobu...or crash.”

Jazali frowned slightly and chuffed “Eh..I no like dem Goblin Isles, too many sleazy gobbos.” She listened to the amani with an interested smile, raising both brows as she enquired curiously “Oh! Bru’mon mentioned ‘e know ya once! Say dat ‘e fight ya but ya gots da wicked punch!” She snickered and punched his shoulder playfully.

Trobu blushed and touched his shoulder where she punched him with a nod “Ja he no spar wit’ Trobu.” He said softly “He no let Trobu touch tings either...but...Trobu...might’a ….set off ice trap...an’ froze Sashrui...Dat-dat was bad day..”

Jazali’s eyes widened significantly as she heard him explain why Bru wouldn’t spar with him, feeling herself nod slowly “Ah...dat...no sound good.” She may have met the woman briefly, but she had experienced her...ferocity.

She patted Trobu’s head and smiled tentatively “I be sure Trobu no mean to, we all make mistakes.” She suddenly grinned wider and more deviously before she jutted a thumb towards herself and asked “Ya ever hear how Jaz an’ Bru blow up a gobbo bank?”

Trobu looked up at Jaz like a puppy and smiled as she patted his head, grinning his doofy grin. Then his expression changed and he just stared at her “Ju blow up bank?! Why Jazali do dat! Daz bad Jaz, Trobu no wanna punch all goblins to save Jaz.” He scolded her the best he could but his tone wasn’t so serious.

Jazali snickered and shrugged with a sheepish grin “Ah, I was helpin’ Zari trade wid some Gobbos! Ju’ wouldna’ have needed ta save me anyways...although ya may have been a good hidin’ place from Bru’s salty. He such a grumpy orc.” She huffed grumpily while crossing her arms.

“An’ it only ‘cuz I singe his beard jus’ a bit! Ain’ like we was gonna die!” She rambled angrily and waved her arm exasperatedly.

Trobu paused then ‘ooo’-ed as he nodded “Ju trade bombs at bank? Den blow up?...Trobu confused…” He said scratching his head as she spoke more.

“Oh ja. Bru’mon be grumpy’mon.” He said over the sound of the wet shirt flopping about as Jaz flailed. “He no like hims gadgets touched...Hims beard too no?” He paused “Trobu neva touch beard. No wanna be on Bru’mon bad side.”

Jazali snorted and smirked “Oooh Jaz got on Bru’mon’s bad side loooong time ago, startin’ wid dat day. Still be a grumpy orc.” She leaned in and stage-whispered conspiratorily “Ta tell ya da truth, methinks it be ‘cuz he be jealous of mah joke skills.”

She leaned back and grinned brightly up at Trobu as she placed her chin onto both hands “Where Trobu been den? I realleh missed ya mon, ain’t seen ya in ages!”

Trobu chuckled lightly and nodded in agreement. What he knew about Brugran was that he was in fact rather salty but he figured it was because he set off his traps. He sighs when asked and shrugs “Trobu was fightin’ dem demons in da Barrens! Dey were fun but dey left. Den Trobu no wanna fight demons in dem isles like Raz. Trobu stay.”

“Aw, why not mon?” Jazali asked curiously, her smile now encouraging “I hear amazin’ tings ‘bout ya punches, ya’d probably do lotsa good and killin’ loads o’ demons!” She shrugged, making the shirt sleeves drop again to her arms.

He scratched his head and said dejectedly “Trobu jus’ git in wey.”

The little troll grunted irritably and finally decided that she got fed up with the shirt; she picked the bottom end and tried to lift up the entire thing over her head...only for it to get stuck on her hair. Now she was immobile and blind. She growled irritably and tried to force it off with a harsh tug, but that only made the bone buttons on the shirt get caught on her hair band and rip it off, making a lot of her hair tumble out in the shirt and blind her more. She let out a squeak when she finally fell on her back and couldn’t move her arms to get up.

She finally whined and tugged at the shirt, but to no avail “...A liddle help Zut’zeb?”

“Trobu good at punchin’ but...Mebbe no good like Ra-...Jaz. Wut you do?” He said tilting his head as Jaz flailed on the ground unable to take the floppy shirt off herself.

She looked ridiculous and he couldn’t help but laugh at her. Snickering he crawled over and started to tug the over-sized clothing off her. “Ju stuck Jaz!” He said trying to pull at it roughly; the giant Amani managed to pull it off but it released her hair from its confines.

“OH! JAZALI POOF. Trobu so sorreh!” He said frantically looking for the leather hair tie.

Jazali let out a gleeful cry when the shirt finally came off, but when her har exploded, it blinded her (again) and covered both her eyes. She broke into a giggle fit at the hilarity of the situation, realising that the giant tree had in fact never seen her hair down, which can be a surprising experience.

She tried to calm down her giggles as she chortled between breathes “I-it be fine Zut’zeb hah, it probableh snapped in da firs’ place hehe..” She tried to sit up, but banged her forehead into Trobu’s in the process and cried out “Oof!” before landing on the floor again with a pout.

She lifted some of her hair and glanced at Trobu shyly “Ey, no rush Zut’zeb, but I manage mah mane bettah when I be sittin’ up” she snickered sheepishly.

Trobu could only stare at what he saw was the most beautiful scene he’d ever seen. It was like everything went in slow motion; her flame-coloured hair dancing about her face, glittering seafoam-green eyes peeking from the mess of hair and that sweet, sweet laugh that always melted Trobu into a mushy pile of love-struck goo. To anyone looking, his expression might be enough to make them gag but he was completely entranced by her. So much so that he didn’t realize she was swaying close to him until they bonked heads.

“OH! T-TROBU S-SORREH!” He stuttered as if this entire thing was his fault. He rubbed his head as his other hand reached to help her up.

Jazali, being half blind currently, didn’t really notice Trobu’s enarmored state and clumsily accepted the hand as she blindly reached for it. Finally she sat up straight with a breath of relief as she chortled amusedly “Heh okee, no mo’ big Zut’zeb shirts fo’ Jaz.”

The Darkspear tried to reach up and pet down the massive wild mane, feeling slightly more self-conscious when Trobu was looking at it...for some curious reason. She glanced around and huffed as she muttered “But..methinks Jaz lost Trobu shirt…”

Trobu was a lovely shade of red in his cheeks, even through the mossy fur. He kept saying sorry over and over again and patted her head to make sure she was okay. “Ja, no...Trobu shirts too big for Jazali.” He frowned and couldn’t help that doe-eyed stare.  He stared a little too long; long enough for Jaz to notice before blinking away and lifting the shirt that was in his hands. “I-gah-got Trobu shirt.” He said as he shook his head and put it on, this time properly. Well except the shirt was on backwards now.

He picked at it in confusion as he muttered “Jazali...hair is…” but the shirt distracted his thoughts “Why dis feel weird…?”

Jazali looked away awkwardly with a slight purple tint in her ears, but smiled gratefully at the same when Trobu helped with her hair as she chuckled “Ah, I sees dat now..”

She tried to brush back the strands behind her ears, until she paused and noticed a pair of eyes still staring at her..She looked up and stared back at Trobu, not really sure why he had such an intent gaze on her. ...Did she have a bogey on her face?..Was it the hair? Did he not like it?

She blinked and looked down before breaking into a chuckle “Uh...mebbe ‘cuz ya shirt be da wrong way ‘round mon.”

Trobu was thankfully distracted by his wardrobe malfunction to be entranced by Jaz’s hair again. “Trobu wut?” He asked looking at his shirt. He tugged it and looked down the front then touched the back.

“OH! Trobu dumb.” He sighed as he took it off and finally put the shirt on correctly. He sat still a moment looking at her sheepishly before something itched his side. He reached in and pulled the leather hair-tie from inside his shirt and gave it back to Jaz “‘Ere. Dis Jaz ting.” He realized he’d been staring so now he tried his best to look away, albeit awkwardly.

From the side, a familiar blue troll was coincidentally near by the two awkward trolls and walked towards the edge of the rocky surface. Hakto peered at both of them, catching Trobu’s eye who called out excitedly “..OH HAKTO! ‘Ello!”

“...’Ey dere, Trobu. Jazali.” Haktu grunted and sat away from them near the lake.

Jazali turned in her spot as she was tying her hair up, grinning brightly at the familiar face “Oh Hakto mon, good ta see ya!”

Trobu was happy for the distraction and asked “How Hakto be?”

Hakto looked off, a question that he wasn’t sure how to answer “Ah be mournin’.” His eyes were noteably red, he shifted and refused to look at the pair “‘Ow joo be doin’. Ehm nah interruptin’ not’in’?”

Jazali’s eyes widened in surprise, not having expected that since she had not observed the red in the troll’s eyes “Oh...loa mon, I be sorreh, ya be a’ight?” The troll in question looked at Trobu, then to Jazali. He took a few whimpering breaths and covered his face. Feeling shameful to be sitting out in public crying!

The little troll jolted slightly before she hurried up and hugged Hakto around the shoulders with a hushing voice “‘Ey ‘ey now, it be fine, ju jus’ take deep breaths…”

Hakto leaned into the hug, a muffled, straining voice came out “Me mate be dead!”

Trobu looked shocked and moved closer. Unsure what to do he just patted Hakto like one would comfort a puppy “Ju mate?! Someone kill?! Trobu punch dem too.”

Hakto sniffled and tried to calm himself. He thought he was strong enough to come out in public. Wrong. “De mon dat killed me mate be dead… Et nah comfort dis trollie...Eh miss mah sweet liddle gobbo…”

Jazali gasped slightly, feeling immediate sympathy for the poor troll as she patted and rubbed his back calmingly “Oh Hakto mon ...dat…” she had no words. “Wha’...wha’ happened mon?”

Trobu frowned. WIth no one to punch, or rather avenge he didn’t know what to do or say so he just kept patting Hakto.

Hakto’s ears wilted “Ehm sorreh..” He hiccuped a little. Every pat Trobu gave, shedding fluff came off of him. “Dere wus a mage…’E cursed people...Den de cursed killed maneh. Dey tried ta kill de bebehs ah be watchin’. Dey nah successful..”

The tiny Darkspear leaned back from the hug and wiped the tears away from Hakto’s cheeks as she listened, not really sure of what to say except feel horribly for the man. He closed his eyes “Ah dun know w’at ta do anehmore…”

Trobu finally retracted his hand and wrung his fingers awkwardly “Trobu say...Trobu ...er...no good at dis advice ting…”

Hakto looked at Trobu “Joo carin’ enuf ta say dat means lots.” His brows knit “Damn Bwomsamdi.”

Jazali glanced up at Trobu before looking back at Hakto with drooped ears, biting her bottom lip nervously. Well shit, neither was her! She swallowed slightly and patted Hakto’s shoulder, deciding to speak from her heart “Hakto, mah verreh best friend tol’ me a verreh important lesson one day when mah pa died.” The blue troll sniffled and listened.

Jazali patted Hakto’s cheek awkwardly and smiled tentatively “Da ones ya love, dey don’ go away when dey die. Dey walk beside ya. Ya can’ see ‘em, but dey alwehs near, an’ dey alwehs love ya, an’ dey will still miss ya too, everyday.”

Trobu gasped “OH! When life punch Trobu, Trobu punch back!...Wait...dat not very good advice…” Trobu sighed and sat down next to Hakto.

Jazali barked a laugh and nodded “Or ju ken punch life if it bein’ a bitch.”

Hakto looked at Trobu and laughed despite a few more tears rolling down his cheeks. He looked to Jazali, lip quivering “Dat be beautiful…” He sniffed “Eh miss mah liddle Gobbo. ‘E wus all mah world..”

Jazali chuckled along with Hakto and nodded “Ah know mon. Dat be da great t’ing ‘bout worlds tho..” She smiled a bit wider “Ya can alwehs make a knew one! An’ whatevah ya got from da ol’ one, ya use it ta make somet’in wondahful.” Not really noticing the rather insensitive implication behind the statement and rather took her phrasing very literally.

Trobu nodded “Ja. Wat Jazali say. Dat bettah advice den Trobu advice.” Jazali snickered and scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

Hakto frowned however. Even the thought of a new mate was abhorrent. Too soon. He understood somehwat and nodded slowly “Aye...Eh can’t get much trouble..Eh gat bebes ta care for.”

Trobu patted Hakto “Trobu tink ju focus on dem tusklin’s.” His term might have been troll-ish but he meant children in general “When Trobu sad, he focus on wee brothah.”

Jazali shrugged and patted his shoulder “Well der ya go. I say ju still gots a memory of ‘im den on dis world.” ...The little troll blinked and stared at Trobu confusedly as she mumbled to herself “...der be another Zut’zeb?”

Trobu blinked back and nodded but his entire demeanor changed “Dere be maneh Zut’zebs...but onleh one dat bond wit Trobu.”

Hakto blinked with them “Maneh Zut’zebs?” His ears perked; the talk of children seemed to help distract him.

The Amani nodded but then shook his head “Er...not like Tro-babbehs. Tro’siblins.”

Hakto let out a sigh of relief “T’ank de loa...Tro’bebehs sound like trouble.”

Jazali’s eyes widened, not really expecting to have discovered that piece of information until the conversation took a drastic turn and she quickly looked down to hide away her awkward blushing at the thought.

Trobu blushed “Trobu too dumb to find mate. But could take care of babbehs. Anyway Trobu got li’l brothah. Uruji.” He sounded sombre talking about this sibling.

Hakto looked at Jazali and smiled a little. As he shifted the two rings, one on each tusk and made the ruby charms on them shine “Joo ‘ush…’too dumb’...”

The tiny troll scrunched her nose at Hakto with a slight glare, momentarily forgetting that the troll was in mourning and coughed loudly “ANYWAY. Where be ya brother now den Zut’zeb?” Hakto looked at Jazali, eyes narrowing. If he had a single mean bone in his body, he would have said more.

The big Amani didn’t say anything for the longest time before finally shrugging, seemingly unphased by Hakto’s mean spirited words “Donno...Prolleh Shadowpine Village...wid parents.”

Hakto sighed softly “Eh nevah gat da chance fa ah famileh.” He paused “Eh care fah mah mate’s bebehs. Dey remind meh of ‘im so much.”

Jazali glanced at Hakto and reached for his shoulder to rub it “Jaz dunno ‘ow ya feel mon, but we be here fo’ ya.”

The green troll beside her looked back up at Hakto “Ju be tineh gobbo famileh now!”

Hakto smiled weakly “Aye.” Trobu patted the troll on the other shoulder with a smile.

Hakto finally grunted, got to his feet and his ear flicked “Eh need ta leave. De bebehs be wakin’ up from dere nap...Ah t’ank joo bot’ fah ‘elpin.” He nodded to the two “Loa be wit’ ja bot’. Be safe.”

Jazali smiled up at Hakto and nodded “Ju be welcome Hakto, Jaz’ll give ya hugs whenevah ya need ‘em!” To prove her point she quickly hugged the big troll one last time around the waist and let go with a wave.

Hakto waved back and walked away “Joo bot’ be mah best friends.”

Trobu watched his friend leave “Poor mon.”

Jazali let out a breath between her teeth and stretched her arms behind her head “Yeh...it ain’ easeh losin’ ya mate, das fo’ sure. Death or not.”

Trobu shrugged and said in an optimistic tone “Trobu neva had one so Trobu donno!”

She tilted her head at Trobu and raised a brow curiously “Speakin’ o’ families...ya still got one in Shadowpine? Where be ya ma an’ pa?”

The big bear-like troll suddenly looked serious when his family was mentioned “Eh...Trobu no wanna talk ‘bout it.” He said walking away shrugging. The little troll blinked and hurriedly caught up with him, not really taking the hint and asking bluntly “...it be ‘cuz dey dead?”

Trobu huffed and walked awak again from her, clearly reluctant to talk about it “No. Dey alive.”

Jazali skidded to a stop and quickly turned after him again, now clearly noticing that it was a touchy subject for him. Jazali however never having heard anything from his past couldn’t help her curiousity and mumbled out tentatively “...it be bad? Ya family problem I mean?”

Trobu sat down finally against a cliff wall in the back of the Valley of Honour, and picked at what little grass was at his feet. “Dat one way o’ sayin’ it.” He said, keeping his eyes down “Uruji onleh one...dat like Trobu.”

Jazali nodded, finally deciding to let it go and glanced away at the ground with a bite of her lip. She however looked up and bit harder before she scooted closer to hug the big tree around his waist with a determined huff “Well Trobu family be dumb an’ Jaz like Uruji. If dey be too dumb ta not see ya be amazin’ den dat be their mistake.”

Trobu smiled and sheepishly hugged her back. “N’aww no one evah say dat to Trobu” He chuckled and sighed “Mebbe one day Trobu tell you...jus’ nah today…” He huffed “Trobu run. So Trobu...ken live...Trobu no miss famileh. But got Jaz now...Jaz make Trobu smile.” He said with a sheepish cheesy grin.

Jazali listened and nodded in...a surprisingly understanding way. It wasn’t like she was never in the same position when she was a much younger troll. She grinned widely at his admittance and snorted dorkily up at him “Well daz just ‘cuz Jaz be dat amazin’.” before she booped his nose goofily.

A moment passed...until she suddenly let go and cried out “AH SHIT!” She hurriedly sat up and looked to the sky “I promised a friend I’d meet ‘em in Thundahbluff soon! I t’ink I be late!” She hurriedly gathered up her things and tightened her hairband.

Trobu blushed when she booped his nose and he stood up when she did “Ah okey! Bye Jazali!” Trobu blushed heavier “Trobu missed Jaz.”