Chapter Text
“‘Have fun on your adventure, Moomintroll!’ From Snorkmaiden.”
Moomintroll read the small card over and over, sighing deeply. It held the last parting words of one of his closest friends and came with the farewell bouquet gift as he and his parents left on some confounded impromptu journey.
Moomintroll’s thoughts turned bitter. Here he was, traveling on foot for the last four days, to Tove knows where and for who knows how much longer. All because his father, as his mother put it, decided he wanted “to live a life of wild abandon”.
Again.
Moominpappa was well-travelled adventurer back in his day, something Moomintroll once greatly admired about him. In many ways, Moomintroll figured he still did, but he was a full-grown moomin now. He no longer had that childlike idolatry for his parents as he once did (bar Moominmamma’s cooking, of course). Entertaining as they could be, his Papa’s spur-of-the-moment stints that came at random nowadays tended to irk Moomintroll with the sporadic upheavals of their livelihood it brought more often than ignite a shared excitement for a new adventure. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Moominpappa decided this latest exploit had to be a whole family affair, so here he was.
He turned his attention back to the bouquet. A fond smile found its way on his face as he thought about his friend. While she could be vain, Snorkmaiden at her core was very sweet. Moomintroll admired her vast knowledge for flowers and it showed in the many floral presents she’d gift to her friends. This particular bouquet was a simple, but poignant one: yellow roses of friendship with lovely white snowdrops, which according to her, meant “the heralding return of loved ones”. A sweet message wishing a close friend safe travels and safe return.
The reminiscing quickly turned bittersweet. Snorkmaiden was close to his age and already found her calling in life. She knew what she wanted to do while his sorry tail had no such answers how even to start!
“Hurry yourselves along, my family! We can’t be lollygagging when there’s adventure to be had!” Moominpappa called from ahead.
Moomintroll couldn’t stop the rumbling growl in his throat.
“Don’t worry, dear. We’ll be stopping for supper soon.” Moominmamma said gently, in her usual kind and calm way. Whether she knew what the sound actually was or not, Moomintroll didn’t correct her.
Honestly, his mother was the one saving grace to this madness. She always knew what to do and how to make things better.
They eventually did stop. Moominpappa gallivanted off supposedly to hunt for food immediately, while Moominmamma got a fire going. Moomintroll helped little to get his and Mama’s belongings in one place and make the campsite mildly more cozy, then promptly resumed his sulking. Petty though it may be, he was in no mood to do much of anything else.
“Now this is the life! To think! There are people who seek the comfort of everyday living!” Moominpappa gasconaded, cozying up to the campfire he and Moominmamma put together. “How I pity the poor souls who would never even consider seeking an adventure to make the heart race!”
“Yes, dear. It certainly is rather wonderful up here.” Moominmamma agreed. “I'm glad I won't miss on such sights.”
“The sights are only the beginning, my dear Moominmamma. Just think of the perils! The thrills! Lands uncharted!” Moominpappa gesticulated dramatically. “Just imagine it! We moomins might even find something no one has bothered to find before!”
Mama sighed sweetly. “Well, we can always hope.”
“Oh, so we won’t be going home any time soon at all then.” Moomintroll muttered bitterly, and none too quietly either. “That’s good to know.”
“Think of it, darling!” Moominpappa continued without missing a beat, sweeping his beloved off her feet as well. “‘The courageous Moominpappa, with his adoring wife by his side, will make history! Everyone in Moominvalley will remember the old days when they had no idea what stood behind the mountains until their intrepid explorer returned with stories of his great pilgrimage!’ Truly one for the ages, no?”
Moomintroll merely rolled his eyes. “A bit old for make believe, wouldn’t you say? Then again, you don’t have any issues with that when it comes to me and my wants and pretending they don’t exist.”
Moominmamma only giggled in her husband’s arms, nuzzling her snout against his in a tender Moomin’s kiss. “Well, I’m sure they’ll be thankful for such a good storyteller.”
“That they shall!” Moominpappa preened.
“Did either of you even– AUGH!!” Moomintroll then abruptly stood up and started walking off. “I need some air.”
If either Mama or Papa called for him then, he didn’t hear it. Or just ignored it. He wasn’t sure exactly which in that moment, though it could easily have been a bit of both. He just needed to get away before he blew a gasket.
Moomintroll stomped along the forest trail. The sights and landscapes of Moominvalley were truly breathtaking in all respects and at all hours, but Moomintroll was too engrossed in his own thoughts to really care. In fact, there were a lot of aspects to this trip he would’ve enjoyed regularly had it even been on his terms in the slightest. However, there existed no such luxury with Moominpappa.
Anger fired up, Moomintroll kicked the ground and anything that happened to be near his feet. Stones, plants, bugs, nothing was spared, though he did relent after a few too many firm kicks to trees and larger rocks. Afterwards, he plopped himself down on one of said rocks and stewed in silence.
Until a mosquito saw it fit to fly and buzz about loudly around Moomintroll’s head and ears.
“You can fly anywhere else in the world, but you only feel fit to do so near me?!” Moomintroll blistered. “I’ve had a right terrible past few days already, so could you really not find someone else to annoy!”
The bug said nothing and continued buzzing around moody moomin. Moomintroll shooed it away with his paws, but his blows were dodged with ease. Absolutely intent on being a bother. Then as if to spite him, it momentarily landed on his snout and moved the second Moomintroll’s paw smacked hard into the spot before deciding to finally fly elsewhere.
This was the last straw, however, and Moomintroll ran after it in hot pursuit.
Petulant? Perhaps, but Moomintroll was too angry to see it as such. Anger has a way of clouding judgments and muddling up one’s sense of rationality. Normally, Moomintroll would’ve been gladdened by the mosquito’s departure and content to enjoy his time alone unbothered once it left, his annoyance leaving with it. In this moment, that was not the case. Instead, Moomintroll wanted to give that pesky bug a good swatting and make it miserable for making him more miserable after enduring so many days of misery.
He didn’t know how long or how far he’d chased the irritating insect, but lost sight of it after tripping over a nasty tree root that sent him careening into an empty spiderweb and face planting into the dirt. Grumpily regaining his bearings, Moomintroll was ready to scream and curse out the world all his pent up rage with no holding back, when a new sight made him forget about all of that.
Further away up in the nearby faces of the Lonely Mountains, Moomintroll saw something most peculiar from his low vantage point. He rubbed his eyes a few times to check they weren’t fooling him, but he spotted a strange crevice in one of the escarpments along one of the common mountain paths. A path he’s known and explored for years growing up, and never once came across that crevice before. Nor had he heard from any of the other older denizens of Moominvalley who were likewise very familiar with the mountainous terrain speak about it.
Most unusual, as this crevice was a decent size. The kind that while nothing grand, was not small enough to be a mere crack nor go unnoticed. It almost looked like a tunnel or narrow cave. One that called invitingly as it basked in the silver moonlight, and even appeared to emit its own soft golden glow around its entrance edges.
Moomintroll squinted his eyes to try and make out more, but the distance combined with the fact moomins have terrible night-eyes, made that task extremely difficult. Something about it didn’t feel quite right, but his interest was piqued and felt compelled to learn more. Especially since this was the first significant thing he was able to do purely of his own accord since leaving Moominhouse against his wishes.
Unsure but curious to a fault, Moomintroll stood and took a few steps closer, intending to make the trek to approach it proper.
No more than three steps in, a sharp wind propelled into him from the crevice. Cold and biting and with enough force to send Moomintroll tumbling backwards until he fell on his rump. He shook his head as if coming out of a trance, shielding his face in his hands from the wind. Suddenly, any interest Moomintroll momentarily had in taking a closer look was shattered and overrun with foreboding dread.
If the wind rather deliberately was pushing him away from it, feeding his gut with alarm bells and red flags was any indication. The harsh burn through his thick fur down to his skin and the nipping chill of it only further aided in driving the point across the crevice was something to beware.
Most discomforting of all, he could’ve sworn he heard voices. Disembodied voices all echoing the same thing:
GET AWAY.
That’s enough head-clearing for tonight, he decided, turning tail back to his parents and the campsite.
By the time he got back, both Mama and Papa were asleep (with Papa loudly sawing logs) and the campfire weedling on its last embers. Moomintroll sighed and crawled into his tent (thank you, Mama), mind restless but somehow managing to drift off not long after laying his head against his pillow (again, ever thankful for Moominmamma).
Another gentle night wind flew from the mountains to the Moomins’ campsite, blowing out the fire’s last embers and flitted about until daybreak.
Moominpappa was up far too early and was far too chipper banging together a pot and pan pair to serve as the wake up call for his wife and son to wake up as well.
Any peace the young troll may have found last night in his sleep was quickly dashed that very instant. He was still far from home, his room and his friends. He was still on this wretched trip he was forced into because of his father’s latest mid-life crisis. He was still suffering, and no one but him cared.
Moomintroll was far less subtle about his discomfort and agitation all throughout the morning than he had been up to this point as he packed up his things, including the wilting bouquet and card from Snorkmaiden for safe keeping, but was paid no mind. Once everyone was finished, Moominpappa bounded away and yelled cheerfully for his family to join. The walking continued into the Lonely Mountains, and Moomintroll’s foul mood continued to simmer.
However, intermixed in his irritability was his persisting confusion with what he stumbled across the previous night. He hadn’t voiced it with his parents yet, and he wasn’t too sure how to. The last thing he needed was Moominpappa seeing a challenge to best, especially with how his gut keep twisting at the memory of the strange find.
“What ho? What do we have here?” Moominpappa declared, inspecting the very same find in question. “Everyone, come see this!”
Then again, Fate has a funny way of making things happen on their own. Moomintroll just wished for once It would be kind to him on this darned trip.
Moominmamma approached her husband’s side, Moomintroll at her tail, to see the crevice for herself. Both the elder Moomins observed with keen curiosity and wonder at the crevice, the gap in the mountain face they’ve never come across before while venturing through the Lonely Mountains in the past, and the oddity of how no one else has apparently seen, mentioned or documented this crevice of the Lonely Mountains before either. Moomintroll, on the other hand, only felt a sinking feeling inside him. Now up close and personal with it, he was able to confirm the crevice was indeed an entrance to a tunneled (or at least partially so) path that was unknown to all of them.
Where his parents viewed it with intrigue, Moomintroll did with apprehension.
The family was then caught by surprise by a firm, wailing gust from the crevice blown right into their faces. Nothing of the strength of the gales akin to the most monstrous storms of Mother Nature at her most frightening, but strong enough to make the three Moomins unsteady on their footing and push them back a bit. Moomintroll’s gut was tearing itself apart, his mind loudly voicing in favor of adhering his gut’s intuition screaming at him:
GET AWAY.
“I don’t think we’re wanted here.” Moomintroll stated, less assertive than he hoped. “I don’t like the looks of this.”
Moominpappa only scoffed. “It’s not a worthy adventure if there isn’t any obstacles or challenges to overcome! If there’s danger in the air, it’s all the more reason to explore uncharted lands!”
“Papa, I really don’t like this! I’m getting a really bad feeling about that…thing!” Moomintroll pleaded. Why, oh WHY, would no one LISTEN?!
“Fear not, my boy. There’s no danger your father can’t defeat and protect you from! Now let’s be off!” his father boasted, dramatically gesturing in the direction of the unknown before running into it headlong. “BACK TO ADVENTURE!”
“But–!”
“Don’t fret, my little Moomintroll. Perhaps it’s merely the chill in the mountain air. Just stay close to me, dear.” said Moominmamma with a soft pat on her son’s shoulder.
Moomintroll was about to protest again, but his father was already more than halfway down the crevice tunnel and Mama was following after, though at a more relaxed pace. Moominpappa was too stubborn once his mind was made up to be changed and Moominmamma always stood by her husband, be it for support, minding his eccentricities, or both at once. And Moomintroll was again left with no choice but to go along with it all, getting no say in the matter.
With a huff, the youngest Moomin hurried through the entrance after his parents.
If he couldn’t stop them from going in, he could hope he’d at least be able to sway them to come out.