Billy took a deep breath and let it out. He was standing in front of what he suspected to be the place where Ella had been taken: a cave that they had passed by while walking on the mountain path.

It had been there without their notice, as they had casually walked past it earlier. But as Billy chased after the creature that had taken Ella, he looked at the map and saw that there were many caves across the mountain path, and that that cave was the closest to where they were. Billy thought to look into a cave because he had remembered through the fairy tales he had been told as a child that trolls live in caves.

And a troll may have been the one to take Ella.

It wouldn't have been a surprise to Billy. It was the creature he had suspected all along. But still, he had denied it at first, trying to numb his mind from the fear he felt in knowing that he may have to face a troll, but at this point he couldn't deny it any longer. Scary the task would be, but Billy knew that he couldn't just leave Ella. And so, he drew out his mighty sword, and walked as bravely as he could into the dark cave.

"Ella!" Billy called out in whispers, as so not to disturb anything that may be living in the cave. "Ella!"

For a while, there was no answer to his calls. He started to wonder whether or not he should turn back, as the light shining through the way he had came was getting dimmer the further away he walked from it. He worried that if he went too far, he would never get out of the cave. If he never escaped, he would never be able to finish the story, and he would be stuck in this storyworld forever. Billy shuddered at the thought of it, and knew that his best option was in fact, to turn back and keep looking for other places that Ella may be.

Just then, as Billy was just turning around, he heard a quiet call from somewhere just a bit deeper into the cave.

"Sir Edward!"

Billy turned around instantly, having recognized the voice. Ella!

"Ella! Where are you?" Billy called out in a whisper, looking around and trying to let his eyes adjust to the darkness.

"Right here!" She called back in a hushed voice. Billy's eyes finally adjusted to the darkness of the cave and he was able to identify an outlined shape behind a few rocks in the cave.

"Ella! There you are!" Billy had said, a bit louder than he had meant to, too distracted with the overwhelming relief he felt in knowing that Ella was okay. She was hiding behind rocks, and he wasn't quite sure why.

"Ella, why are you-"

"Shh! Keep your voice down, they could still be around," Ella hissed, eyes darting.

"Who's 'they'?" Billy asked nervously.

Ella didn't have to answer that. As Billy looked around, he caught sight of a strange thing in the distance. They were pairs of light shining in the darkness, of which Billy suspected were fireflies at first.

He was proved wrong when the pairs of light moved closer, and to Billy's horror, he realized that they were eyes.

"Quick, Ella! We have to get out of here!" Billy shoved the rocks in front of Ella out of the way, and she climbed out. They both started to race out of the cave at top speed, and it wasn't long before they heard growling and fast-moving feet from behind them.

"Ella, what are those things?!" Billy shouted while running.

"Trolls, Sir Edward! The Northern Trolls are upon us!" She shouted back fearfully.

Billy felt his stomach drop, even though he had been somewhat expecting Ella to say what she had. He looked at his sword which he had carried. He knew what he had to do. He was the one who was armed and protected, and Ella was the one who was not.

"Ella! Run back outside and save yourself!" Billy instructed, stopping and turning to face the direction where the trolls were running.

"Sir Edward!" Ella had looked at him fearfully as if worried for his well-being.

"I'll be fine! I've done this before!" Billy shouted, remembering how the Queen had once praised him for saving her from these same trolls. If his character had done it before, why couldn't he?

Ella reluctantly listened to Billy and kept running towards the cave's entrance. Billy took a deep breath and let it out, holding his sword and preparing to do what he would have to do. He heard the pounding of the troll's feet and their growling getting closer to him. Billy prepared to fight.