trees. The
soldiers were gone, leaving behind rusty looking blood stains and a trail of
flattened plants leading off to the edge of the jungle. I shuddered. I hadn’t
even heard the spiders or whatever had taken the bodies.
When I saw nothing else but dew sparkled grass, I
let out a great sigh and went back inside to eat breakfast. Once I’d fed myself
and my new companion, I headed towards where we’d entered the clearing the day
before, but the fairy screeched at me and pulled my hair in the other
direction. I resisted the urge to swat at her and continued in the direction
I’d been heading.
When the fairy flew around in front of me and began
pelting me with twigs and ripe pink berries that left little spatters of color
on my hands and arms, I stopped.
“What?” I asked, completely exasperated. The sun
was just up and I was already covered with sweat. I had a long walk back to the
island in the river, and I wasn’t sure I could even find it.
The fairy chattered at me and pushed my face in
the other direction. The tiny little arm pointed towards a path at the other
end of the clearing. I shook my head.
“No,” I said. “I can’t. If I’m caught out after
dark the spiders will eat me. You know?” I imitated a quick, scurrying spider
with my hands. “Spiders?”
The fairy frowned and then pointed at the sun. I
nodded and then just stood there for a minute. William wasn’t coming back. This
fairy obviously wanted me to go somewhere. I might as well follow the fairy. It
was still early morning. If I didn’t find an island to hide on for the night,
I’d turn around by midday and return to the building, the Captain’s men or not.
Better kidnapping to getting gnawed on by monster arachnids.
With my mind made up, I retrieved as much food
from the building as I could carry and set off after the fairy. I used a dirty
shirt I found in the box with the food to carry the colored pencils and tablet.
I had to trot to keep up with the buzzing
creature, but the fairy was better at picking a route through the jungle so I
didn’t have to struggle as hard to follow as when I’d been chasing after
William. The fairy also seemed to be adept at spotting the spider pits and
steered me around them by tugging on my hair. Overall, it was a much more
pleasant journey then it’d been with William, and before midday I found myself
stepping into another clearing. This one looked natural and not at all
landscaped. The fairy flew off towards a twist of sticks and vines at the other
end in a blur of wings and left me running to catch up.
When I did, I realized that what had looked like a
jumble of broken sticks and debris was actually a very well concealed palace.
At the entrance stood two tall, imposing looking men with butterfly striped
skin that flashed and sparkled in the sunlight. I wanted to just stand and
stare at them for awhile, but my fairy came back and with a hard yank on my
hair, pulled me forward. I was met by a tall woman with the same iridescent
skin. Her colors were turquoise and red with tornado sky green eyes and slit
cat pupils. It made me shudder, but when the woman bowed to me and held up her
hand for the little purple fairy, I relaxed a little.
“You are welcome here, human. Moonlight on
Lavender tells me that you healed her wounds and offered her sustenance in a
time of need. She is the Queen of the Fairies and asks me to tell you that she
owes you her life and will stay with you until she can repay the debt.”
I shook my head and the little fairy made a
distressed little squeal. “No, really, that’s not necessary. I didn’t know if
it would really work, and honestly, she’s not as purple as she was before, so I
really didn’t do a great job, and . . . well, you know.” I trailed off,
uncomfortable with the little fairy’s crying and the bigger fae’s stern look.
“Moonlight on Lavender is a queen among her own
kind. Your refusal of her aid is insulting. You are insinuating that any help
she
soldiers were gone, leaving behind rusty looking blood stains and a trail of
flattened plants leading off to the edge of the jungle. I shuddered. I hadn’t
even heard the spiders or whatever had taken the bodies.
When I saw nothing else but dew sparkled grass, I
let out a great sigh and went back inside to eat breakfast. Once I’d fed myself
and my new companion, I headed towards where we’d entered the clearing the day
before, but the fairy screeched at me and pulled my hair in the other
direction. I resisted the urge to swat at her and continued in the direction
I’d been heading.
When the fairy flew around in front of me and began
pelting me with twigs and ripe pink berries that left little spatters of color
on my hands and arms, I stopped.
“What?” I asked, completely exasperated. The sun
was just up and I was already covered with sweat. I had a long walk back to the
island in the river, and I wasn’t sure I could even find it.
The fairy chattered at me and pushed my face in
the other direction. The tiny little arm pointed towards a path at the other
end of the clearing. I shook my head.
“No,” I said. “I can’t. If I’m caught out after
dark the spiders will eat me. You know?” I imitated a quick, scurrying spider
with my hands. “Spiders?”
The fairy frowned and then pointed at the sun. I
nodded and then just stood there for a minute. William wasn’t coming back. This
fairy obviously wanted me to go somewhere. I might as well follow the fairy. It
was still early morning. If I didn’t find an island to hide on for the night,
I’d turn around by midday and return to the building, the Captain’s men or not.
Better kidnapping to getting gnawed on by monster arachnids.
With my mind made up, I retrieved as much food
from the building as I could carry and set off after the fairy. I used a dirty
shirt I found in the box with the food to carry the colored pencils and tablet.
I had to trot to keep up with the buzzing
creature, but the fairy was better at picking a route through the jungle so I
didn’t have to struggle as hard to follow as when I’d been chasing after
William. The fairy also seemed to be adept at spotting the spider pits and
steered me around them by tugging on my hair. Overall, it was a much more
pleasant journey then it’d been with William, and before midday I found myself
stepping into another clearing. This one looked natural and not at all
landscaped. The fairy flew off towards a twist of sticks and vines at the other
end in a blur of wings and left me running to catch up.
When I did, I realized that what had looked like a
jumble of broken sticks and debris was actually a very well concealed palace.
At the entrance stood two tall, imposing looking men with butterfly striped
skin that flashed and sparkled in the sunlight. I wanted to just stand and
stare at them for awhile, but my fairy came back and with a hard yank on my
hair, pulled me forward. I was met by a tall woman with the same iridescent
skin. Her colors were turquoise and red with tornado sky green eyes and slit
cat pupils. It made me shudder, but when the woman bowed to me and held up her
hand for the little purple fairy, I relaxed a little.
“You are welcome here, human. Moonlight on
Lavender tells me that you healed her wounds and offered her sustenance in a
time of need. She is the Queen of the Fairies and asks me to tell you that she
owes you her life and will stay with you until she can repay the debt.”
I shook my head and the little fairy made a
distressed little squeal. “No, really, that’s not necessary. I didn’t know if
it would really work, and honestly, she’s not as purple as she was before, so I
really didn’t do a great job, and . . . well, you know.” I trailed off,
uncomfortable with the little fairy’s crying and the bigger fae’s stern look.
“Moonlight on Lavender is a queen among her own
kind. Your refusal of her aid is insulting. You are insinuating that any help
she
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