#kingspool

Much to the chagrin of the animals, the trio was quick to rush the water. Angel ran in, falling over with bright laughter before she went under to swim out deeper. Tiffany and Johnathan raced to climb a nearby tree and use it to jump as far into the cool water as possible.

Pushing at each other to get ahead, the duo barely made it into the water for all their fighting. Climbing the thick branches, Tiffany nearly knocked Johnathan off, only for him to grab her ankle as he fell. She lost her balance, slipping from the tree. Splashing as they tumbled in, they continued to tussle and laugh, trying to keep the other underwater longer.

Their fighting continued, dunking and dragging the other under as they laughed and fought for breath until they were deep enough to lose their footing and something tugged on them both with only just enough force to bring them under.

Gasping, Tiffany surfaced first, looking around. Angel was underwater. Cheeky. Grinning, Tiffany dove back down to grab her sister, lifting her out of the water and above her head.

“Put me down!” Screamed Angel, laughing as she wriggled, trying to get away.

Grinner wider, Tiffany shrugged. “Sure.” And with all her might, she threw her baby sister back into the water, laughing at the loud splash. She laughed louder when she was shoved, barely keeping her head above water as she tried to spin around.

“You’re supposed to be nice to your sister,” Johnathan scolded, smiling like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. Which turned into a teasing snicker when Tiffany yelled in offense.

Her arms flailed, and she pushed him back. “Like you have room to talk!” She countered, “You’re an absolute ass to me,” she accused, wagging a finger in his face as he laid back.

“Nah,” he said simply, still looking smug as he floated in the water. “I’m the nicest person you know!”

While Tiffany tried to give him a hard look, a smile broke across her face and ruined it. “That’s not saying a lot, and you know it.” Splashing him, she leaned back to enjoy the cool water as it soaked into her hair.

“Still the nicest!” He reminded her before he dove back under the water before letting himself float back up to the surface.

For a while, that was all it was. The trio floated and splashed each other until the sun rose higher in the sky, and the world went quiet as it tried to fend off the heat. But they couldn’t swim forever.

Johnathan was the first one out of the water, shaking his head as water droplets flew from his dark brown hair. Water still dripped from the strands, and yet somehow it still never seemed to lay flat. “Come on, you two. Before you fall asleep and drown yourselves.” When they both complained, he turned around, hands on his hips. “Out. Both of you. If I have to pull you out of the water you don’t get the fruit I brought.”

And just like that, the girls were racing to the edge of the water. Johnathan looked a bit proud of himself as he went over to the basket and flopped down in the grass, uncaring that it was going to stick to him later. While the blondes tried to wring water out of their hair, he started to pull some fruit out of the basket they had brought.

Angel sat down first, plucking an apple from Johnathan’s hands. “Thank you!” She chirped before taking a large bite.

Next to Johnathan, Tiffany flopped back in the grass and blindly started reaching for some of the fruit as she laid back.

“You’re not a child. You’re twenty two. Sit up.” When she kept pawing around, he lifted the fruit out of the way. A small sigh and he thumped her leg. “Sit,” he said again, more sternly this time.

A pout, but she did as she was told. Pulling herself up to sit up and cross her legs, she narrowed her eyes at the man. “What’s it matter? I’m hungry, and I’m tired from swimming.”

“Because you’d probably choke,” he teased her before handing her a large peach with a cheeky grin. And he wanted to see how her face lit up when she saw that he managed to get a few more peaches.

“I thought they’d all been picked and sold off?” She excitedly asked before taking a large bite of the juicy fruit. She’d lost count of how many peaches she’d had this summer, but it was never enough for her.

“They did. But the merchant family staying at the tavern happened to have some for themselves. I managed to trade them for a handful of them this morning. Last ones of the season, so don’t eat them too fast,” he warned. But he smiled fondly when he realized she wasn’t listening at all. She was too engrossed in getting a peach when she thought she would have to wait another year to worry about anything else.

Angel giggled at her sister before looking for something else to snack on. That was a lot of swimming.

And yet, Tiffany always found herself with work to do. Leaning against her husband’s side, she was scribbling away in her journal, making plans and running numbers for the village. Someone had to make sure the village coffers were balanced and food was on every table.

While she scribbled away, that was when she heard the warning of a boat pulling into the cape. Jumping, she tossed the journal on the sofa. “Of course,” she hissed as she stood up. Being so far away from being on the cliff, hearing the warning always meant she would be late if she didn’t sprint. Kissing her husband, she was off without another word and running down to greet the captain and his crew.

Leaving Seren alone, sitting still and mildly stunned, he blinked once, twice before he sighed. He would never get used to her sudden outbursts and running off. But he'd always be there to pick up the mess she left behind.

Grabbing her journal, he was distracted by the pictures. He thought she would be using more words by now when she wrote, but he supposed when she only learned a couple years ago, it was still easier to do what she'd always done.

Not that it made reading her notes any easier. How was he supposed to learn to help with a picture of a horse and a fence? He'd have to have her explain it.

Curiously, he flipped through a few pages. She didn't explain things until she had made up her mind on something and it would be nice to know what was happening before things were decided.

Plans and engine blueprints turned into horror in just a few pages. These were new. The tall monster that took up too much space, looming over everything. The monster that was too much for everyone.

After all this time, that’s still who she saw when she looked at herself, and it broke Seren’s heart. He had thought she was doing better, but he supposed a lifetime of being told different was a hard thing to unlearn. No matter how much he told her she was beautiful.

Leaning back against the sofa, Seren sighed. He wanted her to remember that she wasn’t all those things she was afraid of. She was beautiful and smart and deserved to love and see herself as wonderful as she was. Or at least that’s how he saw her.

Grinning widely. He got an idea. Grabbing her journal again, he dug around for a pencil. If she couldn’t remember how beautiful she was, he’d just have to make sure she had a reminder.

He took his time sketching out her face, every curve, and dip. Every strand of wild blonde hair. The way she smiled brightly and her eyes squinted, just a little. Something to remind her of what he saw when he looked at her.

After an early dinner, and a bit of packing, Tiffany guided her baby sister out of their little house and into the tree line at the base of the mountain. Between the trees and off the trails, there were plenty of places to look for frogs. And the girls were determined to find as many as they could.

Following their ears, frogs seemed to be everywhere, but every time they thought they were getting close, the frogs seemed to catch on, and a hush fell over nearby.

“Taffy!” whined Angel while she peeked into a fallen log, “where are all the frogs?”

Looking up from combing through the grass, she gave her sister a withering look. “I don’t know any more than you do. I can hear them. They’re out here, the frogs just don’t want to be caught.”

Another whine and Angel crossed her arms. “It’s not fair! Why won’t they come out?”

“Probably because they think we’re going to eat them,” she reminded her baby sister.

“Ew!” Giggling, Angel tried to find some clinging to the plants that had sprung from the mud. “Who would do that?”

Trekking through a bit of mud, Tiffany went after what she thought might have been one. Sneaking up on it, she quickly ducked down and snatched it up. With a small cheer, Tiffany held up her hands and took a peek through her fingers. At the very sneaky rock, she had managed to catch. She groaned.

Angel, however, cackled at her big sister. “At least you caught something!” she teased as the duo wandered off to try and find frogs elsewhere.

“Oh, be quiet, or I’ll use you as bait,” she quipped with a smirk when Angel squeaked and scampered off. As if frogs would want to nibble on her.

They went on for a while longer, under wood and rocks, digging through the grass and even the mud. The frogs just had no interest in being found! It was starting to get frustrating for them both.

“We’ve been out here forever!” whined Angel, sitting down on a frogless log. “This is stupid.”

“We’ve been looking a couple hours at best. Come on. There’s a big pond up ahead. I bet there’s something there. If not, we can go home.” Silently, she begged the Powers that there would be something there worth finding.

Angel had been begging for weeks now to go look for frogs, but it’d been too cold. They’d both been looking forward to this. The frogs were out there. They just had to find them. And she would. Tiffany couldn’t let this trip be for not. She was the older sister she had to take care of her baby sister. Had to.

Their wandering eventually led them to the largest pond in the safe parts of the mountain. There had to be frogs here!

“Come on, Angel. They’ve got to be here. Try not to go too far in the water. Last thing we need is you to get a cold,” she warned, stepping in about ankle deep to look around, careful with every step.

The water was freezing, and the mud sucked her boots deeper with every step, but Tiffany kept looking! They had to be here, somewhere. Deeper and deeper she went until the mud wouldn’t let go of her boots. Struggling, Tiffany yelped when her foot came free from the mud and her boot. Waving her arms to try and save her balance, she went down in the cold water with a loud splash.

Sitting up, she was covered in mud and soaked through. Shivering, she glared at her little sister, who was doubled over on the bank, howling with laughter. “Yes, yes, very funny. Get over here and pull me out. It’s freezing, and I’m stuck in the mud.

Still giggling to herself, Angel carefully waded through the water. “You told me not to go this deep,” she reminded her older sister. All the same, she extended a hand to try and help her sister up.

And despite the warnings, when Angel took her hand, she smirked. With one quick tug, Tiffany sent Angel sprawling into the water and laughed.

Angel flailed and splashed as she pulled herself up with a gasp. “Taffy!” She screamed, trying to get the mud off her face. Shivering, she glared at her sister. Which was only made worse when Tiffany started laughing. “What?”

Covering her mouth, Tiffany pointed with her other hand. On Angel’s head sitting on a bit of mud and grass, sat a rather very confused and rather small frog. The two looked at each other and burst into a fit of giggles.

An evening they decided to spend watching old horror movies in. Tiffany loved the effects, and Seren, well, he loved his wife.

Curled together on the sofa, Seren wrapped them up in a thick blanket to keep out the autumn chill and keep them cozy. He had no intention of leaving until it was time to sleep. Or they could sleep down there, that was fine too, so long as he had Tiffany to hold and a few snacks on hand.

Tiffany draped her legs over her husband's and snuggled in close. The best way to end the day. She couldn’t remember when they’d had this much time together that wasn’t work related. There was no way she was going to waste it. While the movie played on, blood curdling screams and the sound of too much blood the ambiance of the night, Tiffany cuddled closer while Seren's arms snaked around her.

He held her like a stuffie, pulling her into his lap when things got really scary. Despite everything he’d seen in his long life, scary movies still got to him. Not that he would ever admit it out loud. When someone was being killed on screen Seren held her tighter and hid his face in his wife's blonde hair.

But as her cape came into view, all of those thoughts fell away. She could imagine the boats floating at the docks. Hear the sounds of her men working. The sounds of the village, full of life and in full swing. She couldn't wait to set foot back on Kingspool soil.

Most of all, she couldn't wait to see her family. She had snuck off in secret, leaving Johnathan and Angel behind without warning. They were probably angry with her, but she hoped they would be happy to see her after being gone for almost four years. At least someone should be happy to see her.

It was a while longer until they were close enough to get off. The ship was too large to make it into port, so she was put on a small lifeboat, and a soldier rowed her to shore.

Seeing the boat had drawn in quite a curious crowd to the docks, hoping for something interesting. Seeing Tiffany, a silence fell over them all. The faces were a mix of shock and disgust that she had come back. Stepping on the docks, she waited for something, anything.

All that she was greeted with was her father telling her men to get back to work. She knew better than to think he would start caring now, but part of her had hoped.

Shouldering her things, she turned to thank the soldier only to see he had already started to leave. With a heavy sigh, she started walking. She looked up the hill to the small house on the cliff. Her home. Then started off the docks to a larger house just on the edge of it. Hopefully, it still felt like home.

There was no use knocking, so she stepped inside. Putting down her bag, she listened. There was the tell tale sound of jars clinking in the small room Johnathan used for medicine. Peeking in, she grinned. He was working while Angel sketched on one of the cots.

"Hey, you got a minute?" She asked softly.

Angel's head shot up when she heard the voice. After all this time, she hadn't forgotten. She was more than twice as old now at seven, her hair longer and just as dark as Tiffany's dirty blonde hair. She looked so much like Tiffany but with bright blue eyes instead of green. It was painful how much she'd grown.

"Taffy!" She screamed and dropped everything to rush into her arms.

Tiffany knelt down and scooped up her baby sister in her arms. "Oh Powers, I've missed you, Angie. You got so big!" Holding her tightly, she finally started to feel like she was home.

All the movement got Johnathan's attention. Looking up, he stalled, dropping the bottle in his hand. No matter how hopeful he had been when he heard the war was over, he wasn't expecting to see her so suddenly. Seeing her standing there, tears welled in his eyes. With long strides, he crossed the room to wrap his arms around them both.

All winter Grandpa had told her stories about the fairies in the woods, and she wanted to see them for herself! She knew about the dangerous creatures in the mountains that protected her village. But it wasn’t often she could hear stories about creatures who only wanted to play and have fun!

With a small wooden box under her arm, she excitedly ran off the beaten path to look for the best spot to see a fairy. The fairy hunting box would help her, just like Grandpa told her when he had shown her. She just needed a good spot.

One hour turned to two, then three. By now, Tiffany was in a place she’d never been before. Something she would normally think was exciting, but the trees were so dense she wasn’t sure which way was which anymore. Sitting down on a fallen tree, she set the fairy box down to have a think and figure out how to get home. Though she most definitely didn’t cry. She didn’t sob and scrub her face on her sweater, afraid she wouldn’t find her way back. No, not at all.

And it was while she was certainly not crying that someone noticed her. Someone who’d never seen a child out this way before. And for good reason.

“Children shouldn’t be here, you know,” said a small voice that made Tiffany jump.

Snapping her head up, Tiffany looked around. But she couldn’t see anyone. Something that made her very afraid. So she did as she was always taught when something was amiss. Keep her eyes open and her mouth shut.

“It’s dangerous here. You should go home,” said the voice again. Concerned this time. And closer.

Tiffany tried to pinpoint the voice, looking around and behind her. But still, no one was there. It was rather strange, she thought to herself as she turned around to sit properly again. Only to have a green light glowing in her face.

She let out a high pitched scream and fell back onto the grass and dirt with a thump and a whimper. If they were that close, she was in trouble.

But instead came laughter. Looking up from where she was sprawled in the dirt, Tiffany watched as the tiniest man she had ever seen walked to the edge of the log, surrounded by a green light that seemed to pulse from wings tucked neatly on his back. He laughed as he watched her, hands on his hips.

“Jumpy little thing, ain’tcha?” He teased as Tiffany fumbled back onto her feet. His hair was green as the light around him. Floating up from the wood, he got closer again.

“Ya heard me, didn’t ya?” He asked and flew around her head, making her spin in a circle and giggled when she did.

“I-I did,” she admitted sheepishly. “But I don’t know where here is to leave.”

The little man crossed his arms and sighed. “A bit old ta be gettin’ lost in the woods, aintcha? Kids your size normally know where you’re goin’. Or at least not ta come out this way.”

“I’m only seven!” Yelled Tiffany, her little hands on her hips. “Northsmen are just tall! Not my fault everyone else is short,” she mumbled as her shoulders slumped. It was hard, being a little girl who could only afford boys hand me downs and was already taller than the boys her age.

“A Northsman, huh? I ain’t ever heard of that. You some type of giant? I’ve met those before!” Spinning around Tiffany again, he flew up high and into the branches above her.

“Had to fly this high just so he’d hear me! You gonna be that tall?”

“No!” She giggled as he came back down to spin around her before lounging on the log.

“Northsmen are humans! We just grow extra tall where we come from. Wherever that is.” Her father rarely talked about where he was from after all. No matter how much she begged. He’d just huff and walk away.

“Humans are weird!” He laughed.

“Fairies never get big. Means we can nap anywhere we like. And I can always have the best hiding spot in hide and seek!”

Tiffany gasped and jumped on her feet.

“You’re a fairy!” she shouted.

“A real life fairy, right?” After bringing the fairy hunting kit this far and she didn’t even need it!

Said fairy watched her a moment before falling back in a fit of laughter.

“I am. What did you think I was? I fly?”

“I’ve never seen a fairy! I came out to see one because I’ve never seen one. Grandpa told me lots of stories all winter about fairies and their games. So I wanted to see for myself. So I borrowed his fairy hunting box so I could find you! Well, a fairy anyway.”

While she continued to ramble and rattle away about stories, and something about running into a frong. Or probably a frog. The fairy sat and watched her with a grin. This was why most fairies like children. Who else enjoyed things as much as a child?

“Sounds like you’ve had an adventure! And I’d know, I’ve been on a few myself, you know,” he told her as he moved to sit on her shoulder.

“Lots and lots of them! I could tell you some while we get you home?” He offered.

Tiffany beamed at the offer. Meeting a fairy and getting to hear their stories? It was better than a Giving! She nodded her head so hard her body moved with her. Causing her new friend to yelp and tumble. Luckily, his wings caught him.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to!”

Instead of being upset, the fairy laughed as he righted himself.

“Alright, alright. I’ll fly on my own then!” He teased.

“Now, where is home for my tiny giant friend, hm? Which set of humans do you belong to?”

It took Tiffany a few seconds to understand, but when she did she made to point. Pausing only once she remembered she didn’t know the way.

“I’m in Kingspool. The village on the cape. I live up on the cliff.”

“All the way down there?” The fairy whistled. Long walk for a little human.

“We’d better hurry if you want to be home for supper, my tiny giant! But lucky you, I know the way. I’ve fought off a few of your cats,” he laughed as they started back down the mountain and to a path to take his new friend home.

"The cats are mean," she agreed while they walked. She never had much luck with the cats in Kingspool. The ones by the docks were the worst!

"They are!" Laughed the fairy flying just a little ahead to mimic swatting them. "There was a tabby that chased down rabbits day and night!" He complained.

"Couldn't have that. Fat cat ate plenty without being a big bully! Took a while to chase him off. Broke my wing too! I thought I was done for," he whined, sinking a little as he flew.

Tiffany covered her mouth and gasped.

"Oh no! That must have been scary! Our cats get big! Was he going to eat you too?" Adjusting the fairy box, she kept pace with her new friend as he flew a bit ahead to show the way.

"Probably. But luckily for me. I'm smarter than a little bunny," he giggled and spun around.

As Tiffany walked behind the fairy, she leaned closer, excited to hear more. A fairy with stories! What could be better than that? She almost hoped she wouldn’t make it home in time for supper. This was better than anything her mother could make.

“What did you do? Oh, you didn’t hurt them too bad, did you?” Even if they chased her relentlessly, she would feel bad if something bad happened to them.

The fairy laughed hard. His head tilted back so far that he ended up flipping back having to steady himself with a few hard flaps of his glowing wings. Human children were some of the most curious creatures and excitable.

“He was alright. Mostly. A couple cuts and scrapes, nothing his humans couldn’t help him with. Managed to get him to run off. And straight into a rose bush!” He laughed again, holding his sides.

Which made Tiffany laugh too! She supposed that wasn’t so bad. She’d fallen in them too. It hurt, but nothing bad ever happened to her! The worst part was the scolding she got for ripping a new shirt.

“I’m glad he stopped being a bully! No one should be that mean! But how did you scare him into the bush if he broke your wings?”

He gave the little girl a smug look before turning to float upside down.

“Cats are stupid,” he explained simply. When that wasn’t enough, he kicked his feet to get upright again. Clearly, a fairy who enjoyed a good story. Or, at least, a chance to brag.

“When he wasn’t paying attention, I threw pebbles at his tail. Huge fluffy thing it was!” He spread his arms wide.

“And when he turned to look at what got his tail, I threw one on his whiskers. Back and forth and over again! Until the stupid cat spun himself silly!”He giggled again at that, spinning around like he was chasing his own wings.

“Then with a loud hiss, he ran off straight into the thorn bush! Dumb cat stayed inside for a week!”Smacking his hands together, he mimicked the cat with a laugh.

Picturing a cat running in circles, little Tiffany couldn’t help but loudly laugh as well. What a silly sight it must have been! She wished she could have seen it for real.

“That’s really smart!” She praised, laughing more when he puffed out his chest with pride. Fairies were better than the stories. Tiffany almost didn’t want to go home, even as she followed him down a barely used path.

“One of the smartest! And the toughest!” He told her, playfully flexing his arms while he guided her on, careful of anything else in the mountains that would want to hurt a little girl. While fairies weren’t the only things among the trees that liked children, it wasn’t for the same reasons.

“Do you have any other fun stories?” She begged as she jumped on a log and walked down it with her arms outstretched.

“Lots!” He chirped as he playfully ducked and weaved between low branches.

“I could tell you about when I fought off a Treewalker!” The fairy stopped at that and seemed to think for a moment.

“Maybe not. You might be a little young for that story. It’s scary.” Tapping his lip, the fairy hummed, before grinning rather slyly at his tiny giant.

Jumping off the long, she hurried to the fairy. Hands on her hips, she leaned forward a little.

“I’m brave! I’m going to be the guardian of Kingspool when I grow up! Grandpa already taught me lots! I can scare off the banshees! And I know when a shadow isn’t a shadow, or or,” she explained how to protect someone from some of the less scary creatures that lived around.

Something the fairy was quite impressed by as he listened, floating backward as she talked. Most adults didn’t know how to take such good care of themselves! What a smart little girl he’d found. He was surprised she was as lost as she was.

The fairy listened until he bumped into a tree from not paying attention. Laughing, he rubbed his head.

“Aren’t you a smart little giant!” He praised with a laugh. Briefly, he wondered if she needed his help. But either way, he was having far too much fun.

“I guess if you’re that brave, I’ll tell you the story of when I stopped a Treewalker that tried to gobble up my friends and chase us away from home.”

That made her stop in her tracks, bright green eyes wide and her little mouth hanging open.

“You stopped a Treewalker?!” She squeaked. Those were too dangerous for the adults!

“Grandpa says they’re super dangerous, and I should run away if I see one. They trick you, making you think they’re just another tree with vines hanging off it.”

The fairy nodded his head as he flew a bit to try to get her walking again.

“He’s right! They’ll eat anyone they can fit between their teeth.” He held his hands up and mimicked eating with his teeth bared. Not even the animals were that dangerous.

“They’re very tough! Their skin is like tree bark. Makes them very hard to fight,” he explained.

Which had Tiffany rushing to catch up. She needed to know! How did someone so small beat something even the adults were afraid of?

“What did you do? Did you use fairy magic on him?”

“Couldn’t! That doesn’t work on, well, most things ‘cept animals and humans,” he admitted with a laugh. Clearing his throat when she frowned.

“I had to fight him off by myself! With thorn daggers and thistle arrows!” Pulling out said daggers, he spun them in his hands and did a quick trick of tossing them up and catching them.

“Tougher than the stuff you find on a bush, but still not very strong against a Treewalker when he’s hungry. But I wasn’t going to let him eat any of my friends!” He explained, swooping low and back up again.

“I stabbed at his fingers and wrists to make him drop my friends, but it wasn’t enough. He was stubborn! No matter how many times I hit him, he just didn’t care. I thought we were done for!”

“Oh no!” Gasped Tiffany, covering her mouth. Treewalkers never stopped until they were full. Though she’d never heard of them ever being full, just always starving.

“What did you do? Did he eat everyone?” She worried and bounced from foot to foot, even as she tried to keep up. The fairies had to be okay! They had to. Otherwise, that wouldn’t be fair. And to a seven year old, fairness was still very important.

“Nah! Fairies are known for being clever, you know.” He pretended to knock back an arrow and winked.

“When I knew I couldn’t stop him from eating my friends, I did the only thing I could do! I shot him in the eyes. One right after the other!” Pretending to let go of the imaginary arrows, he raised his hands triumphantly.

“Then! When he was yelling and scratching at his eyes, I threw a dagger in his mouth!”

Wide eyed, Tiffany jumped. They were so small. How could something so small stop something as big as a tree?

“Was it enough? Did you scare him off?”

At first, he just beamed before he nodded.

“It worked! When he couldn’t open his eyes he got really mad and started to swing his fists like mad! But I dodged him easy. When I threw the dagger, he decided we were too much work and bumped around and away!”

Tiffany cheered loudly, throwing a fist into the air. Happy endings were her favourite.

“You’re amazing! Grandpa was right. Fairies are wonderful,” she praised.

“Thank you! It’s always good to know someone still likes us,” he told her, coming to a stop.

“Maybe if I see you again, I can tell you more stories,” he offered before waving a hand.

They were in a familiar spot. The trees faded away, and in the distance was a small house on a cliff with a tin roof and smoke curling out of the chimney.

Tiffany stood in awe. Looking over her shoulder, she spun around, trying to make sense of everything. They hadn’t walked that long, surely? Had she gotten so turned around that she hadn’t actually gone far?

Watching her, the fairy giggled.

“Your grandpa should have told you stories about fairy rings. And that you should never walk into one,” he warned with a serious look but smiled quickly.

“Sometimes we don’t let you go. Things are different on this side.”

For the first time since she was found, Tiffany looked afraid. Grandpa had warned her about fairy rings! But she never noticed. Did that mean she was trapped?

Though her new friend only let her worry for a moment.

“Don’t worry, I don’t like keeping people. Most the time. Just keep walking straight ahead, and you’ll make it home.”

When she didn’t move at first, the fairy sighed and crossed his arms. It really was only right to not trust a fairy, he supposed. Especially when he’d already tricked her once. For her own good or not.

“Go on. I’ll stay right here until you get inside and see your parents,” he promised.

He wouldn’t lie, right? But if she left, there would be no more stories. Would she ever get to meet a fairy again?

“Are you going to go far away when you go away?” She asked, fidgeting with her hands.

A small hum and the fairy sunk down to sit on her shoulder again.

“Far away for me, and far away for you aren’t the same thing,” he explained. Things were very different for fairies than they were for humans after all.

“But you better not get lost again,” he teased, grinning wide when she giggled.

“Be careful out there, and I bet I’ll see you again if you go hunting for fairies.” A playful nudge, and he shooed her off.

“Thank you for taking me home! I hope you have lots of fun adventures!” She called as she ran to her little house where dinner was being made still.

Once she made it inside, she didn’t even say hello before she looked out the window.

Just like he said, there was a little green light at the edge of the trees. A little bounce, and it darted away as her grandfather stepped over to put a hand on her head.

“Did you make a friend out there today?”

“Yeah! I met the best fairy!” She giggled as she sat at the table for dinner. The very best fairy indeed. With stories she would keep forever. Tiffany would never stop keeping an eye out for a little green light.