I was running through the woods, my heels were not made for running…my dress weighed me down. It was hard to run but those people…things…were after me! I could hear them far behind…then suddenly I tripped over the root of a tree! But as I struggled to get myself up I started running again, falling over had slowed me down so I could hear them much closer but all I knew was that I had to keep running.
I kept running and running, I felt like at any moment my legs would give out. Then out of nowhere I heard multiple screams and then silence..no sounds…just silence and the chirp of crickets. I didn't know what was scarier; being able to hear them or not being able to hear anything…I was huffing trying to catch my breath as I leaned up on a tree… had an animal gotten them? was I still in danger….I looked up looking up at the moon…. It was the only source of light I had.
I then started walking again, I don't know where I thought I was going but I definitely couldn't head back in the direction I had come from…would my father even order a search party for me? I don't think he cared enough…maybe he'd be happy if I really did disappear?….
As I was walking—-my ears picked up the sound of rustling and then the sound of footsteps. I was now near a cliff at an opening, I could see much better with the moon lighting down. I then saw a figure emerge! From what I could tell it was a girl with silver hair and armor…she was a few feet away and her eyes were locked on me…was she there to end me? Was she the one who ended those people/things back there?…. I was too tired for this…I then glanced at the cliff. Would jumping down be less painful than whatever this person was gonna do?
Out of the corner of my eyes I saw her extend her hand out ... .I turned my face to face her and suddenly a ball of fire lit from her Hand—-what in the- ….. was she a magical being? I knew other magical beings existed apart from mermaids but unless you were out deep in the woods; you would never encounter any of them. she stepped closer…seeing her face clearer now, she looked so…kind. How deceitful. When she stepped closer I took a step back getting near the cliff. She stopped as if trying to figure how to go on about this. She threw some sparks of fire near my feet and it made me look down as I tried moving away. Before I could look up again, I felt her lunging at me and before I could do anything…POW a hit to the neck, knocking me unconscious.
When I woke up I took a moment to glance around, before fully opening my eyes when I remembered the events that had transpired! It was morning now and I was in some sort of den? Big enough for humans with plenty of room. My eyes lit up, there were so many artifacts I had never seen before, perhaps magical?? And as I glanced more I noticed so many books around. And then I finally noticed it, I was tied to a chair. I tried to unbind my hands but to no avail, then a group of…creatures walked in? The first thing I noticed was a tiny man maybe 3 feet in height? with hairy feet and ginger hair and a ginger beard with a tint of gray.
"Well it seems you've woken, this is not at all what I had intended for to happen….you were supposed to have been explained the situation beforehand. I'm so sorry"
I noticed him glance at one of the "creatures" behind him…it was that girl! The girl with silver hair and armor! She was the one that had knocked me out. She wasn't even looking at me, just had her arms crossed and looking away.
"I'm sorry…what is going on…you're a bunch of…you know what—-that's besides the point, but you not only knocked me out but also tied me to a chair??"
The little man said his name was ginger, he kept blabbering and it obviously seemed he was beating around the bush instead of telling me the truth. I heard a sigh and the girl with the silver hair spoke up, interrupting ginger.
"You should be grateful I saved you, do you really need the details?"
"I kinda do when I was KNOCKED out and now tied up??"
Ginger tried to diffuse the tension but was once again interrupted by the silvered hair girl.
" well as you wish, those things that killed your couchman and were after you were the underlings to what they call "the ice queen"; those things were once humans like you but the ice queen transformed them in some way we yet do not know….I disintegrated any evidence of your carriage, them, and your couchman. It's better to get rid of any trace behind as you…will not be going home"
"Excuse me, what do you mean I won't be going home!?"
Ginger spoke up
"The ice queen's underlings were after you, which could mean she had her eye on you…we don't yet know why, but she wouldn't go to great lengths to get you if there wasn't something she was after"
What….why would the ice queen be after me? I'm no commoner but being a duke's daughter doesn't mean I'm something special either, it would make more sense if she were after the royal family…but me?
A guy with wings got closer… wings?…is he what they call fairies?…he wasn't small like I had pictured them to be, in fact he was regular size just with crystal like looking wings on his back. He had dark brown hair and light brown eyes. He got closer to my face as if inspecting me and I raised an eyebrow; he chuckled and in a swift move…untied my hands.
I stretched my arms a bit before getting up from the chair, feeling as though I would fall but I managed to keep myself up ... .how long was I in that chair for?…all night?
The fairy guy suddenly spoke up.
"Well we couldn't have you in that chair forever, now could we?. My name is Ash and the silvered girl who knocked you out is Daisy… like the flower! Don't take it to heart though! She's always like that with everyone, she knocked me out once too. Not fun at all you get me? Well as you could probably figure out, i'm a fairy and Daisy is ... .surprise! She's a descendant from a phoenix. fascinating right? They're said to be extinct but every once in a while you do see a descendant of them like daisy!."
Daisy looked unamused and Ginger was rummaging through papers. Ash spoke up again.
"There's more of us…I mean more of us in the group, not just Daisy and Ginger, but the others are currently on a mission. Can't tell you the details but i'm glad you'll be forming part of our group"
"She's not part of our group, just a human we'll have to look after" daisy spoke up
"I don't need someone to look after me…I'm going back home."
As I started to walk, Daisy stepped in front of me…blocking my path.
"Listen i'm not exactly thrilled to have a human around but keeping you away from the ice queen will not only benefit us but also you"
Benefit you?…
"The ice queen is evil, did you know she's been alive for so many centuries. Alive Since one of your kingdom's kings made it possible for mermaids to be hunted. We have reason to believe the ice queen had done something to the king, just as she did with those "things" chasing you. It will do us good to keep watch over you and in the process, keep you safe."