Lila and her mother crouched in the bushes, their hearts pounding and their breaths shallow as they watched the hunters ransack their cottage. The men were on horses, armed with swords and bows, and they looked like they meant business. The hunters were moving with purpose, tearing apart the home and smashing everything they could get their hands on. Lila and her mother didn't dare move, fearing they would be found out if they made even the slightest movement.
They watched in horror as the hunters broke down the door, smashed the windows, and looted everything they could find. There were also two women who seemed to be fairies too, held captive by one of the hunters. They looked terrified and bruised, and it was clear to them that the hunters weren't afraid to hurt innocent women if it gave them what they wanted. It was a horrible scene, and they could only watch in terror as their home was ransacked.
Lila gripped her mother's hand tightly, tears burning in her eyes as she watched the hunters ravage their home. "Mom, we have to help them," she whispered, but her mother was quick to shut her down. "No, Lila, we can't. They're too many and too strong. We have to get away from here, before they find us," she whispered back to her, holding her hand tightly. It was a heartbreaking scene, and Lila felt powerless to do anything but watch as the hunters did their worst.
Lila protested, clearly distraught at the idea of leaving these women to their fate. "But they're our kind," she said, her eyes filling with tears as she watched the women being held captive. " How can we leave them like this?" Her mother, clearly heartbroken by the situation, looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, Lila, I'm so sorry. But we have to survive. Maybe someone else will come and save them. Come on, let's go, quietly," she said as she took her daughter's hand and led her away.
They crawled out of the bushes, keeping low and avoiding the hunters' sight as they headed towards the woods. They hoped to find a safe place to hide away from the hunters, but just as they thought they were in the clear an arrow whizzed past them and struck Lila's mother in the shoulder. She gasped and fell to the ground, blood gushing from her wound. The arrow was coated in poison, and Lila could see her mother's face turning pale.
"Mom!" Lila cried out in despair, forgetting to be quiet in her distress.
"Shh, Lila, shh." Her mother shushed her frantically, pushing her behind a rock to hide her presence from the hunters. "They'll hear you. Listen to me, you have to run. You have to get away from here. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just go, please." She pleaded, her eyes pleading with her daughter to please, just this once, listen to her.
"No, mom, I can't leave you. I love you. Please don't die. Please," Lila sobbed, holding her mother's hand tightly as her eyes filled with tears.
"I love you too, Lila. You're my everything. You're brave and smart and beautiful. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don't let them take that away from you. Go, Lila, go. And don't look back," her mother said, squeezing her daughter's hand tightly as she let go, finally resigned to her fate. She pushed Lila under a rock hiding her presence as she heard the hunters draw near.
Lila heard the hunters approaching, their voices loud and cruel. She saw them drag the two women along, kicking and screaming. They spotted her mother, lying on the ground, and the hunters laughed and mocked her as they lifted her up and threw her onto a horse. They rode away, leaving a trail of smoke and ashes behind them, along with the lingering sounds of her mother's cries. Lila was too stunned to move, and she could only watch in horror as the hunters rode off into the distance taking her mother with them.
She wanted to scream, to fight, to follow them, but she was too scared, too weak, and too alone. She stayed behind the rock, trembling and crying, until she was sure they were gone. She came out after an hour, feeling numb and empty. She walked over to her burnt cottage, hoping to find something, anything, that would remind her of her mom. But it was all destroyed. Everything was gone, except for a burnt image of her mom that she had drawn for her birthday. She picked it up, clutching it to her chest.
But she was not there. The only physical trace of her was the ash-stained drawing that Lila clutched to her chest, a memento of a life that she could only mourn.
She felt a cold breeze on her face and looked up. The sun was setting, and the sky was turning dark. She wondered where she would go, what she would do, how she would live. She had no one, no home, no hope. The only thing she had left was the memory of her mother.
She noticed a shadow in front of her, and when she looked up she saw a girl roughly her own age standing there. She had long messy brown hair, sad green eyes, and a kind smile. She wore a dirty gown, as though she had been traveling long and hard to get to this place. She looked at Lila with understanding and compassion, as though she knew what she had just been through.
"Hello, I'm Mia. I live in the next village. I know that you're a fairy. My mom was one, too. I escaped after hunters attacked us and took my mom. I was hiding behind the bush. I saw what happened to your mom. Are you okay," the girl asked, reaching out her hand to help Lila up.
Lila stared at her, uncertain of what to say. She felt a mix of emotions, from fear to anger, pain, curiosity, and sadness. She started crying again, the tears rolling down her cheeks. Mia looked at her with compassion, reaching out her hand to hug her. "It's okay, it's gonna be alright, I'm here now," she said softly.
She looked at the girl's hand, and then up to see compassion and sincerity in her eyes. She felt a spark of hope blossom within her heart. "I'm Lila, and no, I'm not okay," she said, taking the girl's hand. The girl seemed to understand and embraced her in a hug. "It's gonna be okay, you're not alone, we're here for you," the girl said with kindness and sympathy.
She looked at the burning wreckage of her home, sifting through the debris in the hopes of finding something that was still intact. She found a necklace, a simple silver chain adorned with a single emerald, in her mother's room. It was still in its box, undamaged by the fire. She slipped the necklace over her neck, feeling its weight on her skin.
After searching for some time, she picked the necklace up and turned to see the girl smiling at her. They walked away from the ruins holding hands and talking.