Chapter 7
981words
When the spirit is wounded, the body often follows.
She felt like rain-soaked cement—heavy, hardened, immovable.
She attempted a simple healing spell, but only a pathetic wisp of gray smoke sputtered from her fingertips.
A squirrel in the western hollow reported through the network: "That witch in the cottage is sick."
Thanks for the breaking news, Lilith thought bitterly, burying her face deeper into her pillow.
Just then, an orange light phased through her wooden wall and hovered beside her bed. The light condensed into Pip's form as he brushed imaginary dust from his tiny body, his round eyes studying the motionless witch.
"Foolish witch, look at the state of you," he scolded.
"…" Lilith's reply was muffled by her pillow.
"Hmph."
Pip snorted loudly. He floated to the old wooden chair at the foot of her bed and crossed his stubby legs like a monk in meditation.
The room fell silent except for Lilith's labored, feverish breathing. After about ten minutes, just as she was drifting off to sleep, Pip stirred.
He rummaged through his tiny satchel with unusual solemnity. Finally, he withdrew a lemon candy wrapped in translucent paper—a prized possession he'd won from humans and had been saving for a special occasion.
He floated to Lilith's bedside and gently placed the candy on her blanket.
"Here."
Lilith didn't stir.
Pip added, his voice barely audible but crystal clear:
"Eat this. You'll feel better."
"I'll stay with you."
Lilith slept until midnight when the Forest Messaging Network erupted with a horrifying message.
"KILL HIM! KILL HIM!"
It was Grim the flower fairy's voice—distorted, broken, saturated with the metallic tang of blood and tears. Her message sent shockwaves of panic through the network.
"Grim? What's happening?" Rufus's anxious voice rang out, edged with a frightened whimper.
"Calm yourself, young one! Where are you?" Eldrin's deep voice attempted to bring order to the chaos.
But Grim's cries suddenly cut off, leaving only silence. The network filled with frantic questions from other creatures as cold sweat beaded on Lilith's fevered brow.
Days later, when her fever finally broke, Lilith emerged from her cabin to find the forest atmosphere unnaturally tense. A raven with obsidian feathers—the Elder Council's messenger—landed on her windowsill with grim news.
"The flower fairy Grim has slain her bonded human," the raven announced, its voice cold as steel. "She awaits judgment in the Moonlight Prison."
Lilith's heart plummeted. She leaned heavily against the doorframe, her fingertips turning to ice.
"This is bad," she whispered. She understood Grim's rage all too well. But forest law was ancient and unbending—no magical creature could harm a human with whom they were bonded. This was the foundation of peace between their worlds.
"What's the problem?" Pip burst from her shadow, indignant. "That man was scum! Bullies deserve what they get. Grim's a damn hero!"
"Pip! Grim killed someone! The Elder Council won't just let that slide!" Lilith's voice shook as her thoughts raced frantically.
Pip studied her despondent expression, his eyes flickering thoughtfully. He flew over quietly and landed on her knee, then awkwardly patted the back of her hand with his tiny palm.
"Hey," he said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle, "witch, don't look so defeated. If you need to cry, you can always lean on my broad, manly chest."
Lilith looked down at the palm-sized sprite on her knee—a tiny square-shaped being with absolutely no "chest" to speak of—puffing himself up importantly.
"Pfft—" A laugh escaped her, instantly lightening the weight in her chest. She scooped Pip up in one hand and cradled him in both, playfully rubbing his round face.
"Unhand me! You disrespectful witch! You can't just manhandle a noble sprite!" Pip squirmed in her grasp, his protests loud but his resistance token at best.
After her laughter subsided, Lilith's eyes cleared with determination. She set Pip down, rose to her feet, and gazed toward the forest depths where the Elder Council resided.
"You're right, Pip," she said, her voice calm but resonating with power. "Rules are dead things, but justice lives. I won't let them condemn Grim without hearing the whole story."
She began pacing, her mind working furiously. "That man had been abusing Clara—Grim's bonded human—for months. We need evidence. Every creature who witnessed his cruelty can testify."
Pip alighted on her shoulder like a gleaming badge of honor. "Count me in. I am your guardian sprite, after all."
Lilith froze. "You're my what?"
Pip, realizing his slip, turned his head away, pressed his lips together, and refused to elaborate.
With Lilith's help gathering evidence, the Elder Council eventually released Grim from custody.
And Lilith's shop was transformed. No longer a ramshackle hut with a sagging door, it now stood proudly amid a sea of flowers. Morning sunlight filtered through wisps of fog, illuminating dawn-colored roses that twined lovingly around the cabin, each blossom adorned with sparkling dewdrops.
Deep blue gentians clustered beneath the windowsills, while the path leading to the door was flanked by fragrant hyacinths, their sweet scent banishing any lingering gloom.
"Lady Lilith." A tiny voice called out.
"Just Lilith is fine." She looked down.
"If not for you and your guardian sprite's testimony before the Council, I…" Grim's voice overflowed with gratitude. She fluttered her wings, showering Lilith's dress hem with glittering pollen that instantly bloomed into delicate silver flowers.
"Hey! Enough with the mushy stuff!" Pip somersaulted from the rooftop and landed with a thump on Lilith's shoulder.
"If it weren't for THIS sprite's brilliant arguments demolishing those old fossils' logic, Grim would be plant food by now! All thanks to MY heroic efforts!"
To show her gratitude, Grim planted ever-blooming flowers of every variety around Lilith's cottage.
The Woodland Emporium had become the most beautiful shop in the forest.
And Grim the flower fairy could finally see her human living the joyful life she deserved.
