I ran. I hid. It was just life.

But I never could have expected what happened today…

I crashed through the ferns, terror coursing through my veins. I could feel them gaining on me—their loud and murderous shouts ringing through the air. I shrieked as a branch caught on my sleeve, and tugged the laced fabric towards my heaving chest, gritting my teeth in pain as thorns tore both my dress and my skin. Stumbling foreward, I narrowly avoided a large branch to the face.

My next shriek was cut short however as a strong hand grabbed my forearm, pulling me out of the trail, and another covered my mouth.

My eyes widened in fear. I could see nothing of my captor, only a glimpse here and there of a long billowing cloak, and flowing hair. I shook, trembling in fear as the _thing_ held me against a large oak tree, their hand still over my mouth. I could see more of their—no, her—features now, as she angled her head towards the trail, breathing heavily. Her dark brown eyes darted back and forth from my shaking form to the mob of people who had been chasing me. My breath caught in my throat as the light glinted off something in her hand.

A knife.

_What is she going to do to me? _I thought, struggling.

“Quiet!” Her voice was sharp, a hushed whisper, yet it still scared me.

_I need to get out of here, _I thought, head spinning. I couldn’t call out for help, both because the mob would probably kill me, and the woman’s hand was still covering my mouth. But maybe I could…

I thrust my arm foreward, shoving her off me, and closed my teeth around her hand, biting down—hard.

The lady jumped back with a gasp of pain, shaking drops of blood off her palm.

“Who are you?” I tried to sound commanding—menacing even—but my voice shook with fear.

She didn’t respond, only stared at me until the shouts of the mob faded away. Then she spoke. “Why were they chasing you, Fae?”

“Wh—how—how do you know my name?” I spluttered, tripping on my dress and stumbling back into the tree.

The woman sighed. “Would you like to know the real answer?” I nodded hurriedly, trembling, as she continued. “I am the spirit of the forest. I have been watching you for a while, little one, and I know you did nothing wrong. So why were they chasing you?” She stepped foreward, offering her hand to me, but I shook my head, righting myself with a small yelp as my ankle gave out under me. “Let me help you,” she offered her hand again, and this time I took it. She helped pull me up, and I grimaced at the pain in my ankle.

“Can I?” her voice was so gentle, and I nodded. She crouched down and put her hand over the injury. I bit down to keep from crying out, feeling the salty tang of blood fill my mouth. “It’s broken,” she said, standing back up and brushing off her cloak.

“What?” I cried.

“Why were they chasing you?” she asked again, this time more firmly.

“I—I don’t know!” My voice cracked, and I fought back tears. “I just woke up with the police surrounding my house. They arrested my parents, and when they tried to arrest _me_, I ran.”

“And they followed you?” her voice was oddly calming, but not enough to stop the tears spilling out of my eyes.

“Yes!” I cried, “I don’t know what I did!”

“Deep breaths, little one,” she said, laying a hand on my shoulder. I sucked in a shaky breath and looked up at her. “It’ll be okay. I promise.”

_Will it really be, though? _I wanted to say. But instead, I asked, “Why are you helping me?”

“I’ll explain everything once we get to camp,” she turned her head, looking east.

“Camp?” I echoed, wiping a tear off my cheek.

“Yes. We need to go, right now.” I frowned as her voice became worried, and she tightened her grip on her dagger. “We’ll find food and shelter there. And help.” She gestured to my ankle. I stumbled foreward after her figure as she swept away.

“Oh, Fae?” She turned back to me, a slight grin on her face, but fear still prevalent in her eyes.

“Yes?”

“My name is Avlantia, by the way.”