Ilyia raced through the winding path towards a glistening waterfall. The warm wind tugged playfully at her black hair. The winter thaw had taken so long to arrive, she scarcely believed that it was finally spring. She clutched a large willow leaf against her chest and brushed hair out of her face.
"Come on!" she shouted over her shoulder. "We're not far!"
Two dragonflies, one green and one blue, fluttered after her. The green one, Sage, flew ahead, his body shimmering iridescent in the bright sunlight.
"Elpis isn't going to like this," he chided her.
Ilyia scoffed. "She doesn't approve of most things I do. Stop worrying!"
The blue bug, Iris, sighed as she buzzed after her mate. "Don't blame this idea on us this time if it goes awry."
"When have I ever—"
"The bog," Sage muttered.
"The rainstorm," added Iris.
They both looked at her incredulously. "The flood."
"That was not my fault," Ilyia retorted. "I didn't know those sticks were holding back a dam. It's not as if I flooded the whole valley."
Iris buzzed her wings and chuckled. "Only half of it."
Ilyia grumbled under her breath. She didn't try to get into trouble, but it seemed to follow her wherever she went. Sage called her a walking catastrophe, and her mother would just give her the look. Ilyia couldn't help if life at home was boring. There weren't any fairies to spend time with except her mother, which wouldn't have been a problem had she not been so controlling. Her mother wouldn't even let Ilyia go to town with her! So could she be faulted for wanting to make her own fun?
Ilyia set her jaw rebelliously and dashed between the dragonflies. The sound of the waterfall roared just ahead. She climbed the rocky path up to the very top, the water mist dotting her skin, and looked down.
A crystalline waterfall spilled out over the valley and took a winding path down into the pool beneath it. Sunlight gleamed off of the surface, creating a misty rainbow that arched towards a willow tree hiding the waterfall from sight. Sparkling droplets raced down the leaves and rained onto lily pads and watercress blanketing the water. Somewhere beneath, frogs and fish lounged. Flowers circled the pool, filling the air with their sweet perfume.
Ilyia backed up a couple of steps and smiled at the dragonflies. "Ready?"
They exchanged nervous looks.
Ilyia ran forward and jumped over the edge.
She brought the willow leaf beneath her feet and squared them, as she'd trained herself to do. The leaf hit the water with a splash. It carried her up and down, and twirled her around. Ilyia exploded with laughter and held out her arms to steady herself. She blinked back water spray and ducked beneath grass-made tunnels, her cheers echoing against the green walls.
She burst through the other side and twisted around another corner.
A squirrel collecting nuts gave a start when he saw her. He bolted, sending two acorns splashing into the water, just shy of hitting Ilyia.
"Ah!" She gasped and leaned to the left. Her leaf spun her twice in a circle, threatening to hurl her to the shore, but Ilyia held on. As she steadied herself, the watercress rushed up to meet her.
Ilyia crouched low.
Just before her leaf careened into the pool, she sprang free of it. She spread brilliant blue and black monarch wings behind her. In the sunlight and spray, they seemed to glitter all around her. The wind caught her, carrying her over the lily pads. She flapped and reached down, running her fingers against the watery greens. They felt cool against her warm hand—
Something smacked her in the middle of her back.
Ilyia yelped, her wings folding in from the pain. She tried to catch herself on the way down, but she was too late. She crashed, wings and all, into the water between two lily pads.
The acorn that had hit her came tumbling after.
Water gushed over her. She felt it dampen her wings and make them heavy. Every fairy knew wet wings could lead to disaster, and Ilyia was learning that all too quickly. They dragged her down even as she fought to swim to the surface. She tried not to breathe in panic, but the pressure of the waterfall kept pushing her down. Watercress tangled around her ankles, tethering her. She sputtered a breath and reached down to pull on them, but to no avail.
She was going to drown. Oh Goddess of Medira, she was going to drown!
She stretched her fingers towards the surface desperately, praying.
The water broke and someone dove through it. The waves made it hard to see who or what it was. She crunched up until something large wrapped around her leg. She cried out in surprise.
Water rushed into her mouth.
Unceremoniously, she was dragged straight out of the pool. The moment her head broke the surface, she gasped for air.
She found herself hovering in midair, wind beating her shivering body. Ilyia swung slowly upside down as she struggled to regain her senses. Her vision had started to tunnel, but now the sunlight stung her sensitive eyes. She twisted around to see her rescuer and paled.
Her mother, now drenched, sat perched on the back of a kingfisher. The bird had Ilyia grasped firmly in his beak.
Ilyia grimaced. "Um...thank you."
Her mother glowered. She patted the kingfisher's side and pointed towards the shore. The bird flew towards it. Just over the grass, he opened his beak and dropped Ilyia.
"Oof!" Ilyia rolled and landed on her back. She rubbed her shoulder and wisely stayed down as the bird perched on a small branch.
Sage and Iris buzzed out of the bushes.
Iris looked over Ilyia, running her buggy feet all along her face. "Are you hurt? Did you hit your head?"
Sage circled them. "We found your mother as quickly as we could."
Ilyia pushed Iris back gently. "I wish you hadn't," she mumbled. "And I'm fine, just a little sore.
"Sage, Iris, can you give us a moment?" her mother called.
Ilyia knew she was in deep trouble.
The two dragonflies gave her a sympathetic look before they vanished back into the foliage.
Her mother hopped down from the kingfisher's back. A beautiful blue gown that stopped at the knees hugged her mother's body. Beneath that were soft black leggings that matched the ebony curls in her wings perfectly. Just like Ilyia, her feet were bare. She certainly looked more beautiful and put together than Ilyia did. After all, Ilyia was dressed in nothing but a leafy vest, a half-willow skirt, and brown pants.
Her mother placed a hand against the bird's breast. "Thank you for saving her. I'll return to your mate in a moment."
The bird nodded then took off.
Ilyia flinched back as her mother's harsh eyes caught her. "Mother, I can-"
"Don't. Just...don't," she said, hand raised. She spread her wings and shook them, spraying Ilyia. Her mother's wings were very different than her own. Instead of looking like a butterfly, her mother's wings were teardrop shaped with elegant black curls. They were beautiful and shimmered with magic. Even in the countless books she'd read, Ilyia had never heard of, or seen, a fairy with wings like her mother's.
"That's three times this moon you've done something so...so reckless!" Her mother's tone jerked Ilyia from her admiration. "If I wasn't helping the kingfishers, and Sage hadn't warned me, you could have...you would have..." She thrust her hands in the air. "What am I going to do with you!"
Ilyia pushed herself up slowly. "You could let me go with you to trade in the villages. You could let me go to the fairy glen." She shook her damp wings in anger. "You could let me live somewhere other than that little hobble you call a home!"
"You know why I can't," her mother retorted, but Ilyia didn't miss the look of hurt on her face. "I've told you over and ov-"
"All you tell me is living with the other fairies isn't safe, but you won't tell me why." Ilyia fisted her hands. "I'm tired of hiding away like this with only the bugs and the birds to talk to. I want to meet my own kind. What about Armina? You let her come to our home!"
"Armina is different," her mother replied. She reached up and started to squeeze water out of her braided hair. "I know I can trust her."
"Oh? And I'm not wise enough to choose trustworthy friends?" Ilyia snapped. "You won't give me a chance."
"Ilyia-"
"I just want something more than this. Is that so much to ask for?"
"When it risks your life, yes!" her mother shouted.
Ilyia drew back in surprise. For a moment, all she heard was the waterfall. She wanted to snap something in return, but what could she say? Her mother had never uttered something like that before. She'd only said staying with the fairies wasn't safe. "I don't understand...," she whispered. "Why am I in danger?"
Her mother lowered her hands and sighed deeply. It was as if the weight of the world hung on her. "Ilyia. I..." She closed her eyes then squared her shoulders. "Now isn't the time for this. I have work to do." And with that, she turned on her heel and walked off into the bush.
"Mother!" Ilyia shouted. She rushed after her mother, pushing aside leaves and ducking bush branches. When she broke through, she saw her mother in the distance with three kingfishers.
The one who had saved her stood in the grass beside a much smaller, younger kingfisher with a downy breast. The adult preened his chick gently and looked at the third kingfisher resting on the ground.
Unlike the other two, this kingfisher looked like she'd seen better days. Her feathers were askew as if she'd either struck a tree or been attacked. She spread one wing out towards Ilyia's mother.
Ilyia gasped.
Four of the primary feathers were broken or crooked. Without them, the bird would never be able to fly again.
Her mother knelt down next to the bird. She picked up a feather on the ground and went back to carving the shaft to an angle. As Ilyia watched, her mother attached something sticky to the tip and gently nestled the feather back amongst the others.
Ilyia walked towards her as she started on another feather. "What happened?"
"Another bird attacked her," her mother explained. She broke a crooked primary feather free and started to clean up the shaft. "She and her mate were hunting for their chick and a bird caught her from behind. They escaped, but she wasn't unscathed."
Ilyia knelt down as well and looked over the damage. "Why don't you let me fix it?" she asked and touched her eye. She tried to make a tear.
But her mother shook her head. "Not everything should be healed with magic. I can just as easily repair these feathers with my hands. They're still in good shape, they were just knocked askew." She added the sticky substance and put the second feather in place.
"Why are you so opposed to me using my magic?" Ilyia asked in frustration. "What's the point of having it if I can't even help others?"
"You can, but only when it's necessary," her mother said with forced patience. "If all we do is rely on magic, what will happen if our magic is unavailable, or we're too weak to use it? It's best to still learn the ways of the earth. Now come here. Let me show you this."
Though annoyed, Ilyia scooted forward and joined her mother's side. She took a feather in her hands and watched as her mother picked up the fourth. "Watch what I do," her mother instructed and started to run a stone dagger gently across the shaft. "Look where it snapped off. We want to make the shafts line up."
Ilyia pulled a similar dagger from her belt and started to follow her mother's example. She moved slowly, delicately, and watched as a smooth edge started to form. Together, they added the goop and pressed the feathers in place on the bird's wing. The kingfisher looked back at her. Ilyia offered a little smile.
"There," her mother said. "Rest for a bit then try to flap your wings. Your feathers should stay in place."
The male kingfisher bowed. "Thank you," he said in a deep tone. "When she fell, I feared my son might lose his mother. How can we repay you?"
Her mother smiled and shook her head. "Take good care of that chick of yours. My daughter and I are well enough off."
Ilyia was a little surprised her mother didn't ask for anything in return, but she kept the comment to herself. It was a kindness her mother had done, and if Ilyia had been able to use her magic, she wouldn't have asked for anything either.
Ilyia looked to the kingfisher chick. He was absolutely adorable with his puffy chest and his big eyes. She smiled at him and made to introduce herself.
But a sudden cry of pain in the distance cut her off.
Ilyia turned in alarm when it came a second time. The father kingfisher flapped frantically and stood in front of his son. The female huddled nearby, unable to fly away to safety.
Ilyia looked sharply at her mother. "Mother...we have to help."
Her mother made to protest. After a moment, and another cry, she nodded and pushed herself to her feet. "Stay behind me," she ordered. "No matter what you do. Stay...behind me."