Follow the Arrow

Prologue

"You can't catch me!"

"Oh, yes I can!" He shouts an incantation and a shimmering net appears out of thin air in front of me. I can't stop in time to not fly right into it. So I go tumbling to the ground in a heap. "Hey, I think I've caught something," my friend muses. He strolls over, twirling his wand nonchalantly. I shoot daggers at him with my eyes and he looks down at me, clearly guilty. "Sorry, sorry. I hope you didn't get hurt." I shake my head stiffly. He sighs with relief. "Okay then." And he untangles me from the net and offers a hand to pick me up.

I grudgingly take his aide, and brush myself off, muttering. "That's unfair, you know that?"

He sucks in a nervous breath, preparing for a long, rambly apology but I smile, letting him know I'm not really mad. He let's out the air and smiles back, then decides to taunt me instead. "It's not my fault you can't work magic like I can." I raise my hand, slapping the air, making a vine right behind his head slap him for me. He winces and rubs the spot I made contact with. "That wasn't fair. I can't control plants. And you don't need some wooden stick to use your powers."

"Powers? You call making a vine move and making plants grow quicker a power? You can make nets appear out of thin air! You can say some stupid spell and make your life a whole lot easier! While I'm stuck out here in the forest tending to the trees! And don't even get me started about-" I pause, hearing something in the distance. "Someone's coming," I hiss. I thrust his broom into his hands. "Go, go, go! Before they catch you here! Before they catch me here"

He throws a leg over the broomstick but hesitates, looking at me doubtfully. "Why hasn't anyone done anything about this?"

"Because your people don't care to hear what we have to say."

"But-"

I cover his mouth. "We've been through this a million times. Now please go before they see me with you. I can't afford to get caught." I'm still sore from last time I narrowly escaped, though he doesn't need to know that part. But he still doesn't leave. I look over my shoulder and step closer. "You don't get it because you're my friend, but this is the way things are. Wizards are the top magical beings. Fairies and elves and wood nymphs and everything else are nothing compared to your people. It's been like this for centuries." I grab his hand and squeeze. "Thanks for not turning me in the first time we met. I know it was a huge risk."

"How could I? You hardly looked dangerous," he chuckles. I glare at him. He sighs. "And I'm not the one taking the risk. I won't be the one who could die if we get caught."

"I know." Another sound makes me jump. "Time for you to go." And I hug him tight before shoving him away.