Never trust a fae.
Never give them your name.
Never fall for their tricks.
Three simple rules that Enid should have followed, three simple rules that she forgot.
In the remote Welsh mountain village of Aethelney, Faeries are real. But unlike trad...
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That night the villagers gathered in the village square of Aethelney. Rose, Enid's older sister, had been missing for two weeks now. With no sign of her returning of her own accord, the blame for her absence was placed on the Fae folk.
"We kept our end of the bargain, we stopped cutting down the forest and hunting the animals. We have starved and struggled ever since the Fae took control. And what do we get in return?" Henry the blacksmith moved in a circle, meeting each villager's gaze as he passed them by "-One of our own, one of our children, taken from us, right under our noses!"
Loud cheers of agreement resounded around the village square. Enid remained silent, clutching to her mother and burying her head in her gown, peeking out from behind the soft cotton to look at the crowd around her.
"I say we go to them, take Rose back with us and teach the Fae folk that we will not be trampled on!" More cheers echoed away up into the cool night air.
From beside Enid's mother, her father, John, stepped out of the crowd and into the circle. His eyes nervously glancing around at his fellow villagers, friends, and neighbours.
"If we provoke them they could easily hurt Rose. I want her back home, where she belongs, but if we go to them armed with weapons-making demands this could easily end badly. Is that what we want to happen?" When the cheers stopped and the villagers fell silent, he continued.
"They already think us weak! Why prove something to them that they already know?"
The Blacksmith shook his head, eyeing John in disapproval before turning to speak to the crowd once more.
"This is the perfect time to strike! They can't harm us if they have not held up their end of the bargain. They swore to us that none of our children would go missing if we did as they asked. We have done so and now Rose is missing. Do you want her to stay missing?" The cries began once again.
Henry turned to John, smugly raising his eyebrows and smiling back at the cheering crowd.
"Let's get Rosie back and show these Fae's who is in control!" Riled up and ready for a fight, no matter how short it might be, the villagers followed behind their new ringleader and picked up any weapons they could find. Some picked up their pitchforks, while others reached for their bows and arrows.
"Enid, come." Her mother gripped her small hand tightly so as not to lose her in the mass of people. Hesitantly, she allowed her mother to lead her back to their cottage. It was the closest to the forest, so much so that Enid could practically see the wooded entrance where the Fae ring lay.
Her three other siblings, James, Ethel, and Gyda, greeted them as soon as they had stepped through the front door's threshold.
"Where's papa?" Gyda was the first to speak.
"He's gone to find Rose and bring her home. They are going to ask the Fae's to give her back." Her mother replied quietly, ushering the children inside.
