In the sunlit outskirts that afternoon, two young girls walked side by side, chatting and laughing as they went.

  Neither of them noticed the three equally youthful figures quietly trailing behind.

  “They really are hiding something from us,” murmured Perna, her voice low beneath the wide brim of her soft hat. Her pale dress brushed against the tall grass as she walked.

  Behind her, two boys followed cautiously—Bork and Mair.

  Bork’s face was tense with unease. “Perna, you should go back. Lady Ania will be furious if she finds out.”

  Ania was Perna’s mother, a noblewoman of high standing.

  “Shut up, Bork. If you’re afraid, then go back alone. Leila and the others are definitely keeping a secret from us, and I intend to find out what it is with my own eyes.”

  Her tone was resolute, leaving no room for argument.

  Mair tried to persuade her as well, but she cut him off sharply, as if she had already anticipated his attempt.

  “You shut up too, Mair. Cowards, both of you.”

  The boys fell silent, though inwardly they both sighed, thinking of that imposing, sharp-tongued woman who ruled Perna’s household.

  Bayek, Outer Woods.

  Gottaya had changed out of her usual attire into loose work clothes. A roughly made bow rested in her hand, aimed toward a wooden target carved into the trunk of a nearby tree.

  With a sharp thwip, the arrow struck the center.

  It was the only thing she could think to do after feeding the pigs.

  She retrieved the arrow, nocked it again, and took aim—one second, two, three… then slowly lowered the bow.

  “Never thought I’d end up doing this. If my friends saw me now, they’d laugh themselves sick.” She glanced down at her outfit and sighed deeply.

  Her gaze drifted toward Nighthowl, lounging idly beneath a tree, his long tail flicking lazily.

  That creature was his pet—though she still had no idea how he’d managed to tame it. As she pondered, the beast suddenly pricked up its ears and raised its head.

  Instinctively, the elf followed its gaze—just in time to see Glen strolling toward her, hands tucked casually in his pockets.

  “Looks like you’ve got things well under control,” he said.

  “Hmph. You think something this small could trouble me?”

  After a brief exchange, Glen stepped into the small warehouse beside the pigpen—a structure he had built to store tools while working on the lumber shed.

  Gottaya stood by, watching as the human fetched tools and wooden planks, hauling several logs from who-knows-where before beginning to hammer and saw around the pen.

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  As he worked, Glen suddenly turned to ask, “You’ve seen the lumber I’ve been using—so you know I’ve been cutting trees, right? Got nothing to say about that?”

  Gottaya blinked in confusion. “Cutting trees? What about it? We forest elves do it too—Mother permits it.”

  Then realization dawned on her face. “Oh! I see. You think we’d get mad at you for chopping down a few trees, don’t you? That’s just a stereotype! The forest doesn’t get angry unless you cut recklessly without respect for it.”

  “Is that so?” Glen raised a brow.

  “Of course! We even use wood to build our own houses sometimes—”

  Before she could finish, Nighthowl suddenly rose to his feet, facing a specific direction. Glen mirrored the motion.

  “What is it?” Gottaya asked, puzzled by their reaction.

  “They’re here…” Glen muttered, then sniffed the air. “And a few more behind them?”

  Wait a minute—if there are this many, maybe I can talk them into helping me with some work… The thought crossed his mind, and he decided he might as well try.

  “Someone’s coming?” Gottaya asked. Her keen elven hearing caught his words, no matter how softly he spoke.

  Glen nodded, setting his tools down. “Just a few friends. Don’t worry, I’ll go check.”

  “Who said I was worried?” she retorted indignantly.

  Ignoring her, Glen strode off toward the path through the trees.

  From afar, he spotted two girls walking slowly along the road, chatting in low voices.

  “Miss Leila! Miss Bonnie! Over here!” he called out.

  Startled, the two turned toward the forest, recognizing his voice.

  “Is that Mr. Glen?” Leila asked uncertainly.

  He stepped out from between the trees, smiling. “I thought you two would never dare to come back.”

  Realizing it was truly him, both girls relaxed, relief quickly turning to excitement.

  Bonnie grinned. “We weren’t going to come, but I really wanted to see that big dog again! I told Leila, and she wanted to see it too.”

  Of course you did, Glen thought with amusement, though he replied, “I did warn you—it looks quite frightening. Are you sure you still want to see it?”

  “Did you?” Bonnie frowned, thinking.

  “Didn’t I?” he said, shrugging with a playful smile.

  “Doesn’t matter! We’re seeing it anyway!” Bonnie declared impatiently, her eyes bright with curiosity.

  Leila’s face showed the same eager anticipation.

  “Fine, fine.” Glen sighed—he had sparked their curiosity himself, after all. Best to humor them for a while.

  “Oh, and what about the ones hiding behind that bush? Do they want to come too?”

  The two girls froze mid-step. Glen’s voice rang out loudly toward the thicket behind them.

  They turned just in time to see the bushes rustle. Frightened, they jumped back, hiding behind Glen.

  “Perna, we’ve been spotted!”

  “Shut up! He might be bluffing. Step out now and you’ll really give us away!” came a hiss from behind the bushes.

  “Are you sure we’re not caught?”

  Before the whisper could fade, Glen’s voice sounded right above their heads.

  All three screamed and tumbled out of the thicket.

  Leila and Bonnie stared in shock. They hadn’t even seen how Glen moved so quickly, and the sight of the three new arrivals left them even more bewildered.

  “Mr. Glen—how did you—? Wait, Perna? Bork? Mair? What are you—”

  The confusion made their words tumble over each other.

  Perna turned, face flushed with embarrassment as Glen looked down at her with barely contained laughter. She sprang to her feet, pointing furiously at him.

  “You—you dare scare me!?”

  “Maybe you’re just too easily scared,” Glen said with mock innocence, which only made the golden-haired noble girl grit her teeth in fury.

  Before things could escalate, Leila and Bonnie hurried between them.

  “Enough, enough! Stop arguing!” Leila said, her tone sharp. “Perna, answer me—why are you here? Were you following us?”

  Perna brushed the dirt from her skirt, replying as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “As your friend, I had every right to follow you when you were keeping secrets from me.”

  “I was trying to protect you! Aren’t you afraid of Lady Ania losing her temper? This place isn’t exactly safe!”

  “I’m not afraid! And as for my mother—so long as you don’t tell her, and I don’t tell her, and they don’t tell her, she’ll never know.”

  While the two argued, Bonnie tugged on Glen’s sleeve, whispering conspiratorially, “Mr. Glen, Perna’s a noble. Nobles are mean. You shouldn’t be friends with her.”

  What a child, Glen thought, lowering his head to whisper back with a hidden smile, “Mm, I agree.”

  Meanwhile, Mair and Bork stood awkwardly to the side, unsure what to do with themselves amid the chaos.