If she had to die, dying here wouldn’t be a bad thing, on a bed of leaves with all the birds chirping around her. Because that was likely what was going to happen, if someone didn’t come by to find her and free her soon. After all, fairies didn’t do so well not eating or drinking; they tended to dehydrate within a day because of how little volume of water their bodies held.

Footsteps. Lyriia heard footsteps. That was good. That meant that someone was either coming to eat her, or free her. She struggled more, suddenly realizing that she might be able to free herself if she could just get to the dagger at her hip….

After a few moments Lyriia went limp again. It was no use. She was too thoroughly tangled in the net to get to her dagger. All she could hope was that the footsteps would come closer and the person would be able to find her. She was glad that her wings were spread out, rather than folded up; if they had been folded she would likely never be seen.

[i]”That wasn’t you, was it?”[/I] the voice seemed rather close. A brilliant red songbird flew by right over her and she flinched, but then her attention was distracted by a sudden cessation in the footsteps. Then they started moving away, it seemed like…

[color=7bcdc8]“Wait! Stop! Come back, please! In the thicket! I’m stuck in a net!”[/color] Lii squeaked. The thought of being left here alone for who knew how long was not a happy one, and fear made her voice shrill and louder than she thought possible.

Inside she was terrified. What if this was a slaver? Or, heaven forbid, a Screamer warlord? She was the one in the wrong, after all. Trespassing in the Screamer territories, however innocent her intention, and it was likely that a warlord would not be friendly. Especially since a fairy could not offer much in the way of useful services, and if a captive isn’t useful they’re just a liability.

She vividly remembered once, not even a year ago, that she’d had to come out here on the grasslands for an emergency. An unfortunate accident; a group of fairy children had gone on an “adventure” without the knowledge of their parents, and had run into a group of Screamer children just past the Ebonfort border. Two of the three fairies had been unscathed, having flown away fast, but by the time they’d gotten Lii and taken her back to where they’d left their friend, it had been too late and not even her healing magic had been able to save the boy. He had been just four years old; too young to die in any way, but especially too young to die with his wings torn off and every bone in his body broken, all alone until the very end, until the girl used her magic to end his suffering--

Lyriia forced the terrible thoughts out of her mind. Her face was wet and cold—she had started crying, apparently—and it was with a raspy, quieter voice that she said, [color=7bcdc8]“Please, d-don’t hurt me.”[/color] She was instantly ashamed of herself for crying and begging before she could even see the person, but… the memory of that dead boy…