Page 4 of Valpar

“My job is to get the tribe there. If I meet my miresa, then great.” I dropped my hand on my thigh, and it echoed through the wood.

Sugha studied me from my peripheral and, for once, I wondered what was on his mind.

“We are going to find them,” he murmured.

Okay, maybe I didn’t want to know what was on his mind.

“We are going to find them when we least expect it, and the wait will be worth it.”

Good for him; he had hope. But my hope had run out. I was ready to accept my life to live alone. All I needed was my seeded orgamo, who still lived back in the Monktona Wood, and my horse, Ulam, who didn’t argue back.

Chapter Two

Calliope

I tilted my head,and my fingers brushed the delicate vine to make a perfect circle on the ground. It was perfect; this was the greatest trap I had ever created.

There was a pixie on the loose, who had stolen one of my cupcakes. It was a special one, too, made at the palace, and I had saved it for a rainy day.

Everyone knows cakes from the Golden Light Palace never went bad. They stayed fresh, never molded, and tasted as fresh as the day they were made. It was my favorite flavor, lemon witha lemon custard filling. It had a blueberry-swirl icing with a mint leaf on top.

I had it hidden away in a special cupcake chest under a floorboard in my roost.

My roost was a sacred place. Where I slept and kept all my belongings. No one could go there. But that little flying turd went in there and stole it!

Crumbs were over my blankets and pillows. He’d gnawed on the wood with his sharp little teeth. Then, he broke into the chest, and with the pixies being so small he couldn’t eat all of it. He could have taken a few small bites and put it back at least, but no. He called all his friends to come eat it with him.

I whimpered and sat back on my heels.

That flying piece of glitter-turd was gonna pay.

I leaned forward and put a strawberry-flavored cupcake in the middle of my trap. I fastened the vine to the tree behind me while I worked. I had to keep checking on it to make sure Simon would not eat it.

Simon was in a mood, too, because he knew how much I enjoyed my lemon custard blueberry-frosted cupcakes.

“Simon, do you eat pixies? You eat everything else.” I mumbled and stood up to back away.

Simon bleated and went back to eating the grass.

The trap would have to do. I had little time.

Simon’s high-pitched bleat echoed in my ears as I walked ahead, his wiry chin hair gently dancing in the cool breeze.

“You best get out of here. There is gonna be blood when I’m done with him. You don’t need to see it.” Simon let out another bleat and trotted behind the tree, flicking his tail.

Yup, best idea ever. I couldn’t wait to dunk the pixie’s wings in some water, so he couldn’t fly for days.

I peeked my head up from behind the tree and gripped the vine.

Maybe that was too mean.

I tapped my lip. What else could I do to him?

“What are you doing?”

I felt someone sit on my shoulder.

I hummed and let my fingers twirl the vine. I had to keep my concentration; I could not go squirrel and forget my task.

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