Tamsin Swiftwing's Arc

Chapter 1 of 10

Tamsin Swiftwing pressed her palm against the ancient stone tablet in the village archives. The rough surface felt cool under her fingers. She traced the faded symbols that spoke of the legendary mirth spell, hidden somewhere in the forgotten ruins beyond Mirthwood Meadows. She needed a place to work from, somewhere close to the forest's edge. The Pixie Treehouse stood at the meadow's border, its colorful houses nestled among twisted branches. Bright flowers bloomed at its base. Tamsin climbed the wooden ladder and pushed open the door to the largest house. Dust swirled in the sunlight streaming through the windows. She set her pack down and spread her maps across the floor. The next morning, Tamsin flew to the gathering pool where pixies met to share stories. The water sparkled under the canopy of leaves. Three pixies splashed near the far bank, their laughter echoing off the rocks. Tamsin landed on a smooth stone and asked about the ruins. An older pixie with silver wings pointed north. "Past the singing willows," she said. "Look for the red ribbon. Nobody goes beyond that marker." Tamsin found the crimson ribbon two days later. It hung from a gnarled oak branch, swaying in the breeze. Beyond it, the forest grew darker. The trees pressed close together, their bark covered in moss. She touched the ribbon's soft fabric and smiled. The forgotten ruins waited somewhere in that darkness, and with them, the mirth spell she'd spent years searching for.