Zinnia Freewind's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Morning came gray and damp. Zinnia walked the path to the clearing with her sleeves still cool from the dew. She expected the usual quiet, the usual jars waiting on the shelf. Instead, she heard voices ahead — unfamiliar, bright, busy. Someone was already at her bench. Zinnia slowed her steps and listened. A young fairy stood at her post. A slatted wooden carrier sat on the bench, packed with fresh moss and stacked jars. The elders watched, nodding. No one turned to Zinnia. No one explained. She waited at the edge until her hands stopped shaking, then set her tools down by the path. She would not beg for her bench back. She walked into the woods alone, empty-handed, to find a release spot of her own.