✅ Edited, 2/5 complete

She stumbled towards the large cluster of buildings that made up the main part of the village as people rushed towards her, at the foremost her Aunt Carol.

Sunny collapsed into her aunt's arms, and allowed herself to be carried into Carol's cottage.

One of her aunt's friends came over and the two busied themselves making food and tidying the house as Sunny slept. When she awoke, she was unsurprisingly quite hungry, and drank the hot soup she was given gratefully.

Finally, after the commotion of her arriving died down, she told Carol, Carol's friend Madison, and the village head why she was there. She described only once the details of how Tamish had overthrown her family, how she'd barely escaped with her life, and her journey through the wilderness to get to the village.

The three sat in silence as they comprehended what she'd said. It was huge news, and not to be taken lightly. It also needed a solution, and fast, if they wanted to continue with their lives.

"Well," the village head said. "I will alert all men and women suitable to fight, and the village should know what is happening."

Before he could leave however, Sunny stood up and stopped him.

"No," she said, quite calmly considering her ordeal. "None of us are strong enough to face him, for he uses Foule Magic, and the only way to stop it is..."

"Faire Magic," Madison finished. "And the last Faire Magic worker was the Queen."

"What about... your mother's book?" Carol asked Sunny.

But Sunny shook her head. "No, there's not enough to defeat him. Plus, I don't want to use one of my last memories as a weapon."

"Yes, but the people still need to know!" the village head responded, exasperated.

"Then they'll want to fight, and innocent lives will be lost. Furthermore, this village would become a target!" Sunny shot back. "No, we need a different plan."

"Well then what do you propose?" Carol asked.

Sunny sat silently, for she had no plan. All her efforts until that moment had been to escape safely and bring news to her relatives.

Unbeknownst to any of the four, just outside, in the hallway, was a pair of small ears listening in, the owner of which was Sunny's younger cousin, Katherine.

"Well, I don't know how to stop him, but the least we can do is not panic people. We have to find a source of Faire Magic, or else we don't stand a chance," Sunny finally said.

"You're right about that," Madison said with a shudder.

"Well, I know we don't truly have a plan, but we should all go; I have a feeling Sunny needs some rest," Carol said, winking at her niece.

Katherine, who'd had her ear pressed against the door, quietly ran out the front door, her softly padded socks making no sound on the floor. She disappeared out of sight as the door to the room opened and the three adults filed out, leaving Sunny in the bedroom.