The forest was silent, only the rustle of leaves and the heavy scent of resin hung in the air. Nika was crouching by the berries when something suddenly darted past her ankle. Then a second. And a third.
And then the earth cracked—or so it seemed—as small, strong arms leaped from the undergrowth and grabbed her clothes, her arms, her legs.
— Human! — Princess! Princess! — Female! She smells good! — Take her! Take her!
Roots entwined her, fresh, sticky, as if just torn from the earth. In the blink of an eye, she was lifted off the ground and carried, though she struggled and screamed.
“Leave me alone!” she cried, but the more she moved, the tighter the roots gripped her.
The dwarves carried her triumphantly, like the most precious treasure. Their little feet clattered quickly on the damp ground, and they whispered to each other:
— The princess will sleep with us. — She will drink tea. — We'll give her moss socks! — And a soft, fluffy futon! — She won't escape, no, no, no!
They led her to a cave whose entrance was covered by hanging moss. It smelled of earth and flowers, and the crystals reflected the light of the fire. All around was… activity. Intense, feverish work.
The dwarves ran like ants:
Some were tearing long strips of moss from the trees.
Others were carrying acorns, pine cones, and colorful leaves. Still others were weaving a small green blanket from leaves and spiderweb thread.
— The princess won't be cold! — Make socks! Make them quickly!
Several were cooking in a huge stone pot over the fire. The soup was bubbling, smelling of meat and spices.
— More carrots! — one yelled.
— I added! I added! — Not enough! The princess likes nice, tasty!
Three dwarves were dragging behind them… a small unicorn. White, shaggy, with a tiny horn and a rainbow-colored mane. It was terrified, snorting, but the creatures held it tightly.
— For the princess! A gift! — Pretty! Colorful!
The unicorn whinnied softly.
— No! Don't give it as a gift!" Nika tried to get up, but the roots pulled her back onto the futon.
Next to her stood a small cage made of twigs, and inside—a fairy with fragile wings and a pink dress. When Nika looked at her pleadingly, the fairy sighed in understanding.
"**Calm down, please..." she whispered. "They're not... bad. They're possessive. And childish. And very, very strong."
"How did you get here?" Nika asked, trying not to panic.
The fairy lowered her head.
"They captured me... as a gift for you. They want you to have a friend. I... I've been here for three days." "They're acting like you're a queen. Or a trophy."
Nika stiffened.
"We have to escape."
The fairy nodded immediately, but her gaze was filled with fear.
— Not now. Never while cooking. That's when they're most alert.
As if to confirm, one of the dwarves looked at Nika, narrowing his eyes.
— Is the princess thinking of running away? — he asked in a thin, disturbingly calm voice. — No way. Not the time. Make food. Bring tea.
Three more dwarves ran into the cave, carrying:
— Water! — Herbs for tea! — Milk for the unicorn! — they shouted proudly, showing off… a stolen baby bottle with a teddy bear print.
The unicorn let out a quiet, wistful neigh when it received the bottle full of milk.
The dwarves were still milling around Nika, straightening her hair, placing new moss pillows under it, patting the moss to make it "softer." Their fingers were small but confident. Their smiles—full of sharp teeth. Their gazes—intense, following her every move.
— The princess is pretty. — The princess smells. — The princess stays. Always.