The Fairies lived discreetly beneath the hawthorn stumps, in splendid luminous chambers, scattered with stars and mirrors so dazzling that one could not look at them without being blinded.
So light they were thought almost invisible, they wore delicate dresses woven from spider silk. Their breath carried a soft floral scent, which floated all the way to Landaville.
Always benevolent, they helped the villagers: finding lost animals, offering pies during Lent, and plums at harvest time. They loved to laugh, twirl, and dance in circles… but would vanish as soon as they heard children approaching.
What they feared most of all was the Sotré.
At the slightest sound that hinted at his arrival, they would fly away like frightened sparrows, rushing back to their homes, which they would carefully barricade, their hearts pounding with fear.