[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/JoCptIT.png[/img]
[img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjQwLmZmMzUyOS5XbVZ3YUhseWFXNWxJRWw2YTJsbGJDQSwuMAAA/popsies.regular.png[/img][/center][hr][right][color=f6989d]Time[/color]: Morning | [color=f6989d]Location[/color]: Forest outside Roshmi | [color=f6989d]Interactions[/color]: Bowyn [@Helo][/right][hr]
Zephyrin was devastated.

Two weeks ago, she secretly set out from the winter fae settlement — her plan only known to her grandmother — on a long and arduous journey to Roshmi City, which she had been fervently looking forward to. She could not get there quickly enough; so impatient was she to set foot in Roshmi. She had been dreaming of the moment she'd finally enter through the gates of the beautiful and extravagant city.

Now here she was, standing outside the city walls, only to find out that the city had been put under lockdown. Apparently, it happened not too long before she had arrived. 

Zephyrin gawked at the huge gate before her and sighed. Her shoulders slumped forward as she raked her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes.

"[color=f6989d]..fate must be playing cruel tricks on me.[/color]" She grumbled. She turned her back in defeat and dragged her feet towards the direction of the woods.

Zephyrin's head hung low as she walked at a snail's pace. To say she was disappointed was a huge understatement. Zephyrin had spent her childhood years dreaming of this day. She had planned it all along, but unfortunately, reality did not cooperate. 

Now that her excitement was gone, the feeling of exhaustion finally caught up to her. She was tired, hungry and dirty. She wasn't even sure where to go now.

'[i][color=f6989d]Should I just head back home?[/color][/i]' 

The idea crossed her mind for a moment, but she immediately rejected it. Her journey would have all been for nothing. Besides, she could already imagine the scolding she would receive from her father. She at least had to make her punishment worthwhile. But how? 

Zephyrin was now standing in the forest with no plan or destination in mind. She looked down at her soiled clothes, causing her to frown. Before anything else, she needed a bath and her clothes washed. There had to be a body of water somewhere in the forest.

[center][color=f6989d]***[/color][/center]

After what seemed like an hour, Zephyrin finally caught the sound of flowing water. She followed it and spotted a small clearing with a stream up ahead. At the sight of it, she walked faster, but before she could step out into the clearing, she spotted a man approaching with a few wooden spears in hand.

Caught by surprise, Zephyrin immediately hid behind a large tree. After a few moments of holding her breath in anticipation, only silence remained. He didn't seem to have noticed her. She released a breath of relief.

Before she left, Zephyrin's grandmother had warned her about the dangers of traveling alone as a winter fairy. Not only were there powerful beasts roaming around, but there were also people who hunted them down for a fortune. It was for this reason that most of them stayed in the settlement for the entirety of their lives. They were too scared to venture out.

Fortunately for Zephyrin, she had not ran into any dangers yet. Until now, that is.

Zephyrin peeked from behind the tree and watched the man curiously, wondering if he was a threat. He seemed to just be peacefully catching fish, but hey, even villains had to eat.

There was quite a distance between them, so it was hard to make out his features. The only thing that stood out was his silver hair, which was quite a common trait amongst winter fairies and elves.

She watched as he skillfully caught several fishes, and something told her that those weren't all for himself. He must have been camping out here with a small group, and there was only one way to find out.

Zephyrin followed him back stealthily. The trees provided enough cover, so it wasn't hard to stay out of his vision. She carefully avoided stepping on the broken twigs and dried leaves, moving nimbly from tree to tree.

As he started cooking the fish around a fire, the delicious smell wafted through the air and made her stomach growl. Her mouth watered, and she gulped. She sneaked another peek, looking intently at one the fishes he was cooking. 

Dazed by the sight of delicious fish, she unconsciously took a step forward, unaware of the large rock infront of her foot.

"[color=f6989d]Ow..![/color]"

Zephyrin tripped and landed on the ground a few meters across the stranger who was silently grilling his fish. She looked up at him and gave a nervous laugh.

"[color=f6989d]Ha..hahaha.. Just passing through..[/color]"

Thanks to last night's downpour of rain, she was covered with mud, and her hair was a tangled mess. To him, she must have looked like a creepy stalker or a beggar. Either way, the humiliation caused her to freeze on the spot.