The sun stretched its golden fingers across the Briarhaven wilds, casting long shadows over Lilly's farm. She watched as Astra remained within the fenced area near the barn, her movements lacking their usual airborne grace. The sight tugged at Lilly's heartstrings; and for the first time, Lilly wished she would do one of her levitating jumps that led her straight to the vegetable garden.

Next, she headed toward the vegetable garden, Feather tumbling through the grass in an attempt to keep up with her. On her way, she passed the mysterious seed she had planted so long ago from the elf at the stand next to hers on her first trip to Thornwood goods. In place of the seed was a foot-tall, little sapling.

A thrill ran down her spine. She had all but forgotten about the seed in her worries over Tom and her magical animals. She couldn’t wait to find out what it grew; the elf was very cagey about answering any of her questions about it. Lilly went back to the barn and collected a bit of fencing and some water to care for the little plant and keep it safe. Satisfied, she moved onto the vegetables.

"Morning, Tom," she greeted the tomato plant, crouching down beside it. Her fingers traced the jagged edges of his leaves, a frown creasing her brow as she noticed holes covering his leaves, giving him a sickly appearance. Lilly groaned. What kind of magical catastrophe was going on now?

"What's wrong, buddy?"

Tom shuddered his leaves in response.

"Let me see." Lilly examined each leaf meticulously until she discovered the culprits: a group of mundane hornworms feasting upon her dear friend Tom. These voracious pests were known for their insatiable appetite, devouring foliage at an alarming rate. Their large size made them particularly damaging; each worm easily spanned the length of Lilly's index finger. Their pale stripes and dark spots added a sinister touch to their otherwise-unassuming appearance. Their bodies were plump, greedily devouring the foliage with gusto.

"Tom, I'm so sorry," Lilly murmured, guilt washing over her like an icy wave. "I've been so preoccupied with the magical creatures that I didn't realize how much you needed my help. These guys are fat; they must have been munching on you for a while."

Lilly set to work gently removing the hornworms one by one and placing them into her watering can, ensuring they could no longer harm Tom. As she did so, she vowed to make amends. "From now on, I'll spend each morning with you, tending to your needs and catching up. You were my first friend in the Briarhaven wilds, after all."

Tom fluttered his branches and leaned a branch down toward Lilly with a particularly juicy tomato on it.

Lilly smiled. "Thank you, Tom. I appreciate you, too."

As she finished removing the last of the hornworms, Lilly gazed around her farm, taking in the enchanting blend of magic and mundane. Each creature and plant had its own significance in the delicate balance of this world, and she knew that it was her responsibility to care for them all.

"All right, Tom. Tomorrow, we'll start fresh and get you back to your healthy self."

Stolen story; please report.

"From now on," Lilly continued, her voice resolute, "I will spend every morning with you—talking to you and making sure you're well cared for. You were my first friend here, and I owe it to you to give you the attention you deserve."

Lilly headed to the barn to check on Astra again while Feather, an energetic ball of fluff, flapped her wings in little bursts of excitement as she trotted alongside. The griffy scampered ahead, kicking up small puffs of dust from the ground, and then looked back, waiting for Lilly to catch up.

Then she leaped into the air, her small wings fluttering furiously. Her brief bout of flight didn’t last more than a few seconds before she landed back on the ground, rolling over and coming up with a little yelp of surprise. Feather's claws, sharp and formidable, proceeded to paw at the ground, digging up a tuft of grass and flipping a small stone.

But what melted Lilly's heart the most was Feather's fascination with her own tail. She became distracted from her attempt at flight and started running in a playful circle, chasing after her own tail, her eyes focused on the task at hand, oblivious to the world around her. Eventually, Feather collapsed into a heap, panting and wagging her tail as if celebrating her own delightful foolishness.

Feather brought a smile to Lilly's face; and with all of the challenges she faced on this farm every day, she sometimes needed that lighthearted relief to remember it was all worth it. Feather was a tiny, furry ball of energy; and watching her explore the world in her own mischievous way helped take Lilly's mind off the demanding tasks of the farm—if only for a little while. She was glad she had decided to keep her, even if she wasn’t the guard dog she was expecting.

Despite Feather’s best attempts at distraction, Lilly made it to the pasture that Astra grazed in—calm and enclosed in the fence like a normal, everyday goat.

"Something's definitely not right," she murmured to herself, her breath visible in the crisp evening air.

"Is everything all right, Lilly?" Yorik called from behind.

Lilly turned in time to see him walking up with his flying pig Petunia gliding gracefully beside his shoulder. Feather ran and took a flying leap into the sky toward the pig but immediately fell back against the ground with a puff of dust flying about her. Petunia continued to fly gracefully overhead.

"Hey, Yorik!" She waved up at him. "I was just thinking about coming to visit you. Astra's been acting strange lately. She hasn't levitated once, and she's staying inside the fence. It's just...unlike her."

Yorik knelt down and petted Feather, who wiggled her whole behind in delight, while Petunia started to snuffle at his hair to regain his attention. He stood up and shooed Petunia away while he focused on Lilly. "Perhaps Astra’s under the weather, or maybe she just needs some time to sort things out after being gone a few days."

"Maybe," she conceded, rubbing her arms for warmth. "But I can't shake this feeling that something's off. I'm keeping a closer eye on her, but I wish there was something I could do about it."

"I understand, but I’m not sure I’ll be much help. The only time one of my pigs won’t fly is when they are pregnant." Concern flickered in his eyes. "Let me know if there is anything I can do for you."

"Thanks, Yorik. I appreciate it." Her smile was warm, despite the chill in the air.

Yorik lifted his decorative box of Tekla pieces, the game she loved to play and kept begging him to play with her when she had first moved here. “Are you interested in playing a round or two? I miss our game nights.”

Lilly looked toward the barn and then Feather, who was now actively rolling around in a mud puddle with Petunia. “Oh, Yorik, you know I would love to, but I just spent all day picking hornworms off Tom. I still need to change Snow’s bandages, and it looks like Petunia’s new little friend Feather needs a bath. Another time. I promise.”

Yorik nodded his head. “Farm life is never an easy one. I’ll see you around then.”

Lilly felt her stomach sink as she watched Yorik walk away. She loved her animals and knew she had made the right decision for herself to care for these magical creatures, but she really wished she had more hours in her day and more time with Yorik. It felt like a piece of her was walking away from her right now with a flying pig trotting at his heels.