The Seed Thief

“…just a small house…”

“…surely the magic tower…”

The fragmented sentences, faintly audible, made no sense to Lulu. She peered through a gap in the boarded-up window.

One thing was certain: they were not good people. Their behavior was rougher than the villagers’, and they carried weapons, seemingly ready for an immediate attack.

‘What am I going to do?’

How long could the barrier hold? She’d poured nearly all her remaining mana into it, and there wasn’t much left to give. If the ward fell…

‘Will they kill me?’

The only death Lulu had ever witnessed was the forest witch’s—a peaceful fading, her body turning to dust and returning to the earth, accompanied by a final whispered song. But these people… would they afford her the same mercy?

‘And it’s not just me.’

Her hand went to her swollen belly. If she died, the baby… The thought sparked a fierce, protective instinct in her.

She couldn’t let that happen. 

This child, the life she and Er had created together, not through magic but through human means. Lulu was determined to bring it into the world.

Er’s face flashed before her eyes—his warm smile when he gently cradled her stomach each night before they drifted off to sleep,

Tears welled in her eyes as Lulu remembered his smiling face after a long time.

Eventually, night fell and the intruders showed no sign of leaving as they built a bonfire near the barrier.

She didn’t dare light a fire inside; it would only draw their attention.

Lulu moved quietly in the darkness, her eyes constantly checking beyond the barrier. Even the scarecrow, usually prone to cause a ruckus, seemed to sense the danger, standing still against the wall in the corner.

Fortunately, the barrier extended around the back of the house, encompassing a small section of the forest. From that direction, her home was invisible. 

Sticking to the shadows, Lulu moved as much food and supplies as she could gather into the house.

A day passed, then another, and the intruders still remained.

‘They’re waiting for the barrier to fade.’

Even Lulu could see the shimmering wall, once a vibrant red, was growing fainter. The intruders seemed to sense it and their attacks on the barrier became more frequent.

Lulu shuddered. What would they do to her once they broke through?

She recalled something Er had once said. His voice was grim as he spoke what he’d witnessed in war, about things people did to each other and that sometimes death was a mercy. She hadn’t understood then, but now…

‘I have to get out of here.’

Where could she go? Lulu knew nothing of the world outside the forest, except for the small house she sometimes visited.

But they had made it clear she was not welcome there.

Where could she find someone who wouldn’t turn her away? The only person she could think of was Ervandas.

He had gone to the capital, to his family home. If she could reach the capital, maybe, just maybe, she could find him.

But Lulu had no idea how to reach the capital. She’d seen the maps he’d drawn, but having never left the forest, she only had a vague idea that it was very far away.

Then, a memory surfaced. The spell she’d cast on him so long ago. Strangely, instead of dissipating, that spell had merged into Er’s body.

Like a flower leaving its scent on a passing breeze, her magic, infused with his essence, left a unique resonance. She had used it a few times to find him in the forest.

‘Maybe it’s still there.’

Magic wasn’t like a scent, easily erased by wind or snow. It faded, but it didn’t disappear entirely.

Tracking him within the forest was pointless. It was saturated with her magic. To find him, she had to leave the forest.

Rummaging through the house, she found a large cloth bag.

She had never left her home, never considered the need for packing. She vaguely remembered watching Er prepare for his trip, and she tried to mimic what she’d seen, stuffing a few essentials into the bag. Even so, her meager supplies seemed woefully inadequate for such a long journey. If Er saw her now, he would no doubt chastise her for attempting to reach the capital with so little.

As Lulu packed the last of the dried food, her gaze fell on her hand. The gold ring Ervandas had placed on her finger gleamed in the dim light.

He had told her to treasure it, to never let anyone take it from her. That it signified she was his family.

Lulu traced its surface, a hope blooming in her heart. If she could find someone who knew Er, someone beyond the forest, perhaps this ring would convince them to help her, to guide her to him.

Packing finished, Lulu considered her escape.

‘I have to leave at night.’

The intruders were gathered around the bonfire, on the side where they first appeared. If she sneaked out the other way at night, the forest would conceal her.

Now all that remained was the scarecrow, the golem, and the bone crow.

They were her family, her constant companions. The thought of leaving them behind was unbearable.

However, she couldn’t take them all with her.

She could wrap the bone crow in cloth and tuck it into her bag. She could carry the scarecrow if she had to. But the golem… Its footsteps would be impossible to conceal.

Lulu crept out of the house. The golem was huddled near the porch, it turned its head as she drew near.

“I’m leaving the forest.”

At that, the golem shook its head, ‘Leaving the forest?’

“Yes. I’m going to find Er.”

The golem nodded as if understanding that this was her only option.

“But…I can’t take you with me.”

The golem’s head drooped. Crafted from magic, imbued with sentience, it could express a range of emotions. Yet Lulu had never seen it look so utterly dejected.

“I’m sorry.”

Lulu reached out a trembling hand, only to stop midway.

Crouching before the golem, her voice thick with tears.

“I’m so sorry. I wish… I wish we could go together, but…”

Her lip quivered. This golem was her creation. She was its mother, in a way. What must it feel like, to be abandoned by the one who gave it life?

“I-I’ll come back for you, I promise. I’ll fix your arm, I’ll give you new fingers…”

She covered her mouth, stifling a sob.

After a long, silent cry, she slowly rose to her feet.

Lulu went back inside, retrieving her bag and tucking the scarecrow under her arm. 

She glanced at the intruders. The campfire had died down and they were quiet, perhaps asleep.

As she moved towards the forest, Lulu stole one last glance at the golem.

It shifted slightly, as if about to follow, but then froze at her look.

“No.”

This was not a request. It was an order.

It wasn’t just about being caught. The golem’s presence, even now, brought her comfort. But if it followed her and crumbled completely, its stone body scattered, irretrievable…Then she would truly lose it forever.

“You stay here.”

At her command, the golem sank back down, its form blending into the shadows. From a distance, it looked like nothing more than a heap of rocks.

Lulu turned away, her gaze drawn to the dark, silent forest ahead. The forest that had always been her sanctuary, her only world, was now a prison she had to escape.

With a deep breath, she stepped into the darkness.

* * *

Navigating the forest in darkness, without a sound, was no easy feat. The fallen snow concealed treacherous dips and hidden obstacles. She stumbled repeatedly, her feet sinking into the icy powder.

“Huff… huff…”

She tried to control her breathing, but it was no use. She knew this forest like the back of her hand but stripped of light, magic, and the golem’s steady presence, it had become a menacing, unfamiliar landscape.

She was grateful for the moon, though. Without its light, she’d be utterly lost.

‘Almost there…’

She would reach the mountain path that led to the village soon. From there, the journey would be easier. And from there, she could start tracking Er.

Just as she steeled herself for the final stretch, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.

Something whizzed past her ear, grazing her hair, before embedding itself in a nearby tree trunk.

Lulu’s blood ran cold. It was an arrow.

‘They found me!’

She dropped the scarecrow and shouted.

“Run!”

Then she sprinted through the trees, her breath catching in her throat.

More arrows flew, slicing through the air. One grazed her arm, drawing a sharp gasp of pain. But there was no time to stop. Lulu pushed herself harder.

Suddenly. her legs gave way.

“….?”

Dizziness swept over her. Her limbs felt heavy, her head spinning.

As Lulu crumpled to the ground, she remembered this similar sensation from a long past.

‘When was it…?’

She’d felt like this once before, after foolishly eating a poisonous mushroom she’d found in the forest.

The pain in her arm, where the arrow had grazed her, intensified, burning like a hot coal.

The arrow had been poisoned.

“We got her! She’s down over there!”

The voices of her pursuers echoed through the trees, drawing closer.

However, her body refused to obey. 

The intruders, their faces illuminated by the flickering light of the lanterns, now stood over her.

“See? I told you she was hiding in the house.”

“Even I could have guessed that. That’s why I said we should wait. Wait a minute…that’s a woman! And she’s pregnant!”

“And red hair? Tch!”

One of the men spat on the ground in disgust as he caught sight of Lulu’s hair.

Noticing Lulu couldn’t move, they moved even closer.