purple diamond in the rough

He would return soon, right? It didn’t usually take her father this long to finish his business and return to her. As he’d done many times before, the big man had left her tethered to a tree with promises to return. How long had it been though? It certainly felt like it had been a long time. Too long, really. The sun had set and the tiny fae had curled up tightly against the cold of night. She was thankful when the sun warmed her slender body in the morning. It was one of the small joys that she was still capable of feeling.

As the day wore on, Gypsy milled about the area. Well, as much of the area as she could manage. The tether that stretched from the tree to the braided leather collar about her throat wasn’t terribly long. The tie had been placed too high within the tree for her to reach and there was a clasp upon her collar that she was unable to remove. Even when he wasn’t here, she was under her father’s rule. Back and forth she moved, pacing, pacing. The sun was warm but she still felt winter's chill in the air. Another night out on her own… Well… she might not make it. Would that really be so bad?

In time, Gypsy accepted her situation. Just like the rest of her life, she had no choice. Fighting against what was wouldn’t change a thing. Up above, the little fairie of a wolf could hear birds singing. Mismatched ears shifted so she could catch the singing fully. Something warmed within the otherwise frigid lady for a moment and she raised her own voice to sing with the birds. No words were uttered, but she released sweet tones in accompaniment. Gypsy had no one to rely upon and she had very little control of her life, but she always had her voice. He hadn’t taken that from her yet.