The Stepsister Scheme

Snow asked. She didn’t wait for an answer, giggling as she ran toward the enormous tree. Starlight glittered from her mirrors.
    “She acts like we’re on a picnic,” Talia muttered, but she began to jog after Snow.
    Danielle gulped the last of her food, wishing Snow had handed over the wineskin before she started running. Her tongue was still tingling from the nadif spice. Hopefully, the Tipsy Oak would have something mild to drink.
    Touching her sword for luck and comfort, she hurried after the others.

    Up close, the tree was easily twice as wide as Danielle was tall. The top had been cut away a short distance past the road. Young twigs still sprouted from the bark, appearing comically small by comparison.
    “So how do we get inside?” Danielle asked.
    Talia pointed to a line of sap dripping down the side of the tree. She grabbed a broken branch and pulled, peeling a thick section of wood and bark away from the trunk to reveal a jagged hole. Talia poked her sword into the darkness, then peeked inside. “Hello? Any gnomes down there?”
    Her voice echoed and faded to nothing.
    “Are you sure your friend Timothy was telling the truth?” Talia asked as she pulled herself through the doorway.
    “He had to,” Snow said. “If he hadn’t, the old woman would have taken Danielle’s child, remember?”
    Danielle stepped up to the tree. “Does anyone have a candle?”
    Snow touched her choker, and the front mirror began to glow.
    “Thanks,” said Danielle. The interior of the tree wasn’t high enough to walk upright, but she could crawl on her hands and knees with little trouble. To her surprise, bark covered the interior of the tree, the same as the outside. She even saw clusters of acorns hanging from the upper part of the tunnel. She set down her sack and climbed in after Talia.
    The inside was cool, with a pleasant nutty scent. She crawled ahead to make room for the others. The tunnel sloped downward, and soon Danielle gave thanks for the rough bark that scraped her hands and knees. A smooth floor would make it too easy to slip.
    “What’s that?” Danielle asked, pointing to a round hole on the upper part of the left wall.
    Snow squeezed past to direct the light from her choker into the hole. A smaller tunnel led up and away from them. “Looks like the tunnel branches off.”
    Talia grabbed an acorn and threw it at her.
    They continued downward, passing other side tunnels as they went. The only way to investigate them would be to go back and take more of Trittibar’s shrinking spores.
    Danielle’s head began to ache. Crawling downhill for so long had sent her blood pounding into her skull. “Why would anyone make a tavern so inaccessible?”
    “It’s Fairytown,” Talia said, as if that explained everything.
    High-pitched laughter was the first clue their destination was near. The air took on a smoky smell, and Daniel heard a low buzzing that reminded her of hummingbirds.
    “We’re here,” Snow said. The light from her choker disappeared.
    Up ahead, a wide hole in the floor pulsed with light of every color, changing from blue to pink to green in a single heartbeat.
    “Let me go first,” Talia said. She drew her sword and crawled to the edge of the hole. “Oh, wonderful.”
    “What is it?” Danielle asked.
    Talia put her weapon away and shook her head. “It’s a pixie bar.”
    “Why would Arlorran be at a pixie bar?” Snow asked.
    Talia grabbed Snow’s wrists. “Let’s find out.” Bracing one of her legs on the far side of the hole, Talia lowered Snow inside. She dropped their belongings down after, then looked at Danielle. “Your turn, Princess.”
    Danielle scooted carefully to the edge. A streak of blue raced beneath her feet and disappeared.
    Talia locked her hands around Danielle’s. “Looks like a bit of a drop. Bend your knees and let your legs absorb the impact, and you’ll be fine.”
    Danielle nodded, trying to relax. She could see the floor below, littered with old flower petals and acorn shells. Snow was already moving to one side, brushing debris from her trousers.
    Talia gave a quick tug, pulling Danielle off-balance. Her breath caught as she dropped into the hole, but Talia didn’t let go. Her shoulders twinged as she dangled there, and then Talia relaxed her grip.
    Danielle’s legs gave out, and she rolled onto her back hard enough to bruise. Talia followed, landing in a crouch and then turning to survey the bar. She sighed and helped Danielle to her