A delicate butterfly soared over an expansive ocean, its fragile wings carrying it with a sense of urgency toward the approaching landmass. The landscape that unfolded below was a lush, vibrant green, dotted with apple trees laden with ripe fruit, but the butterfly had no time to admire the scenery – its priestess was in trouble.

As the butterfly soared higher above the land, open fields gave way to imposing rocky cliffs, the rugged terrain providing a stark contrast to the ocean's serenity. It continued its journey until it reached a tranquil meadow. There, a young girl with distinct lavender hair was playing among the flowers, unaware of the impending crisis. The butterfly descended, circling the girl frantically.

The girl jumped, her gaze widening in surprise. "Oh my! Where did you come from?" she exclaimed, her curiosity overcoming her initial fear. "Why, you are the most unusual butterfly I have ever seen!"

As her outstretched hand made contact with the butterfly, a blinding flash of light transported her to a frigid, snow-covered cliff. Snowflakes fell in droves, obscuring her vision. She stumbled to her knees as the world changed beneath her very feet, the snow cushioning her fall.

A weak, trembling voice broke through her confusion, the sudden sound sending fear down her spine. A few feet in front of her lay a woman draped in white robes. The golden accents and the woman's fiery red hair were the only visible objects in this snow. But even through the falling snow, the woman's injuries stood out against the flurry of white.

The girl's nerves grew taut, a gnawing uncertainty gnashing at her. Was she dreaming? She couldn't recall going to sleep. "Who are you?"

The injured woman's breathing grew weaker, her gaze seeming to implore the girl as her strength waned. "P-Please... We must return through the portal..." she pleaded, her voice almost inaudible.

"Portal?" The girl's lavender gaze darted around, scanning for clues amidst the desolate landscape. A faint, ethereal glow caught her eye, revealing a vague circular pattern etched into the ground.

"It will take us back..." the woman whispered, her eyelids drooping with the struggle to remain conscious.

Although her teeth were chattering from the cold, the girl knelt down, straining to lift the injured woman. She guided the woman towards the glowing circle, her thin spring dress doing little to protect her from the elements.

The moment that her feet touched the portal, it whisked her back to the vibrant meadow. Thankfully, the portal had transported the woman with her as well.

"Pa!" she cried out, spotting her father from afar. "Pa, come quickly!"

Her father rushed to her side, alarm etched onto his face. His gaze shifted to the wounded woman, his features darkening as he assessed her injuries. "Who is this woman?"

"I don't know, Daddy, but she's hurt."

The injured woman stirred, barely conscious. "Tailor...? Is that you? I have come... It is time..."

Brow furrowed, Rhen cast uncertain glances between the mysterious woman and her father. How could this stranger know her father's name? "Daddy, do you know her?"

Her father offered no answer to her question, instead declaring, "I must take her back to the cottage."

He cradled the injured woman and began making his way toward their village. Rhen followed a few paces behind him.

"Hello, Rhen!" A cheerful voice broke her reverie as one of the village boys, Danny, greeted her. He wore a bright smile, his teeth gleaming in the sunlight as he waved.

Rhen blushed and waved back, her heart still racing from the recent events. "Hi, Danny," she greeted him, too distracted by her worry for the mysterious woman to dwell on how flustered she felt around him.

She quickened her pace, lowering her head to hide her flushed cheeks. The family cottage was not far from the village's entrance, nestled in front of the town square. It was small, boasting a single bedroom alongside a modest living and dining area, but it was home to Rhen. She preferred to think of it as cozy.

Her mother fussed over her upon her return, ensuring her daughter was unharmed. "That poor woman," her mother mused, brushing the melting snow from Rhen's clothes. "Where could she have come from?"

"I don't know, Ma," Rhen replied, dodging away from her mother's touch as she bounded towards the bedroom. "I found her in the meadow."

As soon as she was away from her mother's reach, Rhen rushed into the bedroom, her gaze fixed upon the unconscious woman. As soon as she entered, her pa barked out, "Rhen, go find the herbalist and bring her here. Quick, lass!"

With a sharp nod, Rhen darted out of the room, her thoughts consumed by the woman's dire condition. Every second felt like an eternity as she rushed to locate Dyonna, the village herbalist. The village's twisting paths and staircases were etched into her memory, guiding her to Dyonna's house.

As soon as she entered Dyonna's home, the herbalist was already greeting her with a warm smile. Dyonna's smile faded into alarm as she registered Rhen's distress.

Rhen didn't waste a single moment on pleasantries. Someone's life hung in the balance and there was no time to spend on small talk. "Can you come to our house right away?"

Dyonna immediately grabbed her bag and rushed out the door with Rhen. "What happened, lass?"

"I found a woman in the meadow," Rhen explained as they hurried toward her home. The portal would be far too strange for most people here, so she didn't bother mentioning it. "She's injured – burn marks all over."

Dyonna's expression darkened, a rare seriousness that Rhen had only ever seen during the gravest situations. Dyonna wasn't a formally trained doctor, but she was still the best herbalist on this side of the Western Isle. If anyone could save the mysterious woman's life, it was her.

As they entered Rhen's home, Rhen immediately led the way to the bedroom that she and her parents shared. "She's up here, in Ma and Pa's bed."

Dyonna made her way over, inspecting the woman's injuries. "These burn marks are strange," she noted. "A bit of pigwood salve should help, but after that, it's up to her body to do the rest."

Rhen hovered nearby, her curiosity and concern unabated. Now that she wasn't running on adrenaline, it was easier to see how frail the woman was.

Pa stepped away from the bed to allow Dyonna to work, leading Rhen away as well. As he did so, Rhen couldn't help but ask, "Pa, who is she?"

Pa hesitated before he replied, "She is a priestess from a faraway land."

"A real, live priestess?!" Rhen exclaimed. "Do you know her?"

"...Yes. From a lifetime ago," Pa answered, a somber tone to his voice.

"Oh..." Disappointment tinged Rhen's tone. The woman being a priestess wasn't as interesting if she was from a different lifetime. "Pa?"

"Hmm?" Pa seemed to snap out of his thoughts, but there was a distance to his expression that Rhen had never seen before.

"Why would a priestess from a lifetime ago come here to see us?" Rhen asked, genuinely curious. Priestesses were important, after all. Especially since they tended to the temples of the Goddess Eolin and her druids.

Again, Pa hesitated, unwilling or perhaps unready to divulge the full story. "We'll discuss it later, dear," he said. "Now, go to your mother; she has some chores for you. The festival is tomorrow, and there's still much to be done."

Rhen stifled a sigh, begrudgingly accepting her father's response, however unsatisfying it might be.

"Dear, your friend Peter stopped by while you were out," Ma said as Rhen stepped out of the room. She handed Rhen an empty wicker basket as she continued to speak. "He said he was going to pick flowers in the meadow. Take this basket and join him."

"Do I have to, Ma?" Rhen asked in a whining tone. Her day had been filled with unexpected excitement. Exhaustion was already creeping in. She just wanted to relax and play.

"Oh, it won't be too bad! How about you find five marionbell flowers, then you can play," Ma offered, clearly hoping to motivate Rhen.

"Hmph!" Rhen pouted but, under her mother's stern gaze, she conceded. "I mean, yes, Ma."

Rhen let out another sigh as she left the cottage, heading back towards the meadow. Her thoughts couldn't help but drift back to the injured woman. She wondered if there were any traces of the woman's injuries in the meadow. If there were, Rhen just hoped they were inconspicuous.

Ella and Peter – two of the other children her age in Clearwater – waved at Rhen as she approached the meadow.

"Hello, Rhen!" Ella's voice bubbled with cheeriness. Ella was nice, if somewhat unexciting, and Rhen hadn't spent much time with her. "Are you here to pick marionbell flowers, too?"

"Yes, Ma sent me. How many flowers could we possibly need?" Rhen replied with a roll of her eyes, eliciting laughter from Ella.

"Afternoon, Rhen!" Peter seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. If he was picking flowers, then he was doing a poor job of it. He was practically bathing in pollen. Still, Rhen couldn't help but smile at his carefree attitude. She'd always preferred his company over Ella's any day.

Between the three of them, they cleared the meadow of marionbells, and dusk fell before Rhen even knew it. She headed home, handing the now-full wicker basket to her mother.

"These are lovely!" Ma exclaimed, her eyes brightening as she inspected the marionbells. "The day has slipped away so quickly; it's time for bed already!"

Rhen began to protest, but a yawn overtook her. It seemed that playing with her friends would have to wait another day.