BACK AT ISABELLA HUT
"And what I have for you… is this."
Isabella's voice rang with pride as she slowly pulled out a pink flower from the pouch at her hip, its petals glowing faintly in the late afternoon sun like a secret begging to be noticed.
It wasn't the usual bloom from the forest near the village, and the second it came into view, a collective gasp swept through the group of women standing around her in a semi-circle. Wide eyes, parted lips, whispers—Isabella drank it all in like a fine cup of tea.
She smirked. Finally.
After all, it had taken her three days, a twisted ankle, two almost-slips down a cliffside, and one standoff with a horned lizard the size of her thigh to get that flower. Worth it? Maybe not for anyone else—but for her pride? Absolutely.