Bare feet, tender and small, raced over a muddy path littered with pebbles. Braving the wind and snow, her thin clothes left her shivering violently.
Even so, Duoduo ran with unwavering determination. She held her back straight, like a proud princess from a fairy tale, but she wasn't waiting for a prince to come to her rescue. Instead, she pulled her little companions along, a warrior in armor drawing her sword, ready for battle.
Watching the children run toward hope, Qiao An turned, tucked two shivering pythons into her coat, and scooped up the Little Fox with one hand. Then, she vanished back into the night.
"Sister, why don't you step in and save those children, you know, like they do in the TV shows..."
"You're just a little snake. You don't need to know that much. And watch less TV from now on. It'll rot your brain eventually."
Life isn't a fairy tale. More often than not, women need to save themselves!
