The fairy is right of course, you remember that the folks can’t lie but they can obviously twist their words with half-truths or incomplete information. Many stories in folklore described how devious faeries were to humans but what should you do? As an animal you can’t speak and don’t even know where to find help!
Your only chance is to find a solution based on luck and the annoying girl knows it, she is smiling smugly while poking your wet nose repeatedly, the only silver lining in this situation is that hunters will never enter a forest claimed by fairies so you are safe as long as you stay inside the woods.
“Come on mr. stag, what is your answer? Do you want my help or not?” No, you can’t trust the fairy, she is the one who transformed you and every deal would be heavily one-sided considering your situation.
You shake your head resolutely to convey your choice as the little girl pouts “No deal? Aw, what a shame. Well good luck mister, we will see each other later” The fairy fly away again surrounded by the pink light as you follow her with your gaze.
‘Where should I go?’ Your gaze wander to the stream of water again ‘mh, maybe it was the water and the fairy lied to me? Worth a shot I guess’ You lean down and take silently a long sip of water, then wait for a few minutes. ‘No obvious changes until now. Something else?’ To reach the stream you crossed a patch of forest and didn’t touch anything, if you exclude a tree without strange characteristics. Maybe a kind of pollen or a sting from an insect? This is a new world, it could be anything!
The only lead you have is the fairies themselves and the cave from which you entered the forest. You are fairly sure you could backtrack to the cave without problems, so you start to walk to your goal with an slow gait. The forest is completely different with the enhanced senses of an animal, your ears are able to detect even the most faint sound while the nose detect other animal’s smell and the most popular trails, and you briefly wonder how many humans are trapped in an animal form like you. Occasionally the odd fairy would glide between the trees without care, but every time you tried to approach them they would only laugh and wave at you without saying a word, dashing away shortly after.
‘Here it is, this is the place where the entrance is located’ You stand before the cave and without a moment of hesitation you step forward ‘This is my best bet, maybe if I return home I will change back’
The sound of cloven hooves resounded in the narrow tunnel as you proceeded, but you didn’t travel far when your nose bumped something solid and invisible before you ‘What the-‘ There is something with the consistency of rubber against your nose that bends but don’t break, and the only try to charge the obstacle gave you only an aching muzzle as reward.
“It will not work you know” Startled you turn around to see Vineda perched on a jutting rock “The basic idea was not bad, but you were touched by magic, if you don’t purge that from your body the barrier will never let you through. But you could consider it a blessing in disguise, with no magic your world would have adapted you to be a normal deer with no sentience and only instincts the moment you entered it” The fairy smiles “ And no, I will not tell you how to pass thought the barrier, you didn’t want my help, remember? It’s too late now I’m afraid, no folk in the forest will help you because we all bet on your quest to return human again, and as the first one to welcome you here I will be your minder. My role here is to control that no member of folk cheat to win the pool, our elders decided that the ones that break this rule will be stripped of their status and will join the local wildlife forever.” She gracefully floats down and lands on your head “Life as a fairy is dreadfully boring you know, we live for centuries with only the protection of our homes as our real duties, to interrupt the boredom we like to mess with trespassers and troublemakers, like you! Now you are lucky, no folk will impede in your search!”
You unwillingly follow the tiny girl outside when it is clear that no clues can be found in the cave and you gaze more than once her distrustfully, after all she just said that your misfortunes were only entertainment for them “Ah, I almost forgot one little detail, there are ways to lock your form permanently inside the forest, so don’t be too reckless in your search, alright?” The stag warily await for the fairy to continue as the girl assumes an innocent disposition “Well what are you waiting for, the list of the dangers? That for our game is half the fun after all, seeing you fumbling and second guessing every decision… Chop chop mr. stag!”
‘And let’s see if you make it, all bets are off if you manage to return human and you will be very far from safety in an enchanted forest… It will be a free for all to change you again’