She flew along a rushing river, the water burbling happily over boulders of various sizes. As she saw the rocks, a glimmer came into Maleficent’s eyes and she began to gesture with her hands. Below, the boulders began to move and shift according to Maleficent’s magical direction. When she was done, she paused to look over her handiwork—a beautiful waterfall.
That task complete, she continued along, greeting the river rock creatures as she passed them. “Morning!”
She flew over the wallerbogs, who were jovially throwing mud at one another. As soon as they noticed her, one of them wound up, ready to include Maleficent in their game.
“No, no, don’t do it!” Maleficent warned. “Don’t you—”
The wallerbog threw the mud, missing Maleficent and hitting a hedgehog faerie instead.
“Ha! You missed me!” Maleficent laughed, waving good-bye and flying through the forest above a few skating water fairies.
“Lovely work, girls,” she called. She looked behind her to see some pesky dew faeries following her. “Hey! Find your own gusts of wind!”
Suddenly, Maleficent noticed Knotgrass, Flittle, and Thistlewit waving at her from a rock. The three pixies could be rather vain and flighty, but they’d never looked so agitated.
“What’s all the fuss?” she asked, landing in front of them.
Knotgrass started speaking rapidly. “Maleficent, did you hear? The border guards have—”
“Why do you get to tell her?” Flittle interrupted her. “I want to tell her!”
“I want to!” Thistlewit echoed.
Maleficent shifted, growing weary of their tiresome ways. “Tell me what?”
“Maleficent, the border guards…” Flittle started.
“The border guards have found a human thief at the pool of jewels!” Thistlewit burst out. “Sorry,” she said to the other pixies.
Maleficent’s eyes grew wide and she took off into the air, hundreds of thoughts reeling in her head. A human. Here in the Moors. Of course, Robin would never approve of her going to meet it. But now was her chance to see what a human was like. Maleficent’s curiosity was piqued.
Maleficent landed on a rock in front of the great waterfall. The two guarding sentries stood in the water, gesturing toward a part of the brush. Seeing Maleficent, Balthazar called out to her in his native woodish tongue.
“I’m not afraid,” Maleficent told him. “Besides, I’ve never seen a human up close.” She peered through the brush and made out the figure of a boy about her age.
“What did he take from the pool?” she asked.
Balthazar screeched, answering her.
A stone. She sighed. “Come out!” she said to the brush.
“No!” came a defiant voice from behind it. “They mean to kill me. And besides, they’re hideous to look at.”
Balthazar screeched once more, this time quite offended.
“That’s extremely rude!” Maleficent chided. To Balthazar she said, “Don’t listen to him. You’re classically handsome.” She turned once more to the brush, her patience wearing thin. “It’s not right to steal but we don’t kill people for it. Come out. Come out this instant!”
A slight boy dressed in meager clothes emerged. His eyes widened at the sight of Maleficent.