Leon's heavy breathing was all that broke the silence as he focused the notched arrow in his bow at the young buck. It had caught his eye as he was traversing the snowfields on the way back to his cabin. The brown fur stuck out from the pure white snow that had fallen recently.
Letting out his breath slowly, Leon relaxed his fingers on the bowstring as the arrow was sent flying. The buck let out a cry as it hit his side with a satisfying noise. In a panic the deer ran into the trees, trying to refuge in the forest in the distance. Leon cursed under his breath as he ran after the deer. The snow crunching underfoot slowed his progressed despite shuffling through the waist deep snowfall, as he tried to keep pace with the animal fleeing deeper within the trees.
Breaking through branches, Leon kept track of the animals' trail, specks of blood occasionally would sit on the snow guiding him towards his target. Leon made it to the point where the snow had begun to disappear giving him an opportunity to crouch next to a tree, the sound of the buck in pain kept him on guard. Pressing himself up against the tree he peeked around the trunk .
The buck was laying on it side, the arrow's shaft was protruding from its ribs as the creature twitched occasionally from the pain of the foreign object. What worried Leon was a girl crouching next to the wounded deer as the girl whispered to herself loud enough to perk Leon's ears. The girl grasped the shaft of the arrow and her hands begun to glow. The buck who was previously groaning ceased any noise.
Slowly the girl removed the arrow from its side and the deer relaxed. Standing on all fours the buck nuzzled the girl in what Leon could only think was a form of thanks. A few rocks shifted under Leon's foot, perking the ears of the buck as it was alerted from the sound. Bounding off the deer disappeared from site.
"I know you're there, come out where I can see you" the girl yelled into the forest. Leon instinctively swung behind the tree, drawing his bow and notching an arrow. The whole situation felt off, making him feel that the rumours he heard from passerbys weren't to be ridiculed. "You can try to hide but I can see where you are" the girl called out again, the voice drawing closer towards him. Leon felt a drop of sweat on his row, at the moment his instiincts were telling him to flee before something happened to him and to avoid this woman at all costs. Leon readied himself to launch from the tree, gripping his bow tightly. The girl turned around the edge of the tree, Leon fell backwards in surprise. The girl leant her hand against the tree as he stared at her. She had a long length of wavy black hair, which heavily contrasted the pale skin seemingly gleamed under the rays of sun that broke through the canopies of the trees above. What caught Leon's attention the most was her eyes, covered in a milky white film. She was most definitely blind.
"How dare you shoot that animal. Thanks to you it almost bled to death under my care" The girl said angrily. Leon let out a slight chuckle as he brushed himself and stood up.
"I apologise trespassing but the animal fled from me, I'll take my leave" Leon said as he begun to walk away, hoping the woman wouldn't do anything.
"Hold up, you're not going anywhere. I have to take you to Sylas now because of what you have done" the girl shouted at Leon.
"I'll be going" Leon said as he walked away from the girl back to outskirts of the forest.
"You can't leave, not until we've given you permission" the girl said. Leon waved it off and continued walking. As he did he noticed that something wasn't quite with the trees. The path was familiar as if he had passed through them before. Walking back into a grove he noticed the same girl was sitting and watching him.
"I told you, you can't leave this place. Not until you have permission" she said idly swinging her legs as she watched Leon with a smug face. Leon twitchted at the face she was making, irritating him.
"Well if that's the case its pointless to keep walking" Leon said sitting on the ground.
"Good, now follow me" the girl said getting onto her feet, as she begun to walk further into the forest. After a moment she noticed that Leon hadn't moved.
"Are you not coming?" the girl said confused.
"Well, I thought to myself if I keep walking and can go nowhere. Staying nowhere will be just as effective, don't you think?" Leon said with a smirk. The girl came over looking huffed at Leon being so defiant.
"I'm telling you, you have to come with me" the girl said, coming over to Leon. She started to pull at his arm, trying to drag Leon to his feet. Leon just let out a chuckle, he had realised earlier that he was still just dealing with a child.
"Why won't you come with me" the girl said between her efforts of pulling Leon away.
"Why wouldn't I stay away as much I could?" Leon replied.
"And to me both of you are still only children" I womanly voice said out from the trees. The hairs on the back of Leon rose, giving a trail of goosebumps as he felt power from that voice. Looking around he noticed one of the trees begun to glow. A tall, slender woman walked out from the tree itself in a flowing garb of white. Both the girl and Leon stopped their short fighting. Leon could feel a pressure from the woman that didn't seem quite earthly.
"You who have trespassed on these lands, accompany Rin inside the forest where you will reflect on your actions." The woman said, a voice familiar with commanding others.
"And if I refuse?" Leon asked, keeping his voice steady under the penetrating gaze of the woman.
"The consequences are fatal, but from what I've seen in so far you would not be that foolish to defy this woman's direction" the woman said with a slight smile. Leon did not take much comfort in the woman's happiness, the threat hovering behind her words had absolute certainty to them.
"Rin" the woman said. The girl that had now let go of Leon's arm straightened her back to attention.
"Lead this man into the grove, you know many would love to snatch up something still mortal within these woods. I will meet up with you later, I have matters to attend to" the woman said. Rin nodded and kept to attention
"I'm sure that this will pay off for you as well, Leon" the woman said directing at the hunter. Both her and Leon watched as the woman walked back over to the tree and disappeared into the weird glow of the tree that appeared. Rin and Leon collectively relaced and let their breaths out.
"Who was that?" Leon said turning to the girl he now knew as Rin.
"She is the guardian of the forest, we are all under her protection here but at times it seems to be a harsh love" Rin said as she got up and brushed the dirt off her clothes. Rin began walking towards the centre of the forest, briefly looking back at Leon.
"Trust me, coming with me now will be a better fate" Rin said in a serious tone, to Leon it seemed it was one that she was already to familiar with.
"Ahh, if that's the case its hard to refuse" Leon replied, following after Rin as they both walked into the forest. The trees closing in around them
Leon was in a state of constant awe as he craned his head at the trees that towered impossible high above him. Faint lights floated between the branches. There were many plants that Leon couldn't even guess at what they were.
"Is it strange to you?" Rin said breaking Leon's concentration.
"Well it's definitely confounding, it's warm and there's many things that I can't begin to describe" Leon said observing some of the animals that seemed to be in hiding. Rin kept quiet for a moment
"For me its home. You see I've never seen anything outside the trees of this forest." Rin said gazing up at the canopies. "However my family is here, so truly I don't think anywhere could be better, but it makes you want to know what is still out there"
"I'd say that this is better than what you could ever imagine for the outside world" Leon said in an all to familiar tone.
"You don't get to decide my fate" Rin said with a huff as they kept walking through the numerous trees. Eventually they walked into a clearing with a pond in the middle, the water looked so fresh it felt like Leon was looking at a mirror.
"I will leave you here to wait, Sylas wished to talk with you." Rin said while walking off into the trees again. Leon was left alone in the strange forest as the once quiet insects and sounds gradually rose in volume. Sitting next to the tree Leon was left alone in thought. I wonder what I deserved in a previous life for this to happen to me. Leon begun to relax as the quiet of the forest gave him a feeling of reassurance, the need to rest from the exhaustation of the day finally caught up to him. His eyes slowly drooped and close as he begun to rest.