"Why should I come down? Why don't you come up?" A scrawny youth sharpened a twig with a knife. He grinned, shaking the branch he occupied to send a rain of leaves on my head. He sticks out his tongue like a frog catching flies.
"Since you tell me to," I tied my dress' skirt around my thighs and smirk when the young lad shields his eyes. As I have expected, humans are as prudish as the gods. Seeing a woman's body is scandalous unless it is for pleasure. I dig my nails into the tree's trunks, warning the young boy to expect me soon.
"No, don't come up! Go away," the boy clung on to the tree, realizing he had met a madwoman. "Stop, go back down! Women should not climb trees, it is not good. Big Tiger, help me! Big Tiger!"
I bite my cheek, grabbing hold of the branch beneath his and I hoisted myself onto the thick branch. I look up to see a pair of eyes cautiously following my every move. I waved at the youth, wondering whether he is closer to being a boy or a man. "Hello, what is your name? We should become acquainted with each other if I'm going to stay with Big Tiger."
"You are the woman they were speaking of?" The boy raised an eyebrow, wrinkling his nose to show his disgust. He shakes his head, "I do not see the beauty they speak of. You look worse than a witch! Big Tiger! Big Tiger!"
"Tree Monkey, why are you disturbing the peace?" A middle-aged man sets down a basket of herbs to stare up into the branches. He waved at us both, grinning with half of his teeth. The other half escaped his mouth. "You are screaming because a woman chose to sit with you? She only wants to share your tree."
The boy panics, pressing himself to the tree. He looks like a cat trapped in the treetops. "Old Raven, please help me. I accidentally dropped a log on her head and she came up here to exact her revenge. I don't want to die!"
"Women like her cannot kill you. Stop screaming, Big Tiger is busy so enjoy her company. So far, she has avoided everyone but you." Old Raven speaks to Tree Monkey as a grandfather speaks to his grandson. It is clear they are not related, but everyone in this brotherly town live together peacefully. "When she becomes Chief's wife, you will regret not speaking to her."
"Wait, don't leave me!" Tree Monkey shrieks as Old Raven retrieved his basket from the ground to retreat into the village. It feels so odd to hear these men call each other as animals. "Old Raven, I hear you are looking for apprentices? I will help you if you help me."
"Why are you so frightened of me, a woman? I am weaker than I look, I promise." I hold a hand to my heart which seems to frighten Tree Monkey even more. "Alright, I will have mercy on you today and leave. Next time, be careful with who you hit on the head! Big Tiger may be your victim one day."
Old Raven chuckles loudly, waving over his back at the tree. "I told you that she is only a woman."
I push myself off the tree to land on my hunches, feeling like a feline. I grin when both males watch me with wide eyes. "You will regret saying such words one day. Who said women cannot climb trees or kill men?"
"Who are you?" Old Raven strokes the stubble on his chin. His filthy hair must have been tied in a topknot, but it now resembles fireworks. The man grabs a handful of herbs to shake it at my face. "You are an odd woman, very suspicious too."
"Who was the man to say women cannot kill men?" I mutter beneath my breath. I toss my knotted hair over my shoulders and waltzed away from the tree to enter the village. I know Old Raven did not follow me, but the enchanted deer did. "I am tired of waiting for those dumb scrolls. When are they going to arrive?"
"Any time between today and the next full moon?" The deer piped up. She gulps when I turn to glare at her. "I have sent a message to the heavens regarding the matter, but they are quite slow. Replies may come well after the scrolls drop.'
I shrug, remembering that the Heavens rarely care about immortals stationed on Earth. I have been one of the most revered goddessed and now, I have become an irrelavent Messenger of Love. I hear messengers do not receive payment for leading humans to their Fated Ones!
"I can only be your guide after seeing where you have to go and what you must do. There is not much we can do except wait and learn about the human world." The creature leads me to a wooden swing. "Sit and tell me what you have learned this far."
I carefully take my place on the slab of wood hanging from a tree by ropes. Mortal swings do not feel as safe as swings from the Heavens. I started to compile a list of information I have gathered from speaking to the village's inhabitants and my journey before the village.
"I remember mortals defecate in otherwise fresh bodies of water. One cannot borrow items without being called a thief because humans are so attacked to their materials. Prisoners are isolated from society by living in communities on an island of their own. Women cannot kill men?" I count with my fingers, giving up after the seventeenth comment about women.
"What about positives?" The deer interrupts me before I can comment on clothing choices. "You have been pointing out depressing and bleak features of humanity. Surely, there must be some good things you saw in everyone."
I hold a finger under my chin and tilt my head upwards. I search the sky for an answer, digging into the depths of my mind. I blink twice, "None whatsoever. I am no longer a goddess so I see why the others would call mortals 'pesks', because they are! Let's clear our minds by re-exploring this village."
"My head is clear but yours is stuffed," my companion mutters to herself. She clopped on despite protesting for a moment. "Let's see how much dirt you can dig after this tour."
~~~
I barely finished exploring Big Tiger's Village when the sun starts to dip below the horizon. I shudder, watching as the men and boys surrounding me suddenly leave for their own homes. I stand in the center of the village and wonder why men rush to avoid the night. "What is going on?"
"This is odd," my enchanted deer says suddenly. She smiles sheepishly, knowing she had startled me. "Mortal men are brave things, why would they move so quickly?"
"I am wondering the same thing," I reply before scanning the deserted streets. Then, a strong gust of wind tears through the village, almost plucking me off my feet. I shudder as I feel negative energy approach the village. Not knowing where to go for shelter, I find myself standing before Big Tiger's large house. "Big Tiger should be in here."
"Are you really going to live as a mortal's wife?" The deer shuts her mouth as soon as a figure appears in the house's doorway. The animal presses her hide to my legs, growling as Big Tiger approaches us.
"You came early!" The buff man stretches out his arms as if to embrace me, but thought he should play safely and waves at the deer. He produced a plump apple from the pockets of his trousers, offering the fruit to my guide. "Deer love apples, especially this type. Crunchy, sweet and juicy."
I see my earthly guide had betrayed me by running after the apple Big Tiger had tossed out of the village. Even the most dedicated creature will succumb to food. I dip my head politely, "Hello, Big Tiger. I have thought about what I want to realize I have no choice except this village. I cannot promise I will be staying for a long time, but I am here now."
"Indeed you are," the tattood man muses to himself. He grips my shoulders, "Stay here, I will send the young boys away so you can become familiar with my home. It is the largest house in the village so it will not be too shabby for a woman."
I did not know what mortal women would think of large houses and small houses. In the Heavens, each palace might be the size of a small village on Earth. I grin, "I am not hard to please. I only wish you would give me space until I am ready."
"Of course," Big Tiger reaches over to pluck a shirt off a makeshift clothesline made with ropes. He quickly slips into the top, finally covering his hairy chest. "I have spent fifteen years as a single chief of this village, I can last another year or two. I only hope to find the love of my life."
"Unfortunately, the love of your life is not me. I will be her substitute until I find her." I bite my cheek, knowing I should not have said those words. I might be giving the man false hope. "Whatever, your men have avoided the moonlight. Something evil must be wandering around at night."
"How did you know?" Big Tiger leads me into his house that is full of boys. He urged them to greet me and leave his house in a straight line. "If I tell you, I think you will be startled."