The goddess was called Chrysalis. She had watched over the mountain and the village since the beginning of time. At first, she had no form. And then humans came along. They began worshipping her. Giving her a form. One she quite liked.
And then they stopped. Years went by. The offerings stopped coming. The shrine fell and was claimed by the Earth. Generations who never knew who she was. Not that she minded. The animals and forests and rocks still bathed in her presence.
Then a new human came along.
Immediately, Chrysalis knew that this girl was not of the village. She was new and young. Settled in an old abandoned home of a long-gone village hunter.
She observed her when she passed by. She watched as the woman tamed a wild wolf, using the surrounding area to her advantage but never took what she didn't need.
And then came now. The girl had fallen through a weak point in the snow, and her wolf had followed down to.
Chrysalis felt her soul clench. She had gotten attached to the human. The last thing she wanted was for the human to die. At least so soon.
"Poor thing. Poor moral soul. Stay with me, dearest. The world needs you for much longer." She said, looking down on the human.
She smiled as the human looked up. "If I gotta go, at least I'm going looking at someone pretty." the human said before passing out. The wolf laid its head on the humans.
"Don't worry wolf, she'll be okay." Chrysalis said. She slowly picked up Ari and laid a hand on the wolf. She closed her eyes and thought of the house.
Then, when she opened her eyes, she stood outside of the structure.
She walked inside and closed the door once the wolf walked in as well. She headed to another room and gently placed Ari in her bed before leaving the room. She placed a few pieces of firewood inside the furnace, smiling as she felt the heat immediately warm up the ice-cold home.
She sat in the old house. She would be lying if she said that she didn't worry about the human. Even if she knew the human would be alright. So, she waited for Ari to get up.
Ari woke two hours later, feeling the pillow against her head and warmth in the house was wonderful. Until she remembered what had happened. She quickly sat up and placed her hand on her neck.
Okay. So I'm not dead... But then how did I get home? She wondered.
She slowly got up, feeling a pain in her back. She definitely would not be able to go hunting for a while. Not with that.
She left her room to find a goddess spoiling her wolf with love. The wolf nuzzling its head against the woman's warm hand.
"You're the lady I saw back there... How can I ever thank you enough?" Ari asked, wringing her hands as the goddess stood.
"That would be unnecessary. I'm just glad your alright, Ari." Chrysalis said.
"How do you know my name?" Ari asked, confused, and slightly worried.
"I am Chrysalis. Goddess of the mountain. I've been watching you and the village bellow for a long, long time. Here, sit." The goddess said, taking Ari's hand and sitting her down on the couch.
Ari was shocked. Goddess? What? Though... It made sense. The sense of love that always came from her home. How it rewarded her for never taking too much. How the village never seemed to go bad. Of course, there was something, or, someone, protecting it.
"At least stay here whenever you need. Okay? You saved my life. It's the least I can do." Ari said.
Chrysalis smiled and gave a small nod. "Alright then." She said.
Chrysalis knew her face was heating up, and not from the fire. She had fallen in love with the human. Felt her soul pull her near. She had talked with a fellow god, a god of love. Who seemed to take one look at Ari and say that maybe it was destined to be.
The two then fell into silence. It was comfortable. Peaceful.
Ari wondered if this was going to become a new normal.
She wouldn't complain if it was.