Arianell then left the village in a great mood. She was almost dancing as she approached her humble abode.
"What should I cook today?" She pondered while looking at the larder. There was no fridge in the house, but a small stone room next to the kitchen provided enough chill. Even the meat brought from the city would stay fresh for a few days.
There was a big window in the kitchen, which faced the back garden and the Forest directly. No matter what happens in the world, the Forest is unchanging. It was a universe on its own, not bothered by the time outside.
Despite the warnings from everyone, she went to the Forest every day and always returned unscathed. She needed a lot of firewood, not only for her cooking but also warming the house. But woods weren't the only resources, that Forest provided her with. From early spring many ingredients can be foraged.
"You won't mind my little intrusion, will you? You have sent so many visitors to my door since the start, sharing a bit of resource is not difficult, right?"
She asked while walking, but as expected, the trees only waved back nonchalantly.
The trees were tall and strong. She thought it would be damp and chilly, as the sun's rays could not penetrate the shadow wall, but the air among the trees was cool and tranquil. It was a very peaceful place.
The Forest was abundant with herbs and plants from the early spring. As soon as she stepped in, the stinging nettles, dandelions, wild garlic and chives, or edible ferns with their curled fronds filled her basket. She could also spot morels and wood ear mushrooms. Those were especially great when dried, so she can then keep them all year round.
Besides the plants, she also needed to gather some firewood. Many fallen branches could be found right at the edge. She started by gathering wood and bundling them together. As she was focussing on her task, a small rustling sound interrupted her.
She looked in the direction of the source and caught a glimpse of a bright orange tail, hiding quickly behind the trunk.
"A fox…?" She remembered seeing a small fox around her house before. It's the same one, perhaps?
"Come here, a little cutie… I won't hurt you."
She moved slowly towards the tree. The fox was still hiding, but it also peeked at her curiously.
"It's okay… Are you here alone? Aaah!!" Arianell screamed in shock and took a step back quickly.
The fox was small with bright orange fur, it looked as adorable as many small animals from her old worlds. However, as it sticks out its head, she could see its eyes clearly. Three eyes were watching her every move with great interest.
"A mutant? No… A magical beast!"
The Forest was a natural habitat for magical beasts, but they were more like legends.
"Oh, hi…" Arianell was unsure of what to do. She doubted anyone alive could tell her how to behave when meeting the beast. Poachers and black-market traders have targeted the cubs since ancient times, and the hostility among the races forced magical beasts to stay away from both humans and demons.
Fortunately, the little fox wasn't aggressive. It doesn't run away from her, nor does it try to get closer. She hesitated for a bit, then turned back and took a prepared bundle of wood with her.
As she was getting closer home, she realized the fox was following her. She ran quickly inside and made sure that doors and windows were locked tightly. Then she peeked out carefully. The fox somehow got inside her backyard and was now lying under the olea tree. It stayed still and seemed like taking a nap.
"Oh my god... This is crazy."
Since when it was so random to meet a legendary beast? Is it dangerous?
"Maybe it is a forest's guard… Because I trespassed, now it's keeping watch on me. What should I do? What if the fox doesn't leave later?"
Arianell sat in the kitchen completely silent. Hours passed and her stomach growled hungrily. In the end, she decided to cook dinner first. Thinking with an empty stomach was a difficult task.
She lit up the stove and took out the meat she brought from the morning market. She sliced a beef thinly, then tossed it quickly on the pan with spring onion. As for the seasoning, there was salt and some new spice that reminded her of peppercorn. It was a simple stir-fry dish to eat with bread.
She protested inwardly, as her meals were too boring. She was an Asian in her past life, so living without rice was the hardest part so far.
"It tastes good… Even with a lack of ingredients, my cooking skill is top notch…"
Remembering the small cub outside, Arianell finally made up her mind and put a small amount of meat on a different plate. Then she fills up a bowl with clean water.
The fox woke up as soon as she opened the door to the back garden. It jumps up on its feet and hides behind the tree right away.
"It's okay… I mean no harm," she said with a gentle voice. The cub won't understand her anyway, but a friendly gesture would not hurt on any occasion.
She put down both plates and took a step back. "Aren't you hungry? I'm a pretty good cook, don't worry…"
Can foxes eat stir-fried meat? Or does the cub drink milk only?
It waved its orange tail but showed no sign of approaching.
"Okay… I understand, that some people only eat in private. But why did you follow me home if you are so shy?"
She went back inside and sneakily peeked outside of the window again. The little fox sniffed the food and then started eating. She felt a sense of accomplishment, as the cub finished to meal quickly.
The fox disappeared by the next morning. The plate was licked clean, but a shiny white fresh ginseng dug out without damaged roots and leaves still attached, laid next to it. Wild ginseng would be very expensive in her past life, but now she has one of very old age exchanged for a plate of stir-fried beef.
"Wow… It does know how to repay people..."
She took a root and covered it with some moss, then carefully stored it in a cool storage room. She was still young and full of energy and was in no need of it, but she might find an opportunity to sell it later.
And that's how her first meeting with the denizen of the forest happened, marking the start of the events, that will change the Kingdom of Alviraz and the whole continent forever.