Half-asleep and miles from home, Karui felt the cart lurch to a stop under the shade of a massive tree. Jumping off the back she brushed away the straw that had made the trip a very uncomfortable one. Her black outer robe revealed every bit of straw that had stuck to her during the ride. Taking it off she shook free the remaining bits before placing it back over her white inner robe.
"Here's your stop Milady." The driver, a middle aged man who was had treated her far more respectfully than need be got off his seat to unbridle the horses to give them a midday rest.
"Thank you for giving me a ride this far." Karui reached to her purse and tossed him a silver coin. Before he could protest she waved goodbye, put up her hood, and walked to the crossroads. Scooping a stick from off the ground, she tossed it in the air to have it land in the middle of the fork in the road to help in her decision of where to continue the journey. Would fate have her travel east along the edge of the forest or north going straight through? She smiled at the thought of her teacher, who had often used this method to decide which way to go.
"North it is." Checking her katana in her hidden scabbard, to make sure the blade would draw cleanly, she went into the woods.
Long ago she had heard superstition about this particular forest, heard it called the red hill forest for a massacre that had once occurred generations ago. As she looked up through the trees, to see the sun glittering on the other side of the leaves and branches, she delighted in the thought that everyone in the world could find their own meaning to the world and the things in it.
Realizing that it was past midday, and her hunger was getting the better of her, she stopped at an old traveler's station. Really just a small hut that was just a bench with a roof and a well, but it was good enough for her purposes. A small piece of traveler's bread and a few pieces of dried fruit and meat made for a decent meal. The well water had a strange mineral taste to it, but that was to be expected in a forest.
Placing her headscarf into the bucket of water, she rung it free of excess before tying it back to her head. The cool sensation seemed to ease the heat of the day. Stretching as she got up to continue, a sound in the nearby trees caught her attention. A deer ran across the road and went up into the forested hills on the other side of the road. No sooner did it disappear from sight then another sound came from the direction the deer had some from.
The sound of several footsteps stepped onto the road, and the sight was as odd of one as she had ever seen. A man, dressed only in animal skin pants with red marks on his cheeks walked beside a white dog that was nearly as large as he was. Kneeling down in the dirt, he felt the tracks and stared off after where the deer had run. Standing back up he started off after the deer but he sniffed the air and turned his head towards her as he made his way. Nearly tripping over his feet, he ran shoulder-first into a tree and fell to the ground. Grabbing his arm, he got back to his feet and got back up to speed in no time.
A sight this strange was worth further investigation. Folding up her things, she ran after the pair into the forest. It did not take her long to find the animal trail they were following, though most of the clearance was low to the ground meaning this was most likely a rabbit or a fox trail. Remembering the look of the animal, she figured the run had been going on for some time and was nearing the end of the run. As she reached the top of a small hill a clearing came into view. It was a long, open run where the young man chased down the deer on foot and tackled it from behind.
Making her way down the ridge to get a better view of the scene, she was surprised to see how it played out. Getting off the deer, the young man stepped back and allowed the deer to rise and stand face to face with it. The young man bowed to the deer and amazingly the deer lowered its head and neck seeming to return the gesture. Pulling a small handful from his pocket, he held it out to the deer which actually ate from his hand. Patting the animal on its head he wiped his hand on his pants and waved to the deer as it ran off into the forest.
Only then did she become aware that she was being followed. The great dog was behind her and sniffing her as it growled lowly.
"Knock that off Akamaru, we don't often get guests in these woods and you scare too many of them off."
Smirking, Karui flipped backwards, somersaulting over the dog's back to land behind the animal. Grabbing it by the tail, she flipped the dog in her hands onto its back. Quickly kneeling down she scratched his belly which ceased the sounds of protest almost immediately.
"Wow, you sure found the fast way to get on his good side."
"Oh I know what dogs like." Smiling she stood up and saw a cut on his arm from where he had hit the tree. "Were you planning to do something about that?"
"It's just a scratch."
Shaking her head, she used the motion to scan the nearby bushes for leaves she would need. Picking a few leaves she twisted them in her hands to make a quick herbal rub. "No complaints now." Placing the simple poultice over the wound she took off her head scarf to tie it in place. "There you are."
Akamaru barked as he got back on his feet. The young man laughed, seeming to understand the dog's speech. "You're right; she is a rather bold one. I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Kiba."
"I'm Karui." Pausing for a moment, she realized it would be best to not give her family name, but he had not given his either; there was something comfortable about this level of informality.
"Well Karui, what bring you to our forest?"
"Your forest? Last I checked this was the Daimyo's forest."
Akamaru barked and Kiba chuckled. "Akamaru wonders what a daimyo is and whether it tastes good." In spite of herself, Karui could not hold in her snicker. "No, this forest is too far away from the capitol city, the Daimyo never comes up here. Truth be told the last time he visited his estate up here was forty years ago." Motioning to a large tree root, Kiba took as seat and Karui sat down next to him. "So tell me, what brings someone like you with such a well made robe this far away from the main cities?"
Looking back up through the trees, Karui tried to picture the sky and clouds above. But the trees hid the clouds which hid the sky. Life seemed much the same way sometimes. "I guess I needed to get away from life to get a better view of it."
"You want to get lost to find your way? One of those things?"
"Yeah, that sounds about right."
Jumping up, Kiba offered his hand out to her and led her deeper into the forest. As the forest got darker and the paths became narrower, Karui began to feel a sense of worry, but not about Kiba. There was a strange sort of ease about the man, a calm that was not hidden by his rough exterior.
Stopping at a large tree, he began climbing the branches and helped her on her way up. The higher they climbed the deeper the darkness became, never seeming to thin out despite how high they went.
"Wait for it." Offering his words of encouragement, Kiba finally stopped at branches that had been woven together to make a platform that supported their weight. Finally sat down, Kiba moved the thick branches and opened the entire sky to their view. Her eyes had to adjust to the light but when they did she saw an incredible scene played out before her.
White flowers that grew only on the top of the deep green trees blew in the wind like a rolling ocean. Dark blue butterflies danced in the air from flower to flower in a delicate ballet. And above the clouds finally parted, showing a sky bluer than any she had ever seen.
Staying until sunset, Kiba walked with her a distance and she allowed herself to be led further into the forest away from the main road. Following him became natural, he did not seem like a leader, but it was comfortable walking with him. Finally they reached a large house, more ornate than had a right to belong in the forest. The Imperial seal rested above the door frame, signifying that this was one of his estates.
"My family is caretaker of the forest, so believe me when I say the Daimyo does not mind my presence here."
"This may be the Daimyo's house, but after seeing what you showed me I know the forest does not belong to him."
"Yeah, that's how I feel too. Care to come inside? My mother has a habit of making more food than our family can eat in case we have visitors. Any extra food goes to the kennels so none is wasted."
"I'd like that." Before Kiba went inside, Karui reached out and grabbed his hand. Pulling him towards her, she bowed her head low for a moment before looking in his eyes. "Thank you for showing me the forest."
"It was my pleasure. I hope I helped you see that the world is a lot clearer than we sometimes see it. You just have to remove the clutter to see it the right way."
"Come on, I'm hungry and I'd like to meet your mom."
Akamaru bark sounded more like a laugh than a sound a dog normally makes. Shaking his head, Kiba escorted her inside, muttering something about, "This won't end well," though the smile on his face let her know he was joking. A strange man, but he made for glad company, and glad company was just the thing she needed.