Snow had a unique way of muffling the noises of the forest. Even the birds were quiet, hardly making a peep. Deer moved silently through the trees ahead. Hoof prints disturbed the fresh snow at my feet and led toward the herd partially concealed by trees ahead. Large forms picked around the trees and undergrowth, barely visible through the bramble. A twig snapped somewhere to the side, sounding rather close. When I slowly turned toward the noise, a doe with her ears perked stared at me. I froze. The herd was bigger than I first thought and I was in the middle of it.
Something shifted in the treetops above where more of the herd grazed on the limited winter greens, much too big to be a bird. A shadow dropped silently out of the treetops. The herd bolted. Panicked deer sprang through the trees and bushes all around. I jumped for a tree branch above and swung my leg over it, lest I be trampled beneath their sharp hooves. Balanced on my stomach on the branch, I waited.
Branches shifted, bushes rattled and out stepped my husband with his fresh kill—a young buck—slung over one shoulder.
Goku turned his always-present, easy going smile up at me. "Heh, whatcha doin' way up there?"
Heat spread across my cheeks. "I, uh, didn't want to get trampled."
Goku dropped the dead buck in the snow and held his arms out for me. "Drop. I'll catch ya."
I hung by my hands and dropped. Goku caught me without so much of a grunt. Locked on mine, his big, dark eyes blinked. I pressed a kiss to his cheek before I could think better of it. He let out a quiet little giggle and set me on my feet in the ankle-deep snow, delightful pink blossoming across his cheeks. He lifted the buck, slung it around his broad shoulders and led the way out of the forest and toward home.
"We've been married three weeks today," I said, the realization throwing a little skip in my step.
Goku smiled over his shoulder and held his gloved hand out toward me. We held hands all the way home—except for where we had to hop over a frozen stream. Goku seemed happy living with me in our little home on Mt. Paozu. Goodness knew I was.