Chapter 2

'interest'

For all the next week Sakura didn't take one step towards the forest. Her close call – both of them – made her shiver and break out in a cold sweat all over again every time she let herself think about it. The way those men looked at her, and touched her, triggered a spasm of nausea that had nothing to do with sickness. She couldn't quite put words to what they wanted, but she knew it anyway. It was the fear lacing her brother's dark glare whenever she spoke to boys from her village, the reason he took pains to make sure she was never out alone after sunset. They would have hurt her terribly, those men, if the wolf hadn't saved- saved her?

Silly. Wild animals didn't 'save' people. That wolf killed the men because that was what wolves did. It ripped open their throats like the dangerous predator it was… but why didn't it attack her? Not hungry anymore?

Sakura didn't think that was quite it. And the more she thought about it, the less terrified and more puzzled she became. How the wolf circled that thief, moving closer to the tree, and then goading that last attack. If she didn't know better she'd say it did that on purpose, that it deliberately planned it that way. But surely no wolf was that intelligent. Right? Sakura didn't know much more about the wild canines than any other girl in her village, and had no one to ask. She'd never even seen a live wolf so close before, and thought its coloring odd. The wolves in this forest tended to gray in their coats, not brown. And its brown eyes (to think that she'd looked a wolf right in the eyes!) were flecked with gold. Quite pretty, actually…

Sakura began to miss the forest. She missed walking under the trees and the freedom she'd always felt in its privacy. What happened was horrible, but it probably wouldn't happen again. Wolves and men avoided one another in the forest, they were creatures rarely seen. A once-in-a-million chance, she told herself, so she ought to be safe if she went back. This time, she really would stick close to the edge.

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And that's what she did, once she'd summoned the nerve to step underneath the leafy canopy once more. The squirrels frolicked overhead and the breeze rustled the leaves like always; nothing had changed. Sakura gathered mushrooms and wild herbs as she always had, and it was fine.

Maybe. Sakura had never been as sensitive to her environment as her brother, but every now and then an odd sensation tickled the back of her neck. She looked around and saw nothing every time, but she was beginning to get the feeling someone was watching her. It wasn't only the forest, either, even when washing linens outside her cabin or tending the garden the feeling would hit her and cause her to glance about nervously. Was she imagining it?

"Sakura," her brother said one morning, after several days had passed. She was spooning porridge into their plates, and didn't look up.

"What?"

"We have nine hens, right?"

"That's right, why?"

Touya shook his head, his brow wrinkled in concern. "Just checking. Believe it or not, we had a wolf in our yard last night."

Sakura almost dropped the ladle. "What?"

"There are tracks all over the yard, really big ones. I've never heard of a wolf coming so close to the village before… if it wasn't after the chickens, what was it doing?"

He was asking rhetorically, frowning at the view outside their window and not looking at her. He didn't see Sakura's blanche.

"Well, if it didn't kill any then no harm done, right?"

"I suppose." He shot her a sharp, commanding look. "But I want you to be extra careful, okay? I don't think a wolf would come around in the daytime, but just in case. And lock up the henhouse proper tonight."

"I will."

Her brother left the window and turned his attention to breakfast, but Sakura was feeling too queasy to eat. It had to be a coincidence. Wasn't it?

She didn't go into the forest that day. Instead she walked the short distance to her village's central square, and the small cluster of shops. Here she often visited her seamstress friends Tomoyo and Maki, but today she passed their shop. Sakura had no need of a dress or friendly chatter; indeed, she didn't think herself capable of it. The conversation with her brother left her stomach twisting and her thoughts in a whirl, she needed help. But who to ask?

She knew the answer before she'd even asked herself the question. The village healer frightened some, and there was no doubt she was a rather odd lady, but Miss Kaho had always smiled kindly at her. Sakura thought she was nice, though she'd never gone out of her way to speak to her. She had certainly never been to her tiny little shop, and it was with a great deal of uncertainty that she parted the braided curtain. Incense smoke made her cough.

"Come on in," the redhead offered, smiling cordially and stirring a cup of tea, as if Sakura popped by all the time. "Good morning, Sakura, how are you?"

"Er, fine, thank you. How are you?"

"I'm doing well. Please sit down." The only immediate furniture was a small round table and two chairs, and at the invitation Sakura edged onto one. "Cup of tea? It will relax you."

"Oh, yes please," Sakura answered immediately, so anxious to soothe her frayed nerves that she didn't even wonder how Kaho knew she needed it. Instead she took the opportunity to look around while the healer was occupied, intrigued. Miss Kaho obviously loved bells, there were so many of them. Large, handheld ones lined the wall shelves and tiny ones hung in spirals from the ceiling, tinkling now and then with the slight movement of air.

"There you go," Kaho said brightly, offering the promised cup before sitting and flashing another friendly smile. "Peppermint and honey, please tell me if it's not sweet enough."

"Thank you." Tentatively Sakura took a sip. "It's wonderful."

"And how is your brother?"

Sakura blinked at the unexpected question, but smiled. "Oh, he's fine."

"That's good. Your father?"

"He's well."

"So if you're fine, and your family is too, then what brings you here today?"

"Um." Sakura lost her polite smile and occupied herself with another sip; the tea really was good. "I don't exactly know how to say it."

"That's all right, I'm not in any hurry."

"I think I must be crazy," Sakura mumbled, talking more into the teacup than to Kaho. "Lately, for several days, I've had such a strange feeling. Like I'm being watched. But when I look around, there's no one. I'm sure I'm being silly, but I just can't ignore it and it's driving me mad."

She felt a curious rush of relief after the words spilled out of her mouth, it felt so good to finally say it. Even if she was being silly.

Kaho, however, looked entirely sympathetic. "Have you told anyone?"

Sakura shook her head. "It's just a strange feeling, that's all."

"Well, I happen to believe in strange feelings. Are you finished?" She extended her hand for the small cup she'd just drained, and a slightly taken aback Sakura handed it over. For a few moments her hostess said or did nothing, studying the tea leaves in the bottom of her cup. Afraid to interrupt, Sakura kept silent.

At length Kaho stood and crossed the room, looking over her collection of bells, then returned to the table when she'd selected one. One flick of the wrist resulted in a low, soft chime and again Kaho examined her tea leaves.

"Hmm," was what she finally said, after the chime had faded away.

"Do you know who it is?" Sakura asked hopefully.

Kaho shook her head. "No, I don't. But you do."

Sakura's heart skipped a beat, and she swallowed. Wolf tracks…

"However," Kaho continued, "I see no malice. He does not mean you any harm."

"He?"

"He," Kaho repeated firmly, glancing again into her cup. "No harm, just… interest. I believe he's lonely. Perhaps he likes your kind smile." Kaho directed one of her own to Sakura, a comforting one. "A smile really does suit you best, Sakura, so please don't worry yourself sick. Something tells me that good will come of this."

"You see that in the leaves?"

"No, that's just a hunch." Kaho patted her hand. "I'm afraid that's all I can tell you. You know better than I what to do now."

"I do?"

She nodded, but said nothing more on the subject. "Please do have a good day today. And tell your brother I said hello."

It was clearly a dismissal. Feeling not much better than she had when entering the shop, Sakura thanked her and made her way home. Under the bright blue sky, the trees rustled invitingly.

I must be mad, Sakura thought, over and over again as she left her cabin. Absolutely mad, and her brother would surely agree. But still she left the cabin and entered the forest, collecting basket in one hand and leftover scraps of meat in the other. The blackberries had begun to ripen and Sakura particularly wanted a basketful, but she would not endure another moment of this secretive spying.

When she'd found a promising patch of bushes, she plucked up her nerve and did the craziest thing ever.

"Wolf?" Her voice seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet woods, and when there was no response she repeated herself even louder. "Wolf?"

She must have lost her mind. To think, that she would call out to a wild predator in the middle of the forest and actually expect him to appear –

He appeared. Almost immediately, which meant he'd been quite close. Even bigger than she remembered, he silently emerged from the underbrush and stayed there, exchanging his stare for hers.

"I- I think that I should say thank you," Sakura stammered, "for what you did. You saved me from those men, and I'm very grateful. I brought you this." She unwrapped the broad leaves, revealing a pile of meat scraps from their dinner that she would normally bury. Never taking her eyes off the wolf, she knelt and placed it on the grass, then quickly backed away. "So, please don't eat me."

His ear twitched, but for several long minutes he made no other move. He simply watched her, with an air that she could almost imagine to be appraising. At length, having decided that she must be sincere, he trotted closer. Hastily Sakura backed up, almost into the prickly vines behind her. He sniffed her present, and in one swift motion gulped down half of it. Sakura almost jumped at the sudden movement, confronted again with those rows of white teeth, but at least he'd taken it. Unable to look away, Sakura watched him devour the rest of their leftovers and then sniff the grass for any remnants. He looked her way again once he'd finished eating, but didn't come any closer. Instead, he made his way to the nearest tree and sat.

"So you still want to watch me, then?" Truly bizarre, but now that he was doing it openly Sakura felt relieved. At least she didn't have to worry about unseen eyes following her every move. Sitting there with his ears pricked up, panting slightly, his posture seemed so unthreatening. Kaho was right; strange as it was, this wolf meant her no harm.

"Well, okay. You can stay right there, and I'm going to pick berries now." Not quite sure why she was talking like she expected an answer, Sakura nodded and picked up her basket. For the rest of the morning she worked on filling it with berries, and though she always made sure to keep one wary eye on him the wolf never moved. When she'd picked all she wanted and set off for her cabin, he stood and followed. Some nervousness cropped up again, but he kept a healthy distance and she didn't try to run. And by the time she'd reached her cabin, he'd disappeared.

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The next time she returned to the forest, she took a shallow basketful of chicken giblets. Again she called out and again he appeared, as silently and quickly as the first time, consumed her gift, and watched while she picked plums from the low branches. After that Sakura always made sure to take some scraps of leftovers with her when she ventured into the forest, though she no longer worried that he would eat her if she forgot them. It simply became habit, as routine as the wolf's presence, and she'd even stopped keeping an eye on him as she worked. Neither did she have to call for him, after the first few times, several steps past the treeline and he would be there, trotting along several paces away and ready to follow her wherever she walked.

She wondered why, of course, but after so many days gave up the endless puzzling. A large wolf liked to keep her company and that was that; there was no use in worrying about it. She told no one, not even her best friend, because they would never understand. She didn't understand it herself, but she didn't let it keep her from meeting him in the woods.

So accustomed to him, was she, that she didn't even notice how the distance between them was lessening every session. The wolf's chosen sentry post got just a little closer every morning she spent in the woods, until one day she looked up from her groundnut gathering to find him an arm's length away.

Looking at those sharp teeth, now so close, Sakura's stomach fluttered nervously. But she was far from panicked, only perplexed.

"Why don't you eat me?" she asked, and received no answer. She wondered why she talked to him like she always expected one. "You're a very strange wolf, you know, you ought to spend time with other wolves instead of me. Don't you like your own kind?"

Again no reply, but the disconcertingly intelligent way he watched her as she spoke made her feel like he was following the conversation. Did he understand, somehow, that she was talking to him? This wolf was so very unusual.

"Would you… let me touch you?"

She couldn't believe her own words, once uttered; was she crazy? Touch a full-grown, wild and very dangerous wolf? But it couldn't be any crazier than sitting here talking to him, a helpless victim if he chose to attack. And the idea was so tempting, now that she'd thought of it. She wanted to.

Sakura abandoned rational caution and reached forward with one hand; slowly, so as not to startle him. Whether he understood or not he didn't move, not even looking away from her face as her hand drifted closer to his right flank. Timidly, as delicately as she'd stroke a newly hatched chick, Sakura's fingertips tickled his fur.

It was rougher than it looked, not as soft and fine as the fur of a sheepdog. But it still felt nice, and Sakura increased the pressure until she was actually petting him like she'd do for any domestic canine. A rhythmic thumping distracted her from her task, and when she saw his tail beating against the earth she almost laughed out loud. A wolf, wagging his tail!

He moved his head and she started at the feel of his cold nose on her skin, not having intended to put her hand anywhere near his mouth. But all he did was sniff, and she relaxed. Now her hand moved past his muzzle, patting the smooth fur between his ears, her fingertips unerringly scratching the itchy places just behind them. His tail wagged even faster, and Sakura thought she would bubble over with delight. She, Sakura Kinomoto, was petting a real live wolf. No one would ever believe it.

So she didn't tell them.

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Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.