Chapter 6: Written Emotions
When I awoke the next morning, my nerves had calmed a bit. I still felt a bit uneasy about these new visitors, however I seemed to be the only one who was worried. I decided that I would keep Shizen's message a secret and trust Obadan's judgement. When they emerged from their tent, she greeted them once more with her arms outstretched in welcome.
"Oh strangers from beyond the forest, for what reason have you come to us?" She asked. Again, it seemed that they did not understand our language, so they simply stood and stared at Obasan. This is going nowhere fast, I thought to myself… At this rate, we'll never be able to know the truth.
Suddenly, the man that had exited from within the iron beast first stepped forward and started to speak to us in our language. He took his time and spoke with the skill of a child. "We come to learn forest," he began, butchering our beautiful words as he continued,"no want harm. Just look and learn. We teachers and researchers. No weapons, just books."
"What are you called?" Obasan asked the man, trying to talk slowly so he could understand.
"My name Kichirou," he said, pointing to himself, "this Yori," he pointed to the other man, "and this Mariko," he pointed to the woman, "what called you?"
"We are the Kaze Clan of the Mori no Hito. We are a peaceful people who live to nurture Nature. We will allow you to stay with as so long as you are respectful to our ways."
The man named Kichirou nodded in agreement, showing that he understood our wishes. "Thank you for kindness. We will try not trouble you." At that, he walked to the iron beast that was still sitting on the perimeter of our camp. He went inside of it for a few moments and then came back out holding a notebook and pen in one hand and a strange box in the other. He returned to face Obasan, holding out the box, "May we film you?" He asked.
Obasan didn't know what he meant, but simply nodded anyway. She didn't seem too worried about them and their strange ways. The man bowed and walked away to talk to his two companions.
For the next few months, as winter approached, we let them do whatever they wanted. They didn't show any signs of wanting to do us harm, so we let them be. They spent most of their time watching us, taking notes, and carrying around the large box, stopping to talk to one another in excited voices and share their notes. I still felt unsure about them, but continued to trust Obasan.
When the first snow of winter finally came to the forest, we gave them each a rabbit fur blanket to wear as an offering of friendship. They each smiled as they received their present, showing gratitude for our generosity.
One night, in the middle of winter, I saw the man Kichirou walking about camp, mumbling to himself as if lost in his thoughts. I walked towards him slowly and cautiously, curiosity had gotten the better of me. I wanted to talk to him to find out what his true intentions were; I had still not forgotten Shizen's warning from when they first arrived. When he stopped his pacing to sit on a nearby tree stump, I tapped his shoulder lightly to get his attention, making him jump slightly. He turned to look at me with a puzzled look on his face.
"Oh! You startled me, little one!" He said as I looked him up and down. I stood perfectly still, waiting for his next move. I could see that he too was looking at me, I could feel his gaze all over my body, giving a feeling of great discomfort. "What is your name?" He asked me calmly, looking me straight in the eyes. He was making me nervous. Only hunters and predators looked you in the eyes like that, and usually it was right before the kill. I hesitated for a moment but then finally gathered enough courage to speak.
"Gin'nome Munsuta of the Kaze Clan." I replied. HIs piercing brown eyes still staring into my own, as if he were looking at my very soul.
"What a beautiful name!" He replied with a smile, "My name, as I have already told your elder, is Kichirou. I am a researcher from outside of the forest. My companions and I have come to study this land and its resources in order to expand our own civilization." His words made no sense to me, I had no idea what he was going on about. I had never been outside of the forest, nor had I even known the existence of any other people besides my own. Nature was my only friend, my clansmen my only family, I had no knowledge of any others.
He released his gaze to look through his bag he had put next to him on the ground. He rummaged through it until finally pulling out a ragged looking book. He opened it up and began to read from one of the pages:
"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
If you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends."
He read these words with a passion that I had not heard before. Even though I did not fully understand their meaning, I was still memorized by them. "Did you like that?" Kichirou asked with a smile, "that was a passage from Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. There isn't anything quite like his works, he certainly does have a way with words, eh?" He could tell by my expression that I had indeed enjoyed those words, I had been lost to them, imagining myself in the midst of a dream as I walked through the forest. He handed me the book, which I took into my outstretched hands, feeling its rough cover, flipping its moldy pages. I realized that I wanted to learn more about these foreign words. I wanted to be able to decipher them, understand them, feel them. It was at that moment that I discovered my new found passion: the passion for written emotions.
"Will you teach me?" I asked Kichirou, still holding the book.
"It would be an honor, Gin'nome Munsuta." He replied, gripping the book, covering my hands with his own.