Only Human (Briar Rose ONLY)

[San]

It was late afternoon in the depths of the forest, on a rather warm summer day. Brilliant rays of sunlight penetrated the canopy and brought light to the forest floor, beautifully illuminating the foliage beneath. The woods were bustling with activity among its denizens, as a whole chorus of birds and insects filled the air with their gentle melodies. Almost muffled out by the symphony in the trees, rustling bushes and the crunching of twigs and dead leaves could soon be heard.

Through the trees came a great white wolf, padding along at a smooth pace. Its huge head was fixated forward, as if it was headed in a particular direction and knew where it was going. Even more unusual, however, was the young woman seated atop the wolf, riding it through the forest. Dressed in furs and animal skins and wearing tribal paint on her face, she seemed quite at home here in the wilderness. It was San, the wolf princess of the ancient forests to the west; and she had traveled a long way from home.

Along with her fellow pack members, San had made a trek to the east to stake out potential new territory for her clan. With her mother, Moro, gone, San had to affirm herself as the new pack leader, and take responsibility for the future survival of the Wolf Tribe, her family. Truly rather unsure of herself, she still knew she had much greater duties now, and that the well-being of her family was in her hands. She wanted to make her mother proud.

However, San did have other reasons for traveling to the east. Very insignificant reasons that she shouldn't worry about, she assured herself... she was only curious about a certain someone. That could wait. Her own family came before anything else... not like this person mattered much anyway, San lied to herself. Betraying her thoughts, however, the wolf girl's cheeks faintly glowed pink as her mind lingered on this person.

San's thoughts were soon interrupted, however, by an unusual noise penetrating the forest atmosphere. It sounded like... singing?

[Briar Rose]

Indeed, it was singing. At least, it was pleasant vocalization. There were no lyrics or words to the singing; it was just a golden voice that echoed through the forest. The source was the beautiful yet shy Briar Rose, whose prowess at singing was extraordinary. As usual, her singing attracted several birds and critters, and they clustered to watch their human friend sing.

The astounding voice, of operatic quality, shifted from vocalizing to actually singing a song with words. The melody was agreeable, and the lyrics were simple to memorize, but if one paid attention to the context of the lyrics, one could sense an underlying melancholy to the song.

When the maiden of golden hair finished her song (magnificently, but to her it appeared almost effortlessly), she sighed deeply and pressed her back against the tree she stood in front of. She casually looked above, at the top of the tree. She did not have a moment to think, before she heard a noise beside her. The noise startled the animals and they hid in droves.

The noise was a young bird who plummeted from above. Briar Rose gasped and she quickly got onto her knees so she could be there for the bird. "Oh, you poor dear!" she exclaimed with great compassion. (She obviously intended to use the word dear, as she knew the difference between a bird and a deer). "Are you all right?" she asked, her face serious with concern.

The bird vocalized in pain. Briar Rose examined the bird as gently as she could, and she gasped again when she found what was wrong with the bird. "Why, your wing--it's broken! Ohh, no." Her voice was pained. "Please, let me help you..."

The bird chirped once, and accepted the maiden's assistance.

When Briar Rose sang, and when she tended to the injured bird, there was a sufficient viewpoint from where an eavesdropper could watch her without being detected.

[San]

San and her lupine companion stood as still as possible for a moment, the wolf's ears perking up in the direction of the mysterious sound. San listened silently, her eyebrows furrowing with intrigue. After a few seconds, she had affirmed it was from a human voice; although she had never heard anything quite like it. Typically, she would have liked to stay out of the way of humans as much as possible... but in this case, she had the urge to go and investigate.

Succumbing to that urge, she quietly whispered to the white wolf, urging it to go on without her. If they were going to claim new territory anywhere, after all, they had to be sure of the humans that were around. The canine obediently loped off into the forest without her, quietly staying out of the human's way but keeping its suspicious yellow eyes on the source of the noise at it passed. San, meanwhile, crept over to a large tree, swift but silent. Positioning herself in a fork in the tree's thick trunk, the wild girl fixated her fierce, dark eyes on the clearing in front of her, scanning around for the human. She quickly found it, and her eyebrows slightly lifted with interest as she silently spied on it.

The human was a young woman, certainly no older than San was... and, at least for a human, she was stunningly beautiful, with her shimmering golden hair and deep purple eyes. San had never seen such a human before; the hair color, in particular, was striking to her. As for her voice, the wolf girl was entranced by it, which is what led her to watching the girl in the first place. San had barely ever heard any sort of music, but regardless, the blonde woman's melodious song was quite evocative and pleasing to listen to.

She had focused so much on this girl, however, that only then did she notice the flock of animals scattered around the girl's feet. Rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, quail, songbirds of varying types, and even an owl were all looking up at the girl attentively and fearlessly, as if she were a friend. San's eyes slightly widened; she was quite baffled at this sight... again, it was very new to her, seeing a human so close to wild animals instead of firing guns at them on sight.

Suddenly, something in the trees rustled, surprising San. Instinctively reacting, she grabbed her knife and tightened her grip on it, only to see a young bird plummet out of the tree. The golden-haired woman rose up to approach the wounded animal, kneeling down and gently talking to and comforting it. Silent with bewilderment and unsure of what to think, San just watched the scene before her from the forked tree.

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose smiled as reassuringly as her tender face would allow. "I will do my best to help you. I promise." When she was convinced that the bird was ready to be treated, the maiden took the purple shawl from her shoulders. She promptly ripped a tiny portion of the fabric off, forming a makeshift strip of bandage. She was not concerned with the shawl; the life of a living creature, human or fowl, was of much greater importance.

Briar Rose compared her makeshift bandage with the size of the bird. When it was clear that the strip was too large, she tore it until the size was more appropriate. When she was ready, she stroked the head of the injured bird with her index finger and smiled. "Please hold still." The bird chirped softly. Amazingly, the blond teenager appeared to understand the bird. By now, all the animals who just moments prior listened to Brair Rose sing had returned to gather around their human friend. They watched in a mixture of hope and worry.

As gently as possible, Briar Rose took the torn shawl piece and used it as bandaging. She carefully wrapped the purple fabric around the bird, over the broken wing and under the healthy wing. But even during the process, Briar Rose paid great attention to the bird's breathing. She did not wish to obstruct the bird from breathing normally and healthily.

"Can you breathe easily?" Briar Rose asked the infirm bird. Of notice was the beauty's voice. Even when it was not singing, it was soft and soothing, and entirely feminine. The bird chirped and nodded, which prompted the maiden to nod in relief. "Oh, thank heavens," she responded. "This won't hold for long, but it will help until I can find something better for you." She returned her focus on the purple bandage. Once the wrapping was finished and in place, Briar Rose realized that she needed something to hold the wrapping in place.

It was at that time she thanked herself for bringing a needle and some thread, in her basket. Actually, it was by the insistence of her aunts that she brought the items along. So she thanked her aunts instead of herself, as she was a selfless person. Holding the bandage in place with her left hand, she reached for her basket which was behind her. She couldn't reach it from where she sat with the bird, but a pair of rabbits hurried to the basket and used their strength to push the basket to the human. Briar Rose smiled warmly to her rabbit friends. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed sweetly. Now that the basket was within reach, she rummaged in said basket and soon found what she searched for: a pin attached to a roll of thread. She took the needle from the thread and pierced the bandage with said pin, effectively holding the bird's new bandaging in place. But this came at a cost; the tip of the needled actually punctured one of her fingers.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, more in surprise than in pain. Regardless, the animals surrounding her reacted in minor fright. She giggled at her mistake, and examined her finger. "How clumsy of me!" Her red lips smiled widely as she examined her finger. "Fortunately, no one has ever died from pricking their finger!"

But this was no time for levity. She sucked her punctured finger once, briefly, and returned her undivided attention to the bird. "You are certain you can breathe?" The bird confirmed that he could breathe just fine by chirping. "Where is your nest?" asked Briar Rose. "Do you have a family?" The bird chirped, but this time the chirp was much sadder in pitch. He shook his head. Briar Rose frowned, and she quickly felt sorry for the poor bird. "You don't have a family? I'm so sorry!" The surrounding animals vocally expressed sorrow, reflecting Briar Rose. But the maiden was the first to light up in both face and vocal tone.

"That settles it! If you don't have a family, then we will be your family! I will nurse you until you heal." Still smiling, she turned her head around to address the gathered assortment of animals. "And you may help, if you wish!" The animals were receptive of this proposition. They chattered and motioned enthusiastically.

The bird in Briar Rose's grasp flapped its healthy wing once. The maiden brought the bird very close to her face. "Oh, please don't hurt yourself! You might not be healed until a few weeks, if that." She smiled again. "But I promised I would help you until you are well again. And I intend to." The bird chirped happily, and Briar Rose, being the compassionate and loving soul that she was, smiled benevolently on her new friend. She closed her eyes and gently kissed the bird on the top of his head.

The animals that surrounded Briar Rose genuinely loved her, and this was very obviously mutual.

[San]

Completely silent and still, San continued to watch the events before her with a strange mixture of feelings and thoughts. This human girl, it was clear, truly loved and cared for the animals that had surrounded her earlier... San had never before seen a human, aside from only one, show a even glimpse of compassion for any sort of animal. This human treated them like family... not unlike how San treated her own pack, perhaps with even more kindness.

This astonished San, and confused her. How could something as wretched as a human treat creatures of the forest so kindly...? It didn't make sense to her. But right before her eyes, this human was tending to a wounded bird, of all things, talking to it lovingly. It was obvious that the animals showed just as much love for her, if not more; she had been treating them with such kindness for a long time without ever betraying them, if they were that trusting of her.

... Why were humans so strange? Sometimes they were far, far worse than any animal, and seemed to be powered only by greed and lust for power. Sometimes there were humans who were different, though, like this one... like those two men she met the other day... like Ashitaka. They acted differently, thought differently, treated other living things differently. San was rather frustrated by these creatures... they were so difficult to understand.

As San mulled over her thoughts, her moccasin slipped slightly in the grooves of the forked tree, making a slight noise that could be audible from a distance. San didn't fall over, but quickly caught and repositioned herself.

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose had just rested the bird on its feet, on the ground, so that the forest's eager animals could interact with the bird in need of healing. It was at that precise moment that the teenager heard the loud noise. She gasped, and her eyes darted at the general area from where the noise came. By instinct she quickly rose to her feet and stepped back.

"Hello--oh!" She exclaimed as she collided against an old, dead tree behind her.

Although unscathed, Briar Rose was still in danger. That is behind the top of the tree, a large chunk of dead wood, dislodged and broke off. It was by unfortunate coincidence that the large portion of the dead tree fell, and would definitely hit Briar Rose--who just realized what had happened and what was falling fast for her--if one had not intervened.

The animals were frightened, and some of them even shrieked, when they realized the danger their friend was in.

[San]

San was quickly taken away from her train of thought when the blond girl expressed surprise at the noise she had made; she knew someone was there, now. San silently cursed her moment of clumsiness, but just then, she heard a sudden loud noise and jerked her head up to see a huge chunk of dead wood falling off of a tree, and headed straight for the human.

San's eyes widened and she uttered an involuntary gasp. Without a moment to spare, the wild girl burst out of the thick forest and into the clearing; right now, not even considering that she was revealing herself to the human girl and the animals. With astounding, wolflike speed, she darted straight for the girl and the dead tree, and without even thinking, bounded straight over the human's head, leapt off of the tree's trunk just above the girl, and shoved the large piece of wood away with all of her might, sending it hurtling into the nearby bushes with a crash.

After this almost superhuman feat, San landed gracefully on the forest floor below, although stumbling ever so slightly. She panted to catch her breath from that burst of speed and strength, staring at where the remains of the piece of dead tree lied, bits of wood now scattered around the area. Her head completely cleared to focus on what she had just done, San slowly began to return to consciousness... and mentally berated herself for saving a human's life, once she realized what she just did. Her earlier actions were purely on impulse; she had wanted to save that girl no matter the cost. Why?

San slowly turned her head to look at the young human, her dark brown eyes mysterious and almost unreadable as she stared straight at her. The wolf girl's gaze was intense and somewhat intimidating, but she meant no true ill will, right now... although, her intentions at the moment would have been difficult to read.

... Should she just walk away? She didn't really have time to mingle with humans. She had duties, right now. This pathetic creature wasn't really worth her time, was she? Regardless of whatever she thought, San just stood there, staring at the blond girl, unsure of what to do.

[Briar Rose]

The blond girl shifted her focus from the falling chunk of wood, to the bizarre creature that bounded over Briar Rose's head. This especially surprised the maiden because she didn't even hear this stranger's footsteps. By impulse, Briar Rose brought her hands up, between her chest and her mouth, as she watched the athletic, biologically unidentified stranger. The forest's animals reacted, too. Some of them scattered or resorted to hiding. Others, such as the owl, did not react outside of watching with shock and amazement.

Briar Rose and her friends weren't in shock for long, and they immediately recognized that this strange person (was it human, really?) had protected Briar Rose. The protected youth exchanged glances from the stranger to the bits of wood, and then the large chunk. Even if being struck by the falling piece of wood wouldn't have been fatal, it would have nevertheless injured Briar Rose greatly. She was immediately grateful to her savior, despite the savior's appearance.

The beautiful peasant girl's lavender eyes directly contrasted with the protector's eyes. Briar Rose's eyes were highly expressive and served as very large windows to her thoughts. This stranger's eyes, on the other hand, were very dark and challenging to read. The stranger was likely not easily approachable or sociable, either, if the way she stared at Briar Rose was any indication. The blond youth was also secretly intimidated by the stranger's appearance: the facial paint and necklace were particularly unsettling for Briar Rose, at least at the time.

But even if this stranger appeared unfriendly and bizarre, Briar Rose nevertheless saw a beautiful, young woman who had saved her well-being, if not her entire life. She was definitely a woman, now that Briar Rose had a good look of her. And these were reasons enough for Briar Rose to break the awkward silence, and say something. Even though this bizarre person was a stranger, that was no excuse to thank her.

"Thank you," she said warmly. She offered a soft, sincere smile. "Thank you for saving me. I will always be grateful." Her dominating shyness surfaced at that point. She locked her hands behind her back and she shifted her weight so she didn't stand straight, and her head wasn't symmetrical, either. But her eyes and her smile remained on the athletic savior. This revealed another contrast between the two: judging by appearances, one was hardened, intense, and like a warrior; the other was soft, gentle, and peaceful.

The animals (what was left of them, anyway) watched the two women in silence.

[San]

San just stared right into the human girl's eyes, both her body and facial expression unmoving. Here she was, staring down a human whose life she had just saved... In any other circumstance, San would have hated herself for this. In any other circumstance, San wouldn't have done this in the first place. There was a strange something about this human, though... she was unlike any other San had seen. The way she had treated that wounded bird, and the other animals... it might have confused San, but it also compelled her. San had never seen such a kindhearted human before, a human who loved all living things. Deep down, she didn't want this human to die. She wanted her to live - she deserved to live, San thought.

San's face expressed surprise when the blond woman suddenly spoke up, startling the wolf girl; adamantly, she jerked her head downward, away from the blond girl's face, not wanting to look her in the eyes as she thanked her for something she shouldn't have done. Something inside of San, however, was urging her towards this girl. She didn't know it, and didn't want to accept it, but she had an inner desire to treat her with respect, maybe even kindness.

Terribly confused by her thoughts, the wild girl succumbed to her emotions instead and finally spoke up, her voice soft and terse yet strong. "... Are you hurt?" She slowly looked up to face Briar Rose, again.

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose's smile stretched further, and she shook her head. "Nmm-mm," she replied. "I'm unharmed, because of you." Briar Rose had met several strangers during the past few months, to the point where the sheltered girl wondered why. But of all of the strangers she met in secrecy, without her aunts' knowledge, this stranger was the only one (so far) who went out of her way to prevent Briar Rose from being damaged. It was because of this that Briar Rose wasn't nervous, scared, or unsettled to meet someone new. She had plenty of time to practice her lacking social communication with unknown humans. So Briar Rose fought through fear and attempted to be approachable, and besides, the woman who saved her deserved the highest of respect.

It is because of this respect that Briar Rose thanked the wolf girl again. "Thank you," she repeated. But, suddenly, she gasped loudly and snapped her attention to the basket. "Oh, no! Are you all right?" she cried with worry as she quickly yet carefully knelt beside the basket, to examine the bird. The bird was very startled by the incident, but otherwise completely unscathed. No cuts, no wounds, not even a chip of wood had fallen into the basket. The bird chirped positively to calm his nurse.

Briar Rose placed her right hand on her chest, over her heart, and exhaled in relief. "Oh, wonderful!" she exclaimed. She gently picked up the bird and, with the utmost care and attention, cradled the bird, like a mother to her newborn. Then she rose to her feet, and approached the feral woman. Her voice started somber, but gradually brightened as she explained. "I was singing here, to my friends." The animals crept closer to Briar Rose and the strange human. "And then we found this poor bird. His wing is broken! But I covered his wing as best as I could. I will find something better for him when I take him home. His wing will mend in time, and I promised him that I would help him."

Of course, San had watched everything Briar Rose had just explained, but of course Briar Rose had no idea that San had watched from a distance.

After the explanation, Briar Rose smiled to the stranger, a smile deep in femininity and grace. "And you helped me, too. I've thanked you so many times already, but I can't thank you enough!" The beautiful peasant continued to smile at the dark-eyed wonder, until she remembered something. Her face changed when she remembered: the noise. She was about to ask if it was her new acquaintance who made the noise, but Briar Rose stopped herself. She didn't want to seem rudely presumptuous.

[San]

Again, San didn't move a muscle on her face in response to the girl's gratitude, but inside, she was relieved to hear that she was unharmed. Still, the human's friendly and compassionate demeanor didn't help the wolf girl feel any more at ease with this situation; she was actually beginning to feel a little nervous. It was a strange kind of apprehension that she had never felt before; she wasn't afraid of this human as an actual threat, so much... but she was becoming anxious, unsure of what to say and do and how to act towards her. All she really wanted right now was to walk away and return to her own matters, be with her wolf family, away from any human contact. Yet, she stayed.

It was then that the human's attention was diverted to the bird, and like a distressed parent, she cooed over the tiny, helpless thing, picking it up and holding it in her arms. San silently watched Briar Rose and her friend, but was surprised when she began to come closer. While she really wanted to back away more the closer the blond woman came to her, she stayed put, although her face expressed mild discomfort. However, her expression softened, the more she listened to Briar Rose, and the more she watched her interact with the little bird, paying even more attention to that than to the words the human was speaking.

Briar Rose thanked San one last time, and again, the wolf girl retaliated her face from the other girl's view. Slowly, however, she rose her head back up; and a smile, small but sincere, crept onto her face.

"... You really care about that bird, don't you?" she softly asked, her voice calmer than before. She continued to smile as she stared down at the injured bluebird.

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose smiled again when the young woman offered a smile of her own. The beautiful maiden nodded in answer. "Mm-hmm. But not just me." She gestured to the animals that now surrounded the two young women. "They all care about him, too!"

At that moment, the bird in the blond teenager's care chirped softly, and fluttered its eyes. It was obviously ready to sleep. Briar Rose looked down to the bird and pursed her lips, lips that shamed the rose in color. An expression of benevolence crossed her face as she addressed the injured bird. "Would you like to sleep now?" she asked softly. The bird confirmed. "All right," the human replied. She looked to the girl whose cheeks were painted and her eyes dark as night. "Please excuse me for a moment."

Briar Rose's eyes looked down to the bird in her arms once more. She closed her eyes and thought of a song, just for a moment, and then she opened her mouth. A loving, soft lullaby escaped from her lips, and she opened her eyes again as she sang to the bird. Unlike the song she sang not long ago, this new song wasn't loud and majestic, but soft and gentle. The melody and tempo were calm and soothing, and the words encouraged the listener to sleep sweet dreams without care. Besides singing, Briar Rose also rocked the cradled bird, carefully.

Not a minute into the song, the bird attempted to fight his drowsiness, if only to hear the beautiful singing voice. But he failed; he soon closed his eyes and slept. But even after the bird fell asleep, the forest's singer took her time to finish her song. Even though she sang softer and gentler than normal, her singing voice was truly a gift from sources outside of humanity. At least, it certainly felt that way.

Briar Rose had closed her eyes again as she finished singing, sustaining a note that gradually faded. The singer's low-key finale reflected the peacefully sleeping bird. The blond opened her eyes and saw that the bird was soundly asleep. She smiled sweetly, warmly, and her eyes were filled with affection. As gently as she could, she knelt and rested the slumbering bird on the basket. Her shawl was already inside, and served as bedding. The bird was moved to the basket safely and without harm, and importantly, without waking up. Of course, Briar Rose knew to take great care with handling a bird with a broken wing.

She stood up from the basket and turned to the feral woman. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," Briar Rose whispered. She locked her hands behind her back and politely kept her eyes on her new acquaintance.

Her song was more than successful; some of the animals that watched were likewise struggling to stay awake, if not already sleeping!

[San]

San looked around at the cluster of forest animals gathered around them, as the golden-haired human gestured to them; they were all attentively watching the three of them, herself, the human girl, and the injured bird, with what San could very well recognize as concern in their dark eyes. Although silent, San continued to be fascinated by this human's clear bond with animals... she was not an ordinary human, it had dawned on her.

Quietly, she watched as the human girl conversed with the tiny bird, whose plaintive chirps San could only barely decipher herself. She said something to San, something she couldn't quite understand, and soon after... she began making that strange noise again. It was softer and quieter this time, but it was just as mysterious and captivating to the wolf girl. San remained silent, completely enraptured by the sound this human's voice was making, and watched with a spellbound expression on her painted face. She was unaffected by the song's sleep-inducing abilities, but just the opposite.

The human girl later turned back to San and spoke to her again, but the wild girl had only one thing on her mind, right now. "... How do you do that?" she softly asked, sounding almost like an astounded child. How could a human sound so much like a nightingale?

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose was asked how she was able to sing the way she did. The blond teenager's eyes looked away as she thought, and returned to the feral stranger's eyes. "Why, I... I'm not too sure, really. I just..." The softly-voiced beauty thought again, and she smiled when she thought of an answer she was happy with.

"To me, singing is like speaking. But instead of speaking words, you speak sounds. Oh, you can sing with words, but you can also just sing with sound!" She looked downward as she explained herself. "I've been singing most of my life, ever since I was little." She looked up to the stranger again. "Even though I'm not perfect, I do love to sing. And I practice every day." After a pause, her smile increased. "You can learn to sing, too!"

[San]

San quietly took in the human's explanation, trying to understand as much as she could; this was truly a new concept to her. Apparently, it was called "singing"... a rather odd name for such a haunting sound. San looked to the ground in thought as the blond human spoke, but lifted her head up to stare inquisitively at her, at her last sentence. Her, sing...? ... No, San did not have time to learn how to do things like that... it was foolish. A foolish, ridiculous human custom.

San's mind soon drifted away to newer questions. After that short silence, the wolf girl's face became hardened and serious, although not fierce, once again, the innocent curiosity from before pushed away. She was feeling very foolish right now, after having rescued this human of her own will and talking with it as if it wasn't an inferior creature at all... but somehow, she felt comfortable with this human, and at the moment, this, coupled with her curiosity, outweighed her firmly planted hatred of mankind. At that, she could tell that this human wasn't like the others. Although her desires were hidden, she wanted to know more about this strange, mysterious girl.

"... Do you live here in this forest?"

[Briar Rose]

This was the first question from the stranger that made Briar Rose noticeably hesitant. This question obviously surprised the maiden, or at least made her uncomfortable. "I..." she started, but didn't finish. She looked away for several seconds and inadvertently brought her slender fingers upward, toward her chest. She took a breath, looked to the stranger again, and nodded.

"Yes," she replied. "I live here, in the forest. But I... I don't think I should tell you where." When she confessed her reluctance to give more information, her face weakened. Her eyes revealed a timid, sheltered teenager, and her lips tightened after she apologized. "I'm sorry. Maybe someday." He had looked down shyly at that last part, but she brought her very pretty eyes up to the dark eyes of the stranger, in an effort to remain sociably polite.

[San]

San's intense eyes showed interest at Briar Rose's anxious reaction to her questioning. Why was the human so hesitant to tell? Perhaps she was just fearful of San... the feral girl could understand that. She normally took pride in the fear she evoked in humans, but in this situation, she felt less of a need for that...

Then again, San would most likely not tell any human where she resided, either. There was nothing too strange about her reaction, she concluded... even if it did only make her even more curious about this strange human. In response to the shy young girl, San's face remained still, but showed a sort of understanding in her mysterious eyes. She would question no more on that.

"......" San was silent. She was entirely unsure of what to do next, or why she was even wasting her time with this human. She was beginning to feel rather guilty about leaving her brother to go on just for this creature. The wolf girl just stood there, feet unmoved from before, her eyes glancing to the side and ground in uncertainty.

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose noticed that the stranger's eyes started to wander. The modest teenager feared that she was being rude or ungrateful. So in a hasty attempt to satisfy the feral stranger, Briar Rose stood more upright and returned her hands to behind her back. She offered a gentle smile.

"I've never seen you in this forest before. I'm not supposed to meet strangers." Her smile became warmer once more, as she recalled what happened not thirty minutes ago. "But I won't tell my aunts." After a pause she asked, "Do you live here?"

At that moment, Briar Rose stopped smiling and her eyes widened. She shook her head twice. "Oh! I'm sorry if my singing disturbed you! If that's why you came to me--I didn't expect anyone to be here. I'm sorry if I was too loud!" The sensitive, tender sweetheart kept her apologetic eyes on this strange person.

[San]

San attentively whipped her head and gaze back upwards, towards Briar Rose, as she began to speak again. The rather shy human mentioned how she was not allowed to speak to strangers... this intrigued San. She'd never heard of such a situation, a human being prohibited from interacting with its own kind. While San stayed out of their way by her own will, this girl was outright prohibited from it.

The wolf girl's eyes had softened as she listened to the human female speak, no longer appearing as fierce and somber as before. She remained silent, but would have been unable to even get a word in before the sunshine-haired girl quickly changed the subject, as well as her tone of voice from friendly to distraught.

"... No," San spoke up once more, her voice loud and blunt in order to stop the human from babbling on. After she had silenced herself, the wolf girl began to express apprehension of her own, and her eyes shifted awkwardly. "... I... I like it," she added in a much quieter voice. A sharp eye could catch the feral girl's cheeks flushing just a bit.

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose ceased being apologetic after the stranger replied, loudly and bluntly. Her lips pursed as she watched the obvious apprehension of the face-painted girl. But the beauty's surprise was overpowered by flattery. The compliment was delayed and awkward, but it was certainly genuine. Because of this, Briar Rose smiled once again, and her own cheeks tinged with a very soft shade of pink.

She locked her fingers together and rested them on her abdomen. "Thank you," she replied. Briar Rose was deeply modest in her speech and manner; one would have taken her more as a princess than as a mere peasant girl.

"You're so kind." She smiled even more, and looked away out of slight embarrassment. It almost seemed as though the stranger was shyer than her!

[San]

As soon as San saw the golden-haired young girl beam that smile of hers again, she whipped her head to the side, her painted cheeks brightening even more and visible even under the thick red clay marking them. While she seemed merely belligerent, the wolf girl's eyes clearly showed an awkward discomfort. The confused and frustrated young woman was a fish out of water, here, having a formal conversation with a human, a creature whom she took much more pleasure in slitting their throats than befriending.

But her curiosity was strong. San wanted to know more of this very atypical human being, who lived in the forest, was friends with animals of all sorts, and was able to make that hauntingly beautiful voice called "singing". Maybe she wasn't even human, it dawned on San just then...

Her tense, dark eyes softened once more as she came to terms with her curiosity and momentarily let go of her disgust and hatred of mankind. She looked back up to Briar Rose, probably confusing the poor maiden with her constant shifts in outward emotion. "... Why do you do it, though? I mean..." she spoke, having trouble coming up with suitable words to explain her interest. "... Singing," she finished, the word clumsily slipping off of her tongue as if it was the first time she had ever said it - which it was.

[Briar Rose]

The maiden shyly tugged at a portion of her very long hair as she looked away. From the corner of her eye, she saw the dark-eyed, face-painted maid look back to her. Briar Rose returned her focus to the stranger, just in time for the question. She was asked why she sings. This was the first time the blond was ever asked this question, and it was obvious. Her left hand gripped her right elbow, her lips parted--revealing her white teeth--and, though her head remained still, her eyes looked towards the right in thought.

"Why do I sing?" she repeated, as if she had to say it aloud to fully understand what she was being asked.

"Because... because I..."

She looked to the stranger and smiled meekly. "I don't know why, really. I sing because..." She took a breath as she quickly searched for an answer, again, and she continued. "I sing because I love to. It is my favorite thing to do. Well, apart from dreaming."

At that point, she remembered her animal friends. All of the critters and birds had remained politely silent as the two females discussed. Briar Rose smiled more confidently, and her lavender eyes returned to the dark hues. "And I sing for my friends. It pleases them so much, and so I sing for them. If they want me to, I will do it."

Her smile warmed, ever so modestly. "I feel so blessed whenever I please someone by singing." Her head turned so her eyes could look to the slumbering bird in the basket. "But I feel even more blessed if a song... helps a friend. And my aunts encourage me to sing, so... I think I was meant to sing." Satisfied that the bird was safe, she faced the mysterious person again.

"If you ever want me to sing for you, I will." Her angelic lips offered a gentle, sweet smile once again. "I... I don't know how else I could repay you for protecting me." Her eyes stared directly into San's when she made that offer.

[San]

San simply stared at Briar Rose, from the moment she asked her question and onward. The wolf girl's mysterious eyes were difficult to read, as if they were several different emotions being on display at once. Curiosity, anxiety, understanding, unease. It was almost as if it were up to one's imagination just what she was thinking, then - in reality, it was a mess of all four of those emotions, and more.

But despite the storm inside of her, San was silent, and simply stood - well, at this point, she was seated comfortably on the forest floor, Indian-style, her hands tucked in between her legs. Despite the seemingly casual position, her eyes retained their intensity. She was caught off-guard, however, by the girl's final remark, and in an instant, astonishment replaced any emotions earlier visible in her exotic eyes. San's awkwardness only increased tenfold, as she yanked her head down, keeping her gaze away from Briar Rose's. Her cheeks reddened under the mahogany-colored paint, once again. "N-no, no..." she uttered, although it sounded less like a refusal and more like an embarrassed decline.

San couldn't take this anymore, sitting here and conversing with this human who wasn't even worth her time, and just becoming angrier and angrier with herself. She wanted out of this situation, right now. Just as she even considered getting up, however, she felt somebody watching her, besides the blonde-haired human before her. Her eyes shifted to the left, towards a mass of thick trees; she made out a white, doglike shape hidden beneath them, and immediately recognized it. Just in time, she thought.

"... I-I need to go, now," San awkwardly forced more words out of her throat, still looking away from the other human.

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose had seated herself on the soft earth, too, so she could speak to the awkward, feral stranger. No matter how terse, awkward, and different the stranger was, nothing could prevent the blond teenager from being grateful. Not reflecting the stranger's Indian style way of sitting, Briar Rose hugged her knees, as she was lithe enough to comfortably do so. Her eyes never left the stranger, even when she was obviously shy.

The stranger announced that it was time for her to go. Briar Rose did not object to this. She nodded understandingly, even though the stranger wasn't looking to her. "I understand," she said. "I should go home, too. And feed the bird."

After a short moment of silence, the teenager finally made her decision. "My name..." She paused, and continued. "My name is Briar Rose. Thank you so much. I... I hope we can meet again. Someday." She placed her right hand on her right cheek, and felt it was warm. She shyly closed her eyes and looked away.

[San]

Once silence filled the air once more, after Briar Rose had stopped talking, San lifted herself up and began to swiftly walk away from the girl, practically jogging. Her short, almost boyish brown hair bounced as she trodded off, and her swaying cape of white wolf fur concealed most of her back. The wolf girl was heading over to particular forked tree; the one she was spying on Briar Rose from. She bent down to pick something up, but just as she did, the human girl spoke again.

San twisted her head back to look at the shy maiden, as she revealed her name, and stared at her for a moment... as if she were taken aback by the girl's name. It really was a unique name, though... and San didn't want to say it out loud, but she rather liked it. San remained by the tree for a few seconds, before rising up again and striding towards Briar Rose; she clutched in her hand a small knifelike weapon, an arrowhead, painted with red markings just as her face was - this was what San had retrieved at the forked tree. As the feral girl came closer, one could see that she was actually heading towards the basket, in which the injured bluebird lay peacefully.

San quietly crouched down in front of the basket and looked down into it, at the tiny, pitiful creature that slept within. She simply sat there for several seconds, until a small smile grew on her lips.

"... Take good care of him."

As she said this, she did not lift her head up to look at Briar Rose, but kept staring down at the bird. Soon after she spoke, however, she rose back up and sped off into the forest just as she did earlier, however, in a different direction this time. She bounded straight over a large bush with astounding ease, and after that, she vanished.

[Briar Rose]

The redness in Briar Rose's cheeks gradually faded in time. The beautiful maid opened her eyes and rose to her feet, as she watched the stranger pick up something by a forked tree. When the stranger picked up what appeared to be some kind of weapon and subsequently walked, Briar Rose initially thought that the stranger intended to approach her. But it was soon obvious that the stranger did not intend to approach Briar Rose, but to the slumbering, injured bird in the basket. The forest's beauty smiled warmly as she watched the peculiar stranger examine the bird. The stranger told Briar Rose to take care of the bird, which Briar Rose was of course happy to do. Then the stranger hastily took off, and soon vanished completely. Briar Rose watched her new acquaintance, and called out after her as she ran.

"I will!" she called. "I promise, I will!"

The teenager then turned and stepped to the bird. She bent and examined the bird. It slumbered peacefully, and the blond peasant girl was happy.

After she carefully picked up the basket and stood upright, Briar Rose took one final look at the direction of which her nameless savior left.

"Thank you," Briar Rose said, from the bottom of her heart. Despite the stranger's social awkwardness (more than her own!), Briar Rose desired to meet her again, someday.

Satisfied, Briar Rose faced ahead and started the walk home. She was followed by the few animals that remained. As she walked home, she hummed the melody that was used to lull the bird.

THE END