Two Different Worlds [San Only]

[Briar Rose]

Three weeks had passed since the day Briar Rose's life was saved by a beautiful yet mysterious woman. A feral woman. It was also on that day Briar Rose discovered a bird with a broken wing. She volunteered to take the bird home and nurse it back to health. Of course, her three aunts and other animals of the forest helped in any way they could, but Briar Rose definitely worked the hardest to care for the bird.

Three weeks later, the bird's wing mended, and multiple tests confirmed that the bird was fit to return to his life in the forest.

Briar Rose carried the bird, who perched on her right index finger. A few of their animal friends followed the human teenager to a clearing, not far from where she met the feral woman nearly a month ago.

"It's time to say good-bye," Briar Rose said, her tone bittersweet. She was pleased to see the bird back to his natural habitat, but she would miss the bird. She was his mother for three weeks, and she loved every minute of it.

The bird, who looked up to the beautiful girl, shook his head, and tweeted in protest.

"But you shouldn't stay with me." Briar Rose smiled reassuringly. "Aunt Fauna said you belong here. Don't you remember?"

The bird whistled musically, and gestured to his nurse.

"I see! You want me to sing to you, one more time?" After the bird nodded, Briar Rose's smile warmed. She set the bird on a branch, stepped further into the clearing, and sang, mesmerizing as ever.

Her song echoed through the forest...

[San]

As the shy young girl's melodious voice filled the depths of the forest, it would have caught the attention of more than the local wildlife. Another human girl had heard it - the same, mysterious, feral woman that had rescued Briar Rose three weeks ago; San, the wolf princess.

The wild girl, dressed in skins and furs, was alone at the moment, as her brothers were out foraging for food; she took the time to explore this new forest that she would be dwelling in for now, away from her home in the ancient, spirit-inhabited woodlands to the west. The new sights, sounds and smells... the new types of trees, and birds and animals... it was a fresh and interesting experience for the girl, who had spent as much of her life as she could remember in the western forests. This was a beautiful forest, not quite as thick and dark as that which San had grown up in - as such, there was much more sunlight to illuminate the foliage below the canopy. The girl stopped her aimless stroll to stand by a large oak tree, a species that she had never seen before, and admire it with a smile, as she felt a hand over its rough bark.

It was then that she had heard the voice... the same voice that had so enraptured her those three weeks ago. Her gray-hazel eyes widened, as she instantly recognized the almost inhuman voice.

San stood still, in silence, as the angelic voice echoed through the trees. It was the voice of that girl that she had rescued back then... that beautiful, gentle, golden-haired young woman that had haunted San's thoughts ever since that fateful day. She was a truly strange human, the likes of which San had never before met, seen, or even imagined; she was friends with the creatures of the forest, and they trusted her as if she were one of them... and she treated San, herself, with she same amount of respect, and care. San had barely ever seen such kindness in any creature, human or animal.

Against her better judgement... San followed the sound of the girl's voice. She did it almost without any thought, as if she were practically hypnotised by the beautiful sound. Why did this human seem so special to her, so different? That's all she was, only a human... but in this instance, San decided not to question her desires, or to let her deep-seeded distrust of humankind to overcome her. She was curious about this girl. She wanted to see her again, and, especially, wanted to her that haunting voice of hers sing, again.

Quickly, San had found the clearing in which the girl stood, with her furred and feathered friends. The wolf girl crouched low, so that she was adequately obscured by bushes and trees (or so she thought), and proceeded to observe the curious human... and to enjoy her almost ethereal singing. Quickly, however, San noticed the little bluebird that stood on the ground below the human girl - it was the same injured bird that the human had treated back then with such tender love and care. And, it seemed to have recovered, by now...

[Briar Rose]

The beautiful, sunshine-haired maiden named Briar Rose finished her operatic song with grace. Her voice was perfect, her last note was unparalleled, and she even concluded her sensual tune with a graceful, modest bow to her friends, specifically the bird whom she helped back to health for three weeks.

"Oh, thank you!" she said to her friends. Her natural speaking voice mirrored her appearance: so feminine, so sweet. She smiled and looked to the animals that responded enthusiastically. But her audience stopped their applause and noises when they saw Briar Rose's smile fade. The beautiful maiden faced the bird and spoke aloud to him, loud enough for the eavesdropper to hear. What she said was ironic.

"I'm sorry. I'm happy, but..." She looked up through the canopy, to the sunlight. "I wish she could see you now. I haven't stopped thinking about her since she saved my life." She brought up her hands to under her face as she reminisced. Briar Rose's red lips smiled as she recalled the beautifully different woman. "I know it's selfish, but I do want to see her again... someday..." She sighed, and remained silent as she stared at the canopy.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed when she remembered the animals. She looked down to the bird and smiled in light embarrassment. "That was impolite of me. Well..." She stepped to the bird and gently stroke the top of his head with her delicate fingers. "I suppose this is it."

An owl with a keen eyesight spotted the intruder. He flapped his wings and hooted to alert the human girl of the unexpected presence.

Briar Rose pursed her lips and turned to the owl. "What is it?" When she saw the direction the owl gestured to, the maiden faced said direction and stared. Human eyes. She gasped and pressed her right fist against her chest. She calmed herself and leaned forward. She attempted to make out the obscured stranger. "Hello?" she asked aloud, more curious than fearful. She took a step forward to the eavesdropper, but then stepped back, hastily changing her mind to approach.

[San]

As the wolf girl observed Briar Rose and her friends in secretive silence, her eyebrows lifted in intrigue as she mentioned somebody having saved her life; San couldn't help but wonder if she was talking about her... and soon became convinced, in some way, that she was. Did she really want to see her again...? San could feel her face flush a light reddish color, and furrowed her eyebrows as she struggled to eradicate that feeling, in frustration.

Suddenly, she was spotted. San felt her muscles become tense as she suddenly noticed the owl turn its gaze towards her, and hoot in alarm towards its companion. She didn't plan on being noticed so quickly... and if she had things her way she wouldn't have been noticed at all. Regardless, the blond-haired human girl quickly saw her, but didn't appear to recognize her. At least, aside from her eyes, she was appropriately hidden from sight, San thought.

The girl was clearly very nervous from being found... she seemed unusually shy and timid for a human. She rather reminded San of a flighty, gentle doe. There was no use hiding anymore, however, and San had only two options, now: flee, without a word, or reveal herself. Surprising even herself, she desired to opt for the latter option.

"Don't be alarmed," she spoke up, in an attempt to relax the frightened young girl. San carefully revealed herself from the forest's understory and stepped out into the grassy clearing. "... It's only me." Now, San, too, was visibly anxious, although in a different manner from Briar Rose; as fascinated as she was by this human girl, she felt such a strange awkwardness around her. She looked up to Briar Rose, but darted her eyes away occasionally to avoid sharing a glance for too long with her.

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose argued to herself whether or not she should approach the bush, but the strange presence spoke. Having heard the voice, Briar Rose remained where she stood, opting to wait for the stranger to approach her. Or was she a stranger? The voice sounded all-too familiar to Briar Rose.

The sunshine-haired maiden's bluish-purple eyes widened when she heard the voice. Again her lips pursed, and she watched her savior come out of hiding. Her savior might have been just a little shorter than Briar Rose, but Briar Rose viewed the feral maid as much taller for what she did.

Briar Rose was startled by the sudden appearance of the dark-eyed, strange human. But she soon smiled widely and clasped her hands together in delight. This is precisely what she wished for!

"Oh, it is you!" she exclaimed. She shyly tilted her head downward, but her eyes remained on the elusive forest dweller. "I... I..."

Now that Briar Rose's wish was granted, she failed to think of a proper introduction. So she stopped trying to say a hello, and therefore stopped stammering. Instead she shifted her weight, turned, and gestured to the bird that was perched on a branch.

"Do you remember this bird?" Briar Rose managed to ask. She exchanged glances from the bird to the unusually clad female. The bird whistled happily to the feral girl whom he recognized. Of course, his heart belonged to the blond...

[San]

San was visibly taken aback by the girl's great excitement at seeing her again. Why did this girl like her so much...? It was truly confusing to San, but at the same time... although she refused to admit it even to herself, she was flattered, as evidenced by her now pink cheeks, blushing visible even under the crimson face paint.

And so, another awkward meeting between the two had begun. San silently stood before Briar Rose, entirely unsure of what to do, now. She had wanted to see this mysterious and captivating human again... but she hadn't counted at all on meeting her face to face, once again. San would have had little time to act on anything, however, as Briar Rose quickly began to speak again.

She had gestured to that little bluebird she was tending to earlier, whom San had almost forgotten. As it whistled a friendly chirp up to the wolf girl, she couldn't help but smile. The little fellow seemed to be quite bold, and trusting of humans... or, at least, her and Briar Rose. A dangerous demeanor for an animal to have, San thought, but it was undeniably charming, especially considering the strange effect this woman had on animals.

San softly approached the bird and smiled warmly down to it, a facial expression she showed far more often to animal-kind than humans. "Yes, I remember him..." she spoke in a more relaxed tone than before, and, hoping the bird wouldn't mind, reached out a slender finger to stroke the feathers on its head. "He seems to be much better, now."

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose, who wore a dress different than what she wore the last time the two girls met, watched the feral teenager in silence. From where she stood, she watched as the wolf girl. Briar Rose was just as shy as the other human, and absolutely daintier. Because of how feminine and sweet Briar Rose was, she smiled heartily as she watched the strange girl approach the bird, and her smile only widened further when she stroked the bird's head with her finger.

"Yes, he is," Briar Rose said warmly. She invited herself to be at the wolf girl's side, and look down on the bird with her distinctive smile. "I did my best to help him back to health again. But I was helped by my aunts, and some of my friends, too." She referred to miscellaneous animals of the forest.

Briar Rose looked to the bird and paused, remaining silent for a moment. Then her face filled with warmth, and she looked to the other human girl. This was the closest the two had ever been: Briar Rose was directly in front of the other human. Being so close to Briar Rose meant that now her bluish-lavender eyes were truly visible, as were the deep redness of her lips. Briar Rose, close to the wolf girl, smiled in complete modesty. She had trouble keeping her face straight and her eyes on the wolf girl, but Briar Rose managed to say what she had to say directly.

"And... you helped, too. You saved my life from that tree. You remember, don't you?" She blushed as she expressed her gratitude. "Thank you again, for that. Thank you so much. I will never forget what you've done for me."

The beautiful maid continued to smile, but she looked down, her cheeks still a light shade of pink from blushing.

The bird smiled, closed his eyes, and enjoyed every second of the feral girl's touch.

[San]

San continued to smile warmly down to the little songbird as she stroked its feathered head. The girl, in all her years of forest life, had never seen a bird so comfortable with contact with another creature... but it was too charming for San to question. The little fellow seemed to have captured her heart just as it captured Briar Rose's, who was fawning over the creature as well.

Indeed, San had not even noticed the girl position herself at her side, and was visibly surprised to see her so close to her - again, those painted cheeks of hers flashed redder than the material that marked them. Gently ceasing to pet the bluebird, she showed mild discomfort at such close contact with Briar Rose, but did not step back or yank herself away from the human girl... instead, she found herself taking the opportunity to examine her up close. And, quickly, her uneasiness was replaced with a fixed fascination.

San was more than surprised by the girl's appearance when they first met, but seeing her this close was almost like meeting her anew, all over again. Most especially, her dazzling eyes caught the wolf girl's attention... they were a unique hue, one which San had never seen in any living creature. Before San had become too entranced by the girl's almost unearthly beauty, she had begun to speak more.

San's face flushed an even brighter red, as she recalled what she had done those several weeks ago... saved the life of a human, one she didn't even know. Just as Briar Rose shyly lowered her gaze from San's, the forest girl looked away as well, but in shame. As much as this girl fascinated her... she was still a human. And San continued to struggle with inner turmoil over whether she had done the right thing or not...

The wolf princess was silent, for that moment, continuing to avoid Briar Rose's gaze.

[Briar Rose]

When Briar Rose looked up to the feral girl, she noticed that said girl hid her face. She was likely uncomfortable. Briar Rose stepped away from the girl, turning her back on the girl who rescued her three weeks ago. The reaction of the girl embarrassed Briar Rose, and though she couldn't look to her, she apologized.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to... I'm just..."

Her apology was interrupted by the bird. The bird flapped his wings, glided to Briar Rose, and perched on her shoulder. He whistled, and Briar Rose immediately smiled to him. More confident, the blond turned to the dark-eyed girl and spoke to her more directly.

"I think it's time." She raised her index finger, which the bird was happy to step on, and she brought the bird close to her face. "I'll miss you, but I'm also happy for you. If we don't see each other ever again, that won't matter, because I'll never forget you." She closed her eyes and kissed the bird on the top of his head (the spot where San stroked), and then prepared herself to release the bird.

The bird nodded. Although he loved his nurse, he also wanted to return to his life, and so he readied to take flight.

Briar Rose smiled to the wolf girl, but actually spoke to the bird. "Say good-bye to her." By her, Briar Rose obviously said that because she didn't know the name of her.

The bird chirped to feral girl, a cute noise.

[San]

As Briar Rose timidly apologized and looked away, herself, San lifted her head to look at her, again, out of curiosity. This human really was unlike the others... she seemed nervous around San, at times, but was still very friendly to her. It was rather confusing, but in truth, she was merely experiencing the same feelings as the wild girl, both of whom were sheltered and unsure of how to act around others of their kind.

San found herself just staring at Briar Rose for a moment - thankfully, the golden-haired maid had turned her attention from San to the bird, although she looked back at San once more. Visibly flustered, as she was whenever the two shared gazes, San momentarily darted her eyes away, but found them gliding back up to look, at the very least, at the little bird perched on Briar Rose's shoulder. San smiled warmly at it, and nodded in affirmation.

Quietly, she watched the human girl share a moment with her feathered friend, and although she retained an even facial expression, she was really quite amazed by what she was seeing. This girl... it was almost frustrating how fascinating she was, to San. She was very well going against her mother's wishes, she felt... but... she simply couldn't control herself, when it came to this girl. She was unlike any human San had even imagined.

The girl's inner reflection was interrupted by Briar Rose gently placing her finger - a soft, slender finger with a delicate nail at the end - in front of San's face, upon which the bluebird sat. Again, San smiled, barely suppressing a charmed laugh at his friendliness.

"Take care, little one," she softly said to the bird.

[Briar Rose]

The teenage beauty smiled warmly to the feral human, and then said what she had to say to the bird, whom she helped when he needed it. "Good-bye!"

She rose her hand and the bird took flight, not hesitating to fly away, out of sight, back to where he belongs. Briar Rose watched the bird until she couldn't see him anymore. She smiled happily, even though her eyes were misty. "Please be safe, dear." After the bird completely vanished, Briar Rose sighed and looked downward. She didn't look to San, but she did speak to her. "I'm proud to have helped." She hugged herself, which was easy for such a willowy-bodied girl to do.

[San]

San, along with Briar Rose, watched the now healthy bird fly off into the treetops, with a smile on her face. Her heart felt warm to see the delicate creature, having been cared for so lovingly by the girl, return to its own home, where it belongs. San, still quite close to the human girl, looked over to her, and silently awed over the fact that a human was responsible for this... it was still quite hard for San to believe, no less understand.

As she looked over the girl in her thoughts, however, she took notice of her posture, the far-off look on her face, and her distant tone of voice. While she spent far less time around other people than the average human being, San could easily sense the bittersweet sadness the girl felt, right now.

Somehow feeling a strange desire to comfort Briar Rose, San offered her a reassuring smile - but stayed where she was, not coming any closer to the young blonde. "I'm sure he'll come back to see you again, someday," she softly spoke up, then looking up to the treetops herself, looking just as distanced from reality right then as the other girl was. "After all... if it weren't for you, he probably wouldn't be alive, right now."

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose smiled as she listened to San's comforting words. The feral girl did not speak much to Briar Rose, but what she said at that moment could have fooled Briar Rose into thinking the wild girl had a silver tongue. The beautiful maiden with sunshine in her hair looked from the ground and faced San. Her smile was better than it was a moment ago, warmer, even though San was looking up to the treetops and not to her.

"Thank you," said Briar Rose. "You are too kind. And you know something? You came back to see me again, too." Her affectionate smile only widened, as she examined the feral girl's dark, mysterious eyes from where she stood.

She was so distracted by San's facial paint that she did not notice a new presence: a large, brown spider had crawled up from behind Briar Rose's back. It stopped when it reached her left shoulder, and faced San. To the arachnophobic, or to those unfamiliar with spiders, the arachnid could have come off as unsettling, perhaps even scary. Its mandibles, which were visible since the spider was a good size, twitched, and what eyes could be seen seemed to examine San. And here Briar Rose was, completely unaware of this eight-legged guest!

[San]

San, once Briar Rose began speaking again, looked down from the sky to face her again. She flinched ever so slightly from being faced with that radiant smile of hers, causing her to blush; and her following comments only made the wild girl feel even more awkward. She looked away for that moment, shyly, just before she caught something in the corner of her eye.

Immediately, her head jerked upward towards whatever it was; it could be a threat of some sort, for all she knew. However, it wasn't quite what she expected; it was a huge, brown spider, making its way across Briar Rose's shoulder. Almost automatically responding to this gruesome sight, San's pupils shrunk and she took a step or two away from the girl, her eyes locked on the fuzzy arachnid and her lips hanging open in fear.

While it wasn't exactly a threat - San knew most spiders to be perfectly harmless - she would be ashamed to admit that she had an irrational fear of the creatures.

[Briar Rose]

Briar Rose's smile was replaced with pursed lips and her eyes opened wider when San reacted the way she did. The beauty wondered what could be wrong with the forest girl. Examining San's eyes, and the direction they stared at, compelled Briar Rose to look at her shoulder.

"Oh!"

Her facial expression and voice indicated more surprise than actual fright. She soon smiled down at the arachnid, and even addressed it. "You surprised us, little darling!"

It seemed that Briar Rose's unflappable loyalty and respect to creatures extended to arachnids, as well. She brought her right hand to her left shoulder, and beckoned the spider to crawl onto her palm. Slowly and gently, Briar Rose brought her palm before her and examined the spider more closely.

"I didn't even feel him crawl on me," she mused playfully. "Or her; I can't tell."

Briar Rose's eyes looked from her palm to San, and noticed the fearful expression of the latter.

"Oh, there's nothing to fear. It's only a spider. He doesn't mean you any harm."

Recognizing San's obvious fear, Briar Rose decided to compromise: she would release the spider, but only a good distance away from San. She shifted her weight, bent, and allowed the spider to crawl from her palm to the ground, on which the arachnid continued on its way.

Satisfied, the smiling Briar Rose stood and looked back to San.

"He's leaving now."

[San]

San kept her eyes locked on the huge hairy spider - fear in her eyes, unsure of just what both it and Briar Rose would do next. Were humans as naturally afraid of spiders as she was...? San would, to her surprise, be proven wrong. Slowly, her gaze turned from fear to faint shock, and shifted up to the girl, looking back and forth between her and the arachnid she had gently and caringly allowed to crawl onto her palm. San simply stared with bewilderment, eyebrows lifted and lips hanging open; she retained her tense, defensive posture, but visibly relaxed herself as Rose set the creature down and it scurried off.

As she watched it leave the clearing, San realized just how vulnerable she had appeared in front of this human, and, immediately, her face flushed red and her eyebrows twisted as she looked downwards to the grass and leaves below. For a good ten seconds, she was silent, until she reluctantly looked up to face Briar Rose.

"... You're... not afraid of it?"

[Briar Rose]

After the question, the beautiful maiden who loved animals faced the shy, reserved girl. Briar Rose was genuinely surprised by the girl's reaction. Judging by the girl's appearance, athletic qualities and the strong interest in the bird, Briar Rose had assumed that San was probably more in touch with nature than Briar Rose herself. That's why San's aversion to arachnids came as a surprise to Briar Rose. The blond teenager smiled and shook her head. Her eyes and tone were shy yet honest.

"Why, no. Should I be?" After a pause she continued, more confident in appearance now. "Spiders are living, breathing creatures, just like you, me... and even the bird. They have lives, just like us, and they can feel. That's why I'm not afraid of them; they look different, but..."

As Briar Rose explained the reasons why she did not fear spiders, she noticed the second party's facial expression: San looked ashamed. Briar Rose interpreted this as sounding superior and condescending to San and therefore hurting her feelings.

"Oh, no! I'm sorry, I didn't mean--!"

Now filled with guilt, Briar Rose approached San and, for the first time, touched the young woman who saved her life. The taller though younger teenager placed her right hand on San's left shoulder, and her perfectly dainty face displayed a look of apology.

"Please don't feel bad. I..." Her cheeks reddened and she had to look away for a second, but she fought through her sheltered, easily flustered personality and offered San a soft, reassuring smile. "There's nothing wrong with being afraid of anything, even spiders."

[San]

By now, San did not only feel embarrassed by showing her fearful side in front of this human, but ashamed... because the human was perfectly right. How could she have treated another animal that way while a human, of all things, referred to it properly, deserving of just as much respect as a wolf. Mentally berating herself, again, her eyebrows lowered as she looked away from Briar Rose, shyly.

Before she knew it, though, the girl had come closer to her, and, to San's shock, placed a surprisingly gentle hand on her bare shoulder. Confused and flustered by such an intimate action, her face flushed red; while she wanted to (and would have, normally) jerked herself away from the girl's touch, something prevented her from doing so... because she appreciated this. The girl's slender hand filled San with a warm sense of peace... which confused the wolf girl as much as it soothed her.

At that moment... something clicked inside of her. San felt like she could truly be open towards this human... she was unsure of why, but trusted her instincts.

And so, a small smile began to grow on San's smooth lips, and her dark eyes looked up to Briar Rose with a placidity they had never shown before. "You know..." she softly and slowly began to speak out her thoughts and feelings, feeling unusually confident and peaceful. "You're unlike any human I've ever seen, before..."

[Briar Rose]

Again, Briar Rose worried if she was too forward or brash in her attempts to comfort the strange girl. She felt this when the ashamed girl's face flushed red. But her doubts vanished when her new friend smiled sincerely. The smile was infectious, and Briar Rose instantly felt that her face was warm with delight. As strange as the compliment was ('unlike any human?'), Briar Rose was humbled by the earnestness of her new friend's tone and words.

"Thank you very much," Briar Rose replied with abundant femininity in her voice. "But I only wanted you to... to be happy the way you are."

After she felt a sufficient amount of time had passed, the smiling Briar Rose removed her hand from her new friend's shoulder. Another moment had passed while Briar Rose shyly looked down, as she mustered the courage to ask a personal question.

"... Can I ask you something? You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to."

With an exceedingly shy tone, Briar Rose looked up and asked, "What's your name?"

[San]

To be happy the way she was...? San's smile slowly faded, and she appeared confused by these words... yet, obviously emotionally swayed in some way, as evidenced by the blushing of her cheeks. She knew it meant that, for whatever reason, this human cared about her happiness... of course, that didn't ease San's confusion at all.

Then, however, an even more surprising statement - or question, rather - came from Briar Rose's mouth: San was being asked for her name. Her eyelids lifted and her lips hung apart slightly in response to this unexpected question - this reaction lasted for an instant, before she shut her emotions in as she struggled to decide on the proper response. Her dark eyes shifted around in several directions, avoiding the golden-haired girl's gaze. Would it really be worth it to tell her? Really, she was only a human... but, again... San felt a certain something about this human. It was almost as if she wasn't even human at all... she was curious about her, the first she had ever been towards a human.

Once again succumbing to the impulses that confused her and braving her anxiety, San spoke, lifting her eyes back up to Briar Rose.

"... San."

[Briar Rose]

It took a few seconds, about five, for Briar Rose to realize she never heard a name like that before. But rather than thinking it queer or silly, Briar Rose was instead pleased to hear such a name. Her face made no effort to disguise her feelings, and neither did her voice when she replied. Briar Rose's eyes and smile only warmed after being told the name. Her eyes seemed to exude raw feminity, and her smile revealed her white teeth.

"That's a lovely name!" She placed her hands behind her back and locked them, but continued to smile in such a friendly, compassionate manner. "Thank you... San."

Briar Rose made the effort to pronounce the name as clearly and correctly as possible. She succeeded, but because her voice was so radically different from San's her pronunciation could still make an impact.

She was dominated by shyness again, and her eyes looked downward, away from San's face. But even still, the smile remained.

[San]

San wasn't sure what to expect out Briar Rose's reaction to her name. She wasn't particularly embarrassed by it - a name was a name, and nothing more. It was the act of openly revealing it to a stranger, a human stranger no less, that gave her anxiety... still... the girl had asked for her name, and, while San's logical side dictated that she had no reason to share it with her, her more emotional side, for whatever reason, couldn't refuse this strange and captivating human girl's request. She had a sort of power over the wolf girl, apparently.

And as such, she was able to incite responses out of San that would not have been seen otherwise. The girl's comment on her name made San's cheeks, already painted red, flush a bright pink shade, and caused her eyes to inadvertently dart to the side. She wondered... should she say something about Briar Rose's name, now? Was that what humans were supposed to do when somebody else compliments their name? San surely hadn't forgotten this strange girl's name since their meeting several weeks ago... just the sound of it evoked the image of a delicate rose, lusciously red in color, sprouting out of a briar bush - it was unforgettable. And, frankly... beautiful, although San didn't even realize that she thought of it as such.

Before she could even consider making mention of the girl's name, San noticed something out of the corner of her eye. A white, furry shape in the distance, somewhat enveloped within the trees and foliage. It was one of her two brothers, keeping a close eye on her from afar. Not expecting to see him so soon, she turned her whole head, in surprise, in the direction that the large wolf was standing. During this moment, she thought not of what Briar Rose would make of all this...

[Briar Rose]

The blonde's focus returned to San. She intended to ask her yet-to-be-confirmed friend a question, but her question would have to wait. San was looking at a specific direction, gazing as if she had seen something of importance. Briar Rose had not expected San to take an intense interest in something, and so the taller yet younger maiden looked to that same direction.

"San?" Briar Rose politely asked as she stared, not knowing what she was looking for. "What are you looking at?" Soon after those words escaped her lips, her perspective changed; the foliage blurred, and a large patch of white fur was in plain sight. This animal had to have been enormous.

Briar Rose was surprised yet calm. Her eyes were opened enough that the white on the top and bottom of her eyes were exposed, but she gently stepped closer to San, her eyes remaining on the intruder. "San," she whispered, "do you see it, too? I think there's something there. It has white fur."

[San]

San, as she was staring across the clearing into the bushes at what she knew was her brother, felt a startled jolt at Briar Rose's sudden query, and turned to stare at the human girl, looking somewhat flustered. Indeed, she was - San was in a very awkward position, right now. Briar Rose had obviously noticed her brother in the bushes... and her brother, no doubt, could see whom San was interacting with. It was an embarrassing situation to be caught in, in front of one of her fellow wolves... He had seen Briar Rose the last time, but San brushed the topic aside when she was questioned about it, labeling her as "no concern to them". Now, she would definitely have some explaining to do. San's eyes darted to the ground, and she blushed, grimacing slightly in unease.

Her expression softened slightly as Briar Rose drew closer, to point out the hidden wolf. San returned her gaze to the younger girl, looking rather pensive. There would probably be trouble if there were any misunderstanding on Briar Rose's part... but, could she really trust her enough to reveal her relationship with the wolf? Something inside of San - that same something that has urged her interaction with this human all throughout this past while - ensured her that she could safely tell her.

Despite her hesitancy, San trusted her gut - and Briar Rose. "Don't worry..." she softly assured the girl, before diverting her gaze in uncertainty. "... He's my brother." San had no idea what Briar Rose would make of this... but there was no sense in hiding it from her.

At any rate... her sibling's arrival made it clear that it was time to return to his side. "... I should go," San solemnly announced after a brief silence, her eyes remaining distant from Briar Rose's. This was all the wolf girl had to say, before shifting her legs in preparation to leave. Before she strayed too far from the golden-haired girl, however, she suddenly, briefly turned her head back to give her one last look. It was a mysterious look - mysterious, like San, and somber... but there was still a light in them, that shined with curiosity, and interest. It seemed to say that San would, someday, meet Briar Rose once again.

Very shortly after glancing back at the girl, however, San whipped her head away, her short bushy hair whirling in tow, and began to quietly exit the clearing. Unlike her exit from their last meeting, San did not seem in any particular hurry - possibly because of her reluctance to explain the situation to her brother... but, possibly because she had also felt less of a desire to leave this human so quickly. The speed with which she walked away gave Briar Rose ample time to say anything else she wanted to, before San was gone.

[Briar Rose]

The maiden of golden hair blinked in confusion. "Hmm?"

Puzzled but intrigued, Briar Rose looked to the forest-girl, unsure of what to say. "He's your... brother?" Her tone was not mocking or condescending in the slightest, but she clearly wanted to sort out the mysterious relationship between the human and the white creature. She truly wished to know more about this elusive lady, San; her curiosity almost reached the point of minor anxiety.

Alas, the new friend had to go, and had already started to leave. The peasant girl was too confused to instantly plead for San to stay, but she finally called out to her departing savior, extending her delicate right hand out as if to reach for her, despite their wide distance. "S-San, wait!" She felt awkward when she realized that she called for this person to stop despite not knowing what to say.

"San, I..." Her eyebrows raised and her violet eyes widened when she again considered the forest-girl's words. Briar Rose treated some of the forest's critters as her friends... because they were the closest she ever had to siblings. Suddenly, San's words didn't seem so strange any longer. You don't have to be related by blood to call somebody "brother" or "sister".

She smiled and curtsied, her princess-like grace betraying her all-too humble peasant dress. "Thank you, San. For everything. We might not understand everything about each other, but..." Standing upright and with a warm smile, she clasped her hands and pressed them against her chest, under which pounded an affectionate heart. "... But I'm so glad to know you. Maybe someday, we could... get to know each other better than ever before." She covered her red cheeks timidly. "Oh, I don't mean to take up any more of your time! Hehe!"

The peasant girl beamed happily as she waved to San. "Good-bye! Until we see each other next time!" I hope we will, she thought to herself.



She was still curious to know more about the white-furred creature, but she didn't want to impose.

After all, maybe someday the two would see each other again. There'd be quite a bit of catching up to do!

THE END