Bitter smoke hung in the air inside the little hut, the fire burning the damp wood as best it could. The iron pot swung there on a hook, a pitifully thin broth made from tried meat cooking away. Nearby the older woman slid the winter cloak around the younger woman's shoulders as she said worriedly, "Please be careful, grandaughter." Rika used a iron clasp to hold the cloak at her throat as the slim redheaded woman answered her softly, "I'll try, honored Grandmother." "And don't do anything too terribly foolish," Grandmother sighed softly, looking up at Rika with fear in her eyes. Rika just nodded slightly, but she didn't answer aloud. There was a soft whimpering sound and both their eyes were drawn to the restlessly sleeping figure on the bed, her face ruddy with fever. "I'll be back with some food as soon as I can," Rika said, walking to the door where she picked up her bow and arrows to stride out into the snow covered land. Snow crunched beneath her leather and fur lined boots as Rika made her way through the village and out into the familiar woods all around it. She readied her bow, eyes darting about her as she searched even as she walked on. She knew that there was no game to be had around here, but it never hurt to be ready. This winter was the coldest in anyone's memory, the snows coming early and hard, staying in a thik blanket on the ground. The beasts of the plain and forest gradually fled farther south, the villagers having to fall back on dried and smoked meat. But now, even that was running low and the less lucky families were forced to stretch what food they had left. 'The fever burns away mother's meals as fast as we feed her,' Rika thought to herself grimly, the woods giving way to open ground as she walked onward, 'she will die soon, if we don't get something more substantial for her to eat.' The familiar path soon gave way to rougher terrain, Rika moving away from the usual routes to travel far from where others might go. There was a prickling to her skin as she walked, the biting chill replaced by a feeling almost like lightning in the air. Finally the young hunter stood nervously at the edge of the wild lands, her short bow shaking a bit in her hands. Even though Rika would never actually admit it to anyone, she was scared down to her very bones. "I'm sure that I've done stupider things than this before," Rika murmured to herself, "but I can't think of even one, right now." A shadow flickered, silently jumping through the higher tree branches to see the figure standing there, just beyond the edge of the forest. ‘Well, what have we here,’ it wondered, and then crouched down to wait and see what she might plan to do. Coming from deep within the forest greenery, Rika heard the haunting cries of some of the strange and fearsome beasts that dwelled in there and shivered in both awe and a little fear. Tainted by the dark magics left over from a war long before the oldest of human memory, this place was deadly dangerous. Years ago, the occasional hunter would accept the challenge to enter here, but few of them had ever returned. Now the forest was forbidden to all, and only the most brave and foolhardy of men and women dared break that prohibition. ‘I guess I qualify,’ Rika thought wryly. As quietly as she could, the tall, thin girl carefully entered the edge of the forest, Rika looking around with bright green eyes for any foolish hares or maybe a restless boar, but saw nothing in the dense brush and deep covering of snow. Oddly the forest was much warmer than outside, giving her some hope of finding siomething to bring back home with her. But every time she carelessly snapped a twig with her boot or shook a branch she winced, knowing that her prey was fleeing her and also that her arrival here had not gone unnoticed. A silent leapt, another, then two more going higher into the darkness of the forest branches where a figure watched the girl with some concern. ‘I guess I must stop her,’ it thought to itself a little sadly. Careful and near silent movement brought it down to where it needed to be. “Why do you risk venturing into these wild lands?” a cold sounding female voice suddenly asked Rika from the depths of the forest’s many shadows, making her jump up in alarm. “You should know that this place, and many of the creatures that dwell within, are deadly to you and to your kind,” it grimly explained, “leave here, while you still can.” Rika tensed as she looked around her wildly, then up into the trees where she thought that the voice might have come from but she saw nothing in the shadowed branches far over her head. “Maybe that’s so,” Rika summoned her courage to say bravely in return, “but my family will die if I do not bring something for them to eat home.” Rika stopped speaking as she suddenly wondered if this might be the legendary guardian of the forest that was speaking to her. A creature that was spoken of only in rumours and farfetched stories, it seemed that no one who had seen the guardian of the forrest saw the exact same thing. Some described a giant fox, the tips of it’s nine tails burning with a bright blue flame behind it. Others said it was a tall figure dressed in a simple monk’s robe, a sorceress of both great power and fearsome wisdom. And a few said it was merely a kitsune, a fox woman spirit far from her homeland, but the truth of what really guarded these lands was unknown. “The hunting is difficult here, and the prey is very dangerous” the female voice answered her simply. “You should try seeking easier prey elsewhere,” it urged her, just a faint hint of concern showing in the cold, calm voice. Rika looked into the darkness, and thought that she saw a small flash of gold moving high up above her. “Could you help me, then?” Rika asked her wearily, feeling so terribly weak herself from the long hunger. “I would give anything, to save them,” she finished softly. “Anything,” the voice echoed her word thoughtfully. There was a long silence then hesitantly, the female voice said to her, “I have been alone here in this forest for a very long time. There are no others of my kind who dwell in this place.” It paused for a moment, then continued on more hurriedly, “If I watch over, protect and feed your family, would you stay here, with me?” Rika looked up into the dark shadows, wondering just what might be hiding up there. ‘If she can save my family,’ she thought to herself wearily, 'it would be worth it.' Decision made Rika raised her voice to declare, “Yes, I’ll stay here with you.” Remaining here was a small price to pay for the sake of those that she had sworn to protect. The figure easily leapt down from the upper branches of the trees to reach her side and Rika gasped at her in shock and surprise. The tales were true, it really was a female kitsune! The gold and white furred fox woman stood nearly a head taller than the fifteen year old girl, and moved with a supple, almost feline grace. She wore guards on her arms, each hand with two fingers and a opposing thumb, and on her long legs as well just above her large, paw like feet. “I am called Renamon,” the kitsune said to Rika simply, taking a moment to look searchingly into her eyes, looking for... something. Rika bravely met those eyes, and for a few moments it almost felt like she was falling into them. Renamon turned away to look around her for a moment, her eyes searching, then she simply clapped her two paw like hands together loudly. Startled by the sudden noise, a boar broke from the brush and Renamon seemed to simply disappear from Rika’s view! Moving as just a blur, she struck, and with a single choked cry the boar sprawled there, dead in the snow. After licking the blood from a gleaming claw, Renamon smoothly picked up the animal. “I’m sorry, but your time is done, little one,” Renamon murmured as she cradled it in her arms with a surprising gentlerness. Rika's voice was an awed whisper, "I never even knew it was there." Renamon gazed over at Rika, looking like some kind of savage goddess as she ordered, “Lead me to your family’s home.” Without another word she began down the forest path, Rika following her close behind. Rika’s eyes were drawn irresistably to the white and gold tail that gracefully swayed with Renamon’s every movement. “My name is Rika,” Rika said softly to her, walking quickly to keep up with Renamon’s pace through the woods. “I know,” Renamon said to her simply in reply. She looked over her shoulder at the surprised Rika and smiled slightly, “Your home is near enough to the woods that I have seen and heard you, at times.” Much more softly she added, “I find it comforts me, to see the life in the village as I am far away from my own home.” Rika wasn’t sure what to say to that, so she remained silent. Some part of her did wonder what the village elders would do if they knew they had a kitsune peeping tom. She smiled tiredly at that thought, then shrugged when Renamon gave her an enquiring look. Together they left the dark woods, and followed the long snowy path to eventually reach a small house that perched on the edge of the village itself. It had once been well kept, but now it was beginning to show signs of age and disrepair. Renamon knelt down, and then gently lay the dead boar at the doorstep. Standing back up, she looked away from Rika, and in the fading sunlight she seemed so strangely beautiful, and also very, very alone. “You may stay here, if you wish.” Renamon said to Rika softly. “But, what about our agreement?” a slightly bewildered Rika asked her. Renamon quickly continued on, “I would not hold you to a promise you made under duress.” She looked ready to walk away right then and there, only to be stopped as she felt the gentle touch of Rika’s hand laying on her arm. Rika looked up at the fox-woman; the long, lean, fur covered body, fox like head and long, tail, and felt something that she didn’t fully comprehend. She was very alone too, in her own way. Rika loved her family and knew they loved her, but they were both weavers, crafts people, and did not understand the hunter who lived in their midst. Looking up at Renamon, Rika found the words spilled from her lips so very easily, “Please, I think..." she hesitated then finished, "I would like to go stay with you.” Renamon turned back to Rika, her face happy, but then it suddenly darkened with grave concern. Rika swayed there weakly a moment, then finally crumpled as hunger, exhaustion and days of stress finally caught up with her. Renamon quickly moved to prevent her from falling, then gently cradled Rika in her arms. Rika smiled up at her sleepily, and without thinking about it snuggled into the warmth of Renamon’s fur. "So nice," Rika murmured before sleep claimed her. Renamon held the girl to her closely, kicked out once with a powerful leg and loudly thumped the door, then she was gone. Rika safely in her arms, the kitsune seemed to fly down the trail and disappeared into the dark safety of the forest. After a moment the door opened, and Rika’s grandmother looked out worriedly into the twilight. She saw the dead boar, and her eyes lit up with happiness and gratitude. Swiftly dragging it inside, she looked over at her daughter, sick abed with a high fever. “Thank you, Rika,” Grandmother said softly. Then with growing concern in her voice she asked, “But where have you gone?”
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