Archive of Our Own

Mumei and Fauna:Aged 16.

“Did you bring it?” A soft voice asked quietly, partially hidden behind a tree. A brown haired teenager wandered through the trees, carrying a small dagger at her hip in a sheathe, wearing a shawl and cloak around her shoulders. The girl’s attire was ready for rummaging about outside, exploring, adventuring.

The one hidden behind the tree was slightly taller, with short green hair, and stubby antler-like branches jutting out of her skull. Her gold eyes met the other girl’s golden eyes and they smiled at one another.

They appeared close to the same age.

“Yes. I brought it, of course!” Mumei said with amusement, and maybe a little annoyance. “I didn’t forget this time.”

“This time.” Fauna said with a tease. She came out from the tree, wearing a white and green dress that went down to her knees, loose and breezy.

“Yes. Yes. I forgot once or twice and nooooow it’s a thing.” Mumei snorted, blowing air to push some of her brown hair out of her eye line. She produced a book from out of a satchel behind her. A leather book with faded tanned parchment inside of it. “See. This is my journal. I keep everything in it.”

Fauna leaned in close, eyeing the journal quite curiously. “Wow. I’ve never seen such a thing like it… You humans sure are quite creative with the resources of nature..” She said gently, before snatching the book away from Mumei.

“H-Hey!” Mumei said with a startled tone, following after the green haired girl who skipped away and a tree branch suddenly grew out of a tree nearby, allowing her to jump to it and carry her up out of reach from Mumei. “Fauna! Cheater!”

Fauna flipped through the book as she sat down on a branch, kicking her feet in the air lazily. “Oh, your uhm! What were they! Drawings! Yes! Your drawings are very nice!” She flipped a few more pages. “Oh. You even have me in your .. ah… book!”

Mumei made an embarrassed face, her voice cracking. “You’re not supposed to see that!” Her voice was stretched as she tried to scramble up the tree after the girl, but was having difficulty.

“Oh? Am I not? They’re so pretty. You capture me so well! I -- Oh. Oh my. Oh… Mumei….” Fauna chuckled and flipped a few more pages. “Do you see me like that…?”

“GIVEBOOKPLEASE” Mumei said, scrambling up the tree, her fingers and shoes finding purchase as she climbed up after Fauna. Fauna quickly got up and jumped away from Mumei as she reached her branch. “Gragh! Fauna!”

Fauna landed on another tree and grinned. “It’s flattering that you see me in such a way! Or would like to see me in such a way!” She giggled and closed the book and hugged it to her chest.

Mumei’s face was reddened and scrunched into frustration. She was crouched awkwardly on the branch as she stepped forward. “Come on Fau-Fau..”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” Fauna smiled sweetly at her. “You’re the only human who I want to talk to anyway.”

“Do.. you really mean that?” Mumei asked, her voice quiet, quieter than normal. Fauna smiled at her from the branch across the way.

“Of course.” She motioned her hand and the two branches thickened and stretched, connecting together, allowing Mumei to walk to her. Fauna sat down and Mumei joined her, sitting close.

“Well.. You’re the only forest spirit I ever wanna talk to too.” Mumei smiled at her, scooting closer against her side.

They were quiet for a moment as shoulders came in contact with one another. They both swung their legs off the branch before Fauna finally spoke up. “Mumei. Could.. I keep your journal?”

The brown haired girl looked up at the green one. “Huh..? But it’s not finished? And also, you know, mine..”

“Well, yes I know, but. I think I’d like to keep it like this.” Fauna said gently with a smile. “I’d like to keep this moment in time exactly like this.”

“Oh. Then. I don’t see why not!” Mumei said with an awkward tone, laughing out to herself. She reached back behind her neck, rubbing slowly. “I.. Could … Could I have a kiss for it…?”

“Oh?” Fauna smiled gently, seeming taken with the idea quite well, with a soft flush on her own face. “I think I’d like that. Yes. A memory for a memory.”

Mumei giggled shyly. “You talk quite funny you know, but I like that about you.”

“Heh. I suppose I’ll have to work a bit more on how to speak more properly like a human girl.” Fauna chuckled to herself.

“Nah. I like you just the way you are. Weirdo antlers and formal speak.” Mumei said, leaning in closer to Fauna. Fauna smiled back at her and met her half way, letting their lips touch together.

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One year later. Mumei and Fauna :Aged 17

Mumei parried the sword swing, knocking it away and pushing forward with a heavy step, her hands gripped her sword with both hands and she brought it in close and thrust it forward. The older man ahead of her brought his down but it deflected off as she surged it forward and then stopped it at his neck.

The man was bigger and older, with gray in his brown hair. His gold eyes looked down at her and he slowly smiled as his hands raised up in surrender. “I give. Very good lil’ Owl.”

“Thank you, Father.” Mumei said as she stood back up in a normal stance, before bowing to him and offering the sword back. Shinon took the sword from his daughter and together they walked across the small grassy yard of their home and he placed them against the wooden exterior. He sighed and looked at his daughter, with a look of care, but also worry.

“What is it?” Mumei asked him quietly, catching both the concern and the annoyed look he had when she noticed him.

“I.. The choosing of the Guardian is this week.” Shinon said softly. Mumei shifted her stance.

“Yeah. I’m aware. I’m helping prepare it.” Mumei smiled slightly. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“You’re going to be Guardian.” Shinon said quietly. His daughter stared at him, her voice was caught in her throat and then she immediately began talking.

“What- I- But how? How could I be Guardian? Surely there’s other choices. What about Darion or perhaps Sarah and --” Mumei quickly spoke, trying to find someone better than her, or that she thought were better than her.

“It’s you. The Council wants you to become Guardian of the Village. You’re the best up and coming fighter we have.” Shinon looked at his daughter and he put his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t worry. Nothing much will change. All that need be done is protecting the village.”

“Yeah but, what if I ever want to leave, or or… what about Fauna…” Mumei’s voice shook slightly. “I didn’t think they would actually.. I just wanted to help people, protect my family.”

“And now you’re going to be able to protect everyone. It’s not much different than what you’re doing now. You can do this, Mumei.”Shinon said gently.

“Yeah, but.. The village doesn’t like Fauna…” Mumei said in a hushed whisper.

“I.. know that, but.. This is for the good of our village. Of everyone. This is the highest honor you could receive, Mumei.” Shinon said, frowning at his daughter as she stepped back.

“I-I know” She stammered, her voice catching slightly as she looked away, at nothing in particular. “I just, I want to help people, and I want to protect the village. I do. Being Guardian is.. I want to uphold the tradition more than anything, you know our people’s history is everything to me.” Mumei said, looking at her father again.

“You have some time to think, to get used to the idea, it’ll be a few days before the ceremony. I wasn’t supposed to tell you, not this early at least, but it’ll work out.” He smiled at her.

“Will it, Father?” Mumei frowned a bit heavier.

“I promise. It always does, doesn’t it?” Shinon said, putting a hand on her shoulder before hugging her close.

“Eventually..” Mumei said against him, sighing quietly.

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“Guardian, huh? That’s the thing you’ve talked about for a while, right?” Fauna said curiously, walking alongside Mumei in the forest, her bare feet making no sound in the grass as they stepped. Mumei sighed, adjusting her brown and tan shawl.

“Yes. Since I was little, I wanted to be Guardian. My great grandfather was The Guardian. I just.. That was before I met you I guess. And now things are…. Muddy..” Her tone was confused, and slightly frustrated. “Everything was so clear before and now it is blurry.”

“Do you not see well now?” Fauna questioned, with mild concern, looking at Mumei’s eyes. Their gold eyes met briefly and then Mumei’s expression softened and she smiled.

“My sight is well, yes. What I mean is my thoughts, my mind. Even the words I write down in my journal are just a mess. Not worth the char I write it with..” She sighed and sat down against a large trunk of a tree, her knees coming up to her chest as she put her hands on her head.

“How different could things be? You can still come see me, right?” Fauna got down on her knees in front of Mumei, putting her hands atop the brown haired girl’s knees.

“I mean, yeah. Mostly. As Guardian, I’d have to put the needs of the village before my own, whether that’s protecting it from outside, or even inside attack. As well as my own personal needs and wants, like a family and… love…” Her voice trailed off as they looked at each other.

Fauna made an awkward laugh, her face warming as she pushed green hair behind an ear. “Love, huh. They would have you sacrifice your love?”

Mumei shifted slightly, looking away into the forest. “Maybe..”

“Would you sacrifice love for your village?” Fauna asked quietly, reaching to put her hands atop the brown haired girl’s on her knees.

“I love my village, and my Father and everyone, it’s not sacrificing it, but also, I know I .. I know I love you too, but you’re outside the village Fauna…” Mumei’s voice strained softly. “Becoming Guardian is going to cause even more problems for us.”

“I’m sure we can make it work. You can always come visit me in the forest.” Fauna said gently, leaning forward to press her forehead against Mumei’s, letting their eyes meet.

“I wish you could come into the village.”

“Maybe if you could convince them to take down the wards and barriers, but as is, I can’t leave this forest and while yes, your village is made from my forest..” Fauna trailed off and sighed for a moment. “It’s warped and perverse. I know why you must do the things you do, and some of them are really quite creative, really! I just worry about what happens when you start having more children. More humans. More everything….” Fauna’s tone became more concerned with an edge to it. “And that’s not even talking about humans from outside my forest….”

“It’s okay. We won’t encroach much more than we already have. The village has plenty of room for growing for many years.” Mumei reassured her, smiling back at her. They parted but when they did, Mumei leaned in and kissed Fauna sweetly, and briefly. “It’s going to be a little different, but we're a little different huh.”

“Heh. Yeah. You’re right.” Fauna smiled back at Mumei.

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Years later. Mumei and Fauna:Age 23

Mumei was running, yelling, attracting a pack of large black wolves that were rushing towards her village. “HEY! OVER HERE!” She yelled as she pulled a bow off her back, firing a shot which hit one of the wolves in the head and it fell over dead. They twisted and growled at her, barking and rushing her.

Mumei ran and scrambled up a hill, her cloak swirling around her as she twirled, unsheathing her sword. She pulled it free as the first wolf reached her and she cleaved right through it. She rolled to the right, dodging a lunge and then skewered another wolf as it jumped her.

She didn’t have time to remove her sword and instead let go for her dagger at her hip. She pulled it free and was knocked over by a wolf. It barked and snarled, scratching at her and trying to bite. She yelled and struggled, fighting it and then sinking her blade into its gut and ripping.

She shoved the canine off her and got up, bloody and wounded, her arms scratched up, her face having streaks of red down the left side. “Agh.. Agh… Fuck…” She said to herself, looking around at the dead wolves. She walked over and pulled her sword free and saw another set of wolves looking at her.

She growled and roared at them. “You want this too!? Come on then! I’ll fight you!” She yelled loudly, but the wolves turned and ran back off into the forest.

She fell to her knees and breathed heavily. The area smelled of gore and blood, of violence, where it once was pleasant and inviting.

Feet from behind Mumei as Fauna arrived, frowning as she quickly came around to Mumei. “Oh, Mumei! You’re bleeding!”

“I’m fine.” Mumei said, her left eye closed from the blood coming down over it. “I’m fine..” She looked at Fauna with her other eye and tried to smile. “Just some animals.”

Fauna frowned at the violence and gore surrounding Mumei. She reached a hand out, the ground opened up around each wolf, roots snapping and coiling around them, pulling them down, absorbing them back into the earth. Mumei made an annoyed face. “Wait- hey- We could have used the fur!”

“What?” Fauna looked at Mumei. “Are you being serious?” She narrowed her eyes at the brown haired woman. “They attacked because you’ve been hunting their food this year, far outpacing the last few years! They don’t deserve to starve and then be worn by your humans just because they’re trying to get to the meat you’ve stolen from them!”

“We took in another family last month! It’s going to be winter again soon!” Mumei growled as she stood up to meet Fauna’s glare. “We needed that fur!”

“Nature will take it back. You’ll have to make due with what you have, or find it by some other means.” Fauna’s voice was tight and her glare held on Mumei before her body forced the tension out of itself and she stepped towards her. “We need to get you cleaned up.”

“Nature has enough. There are kids, Fauna.” Mumei walked by her, sighing heavily. “I’ll clean myself up.”

Fauna frowned as she looked at the brown haired woman walking away from her, going back towards the village in the distance. She took a step forward but then stopped herself. They just needed to cool down for a moment and it would be alright once again.

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Two weeks later.

It was night.

The Village was burning.

People were running and screaming, fire had broken out and consumed several homes already, but it wasn’t an accident, or a stray bolt of lightning, no, this was intent. Bandits had come and attempted to raid the village, and when they were met with resistance, not only from the Guardian, Mumei, but from several trained hunters in town, they began torching everything they could.

Mumei ripped her sword out of one of the bandit’s backs, kicking him to the ground. “Get to the other side of the village! Get buckets from the well and try to put out the flames!” She chased down the other bandits in the village, dispatching them easily. This was why she was The Guardian. There was no hesitation in her strikes, her strikes were to kill and remove the threat as quickly as possible.

She removed the head of another from his shoulders as the final two fled out the gate, torches in their hands. They ran out into the forest and Mumei chased them. She ran as fast as she could, her cloak billowing out behind her as she ran. Sword in her right hand, dagger in her left, blood streaked across her clothing and face.

She hunted down the first one, striking him down and stomping the torch he carried before the grass could catch aflame.

She wasn’t as quick with the second. He threw the torch at her when she caught him. Her blade cut through it, and it landed in a bush, igniting it instantly. She turned back and her gold eyes widened as the flame immediately arose, overtaking her in height. “No.. no no…”

She took her cloak off and immediately began trying to smother the flames, but all it did was incinerate her cloak and burn her hands and arms. She cried out and backed up as the flame rushed across the forest floor. She stomped the flames and began breathing quicker, stamping out lingering flames around her. More brush around her ignited and then it jumped to a tree. “No no no! Stop! Damn it! Help! Help! I need water!”

She began coughing as the forest around her began to burn in earnest and spread. Smoke burned her eyes and filled her lungs as she helplessly tried to fight the fire on her own.

Mumei coughed, covering her mouth and nose with her arm as she ran random directions until she was surrounded by the fire. She stepped back from the fire, eyes stinging from the smoke, skin burning from the heat.

Suddenly the ground erupted around her, the tree's roots began to break out of the ground as it cracked and opened up around every burning tree and violently they were sunk into the earth and smothered. The burning grass and brush slowly began to die out as Mumei went around, stamping flames out as best she could, even with her charred and burnt boots.

She breathed heavily and coughed, looking around in the darkness. The burning village behind her barely gave her any light now as Fauna’s glowing golden eyes pierced the veil of darkness. She walked forward to Mumei, her hand raised up on her right, as if holding something. The last bandit who got away was hovering above her, coiled by thorned vines.

“Fauna-- Fauna.. Oh… Oh thank goodness. You stopped the fire..”

“Who started the fire?” Fauna glared at her. “Was it your people?” She glanced up at the squirming man, muffledly making noises of pain and fear as the vines coiled around his face and head.

“No- No we didn’t. We.. It was him. The bandits. They burned my village too!” Mumei coughed heavily again, walking towards Fauna, but the ground rumbled in front of her as thorns the size of blades erupted out and stopped her. “Fa..Fauna.”

“If I hadn’t been nearby, Mumei. If I had been asleep!” Fauna yelled. “Your careless humans could have burned the entire forest down!” Her voice cracked as she swung her arm out. “Look! Look at the trees! The grass!”

Mumei frowned as she looked around. The full moon had come out and its light illuminated the area. The trees were half buried in the ground. Their wood gnarled and burned, charred and blackened. The grass was the same story, black and covered in ash. It hurt her nostrils and throat to breathe in the air around her as the last remnants of the smoke fluttered about. She became aware of just how much had burned. She thought it was only a few trees, but in reality, it was over two dozen of them, the area surrounding them was now a burned out scar.

“I didn’t do this! We didn’t do it!” Mumei cried out as Fauna slowly curled her raised fingers inward to her palm. There was a gripping and tearing sound above her. “It was him! His friends! They attacked us first! They killed some of us!”

“It doesn’t matter! You’re all the same! You’re gonna encroach further into the woods because now you’re gonna need more wood! More trees will die! More animals displaced! What happens when one of the lumber men strikes a campfire and a stray ember burns a leaf?!” Fauna’s vines gripped him tightly till red began to pour down her vines and drip to the charred floor at her ash-covered feet.

“We won’t do that! It was just an --” Mumei coughed heavier and covered her mouth. She frowned and got down to her knees, looking up at the green haired woman. “It was an accident. It won’t happen again!”

“Yet you don’t say you won’t venture out and kill more trees, murder more animals…” Fauna grit her teeth. “Those wolves were just the start a few weeks ago.”

“Fauna, that’s not fair.” Mumei coughed and looked up at her. “We have to survive too.”

“I want you to survive, Mumei. I don’t care for these other humans though.” Suddenly there was a wet snap and several heavy sounds hit the ground behind Fauna as the man was shredded.

“Fauna..” Mumei stood up slowly and stumbled towards her, grabbing her hands. “I care about them, they’re my friends and family. The ones in my village. I love you too. I love you more than anything. I tried putting out the fire, I tried. I got so scared when it started spreading. I wasn’t thinking of them, I was thinking of you.”

“If you loved me more than anything, you’d have your people leave, and you’d come live with me.” Fauna stepped back from her, frowning. “Take this one’s head as proof that you’ve done your job.” She looked away and then looked back up at her. “I’m giving you two thousand feet around your village. Do with it what you like, cut the trees, make new farmlands, burn it down. It’s for you and your people.”

“Two thousand feet? But that--” Mumei was cut off by Fauna as she cupped her face with her hands gently.

“If I catch any human deep in this forest. In my forest. They will not be returned. I make only an exception for you.” Fauna leaned in, kissing her lips again. Mumei barely reciprocated, eyes wide as they met in the short space between them.

Their lips pulled apart softly and Fauna used her thumb to brush ash from Mumei’s face. “I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you, sitting on that log across the stream. But I can’t love the people you protect. When you’re done with your task as Guardian. Come and find me.”

She pulled away before Mumei could say anything, before she could grab her and stop her. Mumei coughed again and covered her mouth with her arm as she watched Fauna walk off into the forest. “Fauna -- Fauna wait! No! Come back! Please -- Wait! I love you too! I love you! Come back!”

Fauna was gone into the darkness of the forest, leaving Mumei in the charred scar, standing next to the shredded remains of a human bandit. She had tears running down her ash and soot covered face. “Please.. I love you…”

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Mumei and Fauna:Aged 35.

Fauna sighed as she walked along her garden path, feet stepping silently on the smooth stone as she passed by rows of flowers, all in different arrangements of color and sizes. And then there was the other garden, with soft dirt mounds, freshly made in several rows with tiny tree stems poking out of them.

She smiled gently at them as she crouched down, looking at the dirt mounds. “My. You’re growing quite strong today aren’t you all?” She chuckled softly to herself. She reached out, touching one of the leaves with her fingers and then pulled her hand back.

Boots were stomping closer. An angry voice yelled out. “FAUNA!!!” A woman. A tired woman. Fauna slowly arose to her full height, dusting her hands off on her white and green dress with a sigh. She closed her eyes and prepared herself.

She turned around and saw Mumei coming towards her. The woman was dressed in tan and brown attire. Pieces of leather and metal adorned her body in armor. Her hair was still cut short and brown, with white and black streaks now in it. She had a sword in her hand and another sat in a sheathe on her back.

The swelling of Fauna’s heart was deflated by the anger and the glare in Mumei’s golden eyes. There was hate. “Where is he.” She demanded as she entered the garden.

“Mm?” Fauna asked simply.

“Where is my Father. Where are the other men? The hunters, the -” Her voice cut off as she looked at the tree mounds near the green haired woman.

“I told you.. Mumei…” Fauna said slowly, stepping away from the dirt. “Any human who ventures too deep into my forest, would not return. That was our deal.”

“It wasn’t a deal! That was a demand!” Mumei yelled as she gripped her sword tighter. “You made a demand! A threat and then left me! You abandoned me!” Mumei’s voice stretched, threatening to snap. She barely suppressed the urge to cough.

“You abandoned me first!” Fauna yelled back at her. “You gave favor to your village! To your… to your precious humans!” She snapped, stomping towards her. The once twigs that jutted out of her hair were now large, they were shaped more like antlers now, sharpened on their ends. Her fingers too, adorned with dark green colored claws. “What about me! You chose them over me! You chose them when I gave you that deal! That demand! I demanded it because I thought you loved me!”

Mumei gripped her sword hilt. “I do love you! I did! Like you said! I loved you from the second we made eye contact! But I have duties! We both knew what I would have to do!”

Fauna narrowed her eyes at Mumei. “You have your duties and I suppose I have mine now…” She motioned to the dirt mounds near her. “I suppose. This is now the part where you sacrifice your love?”

“You’re going to make me choose. You’ve forced me to choose like this. We could have kept meeting in the forest. And now, there's no going back.” Mumei growled, holding her sword tighter as she shifted her feet. “Now I have to protect them from you.”

“Do you honestly think you can? What do they call me? The Witch Of The Forest?” Fauna chuckled. “You know my power more than anyone. You don’t stand a chance.”

“I don’t care. You killed my dad.” Mumei said, suddenly sprinting at Fauna. Fauna’s eyes widened briefly as Mumei swung at her. She cleaved through the air with a swipe as the horned woman stepped away from the strike. Roots erupted out of the ground and shot towards Mumei who jumped over them and continued going for Fauna.

Fauna slashed her clawed fingers at Mumei who brought up an armored arm, the claws scratching off the metal. Mumei roared and ripped the other sword off her back. She slashed and swung at Fauna who danced and avoided her strikes with ease, but Mumei was getting closer each time until she slashed Fauna’s arm. The wound poured a soft gold color that dripped to the ground.

The pair of them stopped and stared at the wound, breathing heavily before their gold eyes met each other. Fauna grabbed her and hauled her up and hurled her out of the garden and she hit back against a large tree trunk with a grunt.

Mumei landed and grunted on the ground, scrambling to get up as thorn spikes erupted out of the ground, impaling the spot where she had just been. Fauna chased after her and quickly caught up. She bowed her head and caught Mumei with her antlers, lifting her up off the ground and slamming her into another tree. One of the sharp notches of her antlers jabbed into her side, producing blood down the antlers as Mumei gasped and squirmed, kicking violently until her knee caught Fauna’s face and she relented.

Mumei landed and Fauna stumbled back, stunned. Mumei dropped her additional sword and gripped the other with both hands and swung with all her might.

Fauna’s head tilted just in time and the sword cleaved right through her left antler, cleaving it off.

It landed with a heavy thunk on the ground as Fauna cried out, gold seeped from the wound into her green hair, staining it gold as she grabbed at the stump on the side of her head. The pair glared at each other, breathing heavily.

“Don’t make me kill you.” Mumei said, her voice strained between deep breaths. The wound in her side oozed down her leather armor.

“One horn does not equal defeat.” Fauna said as suddenly vines tore up out of the ground, coiling violently around Mumei’s legs and left arm.

Mumei quickly swung her blade, cutting through the plants and freeing herself. She ran at Fauna and roared. Fauna snapped her head around, deflecting Mumei’s blade with her only antler. She scrambled by Mumei afterwards on all fours to get away from her.

Mumei swapped sword hands as she twisted and swung again. Fauna’s antler caught the sword strike and she had grabbed Mumei’s sword, she swung upwards with it, cleaving Mumei’s left arm off above the elbow.

The limb landed on the ground nearby. Both of them stared at one another as her wound oozed onto the ground between them. “Oh.” Mumei said quietly. She coughed and dropped her sword, grabbing at the bleeding wound as tears filled her eyes. “Oh, God.”

Fauna’s golden eyes were wide, as if she hadn’t intended on doing such catastrophic damage to the woman. The sword of Mumei’s still stuck in her one antler as she got up. “Mumei-- I -- Oh, oh no. No no no- I’m sorry- I -”

Mumei looked at the wound and then looked at Fauna. She took a few more steps and then collapsed into the grass, face down as her wound poured out into it.

Fauna ran to her and grabbed her up, her own golden wounds mixing with Mumei’s as she held her close. “No- I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that-- Mumei, wake up!” Fauna shook her as she bled out. Fauna reached towards the ground, vines and grass extended out towards them and coiled around Mumei’s arm wound, tightening and packing itself in to slow and stop the bleeding before doing the same to her stab wound in her side.

Fauna picked her up and began running into the forest, holding Mumei in her arms. “Just hold on… Just hold on…”

She made it to the edge of the village. By now the village was over twice the size it once was, they had gone past the original barrier Fauna had outlined. As she came near, men and women with crossbows came out, aimed at her. The single antlered woman frowned as she held their Guardian in her arms, gold and red bloodied. “Please. Take her. Save her. I did what I could, but..”

“Let her go Witch!” A woman yelled, firing a shot. The arrow hit the ground near Fauna and she gasped quietly. She gingerly put Mumei down on the grass.

“She’s still alive! I stopped the bleeding but she needs time!” Fauna said, gingerly setting Mumei down on the grass in front of her. She raised her hands up into the air, frowning as she backed up. “I’m going to return in a few hours. I’ll have the people you have been missing.”

The hunters looked at her and they ran out to Mumei, quickly picking her up but the others nearby kept their crossbows on Fauna. “I’m sorry.” She said quietly.

“You have our people?” An older man asked her, frowning as he partially lowered his weapon.

Fauna hesitated briefly in her words. “... Yes. But. I’m sorry. I killed them. I.. will return their bodies to you, I know you humans prefer to bury your dead where--” A shot snapped and an arrow hit her in the shoulder and she stumbled back with a grunt.

“Get Mumei inside! Get out of here Witch!” Another shot fired and Fauna took it to the right side of her chest. She made a pained noise, backing up slowly and then turning to run back into the forest.

Fauna would return all of the humans she had in her tree garden, wrapped tightly in vines and leaves. She asked of Mumei, but she was only met with arrows and swords, she returned back to the forest, and never came back out again.

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Mumei. Aged 67.

She stood at the edge of her village, her brown hair was down past her shoulders, and it was graying heavily. The streaks of white that framed her face bled into her brown and black strands. Her gold eyes stared at the forest as she stood there. The one armed woman watched and listened to the trees shift in the wind. She adjusted her sword at her hip and sighed. Her body ached. She had scars hidden under her armor and clothing, wrinkles pulling her cheeks and eyes down. She was so very tired.

She took in a deep breath, closing her eyes. She heard hooves clop against stone and ground, and a wooden cart began to roll nearby. She opened them and looked to her right, seeing the final carriage in a line of them, leaving the village. She glanced behind her.

The village was torn down, most of the good buildings had been disassembled and transported away. What couldn’t be used stayed behind as a skeletal reminder that they had existed in this place for so very long. They needed a new land to start up in, to live off of. More open room and better sources of food and hunting.

But she chose to stay behind. She told them she had a few things to gather and she would meet them in the new land. She wanted to sit and look at this place she had lived in her whole life, and sacrificed so much for. The place she was sworn to protect until her final breath.

When the final cart left sight and was fully gone, Mumei let out a ragged breath. She stepped into the village and looked at the left behind ruins of her village. Her gold eyes scanned for anyone who may have been left, but no. There was no one. It was only silence that met her.

She turned around and walked to the gate, unbuckling her armor and peeling it off with her one hand and setting it propped up against the inner gate wall. She unbuckled her sword sheath and set it down as well. She unclipped her blade and pulled it free. She looked at it, and her scarred reflection in its metal.

The woman held it tightly in her only hand and then set it down next to the sheathe. She turned to the forest. It had been too long, far too long. Almost half of her life since she had ventured back into the forest. The last foggy memory of the spirit, the woman she loved, looking down at her in horror, splattered in gold and red blood.

She stepped out away from the village, briefly stopping at the treeline. She debated turning back and looking at her village, of going after the carriages and carts, but she knew better. She pulled her strength up and then began walking into the forest.

She made her way to Fauna’s old garden. The tree garden she had had grown up now, with modestly sized trees, and the flowers were rampant and overgrown. Weeds and grass was wild here, untamed and not kept in check.

She found her old sword, half buried in the ground. She pulled it free with a bit of effort. The blade’s metal was tarnished and stained with crusted gold. She took a few more steps and found an antler, dried and partially decayed.

She set the sword down and touched the old antler, picking it up. “Fauna…” She said softly to herself. She stood up, holding the antler in her hand.

“Fauna!” She called out and began walking deeper into the woods. “Stop hiding from me!” She called out, her voice worn and quieter than it once was when she yelled. She coughed a few times and aimlessly wandered until she found the largest tree she had ever seen in the forest. It sat in a small clearing alone.

As she approached it, she realized, in the trunk of the tree was the shape of a woman.

Fauna.

Mumei approached the tree, frowning. “Fauna…?” She asked quietly, still holding the old antler in her hand. “Hey… Fauna… Can you hear me?” She stepped to the tree, inspecting it slowly.

“Of course.” Fauna said quietly.

“Huh?” Mumei said quietly. “How do I get you out? Please come out.”

There was a soft silence, with no words between them, until finally Fauna spoke again.

“Turn around, silly.” Fauna said gently. Mumei turned around, finding Fauna standing a few feet behind her. She had a basket in her arms of fruits and berries, flowers too. She smiled at Mumei gently. She had aged as well, her hair was longer, grayer. The green had lost its luster. Her left branch antler was just a nub, and her right one had been shaved down to a soft and shorter curled branch of a horn. Her arm still held a scar from the sword.

Mumei gripped the fallen antler in her hand tighter. “Fauna..” She said simply.

“Mumei.”

Mumei threw the antler down, its spikes sticking in the ground causing it to stand up. Mumei sprinted at Fauna, as fast as her old body could take her and she tackled her to the ground, throwing the basket and contents everywhere. A faded journal tumbled out as well, despite its age, it was well kept and clearly cared for well.

Fauna hugged her close with both arms, putting her legs around hers and holding her close, cradling her head to her chest as they laid in the grass and flowers. “It’s been so long, I thought you left, I thought you-” Mumei blathered, crying against Fauna. “I’m such an idiot. It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have--”

“Shh.” Fauna said softly, petting Mumei gently on the head. “Please. Don’t. I’m.. I’m sorry too. Mumei I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you so.”

“It was so stupid. I.. I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t have let my anger get to me, I shouldn't have let what they had said. The stupid duty, that..”

Fauna squeezed her and they sat up in the grass and Fauna shook her head. “No more. No more past. No more talk of that. Just…” She let out a breath and her body deflated briefly. “Can we just.. Can we just exist…?”

Mumei stared at her for a soft moment, tears welling in her old eyes. “I would love to just exist with you. I never want to leave you again. I tried finding you, when I got better. I tried so hard.” She sniffled.

“I know.” Fauna brushed her faded brown hair out of her face. “I.. stayed away. You were right, some of my demands were unfair and while I do think that humanity does pose a threat, violence only begets more violence, so I removed myself from you and your people. I didn’t want to hurt you again, or any of the people you cared about, even if I do not agree with them.”

“Fauna, you didn’t have to do that. I..” Mumei’s voice fell and she sighed. “Oh who am I kidding. I still would have probably stuck with the village..” She grumbled and sighed heavily. “Stupid tradition. Just… I’m an idiot. I sacrificed so much for the village, and sure it was worth it for them, but…Now.. Look at me…”

Mumei said, motioning to her missing arm and its stub in its folded sleeve, her scarred face and tired body. Fauna cupped her face, brushing her thumbs along the wrinkles and scarred lines. “I am looking. I see such a beautiful woman.” Fauna said gently, leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips.

They held their kiss for as long as they could, pushing as much passion and love into it as their lungs and bodies would allow, until finally they broke apart, and laid their foreheads against one another.

“I’m sorry.” Mumei said softly.

“I’m sorry too, but..” Fauna’s voice faded gently and she tried to smile. “Let's just start from here, okay?”

Mumei leaned forward, hooking her one arm around Fauna’s neck and shoulders, hugging her as she buried her face into her neck.

“We’ll start right here. Promise.”