Through the Woods

[kitten]

Sashia walked around the forest.She had seen all the animals and walked to them,she smiled and pet the squurals and looked at the birds whisling and then looked around.she smield and keep walking.

[Aiko]

It was hard to be so cheerful in such a depressing place as this forest, where everything from the whole “eternal night” gag to the cold snow at any time of year was just begging you to let your hopes down. But as Aiko was sure somebody had told her at some point in her life, you had to keep your head up and keep smiling, no matter how bad life tried to get you down! That was her philosophy now. That was a good philosophy. Who told her that?

…oh well.

See? Up in the treetops, a few squirrels went about their everyday business. A few winterized birds flitted around, ducking into the shelter of knotholes in the trees’ trunks. There was life everywhere, if Aiko just stopped to look at it, which she did. Of course, stopping in the middle of the freezing snow also had the result of leaving her feet, and what little sense of touch they had left, extremely numb. Her arms were wrapped around herself, small hands clinging to the dirty fabric in which she cloaked herself. Even so, her chattering teeth testified that it wasn’t enough to keep her footsies from freezing off.

And yet, she smiled.

Turning her gaze away from the livelier canopy of the forest and to its drearier underbelly, Aiko shivered again. It really was kind of creepy if she didn’t remind herself that the little animals lived here just fine. Slowly, she forced the snow aside with her frozen, bare legs, continuing on her trek through the woods. What she was doing in the woods, she had no idea. Perhaps that little kid she’d asked was being mean when he pointed out the shortest route to the next village… No! She wouldn’t believe that. She had probably misunderstood the directions, that was all.

But she was paying for it now. Her smile was demolished as her teeth began to chatter even harder, and she scrunched her eyes shut. Even so, she forced herself to keep walking. She’d go until she couldn’t go any more!

Okay. She couldn’t go any more.

Aiko curled up in a ball in the snow, unknowingly lying in the path of another who was taking a lovely stroll through the not-so-lovely woods.

[Birdie]

Hitoshi, being the trouble maker he was, could not help but desire to get away from that damned castle when he could. He had come to the worst place in the world. He had come to a frozen forest. What a stupid idea. Why had he come here? There were no girls. There were no men to fight and no Lord Sesshoamru's to bother. There was o Brigantia to fawn over. All that was here was snow and snacks.

He lumbered on, the largest red panda one person could ever lay their eyes on. His demon form. His soft ears were black tipped, though mostly an auburn color. His large bushy tail trailed over the snow, leaving a funny looking trail. A set of foot prints and a long almost snake like trail in between them. His fur kept him warm in this weather.

Whilst walking and musing about his own stupidity he came upon a girl. A small, cold little girl. He gently sniffed her. He licked her face. He then carefully nudged her. Through some careful and somewhat hard maneuvering he had the girl on his back. He began walking in the direction of a cave he knew to be in this forest. Or rather, a large hole in a hill.

There the girl would be warm.

On the way to the cave his eyes say the form of yet another young woman. She seemed to be enjoying herself in this frozen world. He gave a soft snort and continued on his way.