Moriko had no way of tracking how much time was passing beyond the sun. Minutes seemed to stretch out to hours, hours were eternities. The bear didn’t seem to care that she was out of reach- more, it seemed to know that it was impossible for it to push down the tree.
Bizarrely, she found herself beginning to drowse.
In her dream, she seemed to be having a conversation with someone about her predicament.
“Strange. Bears don’t usually act like that.” Her interlocutor remarked.
“I don’t understand. It’s a bear.” She argued. “It’s a beast. There’s no rhyme or reason to what a beast does.”
“Yes there is.” Her conversation partner insisted. “A bear will protect its den or its cubs. It will hunt for food. A bear won’t get into pointless fights... and between going and getting an easy meal and waiting for something that’s out of reach, it’s going to give up and go somewhere else, somewhere the food is easier to get to.”
“So what should I do, then?” She demanded.
The person she was talking to rubbed their chin. She couldn’t make them out very well, it was like they were wrapped in an obscuring fog.
“Are you near their den?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think so. I don’t think the Shrine Priestesses would knowingly take us near a bear’s den.”
“By the way, where are your Shrine Priestesses?”
Moriko froze. She had no idea. “I haven’t seen them.”
“Do you think the bear got them?”
“I’m sure they could deal with the bear on their own.” She complained, more for her lack of power than anything else.
“Hmm. Think on this, then: If the bear got them, why isn’t it eating them instead of chasing you around? Flip it around and think about this: If the bear didn’t get them, then where are they?”
Moriko jolted awake and nearly lost her perch. She looked around for the bear, and found it right where it was earlier, basking in the sun. She couldn’t see if its eyes were open or closed, whether it was sleeping or awake.
She checked her sleeves to confirm her kaiken, her knife, was still where it was meant to be, and discovered that at some point or another she had stashed a few scraps of jerky. She thumbed them into her mouth as she considered.
Her robe, like every other Shrine Maiden robe, had magical pockets stitched into the sleeves. Many Maidens stashed arrows for their bow, food, spare ofuda and brush, waterskins, medicines, basically everything they might need. Foolishly, she hadn’t taken advantage of the utility. She really should have.
She could try to wait for the bear to give up and leave. It likely did have a den, like her unseen conversation partner had mentioned. Sooner or later it had to go home, right? She certainly wanted to go home. She checked the sky; it seemed she’d napped for at least a couple of hours. She adjusted her position on the branch she was sitting on and leaned her back against the trunk of the tree. She’d calm herself down a little and think of her next step. The bear lay between her and the path back to the Ancient Pine. There was also the impossibility of going to the highway that stretched between Tannit and Begierde.
She was closer to the Stony Pool, and there was no bear between her and it. It would take several days at the least to get to the Stony Pool, and it was a possibility that the bear would give chase. Animals tracked by scent, right?
She went through her magical pockets again, and came up with the same things: her kaiken, her utility knife, her medicine and pouch of spare cloths to manage her menses. She took a little painkiller; it tasted horrible and was supposed to be taken with water. There was also a sarashi, though she didn’t think she needed it. All Shrine Maidens were expected to bind themselves once they came of age.
She blinked and tugged experimentally on the sarashi. It was silk, of course. Somewhat elastic, but strong. The beginnings of an idea came to mind, but she’d have to wait for nightfall.
In the early evening, she looped her sarashi around the branch she was on, and descended silently, hand over hand, to the forest floor. She twitched the cloth, and as it fell she spooled it up.
Throughout the entire descent she’d kept her eyes on the bear without blinking. She was certain it was sleeping.
She slowly and carefully fled the area, struggling with the overwhelming, panicky urge to run as hard as she could, and the desperate need for stealth.
She headed north for several miles and breathed a sigh of relief when the path that the Shrine Maidens took when they passed to and from the Stony Pool came into view. She could theoretically make it to the Stony Pool, as long as she was able to secure food and water.
She was able to construct a firebow and kindle a small campfire, though she had no food to cook or water to drink. After a couple of hours staring moodily into the small fire, she curled up into a little ball and fell asleep.
*****
He was massive. She’d seen tall humans before, but he was taller than them. His hands looked like they could crush her skull as easily as she could crush an egg. She was certain he was going to kill her.
His head pivoted on his bull neck, his thick shoulders flexed, his arms were as big as tree trunks.
His eyes dipped to hers. A jolt of terror went through her like a bolt of lightning and she wasn’t sure if she’d wet herself.
“Y-You’re very tall.” She stammered, and his eyes, which were hard and probing softened to something a little less intimidating as they fell to her.
He crouched, but even then, even crouched down, he was larger than her. His legs were bigger around than she was. His hands looked like they could pull melons apart, his fingers thick and spatulate.
But he smiled at her gently.
“And you’re very small.” He replied to her, and she immediately trembled in fear. It was an explicit warning: “stay out of my way”, it said.
But his eyes were kind. It was like he was reminding himself that she was the small and delicate one.
“I’ll get bigger!” She promised. He would not have to look out under his feet for long. She would get bigger, grow taller, get stronger.
He grinned at her playfully, as if he could read her thoughts.
“I’m-” He began, and something in her demanded she speak up.
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“Everyone knows who you are.” she interrupted self-importantly, and with a trace of bitter irony in her voice. She knew what that was like.
But he simply nodded at her. “I imagine so.” was his reply. “And who might you be?” he asked, his voice smooth and calm and polite.
He might be a giant, but he wasn’t someone to fear. When he’d spotted her, the first thing he’d done was try to bring himself down to her height. He wanted to speak to her as an equal. She knew it, could feel it in her bones.
But the bitterness in her breast wouldn’t be denied. “Everyone knows who I am.” She complained.
He smiled at that, too.
“Well then I’m nobody.” He explained simply, “Because I have no idea who you are.”
A dozen little thoughts raced through her mind. Of course he had no idea who she was. He was a visitor from Outside, there was no way that he could know who she was.
If he didn’t know who she was, then maybe he’d treat her differently.
She balled her tiny hands into fists. She’d introduce herself properly, then, and without fear of that same, pointless judgemental look.
She opened her mouth to speak-
“Moriko!” The woman’s voice echoed from across the exercise yard. She shouldn’t have been out of bed. It was against the rules, but she wanted to explore.
The man rose to his feet, growing as if by some terrifying magic. He once again towered over everything. He even stretched his arms up and out and wide in a subtle intimidation that didn’t go unnoticed.
He was massive. Gigantic. He was as big as the Ancient Pine itself, a titanic force of relentless power and unfathomable strength. He could eat whole children, swallow them whole.
Suddenly he scooped her up.
She was certain he was going to wrap his massive hands around her tiny body and with cataclysmic force tear her asunder and drink her innards.
He nestled her comfortably in the crook of his arm, as one might hold a small pet. His leathered, calloused palm stroked her head gently.
He said something to the Shrine Maiden, but she couldn’t tell what it was. She was nestled against his massive chest; his voice was the boom and crack of rumbling thunder in the distance. He smelled like sweat and leather and woodsmoke, an earthy, comfortable smell.
The Shrine Maiden said something back, and Daveth adjusted his grip on her gently and held her out towards the Shrine Maiden. Moriko beat her tiny fists on his chest; she wasn’t sure if it was because he was handing her back or if it was because he’d treated her like a small animal.
The giant and the Shrine Maiden made some more conversation as the Shrine Maiden received her.
As the Shrine Maiden beat a hasty retreat back towards the dorms, Moriko peeked over the Shrine Maiden’s shoulder at the gigantic man. He gave her a little wave as she was taken back to the dormitories.
“Thanks for all of your hard work.” The eldest Shrine Priestess called out to one of her compatriots, who was slipping into camp. “I would have done it myself, but lately my joints aren’t what they used to be.” She complained. “I think it’s nearly time for me to be put to rest in the soil.” The eldest expected the other Shrine Priestess to be accompanied by Moriko, and the sight of the Priestess without the Acolyte was alarming.
“Where is she?”
The Shrine Priestess shook her head. “I lost her trail.”
“That’s not all you lost. You lost Moriko.” The Eldest barked angrily. “You know what that means.”
The other Shrine Priestesses nodded. Even though there was no preferential treatment in the Shrines, Moriko was supposed to be protected.
The pilgrimage from one Shrine to another was an important test for the Acolytes, a rite of passage, to show them what was to be expected of them as Shrine Maidens. Somehow, Moriko was not where she was supposed to be, and got separated from the rest of the group.
They needed to find her, quickly and discreetly.
Moriko found a creek and plunged headfirst into the water. For a girl used to bathing daily, the entire trip was an essay in letting sweat, grime, dirt, and other unpleasant things build up. She washed her face and hands and drank greedily.
She cleaned herself as quickly and as thoroughly as she could, keeping her eyes out for any sign of pursuit from the bear, ears straining for the slightest sound.
As she waded out of the creek, something caught her eye, and she moved closer to investigate.
Buried halfway in the mud of the creek’s bank was a rusting sword. She reached out to take it, but froze, fingers a few inches from the rotted leather on the hilt.
Shrine Maidens were forbidden from touching any weapon that was not consecrated to the Shrines. It went against everything she was taught.
Slowly, reluctantly, she left the sword where it lay. It was possible she could have gotten some use from it, but it was forbidden.
She pulled herself from the creek and dressed quickly, then returned to the path and began trotting towards the Shrine of the Stony Pool.
The Shrine of the Stony Pool did not have the long, winding steps up a mountainside like the Ancient Pine or the one at Hitotsuna Shrine, but like the other Shrines, she was immediately accosted.
“You. Acolyte. I don’t think I know you.” A Shrine Maiden greeted her coolly.
“My name is Moriko. I’m an Acolyte of the Ancient Pine.” She introduced herself boldly, though she was weak on her feet. She’d been nearly a week without food and scarcely any water.
The Shrine maiden raised an eyebrow. “An acolyte from another Shrine?” She asked curiously. “I think a Priestess should hear your story.” She decided. “You will need to disarm.”
Moriko held out her utility knife and kaiken, and the Shrine Maiden gave her a nonplussed look.
“You expect me to believe that’s all you carry?” She scoffed, but Moriko, exhausted, emaciated, and starving, collapsed in a faint at the woman’s feet.
Moriko awoke to the smell of soup and the humming of another woman. She was laying in a bed, and discovered that her Acolyte’s clothes had been removed.
“Awake, I see.” The woman observed. She was middle-aged and human, and wore the coat of a Shrine Priestess.
“Acolytes are forbidden from leaving their Shrines.” The woman began. “How did you come to be here?”
Moriko summarized her trip from the ancient Pine, the bear, getting separated from the rest of her group, and deciding to travel onward to the Stony Pool.
There were several subtle reactions and expressions from the Shrine Priestess when the expedition and the bear were mentioned, and another when Moriko relayed that she’d made the decision to go on alone, but she couldn’t make heads or tails of them. The Yamato placed a great deal of emphasis on paying attention to subtle changes in body language and expression as a whole, but Moriko herself wasn’t schooled in what those things could mean. Still, she filed those reactions away in the back of her mind for later.
“It seems you’ve had quite an ordeal.” The Priestess summarized after Moriko was finished.
“So what is to happen next?” Moriko asked.
“Well, to allay your concerns, I’ll let you know that messages have been sent to the Shrine Priestesses of the Mountain Pine, and they’ll be here soon to pick you up. As far as you’re concerned, the next thing for you to do is to eat this soup and rest. When you wake up, I will check to see if you can eat something with a bit more substance.”
She pointed to the soup and got up to leave. For a moment, it seemed as if she wanted to say something further, but instead she simply left the room.
Moriko lifted the lid on the bowl of soup and grimaced, since it was simply broth. Still, it was better than nothing. She drank it, savoring the strong herbal flavor. The Priestess wanted her to rest, did she? Moriko instead decided that she’d like to explore the Shrine of the Stony Pool a bit, since this was her first visit.
She looked around for her sandals, but couldn’t immediately see them. She was a bit lightheaded and dizzy, but that was likely because she’d been without food for so long. She glanced around- surely they’d left her her clothes nearby, at least, right? A wave of sleepiness washed over her, but she struggled against it. She wasn’t tired. She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, but surely it was long enough to rejuvenate her. She eyed her bed as a jaw-cracking yawn seemed to force its way out of her.
Maybe a little nap wouldn’t hurt.
She fell asleep sitting upright.
The Shrine Priestess eyed her from a crack in the door. “Certainly stubborn, that one.” She remarked to the head Shrine Maiden of the Stony Pool. “Lay her down and tuck her into bed. It will be a few days before the Ancient Pine arrive.”
The Shrine Maiden nodded.