Alone in the Woods
Chapter 13 - Meet Cute
For the first time in a long time, I ventured east to the forest's edge. My sword was in hand for my peace of mind. The plan was to sense share with some trees to act as a look out for un wanted guests. Trees big enough to walk through were also a bit rare here, compared to the younger smaller ones. I was still finding them every once in a while.
I also kept my eyes on the ground looking for another stupid trap, and I was kinda right to do so. I found one, but I felt it through the roots of a tree rather than spot it. It was relatively well hidden too. There was enough brush around that it didn't look unnatural for the spot to be a bit more covered than the rest. I set off the trap then tossed it in a ditch where rapidly growing plant life hid the awful contraption.
I was doubly on edge as I searched the rest of the area. I wouldn't take a step without a guarantee that there wasn't another trap waiting for me. Needless to say that made my sweep take a while. I actually came across one of the traps that had one of those oversized rabbits. The dang things were nearly the size of a golden retriever, they also tasted pretty good. Fortunately for this one I had a vendetta against these traps. I got some growing vines to coil tight around the mechanism until it finally loosened its hold on the poor creature.
I had of course told the critter I was a friend and here to help. Once freed I patched up its leg and sent the bun on its way. I had to admit it was cute to see it hopping away. Animals were great. I kinda lucked out on getting the druidess gig. If you ignored the fact I probably died in a car crash to make that happen. Eh, I'm way happier nowadays.
My journey eventually lead me to a flower filled clearing. White violet and red wild flowers made the area very pretty. I was also pretty sure that this was a stone's throw from the farmland.
I heard a startled yelp. My attention snapping over to the far edge of the clearing I saw a young woman staring at me. I froze. My eyes staring into hers for a painfully long moment before I averted them downward. Um shit, What do? My quick thinking told me to wave. Looking up enough to see her facial expression but not enough to make eye contact I saw her.
She was a bit more heavy set that I was, a tad taller too. Her dark brown hair up in a bun. She wore a cream colored peasant dress and held a white flower in hand. I was never great at reading facial expressions, and at this point I was so out of practice that it was pointless. At least it wasn't anger, that one was always an easy one to spot. Oh and she hadn't run away or attacked me yet so that was a million times better than my last human encounter.
She even slowly waved back. Shit I was awkwardly waving that whole time. I put my hand down and um waited I guess. I didn't know what to do. I had no idea how to people, and this was a beautiful lady. I was just some feral savage of the woods compared to her.
I pulled my hands close to my chest as my sword hit the ground. My hands shook, and I subtly started rocking back and forth on my feet. I kept trying to think but I couldn't. The pretty girl fried my brain. I could faintly tell she was saying something in that weird local language I couldn't understand. Oh and she was getting closer.
I panicked and fled. A sizable tree was nearby and I went to go through it. I hit my head on the trunk, and fell on my ass. The mild head trauma helped me think again. Fuck I forgot to connect to the tree and pick a destination. Fuck I forgot my sword. Shit she was right behind me. Glancing at her she had my sword in my hands. I curled in a ball as vines and roots grew into a protective cocoon around me. I was crying and hyperventilating. Emotions drowning out my thoughts again.
I woke up at some point. Someone was singing nearby. Oh and I wasn't cuddled up with wolf mom. Trying to sit up I realized I was trapped in some plant life.
Slowly everything came back to me. I was searching the edge, saved a rabbit, found a cute girl panicked and… I woke up? Wait is she the one singing. It sounds like it could be her. But she was going to stab me with my sword. Wasn't she? That didn't make sense. Wait what if she was trying to hand it back to me. Who would hand the savage lady covered in dirt and blood a sword? A nice person? Or a stupid one.
I focused on my senses though the many plants connected to me. I could feel the entrance to the den, the grove, the watering hole, grumpy bear was going out for food again, and outside my cocoon the pretty woman was singing softly. And my sword laid on the ground next to her.
I am so, so dumb. Maybe she is too, but it seems like she is trying to be nice. Which is weird. People don't act nice like that, only animals do, like wolf mom. Is the singing girl an animal? Technically humans are animals, but I don't think my nature stuff works on people. Otherwise the hunter would have been nicer. Soooo she is just a nice person and I should stop hiding. Now. I should stop hiding now.
It took me a minute of false starts before I emerged from the cocoon like it was a blooming flower. The young woman let out a yelp at the sudden movement. With the last barrier between us gone I averted my eyes. It turns out we were now like a foot away from each other.
She mumbled something, and handed me my sword. I mumbled a thanks and then stood their awkwardly. I really couldn't handle much more of this even if there was no danger.
I stroked my hair back and realized I had my flower behind my ear. So I pulled it out and handed it to her as a thanks. She made a squeaking noise and I proceeded to connect and step through the tree next to me.
I sat there running through the entire interaction in my head over and over finding every fault I made in that brief social interaction. I the proceeded to beat myself up over all my nitpicks.
It was only after finally laying those thoughts to rest that my fridge logic chimed in to remind me of my biggest faux paus. Something the pretty girl would definitely hate me for. I was naked that whole fucking time.