Little Curiosities

Eyes, so earnest and enthusiastic, turn their whole focus toward the woman as she speaks. The hair framing her face is as waves of pure earth, softly reflecting the warm light of the lanterns; her words fall through the air like the old evergreen’s leaf, their transient beauty drawing me closer. There almost seems to be an aloofness about her though, I think, an enigmatic edge quite beyond my narrow realm of experience and that is quietly unnerving. Nevertheless, the woman is engaging, intelligent and fills my ears with a plethora of complimentary information. These lips, rosebud red, carve a smile through my expression. “They are finding passage through our woods,” my own, far plainer tone suggests, indicating the incident consuming my thoughts. It is not in my heart to be secretive though, and, while my smile weakens to a more sobered length, I openly reveal the moment spent recently with Jigano. “…they offer at our shrines and bond with our wild creatures. I spoke with one maybe a month ago. I’ll admit, he seemed nothing like the awfulness we are taught.” A pang of guilt resonates in my stomach and the heat of wildfire touches my cheeks. Perhaps if it had been the red fox (the Greatwood's famous merchant...), encountered first, instead of Jigano and little Isuma, my opinion of the barrier-folk would be less. My gaze returns abruptly to the page where my finger still rests.