The Call of the Woodland Spirit

Chapter 16

The mountains whirred, trees glistened in the bright morning light, and I seemed to be 'living the life'. Almost like a dog, I was sitting close to the edge of the sled with my hair flying and my mouth open at the beauty of everything I was seeing. If I had a tongue long enough, it would be hanging out of my mouth like Kaskae's.

All the dogs were in full spirit, never seeming to tire as they pulled against the thick ice, slipping and sliding. I turned to Arashi, a big grin on my face. I noticed he was looking at me already, and when he saw my eyes on his he blinked as if stirred from a dream and smiled sheepishly back. That smile always made my heart flutter a bit—probably because I had never even seen any such smile at the orphanage.

And it still amazed me to how he could even bear one after the loss of his wife and daughter. But I am glad he is feeling a bit better now. And.. I felt safe with him. It was an odd feeling; safety.

From what he told me in the past few minutes, he loved animals just the same as me. Maybe whatever had happened at Suga's place was something animal-related, so he had to rush in to save them! Maybe.. his job out in the woods had to do with the forest creatures. I wondered at the possibilities. Should I just ask him..?

The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, shy and observant from a high angle. The air was mixed, warm from the rays and simultaneously cold from the biting wind that flew into my face. It felt like tiny droplets of water, cool and soothing against my skin. I bit my lip. I still had too many questions.

As polite and welcoming as Arashi was... there was something else there...

"Hey, Arashi?"

He turned to me, having been looking at a large black bird on a tree branch off to the side. He titled his head. "Yes?" I sucked in my left cheek, thinking. "What do you do?" I asked curiously. Arashi was silent for a few, long moments. The only sounds that were heard were Suga's loud humming and the pants of the sled team.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, your job? What do you do for a living?" I questioned, my interest knowing no bounds today. Arashi ran his eyes across my face, looking lost for a second, before he gave me a half-smile. "Granted, there's not much need for many full-time jobs here as everyone helps around, but I'm sort of what you would call a conservationist. Lately, the forest hasn't been too healthy around the borders of the town."

He sighed, as if it were his fault.

"Something bad happened that day at Suga's. It was an emergency, and needed immediate attention. But, that's enough of that. I made a promise that the next few days were going to be about you." He smiled, and I blushed back.

"How do you like the sled ride so far?" he asked curiously. I grinned at him. "It's awesome! I love it. Thanks for bringing me out here. I've really always wanted to go on a sled." His face softened. For a second, it seemed as if I had just accidentally ranted to him, but his smile only grew and it made me laugh a little at myself.

"I.. really have to thank you, Arashi."

He titled his head at me curiously, but he didn't lose his smile.

I continued. "It's been a few days since you've taken me in, and I haven't gotten the chance to really—well—thank you all that much. So, um, thank you. I really appreciate everything you have done for me so far. I just.. kind of wished I had known you before."

I smiled awkwardly at him, hoping it wasn't too much all at once. Arashi's eyes twinkled. He opened his mouth, about to say something when Suga suddenly piped up.

"Hey, you two! Look, right under Kodiak Mountain. And not a wolf in sight. That's good!" she laughed a little and turned to look over her shoulder with a smirk. "Arashi's scared of 'em."