Jarett half expected the deer to give some sort of age-old saying or simply say "I don't know." yet Shinda tipped her head a little in confusion.

Then she nodded as if understanding something. "Right. You probably didn't come here out of your will. You would be a fawn if that were the case."

Jarett's curiosity perked. "A fawn?"

"Aye. You do know how the legend goes, right?" Shinda inquired, scraping her hoof against the mossy ground.

To that Jarett could answer. "When one's life is troubled so, if it is his wish, he may seek paradise in the forest where deer roam." he recited the words, feeling like a little kid all over again.

The deer nodded. "Those who come to the Forest will appear here as fawn and gradually grow into deer." she explained as if it were the most simple thing in the world.

"Okay, fa-, wait, what?" Jarett stuttered, "You mean people actually come to this forest? The world would surely know of this! How come there have not been any reported missing?"

"There are many people in the world that said world doesn't care about. They haven't been missed by anybody. Those people come here, to this sanctuary, where they can live freely and in peace." Shinda's voice grew somewhat somber.

Jarett grew silent, deeming her words to be true. His mind then floated back to the matter at hand. "Do you know how to get out of here? I'm not done with my business in the real world!" he, almost desperately, asked of the deer.

"I, unfortunately, don't know the way back..." Shinda spoke and Jarett slumped, "But! I know someone who might be able to help you." she added and the man's hopes lifted again.

"She too, can speak your tongue and will probably be of much more use than I."

"Does 'she' have a name?" Jarett queried, anticipating the same answer he had gotten from Shinda.

"She, likely as I, doesn't require a name here, yet... when she came to the Forest, she was called Kasai, the Firebringer." Shinda responded, almost as if aware of Jarett's expectations, slipping in a light smirk.

"Can you take me to her?" Jarett asked, slightly uncomfortable with asking a favor from a female, as if it would hurt his pride.

"You would get lost in the forest, that's for sure, so, I suppose, I'll have to help you." It looked like the deer shrugged, though, it was hard to be certain.

"Know one thing, though. The path to her is not certain. I only know that she resides in the Old Oak, though, I do not know which one. It might take time to find her." a warning tone crept into her silky voice.

"What, you mean, there are several oaks?" skepticism filled Jarett's voice.

"No, there is only one." Shinda responded, her voice, again, like explaining to a child that two plus two is four.

Jarett glared at her, gesturing with his hand to keep information coming.

"There is only one Oak, but as you traverse the Forest, you'll find yourself seeing things in double, triple, even quadruple. The magic is hard to explain, but it's present. If you walk the Forest with me, you'll soon see what I'm talking about." the deer spoke.

"Let's go, then. I need to go back as soon as possible." Jarett leapt to his feet, itching to start going.

Shinda nodded and turned (as gracefully as possible) to start walking.

They trekked side by side, Jarett again and again admiring the beauty of the deer beside him. Even her anthropomorphic appearance couldn't detract his attention from the her glistening hide or the soft glow of her antlers.

Jarett remembered something that she had mentioned "You said she could speak my tongue too. Isn't that common around here?"

"No. In the Forest, one can never speak with words. We communicate using our body language. Before you ask, it is not torture. We simply don't find it necessary to speak like you do, therefore we cannot."

"But, you can speak with me, can't you? How is that possible?"





(End of chapter 4)
ANNOUNCEMENT: I appreciate every word you speak in the comments, so keep 'em comin'! If you see a typo, have something to say about the plot, are just here because of some derpiness, don't be shy to comment! See you in the next chapter!
Royal

Chapter 5
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Chapter 1