ASHINA THE FAE MATE

"Ashina..."

The woman startled awake, The darkness around her bed of autumn leaves cradled her as she jolted. Instead of giving in to the temptation to call out into the pitch-black void, she chose to bury herself even more deeply in the dry vegetation that was crunching beneath her skin.

Her bareness was obvious even without sight because the crunchy leaves were rubbing along every bodily crevice. As a tickling sensation caught her attention, she sighed gently and rubbed her thighs and buttocks, hoping she wouldn't end up as a meal for little insects. maybe bigger ones... She shuddered at the idea.

She remained motionless for hours, allowing her shaky breathing to lull her into a state of meditation until the surrounding countryside turned grey from the laboriously slow rising light. The lack of her memory wasn't apparent to her until old tree trunks and bushes started to grow around her. She was unsure of her identity and origins.

With the exception of a few minor bruises around her ankle, she quickly examined her body in the advancing light and discovered no noticeable marks or wounds. In an effort to find something familiar, she stood up, swept her hands across her body to remove any debris, and then she began to move.

She stumbled around the forest. Her feet were repeatedly sliced by unnoticed sharp things, and she limped with an aching stomach. Her feet appeared to be covered in scabs when she glanced at them. A few times, she dropped to her knees and crawled when the pain got too intense. Her brow furrowed as she prodded her soles and picked at the dirt and dried blood.

And who am I?

Standing densely on moist soil, tall evergreens appeared to be mocking her as their tips vanished into the silver mist above. She went in what at first glance appeared to be a straight line, but after encountering the same mossy boulder three times, she gave up and sat down.

She plucked at the grayish-green rock, her gentle nails bending and tearing as she did so, leaving a crimson mark. She grunted as she twisted an old, bendy twig into a knot and threw it into the brush while putting her head against the chilly stone. She blinked as the finger painting markings and the branches suddenly came to her with an innovative thought.

She leaped up, grabbed a handful of straggly branches from a neighbouring pine, tied the ends together, and formed a loop. She placed it atop the boulder like a crown and then marched off, beaming.

She yelled behind her, "I hope I never see you again, you bloody, mossy bastard!" before making another circle over a neighboring tree to indicate a way.

As dusk swiftly fell, she huddled up next to an old pine that was eight arms broad around its circumference.

"Goodnight, big guy," she replied, letting out a satisfied sigh and retaining one hand in an awkward embrace on the silky bark.

She woke up startled at dawn after hours of light and sporadic sleep. Finally, the muttering she had been hearing in her nightmares made sense.

With a smile and a gasp of relief at having something of her own at last, she exclaimed, "My name!"

"Ashina."

Ashina eventually came across a huge, folded blue tarpaulin after some time of trekking and joyfully muttering about her name. She prowled about the tightly wrapped package, prodding it with a decaying stick. She picked it up and wrapped the frayed twine bow string around it after waiting for it to move or make a sound.

An old t-shirt, some enormous men's sweatpants, and six energy bars were all carefully tucked within. She turned one of the tiny, rectangular snacks she was holding and looked at the ingredients.

Fruit, dates, and peanuts. A lot of blah. may have sharp pieces, and the colour may change. Keep away from direct sunlight.

Ashina shrugged and greedily shoved the ancient-looking bar into her mouth after pondering whether it was safe to consume it. Her eyelids rolled back as the sweetness coated her tongue despite its crumbly, moisture-free feel. After the second one, she stopped because she realised that it might be the only food for a long and that the lack of water was making her tongue swell. She hastily put on the curiously soft clothing before continuing to drag the tarp behind her.

Ashina continued her professional trail marking after the most recent event from the previous day. Before mastering the distance between markers, she only walked in a circle once. Ten measures. 10 little steps!

I should be leaving soon. Anywhere this is."

Ashina slept tucked under her crinkling blue tarp while the sky progressively darkened that day. She woke up in a little clearing a few hours later. Growls and hoots could be heard close by as she prepared to sit up and oriented herself in the pitch black. She froze, frozen in the foot-long, dew-coated grass, the woodland now obviously outside her range and too far away for her to sneak around in secret.

She was lying on her back, gasping uncomfortably as she gazed at the starless, moonless sky. Rough shapes could be seen around her in her vision, but they were nothing compared to the sounds she was hearing. As the unknown creatures stalked the treeline, branches splintered and cracked.

Exactly what is going on?

Ashina was irritated that she hadn't consumed all of the bloodied energy bars after feeling a tiny grumble in her stomach. If she had, she wouldn't have to worry about her rumbling stomach scaring off potential monsters. She curled into a ball, and the area erupted in dozens of low grunts and huffs.

Leave now, please! Her chest constricted as the noise of the rustling grass and crackling twigs grew louder. Her bladder would have happily spilled its contents across the ground, so she was relieved that there was none.

In the split second it took Ashina to slam her eyes shut in panic, the night had given way to day, and she was back under the tarp and pine tree by alone.

Bile spewed from her quivering lips as she spoke, and her eyes adjusted to the blazing sunlight while her head felt leaden from disorientation.

Despite being unsure of her circumstances, Ashina understood the phenomenon she encountered was impossibly rare. But a recognizable feeling shivered down her spine.

This location is not located on Earth.

She was even more confused because the unexpected notion wasn't stunning. She sighed, wiped her temples, and folded the tarp, tucking it under her arms.

The loneliness of that day of confused wandering. Ashina consumed two more bars, which she found difficult to swallow, then exhaled the remainder of her water via sweat. She sat, allowing the coolness of the moist patch of soil to caress her tired feet's chapped soles.

Ashina was lying down and gazing at the treetops that were bursting with silvery mist into the sunlight when a dull pain in her chest interrupted her. She ignored it for a few minutes before sprawling out like a starfish in the mud and blinking quickly. She was under a lot of pressure, yet she kept her tears inside. Instead, she developed a large pout and began to agitatedly rub her eyes.

Hurt you, cry!

Only when she believed she could faintly hear the trickling of water close did she stop trying to induce feeling. Ashina let out a cry, rolled onto her stomach, and scuttled across the stony ground into some dense vegetation. She saw a sheer drop through the sharp leaves. A tiny crystalline torrent beckoned to her from the base of the tiny cliff.

Oh my god.

She carelessly threw her battered legs over the side and descended, her front caked in mud. She looked down at the smooth surface while knelt by the water's edge. Ashina studied her peculiar appearance, her brows furrowing. She reached up and prodded at her soiled cheeks while her colorless, possibly silver eyes looked for recognition but found none. Likewise, nothing. Her scalp's tangled nest of hair was brown from the days she spent sleeping on the ground, but it was white from the root up.

She moaned and smacked the water, creating the shape of a cup while distorting her reflection. She then drank as much of the crisp liquid as her stomach would allow. An ethereal, feminine voice came to her in her head after she took a few gasping breaths, once puked, and continued to drink.

"Follow the river downstream," was said.

"Mother?" When instructed, Ashina grinned into her damp palms. I was told that by my mum.

She had hope because of the voice's recognizability, but when she peered between her fingers' gaps, she discovered the water remained still. utterly still.

She sobbed and rubbed the cool creek water across her face, "There is no downriver..."

"Dammit."

After rising to her feet, Ashina strolled along the water's edge before kicking it in anger.

Just get moving, please.

The water began to move quickly in the direction she kicked as a wave of tingling energy surged down her body. Her thick eyebrows protruded into her hairline.

"Woah..."

Around her, birdcalls suddenly erupted, and she recognised she hadn't heard any forest critters for hours. She was confident they couldn't be bothered by her after stumbling through their house for days.

I might be under observation.

The idea made her spine chill. Ashina was sure it couldn't be the monsters from the previous night because of how loud they were, so she speculated that it might be people. She was shivering, though, even at the prospect of surrounding people.

The river opened up into a big body of water towards the end, its edge being bordered by countless pebbles in the shape of eggs. After skimming a few, she scowled as she once more observed that the crystal-clear waters weren't flowing. The water appeared to be a massive puddle from the stillness of the shoreline.

What the hell is going on here?

As she sat on the pebbled shore, Ashina watched as the sun drooped groggily below the horizon. She watched as a steady dot of light blinked repeatedly from the woods to the slight right of her.

Its flickering accelerated when she waved at it. Along with it, her heart beat. She watched it carefully for a few minutes, and when it didn't get any closer, she exhaled in relief.

She cautiously tucked herself beneath her cover and said, "You stay right there, weird light." Before she allowed her eyelids to flutter shut, it winked one final time.

That night, as she woke up, she could hear something coming from beneath her, behind the crinkling blue linen. She wasn't certain if it was in her head or someplace in the forest.

voice of her mother. rough and brutal. Despairing.

"Ashina..."