The Forest and the Hunter

The Hunter is fierce, strong, proud, and dedicated to his work. He sees his prey with determination. His village relies on him for food and protection. With his firm, sculped frame made for the wild, his strength is built to match a bear, and his wits match the fastest long-haired rabbit. He has a bow that only he is strong enough to pull back. The arrows are so long and sturdy that only he can launch them from his bow. He slowly creeps through the forest on another hunt. He scans the woods for his next prey, the village’s next meal, and his arrow’s next victim. Step by step, not making a sound, avoiding leaves and branches, one foot in front of another.
The Hunter sees his prey through the long, thick forest trees. An adult long-horned deer with short brown fur with some white spots. It looks like it is eating from something, so this is the perfect opportunity. The Hunter inches closer and closer, step by step, inch by inch. He stops, sets his feet, and pulls the arrow back into the bow. He aims, centering the arrow at the deer’s chest, then something hits him. Nothing physical, but a gaze he had never felt before, with that feeling flowing down to his heart. He is confused but happy. He is scared but embraces it. For some reason, he knows not to be afraid. He then realizes he is not alone in this forest and is being watched.
The Hunter slowly scans the forest again, but what he is looking for is right in front of him. A forest goddess was feeding the deer and looking directly at the Hunter. Her hair is wrapped in green cloth, her body shines from sweat with the humidity of the forest, and her beautiful green eyes shine like the light reflecting an emerald jewel. She is feeding the deer with one hand and gently stroking it with her other hand. She has a spear against the closest tree and a sword strapped to her back. She has not taken her eyes off the Hunter. He slowly lowers his bow, frozen by her beauty, and takes a step back.
A snap is heard that echoes throughout the forest as the Hunter steps on a branch behind him. The deer turns, sees the Hunter, and then takes off into the deep woods. The Hunter requires his target, raises his bow, and prepares to fire. But the goddess appears in the line of fire, pointing her spear at the Hunter. The deer disappears into the forest, and the goddess and the Hunter square off. They point their weapons at one another. The goddess slowly lowers her spear with the Hunter lowers his bow. She leaps back into the forest, not taking her eyes off the Hunter. She lands on one of the thick tree branches, and her stare stays on the Hunter. Then she takes one more leap back and disappears into the forest.
The Hunter stands there frozen from what he just saw. Not just of her movements but her beauty. The Hunter breaks from his daydream and realizes he must bring back food. But this can be one of the days that he has no luck, which the village understands. But will he see her again if he kills an animal in her forest? On the way back to his village, he ponders on that question. Afterward, the Hunter would return to the forest in the same area every day and wait on the goddess, but she never showed up. And every day, he does not bring back food. Days turn to months with no food coming into the village. The village starves, and it is the Hunter’s vault.
The village now has enough of the Hunter’s inability to hunt for food anymore. The village elders have decided to find a new hunter, but the old one must go. They exile the Hunter and stone him out of the village. He tries to avoid being hit as much as possible, but some rocks still hit him in the head, back, and chest. He asks himself, was this all worth it for…love? He did this to himself, and he deserves everything that is happening to him right now. He finally makes it out of the village and into the forest, the same spot he has been waiting for the goddess for months.
Night falls as the Hunter sits next to a fire that he starts to keep warm. He stares into the flames, bruises, and swollen knots all over his face and body from the stones, taking in his punishment as a failure. He falls asleep with the last image of the flames, thinking about what he has done.
“You shouldn’t be sad.” A beautiful voice is heard in the Hunter’s head, “This was my fault.”
The Hunter snaps out of his sleep, and the goddess kneels before him. He is speechless, eyes wide in shock, and takes a long inhale. The goddess smiles, reach out, and places one of her hands on his face.
“I am Aja, the spirit of the forest. And I should have let you get your prey.” Aja explains.
The Hunter continues to sit there, not knowing what it do, as she gently rubs his face.
“He is an old friend, and I was not ready to see him go yet.” Aja continues, “But I will not stand in your way again. Your village depends on you. And the forest is here for that purpose. Please, take what you need and bring it back to your village. Restore your position, live your life, and I hope this never happens again.”
Aja stands up, turns around, and starts to walk back into the darkness of the forest.
“Will I ever see you again?” The Hunter asks.
“As long as you return to my forest, there is always a chance.” Aja answers, “But I would like to see you as well.”
The Hunter snaps out of his sleep, and it is now morning. He looks around, confused, wondering if that was just a dream. He feels his face where Aja was touching him, and he no longer feels bruises and swollen knots where the stones hit him. He is completely healed from all his wounds. He stands up and turns around, looking at his bow and arrows as he quickly grabs them and takes off into the forest.
Later that day, the village continues to suffer as they all have nothing to eat to sustain them for long. Then from the forest emerges the Hunter, with two adult deer, rabbits, and fresh water. The village rejoices in his return with his offerings and lifts his exile, taking his rightful place back in the town. The Hunter stands in the middle of the village, proud to bring stability back, but he turns around and looks back into the forest, still wondering if that was all a dream.
Days later, the Hunter is back in the forest, hunting for food. He sees another deer in his sight. He raises his bow, pulls back the arrow, and starts to aim. Then a gentle hand comes over his and adjusts his aim slightly. The Hunter releases the arrow, and it hits the deer perfectly. The Hunter turns and sees Aja standing closely next to him, smiling.