The birch tree has many symbolic meanings and spiritual significance in various cultures.
"You came back."
You smile at the beautiful purple eyes and white hair that stood before you offering her own smile at you in return.
"I did."
You still remember the first time you met the mysterious spirit of the old birch forest. It was last year during spring. Your father worked as a lumberjack and together both you and him would go out and start collecting wood from the nearby forest . However since his leg injury it's been solely on you to make ends meat and go get the wood yourself. It wasn't an easy feat. To help save yourself the trip, instead of going up the mountain to get the regular oaks and maple trees and bring them all the way down the mountain, you decided to go towards the nearby Birch tree forest. Your father did warn you before about the place-
"Do you ever know why we never go near those woods, Y/n?"
"No. Why?"
"Because it's haunted."
"Haunted? Haunted how?"
"Many years ago, there was a priest who lived there in a shrine that's now long gone. He had a daughter who became a shrine maiden after her father died however she herself died young. They say her ghost became a White Birch Spirit and she takes care of those sacred woods like he did in life. That's why no lumberjack ever dated go near those woods let alone take one of her trees. That's just asking for trouble."
You never took him seriously of course. You've never heard of such things from anyone else who you spoke too. So you decided ond day as your father was still healing, you grabbed the axe and made your way out down the valley instead of up the mountain. Until you came across the first of the White tree line. You weren't very strong by yourself so you decided to venture inwards until you found one thing enough to chop down and easily carry back. The moment you stepped past the treeline-
It was as if no other life was there.
The singing birds stopped singing. No squirrels ran up the trees. And there wasn't a single insect in sight. Only the grass and the white trees. Odd certainly but not really too out of the ordinary in your mind however it almost felt like you were being watched. Nah that was crazy. You were just paranoid from the ghost stories. Eventually you found a good enough tree. A few years old at most and the tree you walked forward to was very thin. It'd make quick but thin firewood you could quickly sell for cheap. Stopping a yard away from the thin trunk, you sat the heavy axe down very quick to roll your sore shoulder from carrying it for so long. Before gripping it tightly, swinging it high above your head-
You froze solid.
Standing before your eyes ...was a woman.
A very BEAUTIFUL woman.
She was pale. So pale she might've been dead. With pure white hair to match and the most striking purple eyes you've ever seen. It pierced you straight through the soul. You both stood there staring at each other for a long moment before she spoke.
"Why are you here?"
The axe fell from your hands with a loud thud to the ground as you stuttered. "I-I-...I ju-just...firewood." You managed to sputter out.
"This tree is not yet fully grown. You have no purpose here. Leave."
You didn't have to be told twice. Out of fear from the woman you snatched up the heavy axe and ran all the way home where you told your father everything that had transpired when he asked about your terrified face.
"Didn't I warn you?," he scolded you with a frown, "You're lucky that spirit let you go with just a warning. What if she had made a tree fall on you? Or she followed you home to haunt us? Next time I tell you about something listen to me!"
You did. You really did. For the next month you went up the mountain to get wood instead of of the birch woods and thankfully nothing happened but you couldn't help but feel guilty about what happened. You felt like you disturbed a sacred area and now you had to right the wrongs. Despite your father's warnings and your better judgement, you decided to go back but this time with offerings. Some food, money, and incense since that's what they usually put on shrines for offerings. Being a former shrine maiden, she might like it.
The pattern repeated itself. You went back to the Birch forest only this time without the axe and like before you felt like you were being watched the moment you stepped into the woods. White trees surrounded your body as you walked swiveling your head this way and that making your way back to where you first saw the spirit. You'd just leave it by the tree she was defending and leave-
"What are you doing back here?"
You jumped with a gasp whirling around and coming face to face back with her. She stared at your wide eyes with that blank stare she had before.
"I-I-..." You gulped again out of fear before thrusting the basket towards her and bowing. "I-Im not here to cut down anything I swear! I c-came to apologize!"
There was silence as you didn't dare look up, however you felt the basket leave your hands and there was silence still.
"..Thank you." You looked up. She was still there holding the basket but now smiling. "This is very kind of you. What is your name?"
"I-..Y-Y/n. What's yours?"
"Amane."
"You're very beautiful. Are you really a spirit?"
That took her off guard as she blinked a moment before smiled again. "If you'd like to know, we may talk under the trees."
