Forest Girl

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Wiser Than A Mage

Koda watched as the black mare carried Kiara off into the forest. When Kiara was out of sight Koda ran back to his shelter and packed some supplies. Koda grabbed his deerskin pack and placed some dried deer meat and his waterskin, into it. Koda then grabbed his medicine pouch and his axe and strapped them onto his belt. Then Koda slung the pack over his shoulder as well as his bow and quiver. Koda started to head out of the shelter when he ran into his father.

"Koda we need to talk! It's about Kiara being an outcasted!" Torak said,

"Yeah, I know she already took off!" Koda replied,

"What no! She can't leave! I was going to ask you if I could foster her! I need all members of our clan to agree."

"WHAT! NO! OF COURSE I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU FOSTER HER!"

Torak looked at his son with shock. "What? Why not?"

"Ugh... This is all so complicated..."

"Let's sit down." Torak suggested, as he sat down on his sleeping sack. "Ok, now tell me why this is so complicated."

"As you know i have spent the last two days around her, well, she is the first friend I have ever had." Koda started,

Torak nodded his head in response, telling his son to continue.

"And well, she was leaving and I realised how much she meant to me... so ... I... um..."

"You kissed her, didn't you?" Torak analyzed his son's response, and saw him go red. "Ha, ha, don't worry; I did the same thing to your mother before I faced the Eagle Owl Mage."

"You did?"

"Yes, now continue."

"Well, I felt such a strong bond with her, and it was at that moment I realized I loved her." Koda's father smiled.

"Then I heard a whinny."

"What do you mean you heard a whinny?"

"You won't believe this but, I turned around and there is this great big black forest horse standing at the edge of the clearing!" Torak chuckled, and Koda continued speaking, "We said our goodbyes and she mounted the forest horse and she rode off into the forest! She rode it Fa, like you did when you saved Ma from the Oak mage!"

"I see son, yes Kiara is indeed the forest girl. So why can't I foster her?" Torak asked making his son turn red once again.

"You can't because I love her... I would ask her to be my mate but I am too young, I know it is her, it makes perfect sense. I'm the son of the Spirit Walker, and she is the forest girl. There must be a reason why I found her in the woods instead of someone else."

"Koda you need to come with me and tell the River Otter mage what you just told me, not the part about talking to animals and riding a forest horse. The mages might then see her as a threat. You mother is right, you are going to save the forest girl from being outcasted."

"That's right! Why didn't I think of that before! If she has a potential mate, she can't be casted out!"

Torak and Koda quickly made their way to the River Otter mage's shelter.

"Mage, I am not able to foster the Forest Girl." Torak said to the River Otter mage.

"Good, so she is to be outcasted at sunrise."

"NO!" Koda yelled, "She is going to be my mate."

The mage sat there in shock searching her mind for a way to keep her outcasted. The mage smiled then spoke. "You are not of the age to have a mate."

"Yes mage, but now the Forest Girl has a potential mate." Torak replied,

"Has the Forest Girl accepted?" asked the mage,

"No, I did not get the chance to speak to her." Replied Koda,

"Then she has no potential mate." Stated the mage,

"Well we will go ask her right now! Come on Koda lets go ask her." Torak bluffed,

"You must bring her back with you so I know she has accepted." said the mage,

"Ah, wise mage, but she is afraid that you will outcast her, she refuses to be in any mages' presence." Torak argued, Koda could tell he had done this before, or he had a very good teacher.

"Fine, bring me proof of her existence." said the mage,

Torak lead Koda outside the mage's shelter, "Do you have anything that belongs to her?" Torak asked his son.

"No." said Koda,

"Go check the shelter." Torak demanded,

Koda soon returned to his father with a small deerskin band. "This is her hair band." Koda said, holding out the piece of deerskin band so his father could see.

"Good I will tell the mage, go say goodbye to your mother, and wait in our shelter." Torak said, as he took the deerskin band from his son.

Koda quickly ran off to find his mother as Torak walked into the mage's shelter.

"Mage, this is her hair band, she has chosen to accept my son's offer, and has agree to make the official ceremony with my foster father's clan when she is of age." Torak said,

"Fine, she is free to go, however, if I find out that they are not mates when they are eighteen summers old, all of whom helped her shall be executed, am I clear?" The mage replied sternly,

"Yes mage, thank you mage." Torak said excusing himself from the shelter. Torak hurried back to find Koda, and to tell him that the plan worked. When Torak arrived, Koda was all packed and waiting.

"Koda, you must ask Kiara immediately when you see her, and if she says no, we will have to go into hiding."

"Yes father."

"Ok, did you say goodbye to your mother?"

"Yes Fa,"

"Did you call for Echo?"

"Yes Fa!"

"Did you-"

"Fa, I am ready."

"Ok, head west, and wait for us where we camped this spring, by the Thundering Valley."

"Ok, Fa."

"Teach her what you know, teach her how to fight and how to hunt."

"I will."

"And Koda,"

"WHAT!"

"Take care of her."

"I will Fa, goodbye!" Koda said running into the forest.

"Goodbye, be safe my son!" he yelled after him.

Echo joined him soon after he left. "Alright boy lets go find Kiara!" Koda said in wolf talk giving Echo a scratch under the chin, and they were off.