Fairy of the Woods

Safe?

Heyo peoplez! Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it, I wrote it during Easter break but didn't have enough time to edit it until now. The picture up top is a caged plant I saw at a hotel. What did it do to be put in tree jail? Let me know what you guess in the comments! Enjoy....
"who are you?"
"I don't know...."
———-
I look down trying to think. Trying to remember something anything from before being chased in the forest. There is nothing, just...nothing.
"Hey, it's ok! We'll figure it out, just stop crying!" the boy desperately says.
I start crying even harder, not able to stop them cascading down my cheeks. The boy reaches out to touch me and my body tenses. I scramble backwards until I hit a tree. My heart is racing and my breathing is ragged.
The dog - Aomaru?- stands between the boy and I. It's hackles raised and teeth bared, warning him to stay back. The boy looks between the dog and I, clearly shocked at what is happening.
"Look, I'm not going to hurt you. If you don't want to be touched I won't touch you. Just come with me to my house. I can get you some food and you can meet the rest of our dogs." He speaks softly, like he is talking to a frightened animal.
He stays where he is, hands out showing he is no threat, and waits for my answer. As I think it over my stomach decides for me. Growling like an angry bear, it makes itself known.
He covers a snort while I blush. I nod silently. While I follow him through the trees, I keep Aomaru between us. If the boy tries anything violent, I think Aomaru will help me.
Once we reach the edge of the trees I hesitate. I don't want to leave the safety of the forest. The forest protects me. I feel sheltered. This field is too open, too exposed. Aomaru takes note of my thoughts. He comes up, nudging me to leave the forest edge. I immediately go into high alert. My ears twitch at any sound while staying hidden. My body is tense and ready to bolt, should a threat arise.
The boy looks behind him and notices my behaviour. "Relax, no one ever comes here at this time of day. That's why I walk Aomaru now. He's not too friendly around people. Except you, apparently."
He looks at me with a raised eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. I just looked at the ground shrugging, I know as much as him. He keeps sending me glances until we reach one of the fences that line the clearing outside the trees.
"These are my clan's kennels. We specialize in working with ninja hounds."
I look at him, startled. Ninjas? What were those? They work with dogs?
A sudden sound breaks my thoughts. Dogs gathered by the gate in excitement. Ranging from white to rusty brown, small lap dogs to big hunting dogs. Their various voices chorusing hellos to me and leave us with enough room to open the gates. We are just able to step in before I am swarmed with furry bodies, knocking me over.
Aomaru stayed beside me, bragging to the others that he found me first. They all ignored him, sniffing me and licking me until they calmed down enough for me to get up.
The boy looked over at me, pointing to a house on the other side of the pen, "I'll go get food. Do you want to stay here or-"
I cut him off by nodding my head quickly. I would rather stay with the dogs then go into an unfamiliar space that could be a potential trap.
"Okay, I'll be right back. And you guys don't hurt her" he demands the last part to the dogs standing around me.
They promise to be on their best behaviour. He looks at the crowd of hounds and back at me. Silently asking if I would be okay with them. I scoff, I'm safer with them then I would ever be with humans. He seems to catch the message and nods, turning to leave.
"Wait," I blurted, waiting for him to turn before continuing "What do I call you?"
He looks surprised, as if thinking I would already know it, "Kiba, my name is Kiba Inuzuka. You surprise me, our hounds aren't known for being friendly to outsiders" he stared before turning again and heading to the building.
I shrug in amusement. If only he knew about my ears and tail. That would probably cause him to faint from the shock.
"Kiba!!!" I jump at the roar of a grown-up's voice, jarring all my sore muscles and causing me to wince. I scrunch myself as small as possible and pushing my trembling body as far into a corner as I could.
"I thought I told you after you walked Aomaru you were to clean the kennels. But here I see they aren't done. There's too much going on today to be dealing with you not doing your chores." A feral looking woman stands at the door leading into the pen.
The animals around me hide me from her sight but allow me to see her. I would speak up, but she scares me.
"What's going on? I thought you just had to visit the Hokage today. It's your day off isn't it?" Kiba asks the scary lady.
She pauses before speaking stiffly "A suspicious person escaped from the hospital a few hours ago. They seem to have disappeared. We are on high alert trying to find them, all available ninja"
Kiba stiffens at the word hospital. By the end of the explanation he looks over at where I am in the corner. The lady follows his gaze and spots my orange head in the sea of grey, white, red and brown bodies. I stare at her, my body shaking like a leaf.
Her demeanour changes quickly from surprise to suspicion and anger.
"Come here girl." She snaps.
I jump and try to shove myself even further into the wall. The dogs around me sense my distress, they surround me in a loose semi-circle hackles raised and teeth bared at the woman, cautioning her not no hurt the pup. When she tries to take a step forward they growl and snap in warning. Her eyebrows rise in surprise.
"Hey girlie," her voice has a softer tone this time but is still rough making me think she talks like this all the time "I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm gonna take ya ta the leader of our village to see if ya can stay here. You will be safe in the village, those you ran away from won't be able to get you. We can even bring one of these fine fellas with us."
I slowly nod. Safe? Could I really be safe here? They might be lying to me but if anything happens I can always just run again. They don't know anything about me yet.
"So which one of you is coming?" She asks the dogs.
The biggest female from the pack comes up to me. She lays down, looks at me then looks at her back. Inviting me to hop on.
I slowly stand on my aching legs and climb on, griping her shoulder fur to keep up right as she stands.
"She is Lupa, the boss female of our pack. Now let's go, hold on tight girlie!"
With that warning we jump onto the roof. We run across the roof tops, passing others doing the same. I slowly relaxed as we went, letting my ears slip out of my bushy hair a little. Not enough that anyone would notice at these speeds but enough that it was comfortable.
We ran to the center of the village to a red tower where we jumped through a window into an office with bookshelves lining the walls and a desk covered with papers. Hiding in the shadows were two people dressed all in black with animal masks. Just like the one when I was running. At the desk is an old man writing on one of the papers. I stare, he looks familiar...
Once we land on the floor he sighs, not even looking up and mutters under his breath "Why doesn't anyone use the door anymore. Flashy ninja..."
Scary Lady steps in front of me and straightens "Lord Hokage, Tsume Inuzuka reporting in. I have information on the hospital escapee."
This gets his attention and he looks up at her "And?"
Ms. Tsume steps to the side "You never told me she was a child." she states accusingly.
The old man stands up and comes around his desk. As he steps closer to me I quickly slid of Lupa's back and put her between us, gripping her fur to steady my weak legs.
Seeing my reaction the old man stopped. "Do you not remember me child? I was one of the ones who found you in the woods."
I notice a light in the distance. People! I set out as quickly as I can for the glowing warmth. When I get there I see the glow is a campfire with an old man and a young boy sitting across from each other. I come out of the bushes and they tense, looking in my direction. I need their help. Everything goes black.
I remember, but not how I got to that room I woke up in. I look at the man and nod.
"I-I was running away and I saw a light and when I went to it I seen you and a boy at a campfire. But, I don't remember what happened next... I woke up in a white room that smelled funny and jumped out the window. I ran away from the man that looked like them," I pointed at the people hiding in the shadows, the old man's and Tsume's eyes widened at that. "When I stopped, I was in the trees where Kiba found me."
The old man - the Hokage - studies me. I try not to move, hoping he will let me stay in the village for a little while.
"Who or what were you running away from?" He finally asks.
I try to think, I really do, but nothing comes up. Only the sense of fear and panic from the forest,
"I don't remember...". It finally sets in that I don't know what has happened to me. I don't remember anything before the running. The fear. My eyes fill with tears again as it dawns on me; "I don't know who I am. I can't remember anything before the forest!"
I jump as a hand lands on my shoulder. Looking up I see the Hokage staring at me with concern in his eyes. "Why don't you stay here. In this village. You'll be safe here, you were obviously running from something."
I look at him, hope swelling in my heart "Safe?"
"Yes. Though we will put you through a few tests to make sure you aren't lying. They won't be painful, I'm just going to have a few people come and talk with you. Ok?" He adds.
I hesitantly nod in agreement "But Lupa stays." I conclude.
"Yes she can stay." Ms. Tsume agrees looking at the Hokage to make her point.
He nods at her, "Tsume, go get Mr. Yamanaka and Mr. Huga as well as your daughter. I will stay here with her," the Hokage orders.
Ms. Tsume nods and jumps out the window. As the Hokage turns to me. He gestures to a chair, which I take. We sit in silence. He watches me as though I'm a puzzle he can't solve. While I fiddle with Lupa's fur, occasionally glancing up at him or the door.
"We aren't going to hurt you. You can relax, you are safe here," the Hokage promises.
Oh how I want to believe him.