The Forest Spirit and A Family

An Answered Plea

I rushed through the forest. My clothes ripping with the trees as they got caught. My feet were sore from my run from the capital to an ancient shrine my father had once told me about. He took us there once or twice, we always left a present for the shrine but we stopped going when the capital shifted and we got further away. 
I wonder what father would say now, wherever he was. 

I pushed through the greenery before finding the small shrine. It sat within the lower branches of the tree. Beside it, a beehive resided and a foot away from the tree sat a stone well that used to carry the best water in the area, now gone unused and unvisited. 

I didn't have time to ponder though, to admire. The tears were already bubbling out and my knees couldn't hold out much longer. I collapsed at the base of the tree and began praying. 

The Kings have become cruel, father has left, the entire kingdom is scared of the tyrants and themselves, and all I wanted to do was run and hide. It was one of the better options. 

I prayed until my voice became hoarse before returning back to the village and renting out a hotel room. 

----

I returned the next day, this time taking a moment to process the scenery. I placed a bouquet of flowers at the base of the tree, knelt down, and once more began praying. Praying for everything to get better, praying for a future that was sure to not come, and praying for a friend. Lord, did I really need a friend right now. Company. 

--

The next day I brought peaches. 

The next I brought honey.

The next a basket of fruit and flowers. 

They were always gone when I came by the next day. 

----

On the 5th day, I jogged to the tree and at the base, where I usually leave the gifts, laid an unconscious, very lovely looking, boy. He was about my age, shorter, soft brown hair that covered his closed eyes, long eyelashes, soft features, and he wore a forest green button-up average work shirt, with brown shorts, the color of the bark of the tree, almost as if he had been hiding. 

Of course, because I was the only one that came around these parts, and I saw this as a sign from the gods, I did my best to nurse the boy back to health. I'm so glad my father taught us how to do such tasks. 

When he awoke an hour and a half later he was confused, blinking up at the roof of my hotel room. He said nothing, so when I turned around to replace the, now dry, damp cloth his bright green eyes startled me. 

"You're awake!" I proclaimed. 
His eyes shifted to me as I replaced the cloth on his forehead. 
"You have a mild fever but no injuries. Would you like some water?" I offered. 
He continued to stare at me not answering the question. To be fair, he had just been presumably hiding in the forest and now he was in, what looked like, someone's home. 

I pulled a cup from my pack and ran some water from the faucet into it. 
"Nothing's as good as the well water I presume you were using, but this'll suffice I'm sure," I chuckled turning the faucet off and placing the cup of water on the bedside table beside him. 
"I'm Tommy, Tommy- uh- Innit!" I introduced myself, d@mn I didn't need to even tell him my full name! Why'd I do that?!

"It's you...." he croaked out.
My heart dropped.

Did he know?! I know I still had the blond hair and blue eyes and that I had a bounty over my head but no one had figured it out so far!
"It's me?" I asked, stammering over myself, I needed an escape route. I'm so nieve! 

"The boy! The one who prays by the water well! To Niki's shrine!" he announced sitting up excitedly. 
Wha-....

So he doesn't know?

"You-" I stammered, what do I say now?
"I'm sorry, I know it's rude of me to question it truly, to listen in. But I couldn't help myself..." The boy apologized, his eyes diverting to his bandaged hands. 
"Oh.."

"You go there every day I- I knew you'd come so I- I needed someone to- ahem," the boy shook his head, his brown hair frizzing up with the movement. 
"Anyways! I'm Toby! Toby- Toby Tubbo!" he introduced himself, adjusting in order to stand. 
"I wouldn't stand if I were you, looks like you sprained it pretty good," I commented, picking up the cup and moving it so he could take it from me. 

"Did I?" he asked looking down at his feet, his shaky hands clasping over mine as he went to grab the cup.
Once he felt my knuckles under his palm his eyes immediately split away from his feet and to our hands."Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" he stammered jolting his hands away. 

"It's alright Toby," I assured. 
"Uhm- i-if you w-wouldn't mind- I- well I'd prefer- you don't have to but- if you called me Tubbo I-," Toby stammered over himself, his teeth gnawing on his bottom lip, just barely noticeable. 

"Alright Tubbo, can you take the drink?" I asked carefully. 
He quickly nodded and grabbed the drink in my hands, but his hands were so shaky the water almost spilled out the top. 

"Lean back against the headstand, I'll help you drink it," I instructed. 
His eyes grew wide and a bright feverish red but he did as I instructed. I reached one hand up to check if the fever had just worsened, it certainly did. I sighed and picked the damp washcloth back up from Tubbo's lap where it had fallen when he sat up suddenly. 

"Your fever is getting worst," I noted pressing the cloth to his forehead worriedly. 
"O-oh, i-is it?" he asked, stuttering. 
"How long have you been out there?" I asked.

What would dad do?
What would dad do?
He was good at this stuff, so what would he do?

"Oh- Uhm... about as long as I can remember really," he replied.
So he lived out there? There's a cabin just inside of the woods, maybe he lives there?

"I see? And your- parents? Where are they?" I asked, swallowing the lump that suggested that he might be like me.
"I uh- I don't have any," He replied. 
Yep, knew it. 

"Well, it's your lucky day, for neither do I!" I teased, directing the cup to his lips cautiously. 
He glanced down at the rim of the cup. 
"I- I've never- I've never been fed before-" he stammered out his face going a hot red. 
I blinked. 
He what?!

"What's that supposed to mean?" I chuckled at his embarrassment, "was someone starving you or some sh*t?" 
"Wha- no! I've never- no one's ever helped me eat before I- I just-" he stammered his face going so red I fear he might pop. 
I laughed and shook my head, "you're sick dipsh*t. Besides! That was before you had me!" 

"I-" He paused tears welling up in his emerald eyes making them shine like Wilby's does when he's in a lot of stress, "thank you!"
"Yeah yeah, just drink the stupid f*cking water," I rolled my eyes, pushing it further to his lips so he'd take the hint. 
He parted his lips and began to slowly drink it. After a few seconds though he pushed it closer to his lips and let almost all of it slide down into his mouth and through his throat with little concern for the fact it might harm him. 

"Woah! slow down there! You'll choke!" I hastily grabbed the cup once more and forced it away from the brunette's pink, wet lips. 
"S-sorry, it's been a while," he coughed.

I rolled my eyes and grumbled mindlessly before letting him have the water one more. 
"Do you have any clothes? Any valuables I need to go get for you?" I asked.

"No."

"Ok, I'm gonna go get us some lunch, sit tight Big T!"

"Bye Tommy...."

After this point, it will be Third Person Point of View.