The Tale of the Hunter and the Mage

"So, what brings you here inside this forest?" the young, aspiring hunter asked as he noticed the blonde boy picking up some wild berries which he then fed to the wild magpies.

"I would ask the same question to you. What brings you here, Rye?"

The young hunter admitted that there was something about the way the blonde lad said his name that made him feel perplexed and twisty on his stomach. The feeling was neither uncomfortable nor agonizing like when he was entering the forest alone but rather, something gentle and soothing that made him feel oddly warm and safe.

"I was dared by my friends to go here," the brunet honestly replied. "I told them I could hunt something for them."

"Oh, how bold of you, considering what tales this forbidden forest holds," the blonde remarked as he continued to feed the magpies.