Author's Preface
ON A BRIGHT, SUNNY DAY IN THE FOREST OF WESTRIA
ZEN, KIKI, MITSUHID, OBI, AND SHIRAYUKI TRAVELED TO THE FOREST BECAUSE OF COMPLAINTS FROM THE CITIZENS OF WISTERIA. A MYSTERIOUS PERSON HAD BEEN ATTACKING VILLAGERS PASSING THROUGH THE FOREST. TAKING FOOD, CLOTHING, AND BLANKETS; NO JEWELS OR MONEY WERE EVER TAKEN. IT WASN'T UNTIL A VILLAGER WAS SEVERELY INJURED THAT PRINCE ZEN DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO SEE WHO WAS ROBBING HIS CITIZENS.
FOREST ANIMALS RAN AROUND THE HOOVES OF THEIR HORSES, BIRDS SANG IN THE TREES WITHOUT A CARE FOR THE HUMAN PROBLEMS.
LEAVES DRIFTED OFF TREE BRANCHES, WAITING TO BE CARRIED AWAY BY THE WIND, OR CRUSHED UNDER THE WEIGHT OF SOMETHING HEAVIER.
AS THE GROUP WENT THROUGH THE FOREST, OBI SUDDENLY HALTED HIS HORSE, WHISPERING. "SOMEONE IS WATCHING US."
HE LOOKED AROUND WEARILY, BEFORE THROWING A KNIFE TO HIS LEFT. OUT OF THE TREE JUMPED A GIRL WITH LIGHT BROWN SKIN, BIG BLUE EYES, FRECKLES ALIGNED LIKE STARS, AND A HAT PULLED ALMOST COMPLETELY OVER HER FACE. SHE LUNGED MADLY AT OBI, KNOCKING HIM OFF HIS HORSE. HE JUMPED BACK TO HIS FEET USING THE BALLS OF HIS HANDS.
REACTING QUICKLY, HE AIMED TO KICK HER IN THE SIDE, BUT SHE DUCKED UNDER HIS LEG AND GRABBED HIS ANKLE, FLIPPING HIM OVER ONTO HIS BACK AGAIN. THE GIRL AIMED TO KNOCK KIKI FROM HER HORSE NEXT. JUMPING OVER OBI'S HORSE, KNEE FIRST, KIKI JERKED BACKWARDS, AND THE GIRL FLEW RIGHT PAST HER.
UNABLE TO STOP HERSELF MID-AIR, MITSHUHID OPENED HIS ARMS, READY TO CAPTURE HER. GRITTING HER TEETH, SHE SHIFTED HER WEIGHT SO SHE SLAMMED INTO THE SIDE OF HIS HORSE, INSTEAD OF IN HIS ARMS.
THE HORSE SCREAMED OUT AND STARTED BUCKING AROUND, BLOCKING OBI FROM DIVING ONTO HER. SHE AVOIDED THE HORSE'S HEAVY HOOVES AND SCRAMBLED UP A TREE.
SHE WAS AFRAID AND OUT OF BREATH, BUT SHE HADN'T GOTTEN THIS FAR FOR NOTHING. SHE MOVED QUICKLY THROUGH THE TALL TREES, IGNORING THE BRANCHES SLAPPING AND CUTTING HER FACE. SHE WAS FASTER THAN OBI, BUT THAT DIDN'T MEAN HE WAS SLOW.
