May jumps out of her skin and whirls around to find a figure standing behind her in the shadows. She takes an involuntary step back, battling between relief and apprehension. “H-hello? I’m lost. Can you help me out of here?” Gods, please don’t be a serial killer or something.
“I can help you, yes. Don’t worry, with me, you are not lost,” the figure said. The voice is gentle, yet confident, entering her mind in the same manner that light passes through glass.
“Um, great. Thank you.”
The figure lets out a gentle sigh and finally steps out into the dimming light. May stifles a gasp. Immediately, she notices a golden mask in the likeness of an owl adorned on his face. Despite the mask covering his eyes, she can sense the fixed gaze from behind it. A long, ragged mess of blond hair flows behind him as he walks. A large portion of their face also appears to be… bruised? The person stretches his face in what May assumes to be a smile.
“Come. This way.” He gestures for her to follow them in a seemingly random direction. With no other choice, May begins to follow.
A minute of silence passes while she keeps her gaze towards the ground, carefully stepping over roots. The stranger glides through the woods as if they know every twig and leaf like the back of their hand. His confidence reassures her that maybe she actually will get out of here before nightfall.
“What’s your name, young one?” the stranger asks in a voice barely above a whisper.
Is it smart to give this stranger her real name? Maybe not, but he is kind enough to lead her out of here. May feels like she can trust this person. “Mayapple. Just call me May, though.”
The stranger looks over his shoulder and tries to smile again. “It’s nice to meet you, May. You can call me Three. How did you come to be lost in my woods?”
In… their woods? “I was with my sibling. We were looking for the Witch, but I think I got really turned around at some point.” Wait. “Are you the Witch?”
Three huffs. “No. The magic-user lives not nearly this deep. I’m sure your sibling has found xem by now, so you don’t need to worry about them anymore.”
May scoffs. “I wasn’t worried.”
“No?” Three slows his steps until they were walking side-by-side. She barely reaches their shoulder, but their height is protective rather than looming. “You must have faith in their capabilities.”
“It’s not that!” May scowled. Her chest tightens. “I just— I don’t care.”
Three tilts his head ponderingly. “Has your sibling wronged you?”
Her scowl deepens. She glares down at her feet, stomping through the black earth. “Something like that. June is just so… I don’t know. Annoying.”
Three chuckles. “I sense there is more to this.”
May bites her bottom lip. It’s probably not okay to talk about her personal problems with a person she just met in the Gravewood Forest who wears a mask and talks funny. But…
Three waits patiently for her to respond. There is no pressure, no judgment. He stays in pace with her and pushes aside stray branches for her. While she pauses to form words, he reaches cautiously for her and pulls a leaf out of her hair and smiles again.
She takes a breath. Fine, might as well vent to someone.