She danced with the earth. She sang to the wind. She was not of the woods, but she understood the woods. Her joy filled the air with a rich sweetness. Her anger was the sharp edge of a storm.

He watched her through the turn of the seasons, followed her when she walked through the woods gathering nuts and berries and plants, followed her mate when he hunted or gathered wood.

Most of the spirits were content to watch the female and her mate, but there were some who resented the two-legged creatures coming into the woods, some who were filled with a darker nature and preferred to inhabit host animals that could express that nature.

One day, that old spirit felt the presence of one of those angry spirits moments before he heard a startled cry, smelled blood. He ran toward the sounds and smells—and saw the female’s mate on the ground, being gored by the angry spirit in the form of a wild pig. As the pig ripped open the male’s flesh with its tusks, he felt a fury toward his own kind that he’d never felt before. He lashed out with his power and ripped spirit from flesh, destroying both.

As the other spirits who were nearby fled from his rage, he stared at the male on the ground. Releasing his stag form, he flowed as spirit into the body of the male.

Death surrounded him, and another spirit, another will strove with all its remaining strength to reach him, touch him. Afraid of Death, he still reached out for that other spirit. Knowledge and feelings flooded into him, then pushed him away.

He drew on the branches of the Mother to create a cloak of flesh that matched the new shape he’d learned from the dying male. As he knelt beside the man, the whispered sounds became words.

“Please look after her. Help her. Please.”

When the flesh no longer lived, he walked to the stone burrow—cottage—and stood at the edge of the garden until the woman noticed him. Fear filled her face as she stared at him. He didn’t know enough words yet to tell her about her mate, so hepointed toward the woods and started walking back the way he’d come. She followed him, and her young followed her.

Her grief shuddered through the woods when she saw the body of her mate. Her tears turned the streams bitter. Wind keened her heartache.

For a while, she clung to her young, grieving with them. Finally, she wiped her face and called the Great Mother to take the body of her mate.

Earth shifted, moving under her mate’s body until the flesh sank deep into the ground. Earth shifted again, covering flesh.

When it was done, the woman took her young and walked out of the woods.