Why? The loaded question had Sacha all but groaning aloud. He didn't think he could explain himself in a way the fae would understand, so he didn't. His life was complicated. He knew from the start that he would have to go, but he did enjoy this the break from it all. "There is...someone waiting for me. He'll come looking." Sacha stared at a pile of damp brown leaves without moving. He told himself to walk away, but his legs didn't move.

Leafy ears drooped downward ever so slightly and the sensation in the forest being's chest worsened. His whole being trembled lightly as he struggled to understand what was happening, why it was happening. What worsened the sensation further was that he felt he already understood. After all, the man did not belong here, no man belonged in these woods. This being himself had protected this place from those who seeked to harm it or it's creatures. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head and made a faint wispy noise. His expression twisted as the noise got louder and his being shimmered and shivered.

Sacha's expression grew more distressed. "What? Why?" He didn't expect the creature to react like this. He didn't understand. Was he upset that Sacha planned to leave. His insides twisted just thinking that. No one ever missed him, even the man who was everything from his harsh employer to father figure. That relationship was built on something entirely else. Sacha stepped forward suddenly and reached for the creature's arm. "It's not that I want to go. I have to..."

The creature jolted when it was touched and his form turned monstrous again. Eyes wide, sharp needle-like fangs bared and appendages up like thorns, even his hands clawed with large black thorn-like spikes jutting from his finger tips. Letting out a pained and angered shriek, he shot back, away from the man, causing harsh winds to rush through the clearing. The trees groaned in pain and leaves rained down.

A yelp jumped from Sacha's throat and he stumbled back. Eyes wide, he could do no more than stare as the creature shifted into something deadly. The surprised fear leaked out of Sacha's eyes a second later though, to be replaced by coldness. Who was he kidding? He wasn't wanted here. "Damn it..." he whispered low before spinning around and taking off at a run. He let his feet carry him without thought at first until he'd tired and his head spun as his lungs gasped for air. He fell back against a tree and tracked the sun. If he was going to return to his home, then he needed to go east. He thought. He only half hoped. He'd find his way out of this forest though because this was one place he didn't belong.

The forest being didn't know what to do with himself, he didn't understand why he was feeling this despair that wrecked his entire being. Confused, distressed and angry, he sought out the one thing that could bring him solace. The elder tree of this forest, the largest and oldest tree that had sprouted before the forest grew around it. The rustle of leaves fell about him as he stood at the base of the tree's trunk, the roots large and gnarled that dug deep into the earth. Trembling, he placed his palms against it's rough, familiar bark then pressed his forehead against it. The tree seemed to have sensed the disturbance in the forest creature and a soft flutter of leaves blanketed his shoulders to comfort him. The fae's face only twisted as he began to wail.

Sacha started walking again, his eyes mostly on the sky. The sun sat just past midway, but he found himself rubbing his arms as he shivered. It had to be this way though. The connection he had to Aden could not be severed just because he wanted it, and most days he wasn't sure if he did. The man raised him and taught him the ways of the sword. Aden didn't have to do that to an orphaned kid. He was a beast of a man, but he was all the world Sacha knew. He stumbled as he walked, coming to a stream that ran swiftly. He didn't think it was deep so he waded in up to his knees, ignoring the shock the cold water sent through him. Another shiver went through him and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled, but he chalked it up to the water so he forged ahead.

The fae had continued to lament to the elder tree. There were a hush of rustling leaves and sways of it's strong branches every now and then to convey it's understanding. It's roots had raised to coil around the being to further comfort. Various other forest creatures had heard the lament and stood near by to watch. Slowly the lush green of the forest creature's body dusted brown and the leaves of his hair, ears and all else withered faintly on the ends. The lamenting and wails faded as his body stopped shaking and trembling and slumped against the tree. Staring out at nothing, his eyes had dulled to an ashen. His ear twitched when he heard one of the various forest creatures approach. It was the majestic one from before, one who had once been curious about the one who had left.

The antlered being stepped forward and gently nuzzled the fae's cheek and earned a low growl from him. The being paid it no mind as it understood that he was in pain and nuzzled his neck, urging him to stand. It seemed it was wanting the fae to follow it.

Sacha had barely made it across the stream when a series of twigs cracked nearby. His senses jumped to alert and he froze in place. Looking around, he saw nothing, but pulled out his weapon just in case. The paranoia he'd been feeling for a while doubled, though he saw nothing out of place. A perfect serene forest. Then why was he so skittish? By now, Sacha was shivering from cold as well as tension. "Begone you damn creature!" he growled before he took off running. Rather than scaring off whatever it was following him, he heard the thing dart closer. He sent up a silent prayer, hoping that whatever it was wasn't hungry. He didn't want to have to kill an animal that didn't know better.

With faint whines of discontent, the fae was coaxed from the elder tree's roots and to his gnarled withered feet by the antlered being. Once standing, he stood straight with an pained expression as the creature urged the fae to follow. Unwilling to do so, the creature took matters into it's own hooves. With a tilt and buck of it's body, it scooped the fae into the air and onto it's back. Surprised, he held around it's neck as it started to run before he had any say in the matter. What was so important that the antlered being couldn't just leave him alone? As the creature ran, the fae found that he cared little of what it was and just barely even held on.

Everywhere Sacha turned, a tree jumped up into his way. Of course this was a forest, but damn if it was hard to run through. His lungs labored to keep up with the amount of air he needed. A growl sounded behind him, much closer than he found comfortable. He had no other choice, so he turned and faced the thing that followed him. A snarling young wolf emerged from the bushes. It approached slowly, not quite willing to jump a prey that would fight back. A mix of regret and hurt swirled in Sacha as he regarded the animal. He shouldn't have left the forest creature, but it was too late to take that back now.

The antlered being was displeased with the fae's behavior, and it voiced it as it carried him to where ever he was being taken. Barely even listening to the beast, the creature's skin dusted more so with brown splotches about his being. The running slowed as the antlered being became startled and reared back, causing the fae to fall from it's back. Hardly even catching himself, he climbed back onto his feet and stared a head through the brush and trees. He saw the figure of a riled up wolf pup, but couldn't see what it was fighting that was hidden behind a thicket of trees. There was a disturbance it seemed.

Sacha was so focused on the wolf that he didn't notice other noises approach. please leave. Please. I don't want to kill you... He pleaded silently. The wolf tilted it's ears back for a second, then stepped forward. Whatever gave it pause didn't give the animal pause for long. Sacha wouldn't stand by and wait any longer. He made the first move, lunging forward. The wolf staggered back, but managed to latch onto Sacha's arm with it's jaws. "God damn it! I knew I shouldn't have run away from that plant guy!" With that, he stabbed the wolf through the middle.

The fae's body tensed when he heard the man's sounds and his lips twitched into a snarl when he saw him. Why was this man effecting him so intensely. Letting out an uncontrollable shriek, the leafy, brown tipped wings vibrated violently where he stood, making him float just inches from the ground. How dare the man harm one of the forest's creatures? How dare the man protect him as a sprout, be anything other than what man had ever been? How dare he cause such sensations that confuse and hurt him so?

Breathing heavily, Sasha looked up sharply at a sudden sound. His eyes widened when he saw the forest creature, looking as harsh as before. The snarl and adrenaline leaving him, the smell of blood heavy in his nose, overwhelmed him. And he didn't even know what he did to rile up the creature so. Why was this happening? Sacha thought he wanted him to go so why did he stalk him here. Sacha dropped his weapon and stepped back. "Sorry," he whispered before he turned to the side and threw up. It didn't matter whose blood it was, he couldn't stand the smell or the look the creature was giving him.

The anger ebbed away as the shrieking faded and his wings drooped, dropping him back on his feet. His expression softened to the point that it looked apathetic. Stepping through the brush, he walked over to the man and stared down at him. The creature's skin that was green was now mostly a sickly yellowish brown. Standing there, he said nothing and showed no further signs of harshness or anything.

Sacha just sat on the ground, unable to react. He turned his head away and fixed the ground with a hard stare. He didn't relax. He didn't say anything, just grit his teeth and ignored the creature. A part of him still wanted to dash away, but he couldn't make himself move. Even though the fae stopping its horrid shrieking noise, Sacha still didn't know what the creature was thinking. He apologized once. He wouldn't throw away the remains of his pride and do it again.

The man wasn't moving. With a faint wispy noise, he knelt down and grabbed ahold of the man's shoulders then pulled him up. Not necessarily to the man's feet, more up off the ground a few inches. He stared up at the man with dull gray eyes, his lips parted and closed a few times, but more in a twitching actions rather than trying to speak.

Sacha let out a surprised sound when the creature grabbed hold of him. For a second, he tensed, then he pulled away and staggered back a few steps. He kept his eyes away because he could feel emotions choking him up and he had no idea what to do with them. They weren't emotions he was used to feeling. "What is it you want?!" he yelled in exasperation.

The browning and slowly withering fae shakily looked the man over, nearly desperate for the man to look at him. ". . . Sacha. . ." He spoke. His voice was small, faded and crackled as if dead dried leaves were being crushed for his voice. "I. . . don't understand. . ."

No matter how determined Sacha was, when he heard his name, he couldn't help but look up. His brow furrowed as he looked at the creature. Something was different, but he didn't know what it meant. He hesitated, just looking at the fae for a minute. "Me either..." he whispered. He shook his head. "Why are you here?" Maybe he would get an answer if he asked the right question.

"I. . . you frighten me. You . . . don't frighten me. You leaving. . . is. . . hell. I . . . don't think that's what you wanted to ask though," He struggled with the sounds, and had a strong additional feeling that the sounds he had chosen weren't expressing properly. His voice was gradually getting weaker as he spoke.

Sacha wanted to touch the creature again in some sort of gesture of comfort. Or connection? He kept still though, remembering what happened every other time he tried to do such a thing. He shook his head again as he tried to understand. "Damn, I wish we could communicate better." He said that mostly to himself as he ran a hand through his black locks which hung limply around his head. "Do you want me to leave or not?"

As the man made new sounds, the creature's eyes fluttered as he struggled to stay upon his feet. The leafy wings shriveled up against his back and he whined in pain and distress. Thin droplets of discolored sap perspired and trailed down his face as sweat. "I. . .I sorry. . ."

This was turning out so wrong. Something was wrong beyond whatever was going on between them. Sure Sacha had been willing to run away and never come back again, but he didn't mean to cause pain for anyone but himself. "Why are you sorry? I'm the one...are you alright?" He reached out his hand again, but stopped before actually touching the creature. He doubted his care would be appreciated.