EYE TO EYE

The skies were clear. The clouds moved to the sides to reveal the heavens colored bright blue. The sun was shining bright and a young little girl, lying down on the rich, green grass looked up the bright day, beaming with a smile.

Her name is Hana, which literally meant flower. Her father gave her such a name hoping she would one day bloom to the best version of herself that she could become. Her mother also loves flowers and her favorites are the purple blue bellflowers that grew near the forest and she herself, shared the same love and admiration for them.

"Bluebells," she whispered to herself. To her, they spoke of an unending love, one that never changes. These flowers, beautiful in appearance, yet sometimes potent when ingested are what makes them all the more interesting to her.

In the quiet and still atmosphere, she relished the fresh wind blowing. She looked at the red kimono she's wearing and she still couldn't get over the fact that she would've preferred the blue one that his father gave her younger sister. She always loved blue like the blue purple hues of the bellflowers and she wished she was wearing their colors in her clothes.

Just a few minutes ago, she had finished her chores and seeing the wide green prairie near their home went running towards it to play in the grass and smell the fresh wind that seemed to embrace her in it's arms. She had always thought that the wind is her friend and that it moved at the conduct of her fingers. As she was laying on the ground, she soon decided to pick bellflowers for her mother as a gift.

"Near the forest, near the forest," she whispered to herself as she rose in two feet.

Walking towards the forest near her home, suddenly she felt something is odd. "The forest seemed to have changed in some way," she thought. The forest's appearance was the same as it had always been, there were trees standing next to each other but it is the ambience that surrounds it that seems to have changed. She went towards it despite feeling ominous about it's presence.

Taking small, little steps, she entered the woods. She saw the blue bellflowers she decided to pick a while back, at the entrance, but feeling something different at the deeper end of the forest, she decided to pick them later on. Slowly, she found herself walking deeper into the insides of the trees till she felt it again, a dark feeling yet also sadness and pain which resounded so deeply, she couldn't ignore it.

And so, she went forward and little by little, it became clear that there is someone out there, laying down and seeking for help. She sensed it's presence and peeking in between the bushes, she saw a man lying down, wounded and suffering discomfort. He had an unlikely silver hair, wearing a strange dark clothing she had never seen before. His back leaning in the sturdy trunk of a tree, his head resting peacefully on it.

She saw the sword with him inside it's scabbard and felt from a distance it's dark, forbidding presence. Now she knew where that ominous feeling she sensed a while back was from. The sword is indeed exuding a threatening atmosphere but she knew it is not something to fear. She feels as if the sword itself and it's master had powers that was rooted in heartache and so much pain. Her heart sympathized for it and she knew she has to help.

She tried to draw in closely but suddenly the peaceful, sleeping face of the man before her opened in surprise revealing his cold blue eyes. He placed his hands on the grip of his sword as if preparing himself for a sudden attack. He was expressing his killing instinct and she felt that dangerous feeling from a few distance they were from each other.

Suddenly, fear swept her off her feet and she gasped in shock. Closing her eyes, she wished for her life to be spared. All she wanted a few minutes ago was to pick bellflowers for her mother but now, she finds herself in danger. The threat of harm is still radiating from the stranger she found and in fright, she blurted out, "Don't hurt me, please!"

When she said those words, the menacing danger she sensed from him slowly subsided. Still shutting her eyes, she waited until no more of that terrifying presence can be felt. And when it was already silence and the wind blew gently, she opened her eyes and peeked again between the bushes to find the silver haired man sleeping once again.

She sensed peace in him and knowing she is now safe; she went in a little closer towards him. She approached him until she found herself staring at his peaceful face. He was sleeping soundly like a child as if there was no harm in the world and this made her smile. She reached out her fingers towards him and with it, brushed the white, silver hair that fell on his face.

"He is handsome," she thought to herself. She touched his forehead, then his head and patting him, she said, "You don't have to worry about anything. Everything is going to be just fine."

Her eyes drifted towards his body and she saw the wound and the bleeding that was the cause of his pain. She knew she has to do something.

"Wait here," she told him as he sleeps.

She then ran towards home. Panting, she arrived at the kitchen to grab all she could.

"Herbs, cloth, water, food," she whispered frantically. She was so focused on repeating these words that she failed to heed her mother calling for her. "Hana, is that you?!", her mother said after hearing someone running about in the kitchen. She saw her daughter, Hana soon after. "Hana, my dear. What are you doing?"

But she was already trying to leave with so much in her hands. Funnily enough, she managed to still say, "I'll be back later, Mother. I love you!"

On her way, she picked some herbs which her mother taught her before are good for healing wounds. And arriving at the strange silver haired man, she tended to his wounds. Her gentle hands were made to heal that oddly, the incurable wound from Dansleif seemed to slowly start to heal. Kindly, she hummed a song while trying to help him.

"Have you been in so much pain?" she asked him in his sleep.

"I hope you find the happiness in your life which you deserve," she said softly. "You are a strange, handsome fellow so brighten up, you have so much more to look forward to," she said followed by a soft chuckle.

Suddenly, she noticed he was already awake.

"Oh no! Did he hear what I just said?" she thought. "What a strange thing to say, Hana!" she said to herself again. "Ah! Why did you call him handsome?"

Blushing from her previous remarks, she took her hands off immediately in surprise, rose and went to hide in the trees. She sensed a little of the ominous feeling she felt before from him and figured he heard nothing of what she just said. Now, she was just afraid he would hurt her.

But he called out to her with a reassuring voice; and removing his threatening presence, he said, "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Hearing his voice for the first time, she somehow felt secure. She peeked from behind the tree where she hid herself and when she saw him, the emotions of embarrassment from what she said earlier, came back. When their eyes met, she hid again.

"It's alright. You can come out now. I promise I won't hurt you."

With just a tree separating them from the gaze of each other, Hana mustered her courage to show herself to him. Slowly and little by little, she emerged from her hiding to finally meet him eye to eye.

She saw before her a man she felt strangely comfortable with. His silver hair shone brightly as the sun's light from between the leaves of the trees touched it. His eyes were bright blue in color like the color of the seas which spoke of a vast freedom she felt so attracted into. His face is beautiful and he looked as if he came from the skies. But he still looked like he was in so much pain. She couldn't put her finger into it but she felt as if he was carrying with him a bigger wound than the wound she previously tended to.

"Do you still feel any pain?" she wanted to ask, but then he spoke.

"What is your name?" he asked out of the blue.

"Hana," she answered softly.

"How old are you, Hana?" he asked again.

"Twelve," she replied.

Worried, she wanted to know if the pain she was sensing from him was from the wound she previously saw.

"Does it still hurt? Your injuries?" she asked.

"Strangely, not anymore. Maybe I should thank you for that," he said with a smile.

She realized then that the pain he was still suffering from is not from any physical wound but a much deeper one that came from the heart. She sensed somehow from him that his heartache exceeded anything of that which she knew and she know nothing of what to say to him.

"I hope you will heal not only from the bleeding but also from a much deeper hurt in your heart," she told him.

She saw a glint of surprise in his face and suddenly realized that maybe she had said something she musn't say.

"No, I'm sorry. What I meant is that your wound was really deep. I hope you would heal soon."

"Thank you for saying that. But I'm fine now. I can heal myself later on."

She found his previous statement strange but decided to brush it off. She was more curious about him in a lot of ways but she figured she should first give him the space and time he needs.

"You should eat first," she said pointing to the food and water she brought him.

"Yes. Yes, I should," he said.

"Then I'll come back again tomorrow to change your herbs. Rest well, mister!," she said as she went away running. The next day, she knew she would return for him again.