Jahreszeiten’s Love

Jahreszeiten's forest wasn't small. It would take several days to reach the edge of it and they would pass by one other village on the way.

'It's so smooth,' Rory marveled at the ease of their travels so far. Having the forest's blessing apparently meant that their path would be clear and easy to traverse, water would always be within easy access, and dangerous wildlife would keep their distance. It wouldn't suddenly storm on them, and the wind was at their backs, gently aiding them forward.

Each and every one of these was a feat too expansive and subtle for the sorcery Aurelius knew to ever be capable of. The only time his spells were of any use was when he summoned a flame to light the campfire. And cast purification magic on their drinking water.

"The microorganisms in the water would not hurt you, you know," Jahreszeiten pointed out.

"Really?" Rory was momentarily confounded at the thought that even germs bowed to the will of the forest spirit so long as they lived in his territory. "Does that mean I can't get sick while I'm here?"

"Yes. So there was no need to kill them."

Rory scratched his fingers through his sun-blonde hair. "The water still tastes strange unless I purify it though. No, in the first place, won't the bacteria die in my stomach anyway?"

"A small proportion of them would be helpful to you or at least survive your digestive tract," Jahreszeiten said.

Aurelius paused to consider things for a moment and gestured toward his herd of volunteer companions. "What about them? They aren't Druids. Couldn't the water make them sick?"

"Having lived their whole lives in my woods, it is unlikely. They've built up an immunity to any contaminants typically found in these waters."

"But some of them do get sick?" Rory pressed.

"Yes, some do."

The young sorcerer tilted his head, leaning back against his mount who laid down behind him. "Why do you allow diseases and such to exist in your territory in the first place, Jahre? I thought you loved animals."

The wind whistled uncertainly through the trees. "I do love animals. I don't understand your question."

"Well, are harmful bacteria really worth keeping alive when they hurt the things you care about? They're too tiny to really notice, and they'll die on their own in just a short amount of time anyway. So why keep them at all and take that risk?"

"I don't understand," Jahreszeiten said again, sounding just as baffled as before, or perhaps moreso.

Rory let out a faint breath. "I don't understand what you don't understand. Didn't I explain it clearly?"

A sweeping breeze made the tree canopy sway. Because the Autumn Ring had inured Aurelius to harsh demperatures, it felt pleasant on his skin.

The forest spirit's words, on the other hand, did not.

"Every concern you raised applies to humanity too, does it not?"

Rory blinked his wide eyes. "… What?"

"Does it not?"

Aurelius felt cold sweat dripping down his back… Did this vast, powerful, and ancient spirit really see humankind on essentially the same level as bacteria? He replayed the previous moments in his mind, imagining he had not cast a purification spell on water but an annihilating fireball on a village of people. Would he get exactly the same lukewarm response to that? A gentle nudge that there was no need to kill what wouldn't harm him anyway?

'Wait, wait, in the first place, I should have noticed something wrong from the beginning!'

A forest was a place where animals regularly hunted and ate each other. Jahreszeiten claimed to love animals and to be their home, but he still allowed them to eat each other for sustenance. In a way, allowing bacteria, parasites, and diseases to feast on people was no different!

Rory slowly shifted his gaze to where most of the deer herd were feasting on fresh berries to replenish their energy. Jahreszeiten had grown a few flourishing shrubs right in front of their eyes, and the deer were munching eagerly on them, having gone hungry since winter began. Their flat teeth made little distinction between the berries, leaves, and stems as they are everything with nutritional value.

Rory's eyes trembled slightly, knowing that had to cause the forest spirit some pain. '… Self-sacrifice. That's what Jahreszeiten's love is. He gives endlessly, and he expects others to care the same and sacrifice the same.'

Aurelius looked down at one of his hands and raked his fingers through the snow, feeling its texture but not its chill. 'The only exceptions are a few individuals who have his blessing, from which he expects nothing in return.'

Rory thought that the forest spirit wanted his affection, after their previous exchange, but he no longer thought to understand what that would mean, knowing now how differently he and the ancient spirit viewed things.

"… I won't kill anything in your territory then," Rory said, his lips moving well despite their numbed sensation. "Outside of it, though, I suppose I should at least still protect myself from disease."

"Yes, even if the other spirits are sleeping, the beings that live there won't defer to my will so readily."

Silence fell as Rory and the deer all focused on resting and recovering before they resumed their journey. The buck only stood up to feed himself when the rest of the deer were done eating, even though Jahreszeiten grew plenty of food for all of them. Rory slowly chewed on his own rations, and when the buck returned to lay behind him, Rory used him as a backrest once again.

"Does this buck have a name?" He asked.

"No, he doesn't," Jahreszeiten replied.

"I should give him one then." Aurelius stroked the animal's soft but coarse fur, inviting a pleased chuff from it. "Let's see, you're the leader of this herd, right? You have the most honor and carry the heaviest burdens. You're grumpy but kind…"

The young man smiled bitterly. It didn't elude him that the words he was using on the buck could also largely be applied to Jahreszeiten.

"I think I'll name you Winter."