Samurai Jack and the Forest of Shadows
A fanfiction by Prairieghost
Chapter Three
Twists and Turns
The next few days
were generally uneventful, though Jack was often puzzled by the course
Lora took as she guided him through the forest. They would travel
in an essentially straight line for several hours, then suddenly make a
change in direction that turned them almost completely around.
About the third time Lora did this, Jack addressed her.
"Pardon my rudeness, Lady Guardian," he said quietly. "But we're not lost are we?"
Lora stopped and looked at him with a blank expression, emerald eyes regarding him stoicly.
"No, we're not lost. Why do you ask?"
"It is just that we have changed direction several times and I cannot imagine we have gotten very far at this rate--we keep doubling back."
Lora nodded once to Jack before turning and pointing to a nearby spider's web, its silver threads gleaming in the sunlight.
"Do you see this web?" Lora asked, and when Jack nodded, she continued. "Imagine that my forest is like this web. Every thread fanning out from the middle is another world and time, and the spiralling thread that connects them all is the path that will take you home." She spun her finger in a spiraling motion, following the delicate artwork of the web. "Now, we can either follow this thread all the way around the web, or we can take odd turns here and there, using other threads in the web to make our trip quicker. If we were to go the long way, you would probably expire of old age before we reach your home."
Jack blinked and bowed his head, but Lora stopped him before he could yet again apologize for his ignorance.
"Naturally, my forest is far more complex than this little web--threads do not always connect where perhaps they should, and sometimes threads are broken entirely, but as the Guardian of this forest, I know every leaf, twig, and road. You can trust that I am taking you the quickest route. Just remember, Jack. We are not just crossing a great expanse of land--we are also crossing time."
That night Lora led him to a campsite with a flowing stream nearby. Jack could see the shadows of fish swimming beneath the surface and his mouth watered at the thought of fresh fish for supper. He had had food to eat since entering the forest, but it had been mostly wild fruits and berries and the dried meat leftovers from past hunts. The thought of some fresh meat was very appealing, but he didn't wish to offend his host.
"Lady Guardian," he said with a bow, turning to Lora as she started the campfire. "Might I be so bold as to request the privelege to fish your stream?"
"The eagle and bear need not ask me permission to fish in my streams, and nor do you," she replied, her attention on stoking the small campfire. "Please help yourself."
Jack smiled, nodding once before wading into the water and standing there for a few minutes, perfectly still as he stared at the water. Finally, a fish swam within his reach, and in a single, lightning-quick motion, he had it. When he had another, he waded back to shore and proceeded to clean and fillet them for cooking.
Once the fish were cooking over the fire, Jack turned his attention back to Lora. The Guardian was sitting with her back against a mossy rock, looking at a small caterpillar that was inching its way across her hand. Questions had been burning in his mind since meeting the enigmatic woman, and it was only now he felt comfortable voicing them.
"How long," he inquired, "have you been a Guardian?"
Lora did not look up from her caterpillar, but answered his question without missing a beat.
"Time does not flow the same in my world as it does for others," she explained, coaxing the caterpillar onto a nearby leaf. "But to answer your question, I have been serving this forest for some three-hundred-and-fifty years worth of days and nights."
Jack was stunned for a moment, though he wasn't sure why he was so surprised. A creature like her naturally wouldn't be bound by the same restrictions of mortality and old age if she had a responsibility as great as this.
"Were you born a Guardian?" Jack asked, daring to meet her eyes and wondering anew at their intense, emerald coloring.
"Some are born Guardians, but no, not in my case," she told him, looking away after she said it. Jack sensed that to inquire further on her past would be treading into uncomfortable territory, so he changed the subject.
"Do you protect it alone?"
There was a pause, as Lora looked at him again and offered a very faint smile.
"There are a few tribes of people that see fit to aid me, though they are unable to do much more than prevent poaching in their territory. Occassionally, a courageous soul or two will ally themselves with me in a time of particular need, but for the most part, it is only me and Tut."
Jack blinked, looking across the fire at her.
"Tut?" he asked, puzzled.
In answer, Lora pointed to a tree branch behind Jack's head. Turning, Jack saw a huge black-and-white cat with long, scruffy fur and wide, gold eyes.
"King Tutenkahmen," Lora explained as the cat yawned widely. "He has been with me since the beginning. He's not much for conversation, but he's good company all the same."
"A three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old cat?" Jack wondered aloud.
"When I became a Guardian, he changed with me," she clarified, smiling gently. "He truly is a wonderful friend."
It was very odd to Jack to hear of someone speak of a cat this way, as though it were something that could interact on a human level, but then, Jack distinctly recalled a group of canine archaeologists, who had walked on two legs and spoken human tongue proficiently. Was it so far-fetched to think that there could be a feline Forest Guardian? It did please Jack to know that Lora was not left to protect the forest completely alone.
"It is good," Lora stated, breaking the silence, "that you are becoming relaxed enough to ask me questions."
Jack was surprised, and it took him several moments to find his words again.
"Well, I... I did not wish to offend you with my bothersome curiosity," he replied at last, tending to the cooking fish.
"Curiosity is a good thing. In my world, knowlege is a more powerful weapon than any sword, ax, or bow. One good bit of knowledge can make or destroy a warrior." Lora watched him with her emerald eyes, her gaze seeming to see through to the very soul as she studied Jack. "I should hope you would have a great many questions to ask me."
Jack smiled at that and removed the fish from the fire, handing Lora her portion and settling back to devour his own. Lora looked down at the fish in her hands for a long moment, as though she wasn't sure if she would eat it or not, but finally she took a bite, leaning back against the rock again.
"It only just occurred to me," Jack said with a slight frown. "Before now, I have never seen you eat anything."
"I don't need food or sleep as much as you do," she explained to Jack, pecking at the fish fillet in her hand. "I can go weeks without sleep, and months without a single meal. If need be, I can go even longer--I've had to in the past, when fighting a particularly troublesome enemy."
"Your life sounds very hard," Jack said without thinking, and instantly regretted it, blushing slightly and starting to apologize before Lora nodded.
"It is hard, but I have a purpose."
Jack drifted off to sleep after he'd eaten, the fire burning down to embers and the night chill beginnng to settle in. As Jack dozed, he had a very vague memory of Lora laying her cloak over him, and was grateful for its warmth. When he dreamed, he dreamt of a beautiful silvery-white creature bounding through the trees, doe-like in its form and grace before it vanished into shadow once more.
The next morning, Jack awoke to find Lora gone. He didn't know the habits of Guardians, nor what other duties may have demanded her attention, so he was not worried. Folding the cloak neatly on the stone Lora had sat against last night, he set out to explore, pausing only briefly to scratch Tut the cat behind the ears.
He decided on this stroll to follow the little stream and see where it might lead him, noting with interest that as he progressed along its course, the water became steadilly deeper and slower, cattails growing thickly around the banks in some of the deeper pools. Frogs yelped and squeaked, leaping away from him and splashing into the water, and minnows darted about in the shallows as birds flitted in the trees above. As a shadow passed over head, Jack saw an owl returning from its night hunt to an old hollow tree. In the water, two turtles sunned themselves on a floating log.
Jack finally stopped at a spot where there was easy access to one of the deeper pools, kneeling at the water's edge and scooping some into his mouth. He had only just begun to quench his thirst when he heard a splash and looked up, freezing in place with a look of absolute shock.
Lora had broken the surface of the water with the grace of a breaching dolphin, her pale form and silver hair completely bare but for the burst of water that had followed her appearance. Sunlight flashed and shimmered off of her, making her seem to glow for a few eternal moments. She settled back into the water until she was immersed up to her waist, brushing stray strands of damp platinum hair from her face, her eyes still closed as she took her time. When at last she opened her eyes and noticed Jack, there was no sign of shock or surprise--just her usual stoic expression, a stark contrast to Jack's look of mortified shame.
"Hello, Jack," Lora said, dipping her head slightly.
Jack blinked and flushed the deepest shade of scarlet imaginable as Lora's voice startled him back into reality.
"L-Lady Lora! My most profound apologies--I didn't know!" Jack looked away quickly, his eyes coming to rest on the neatly-folded clothes sitting on a flat rock nearby. He paled and turned completely around, averting his gaze and continuing to stammer uncontrollably. "I thought--I didn't realize--I'm so sorry for intruding!"
As Jack apologized profusely, Lora made her way back to shore, pulling her clothes on and squeezing some of the excess water from her long hair. She let Jack fumble about for a moment or two longer before reaching out and resting her hand on his shoulder, turning him slowly to face her again. Jack tried to sputter out more apologies, but Lora held up her hand, as she always did when she brushed off one of his apologies, her emerald eyes gentle and calm. Jack fell silent immediately.
"Dear Jack," she said in a quiet voice, taking his hands in hers and looking intently into his eyes, "I know you are far too honorable a soul to have come to spy on me delibrately. You didn't know I was here--it is as simple as that. You needn't apologize to me--I understand." Lora gave him a few moments to let that sink in, Jack's complexion slowly returning to a more natural color. Smiling gently at him, she continued. "Besides," she added, "it doesn't bother me." Lora leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek before turning away and making her way back to the campsite. She would allow Jack some time to himself to think about her words, and then rejoin her when he is ready to do so. Taking a seat by the fire, she waited.
Meanwhile, Jack stood as though rooted to the ground, staring blankly ahead as though petrified. Slowly, almost timidly, his hand went to his cheek and he smiled in spite of himself.
He'd expected a fierce reprimand--one he fully felt he deserved--but instead had received only comforting words and understanding. She had looked past the initial appearance of things and trusted him, and the feeling was briefly overwhelming.
She trusted him. Even though he had agreed to follow her deeper into the forest, Jack had yet to fully trust her in return. The fact that his blade could not cut her was minute compared to the repeated tricks and betrayals by Aku, including one where the demon had taken the form of a woman to get Jack to drop his guard. But now, as Jack stared at the water of the pool and lightly brushed his hand over his cheek, he realized what it meant to have the trust of a creature like her, and how shameful it would be to refuse her his trust in return.
Finally, feeling relieved and enlightened, Jack rejoined Lora at the campsite and prepared for another day of traveling.
"Pardon my rudeness, Lady Guardian," he said quietly. "But we're not lost are we?"
Lora stopped and looked at him with a blank expression, emerald eyes regarding him stoicly.
"No, we're not lost. Why do you ask?"
"It is just that we have changed direction several times and I cannot imagine we have gotten very far at this rate--we keep doubling back."
Lora nodded once to Jack before turning and pointing to a nearby spider's web, its silver threads gleaming in the sunlight.
"Do you see this web?" Lora asked, and when Jack nodded, she continued. "Imagine that my forest is like this web. Every thread fanning out from the middle is another world and time, and the spiralling thread that connects them all is the path that will take you home." She spun her finger in a spiraling motion, following the delicate artwork of the web. "Now, we can either follow this thread all the way around the web, or we can take odd turns here and there, using other threads in the web to make our trip quicker. If we were to go the long way, you would probably expire of old age before we reach your home."
Jack blinked and bowed his head, but Lora stopped him before he could yet again apologize for his ignorance.
"Naturally, my forest is far more complex than this little web--threads do not always connect where perhaps they should, and sometimes threads are broken entirely, but as the Guardian of this forest, I know every leaf, twig, and road. You can trust that I am taking you the quickest route. Just remember, Jack. We are not just crossing a great expanse of land--we are also crossing time."
That night Lora led him to a campsite with a flowing stream nearby. Jack could see the shadows of fish swimming beneath the surface and his mouth watered at the thought of fresh fish for supper. He had had food to eat since entering the forest, but it had been mostly wild fruits and berries and the dried meat leftovers from past hunts. The thought of some fresh meat was very appealing, but he didn't wish to offend his host.
"Lady Guardian," he said with a bow, turning to Lora as she started the campfire. "Might I be so bold as to request the privelege to fish your stream?"
"The eagle and bear need not ask me permission to fish in my streams, and nor do you," she replied, her attention on stoking the small campfire. "Please help yourself."
Jack smiled, nodding once before wading into the water and standing there for a few minutes, perfectly still as he stared at the water. Finally, a fish swam within his reach, and in a single, lightning-quick motion, he had it. When he had another, he waded back to shore and proceeded to clean and fillet them for cooking.
Once the fish were cooking over the fire, Jack turned his attention back to Lora. The Guardian was sitting with her back against a mossy rock, looking at a small caterpillar that was inching its way across her hand. Questions had been burning in his mind since meeting the enigmatic woman, and it was only now he felt comfortable voicing them.
"How long," he inquired, "have you been a Guardian?"
Lora did not look up from her caterpillar, but answered his question without missing a beat.
"Time does not flow the same in my world as it does for others," she explained, coaxing the caterpillar onto a nearby leaf. "But to answer your question, I have been serving this forest for some three-hundred-and-fifty years worth of days and nights."
Jack was stunned for a moment, though he wasn't sure why he was so surprised. A creature like her naturally wouldn't be bound by the same restrictions of mortality and old age if she had a responsibility as great as this.
"Were you born a Guardian?" Jack asked, daring to meet her eyes and wondering anew at their intense, emerald coloring.
"Some are born Guardians, but no, not in my case," she told him, looking away after she said it. Jack sensed that to inquire further on her past would be treading into uncomfortable territory, so he changed the subject.
"Do you protect it alone?"
There was a pause, as Lora looked at him again and offered a very faint smile.
"There are a few tribes of people that see fit to aid me, though they are unable to do much more than prevent poaching in their territory. Occassionally, a courageous soul or two will ally themselves with me in a time of particular need, but for the most part, it is only me and Tut."
Jack blinked, looking across the fire at her.
"Tut?" he asked, puzzled.
In answer, Lora pointed to a tree branch behind Jack's head. Turning, Jack saw a huge black-and-white cat with long, scruffy fur and wide, gold eyes.
"King Tutenkahmen," Lora explained as the cat yawned widely. "He has been with me since the beginning. He's not much for conversation, but he's good company all the same."
"A three-hundred-and-fifty-year-old cat?" Jack wondered aloud.
"When I became a Guardian, he changed with me," she clarified, smiling gently. "He truly is a wonderful friend."
It was very odd to Jack to hear of someone speak of a cat this way, as though it were something that could interact on a human level, but then, Jack distinctly recalled a group of canine archaeologists, who had walked on two legs and spoken human tongue proficiently. Was it so far-fetched to think that there could be a feline Forest Guardian? It did please Jack to know that Lora was not left to protect the forest completely alone.
"It is good," Lora stated, breaking the silence, "that you are becoming relaxed enough to ask me questions."
Jack was surprised, and it took him several moments to find his words again.
"Well, I... I did not wish to offend you with my bothersome curiosity," he replied at last, tending to the cooking fish.
"Curiosity is a good thing. In my world, knowlege is a more powerful weapon than any sword, ax, or bow. One good bit of knowledge can make or destroy a warrior." Lora watched him with her emerald eyes, her gaze seeming to see through to the very soul as she studied Jack. "I should hope you would have a great many questions to ask me."
Jack smiled at that and removed the fish from the fire, handing Lora her portion and settling back to devour his own. Lora looked down at the fish in her hands for a long moment, as though she wasn't sure if she would eat it or not, but finally she took a bite, leaning back against the rock again.
"It only just occurred to me," Jack said with a slight frown. "Before now, I have never seen you eat anything."
"I don't need food or sleep as much as you do," she explained to Jack, pecking at the fish fillet in her hand. "I can go weeks without sleep, and months without a single meal. If need be, I can go even longer--I've had to in the past, when fighting a particularly troublesome enemy."
"Your life sounds very hard," Jack said without thinking, and instantly regretted it, blushing slightly and starting to apologize before Lora nodded.
"It is hard, but I have a purpose."
Jack drifted off to sleep after he'd eaten, the fire burning down to embers and the night chill beginnng to settle in. As Jack dozed, he had a very vague memory of Lora laying her cloak over him, and was grateful for its warmth. When he dreamed, he dreamt of a beautiful silvery-white creature bounding through the trees, doe-like in its form and grace before it vanished into shadow once more.
The next morning, Jack awoke to find Lora gone. He didn't know the habits of Guardians, nor what other duties may have demanded her attention, so he was not worried. Folding the cloak neatly on the stone Lora had sat against last night, he set out to explore, pausing only briefly to scratch Tut the cat behind the ears.
He decided on this stroll to follow the little stream and see where it might lead him, noting with interest that as he progressed along its course, the water became steadilly deeper and slower, cattails growing thickly around the banks in some of the deeper pools. Frogs yelped and squeaked, leaping away from him and splashing into the water, and minnows darted about in the shallows as birds flitted in the trees above. As a shadow passed over head, Jack saw an owl returning from its night hunt to an old hollow tree. In the water, two turtles sunned themselves on a floating log.
Jack finally stopped at a spot where there was easy access to one of the deeper pools, kneeling at the water's edge and scooping some into his mouth. He had only just begun to quench his thirst when he heard a splash and looked up, freezing in place with a look of absolute shock.
Lora had broken the surface of the water with the grace of a breaching dolphin, her pale form and silver hair completely bare but for the burst of water that had followed her appearance. Sunlight flashed and shimmered off of her, making her seem to glow for a few eternal moments. She settled back into the water until she was immersed up to her waist, brushing stray strands of damp platinum hair from her face, her eyes still closed as she took her time. When at last she opened her eyes and noticed Jack, there was no sign of shock or surprise--just her usual stoic expression, a stark contrast to Jack's look of mortified shame.
"Hello, Jack," Lora said, dipping her head slightly.Jack blinked and flushed the deepest shade of scarlet imaginable as Lora's voice startled him back into reality.
"L-Lady Lora! My most profound apologies--I didn't know!" Jack looked away quickly, his eyes coming to rest on the neatly-folded clothes sitting on a flat rock nearby. He paled and turned completely around, averting his gaze and continuing to stammer uncontrollably. "I thought--I didn't realize--I'm so sorry for intruding!"
As Jack apologized profusely, Lora made her way back to shore, pulling her clothes on and squeezing some of the excess water from her long hair. She let Jack fumble about for a moment or two longer before reaching out and resting her hand on his shoulder, turning him slowly to face her again. Jack tried to sputter out more apologies, but Lora held up her hand, as she always did when she brushed off one of his apologies, her emerald eyes gentle and calm. Jack fell silent immediately.
"Dear Jack," she said in a quiet voice, taking his hands in hers and looking intently into his eyes, "I know you are far too honorable a soul to have come to spy on me delibrately. You didn't know I was here--it is as simple as that. You needn't apologize to me--I understand." Lora gave him a few moments to let that sink in, Jack's complexion slowly returning to a more natural color. Smiling gently at him, she continued. "Besides," she added, "it doesn't bother me." Lora leaned forward and kissed him softly on the cheek before turning away and making her way back to the campsite. She would allow Jack some time to himself to think about her words, and then rejoin her when he is ready to do so. Taking a seat by the fire, she waited.
Meanwhile, Jack stood as though rooted to the ground, staring blankly ahead as though petrified. Slowly, almost timidly, his hand went to his cheek and he smiled in spite of himself.
He'd expected a fierce reprimand--one he fully felt he deserved--but instead had received only comforting words and understanding. She had looked past the initial appearance of things and trusted him, and the feeling was briefly overwhelming.
She trusted him. Even though he had agreed to follow her deeper into the forest, Jack had yet to fully trust her in return. The fact that his blade could not cut her was minute compared to the repeated tricks and betrayals by Aku, including one where the demon had taken the form of a woman to get Jack to drop his guard. But now, as Jack stared at the water of the pool and lightly brushed his hand over his cheek, he realized what it meant to have the trust of a creature like her, and how shameful it would be to refuse her his trust in return.
Finally, feeling relieved and enlightened, Jack rejoined Lora at the campsite and prepared for another day of traveling.
Samurai
Jack, Aku, and all
related characters and story lines
are copyright Cartoon Network.
Lora the Forest Guardian, the Forest of Shadows, Fonnie, Lenmana, and all other related stories and characters are copyright Prairieghost a.k.a. Lydia A. C. Jacobs.
Lora the Forest Guardian, the Forest of Shadows, Fonnie, Lenmana, and all other related stories and characters are copyright Prairieghost a.k.a. Lydia A. C. Jacobs.