Be as You've Always Been (Lover be Good to Me)

The beast.

Holding the map firmly in her hands, she led her horse carefully into the forest, the unsteady clopping of her hooves echoed and bounced from tree to tree. It was quiet, too quiet. With each step she went deeper and deeper into the forest, the bushland swallowing the blue sky. No birds, no bugs, no voices, no wind. Nothing.

"What the fuck!" She yanked down on the horses' reigns, sending her flying over the top of the mare, and toppling onto the ground, narrowly avoiding colliding with a tree. With a frightened neigh, the mare bolted into the thick woodland, leaving Maria alone.

No... not alone. Each individual hair stood up on the back of her neck as her eyes locked onto the dense bushes in front of her, rustling viciously. With a loud growl, one paw after the other, stood...

"Holy shit... you're so cute."

An owl bear cub, with large yellow eyes and an orb-like stature, squawked and sputtered as it walked towards her.

"You... you're alone. Where's your mother?" Maria's hand extends on its own towards the cub, to which it flinches back. "I won't hurt you, I promise. Believe me when I say I'm not one to trust strangers, but... I'm a good stranger."

Taking a small step forward, the cub bumped its beak into her hand. "So, you're alone here, too, huh?" She cooed softly, her callused hands stroking the amber fur of the cub. It was almost enough to make her forget about her quest, and the guilt eating away inside her stomach. Almost.

"Well, how about I make you a deal? If you help me find my prince, I'll help you find your parents. Sound good, little guy?" She smiles gently, to not frighten the cub, as it seemed to nod its head. Pulling out a cloak from her bag, the owl bear buried its beak into the dark fabric, sniffing it and gathering a scent. The little ball of fluff and feathers perks its head up and runs off into the forest, looking back to make sure Maria is following.

"That was quick... Alright, I'm coming," Maria pulls herself off the ground, sweeping the bits of loose dirt, leaves and twigs from her leather-bound armour. With light footsteps, she follows the small beast, like a fox, gracefully stepping over each large tree root and branch threatening to halt her progress. Large canopies of tall, thick, bushy trees blocked out any hope of seeing the sun. Rampant mycelium lay littered on the rotting logs of long-past-dead trees, like large spider webs waiting for their master to return.

No sign of human nor animal life aside from her and the small owl bear. Shivers ran down her spine, and a small voice rang through her skull, we're getting close.