Once upon a time, there was a tree. It grew and grew and grew for many years. Then someone came along and asked the tree if they could give it a new purpose. The tree took its new job very seriously.
Aspen trailed behind Kirin. Walking up the spiralling wooden staircase, running their hand across the smooth, polished wood walls. Every once in a while there would be a door with a number on it.
Aspen came across a window. Outside, it was steadily getting darker. On both sides of the sky, a sun was dipping below the horizon painting the sky in brilliant shades of orange and pink. A few stars were appearing overhead.
“I haven’t got all day, Highness,” Kirin said from behind Aspen. Jumping, Aspen spun around.
“Sorry,” Aspen apologized, ” I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a beautiful sunset.”
Kirin turned around without acknowledging their words, and kept climbing the stairs, “Let’s get you to your room.”
The two of them climbed almost to the top of the staircase before Kirin stopped in front of the door that had the number 11 on it.
Pulling out a key, he unlocked the door and did a tiny sarcastic bow, showing Aspen into their room for the night.
“Your room, Highness,” Kirin said following Aspen in. Aspen looked around and froze.
In the middle of the room was a bed. A bed piled high with pillows and blankets. Beside the bed was a window. A window Aspen could see the sunset through. A fire was quietly crackling in one corner, and Aspen wondered briefly how safe it was, considering that the walls and floor were made of wood. To the side, there was a bathroom attached, and in it sat a bathtub. The faint scent of cedar was in the air.
“Well?” asked Kirin. He had propped himself against the wall next to the doorway. “What do you think, Highness? Does it meet your standards?”
“It’s perfect,” Aspen whispered.
“Then this is where I leave you,” Kirin walked over and opened the door. “Night, Highness.”
“Wait! You’re leaving me?” Aspen asked desperately. Kirin was the only consistent thing they had known since this journey had started. The thought that he was leaving sparked panic in Aspen.
“You didn’t think I was going to sleep with you, did you?” Kirin asked. With a wink, he shut the door and was gone.
Alone, Aspen didn’t know what to do. Left with their thoughts for the first time since Kirin caught their eye in the forest. In the almost silence, the thoughts threatened to swallow Aspen whole. Aspen decided to take a bath, an attempt to escape themself.
After the bath had gone cold and the sky dark, Aspen crawled into bed. Facing the window, Aspen looked at the stars and felt overwhelmed. They had gone so far and left so much behind. There had been no time to ask questions, no time to change their mind. Now here they were in a strange place, all alone. The only being Aspen trusted was a fox-boy…
Ignoring the tears slowly falling down their cheeks, Aspen fell into a fitful sleep.
Spinning Starlight 