Golden Leaf

GoldenLeaf was not excited for autumn.

In GoldenLeaf's tribe, autumn was not a time of celebration. It marked the end of summer, and the beginning of winter. Where her tribe lived, winters were long and tough, filled with sometimes fatal blizzards, dangerously cold temperatures, and little to none food to eat. Autumn was a time of constant work, harvesting, and storing of food. GoldenLeaf had enough of a hard time taking care of her family, so autumn was incredibly stressful. She would constantly be worrying about whether or not she had enough food for her children, and the dreadful knowledge that her children would die if she didn’t store enough constantly lingered in her mind.

As a result, the members of her tribe found no beauty in the golden autumn leaves or the gentle flakes of snow that came from the skies of Zios. This was even more unfortunate for GoldenLeaf. She was already an outcast, so it didn’t help that she was named after the season that her tribe loathed so much. She wished dearly to have been given another name, but since there was no way to change the past, it would always be a burden for her.

She had been given the name by her mother, who was about as much of an outcast as you could get. Not only did she have a temper and tended to make snarky comments to her superiors, but she found beauty in the autumns and winters that ended so many lives. Despite how odd it may sound, this was considered an insult to the tribe and the ones who died during the cold winters. Her mother found beauty in the seasons that ended so many lives. GoldenLeaf’s heritage was the main reason of her being an outcast. And she was determined to redeem herself and her heritage. If she didn’t give herself a good impression, then she would never get another mate. And she wouldn’t be able to take care of her pups alone for much longer.

Her previous mate, StrongClaws, was a brave warrior wolf and a skilled hunter who, like many others, died from the cold winds of winter. He had been hunting with several others when they were caught in a blizzard. They were forced to cross a frozen river to escape the worst of it, but the ice cracked beneath StrongClaws and he fell into the frozen depths of the river. GoldenLeaf pushed the saddening thoughts from her mind. StrongClaws would not want her to mourn him, but to accept his death and move on. She pushed open the flap of her tent amd emerged into morning sunlight. There was a chill in the air, however, and a cold breeze blowing. The trees were all shades of gold, red, and yellow. Wolves of all colors moved in and out of the small huts and tents that made up the tribes village. It was a tribe of strictly wolves, however, all species of wolf were allowed. Gray wolves, arctic wolves, direwolves, and more. GoldenLeaf was a rich brown timber wolf with golden fur on her stomach and light brown streaks throughout her coat.

GoldenLeaf breathed in the cool autumn air. She had to get to work quickly. She worked to harvest grains from the west fields for coins. She was not paid very well, but it was the only thing she was good at that she was paid for. So long as she could get enough coins to buy her family some food, she would do it.

She hurried off to the went fields and arrived at several small cornfields, among a cotton field and more. Like most Jamaassians, the members of her tribe were omnivores, however they still preferred meat. A large hut with a hay roof was placed in front of the cornfields. A blue-tinted black direwolf nodded as she approached her. “So, you know the rules. Help harvest one if the smaller corn fields, and you’ll get paid 20 coins.” “Wait, only 20? Last time you paid 35.”

The direwolf shook her head. “Sorry, but I’m running low on coins and the harvest hasn’t been that good this year. Not to mention that my mate isn’t bringing in as much food as usual.”

In her tribe, only males could hunt. Which is why getting another mate was all the difference. It could be the line between survival and death.

“But 20 isn’t enough! I need more, or my pups will die!”

The direwolf sighed and rubbed her chin. “I suppose… Yeah, I suppose you could help pick the cotton field for an extra 15.”

GoldenLeaf sighed in relief. It was still such a small amount, and she’d probably be working all day, but it would be worth it for her children. At this point, she was desperate.

So GoldenLeaf worked in the fields from 7:00 AM all the way to 6:00 PM. By the end of the day, she was exhausted, weak, and her paws were cut and bruised. She went back into the village and found a hunter roasting some fresh elk. Elk, a favorite among the wolves, was expensive and not very common around this time. Many other wolves gathered around the proud hunter, longing to take a bite from the juicy meat. The delightful smell reached GoldenLeaf’s nose, and it took all her strength to ignore it and keep going. She didn’t have the money for it. But it had been so long since she’d had some, and the wonderful scent brought memories back to her. Memories of StrongClaws…

She longed to turn back around and try to buy a few bites, but she knew that it would be a waste of her precious money. She’d worked hard to earn this, and she wasn’t going to use it up just for a few mouthfulls of elk.

She arrived at a small, tattered tent. An old hunter sat outside, one with the name of RustyPelt. His red fur was dulled with age, but GoldenLeaf was joyful to see him. He was nearly old enough to be considered an elder, yet he still had the strength to hunt. She didn’t see him often, since he was usually resting or hunting. He was displaying some pheasant meat for selling, but he wasn’t getting much luck with customers. The pheasant wasn’t fresh kill, it was probably almost a day old, but GoldenLeaf wasn’t going to be picky.

“Good evening, RustyPelt.”

“Good evening to you, as well,” he said kindly. He had a bright smile on his face, but his eyes had a tired look.

“May I have some of your pheasant meat?”

He nodded. “15 coins a piece, my dear.”

GoldenLeaf almost gasped. “Why has the price risen so suddenly?”

RustyPelt sighed sadly. “Hunting has gotten much harder lately. With the cold weather and all. Some folks believe that there’s going to be an early snow, since the temperature has dropped so quickly.”

“Oh dear… I sure hope not. The harvest hasn’t been that great this year, it would be unfortunate for there to also be an early winter.”

RustyPelt nodded in agreement. “So, how many would you like?”

Normally, she would have enough for 3, to dry and store for the winter with still some coins still left over. But now she could only afford 2. She bought them and thanked RustyPelt, then hurried off to her tent.

Inside, 2 tiny pups crawled out from under a thick pile of blankets. One was a beautiful gold color with her father’s fierce gray eyes and a brown tail and face. The other was a dark, pale purple color that might appear gray at first sight. He had a tan underbelly and a black stripe down his back, with GoldenLeaf’s soft green eyes.

“Moooommy, where were yoo all day?” the little gold one asked. “I was working, BrightPup. I’m so sorry that I wasn’t here all day, but mommy had to do extra work to get you food.”

“They should pay you bettur,” the gray pup grumbled. He was a several months older than BrightPup, and his name was ThistlePup. Once a pup became a teen (usually at 6, since their lifespans aren’t as long as modern Jammers. Meaning that they’re an adult at 10) they are given their proper name, getting rid of the ‘pup' and replacing it with something of the parents choosing. GoldenLeaf’s children were only 3, so they had a ways to go before earning their proper name.

“Yes, but food is hard to find in autumn.”

After doing a few chores, eating, and reading them a story, GoldenLeaf set her children to bed. She watched them curl up inside the pile of blankets, wagging their little tails as they tried to stay awake. She laid next to them for a while before they fell asleep. Kissing them each on the head, she quietly left the tent. It was already dark outside, and the moon was shining across the village. GoldenLeaf’s breath came out in short puffs of white, contrasting against the dark night. She looked up at the stars above her, admiring how they glistened in the autumn sky. She connected some of the stars above her to make shapes and designs. The moon was like a big ball of glowing blue stardust, looking both mysterious and majestic as it hovered in the night sky.

GoldenLeaf was suddenly reminded of a tale her elders had told her. About a night like this, thousands of years ago, where the sky father Zios watched the animals sleep below him. At this time, there had been no moon, no stars. Zios did not like to watch the animals struggle blindly in the dark beneath him, so every night he would float quietly in the sky, granting just enough light to let the animals see, but not so much that it would be too bright to sleep. One night, Mira flew down to speak with him.

“Why do you sit here all night, my dear Zios?”

“I do not like to see the animals wander blindly in the dark, so I give them a little light.”

“Surely that must be tiring. Shall I take over for you?”

“There is no need to do that.”

Mira shook her head. “You already light the day with your sun, you do not need to light the night as well. Please, let me help.”

Zios sighed. According to legend, the sun is a big orb of Zios's magic that lights the day. This means that it uses a little bit of his energy to stay bright. “I suppose I could take a rest.”

For the next night, Mira lit the night with her shining blue feathers. But afterward Zios insisted that he do it once again, so Mira may do what she pleased.

“Can you not just make a smaller sun for the night?”

“It will be too bright. Even a smaller sun will still be as bright as the day sun. The animals will not be able to sleep.”

So, the night afterward, Mira told Zios that she would take over for him. As he was away, she used her magic to create the moon, a glowing blue orb of her energy. Then, she scattered the glittering feathers on her wings into the night sky to create the stars.

The next night, Zios returned and saw how beautiful Mira had make the darkness. She danced in the moonlight for him, her crystal blue feathers reflecting the moonlight and creating a beautiful display.

As GoldenLeaf looked up at the sky, she could imagine Mira dancing on a night like this. It was lovely.

As the golden sun lit up the sky the next morning, GoldenLeaf gave her children their breakfast and hurried off to work. She hated to leave them alone for so long, but they got along well and were given chores while she was gone, so they shouldn’t be too bored or get into any fights.

The air was chilly, but there was no wind. The cold threatened to sink through her fur, but the warm morning sun kept it at bay. She passed through a thicket of tall golden trees and paused. She looked up at the beautiful golden red leaves. The bright sun reflected onto the leaves in a way that made them truly look like they were made of gold. They sparkled slightly in the morning light, overcoming GoldenLeaf with their beauty.

She stomped her paw and shook her head. She wasn’t supposed to admire these things. This is why her mother was an outcast, and why she was too. If she were to show that she finds beauty in these things, she would only have more trouble. She watched as a few leaves detached from the branches of the tree and gently drifted to the ground. It almost reminded her of herself. Every year, she felt as though the leaves of her life were dying and falling away. She feared, every autumn, that her leaves would fall and leave her bare and helpless.

She worked long and hard that day, relentlessly trying to earn the food that would save her life this winter. She took a break only to return home and care for her pups. By the end of the day, her muscles were sore, her paws were bleeding and bruised, and she was exhausted. She was able to score a small sack of grains and dried fruit, and some chicken. It was much more than the day before, but at this pace she might not have enough to last the winter. Of course, there was still food available to buy during the winter, it was just harder to earn the money to buy it. She usually stored enough food to last half the winter, and bought the rest.

It was possible for GoldenLeaf to hunt, she just couldn’t hunt with the males because it can be very dangerous. Hunting alone, however, is much harder and can be just as dangerous. The hunting rule seemed stupid to GoldenLeaf, but she never actually said that aloud. It was just how the tribe worked.

The days passed, and GoldenLeaf grew even more weary. But she refused to stop. This was for her safety, for her children’s safety. The leaves of the trees gradually turned brown and began to fall. The temperature dropped alarmingly fast, and cold winds began to blow from the North. And one fateful day, the snow began to fall. Just as RustyPelt had predicted, it was an early snow.

The flakes of snow gently drifted to the ground, so fragile, yet so cold and dangerous. As GoldenLeaf watched them drift harmlessly to the ground, she couldn’t help but wonder why her tribe feared such small, fragile things. They didn’t appear as dangerous as everyone told her. Past the hard ice and the cold snow, it was just a bunch if tiny, intricate little snowflakes. So small, yet they held so much beauty and power. Each tiny snowflake was different, and each held an incredible amount of detail and intricacy.

GoldenLeaf held out her paw and watched as a tiny flake of snow floated down and landed on it. From the weak heat that was emitted from her paw, the snowflake began to melt, and within seconds was a miniature drop of cold water, too small to see unless someone was willing to look. GoldenLeaf was the only one who was. She was the only one willing to look past the danger and the lies that were told to see that the feared ice of winter was only a bunch of tiny, pathetic flakes of snow.

But the same fear and doubt came creeping back into her mind. No, she wasn’t supposed to think like this. This is why she was an outcast, because her mother found beauty in the danger. She wasn’t her mother, and she wasn’t going to be an outcast like her either.

Work was twice as hard, with the cold snow sinking into her fur and making her wet and uncomfortable. She wasn’t able to do as much work as usual, but luckily the snow stopped not long after she started working, leaving a thin layer of snow on the ground. It was just thick enough to cover the grass, but not enough to prevent her from working.

She was let off work early by the bluish black direwolf who caught her during her break. She probably looked terrible, her fur messy and wet all the way through, her paws cut and swollen.

“You should go off early. You look exhausted.”

“No, no,” she insisted. “I will finish, you don’t need to pity me.”

“Please, I insist. You look miserable, and you’ve already worked so hard.”

This time, GoldenLeaf didn’t resist. She took her money and headed straight toward her tent. She could buy the food later.

After warming up and drying off while her pups played outside, she watched as they jumped through the fluffy white snow, laughing and barking playfully. She watched in slight awe as they played in the cold snow. Like her, they didn’t fear the cold that everyone else despised. She wished that she could join them and play with endless energy, but she needed to save it for other things. A few hunters trotted by and stared at the pups as they jumped and played. GoldenLeaf noticed and quickly called them back into the tent. The hunters whispered something to each other and moved on.

BrightPup and ThistlePup giggled as they bounded inside the tent. GoldenLeaf quickly closed the tent and attempted to dry off the children as they wiggled around and refused to stay still. After getting them to finally calm down, she dried their fur and began to leave again.

“Mommy,” BrightPup asked quietly, “do yoo have to leave already?”

She sat down beside them. “Yes, I’m afraid I have to go.”

“Noooooo…” ThistlePup whined. “Yoo nevur spend any time wit us! Stay!”

“I’m sorry, but I have to buy our food now.”

ThistlePup slumped angrily and did his pouty face. BrightPup just sat quietly, unsure what to do. GoldenLeaf felt bad about it, but she was left with no other choice. She kissed them on the head and left, taking extra care to make sure the tent was closed behind her. She paused outside the tent and, before going to RustyPelt’s, decided to take a walk through the snow.

The Meadow, a grassy area surrounded by a thick forest of trees, was a beautiful and common place to hang out and relax during the summer and spring. In the winter, however, it was bleak and empty, and usually avoided because the cold winter winds blew stronger here. As she trudged through the snow, GoldenLeaf didn’t even fell the bitter chill of the wind and the snow in the cuts on her paws. She felt tired and alone, with no one to comfort her.

Trying to feed a family was hard enough, it didn’t help that she was doing it alone, and it was impossible to also give them the care and attention that they needed. It was just work, work, work, worry, worry, worry. There was nothing in between. She’d feared it would happen for many years, and now it had. Her leaves had finally fallen.

GoldenLeaf sat down in the snow and lowered her head, but she refused to cry. That’s when she spotted something in the trees. A strange creature emerged, and just along the edge of the Meadow, sat down and began moving the snow in front of it with its paw. GoldenLeaf stared at it in confusion, unsure what it was or what it was doing. It sat there for several moments, the only sound being the wind howling quietly across the Meadow, an eerie sound that made GoldenLeaf feel uneasy. Then the creature lifted it’s head and looked GoldenLeaf right in the eyes.

It smiled and gestured for her to come over. “Oh GoldenLeaf, why don’t you come join me?”

GoldenLeaf was too shocked to really register what she was doing, and mindlessly wandered over to it. She sat down beside it and watched as it continued to dig through the snow. They sat there in silence for several minutes before the creature spoke.

“You are very unique, aren’t you? But you can’t seem to realize that.” It had the voice of a male, which GoldenLeaf didn’t respond to. She instead observed the strange creature. He had the body of a deer, but with legs and paws like a wolf. He was a brownish green color, with a fluffy tan neck. He had unusual gold designs on his face and scales on his back that were speckled with gold. Atop his head were a pair of long golden antlers that curved back majestically. He also had a long green tail with a big tuft of tan fur at the end. But it was his eyes that GoldenLeaf admired the most. He had warm, mysterious brown eyes that made her feel strangely… calm.

The creature finished digging a hole in the snow, where the frozen dirt was revealed beneath. He placed his paws on the dirt and closed his eyes. When he removed them, a sprout grew out of the ground and gradually grew into a small yellow flower.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” he asked, turning to GoldenLeaf.

“…Who are you? And how do you know my name?”

He gave her a small smile. “Your fur is golden like the leaves of Autumn, and your love for your family is always strong, like the trunk of a tree. The branches may sway, and the leaves will fall, but you stay strong and still standing.”

GoldenLeaf stared at him. “Okaaay... But who are you? And why are you here?” “To remind you of the things you’ve forgotten.”

She shook her head. “I haven’t forgotten anything.”

He just smiled. “Then why do you claim that that your leaves have fallen?”

GoldenLeaf lowered her head. She took a deep breath and responded quietly, “I’ve lost control. I can’t care for my family properly, I can’t give them the attention they need and work for food at the same time. I don’t know how long I can go on without help.”

“Then don’t. It’s never too late to ask for help. You don’t need to try to do everything yourself.”

“But-"

“Hush, now. You’ve got it all wrong. When a trees leaves fall, it makes way for new leaves, new beauty. A new start, even. This is your chance for a new beginning.”

“But how? How does asking for help give me another chance? How does… how does it keep me from being an outcast?”

“Again, you’re looking at it the wrong way. You and your mother had a special gift.”

GoldenLeaf shook her head angrily. “My mom is the reason I’m an outcast. I don’t want to be anything like her. She found pleasure in the things that hurt people. I don’t want to be like that.”

“That is what’s so special about you two. It’s not that you find pleasure in the things that hurt people. It’s that you are able to find beauty in all things. You have the unique ability to look past the pain and the hurt, and see the beauty in it. You can see how the hurt changes people and makes them stronger. You can see past the lies. And it is good to be able to rejoice, even in the dark times. Now, look at those trees over there.” He pointed toward the thicket of trees at the other side of the Meadow.

“Other people would see the bleak, cold snow that covers those trees. But look past that. Very few would not see just the snow, but the beautiful golden leaves beneath that. You are one of those people.”

GoldenLeaf looked at the trees, and like he had said, she saw more than just the snow. She saw the beauty beneath it.

“So… it is possible to learn to see the beauty beyond the hurt?”

“Yes. Anyone can learn to see things for more than what they seem. But it is difficult, even for people with a gift like yours.”

“But… I still don’t want to be an outcast.”

“Then teach the tribe to see past the pain. It will be difficult, but it is possible. And if they refuse to listen, then that is their loss.”

GoldenLeaf looked out at the Meadow. For once, she was no longer holding back. The wind no longer sounded eerie and mysterious, but it sounded majestic and beautiful. She no longer saw the cold, bleak, icy snow, but a shimmering and sparkling blanket of white that the light reflected off of. She saw a thousand more colors in the seemingly bland white of the winter snow. It was truly beautiful. And she was no longer afraid to see beauty in the pain, and be unable to rejoice in the dark times.

Unable to help it, she bounded through the snow, laughing like a carefree pup again. The mysterious creature joined her, spraying powdery snow into the air with his long tail. They laughed and played, rolling through the snow that reflected the sun like a thousand miniature crystals. For the first time in a long time, she finally felt free, without a single thing to worry about. She finally collapsed in a large pile of fluffy snow and watched as the snowflakes flew into the air and then drifted back down again. The creature sat down beside her as she laughed breathlessly. Once she had calmed down, she sat up and looked right into his warm brown eyes.

“So, you never told me who you are?”

“I’m the one who could show you the beauty in the darkness. But now that you see it, there is no need for me to be here.” He stood up and began to walk away. “No, wait! I want to know your name.”

He stayed quiet for several moments before answering. “I have many names. Some call me a Quilin, others a Kirin. I’ve been referred to as ‘The Messenger’, and ‘The Truthteller'. I have even been called a spirit of nature.”

“Okay. But what do you want me to call you?”

He paused and tilted his head in thought. “Perhaps you could call me… Hazel.”

GoldenLeaf smiled. “Thank you, Hazel.”

He smiled back at her, then bounded off through the snow with the grace of a deer, and seemingly disappeared into the snow that swirled through the air. GoldenLeaf stood in silence for a while as she processed what she had just seen. After some time she turned around, and saw that were she had first seen Hazel now held a large bush in full bloom, coated in bright yellow flowers. It was a shocking sight.

And it was beautiful.

Just like her tribe, just like her pups, just like the cold winters, the dreaded autumns, and the pain that each and every person felt. She was going to teach her tribe to see the beauty in the pain, in the hurt, in the dark times. And she wasn’t going to care if it made her an outcast. Because there was beauty in everything.

And now she could finally see it.

Background info
Hazel, the mysterious creature that helped GoldenLeaf see beauty in the world, was originally something very different in the early stages of this story. I was inspired to make him in the first place by a creature from a show that could magically make plants grow. I wanted him to be something like a White Stag, a mysterious creature from mythology. As his character grew, I eventually decided to make him closer to a Kirin, or a Quilin. Kirins actually have the body of a wolf and the legs of a deer, unlike the one in my story. Quilins also have a backwards unicorn horn on their head, also unlike Hazel.

To be honest, I’m not exactly sure of the differences between a Kirin and a Quilin, both are described to be almost exactly the same, and both of them have been mentioned to have either a single horn or antlers. I’m guessing they’ve been mixed up a lot, meaning that information about the two of them isn’t exactly accurate.

But that’s enough about Kirins and Quilins and my endless search to discover the exact differences between them. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story and have a wonderful day.