A strong breeze whistles through the dense wood, making the alder and pine trees tremble in terror. Popee grasps the collar of his tattered leather coat even more tightly around his neck in an attempt to maintain his body temperature back to its previous warmth. The branches and leaves of the trees covered the glorious vault of sky overhead, henceforth decreasing his enjoyment of his errand. The branches were forever reaching towards the sky, hovering over him in such a way that it felt like he was enclosed within a tight, narrow room with no room for air nor light. Despite the restriction of movement due to the wooden boughs above, it didn't seem to be the case down below.. Though there may be some obstacles in a form of a large stone, some leaf piles, or tree limbs here and there. Trudging through the mud and the mire with the tall trees blocking his path was proven more arduous than the latter. The task has left him drenched with sweat and fatigue, making his cheeks puff and glow with a tinge of red.

And so Popee treaded through the forest with dread, searching for a strong, supple tree that could serve and provide as decent enough firewood for the household. He stopped here and there, examining every tree that he crossed his path closely. Nope. None of them were good enough.

Not good enough for the denizens within the mansion.. No. Because in the end, none of these trees are good enough for Eepop.

He now believed himself to be bewitched by her. No matter where he looked, he felt as if Eepop was there with him right now, teasing him with her jolly laughter, flitting in between the surrounding trees, avoiding his detection to his utter irritation and dismay. Her perky and exuberant spirit, her contagious laughter.. Popee clearly remembered Eepop frolicking about the walls of the manor as if she was a lively child indulging in her innocence completely, not a nineteen year old girl who had just blossomed into womanhood.

Through her childlike innocence and being so sheltered, she closely preserved her own youth without knowing. And he wanted to protect her for that.

His loneliness was deeply engraved into his mind at most; and this factor rings out true while he was out upon a deserted place, being so alone. The rising gale continually roared against the windy poplars and the leafy canopy, which made Popee's eyes sting and his nose and cheeks feel partly numb. Regardless of this, he managed to flit his eyelids against the powerful force nature intended for him, and it eventually was no more since it thus failed to scare the steadfast vagabond; wandering seemingly forever within the bowels of the strange wood.

Taking a hanging bough from a striped white alder tree nearby, Popee lifted himself off the ground to help him bound over a large, hollow log. From across the log was a river, and it flowed steadily over the indents in made upon the ground, zigzagging between the bunches of leaves conglomerating altogether on the partially muddy and mostly dusty ground. He sets himself by the river, hands on his knees, then cupped his hands into the clear water to get a drink. The river water was rather brackish, making him stop drinking it halfway. But then, something rustled in the bushes from across his line of vision, and it made him immediately freeze in place. The adrenaline began rushing into his veins and the testosterone came pumping in. He wasn't alone. Something was watching him.

Popee stretched his arm out behind him, reaching for his axe, which was attached to a string of leather upon his back, and pulled it out from its sleeve. The axe was intended for him to chop down the tree he desired for wood, but he planned to use it as a weapon as well, since Ipap deliberately refused to provide him a properly functioning musket. He felt his fingers shake uncontrollably at first, but they soon became firm upon meeting the handle. He was ready to attack this intruder, and perhaps earn all the praise back at the mansion if he managed to defeat this unknown and ominous beast.

Soon, the creature revealed itself from the lower reaching branches and the undergrowth, and Popee was thoroughly surprised. It was a male dog sporting a dark bluish-purple coat and a mask on its own face. It appeared very tame, as it stuck its bright pink tongue out from his muzzle and was wagging his tail at him repeatedly.

"Dammit," Popee retorted in exasperation, "it's just a dumb mutt."

The canine whimpered at his reaction, his tail now ceased from wagging, and its tail in between its legs in outward shame. To the dog's immediate displeasure, Popee ignores him and turns away, since he already took his share of drink from the short-winded river and lost his desire in lingering around the destitute place, as it made him more depressed than he should be.

Regardless, the pup was determined deep down, and continued to persevere in his quest for attention. He splashed himself into and across the shallow river, drenching himself through and through.. His trot turning into an abrupt run towards the vexed young man as soon as he reached the shore, brushing him across his legs with his wet tufts of fur and licking his fingers with his wet tongue. The action made Popee's trousers slightly wet, to his chagrin.

"Go away."

The dog disregarded his interjection and proceeded to circle himself around him, whining and starved for affection.

"No, I said go away you little shit!"

Popee then clubbed the dog with the back of the axe handle hard on its spine with an exuberant force, making it yelp out in pain. The hound whimpered softly, and struggled to get up and away from the young man since its back was injured. Popee was then prepared the whack the living life out of the mutt for irritating him so profoundly, his other arm stretched out behind his back, ready to give yet another forceful strike with his forearm.

But then something stopped him.

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"P-Popee! N-no fair, wait for me!"

Popee looked up at Eepop, and grunted under his breath. He wasn't going to wait for her to start eating, that's for certain.

Eepop arrived, running and out of breath, at the flower field where they had planned to have their picnic. She leaned forward, palms on her knees, chest heaving and gasping for air due to her previous sprint. Popee was learning more about her by now, and noticed that she loved to run around despite being shut in within the confines of the mansion. Even the walls of her own house couldn't keep her from darting around every now and then. It was as if she was yearning to be set free, and this extra burst of energy while running was a way to cope with her isolation.

"I said wait!" Eepop laughed as she happily glanced towards Popee, who was eager to consume a slice of bread set upon one of the dishes. Popee eyed her coldly as she continued to laugh and smile. His glare isn't working on her anymore, unfortunately. She was becoming comfortable with him, and the long stares shared between the two were no longer awkward, but familiar, similar to gazing at your own reflection on a mirror.

She set herself by him, snatching up another slice, and spread the jam, preserves, and cream on it with a silver butterknife, as she liked it. It irked Popee greatly that she enjoyed decorating her breads with such sugary toppings, so he waited her to finish for a while before he started eating; lest he would gag at the thought.

Eepop was wearing a sky blue dress that day, with the frock flaunting her signature ribbons and lace by the sleeves and at the bottom. It was blinding to just look at her, so he turned his head away so that the sight wouldn't sting his eyes. Eepop, upon noticing this, stopped joyfully rocking herself back and forth while sitting in the sunlight and moved over to the shade that a nearby tree so graciously provided. Her figure, no longer blinding him, caught his eye, so Popee focused his gaze back at her again. He considered about observing her the rest of the day without saying anything, but soon his plans backfired once a couple of bluebirds noticed that he was distracted, and started pecking at the bread loaf that he held in between his hands while they were flitting about him.

Agitated, Popee waved his hands around in disgust to shoo them away. They still persevered with their mischief, only to make him even more irritated, and caused him to curse out loud. Eepop, noticing his agitation, retrieved a cylinder capsule from the basket behind her and hurriedly went over to Popee. She emptied out the contents of the container upon her hands, revealing it to be some birdseed. The bluebirds now directed their attention to the young lady, and stopped pursuing Popee. They flew over to Eepop and now ate of the birdseed that was cupped in her hands, which made her giggle with delight. By now, five of the bluebirds perched onto Eepop's arms and shoulders, while three continued to eat the birdseed she was feeding them from out of her palm. Their round, chubby, and tiny little bodies chirped with joy at their new friend providing the feast, therefore they felt themselves to very comfortable when around her.

Popee was completely dumbfounded and felt uneasy about his harsh treatment towards the animals. Distraught, he began tugging at the buttons of his vest with his fingers to cope with this shameful realization. Deep down, he was afraid to look up at her since the conflict could've been easily solved should he have spared a piece of his bread to the starving animals.

"Popee," Eepop said to him softly, finally breaking the silence and directing her eyes right back at him; birds and all, "please don't forget to show some kindness every now and then."

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After the flashback, Popee now noticed that the creature was in a pitiful state. As if his line of vision became clearer, he realized now that the poor whelp was already injured long before he delivered the initial blow. Beneath its grape purple fur, it is thus revealed that the dog was suffering from a deep dark red wound encrusted with blood clots along the edges. There was some splotches of brown here and there, indicating that they were bruises due to blunt force trauma, and was missing about three misshapen patches of fur on its left side.

He then looked at the beast's right shoulder. It was slightly dislocated. The sight made him lose motivation to beat the animal. In the end, he just couldn't do it. This dog.. Was just like him, in a way. An outcast in a society that didn't want anything to do with him in the first place, with a false sense of security and an empty purpose they hence served.

Worse yet, the dog didn't have anybody to turn to. It was alone. On the other hand, Popee.. Was the luckiest of the lot.

Greatly discouraged, Popee sighed and dropped the axe handle, making it fall upon the ground with a loud thud. The dog perked up its ears a bit, his mask now facing towards him upwards and his tail nervously shaking with anticipation. Popee leans towards the dog and drops to his knees, and reaches his hand out to him. The hound was at first afraid, distancing itself from the young man's reach, but couldn't get far due to his wounds. Finally, Popee brushed its fur with his long fingers and patting him on the head and pressing his thumb against its ear as he stroked him softly. This dog.. Was alright. All he had to do for the dog was that he had to think of a name for it.

"You're.. You will be Kedamono."

The creature barked joyfully, struggling to get up in order to graciously accept his new master as his own. Popee gruffly grunted with satisfaction, and picked up the medium sized dog with his two arms, slinging the body of the dog upon his shoulders. Once Popee felt steady, he crouched down to retrieve his axe and slung it on his back, and journeyed onward with his new companion. Popee walked through the narrow wood for the next four hours until his shoulders felt rather sore from lugging Kedamono around the forest. The wolf-dog then licked his master's cheek, indicating that he was now strong enough to carry his own weight. Putting the dog down carefully, the mutt circled around him, then followed his lead, though pausing every now and then to sniff the air and chase after some wandering grouse or partridge. For five times throughout their walk, Kedamono chased after all sorts of game, only to come back successful after one initial chase, returning with a dead corpse of an unlucky bird in between his jaws.

'Hm,' Popee thought to himself, 'You were someone else's hunting dog, were you? You only.. Were deemed worthless once you got terrible at the hunt.'

"And you still are worthless." Concluded Popee indignantly, but began petting Kedamono, to the dog's immediate pleasure. The hound dropped the remains of the animal upon the ground due to the grinning smile from his jaws and hanging tongue, and Popee duly picked up the carcass and placed it inside his satchel. Three hours later, they were able to find the right tree, and Popee indicated to Kedamono to sit back in a designated place where he desired him to be- in order for the dog to not get hurt by the falling timber. Kedamono watched him eagerly, wondering why his master would want anything to do with a large stump sticking right out of the ground. He supposed that his master probably wanted a large stick to take for himself and to bite down on and enjoy. And so, coming to this conclusion, Kedamono happily bounded towards Popee once he chopped the tree down and began dividing them into smaller planks. Popee bounded the firewood with a leather leash and carried it upon his back.

"C'mon, Keda." He said gruffly, "Our work here is done. Let's go home."

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Popee was able to trace down his steps from his footprints and indentations he previously left in the forest, and they finally arrived at the clearing, which was a place where he wanted to be. All the while Kedamono was appalled at his master's behavior. Why was he setting down the sticks by the lone lodge out in the field? Doesn't he want to play with them? Kedamono also realized his master appeared worried, about something... Which was curious for him to observe. From the time they had met, he was aware the Popee was.. A rather cold, indifferent fellow. What has made him so anxious?

Coming out of the lodge after dropping his equipment off at the shed, Popee kept on glancing about his surroundings from left to right, looking for someone, not something as Kedamono assumed in the past. The dog followed him as he ran across the clearing, to the back of the mansion, which was covered by a canopy of gathering trees for decoration and privacy. After brushing through these woods yet again, this time around their travel was shorter, since they soon came upon a flower field full of bright yellow daisies and daffodils.

Kedamono perceived a pretty dark blonde-haired lady deep within the flower field, gathering and picking bushels of flowers about her as she alternated her turns around the field here and there. She was oblivious to the pair's sudden arrival, as she was busy with her present activities. The canine also noticed that Popee just stood there, gaping at her with intense awe and profound affection. His eyes underwent a sudden change, they brightened at the prospect of the girl, as if they used to be the cloudy blue skies now turning vibrant and accompanying the morning sun on its quest.

Soon after, the girl, too; perceived them from the distance and returned the stare in absolute shock and admiration at the young man. Her eyes began to well up with tears, and she throws down the flowers and immediately runs to Popee with an uncontrollable longing and desire to see and touch her friend up close. Popee began running to her as well, his long legs causing him to clumsily stumble along the way. They both meet each other at the center of the flower field, and Popee snatches Eepop up into his arms, and twirls her around a couple of times, trying his very best to not steal a kiss from her smiling lips. Eepop cries out loud and embraces him and his blonde head tightly, never wanting to let go. For once in her life, she felt Ipap was right about one thing- the selfsame proposition her mother has promised to her long ago upon the flower field during her youth: Her prince truly did come, not on a horse, nor did he come whisk her away to his castle where they would live their 'happily ever after'. But her prince came in the form of her friend, Popee. And she sincerely felt that he was the one who finally made her feel whole.

Kedamono fondly looked on at the pair from afar with immense satisfaction. So Popee loved this girl more than sticks, and that was alright too. Because, for a moment there, it seemed as if time has stopped, and everything was all right with the world.

And so, wanting to join in on the merry meeting, Kedamono cheerfully tackles Eepop once Popee has put her down back on her feet, and proceeded to lick her all over her face as his own personal greeting to her. Eepop was thoroughly startled by the beast, yet grinned and giggled uncontrollably as Kedamono landed many loving and plentiful dog kisses enough to last her an entire lifetime. Once the two have calmed down, Eepop asks Popee about Kedamono and his outing for firewood while lovingly stroking the jubilant pooch on its head and chest fur with her fingertips.

Popee opened his mouth to speak, but instantly stopped his energetic chatter once he glanced up and across the field. He discerned Ipap from afar, but this time around another young man sought her presence.

They were not alone... And they were being watched.

Ipap and the dashing young man witnessed their meeting beforehand, without the pair's knowledge of being discovered in any way whatsoever. The outraged suitor, obviously steaming with envy and jealousy at the happy couple, storms off, away from the flower field, to leave. Ipap, no longer paying any more attention to comfort the ill-tempered suitor, looked on at her daughter in silent displeasure, then glared back at Popee with utter resentment; to his dismay. Eepop, noticing that her friend was distracted from their conversation, followed her gaze to where Popee was staring, and she too, was slightly troubled and perturbed. Though her concern never really reached to the same measure as Popee in regards to the concerning matter, she clung on to a false hope that everything would be alright, as long he was there, in her presence.