The girl woke on a bed of moss, her face and arms moist with morning dew. She rose with care, her bare toes sinking into the soft moss, and looked around at a vibrant forest. She realised she was not alone and turned with a shout of surprise. Behind her stood a large creature, a strange head with two concave eyes but no nose or mouth on a short blunt body with matted dark green skin and four long, equine legs. The girl stood still, ready to run, but curiosity had the better of her and she spoke, hesitantly.
“What are you?”
The creature showed no comprehension.
“Where am I?”
Again she got no reaction.
“What do you want?!” she shouted, angry and bewildered.
Suddenly the creature changed. The lower part of its face split, shifting through strange forms into something like a mouth. Sounds began to emerge, changing in pitch and rhythm until they sounded almost like words.
“I am Onod. You are in my forest.” it said in the girls own voice. She backed away, eyes wide.
“You should not be here.”