Jaycee Woods

Doing first edit on the following drafted start grew that snip to more than 1300 words:

“She has no name, but the villagers call her Suteko. Lord Akamatsu observed hunters return with an unknown girl living deep in the woods who they had accidentally captured. The villagers are very scared of this illiterate, animalistic little girl. Suteko looks no older than 10 years old and has no concept of human society, only her animal instincts.

Suteko was caged in a cramped wooden cell and wearing nothing but a dirty rag. She looks at Lord Akamatsu with terrified tears.

— Grr… Grr… Squeak…”

Though it is not final, but first edit now begins:

Hundreds of years ago on the shore near present day Yokohama, rumors claimed that a wild girl stalked the nearby forest. Not a kitsune, fox girl, but a tailless little human beast. A boy named Yoshi claimed that she attacked and bit him when he entered the forest to collect fallen wood for his master. Villagers became wary of traveling within the forest lest the little beast attack them. Some claimed that she was not a human girl at all but kami, a spirit protecting the forest. Others scared children into behaving with stories of a kami seizing naughty children to become their wild servants in the forest.

Inspecting the docks and ships below the palace, young Lord Akamatsu heard these fantastic tales of the wildling. Since his father the daimyo had become ill, as shoshi young Lord Akamatsu had taken greater responsibility within the family’s realm despite his youth. Akamatsu worried about his daimyo’s well-being as he understood that he was still too young to inherit his father’s title and responsibilities. Should his father join the ancestors then Akamatsu’s uncle would become regent until Akamatsu became old enough to be daimyo himself. Akamatsu resolved that later in the day he would pass under the torii gate to the temple so he could make an offering to his ancestors and pray that they would protect his father.

Distracting himself from his concerns about the possible, Akamatsu rode his horse from the docks into the unsavory section of the village where animals were butchered, and leather produced. The unclean Burakumin fell to their knees in respect for their young lord. Burakumin worked with death and blood reducing them to the lowest caste within Japan; such debasement was hereditary and immutable. He stopped before a familiar hut where a strong middle-aged man had been butchering a deer but stopped to kneel before Akamatsu.

From his horse Akamatsu asked the bloody man, “Haruki, how is my forest?”

Haruki reassured, “Bountiful, young Lord Akamatsu. The kami have blessed me today with a deer, which will provide meat and leather. Is there something more specific that interests you?”

Akamatsu smiled at Haruki’s ability to get to the point without courtly proprieties. He replied, “Rumors on my docks and ships are that my forest is haunted by a wild girl.”

Haruki nodded, “Suteko…that is what we call her. She is more than rumor as I saw her briefly before she disappeared in the undergrowth.”

Knowing that he came to the right man, Akamatsu continued, “If Suteko were a woman or man I might understand, but I am told she is but a girl. While an interesting topic for the gossips, I doubt a herd of orphans in my forest will be compatible with its bounty.”

Haruki laughed in appreciation of the young man’s humor, which was detected from the sparkle in the eyes of an otherwise austere young face. Anticipating his young lord’s intent, Haruki speculated, “She would be tougher to catch than an average doe without the same profit.”

Understanding Haruki’s bargaining, Akamatsu smiled, “True as her meat would be slight and unsuitable. I will make it worth your while should you capture her unharmed. I cannot have young ronin infesting my forest and eating its bounty.” Considering next steps, Akamatsu commanded, “Bring her to me in the castle should you catch her but be careful as I am told she bites.”