A story is said that there once was a small family of Totomata who were on a quest to venture into the forested, but had stopped at a lone tree in the plains to shelter when their daughters leg was injured. Still unnamed, though reaching the age where her actions would choose it, her older brother teased her affectionately that she would end up being named as something along the lines of “Can’t See the Forest” if she kept hurting herself too much in her attempts to keep earn her name.
First the father went forward to scout out the area while they rested, but never returned. Concerned, the mother left to find him after several days, but she too vanished. A week later, her brother took her aside, “Stay here, whatever happens, do not come looking for me, and do not lose sight of this tree; defend it if you must. I’ll go find our parents” then, after sharing a gentle head-butt, running off into the distance.
Days became weeks, Weeks became months, the young doe exploring her surroundings, but always returning to her tree, wishing to keep her families desires alive. As Months moved into years, it soon no longer mattered to the mare that she may never see the forest, and took the name her brother had stated as a name of honor – She Can’t see the Forest for she was too determined to protect the wishes of her herd and defend her territory from threats.
Seasons passed and the tree became more than a marker, but became a friend and companion. It shielded Forest from cold winds and rain, bared fruit that was both delicious and attracted prey for her to hunt, and its branches and leaves creaked and groaned, and she pretended it was talking so she could share in its conversation to keep herself from going mad from the isolation.
Years pass and she protected it from harm just as it protected her from it, but she grew lonely and bored. Unwilling to give up her defense however, the doe closed her eyes one night, wishing that she could take the tree with her and venture onward to see more of the world, or that, at least, it could talk, truly talk, to her, as she closed her eyes to sleep.
That morning she woke to a slow crackling groan that quickly turned into a roar as she took off with a start away from the roots as they tore from their earthly shackles. Her heart broke when she turned, in time to see the mighty tree crash into its side with a flurry of orange leaves.
Then something miraculous happened as the wood split open down the trunk, and a stallion hopped up from inside, shaking himself from his woody antlers to the tip of his wooly tail. However her first reaction was to charge, slamming him off of the trunk and onto the ground, “Did you do this to my Tree?!”
Laying on his back, the buck looked up in confusion at her towering form, “Not… Not
exactly. You wished I could come with you and we could talk…” He rolled forwards, pushing her back as he did so, orange leaves clinging to the branches of his antlers, “You’re love and devotion to me and your family made me change…”
“By staying together, I can defend you as you continue to defend me, and you can keep to your promises and family alive by doing so, and I can see more of the world with you.”
Forest pondered this. As surreal as it was, it seemed the buck was telling the truth. And it was exactly what she had wished for. No longer alone, they’d be able to face many foes, and do great feats and, in some way, still be able to defend her tree. Finally she nodded, “Then we should go! But first, what is your name?”
The dark stallion smiled, shaking his antlers once more as he walked past her, “I’ve already answered one question, as well as having been felled twice by your desires, so at the very least you must give me your name first..”
“Fair enough.” Turning, she walked alongside him.
“Can’t See the Forest…”
“…From the Trees.”
