Hiumi

When the autumn feasts first began in The Heart of the Forest, Hiumi would watch from the edge of the clearing, a silent figure in worn elder armour. They had come seeking only quiet, a place to let the memories attached to their adventure sword finally rust over. But the locals, obsessed with food and song, refused to grant them solitude. They brought Hiumi spiced acorn stew and asked not about battles won, but about the strangest fruit they had ever tasted on their travels. One evening, a small child, unafraid of their perpetually upset gaze, asked if their sword was sharp enough to slice a giant pumpkin. Since then, the veteran warrior has become the village's most revered chef. The frown remains, a map of old roads, but their hands are always preparing the next meal.