Kaede of the Grove.
The spirit reminded itself that it had a name now. Life beyond the grove was something different, something beyond the wind, beyond the rain, beyond the seasons. The Grove family had praised their spirit's curiosity and provided it with a name, a pendant made from its own tree, and their blessings to leave and explore. But how would the spirit travel?
It had stepped from the maple tree that given it birth as humanoid, but definitely dryad. It experimented with its shape, feeling most comfortable with the dryad form, a deer shape, and a human shape. For weeks, Kaede wandered the woods as a spirit-stag, fleeing from hunters and testing his ability to explore. His few interactions with humans had been filled with mutual awe and shy curiosity, but no interactions. If the spirit was going to get to know more about the humans, it would need to go into the groves-no, city-where the humans lived.
So, shoeless, dressed in the finest green silk dress, the spirit stepped out of the woods in her human shape. Long hair floated on errant breezes, and it pleased Kaede because it was the color of her fall foliage and the wind still combed it like her leaves. Each step down the road and towards the approaching city brought her closer and closer to satisfying her curiosity.
The woman drew odd looks. She was sturdy in build, strong and feminine. Her piercing eyes were initially brown to look at, but they gave such an impression of tree bark that there were hints of grey in them as well. She did not greet others until she'd been greeted, and she seemed to be drinking in every farm as if it were the first time she'd seen such things.
But those bare feet...they were incongruous with the studious looks, the serious expression, and the fine dress...the only people who seemed to understand it were those who maintained the shrines to the local spirits. They didn't stop the odd woman from approaching the forest spirit's shrine and collecting the money gathered there. They did not scold her when she took an offered apple and began to eat it, and they did not expect from her any sort of restitution when she rested in the shade of the shrine.