River and Wood, A Minecraft Tale

Chapter Twenty, Fate's Promise

It began in a new world, on a bright day. Relations between villager and pillager kind were much better ever since Stone and Wood established a treaty of peace between the two races. It took a lot of convincing. After all, not everyone was willing to make peace. It would be years before they could fully trust one another again. For the most part, they were tired of fighting which meant laying down arms wasn't too difficult. In fact, River had helped rebuild the outpost she had destroyed as a peace offering. With everything improving for the better, the wedding was postponed for almost a year! Together they made the real history, the hidden and forgotten history, of old builders known throughout the valley. Word spread quickly that River was very much alive, causing people all over the place to celebrate her return. The people of Cadia village were ecstatic to see her again, cheering both her name and Wood's once they made it to town. As for the village of Pisces, they were happy to hear the news of her return as well as her engagement to Wood. Edward and Elias were thrilled to accept the offer of taking her home and putting it to use for a new trading port. They even decided to call it a resting place for wandering traders as well. As for Wood, he felt he needed to give his younger brother a proper memorial. While Coal was no longer with them, Wood wished he could've been there. Therefore, a statue stood in the square of Cadia Village. Built by River herself, it portrayed Coal with a crossbow and quiver in hand. She had built it completely from memory, with Wood's help of course. It was sad at first, but eventually sadness drifted into simple remembrance.

But now, a year later, the sun was shining brighter than ever. She stood on the outskirts of Cadia village, just beyond the plains closer to the river. Her golden hair fell behind her shoulders as her white dress hugged her body comfortably. It wasn't a fancy gown by any means. In fact, it looked rather homemade with wooly shoulders, and a floral trim at the bottom. Leather sandals adorned her feet with tiny gold flecks embedded in them. On her head sat a crown made of red fern leaves and twigs, bright orange and red. And in her hands was a bouquet of three flowers, one yellow, two red. It was all so simple yet so beautiful. She knew that everyone was gathered underneath the willow tree, waiting for her. But here she stood, looking up at the sky. Part of her wasn't entirely sure what she'd say, but she had a slight idea. "Notch? I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can... I just want to say one last time, thank you. Thank you for everything." The clear blue sky above her brought back memories of when she had returned home, bringing her that welcoming sense of belonging. The clouds and the wind seemed to rain down on her like the breath of the world. The air picked up rather quickly, causing a few fallen leaves around her to rise into the air for a few brief moments. She turned her face, following the direction of the breeze leading her towards the willow. It was almost as if the wind was telling her to go, wishing her well. Almost as if Notch himself gave her his silent blessing. Taking it as a sign, she walked by herself until she could hear the faint sound of the rushing river and the hushed voices of her friends. Ted, Attalla, Shane, Louis, Max, and even Harvey were all standing in the shade of the gigantic tree. They all wore their best attire, which consisted of rich leather clothing and formal shawls that covered their shoulders and fell to their waists. A few villagers from Pisces Village decided to come too. The only person that couldn't was elder Adair...

Of course, it wasn't just her side of the family. Stone was there too, along with other members of the tribe. When she had met them, she realized that Wood's name was rather simple compared to theirs. He had a friend named Oak, and a hunting partner named Flint. Stone was close friends with a man called Iron. Their names were very odd, but she liked them a lot. She liked how Wood had given her a name similar to theirs, driven from nature rather than something superficial like "Britney" or "Nancy." It was almost as if he had accepted her as one of them long before they became close. The pillagers, unlike the citizens of Cadia Village, hadn't gone as far as to dress their best. Instead, they refused since it was tradition in their culture for everyone's eyes to be on the bride and the groom. Even though the villagers didn't understand their customs, they respected them. Upon reaching them, their chatter had died down. River watched as all eyes landed on her, including his.