River and Wood, A Minecraft Tale

Chapter Two, Cadia Village

The sun began to rise, turning the sky pink as the light shined over the trees and throughout the forest. If there were any zombies or skeletons that were roaming the land, they'd either burn due to the light or seek shelter someplace dark. By the time the day started, she had finally reached the shallow part of the river. Her clothes were soaked, along with her hair and her hat, which she was luckily able to hold on to. Her satchel was long gone, likely ashes from the night before. However, she still had her sword along with her other weapons. It wasn't much, but it would be enough to reach the village. Exhausted, she hurled herself out of the cold water and managed to stand. It had taken her hours to swim that far, but she managed. The current was in her favor, after all. Her clothes soaked up the warmth of the sunlight as it poured onto her face. The monsters that once roamed the night wouldn't be able to survive in such a bright environment. Unless it was a large spider or a green beast she liked to call- "creepers," the skeletons and cannibalistic zombies would burn. She stretched her arms and legs as she began to walk through the forest once again. Although a strong swimmer, the water never failed to drain her of her strength. The forest she now walked in was different because it was a familiar place. After squeezing her hat to get the water out, she began to whistle. "Ziggy? Ziggy, where are you?" She called. The neigh of a horse answered her. Turning her head, she watched as her most trusted friend (Her only friend) trotted out from the shade of a large oak tree.
                He was a humble yet beautiful horse with a brownish gold main and a buttermilk coat. His eyes were aqua green, with a hint of youthfulness. "There you are." She smiled, approaching him. He already had a saddle since she decided to let him roam the river while she was gone on her special mission. His real name was Zigzag, since he always seemed to be stubborn when ordered to run in a straight line down the village paths. Especially if there was delicious grass to eat! However, she preferred good old fashioned Ziggy. Aside from his youth, he was a fast horse, very spunky when it came to out running pillagers. "Got something for you." She pulled out a semi-wet apple from her pocket. "Don't worry, we'll get you some hay when we reach town." He happily crunched it down as she adjusted the reins. Hopping onto his back, they began their short journey through the woods. They'd spend a few days in the village before heading home, since home was so far away. Ziggy trotted happily, glad that his owner had returned. Together they both rode through the trees until they reached the corner of the grassy plains. Oh, it was a beautiful sight. Each blade of fresh grass danced in the wind, creating a sound that resembled waves crashing against the shore. In the distance, she could see the outline of the large village. From here, it was easy. There were no more shrubs to get stuck in or rivers to escape from. Instead, it was simply a walk through a sea of green. Before she knew it, there they were, following the gravel road of Cadia Village. In an effort to make a nice appearance, she smoothed out her tangled blonde hair and straightened the hat on her head. The villagers, she knew, were quite hospitable and passive. The iron golem that protected them never showed her any ill will either.
                "Hello Hero!" A male voice called to her. She smiled and turned her head to meet the eyes of a farmer, who was watching over a large layout of crops. "Good evening, Ted!" She called back joyously, tipping her hat. "Hero" was the nickname that the villagers had given her after she successfully defended town during a raid. Since she didn't have any other name to correct them with, it was her title. "Where are you coming from this time?" He asked. Upon approaching him at the edge of his field, she could see his face more clearly. He wore a straw hat, brown leathery robes, and grey work boots. On his belt was a gold badge he had thanks to her and her abundant trades. Overall, he was a perky man with a polite attitude. "Oh nowhere important, just here to rest up before heading home." She replied with a grin. "I don't buy that! You always have something to tell! Where have you been?" He placed a hand on his hips. Smirking, she lightly tapped Ziggy, motioning for him to continue walking. "You know I only save my good stories for the tavern." Winking back at him, they continued on. Ted shook his head, muttering to himself, "That girl ain't afraid of nothing." He mused.
                Soon, after passing many fields of wheat, growing carrots and potatoes, they had finally made it. Immediately upon entering the village, she heard her name. "Oh look! Hero is back!!" She smiled and waved towards the green-eyed villagers. Sometimes she wished her home was closer to town. The smell of food and the smoke radiating off of the furnaces made her feel just as warm as their kind words. "Where are you off too, Hero?" the little boy asked. "I plan to stay for a day or two. Oh, and give this to your dad!" She tossed him an emerald. "I owe him for repairing my sword." Upon receiving the emerald, the kid beamed at her. "I will! Thank you!" She watched him run off excitedly. Chuckling to herself, she continued down the street that was aligned with cottages and small homes made of cobblestone and wood. Their homes weren't nearly as crazily constructed as hers was. Although the architecture was simple, it felt safe. It wasn't a very large village. Everyone knew one another by name, and everyone felt like family. Even those that were unemployed had some kind of job to jump from now every and again. In the center of town, there was a well along with a bell that would only ring if something dangerous was headed their way. In her heart she hoped she would never have to ring it. Ziggy let out a neigh when they reached the stables. "How's work, Harvey?" She asked the villager that was sweeping outside. He grunted and looked up at her, "What's so great about it, eh?" He said in a rather grouchy voice. She smiled anyway. Harvey was known to be a grumpy man, especially since he was much older. "Oh lighten up, Harv! I have two lovely emeralds for Ziggy's nightly stay in your equally lovely stables! Nice job tidying by the way-"
                "Don't kiss up to me, girl." He accepted the emeralds and pointed his thumb behind him, signaling for her to go inside. "Thank you, good sir." She tipped her hat. He started to sweep again, this time a little harder. Her lips formed a giggle. On the outside, he was as tough as iron, but on the inside she knew he had a molten heart somewhere in that dark soul of his. Hopping off of her horse, she sighed. "Well, my friend, I'll see you in a bit. Enjoy the hay, but leave some for the ponies- alright?" She gave him a stern look. Ziggy shrugged, flipping his golden brown main to the side. "Good." She placed a small kiss on the brim of his forehead. Walking out the stables, she sighed. It was a very lovely day indeed. Since it was a little after noon, she decided to walk to the town square. After all, she would definitely need some supplies after losing a few things to the river's current. All the bread in her satchel was soggy, for crying out loud. Upon reaching the marketplace, she was exposed to every kind of sale. And what do you know it, a wandering trader was in town as well!  "Hello Louis! How's the business?" She spoke to the butcher. "Well, well, if it isn't my favorite customer! What brings you here, Hero?" He asked, plopping a few rabbit hides onto the counter for another villager. "Oh nothing much, I just came for some food that'll last me my journey home tomorrow." She placed an emerald on the counter, only for him to slide it back to her. He answered her confusion with a smile, "It's on the house. You've done more than enough hunting for me this past month!" He gave her a loaf of bread along with a canteen of rabbit stew. Oh boy, his rabbit stew was always the best. What he said was true. Back at home, she had many animals from cows to chickens all the way to llamas. "Thank you, Louis." She said gratefully. "No, thank you for everything you do for us." He said, collecting emeralds from another man while trading him two slabs of steak. "Awe shucks." Now with her food, she headed towards the wandering trader out of curiosity.
                "Good day, sir!" She said friendly. "O-Oh hello! Y-You must b-be here to b-buy something exquisite and rare, am I right?" The man said, appearing to have a stuttering problem. The two brown-wooled llamas he hauled behind him were waiting impatiently. "Actually, I just wanted to know how far away you've been. I'm an explorer myself, and quite good at mapping the terrain." She told him proudly. He paused, "Ah. I-I have b-been to many places. Even the far lands." He said. Her eyes grew, "The far lands?! Wow! I thought that was a myth!" She exclaimed. He shied away slightly, as if afraid of her exciting outburst. "What's it like there? Is it really as chaotic as in the stories?" She asked. "Y-Yes and n-no. I-It's truly just the journey that is difficult.  Especially b-bandits that lurk on the roads." He replied worriedly. "Well, you don't have to worry about them here. I take care of anyone who tries to hurt my friends." Her words made him chuckle nervously. That's when she gasped, "I am so rude! What's your name?" She asked. "I-I'm Attalla." He shook her hand. "A-what?" She questioned, not sure if she heard him right. "Attalla."
                "Allilla?" She repeated. "Attalla." He corrected. "I'll call you Nutella." She patted his back. After talking for a while, she felt like she owed it to the poor guy to buy something from him. With a single emerald, she bought a peony flower and called it a day. The sun began to set over the village, meaning that the monsters would come out again soon. Everyone was already headed inside as the sky began to turn crimson red. She hurried as well, but kept her hand on the holster of her sword just in case. She walked down the alit road to the inn, also known as the tavern. Upon entering through the door, a familiar audience greeted her. "How goes it, Hero? Would you like your usual room?" Max, the owner and bartender asked. "Yes, thank you." She tossed him her money and took a seat at the bar, which wasn't too crowded, but it also wasn't empty. With a fresh glass of water, she sighed. As beautiful as the day was, it was also the longest she had ever hoped to have. She removed her hat and breathed deeply. Her black gloved hands were finally able to relax now that she was indoors, safe from the nightly terrors, and at least a solid fifty to sixty miles away from the pillagers' outpost. Pulling out her canteen of hot stew, she slurped down about half of it. The meat, carrots, and mushrooms floated down her throat with glee. Each swallow filled her with ease as her hunger disappeared. The ambience of the inn made her drowsy, therefore, she decided to head to bed before she could fall asleep on the counter. She stood from her seat and made her way past the drunk man that slumped over the bar. She tossed a gold nugget to Max before walking upstairs. It wasn't the first time she had spent the night in the village. She knew every nook and cranny in the place! In fact, she'd even go as far as to call it her home away from home.
                The wooden door closed behind her with a creak. She locked it for her privacy before collapsing onto the bed with wooly yellowish covers. The village was well protected at night since it was alit with torches and guarded by two very sturdy iron golems. The monsters wouldn't dare to enter. Placing her hat on the bedside table, she listened to the sounds of crickets as they chirped into the nighttime air. It wasn't a very fancy room, not as big as the one she had built for herself back home, but it still felt safe. Although she didn't have to, she made a habit of placing a dagger underneath her pillow just to be sure. After all, there were tales of how the undead would break down the doors of the unsuspecting just to devour a quick meal. Chuckling to herself, she folded her hands over her chest, as if she would sleep. However, she refused to. There was so much on her mind. She thought of her success, her bravery to bring justice along with her explorations. Something inside her felt missing. Almost empty... Staring up at the ceiling, she let her thoughts begin to drift her off whether she agreed to sleep or not. With heavy eyelids, she surrendered. Her golden hair tangled behind her head as her uniform never wrinkled not even for the slightest moment. Then it hit her. She was lonely. The village was her family, her friends, but who would be there to love her when she traveled? When she adventured? Who would share those victories? Who would be willing to fight by her side as not only a companion... but as a lover? Love... love was debatable for her. She didn't know much about the emotion-the thing, whatever it was considered. Based on the stories she had read, it was both a curse and a dream. As sleep consumed her this idea began to grow. Would she ever find this love? Would she ever hold a hand, or have someone to lean on? Her heart felt heavy at the thought. Because that's all it was, a thought.
                Breathing in slowly, the world around her faded to black as her body replenished itself. Whatever coldness was left in her faded into warmth. Sleep always worked for her like this. One moment, she's awake, then everything fades and her eyes shoot open to find that it's already morning. And that's exactly what happened. Her eyes slowly awoke to see that the night air was gone, and in its place was the coolness of the morning light. Standing up, she twisted her body in an attempt to stretch. It was still sore from her escape through the river, but it was better than yesterday. Leaving the inn was an easy feat. She waved goodbye to everyone who having an early drink, which in this case only included grumpy old Harvey. "Your horse is saddled and ready, git out before them flies decide to eat him." He grumbled as she walked out the door. "Nice to see you too, Harv." She smiled and left. Harvey went back to his drink, causing Max to chuckle lightly. "What?" He asked, irritated. "Nothing, nothing at all." Max replied with an amused smirk. Everyone knew Harvey was all bark and no bite. As for Ziggy, he was ready for the journey after his owner returned with a bright red crispy apple. Just like that, she was sitting on top of her trusted friend, walking back down the path. They were both still a little tired, but they knew home wasn't that far away. True, it was far, but not as far as the jungle or the snowy hills towards the north. In her peace, she was just about to look down at her compass when a yell interrupted her thoughts.
                "HELP!!!! HERO!!! HELP!!!" A younger villager came running towards her. She pulled on Ziggy's reins, telling him to stop as she turned her head. To her surprise, she hadn't seen this villager before, but recognized him anyway. This was wandering trader, Nutella's son, Zen. The only reason she knew was because he told her about him. "Zen? What's wrong? Where's your father?" She asked, concerned. Zen heaved to catch his breath, but looked up at her with teary-worried eyes. "W-We were crossing the river! We got ambushed by pillagers-a-and papa told me to run! He said to find you! I-I'm scared!" He cried. Instinctively, she leaned to put a reassuring hand on his quivering shoulder. "Go back to the village, and tell them what's happened. I'll take care of the rest! You will see your father again." She said confidently. "What will you do? There were at least a dozen of them! They've taken everything we've got!" Zen exclaimed. "Then by Notch, I'll take it back." She turned back to her horse. "Run as fast as you can, Zigzag!!!" Neighing with determination, Ziggy obeyed. They sped down the road, going faster than any wind ever had. His hooves pushed off of the ground rapidly as she began readied herself. Pillagers? Here? This close to town? She almost didn't believe it, but she knew she trusted the word of a child. They ran into the forest, brush grazing the sleeves of her clothes as little flecks of sunlight poured onto her hat. Her eyes narrowed as they sped up. Her heart pounded with anger, and also fear. It wasn't her own safety she feared for. She hoped she wasn't too late. She hoped no one was dead yet. "Slow down, Ziggy! We're approaching the banks." He huffed in response, following the gentle steering of the reins. That's when she hopped off his back and drew her sword. "Stay here and rest. Don't move until I come back." She ordered in a whisper. The buttermilk horse merely nodded slightly.
                With that, she looked ahead as the sound of running water filled her ears. The closer she got, the closer she heard them. The gruff voices of her enemies were back. She hid behind a tree in order to take a peek. On the other side of the river, was a very large group of armed men with crossbows, including one that had a daunting banner on his back. Her eyes shrank when she saw him. The wandering trader was on his knees with his hands tied behind his back. Behind him, was one man that held the tip of his crossbow to his back while another pillager stood in front of him with a sneer. She realized... this was the same axe-wielding man she had left a scar across.