River and Wood, A Minecraft Tale

Chapter Five, We Meet Again

                She galloped on her horse back down the familiar road she took so often, she didn't need a map to know where she was going. While she rode, she held on to her newly crafted leather satchel as it sat on her lap. Inside it was her sword, her breakfast, and a little something she hoped to share with Wood if all went well. The morning air was cool as the clouds above still slightly blocked away the hot rays of sunlight. It didn't take her long to reach the borders of Cadia Village. She heard the rushing waters of the river as they approached it. The water was so clear, anyone would've been able to spot the fish that swam at the banks. However, she wasn't here to fish. She was here to finish the fight. Ziggy let out a neigh, coming to a halt as she pulled on the reins. Sliding off of her horse, she held out a nice crispy apple. "Don't go far, but run home if I don't come for you by sunset." She told him, knowing that if she died he'd have to meet her back home once she respawned. The thought of herself dying was enough to send shivers down her spine, but since it was daylight, it felt easy to be brave without the monsters lurking about. With her satchel slung over her shoulder, she drew her iron sword and walked across the river's stones just as she did when Attalla was getting attacked. Although, she didn't hurry this time she still felt compelled to get there quick. Retracing her steps, her black boots took her into the forest. It wasn't as far as last time, but it was far enough to where she could no longer hear the rushing of the river. She entered a familiar clearing underneath a large willow tree.

"You're early." The voice startled her for a moment. She turned around to gaze at the willow's trunk, only to see Wood leaning against it with his crossbow positioned over his shoulder. "I could say the same about you." She replied, smiling back. He gave her a small grin as well, knowing that she'd regret meeting him again very soon. "Well? Shall we finish the fight, girly?" He asked, tossing his crossbow aside to fetch a dagger from his belt. She silently grimaced at the nickname- girly. "Don't call me that." She stated. "Well what should I call you? Rumor has it, you are nameless." He said truthfully. That made her pause once she realized that it was true. "What would you call me?" She asked without hesitation, eager for a new nickname. Now it was his turn to pause. Wood thought for a few moments, thinking to himself how lucky he was to be in such a situation. He could kill her, but now that he's seen her he felt like he'd rather be branded as lower than dirt. As for her name, no pillager would ever dream of giving her one. Then again, he wasn't just any pillager. Feeling the strand of hair in his pocket, her name suddenly became quite clear to him. "River." He said. "What?" She was confused. "That's what I'd call you. Since it was where we met, I'd call you River." He repeated. She held her sword tightly in her hand, pondering on the title he had purposed to her. "River... I like that." River said. He didn't know it, but he made her feel a little more complete now that she had a name. A real name. It was as if she had found the missing puzzle piece to her existence. "Well then, River. Are you ready to fail?" He asked, bringing her back to reality. She only nodded as they both began to circle one another. River had sparred with many monsters, many people, many of his kind. However, it was different now that she didn't intend to kill her sparring partner.

In an effort to distract herself, she took the first attack. Throwing herself into action, she hurled her sword towards him. Wood acted fast, and deflected her with a swipe of his dagger. Like her, he also had no intention of killing her. Not now. And so they went, she would attack, he would defend. Sometimes he would attack and she would defend. On and on, it felt like they were too evenly matched now that her shoulder was healed unlike last time. Her only weakness was that she hadn't had breakfast yet. She didn't understand why he didn't just shoot her with his crossbow and walk away with victory. Suddenly, her stance was interrupted by the side of his foot as it tripped her. Falling to the grass, she blocked herself with the blade of her sword. Wood slammed his daggers against it, positioning himself on top of her just as he had done when they last met. "You need to watch your feet more often." He said, panting. Just then, she used her hips to throw him off of her by slamming him onto the ground beneath her. Now reversed, she held him down with all her strength. "And you need to watch your grip." River replied.