River and Wood, A Minecraft Tale

Chapter Nine, The Ravine

It had been only a few days since she had last spoken to Wood. While the map she had received was interestingly vague, her mind needed a break from its mystery. After all, life had to go on. The Forest was quiet, far quieter than it usually was. The groaning of the undead was distant as if it were the calm before the storm. River paid no mind to it. After all, the land that lay on the outskirts of her home was often this empty. After a while of living there, monsters were often smart enough to know that coming near would mean certain death. The day was rather foggy, with the clouds in the sky seemingly going on forever and ever. Her backpack of supplies hung heavy over her shoulders, full of pickaxes, coal, sticks, and bread along with a sturdy pair of flint and steel. Today she had planned a trip to the mines since she was running low on inventory. Although she hated being below ground, she felt that it was something her ancestors might've done. Of course, she didn't know much about them other than the idea that they loved to leave behind mineshafts, abandoned ships, and temples, along with a few hidden treasures for their faded legacy. There were a few books every now and again, but the language was never clear to her. The only thing she knew for certain was that they were gone, vanished from the face of the earth.

After docking on the beach, she began her walk into the mist with her iron sword held firm in her hand. It was still daylight, but she preferred to be prepared. Besides, the undead loved to lurk in caves where the sunlight couldn't burn them to a crisp. Ziggy never came with her on these trips since the ravine wasn't that far away. She liked to call it a ravine, but it could've easily been characterized as a deadly crack in the world since it was very deep. So deep, in fact, that no soul could see to the very bottom of its pitch black depths. Coming upon it, she paused to pull a rope out of her satchel. The sounds of the forest and the faint light that shined through the trees above seemed to set a desolate feeling despite being near home. On the inside, she felt a little self-conscious as if something was just waiting beyond the trees for her to drop her guard. Approaching a nearby spruce tree, she slung her satchel over her shoulder and began to wrap the rope around the trunk, securing it with a sturdy knot. The other end of the rope was thrown down into the ravine, long enough to send a small echo which indicated it had reached the very bottom. However, she didn't begin the climb down just yet, for that agonizing feeling was still there. It was as if the trees had eyes. River knew her instincts were almost never wrong. Someone was there. Someone was lurking in the fog. She drew her sword and stood absolutely still. Her eyes scanned her surroundings as her ears listened for even the slightest of sounds. Perhaps it was only a fox or a wolf. The only unlucky thing it could be was- "River, what are you doing here?" Wood's voice startled her as she whirled around to face him.

She let out a sigh of relief. He slowly lowered his crossbow once his green eyes met hers. "What are you doing here? I didn't expect you to come this far north, not even for me." She stated with a grin on her face. Wood came closer to her, until they were only separated by a few feet. "I'm not alone. Four scouting parties came with me and are camping less than a mile away from here. I've come to warn you before I'm forced to fight you." He said. River could see the worry in his eyes as he continued. "My father, you know him as the evoker, he gave me something- a weapon." With his gloved hands, he reached into his cloak. "Does this have to do with the map?" She asked, watching as he pulled out the strangely enchanted dagger. "I think so. I think wherever the map leads, he doesn't want you to get there before he can. He told me that I had to either kill you first or return home as an outcast." Wood revealed. He stared down at the dagger in his hand, feeling sick just from holding such a dark weapon. Looking back up at her, he saw exactly what his father wanted him to destroy. He could've done it. He could've driven the blade right through her heart in less than a second. But no, he had already made his choice. "If I become an outcast, they'll toss me away from my home. I won't get to see my little brother grow old, I won't get to fulfill my duties as chief, and I most certainly won't live to see another day if my kind ever comes across me in the wilderness."