It had been a good three days after the damage was done. Of course, by now the villagers had come back and rebuilt most of what they had lost. Luckily there was a lot less damage than what had been anticipated. The only places that were truly demolished were where the ravagers had crashed through. The Acacia illagers didn't cause too much damage even though he knew they could have done much worse. Wood knew he shouldn't have stayed for longer than he was supposed to, but at the same time, he felt like he had to. The villagers were surprisingly thankful to him once they all learned what he had done for them. It felt odd, really. He had killed so many of their kind, looted so many of their homes for the sake of the tribe, yet here he was, in the center of town, having a drink with them around a bonfire in celebration. Although the iron golem gave him deadly glances every now and again, the gentle giant hadn't laid a finger on him. As for River, she was completely healed by now. You couldn't even tell that she had been injured in the first place. The night sky was glimmering with stars above them as they moved around the fire's light. Since the village was alit with lanterns and guarded by their rusty-iron companion, the monsters did well to stay away. Wood took a gulp of his drink, which tasted like a mixture of fruity wine and stinging whiskey over the smell of food that hovered in the air. River, on the other hand, couldn't stay away from the dancing. Her figure was just as light and agile as it was in battle, only this time a little more carefree. His green eyes followed her every movement whilst his lips couldn't help but form a gentle smile.
"Why don't you join her instead of being a scared ocelot?" An older voice interrupted his thoughts. The old villager, Harvey, decided to stand next to him, waiting for Wood to reply in a rude pillager-like way. Instead, Wood merely shrugged, "Where I come from, we don't dance." That's when Harvey's face contorted into a smirk, "Ah. Well, what to ye do?" the old man asked. Wood returned the smile, "We do target practice on plucky villagers such as yourself." He laughed. As for Harvey, he puffed up with a small laugh of his own before returning to his usual grumpy frown. Before he could say anything else, a female laugh echoed from a little ways away. "I saw that smile, Harv! And you said you couldn't laugh! HA!" River said loudly, causing the old man to turn away back to his beer with a half grin half frown. Wood looked over just in time to see her approach. He loved her smile and how it seemed to glimmer brighter than sunlight when she looked at him. "You look happy." He said with a charm she couldn't describe. "I can't say the same about you, care to join me? If you're worried about my friends, I assure you that they'll come around." She took his hand with a hopeful gaze. He couldn't resist those beautiful blue eyes of hers. "Alright, but I warn you: I've never danced in my life." Wood chuckled, setting down his drink on top of a nearby barrel. "Oh, it's easy! Anyone can do it!" She said eagerly. He followed her into the crowd of villagers, who all cheered once they saw her again. Wood felt he should've been nervous, but it felt impossible to feel any negativity now that they were together. For a moment, he seemed to forget that he was ever alone. The music that they played blocked out every fear, any monstrous sounds that rang in the distance, and every ounce of loneliness. It was the happiest they had both been in a long time, and completely unplanned since they were fighting to survive not even two days ago!
Bringing him to the center of the action, she took one of his hands in hers while the other rested on his shoulder. He didn't know what came over him, but he reached out and placed his extra hand on her waist. Since she seemed to be happy with that, he assumed it was the right move. That's when the music began at a fast pace. She began to lead with her movements, feet instructing him to move with her. He did so as best as he could, looking up at her for approval. River giggled at his adorable reaction. Together they twirled and locked arms, dancing in a way that would've looked similar to square dancing. As the music rose and fell, they laughed. Other villagers joined them, flowing to the rhythm of the melody. The more they pranced in circles and the more they held one another's warmth, the more the dance seemed to engulf them. Wood felt he was getting the hang of it, so when the music slowed slightly, he decided to take a risk. River tossed her hat aside, not caring where it landed. Zen, the wandering trader's son, ended up catching it before placing the much larger hat on his tiny head. When the song finally came to an end, their chests were pressed against one another. Their hands held one another, resting in the air that was equivalent to the tips of their shoulders. The quick song seemed to end soon, as it later switched to a slower tune. However, neither of them moved. Instead the two breathed deeply, as if tired, but then Wood decided to act. Hands in hers, he slowly lowered them, bringing them down beside her waist before wrapping around her slightly in an attempt to embrace her. River's heartbeat quickened, but she saw no reason to reject his touch. His face was only a few centimeters away from hers when their lips finally connected into a deep kiss.
It was better than the one they had shared during their duel, less rough and more passionate. She loved it more than she realized. He knew he'd cherish the moment in his memory for a very long time. Their eyes closed while the sound of applause could be heard from their surroundings. Pulling away from the softness of her lips, they both appeared to be absorbed in the moment. Before either of them knew it, they found themselves sitting in front of the fire doing nothing but enjoying one another's company. "Do you think we'll ever have another night like this?" He asked out loud. She looked at him, face full of light. "I love you." Those three words caused his heart to sink. He turned his head away from the warmth of the flames to look into her eyes. She had a relaxed smile as she placed her hand on top of his. "I...I admire you too." He ended up saying. They both sighed, leaning on one another. She rested her head on his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her. They were the same arms that had killed and murdered, but for some reason they didn't seem that menacing anymore. The celebration went on around them. Villagers drank wine and ate the same sweet cake that the two had once shared in the woods together. Wood, although different, couldn't help but feel at home. They weren't too different from a bonfire with Stone and Coal. If anything, Harvey reminded him of his older brother that would likely be fuming with rage by the time he decided to return empty handed. As for Coal... well, he wouldn't understand.
The embers of fire danced into the night sky as it faded from dark to light. River had barely noticed the change, as she was used to the night going by quickly depending on whether or not she had a bed to sleep in. By the time she came to, the sound of white noise entered her ears. For once, her mind was still sleepy, but she knew going back to bed would be useless. If the day was calling, she had to answer it. Slowly, she sat up from the oak log that served as her source of sleep. The fire in front of her was dead, only barely smoking with the scent of meat that was likely already eaten. She wasn't surprised to see that everyone else seemed to be in the same state: still drowsy from the ongoing party. She'd be confused if some of them weren't hung over. But no... the only thing that confused her was that Wood was nowhere in sight. Where was he? Did he leave without saying goodbye? Part of her was worried, and the other half was trying to convince her mind that he was fine. He was tough after all. No undead creature would dare mess with him unless they had a death wish. That was when she noticed how warm she felt despite the fact that the fire had died a long time ago. Her fingers dragged against the leathery fabric of a cloak, his cloak, which was draped across her body like a blanket. River's heart melted as she inhaled the scent of his clothing. It was just as fresh as when they had first met. Then she noticed her hat sat right next to her, almost like a pillow. Underneath it was a folded piece of parchment she recognized to be a map of some sort. After folding his cloak, she went to examine it.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the markings. River's many travels and expeditions across the far seas and jungles were enough to tell her that this map described no biome she knew to be familiar. Then, with the help of the morning sunlight, she realized that there was writing on the back. Turning it over, her eyes grew moist with tears. Her heart already missed him. The back of the map read:
"This was a gift from our attackers. I don't know what it means, but I know we'll figure it out. We'll see each other again soon,
Always yours, Wood."
As he had predicted, his tribe was not happy with his return. Although he had something of hers, the golden buttons she had gifted him, he was reluctant to show them. The only one that was truly eager to greet him was Coal. The child couldn't shield his excitement no matter how hard he tried. As for Stone, he was busy speaking to their leader. "Father, the old outpost will take ages to rebuild. Not to mention it will be overrun by spiders and undead!" Stone said, walking side by side with the evoker. "I won't have it left to rot. Besides, that was our only marker for the west territory. Now our rivals will see it as an invite back to our land." He said sternly. Wood's approach caused the two to stop in their tracks. His father grinned whilst his brother's face seemed to be annoyed of his interruption. "Ah, Wood. You've returned. I was beginning to think you were dead after all this time."
"Father, I request an audience." Wood said, maintaining a bold stature despite his worry that bubbled up inside his chest. The evoker nodded, shooing Stone away. Wood watched his older brother scoff afterwards, as if angry. He walked past him, giving him a good shove on the shoulder as he did so. His father seemed to ignore the gesture. "I see you've come back empty handed once again. Tell me, why isn't her blood on your hands? Why hasn't she been driven out of the valley? You don't want to disappoint me, my son. I've already made a pact with the rest of the tribe. They say they don't want to name you as dirt unless they have to." He sighed. Wood shook his head, answering firmly, "I understand, father. But I know of something you do not." He stated. "And just what is that?" His father pressed. Wood tried not to be defensive of her. He tried not to show any emotion, knowing that if they found out about his feelings for River, they'd cast him out. "She cannot be killed." Wood said, hoping that his father would give up on trying to put an end to her. "Every time a blade buries itself into her heart, every single arrow to the head, every death... she always comes back awake in her bed. We cannot be rid of her. She has Notch's good graces to protect her." He then reached into his pocket, revealing the small gold buttons that came from her uniform. For a moment there was nothing but silence. But then, his father's darker eyes looked at him, and he laughed. It was a wicked and empty sound, contrasting those of the villagers Wood had grown fond of. "Is that all? Notch's good graces??? I'm afraid Notch won't prepare her for what we have planned." His laughter died down.
Wood raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? How do you plan to kill a being that can't die? And if you knew this, then why wait to tell me?" He asked. On the inside he felt sick. He wished that he had stayed at Cadia Village a little longer if it meant being close to her. He had to protect her even if it meant he'd have to pay with his life. "I needed you to spy so that I could have the time to forge this..." His father then reached into his cloak to pull out none other than a dagger. Wood's eyes widened slightly, as this was no ordinary dagger. Its blade was made of a black metal that was likely raw steel with a reddish glow that likely radiated from a deadly enchantment. "This, my son... is our key to ending her once and for all." He said. Wood's eyes stared at the weapon, his fear growing for River. "I know that enchantment. I thought it was a legend! How did you manage to obtain it?" He asked. "Notch has enemies too. I just happened to come across the right one." The dagger's handle was placed in Wood's hands. "One mark from this blade, and she'll never be revived again."
"You aren't fooling me." Wood said, slipping the dagger onto his belt. "I know you, father. I know you wouldn't have gone this far to merely kill a single person. What do you really have against the inferno?" His question only made his father smile, "You'll make an excellent leader one day, but for now that answer is mine and mine alone. Let's just say it's in her destiny to take something that is rightfully mine." That made Wood even more skeptical. Maybe he was after the same thing as his uncle... just maybe. "Well, what's our next move?" He questioned. "In three days' time, we'll set out for her fortress. Rumor has it that it lies on the North Sea. I'm sending you with our best men, so I want you to be prepared. Stone will go with you. If you fail... well, I can't guarantee your place in this tribe. But you won't, will you?" He seemed to stare into the depths of Wood's soul. Wood could only shake his head and thank his lucky stars that the sorcerer wasn't able to see right through him. "Good. Now then, in the meantime, you've earned yourself some rest." With that, the conversation ended. Wood let out the air he was holding in while the black robed man walked away from him as if nothing had happened. That was when his heart began to ache. After all, on his belt was the very weapon that could kill her. Actually kill her. It made him sick. It made him question who he was, what he was doing. He had ended so many lives, mostly consisting of the villagers that were said to be greedy and cruel, hoarding their emeralds and goods until there was nothing left to go around. But why were her friends so welcoming? He couldn't think of one thing wrong with the Cadia villagers. And River.... Oh River.
He'd never hurt her again as long as he lived. Feeling torn, he argued with himself on what he should do. Something deep inside him knew he would soon have to choose between his family, and pure love.