Xia was dreaming again as soon as she went back to sleep. She watched as Willow built her house and saw Stormy gradually fall asleep next to a tree. When night came Stormy didn't wake up and Willow carried her inside the plain, box shaped building. Xia floated beside them unnoticed.
After a while, Xia got bored and floated cross-legged a few inches above the house. She'd had plenty of time to look around in the daylight, but now everything felt sinister. Of course, the dark made a lot of people feel that way, but it felt like there was more to her current uneasiness than that. The usual night mobs were scattered around the island. She figured being surrounded by zombies and skeletons was probably getting to her, but there was still something else she hadn't figured out yet.
Then she found it. At the edge of the jungle, hidden in shadows, a tall, hunched over figure stood glaring at the house with intense hatred. Had she seen him before? No. Definitely not. It was just a brief sense of deja vu. She dove through the ceiling of the house and tried to wake Willow, but her hands went through her sisters shoulders. She tried shouting and wasn't heard. Willow finally woke up when something started banging loudly on the door…
Beep. Beep. Beep. Xia woke up and turned off the alarm. There wasn't enough time to record her dream in her journal, and she was kind of glad. She hadn't had a nightmare in a long time. Yawning, she got up and changed, not bothering to make her bed this time. She rushed to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. She was half way through the latter before she noticed Stormy wasn't there. She sighed and finished before going over to Willow's room. The door was halfway open already, so she pushed it the rest of the way with her foot. Willow's unmade bed was in the far right corner of the room. Xia's eyebrows furrowed. Willow always made her bed. Xia went to the kitchen, leaving Willow's door open. Willow wasn't in the kitchen either. Or anywhere else in the house.
Xia felt uneasy after the first check, and panicked after the second. She still remembered her dream, and it only scared her more. There was no sign that some one had broken into the house and everything was where it was the night before, so the only other reasonable explanation was that Willow had run away. Xia knew, though, that Willow wouldn't do that. It wasn't like her. She went to her parents' room and knocked on the door. Her dad woke up first.
"Willow's gone." Xia said, panicked, before he even reached the door.
"What?" he almost yelled.
"I can't find her."
What followed would be a complete search of the house and surrounding area, what felt like a long period of waiting to see if Willow would come back, and finally a police investigation that would reveal many interesting truths about Willow that her family wasn't exactly pleased to find out about, but, strangely, wouldn't find any clues as to where Willow was. The farthest they would get would be the bathroom, and from there it would be as if she had disappeared.
"Hello." Ender's quiet greeting startled both krakens.
Cordelia whipped around and stepped in front of Eve.
"Who are you?" she snapped, ready to move at a moment's notice.
"My name is Ender. My grandfather, Cyrus, was a friend of Valkyrie's. Perhaps you've heard of him." he responded politely. He didn't want to upset her anymore than he already had.
Cordelia narrowed her eyes in thought. The enderman appeared very calm and confident, but she wasn't sure she believed him. The name rung a bell, so to speak, but she could have heard it anywhere.
Eve stared at Ender with open curiosity and looked like she was sizing him up at the same time.
"Ender!" Willow called, startling the krakens again.
Willow had just finished drinking from the well when she saw Cordelia and Eve locked in a tense staring contest with Ender, who looked unfazed. Her stomach growled loudly as she hurried back to them, or tried to. She wasn't really in her best condition.
"Where were you." she huffed, face red from dehydration. "Seriously. Do you know..." she trailed off and sighed. "Have you seen Stormy?" She looked him in the eyes, but his expression betrayed nothing.
She'd tell him about what happened when she calmed down. It wasn't his fault so it wasn't fair to rant to him. Still, Willow was obviously irritated.
"I was looking for you, but I wasn't able to start until early this morning because of an important meeting."he ignored Willow's angry expression and continued. " Stormy is ok. She's resting, and you should rest soon too."
He placed a hand on her shoulder, ready to teleport them back, and looked at Cordelia.
"Hold it!" Cordelia scowled, grabbing Willow's other shoulder. " Val's not going anywhere. She's fine."
Ender's eyes seemed to darken and Cordelia glared. Eve stared at her mother in disbelief.
"Mom, that's not Valkyrie. Don't you see? And she's not okay." Eve tried to reason with her. Cordelia looked at Eve, her eyes wide. "Listen, Valkyrie lived about 400 years ago. Even if she somehow reappeared, and still alive, she definitely wouldn't look that young." She gestured to Willow. "Maybe she's a descendant." She added, seeing the look on Cordelia's face.
Cordelia shook her head and tightened her grip on Willow's shoulder.
"No, no." She said, almost desperately. "This is definitely..."
"Stop it!" Willow cut her off, finally losing her temper. "I. Am. NOT. Valkyrie." She shoved Cordelia's hand off her shoulder. "I am Willow. Willow Ryther. And I'm tired of you insisting I'm someone I'm not." She took a deep breath to calm herself down, but all she got was hot air that made her more thirsty. "I don't know why I put up with that so long. No, I do. I had to find Stormy and I didn't want to risk losing your help. But you really need to get it through your head now. I'm not Valkyrie."
Willow stepped closer to Ender, her throat burning. It was creepy that Cordelia seemed to be so convinced with her idea. Willow wondered about her sanity. Fortunately, Ender chose that moment to interrupt.
"There are a lot of things that should be explained to everyone. I'll be back here with Willow and Stormy in two days at around noon. It's in the best interest of all of you to attend, so don't be late." He said, a minuscule amount of what sounded like frustration in his voice, as well as a sense of finality.
He and Willow disappeared in a flurry of purple snow.
There was silence for about three seconds before Cordelia blew up.
"This is all HIS fault!" she screamed. "If he hadn't… if they had never met, none of this would have happened! She never would have left without saying anything! I wouldn't have had to figure out why she left by herself!" She fell on her knees and sobbed.
Eve had never seen her mom like this and was crying in fear. She tried to say something, but found herself unable to. What could she say? But she had to say something. Anything.
"Have you ever, you know, talked to any one about her. Or Dad." Dad. What a foreign word. She hadn't spoken it out loud in so many years. "If you haven't, or if you need to, I'll listen. I'm right here." She sniffed and sat a few inches in front of Cordelia. She could be afraid later. Right now her mom needed her, and Eve needed that.
They sat like that for a long time, one wanting to talk and one waiting for the other, both taking comfort in the presence of the other.
Then Cordelia looked up and recognition seemed to flash in her eyes before they became distant and empty.
"Go Eve." she said, her voice hollow. Eve hesitated, confused and hurt.
"Go." Cordelia's command was cold and harsh. Eve teared up again and ran into the sea. She was gone within seconds.
Herobrine had been staring at the two human shaped specks in the distance for a while. He was far away, but not so much so that he couldn't see the older one's face with his superior eyesight. She would only see enough to recognize him. The younger one suddenly jumped into the ocean, swimming away like she was being chased by a terrible monster. Little did she know how close she had been to a real one. Fortunately for her, she didn't have to worry about herself. Not yet at least. It was her mother that should be worried. Poor, poor Cordelia would never be happy. Herobrine's manic laughter echoed across the desert until it reached Cordelia's ears. She covered them and closed her eyes, trying to block out the noise and panic.
When they appeared at the cottage Ender let Willow collapse on the sofa in favor of getting her food and water. She took it and quietly thanked him when he gave it to her. Ender left and came back with several potions and bandages.
"What are those?" she asked, looking at the unknown potions Ender put on the table.
"Potions of healing and regeneration. These are the last I have at the moment." He noticed Willow had finished eating and picked up the dishes. "I can make more. Drink them before you use the bandages." He went into the kitchen.
Willow looked around and saw Stormy on the other side of the sofa. She wore several bandages and was sleeping peacefully. Willow felt relieved to know she was ok. She drank the potions quickly, trying to ignore the taste, then examined her injuries. She wondered if she should wash herself before using the bandages. She was removing the old bandage on her arm when Ender came in.
"How are your injuries?" he asked, checking on Stormy.
"Better. There's nothing too serious or deep. I've been healing really fast lately. It's not really normal."Willow told him, clearly expecting an explanation.
Ender frowned thoughtfully, his back turned to her. Then the expression was gone and he turned around. "How fast are you healing?"
Willow stood and lifted a part of her shirt that was covered in blood, revealing a long cut that ran across her abdomen. It was thin and had started scabbing over, but the skin around it was paler than the skin farther away. Ender bent down for a closer look, then he stood up and Willow dropped her shirt, self consciously pulling it down and smoothing it out.
"I'm not really sure what to tell you yet. I'll have to see what I can find." he told her. He was confused, though he was careful not to show it. This disproved some of his theories. "You can take a shower before you put the bandages on."
"You have a shower?" Willow asked, surprised. She hadn't seen anything that would indicate more modern technology existed in this world.
"Yes." he answered as he opened the door to the bathroom. "It's in here. The towels are in the cabinet under the sink. When you're done there should be a pile of clothes on the table. Change into them before sleeping on the sofa."
Willow thanked him as he walked away. She went in, taking the bandages with her.
Ender had been surprised by a lot of things during this long day. First there had been the meeting, which didn't have a lot of good news, but the information had been important. Then finding Stormy in a ravine – more bad news. Willow's self control had been impressive, and that had been nice simply because it wasn't bad. Although it did concern him a bit. She was taking being thrown into an entirely different world, having no apparent way back, and being attacked by armies of mobs really well. Too well. He wondered when she would crack. One of the most surprising things, though not the most important or urgent, was Willow's healing ability. His grandfather's journal hadn't mentioned her healing that fast. So what was going on? Of course there was also Cordelia's sanity that had been brought into question, but Ender was more concerned about how Eve was doing because Cordelia was her mom.
Ender teleported to the village where he could buy clothes for Willow and Stormy, as well as food. When Stormy woke up he would have to take her and Willow to the village so they could buy their own stuff. He thought that maybe one of them could get an apprenticeship too. That way they would not only be out of his house, but they would learn more about the world they were in. It would be good for both of them, Willow for obvious reasons and Stormy because she would learn more about what had happened while she was gone. Ender could tell her himself, but she hadn't asked yet and most of what he knew was closely tied to the endermen's form of government, which was very secretive.
Willow had been in the bathroom for nearly an hour before she came out exhausted. Despite Ender's promise to bring better clothes – which hadn't been a lie, they were on the table along with new shoes – she had still washed the ones she had been wearing. She put the bandages back on the table. She hadn't needed them, oddly enough. The clothes she took back to the bathroom and changed in to, hanging the old ones up on the door to dry and hoping Ender was ok with that. If she ended up not needing them again they could be rags or emergency bandages. There was no need to throw them away. After she finished she climbed onto the sofa and fell asleep.
Cordelia had left the desert village, not wanting to stay any where Herobrine had been seen. She swam into the ocean and stayed near a small island that wasn't too far away. She felt bad about leaving Eve alone after what happened, but she felt it was better this way. Cordelia had failed everyone she cared about, starting with Valkyrie and ending with Eve. Eve didn't need Cordelia's influence. Even so, Cordelia would go back one last time to hear what Ender had to say. Endermen weren't social at all and they only spoke when they felt it was really important. Whatever Ender wanted to say, it must be worth hearing. And for the first time, she was beginning to doubt if Willow was Valkyrie. Just a bit.
Eve had gone to one of her secret hide outs. Over the years she had made them, exploring underwater caves and making them her own. When she was younger, she would show Cordelia a new one every time she visited, but as she got older she stopped, wondering why she had bothered in the first place. Cordelia rarely remembered where the caves were. This cave had never been shown to anyone except Bayo. It was her best work, in her opinion. She had made an underwater labyrinth with narrow, winding tunnels and too many rooms to count, including the air pocket she was in. She couldn't help but wonder if Cordelia was looking for her. Eve hoped she was, even though she didn't want to be found. It would mean Cordelia cared about her.
The Next Day
Normally Willow was a morning person and couldn't imagine being anything else. But then Minecraft came and messed with reality. Ender eventually got so annoyed at her and Stormy that he (calmly) threatened to teleport them to a remote island and leave them there.
Willow was up immediately.
"I'm glad I got the attention of at least one of you." he said, glancing pointedly at Stormy, who yawned and turned away from him.
Stormy had woken up early that morning "starving". Willow had woken up when Stormy turned on the lights in the kitchen. Ender had woken up because Stormy was loudly complaining that he didn't get any of the foods she liked. Apparently Willow wasn't the only one with super healing. Ocelots healed a lot faster than other species.
"Stormy, how are you feeling?" Ender continued, bringing Willow back to the present.
Stormy ignored him.
"I know you're awake."
Still no answer
"Well, I guess we can't go shopping today." He said apathetically. " Willow, do you..."
Stormy shot up like a bullet, causing Willow to jump. Ender did not look surprised.
"Are we buying food?" she asked, excited.
"No, we're buying clothes, armor, and better weapons. It won't take long, so don't be too selective about anything. The only reason I'm taking either of you today is because I want you to be ready if you're attacked again." Ender replied, deflating Stormy's mood.
"But you said we weren't going." she tried.
"That was before you proved yourself to be well enough to go."
"But..."
"Don't. Argue with me." he interrupted her.
Stormy pouted.
"I don't have any money." Willow said, embarrassed. Ender nodded.
"I know. I'm paying for now." He held up a hand to stop Willow from interrupting. "I'll also show you how to make your own clothing, and some other things. Stormy," he looked back at Stormy, "all your money was put in your bank account. I was able to keep it open for you."
Stormy's eyes widened in surprise and she smiled. "Thanks."
When they were ready to go, Ender teleported them to the village. Willow looked around in awe. She was reminded of a small, medieval village, surrounded by mountains on one side and a low stone wall built around the other, which was just tall enough that she couldn't see past it. Stormy looked around too, quietly noting that not much had changed, aside from the wall. Ender cleared his throat.
They made a quick trip to the bank to get Stormy's money, then went to the first shop.
"Let's get the clothes first." Ender said, leading them towards a rather thin two-story house in the middle of the town. They followed, looking around at the people working in their gardens and doing other daily chores.
"It looks so different from the desert village. The structure." Willow muttered, comparing the two and not finding many similarities. She concluded that it must have been the environment and possibly the time period.
They reached the shop in little time and Ender held the door for them. The room was longer than it was wide, so it was darker near the back and Willow had a hard time seeing who was there, her eyes still readjusting.
"Oh, hello." A young woman's voice called from behind a fabric stand. She stuck her head out from behind it and smiled at Ender, who gave a small smile back. Then she looked at Stormy and Willow. "Stormy?" she asked, unsure. Stormy nodded and beamed at her. "It's nice to see you again. Where were you?" she asked, finally stepping into full view.
"Here and there. How have you been doing?" she asked, smiling.
Willow looked at Stormy out of the corner of her eye, wondering why she hadn't just told her.
"Same as usual." she replied. Willow thought something seemed off for a second, then brushed the feeling away. The girl looked at Willow and smiled shyly. "Sorry for not introducing myself. I'm Hilda. And you are?"
"Willow. It's nice to meet you." Willow smiled back.
The girl came forward and held her hand out. "It's nice to meet you too Willow." she said as they shook hands. "You're all here to buy clothes, right. Come over here and see what fabrics you like." She led them to a rack containing various different materials. "We don't really have anything new, basically just the same old stuff."
"Hilda!" a woman in the back called. "That's no way to advertise!"
"It's fine Mom!" Hilda rolled her eyes. "It's Ender."
The woman in the back sighed in exasperation but didn't say anything else. Hilda looked at Willow and grinned.
"I always make that joke. We don't really get many outside customers, Ender being an exception, and most of us have no where else to shop for clothes, sooo..." she trailed off and shook her head. "Anyway what do you want?"
Stormy picked black and pale green fabrics and dark brown leather. Willow chose black leather and fabrics. Ender made her get different colors too, which ended up being gray, red, and a faded blue.
Then Hilda took their measurements and started crafting.
While she was doing that Ender took them to the armory. They got chain-mail leggings, iron chest-plates and helmets, and leather boots. Then they went to the blacksmith. Willow got a plain looking iron sword while Stormy was stuck staring at an interesting set of daggers. The shop keeper caught her staring and didn't seem surprised.
"Everyone was surprised to see those." he said, startling Stormy. "A strange traveler left them to me. The daggers are about as unusual as he was."
"Did you ever find out who he was?" she asked, curious. She didn't remember many travelers coming through when she had been there.
"No, couldn't even see his face beneath the cloak he wore. He had ears though. On top of his head I mean. I wouldn't have noticed them if they hadn't twitched." he said thoughtfully.
They all seemed to consider this. The daggers were definitely strange. They had long, curved blades that were doubled edged and had runes running along the center and edges of each. The handles were the darkest black any of them had ever seen, despite the light in the room.
"How much do you want for them?" Stormy asked in a rare moment of seriousness.
The blacksmith seemed hesitant, then he coughed.
"Well you can just take them. They've been in here for a few years anyway. It's about time I got rid of them. " he said, then added, "You'll have to pay for the sheathes though."
Stormy smiled and grabbed the daggers off the wall.
After they had paid for everything they left to collect the clothes and teleported back to Ender's place.