Chapter 24 (Part I): Wolves, Wings and Welcome Back

Echo donned his disguise once again. It was surprising how the villagers hadn't suspected anything of him yet. Perhaps he passed as a human better than he first thought.

May watched quietly from her corner of the room as the Ender covered his midnight skin with the long traveler's cloak. It had been one of the few things that survived the fire. At one point, it had probably belonged to Uriah, but Echo held no grudge against him. Though the Ender missed Hannah dearly, and it had been Uriah who had taken her away, Echo knew that Uriah was only trying to protect her.

"I will return at midnight." Echo told May. The Creeper nodded, chirping a farewell. Echo smiled, and patted her on the head before walking out of the den.

xxx

Two years was an excruciatingly long time. It had taken several months to settle with his new life. May made good company, and Onra was nearby as well. Though Echo had not visited her in some time, it was reassuring to know she was there.

It was already dark as the Ender emerged from the cave. He didn't mind. Since he now lived on his own terms, his sleep schedule had become random. Sometimes he slept at night, in order to have better light during the day while continued his work on HUGS. Sometimes, he took a break from this task, and slept during the day to visit the other mobs at night. Gideon and Skipper were very happy with their new families, and often passed through the area as they moved about the forest.

Echo was somewhat surprised that the villagers had not yet caught on to him. He towered at least two feet taller than most of them, and his tough black skin was still very much visible on his face and hands. Not to mention there was no way to hide his piercing violet eyes. Still, the villagers remained oblivious, not seeming to care about anything but his wares. Living in a cave made it easy to find ores, which he could trade to blacksmiths for finished metal. There were countless wildflowers and herbs in the forest that the farmers offered stacks upon stacks of seeds for. The village seemed to be an endless supply of materials. If he continued to work at the pace he was now, HUGS would be nearly complete within the year.

xxx

The moon was climbing slowly in its path along the night sky as Echo went towards the village. He didn't teleport much now. Though he was perfectly capable of doing so, and could travel almost twice as far as a normal Ender in one jump. Still, he chose to walk. It gave him time to think, and relax. There was no need to rush. After all, Echo was nearing the slower years of his life. Unlike humans, Enders mature and age very quickly. Any other Ender would have produced at two offspring once they reached twenty. Echo, on the other hand, remained solitary. He would go on to live many more years, but he would need to settle down eventually. That was exactly what he planned to do once HUGS was finished. Settle down, and grow old in contentment and peace. He had found his purpose in life, and soon, it would be fulfilled.

A distant noise broke his thoughts. Echo stopped in his tracks, tilting his head to listen. It came from the direction of the village. It sounded again…

The shout of a young woman.

xxx

Echo teleported, losing the cloak somewhere along the way. Following the shouts, he found himself on the edge of the woods. Below him was a hollow, surrounded by trees and low bushes. On the far end stood a small cliff that jutted out of the earth.

Against it, a human girl was cornered, facing a pack of growling wolves.

She was guarding a lamb―shouting at the wolves and warding them off with a wooden sword. Echo knew she wouldn't last long.

The Ender got a familiar feeling in his chest. His eyes drew to slits, and a growl rose in his throat.

xxx

The shepherd girl couldn't mask her fear any longer. The wolves snarled, already angered by the blows from her sword. At first they had only wanted the lamb. Now, they wanted her, as well.

She was just about to make a daring run for it, when an explosion of purple sparks lit up the air between her and the dogs. She froze, eyes widening. The air shook with the nightmare roar of an Enderman.

The girl screamed, falling back against the cliff.

Echo bared his sharp teeth at the wolves, the spines on his back raised like wings. The wolves hesitated, but did not run. Echo hissed at the wolves, making them shy away. He advanced. They retreated.

The shepherd girl made a move to run away, before the Ender spotted her. However, before either of them could do anything, another sound caught Echo's attention. He growled lowly, preparing for another wolf. The girl took her chance, scooping up her lamb and sprinting away. Echo glanced back at her, making sure she got away safe before turning back to the approaching figure. It wasn't a wolf. Perhaps a zombie or skeleton? There was a scent of Ender nearby, but the creature that was coming down towards him was something else.

Suddenly, it hit him. Or rather, embraced him.

The impact was so startling that the Ender didn't have a chance to react. He looked down, seeing a familiar head of red-brown hair. Human arms squeezed him.

It couldn't be…

"Echo, Echo, Echo!" The girl cried. "It's you, I know it is!"

Echo pulled away slightly, getting a better look at her. Bright green eyes stared back, brimming with joyful tears.

"-Hannah?"

A/N: Yay! Hannah is Back! But where was she for two years? And how did she end up here? Echoes From His Past is drawing to a close, everybody. I can't wait to finish it off with the grand finale! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. If you haven't read the prequel to this story, HUGS, feel free to check it out once this one is complete! (And find out what Hannah was up to in the two years she was gone!) Anyway, God bless, and stay wonderful!

-Wonder