I stood,hands away from my sword, smiling as she approached. She walked over to a section of the stream that had large rocks jutting out of it, and then reached in her pocket. There was a whirring noise, and the rocks flattened out on top, providing a smooth walkway over the stream. As she crossed the water, Thornhold set down his hammer, and stretched, while Reggie handed our water bottles to Brynn, who filled them from the water’s edge.
“Hello,” I said, walking toward her. “My name’s Erenye. And these are my companions: Reggie, Ray, Thornhold, and Brynn.”
They waved at her as I introduced each one.
“Hi,” the woman said. She was wearing a dress similar to the one Liesel had first worn. “I’m Onna. Welcome to the Dark Woodland. Where did you begin from?”
“The landing area, actually. How are you doing? I assume you know about the game,” I said, hoping she did. Proving it wouldn’t be easy, if by some chance she hadn’t heard about what happened.
“Oh yes, we know.” She glanced back at the cabin, where a man peeked out of the door. When he emerged, he was carrying a large, sturdy walking stick. It would be the perfect cudgelif needed, I thought. Onna noticed my gaze and said, “That’s Casper. He’s my partner—both in game and out of it. We both work in Abarria, and now we’re just as stuck here as anybody else.”
“We came in…what…almost two weeks ago—just a few days before the game broke,” I said. “We met Liesel and made her home our base. Actually, her new home. Her old one burned down, but she’s safe and fine.”
Onna grimaced. “That’s one of the scary things about this whole situation. If something burns down in here, there’s no way they can send in emergency crews to take care of things. So, you’re stuck here with us. Where are you headed?”
My gut told me we could trust Onna and Casper. “This key?” I pulled it out from under the cloak I was wearing. “It’s stuck around my neck. It has to do with one of the game quests, so I’m not certain what I should do, but we’re headed toward the Summer Kingdom to find the person who can remove the curse.”
Onna frowned. “I’m sorry. That sucks. Here, please have lunch.” She handed the basket to me.
I took it and opened up the right side. Not only was the left side of the picnic basket stuffed with what looked like cranberry muffins, but the left was also full. There were roast beef sandwiches and a big bowl of potato salad in it.
“You’re kidding—thank you! You didn’t have to do that!” I was surprised—and touched. Her energy surrounded the basket, and it was comforting and maternal in a way that I hadn’t felt for a very long time.
“You’re probably scared and overwhelmed. I know we are, and we’re used to being in here. And, now that I know your story, I wish I could do even more. I think I understand why you’re on a quest to loosen that key’s hold.” She sighed.
“Have you heard anything?” I asked. “About the game and when it will be fixed?”
Onna shook her head. “I’m sorry, but no. Now, have a rest and eat. If you’d like to come into the cottage, you’re welcome to get warm.”
I yawned, still tired from the night before. The thought of a food and a warm fire sounded like heaven. I looked at the others and they nodded. “Thank you,” I said. “You don’t happen to have any tea, do you?” I was still jonesing for coffee, but the withdrawal symptoms had backed off a lot.
“Tea, and hot cider and cocoa. Yes, come along.” She led us across the stones, then pressed the device in her hand and, once again, they shifted back into jagged stones. “We’re on a tiny island here, surrounded by the stream, actually—and a couple of its tributaries. The rocks give us some protection.”
We hiked up the embankment only to see the cottage in all it’s delightful glory. On one side was the field for a kitchen garden. On the other, the yard was surrounded by several fruit and nut trees. The nuts were just falling, and I saw almonds and hazelnuts littering the yard.
“At least you have some food,” I said.
“We do, and my husband hunts. He’s pretty good with a bow.” She paused, looking at me. “I assume you’re an archer?”
“Well, in here. I wasn’t outside the game, but I actually like it so when—if—we get out of here, I’m going to take it up,” I said, frowning. The “if” was sounding more and more likely as opposed to the “when.”
“It’s a good skill to have here,” Onna said, opening the door. “Come in.”
Casper stood back, away from the door, watching us trudge inside the house. The inside of the cottage was as charming as the outside. The rooms were small, but tidy, and it remindedme of some grandma’s house, all cozy and smelling of apple and cinnamon and soup.
The living room had a large fireplace, and through one arch we could see the kitchen, with a snug wood cookstove, and what I assumed was a sink tied into a well. It had a faucet and a couple porcelain sink basins. A huge table sat on the opposite side of the kitchen, covered with a gingham tablecloth. We could have been in Little Red Riding Hood’s granny’s house, for all the charm and comfort here.
“Drop your things and go on in to the kitchen. There’s a bathroom out the back door if you need, and a washbasin by the backdoor to wash up in. I’ll put the food on the table so you can eat in comfort.” She carried the basket over to the table.
We divested ourselves of our packs and weapons in the living room, then headed out back. The outhouse was actually clean enough to feel comfortable in, and the square stone walkway leading to it was smooth and even. Solar lanterns lined the path to offer light during the night.
I washed up next to Brynn. “I miss home,” I said.
“So do I,” she admitted. “Maybe after we get rid of your key, if we’re still in the game, we should find a place and just settle in.”
“I suppose,” I said. I didn’t want to tell her that I was nervous about settling down. Somehow it seemed like, if we did that, it would be admitting we were stuck here forever and I wasn’t ready for that. I didn’t know if I’d ever be fully ready to accept that we might be here forever.
“For now, I’m happy to enjoy Onna and Casper’s hospitality. You know how you just have a gut intuition that you can trust someone? I feel that way about them,” I said.
