Beautiful Dreamer

Chapter 6: Chapter Six: Queen Of My Song

Lucy opens her eyes and looks around completely confused for a moment. The last thing she remembers is Natsu and her trying to figure out how to escape the dream, then everything started to fade from around them, and now she's opening her eyes here.

The tree's above her loom, creating an evening look to the area around her even though she can see glimpses of the sun through the canopy. The trunks of the tree's are larger than seen before, one seems like it would be larger than her bedroom back in the real world.

She turns her head to the side, reaching out to touch the moss growing on a stone next to her head, just to confirm she's really here. The green plant is soft and slightly wet to the touch, she lets her hand fall back to the ground, looking to the canopy.

Sitting up, she looks all around her, seeing no sign of any other person but herself. There is a small fire that has been put out, still smoking slightly, and a leather bag she opens immediately. Inside she finds a flask of water, some bread and dried herbs, a mirror with beautiful gems on the outer design, and a scroll tied together by a single piece of string.

She reaches for the scroll first, untying the string to reveal a map.

The paper was old and worn, browner on the edges, the whole thing a crisp gold-ish color. The map was drawn with black ink, long strokes of the quill's tip laid out a world that Lucy somewhat recognized. She could tell that the map was the same size and shape as Fiore, but the places and names were all different.

The tree's on the map could be any of the forests she's in, she wasn't sure which direction to go, or if she should go anywhere at all. She'd been discussing with Natsu how to break out of the dream when the dream shifted to this, now she's on her own again and she still doesn't know how to wake up.

She looks down at her outfit, she's wearing black pants, with black boots that look sturdy for traversing a forest. She has on a combined sleeveless shirt and shorts outfit on top, that's light brown and black. She has on a black shirt under the top part of her outfit. On top of everything she has a black cloak, draping down her form that has a hood on the back.

She huffs frustrated at her circumstances, but won't sit here doing nothing either. She gathers everything back in the bag, makes sure the slightly smoking fire residue doesn't appear like it's going to relight and start a fire, then marches west, a lot of good things are west, no matter where she is she's bound to hit something eventually.

Twigs snap and leaves crunch under her boot as she walks, and while she tries to not disturb the forest ground it's near impossible to step lightly through these roots and fallen branches. Still she tries not to leave footprints behind, to the best of her ability.

She walks hours, only being able to tell so by the ache in her feet and the moving of the sun past the trees above her. She takes breaks, resting, in no hurry to get anywhere particular.

Nevertheless she keeps walking.

And walking.

And walking.

Until it's evening and she finally arrives at a small village, maybe only 150 people occupying it. She meanders around the village, not sure what she's looking for, and not sure who to ask questions to- what questions would she even ask?

Eventually she wanders into a tavern, if nothing else she might be able to get some food. When she enters there isn't a huge crowd of people, only a dozen or so. There were a few men playing some kind of card game at a table nearby, a few chatting by the bar, and two sitting in the corner- both looking up at her as she entered and she felt their gaze along every step it took her to get to the bar.