Look me in the Eyes

The Goal of the Game

Quinn's roof was covered with flowers. He took us up there one morning, when the sun was coming up over the trees to the east of our pond. He had rosebushes as tall as he was, daisies, poppies and cornflowers all scattered irregularly over his earth-blanketed roof. Lilies of the Valley and alliums were there too, and Rolburn innocently ate two of the latter. He seemed to enjoy them.

The sun rose blazing in the sky, making all except Rolburn blink and turn our eyes away from its brilliance. But I could feel the warmth that it emanated. I shut my eyes, pretending I was feeling the warmth of my queen....

When we descended, we went to work. Rolburn and I harvested the crops Quinn grew in his little back garden and tended the new seeds that would sprout back up in a day or so. Meanwhile, Quinn was working on the basement again. He wasn't satisfied with how "small" it was, he told us. I knew it wasn't a small space, since it was big enough to fit both my and Rolburn's corners and to provide some space for Quinn to do his own craft-work, but I let him dig as he pleased. It seemed to give him a sense of purpose and pleasure, anyhow.

We lived a peaceful life together. Little by little the memories I had of violent Players and dead Endermen began to be those of another life. I never saw them now, though Players came and went and there were more of them than I wanted to count. My muscles still tensed when strangers came by the house and I kept my eyes bright and fixed on them, but none looked at me. None touched Rolburn, though the Piglin was fearless enough to sit close to them. And obviously Quinn was safe. So I tolerated their company and maintained a safe distance until they left.

But such an existence was not fated to last, it seemed. Carter came to visit, and he brought news. Sitting in the kitchen, he talked with Quinn while Rolburn sat beside our friend and I stood behind them both.

>Someone new showed up in our village yesterday.< Carter said, his brows knitting and his hands drumming thoughtfully on the table. >She said she came from another village some days' journey away, and she traded with a few of us. We said nothing about your friends,< he added, >so they shouldn't have anything to worry about, but maybe don't visit the town until she leaves, yeah?<

>Is she dangerous?< Quinn asked. He rested a hand on Rolburn's, which was patting his knee. The Piglin was grunting to himself in his own tongue.

Carter shrugged with a noncommittal air, though his fingers continued to drum. >So far, I don't think so, but she doesn't know anything about your friends, and most people kill mobs anyway, so it's probably best to just wait til she goes away. Shouldn't take too long.<

These words did not comfort me, but I kept my reservations to myself. Nothing would happen as long as we kept to ourselves, after all, and this new Player would move on before too long. I repeated the thought to myself in the face of the fear that was pricked awake by this newest threat.

>Oh,< Carter added as he rose to go, >do you have any blaze powder, by chance? She's been looking for some for, uh...< he trailed off suddenly and coughed. >Never mind. See you guys later. Bye!<

Obviously we decided to lay low. I kept my eyes open for this stranger, if she ever decided to come near our house, but for days nothing occured. Quinn was the only one to go out, which he did sometimes to get information from the village. It was during one of these absences that Karl showed up again. He very nearly sent Rolburn and myself scampering with fright when he tried to open the locked door without knocking, but when we realized it was him, Rolburn trotted up and let the Player inside.

As usual, Karl's expression was somewhat distant, his eyes glazed over just enough that he nearly seemed to be sleepwalking. He sat down in the same chair Carter had used and looked at us for a few minutes without speaking a word. I watched him, but his eyes never raised to meet mine, just Rolburn's. He had no pumpkin with him this time.