Stranded In A Blinded Forest

(Chapter 4) Learning Curve

Ori POV:

Last thing I remembered before closing my eyes was the soft feeling of something rubbing the top of my head, soothe and slow, it reminded me of mom, how she would comfort me when I was sad or angry. This Hollow did the same for me as she did, and it was nice, really nice, I couldn't stop myself from falling asleep to the feeling.

The next thing I know, I'm waking up again, my eyes opening to reveal a bright light entering the cave, and woven straw beneath my glowing fur, "Huh?" I stretched out as best I could, before standing up and doing it again.

With that done, I quickly hop off and look out the cave, seeing bright daylight seeping in. Curious, I run out and see my mom waving me over, "Ori, come here!" she said sweetly.

I smile brightly and shout, "Momma!" before running over to her.

She swiftly picks me up and flings me up to her shoulders, "Hup!" I land with a quiet OOMPH before she turns around and shakes a tree, one falls from its branches, but no others, "No more here, it seems." She mutters, scratching a large X into the bark.

She then starts walking forward, while I hitch a ride on her shoulders, "How was your nap, hun?" she asks.

I smile, "Great, I feel amazing!" I cheer, making her giggle.

She hops onto a suspended log, then again to the higher ledge, before commenting, "Well, that's good, you little ones need rest, don't you?"

Before I could reply, she then uses a hand to give her eyes shade from the sun as she looks ahead across the river, before looking back at me and pointing, "Ori, look there!"

I look up ahead and see several trees with big orange fruits hanging from their leaves, dozens of them, "Whoa, there's so many!" I cheer.

She laughs heartily, "Indeed, I guess we need to build ourselves a bridge to get over, will you help me?"

I jump up to my feet while staying on her shoulders, "Of course, did you really have to ask?!" she laughs again before we started got to work.

For hours, we worked on our bridge, grabbing logs, striking them into the ground, tossing rope to each other to tie them together, drinking water for breaks, snapping branches off other tress to add more planks, and more. It took us all day to pull it off, but we did, we made our bridge to the other side, to all those juicy fruits. It was night when we finally grabbed a big haul and started eating through them all, we hadn't eaten much all day to get here, so we were starving!

But when I grabbed two whole arm-fulls of fruits, a bright flash behind me got my attention. I looked back to see an opening in the distance having a bright blue light shining through, I felt pulled towards it, so I listened. Turning around and walked off towards the light, my mind so confused as to what it was, but my body feeling like it was something I should know so well... yet I didn't.

Eventually, I got the clearing and turned to the light, which let me see the largest tree in the entire forest. Mom had called it the Spirit Tree, it watched over all of us, helped clean the water, guided the air and wind, and gave us warmth where and when we needed it most. But while I didn't know the Spirit Tree well, or ever got close to it, I felt like it was calling me, I couldn't help but stare at it as the light that left its leaves and branches slowly crept through the forest floor. The I'm suddenly scooped up in mom's arms in a rush, a look of fear on her face as she ran us into the cave, the light passing by, but not entering the cave.

I wanted to leave her arms and follow the light, but momma looked so scared, panting out of breath as she held me close, "Momma?" I asked quietly.