The Ender Princess -UNDER RECONSTRUCTION-

Wolves and Wooden Walls

My muscles jerked, causing me to tense suddenly. My eyes flew open. A small squeak escaped my lips.

The room was dark and just as cold as it was before. I had experienced one of those weird dreams where something jumped out which, therefore, caused you to wake up. My heart still beat hard and fast in my chest. My brain kept telling me danger was lurking nearby, but I was completely safe in the house.

I could hear the steady breathing of the man as he lay asleep against the wall. His arms were crossed over his lap and his back was slouched. His left leg was down on the ground while his right was bent upwards, his foot supporting it. Despite his awkward position, he seemed comfortable and content.

I couldn't have slept through the whole night. I thought. I was only asleep for about an hour or two. I think?

The spruce wood underfoot creaked as I stood up. My sneakers created low taps, which echoed off of the walls, when I walked. Through the darkness, I could see a faint outline of wooden shutters which held the window closed. Small shafts of light filtered through the small slats.

I reached my hand out and brushed it over the wood to try and find the hook to the latch that held it shut. The cold metal stung my hand with its frigid surface. My fingers recoiled. I lightly lifted the latch and placed both hands near the center of the window where the shutters met. They creaked as I slowly opened them. Harsh light split through the blackness. Cold air rushed in.

The trees were covered in a frozen white blanket which sparkled in the early morning sun. Whatever wasn't caked in snow was covered with a shimmering frost. Small snowflakes floated down from the tree branches for they couldn't hold all of the weight of the snow at once. The sun was barely peaking over the horizon. Periwinkle clouds hovered over it, as if to help it up from off of the hill it sat behind.

"Gorgeous, ain't it?"

I jumped.

"Sorry. Didn't mean ta scare ya, kid." the man chuckled as he rested his left arm over my shoulders.

I nodded quietly, taking in the beauty and serenity of the sunrise. The large trees were humbled by the snow which covered their outspread branches. The ground was untouched and pure. It wasn't until now that I had realized how high up in the tree we were. We towered over the land. Granted, we weren't as high up as the other trees, but we were still a good 20 feet above the ground.

I felt him shift his position and turn his head towards me. His arm moved somewhat over my shoulders and reached down. I panicked. His hand moved closer to my neck than what was considered comfortable. I clenched my muscles and slowly reached my arm down to my sword.

"Hey. That's cool." The man poked the pendant on my necklace as it partially made itself visible from under my hoodie.

I relaxed and let my arm dangle at my side.

"What is that? It looks like an Eye of Ender." he moved his head a little in front of me to examine it. "Wow! Where'd ya get that?"

I shrugged. "Just sorta always had it, I guess." My hand moved up to it and lightly grabbed it. It twirled in my hands as I moved it around. My fingers tingled as power gently flowed through them.

The man stretched himself out, extending his long arms and back. Small grunts escaped his throat as he did so. "Okay," he sighed. "How 'bout some breakfast?"