'Allo bois

I said this'd be the next 'un, didn't I?

Btw I started a Youtube channel lol, wanna try and find it?

Also the above music slaps, would recommend u loopin' and checking out the guy who made it - Ravaranth!

RECAP

     "I-I wnt t' go after him," Jake murmured, voice weak, breathy.

      "So do I... but we're in no condition t' fight," Steven growled quietly, "sleep, 'lright? The quieter we are, an' the less we move, we'll have more 'f a chance going unnoticed. Then, we..."

      Then they... what? Drag themselves back to the house, try to bind their fresh wounds while so weak? Gather what little weaponry they had and hope to the gods the hunters hadn't dragged their friend too far? Even if they were in good health and armed to the teeth... their chances of winning against that mob of trained killers were laughably low.

      "Notch save him," the whisper left Steven's lips, unprompted, "or at least let us try... please."

     Cold wind brushed over both men, and Jake began to shudder again. Drawing him ever closer, Steven scrunched his eyes shut, feeling the weary pangs of sleep begin to wash over him. He hadn't slept all night... but he ought to keep watch.

      Five minutes later, under a dawning sun, Steven surrendered to sleep.

END RECAP

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Alex

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     Steven awoke to a boot thudding near his head.

     He jerked away, arms shoving his torso upright as a startled sound left his lips. It was immediately backed by a sound of pain, due to the disturbed knife-wound plaguing him, "what th' bloody Nether–"

     A hand caught his chin, dragging his head up, and Steven felt his mind go blank as his eyes met a sparking gaze of green.

     The pale, roundish face staring back at him was covered in a smattering of freckles, and framed by wild, red locks. The stranger grinned at him, revealing a gap between the front teeth, "You've got a mouth on ya, ya know that?"

      Beside him, Jake groaned, and the stranger finally released Steven's chin, letting him lean on his elbows as she scooted towards Jake.

     A... a female? One of the hunters, surely. Steven managed to shove himself up to his knees, "Leave off, let us be!"

     The redhead scoffed, regarding him where she sat beside a dazed Jake's head, "An' watch'ya gonna do if I don't?"

      "I... I'll wring your neck."

      "With those shakin' mitts?" Her gloved hand pointed accusingly at Steven's hands, and he scowled when he observed their tremble. She was right... he could do nothing if she chose to alert her master.

     Glancing up again, Steven blinked, his muddled mind finally beginning to grasp the current... circumstances. She looked young, younger than the grizzled men and women serving in that murder-pack, and her skin was fair, unmarked with scars. Her clothes were fitted - a green tunic of coarse, tough cloth, and boots that more resembled the shoes of those who lived in valleys. Leather belts and patches, pouches, and straps wound around her, protecting her shoulders, knees, and chest, she wore not a bit of fur.

      Jake made a startled noise, and Steven pulled himself from his musings.

      She was flicking Jake's forehead.

     "Ey, you, cut it out," Steven carefully lowered himself to sit on the ground, one hand reaching back to hover over the messily bandaged wound in his lower back, "please... he's injured. Let 'im be."

     Relenting, the lass sat back on her heels, "Sorry mate, I jus' thought both of you were froze to death."

     "I... no," Steven glanced up, in the direction Herobrine had last been. Longing, almost enough to cause sickness, washed over him. He couldn't sit here... he should be moving.

      But how?

     "...we were attacked by a group of savages," Steven indicated with his head, "You know of 'em?"

      "Nah, I heard a whole lot o' whoopin' and hollerin' thataway late last night though. Why'd they hurt ya?"

       Good... thank Notch, she might not be part of that horrid group.

      "They were after a... a friend of ours," Steven moved carefully over to Jake, helping the younger sit up a bit more, "they took him after woundin' us."

      Her little nose scrunched up, mouth quirking over to the side in distaste, "Right pack o' bullies then, eh?"

      "Aye... more than bullies. They're... I think they plan t' kill our friend. Please, do you know of anyone, a-a hired sword, a mercenary pack, anyone I could beg assistance of?"

      A grin lit her freckled face, "Yer lookin' at one, mate. I'm better than any ol' hired sword."

      Jake spluttered a bit, "You? You... You can't be more'n sixteen."

       "Twenty, mate, but thanks for the boost o' confidence."

      "Why help us," Steven's voice cut in, "we're strangers, and that band is dangerous. What do you have t' gain?"

       Her gaze shifted to confusion, then wandered as she leaned back against a stone, crossing one leather boot over the other, "I ah... I've got an interest in you an' yer lil' friend."

      Steven's gaze darkened, and he felt Jake tense beside him, "What do you know of him."

     "More'n you, seems."

      "Pray, tell."

      Her grin was cheeky when it came again, and she reached over to pluck a twig from the ground, meticulously breaking it into little pieces, "Well... he's a godling, to start."

       "Not a demon?" Jake reached up, rubbing at his forehead.

       "Nay, not any demon. He's a lil godling, like me," she inclined her, now much smaller, stick towards Steven, "An' like you."

      Silence met this revelation, broken only by the shrill call of birds, and the winds whispering between pines.

      After a beat or two, Steven broke the quiet, "...are you alright in the head?"

      To his surprise, she cackled, tossing her head back, slapping her thigh, "Ha! Nah mate, when you've lived as long as I have an' seen the things I done, you tend t' get a little silly up in there."

      Jake and Steven stared dumbly at her, each slowly glancing in the other's direction.

      "Notch's beard," she muttered, and they looked to her again, bewildered, "ya really don't believe me, doya? What 'appened to you? Hit'chyer head?"

      Steven recoiled a little, "What... what nonsense is this, a god-ling? Me? I'm as human as, a-as him," Steven pointed to Jake, who shrugged, then winced.

      "Aye, yer a godling, mate," her expression was deadly serious now, her gaze burning with intense conviction, "an' I'm worried why you don' have a single inkling of what ya are, what I am, or what yer lil friend is."

      "I am human, I-I don't know what Herobrine is-"

       "It was funny the first couple'a times ya said it, but now yer scarin' me," she sat straighter, beginning to reach into a large satchel by her hip. Steven stiffened, and he pulled his right arm forward, using it to shield Jake, jaw tight.

      All this... godlings, strangers, hunters– agh he was in too much pain for this, "Hold, what are you–"

     She pulled a glittering, glass bottle from the pouch, holding it up to the sun. Light filtered through, reflecting off of beautiful, sparkling fragments within the pinkish liquid, "It's a potion. Help heal that wound o' yours, and maybe yer noggin."

     Healing potions... Steven's brows drew together as he regarded the bottle with caution. He'd heard of such things, made with rare, foreign ingredients from hell itself. Jake grunted beside him, "We're not drinkin' your poisons."

      "Potion, 'tis a potion, not poison. If I'd wanted ya dead, I'd have stepped on yer necks while you slept."

      Somehow, the command in her tone, the sudden seriousness of her expression, convinced Steven of her truth. He slowly, painfully, pushed himself to his knees, reaching out. The redhead sat forward, pressing the potion into his hand, then reached into her bag for another. Steven leaned back, wincing when sharp reminders of the knife-wound snaked up his spine. Taking the bottle, he uncorked it with ease, offering it to Jake. At Jake's suspicious look, he paused, smelled the bottle's opening, gagged, and took a small swig.

       "Not poison, bud, 'kay? Jus' a little," he pulled a face, "lil' bitter."

      Jake scoffed quietly, reaching up with a waving hand to grip the bottle. Steven guided it to his mouth, holding it until he was sure Jake could keep it steady. Then, he reached for the second potion the stranger offered.

      "Name's Alex, by the way."

      Steven popped the cork of his bottle, "Steven, he's Jake," he tilted the glass flask up in a quick burst, draining it in a few swallows. The taste nearly had him retching, it was a mix of the earthy flavor of mushrooms mingled with ash, with a metallic, almost sweet aftertaste. No sooner had he taken the final drops, his entire body warmed, as though the sun had suddenly turned fully to him. Steven lowered the bottle, frowning as his muscles and throat began to tingle, "What's in this stuff?"

        "Netherwart, glistening melon.... uhhhh, gold?" The lass shrugged, "I'd remember the recipe if I was afore a brewing stand."

      "Oh Notch, that's nice," Jake suddenly reared to his feet, and Steven turned sharply, a hand outstretched to catch him, but Jake remained steady, "It's... gods, every stingin' little cut is numb."

      To his quiet shock, Steven realized the dull ache in his back had completely left as well, and he rotated a bit, lifting his jacket and shirt to try and feel the skin.

       "Ya should be entirely healed, both'f ya," the redhead rocked to her feet, "c'mon, we got a lot'f talkin' to do while we track them... unsavory characters."

      D#mn right they did. Steven pushed himself up as well, still awed at the distinct lack of pain in his back. Nay, in his whole body felt fresh, rejuvenated, his muscles weren't even protesting his night spent on the forest floor, "Very well... let's get on it. Do we have enough time t' stop by your house and pick up weapons?" he looked to Jake, who had rolled up a sleeve to admire his arm.

      Jake glanced up from his hand, "Wha–oh, sure. I-I think so. We've been out for a night, right? They couldn't have gotten far."

      Alex braced her leg against a stone, hands on her hips, and the look in her eyes was wild, "Let's go hunt us some hunters!"

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GO FIND THE CHILDE

Also haha revelations upon revelations here aren't there