Day Forty-Nine

Land!

I was so excited to get out of my boat and go to shore. I did not even wait for the zombies to catch fire; the moment it was light enough to see my surroundings, I went ashore.

Waiting for the sun.

From whence I came.

Up we go!

Oh man. Oh man.

Goodbye, my trusty boat.

And off we go!

Before me was a steep-yet-climbable hill crowned in conifers (or so the Minecraft Wiki tells me they are). I passed a herd of sheep as I climbed towards the trees.

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Looking back north-west as I climb.

And into the trees.

The forest was thick and, as far as i could tell, quite wide. Through the trees directly ahead of me I watched as a pack of wolves took out some sheep. I kept a wary eye on them, but they seemed disinterested in me.

.

Continuing through the forest.

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The forest continued for some time. As I progressed I passed several more packs of wolves darting to and fro. Some came up to me, but none attacked. Still, I kept my sword handy just in case. I didn't want to make the first strike and anger the rest of them, but I didn't want them sneaking up on me, either.

More wolves.

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 Coming over a hill, I hit a river slithering off to the north and south.

Looking east across the river.

And winding back up to the north.

As I trekked on past the river, I noticed for the first time how my hunger was dropping. Sitting in my boat for a week, I had not needed food at all. But now, walking constantly, it was dropping fast. I already had a rather plentiful store of mushrooms, but I kept an eye out for more as I would certainly be eating much more stew every night now.

Easy there. Just want the mushroom.

I kept walking and the forest kept going. Occasionally the trees were so dense I had to punch through the trees, but overall it was a fairly relaxed walk. I wasn't complaining. As long as I didn't have to get in another boat the forest could go forever for all I cared that morning.

.

.

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Treeshrooms!

Eventually, the trees parted and made way for what I first feared was another ocean. As I got closer, though, I noticed the murky water and overgrown weeds of my first swamp.

Swamp ahead.

I could either head off to the south and through the swamp, or fast track across the water to the greener land on the other side. I chose the latter and waded out into the water.

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A tree half-in and half-out of the swamp.

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Muddy ground where I came ashore.

And some brown mushrooms!

Looking south towards the swamp.

I climbed up a hill away from the water and found myself on a vast, open plateau. Although, another forest of conifers was visible to the north.

Looking east.

Another forest to the north.

And a river slithering back towards the north-west.

I followed the river east, with the forest halting on the northern bank. Then, as I crested a hill, I saw something I have never before seen. Sure, I had never before seen a forest of conifers or a swamp before, either, but this was different. This was so unlike anything I had ever seen before that I actually stopped walking and just... looked.

It was a roof.

.

Oh. My. God.

I had found a village. Civilization. But more than that, after walking for forty-nine days, I had found people. As I came down the other side of the hill, I could see one in the watchtower, bouncing up and down. Other shapes were moving beyond the windows.

I was ecstatic. I wanted to run forward and embrace my new friends. But were they even friendly? I had no idea. I forced myself to proceed slowly and keep my sword drawn. The person in his watchtower continued to bounce.

As I came by the first door on the right, a person in white opened the door and came out to greet me. Without an invite, I walked right into his house. I was inside a house. How novel!

Greetings!

 Back outside,  I walked down the main (and only street) and checked out the rest of the town. On the left was a smaller house with two more folk in it.

The house on the left.

The main road.

Next, on the right, was the watchtower I had seen from outside town. I climbed a ladder to the roof and met with the bouncing watchman.

Greetings!

Looking off the eastern side of the tower, I saw that beyond the well, the town continued out into a lake.

Looking west.

I went back down and explored this wetter side of town, where the locals seemed quite content to step out of a house and into the water.

.

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I was so thrilled to have found this town. To have found these people. I looked east at the continuing expanse of grass and trees, and I didn't want to move on. I wanted to stay here. With the silent people.

Fortunately, as I had these thoughts, the sky above me grew darker.

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I would stay in the village for the night. And, for the first time in forty-nine days, I would be safe in the knowledge that I was safe. I went back to the first house, with the person in white. They seemed to have no qualms with me staying, and I watched the sun set from the safety of their home.

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Several times over the past few days I have been tempted to stop this journey in one way or another, but never did I expect this. Never did I expect to find others. Now I have, and now I want to stay here, in the safety of the village, away from the vast and lonely expanses. In the morning, it will be my fiftieth day of walking. A fitting number, if any, to stop walking.

But I only just started walking again. After my week at sea, I was keen not to stop so soon. In the morning I would leave the village behind, I was already sure of this. But oh how my answer might have been different if one more week of walking passed before I stumbled upon this village and its content residents!

I would just have to enjoy it while I can.

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