Chapter 6: Goldenberry Village

Gained experience? This really is like a videogame, isn’t it? But I got experience even though I didn’t kill something, which is unlike a lot of the games I’ve seen my sister play. Oohh my head!

Chastity’s skull still throbbed and her wet tunic was beginning to stiffen up, making walking incredibly uncomfortable. Stamping through the deep snow was equally exhausting, despite her natural athletic prowess. She also felt unusually thirsty.

Is it safe to eat snow for purposes of hydration? I can’t remember. My core body temperature feels pretty low… Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

She must have been trudging for over two hours in the beautiful yet intimidating woods, worried that she would accidentally double back on her own footprints. Eventually she found what looked to be a faint natural trail woven between the trees with several small animal tracks in the snow.

Those don’t quite look like deer tracks. Maybe rabbits? Following these are better than nothing. At least they lead somewhere.

She was tired, thirsty, hurting, and now feeling hungry as well. Her blood sugar was getting low. The promise of a post-graduation brunch with her family felt like a lifetime ago. Southern-style eggs benedict served over biscuits. Pimento cheese spread. Peach iced tea. Her stomach grumbled pitifully at the thought and she licked her dry lips.

But then–a hint of smoke in the air. It was a comforting and nostalgic scent, like fresh logs burning in an old fireplace. Chastity gathered the last of her strength and pushed forward through the drifts, chasing the beckoning aroma.

At last she exited the treeline. Ahead there was a wide, dark blue river, blocking her path. On the other side of the river sat a quaint looking town. No, more like a village–a really old-fashioned village. On the opposite bank of the river was a wooden raft and a small dock.

Squinting at the village, Chastity saw no paved streets or vehicles, no telephone wires, no sign of anything powered by electricity. Just a series of small houses and other buildings constructed of stone, wood, and painted mud plaster. Smoke curled lazily from several stone chimneys jutting out from snow-laden thatched roofs.

What…? This looks like… something from a Renaissance Fair. Chastity’s thoughts were starting to blur again. She felt woozy all over. Her whole body ached.

Ding!

[New Location Discovered]

[Goldenberry Village]

[You Have Gained Experience]

Across the river she heard a commotion. Several figures emerged and began pointing in her direction, talking excitedly. They were people dressed in similarly antiquated garb, but there was something different about them. They looked very small–the size of children.

It was then that Chastity’s legs buckled. She collapsed in the snow, the blood draining from her head and her vision darkening once more.

ꭘ

Sometime later, Chastity gradually came to. A soft, warm light flickered in one corner of a cozy room–a child’s nursery perhaps. She blinked slowly, taking in her surroundings. Apparently she was still in this strange other reality as evidenced by the painterly aesthetic; apparently this was still not a dream she could simply wake from.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

It was a small room all right, with a small bed. Chastity’s long legs extended beyond the edge of the bed by a considerable amount, poking out from beneath a thick quilt (her French tip pedicured toenails seeming incongruous with her current circumstances). At least she was warm. Parched, and hungry, but warm.

A door squeaked open. A diminutive woman holding a ceramic saucer and cup stepped in then halted, her eyes going wide. But the look of startlement quickly turned to one of amiable surprise.

“O, bless the river! You’re awake!”

The short woman turned and called excitedly down the hall.

“She’s awake! She’s awake! Get in ‘ere!”

There was a shuffling of feet and soon several more small folks crammed into the room, surrounding the bed and gazing at Chastity with great curiosity. They were uniformly short statured, men and women, most with bushy eyebrows and rather rounded, cheery features.

Chastity pulled the quilt up as if to defend from their inquisitive stares.

“I’m Mrs. Underfoot,” the woman said, holding the steaming cup before her. “You fainted, dearie. Right in the snow! A dozen men had to drag you ‘cross the river on the old ferry!”

The others all nodded and murmured in agreement.

“Where… where am I?” Chastity managed, relaxing a little. Her voice sounded raspy.

The group gasped. One of the men tugged his suspender straps and puffed a wooden pipe excitedly.

“You see?” he blurted. “She speaks the common tongue, I told you she would! She’s no barbarian. You owe me a copper, Pennybun.”

“Aye, but did you ‘ear that funny accent?” said another.

“Shush the lot of you! Let the lady speak,” Mrs. Underfoot interjected. “Apologies, miss. We don’t get many Tall Folk in Goldenberry, beyond the traveling merchant that is. That’s where you are! Goldenberry Village. You were about frozen stiff, you were. Hope you don’t mind, we ‘ave your things drying just over there.”

Mrs. Underwood gestured and Chastity noticed pieces of her armor stacked carefully in one corner of the room. Her javelins as well. Her clothing and boots were slung over two chairs before a meager fireplace, drying.

Wait… then that means…

Chastity peeked under the quilt. She was dressed in some sort of linen garment, off white, like long underwear. She definitely hadn’t been wearing this before. Chastity’s cheeks flushed red.

“Oh, don’t you worry! Just us women dressed you,” Mrs. Underfoot explained. “Took three of our petticoats stitched together to fit you, it did. Good thing Old Brandyhill works fast with a needle! Now drink some of this before it gets cold.”

The woman thrust the cup at Chastity, who carefully took it from her. It was warm to the touch and very fragrant. She frowned at the contents uncertainly. Some sort of brownish liquid sloshed inside.

“Just some barley tea! It’ll do you good.”

Chastity took a sip. The beverage had a strange, earthy taste. But the warmth of the liquid running down her throat felt good.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, still feeling a bit overwhelmed. “You said Goldenberry Village?”

“That’s right!” chimed in a man with a thick white mustache. “Guldbær in the old tongue, if mayhaps you’ve ‘eard of the place under that name. Famous for our goldenberries! Although, not NOW of course.”

Chastity shook her head slowly. Hmmm… how do I put this?

“And Goldenberry Village is located… where exactly?”

The others traded curious glances.

“This area’s known as the Silfurfast, what with the great woods and all,” Mrs. Underfoot said, measuring her words. “Some might say the Riverlands, as we often do. Though not as many towns and settlements round ‘ere as there once was.”

Chastity took another sip of the barley tea and cleared her throat. The cup felt like a toy in her large hands.

“Thank you. And… the Silfurfast, the Riverlands… what country, er, land are they part of?”

Continent? Planet? Universe???

Now the small folk gathered around the bed were really confused. Some of them began to whisper to one another.

“Well, if you’re asking for the big picture, I suppose this whole wide world is known as Skärselden. Just how far away do you come from, stranger?”