Join the new world

...cerita sebelumnya

It snarled at her once, but a crack of twigs behind her caught the beast’s attention, and with a silent spring, it was gone as if it had never been. With all of the courage she could muster, the princess sprinted through the trees, deeper and deeper into the forest. Behind her, the cries of men chased her, but they were cut short with the roar of the beast. The terrifying noises of men and the beast faded as she fled. Eventually the underbrush gave way to damp earth and she was running between the trunks of giant trees.
She was getting tired and her feet lagged beneath her. She stopped to catch her breath and assess her surroundings. There was a faint glow to her left… a fire of some sort? Everything was quiet, but then she heard it… the rhythmic sound of paws on mud coming from behind. The beast had found her!|The princess stumbled toward the faint light ahead as best she could. The outline of a cottage revealed itself, and she knew that if she did not reach the cottage, the beast would kill her. With the last of her strength, the princess reached the cottage and slammed the door shut behind her. The beast hit the door with all of its strength, and though the cottage trembled, it held against the danger on the other side.
Eventually the attack upon the cottage ceased and all was quiet. The princess had tucked herself into the far corner of the cottage between the bed and the wall, and now she slowly pushed herself to her feet. A fire crackled in the hearth, which was plentiful with split logs. She warmed her fingers for a minute and closed her eyes, relaxing to the sound of popping wood. Eventually she turned around and realized that the table in the middle of the room was piled high with fruits, potatoes, nuts, and wild roots. A tiny silver plate sat empty before the only chair at the table.
Heat rose to her face as she realized that she had burst in upon the inhabitant of this place. She had probably scared the poor fellow into hiding. “Hello?” She asked the room, “I’m sorry if I scared you, I mean you no harm.” There was no reply.
The princess searched every inch of the room, but there was no one else in the cottage. There was a small door at the back of the cottage, but she was too afraid to open it, so she left it be. For a while, she sat on the soft little bed, waiting, but no one came. Her stomach growled in hunger and she tried not to think of the feast on the table. She sighed. Whoever owned this little place wasn’t coming back tonight, and surely he wouldn’t mind if she helped herself to the massive pile of food which was sure to spoil before his return.
She got to her feet, and walked to the table. She’d only meant to nibble a little here and a little there, but before she knew it, she was gobbling up buttery pears, meaty mushrooms, and roasted wild nuts with abandon. When she had eaten all she could manage, she collapsed on the little bed (which was perfect for her size) and fell into a deep slumber.|She awoke in the morning to chirping birds and the bright sunlight that trickled through the windows and tickled her eyelids. The fire was out, and the feast from the night before had disappeared. In its place, a hot bowl of porridge and colorful berries awaited.

... to be continued...