Entry #5

October 5'th, Friday

I woke up in the middle of the night to the wolf pushing me off the bed with his head. It was a "ker-plunk" like an apple falling off the tree. If you've ever been pushed off the bed, you know it's not a good way to wake up. I was disoriented all over. The wolf picked me up with his teeth like I was some kind of cub, and just as we were jumping through the door, I had at least the presence of mind to reach out and grab my bow and quiver that I had left leaning there. The basket had to be left behind. I put this book in my arrow bag, so this was salvaged as well.

The wolf rushed through the cottage, and amazingly mama bear met us in the hallway with her hair bristling and teeth showing. I think this was when I realized what was going on. A scary mama bear is scary. The wolf simply jumped over her. These creatures really are huge. Papa bear was at the front door and he threw a something heavy at us(I can't remember because it was so dark), but we dodged and somehow managed to get past to the outside. I held onto the wolfs back, and I remember looking back at one of the windows. Baby bear had watched us go.

The wolf told me later that they had planned to eat me. I think this betrayal of the bears shook me up to reality. I was quiet most of the day we traveled. I think I've been a fool most of the time. If the wolf wasn't there I would've been their sandwich meat by now. Who knows what else is out there? And I lost the basket. I don't really have any reason to travel anymore. And yet I'm not going to give it up. I know that from deep inside me. I really don't know why I'm so stubborn. Is it genes?

Food has once again become a problem. Today all I ate was mushrooms we picked off the forest floor(the wolf sniffed out the bad ones), and apples I grabbed on the way. You can get sick of things like this. I don't think apples will still be my favorite fruit once I start eating normally again.

It started raining late in the afternoon, and we started to look around for shelter. There was a large tower in the short distance that we could see, so we headed for that. There was ivy climbing up all its walls like a kind of magic barrier. The wolf swiped at some with his claws and there was a rotting door behind it. A really long spiral staircase led to a small room that had been abandoned for some time. There was dust everywhere, and cobwebs strung across the corners. There was a single window. I cleaned up a bit since we would stay the night here, and came across the strangest hairs. Extremely long flaxen hair strings were lying about here and there, glittering like a web in dew. I got the feeling that someone lived here a long time ago and that the room was very personal. I almost felt like I was intruding. But sleeping in an old bed in a high abandoned tower is much better than sleeping outside in the rain. After I cleaned up, the room was beautiful. The carpet is red-gold, and has a unique sign of a dragon. There is a small wooden desk and chair in the corner that I'm using now to write this. The bed is spacious and cozy, though a bit moth-bitten. I'm excited to sleep in it. After sleeping outside, I've learned the comfort of a bed. It's wondrous. Well, goodnight.