The initial blackness eventually gave way to a faint lightening,
then a stunningly bright vision of an open meadow. Blue and yellow
flowers exploded over the grassy hills. In the distance, straddled
atop a steeply sided mountain, was a formidable castle. The image
jiggled a memory that did not seem to pull loose. A voice caught
his attention.
“Oh! You’ll spoil everything!” The voice, while
definitely Teneil’s, was pouty and simpering with a faint
tone of mischief.
“No, no, my dear! I promise, I’ll be ever so gentle...” The
deep voice was that of a man who sounded older than the woman’s.
Lorry walked carefully to the sound, suddenly remembering to alter
himself. His features destabilized for a moment, to subtly rearrange
themselves into another likeness altogether. His clothes also morphed
into the course habit of a mendicant order of Friars known as the
Order of the Open Hand. He adopted the likely countenance of a
wandering monk and conjured a traveling staff in mid-stride. He
soon came upon the tryst. A young woman, obviously Teneil but several
years younger, wore an opulent blue and black court dress. She
giggled as an older man, old enough to be her father, sat very
close indeed. He delicately brushed out the girl’s luxuriant
hair. The two looked startled but unafraid of the stranger’s
approach.
“Perhaps you should let the good Friar try father! He at
least is used to using something other than a sword!” The
giggle sent a shiver down Lorry’s spine. So unlike her...
“Greetings my Lady and Lord,” stated Lorry. “I
would fain agree with thee, lovely Lady. Lest others might.” The
man laughed heartily, and after a moment’s realization, the
girl squealed with irreverent glee.
“I do -” The older man paused, cocking a head to
one side. “I do hear the approach of horses. Might that be
your be-starred bridegroom, lass?”
“He is a boor, father. So unlike you!”
“But his family intertwining with mine will ensure that
the northern border remains our northern border. Love will come
in time, dear one. After the responsibilities.”
The approaching hoof beats took on a thunderous import.
“They ride too hard to be sightseeing, Lord,” said
Lorry. He was unwilling to directly alter events, but needed to
get Teneil in the proper psychological mind set to wake her. The
horses thundered over the hill. Some of the riders were injured
by various means. All wore the matching tabard of the Lord’s
men. One, apparently the most senior- a mere sergeant!- strode
forth to bow deeply.
“My Lord, thy hasty foray into the country has saved thyself
and thy daughter! We were ambushed by the groom’s men in
the barracks. Most of the garrison is dead. I am come to hasten
you to Fontesvault and our allies there.”
Lorry took a closer look at the sergeant. It was Captain Padreic!
Many years ago, but the same! The little memory finally jarred
loose. The castle was Fronwyr Castle. Padreic’s commission
stemmed out of the family-in-exile of Fronwyr. Teneil must have...
A tell-tale hummed in the air. Arrows began to fall like rain.
The Lord was pierced, even as he folded his daughter under him.
The Lord handed the girl to Padreic. “Go!” he thundered. “Take
her! You have her charge, Sergeant! Go!” Blood flecked his
mouth as the bodkin point grated around in his chest.
The rumbling of approaching cavalry grew. A detachment of archers
and light foot marched out of the woods some distance off. The
Lord’s eyes rounded out. He looked at Lorry in religious
awe. Lorry grated his teeth in frustration. He’d been so
surprised, he’d let several arrows fly right through his
shade. He smiled at the Lord and bestowed upon him his only priestly
blessing.
“May the Mother receive you, brother,” Lorry intoned
with feeling. The Lord’s eyes rolled back, a smile on his
face. Teneil’s younger-self screamed and tried to break free,
but Padreic took the Lord’s words and implemented them so
fast Lorry was nearly left behind. He adjusted his shade to conform
to her nightmare. He walked forward to take the girl’s spirit
in hand. Her fingers were warm on his as he pulled her from herself.
The sheer terror on her face faded into shock as her real psyche
ceased to scream. Even when the troop made its getaway, the Teneil
of then kept screaming. The Teneil of now was held close to Lorry’s
body. He smoothed the emotions churning within her. He stroked
the shorter hair. He murmered the Salve of Calming. She turned
older eyes up to his. In the maelstrom of the dream, they were
shades, horses with mounted troops, and then archers passed through
them like they were fog. Teneil began to get her bearings.
“I am dreaming,” her voice seemed clear above the
muted sounds of enemy activity.
“Yes. I had to bring you forth from the past to the present.
I apologize for intruding upon your affairs, but it is my intent
to bring you out of your self-enforced sleep.”
“I do not wish to wake up,” she said quietly. “I
wish to go-”
“I gave him the benediction of my Patron. In-Between, time
has no meaning nor does reality. I gave him a benediction, and
he recognized it. He died content that you would be saved. You
have another life to continue now, with other lives at stake.”
Lorry sighed. “Things occur for seemingly obscure reasons.
But that simply is not so. You will find meaning in the journey
of your life, not by remaining in the past.”
“You do not understand-”
“I do.” With that simple statement Lorry moved them.
Teneil’s dream eyes widened as she literally felt herself
slide through time and reality. The whirling ride ended instantly
in the bowels of a burning farmhouse. Trees grew close, for over
the walls, through what should have been a roof, were tall treetops.
The heat and smoke caused her to fall to the ground. “Get
up, this reality cannot hurt you, for it is solely mine.” Teneil
stood again, breathing normally, but still shielding herself from
the flame. Lorry pulled her out a back door, past three burning
bodies. Two were children. Figures ran pell-mell through the little
hamlet. Whoops and cries mingled with the shrieks of women being
brutally raped and murdered. The peasants of the hamlet were still
being pursued into the forest. Horsemen rode through the carnage,
pleased and appreciative of the damage. Lorry stepped out of the
line of sight of the leaders, pulling Teneil with him. “There
is something wrong. There were only five horsemen so long ago.” Now
six trod the cinders. “We must go. It is urgent that we return!” Lorry
willed for the passage to waking, he pulled Teneil along.
Lorry opened his eyes and damn near passed out. Something had
tried to stop him and only just missed. Teneil gasped and arched
up. Lorry forced her back down.
“Knock it off, or you’ll tear the sutures!” Lorry
looked for some help, but the loft was empty, save Ahren. She slept
comfortably with a bottle of wine nestled between her breasts. “It’s
safe now. Are you well?” he asked her.
Not trusting her voice, she nodded. She jerked her head at the
wine bottle. Lorry slid it from Ahren’s grasp.
“What the hell was that about?” demanded Teniel when
she’d taken a healthy couple of swigs. “How did you
get into my head? And where the hell did you take me?”
“I needed to wake you. Instead of ripping you out of a
near-coma, I thought it best to reconnoiter the situation and bring
you out in a better mind set. I am glad that I did. I took you
to my home village of Cayr Ni Gren, in Waerfyrd.”
“You said something about someone else?” Her eyes
were already losing their shock. It was a quick albeit shaking
hand that wiped the wine from her chin.
“You have a good mind to have this much retention,” Lorry
smiled and then continued. “There was an outside influence
at work in my dream. Someone came through the events of my past
looking for me now.”
“What the hell are you talking about? How is that possible?” She
took another swig, ignoring the burgundy drops which stained her
blouse.
“Someone is looking for us through our dreams, girl. Someone
must want us very badly, indeed!” Lorry smiled. “If
you want to know how it’s possible you’ll have to be
willing to set aside the next thirty years in intensive study.” His
laugh was only partially mirth.
“Who are you, Lorry? I don’t even think I know you
anymore!” her eyes narrowed as she tried to see past any
remaining layers of mystery.
Paining Lorry far more than any barb in the last two days, the
comment made him wince. “I know, but I’m really just
the same old me, inside.”
“The same old you that can walk in my dreams at will?”
Footsteps sounded lightly on the stair. “What’s this
about walking in dreams?”
Himmel stood at the top of the stair, completely cleaned up and
ready to ride.
