More Dreams

CYRAN

I'm finally convinced to take a bath by Veesa. 'She'll be out for a long while, a few hours at most, but she'll be fine', she said, 'Go on. A bath and a hot meal will do you a lot of good'. She drew the curtains, then left the hall without much coercion, and I knew she was right. I was barely standing, and my stomach rumbled now and then. So I followed her to a large hut, a sauna of sorts behind the hall, down by a creek below the village. Water was already drawn for a bath, a steaming pool in the middle of the room. Then she left me alone to bath.

I immerse myself in the thermal water, savoring the heat and the steam. I could sit here forever in this hot pool, but I still worry about Saelyna, so I hurry about scrubbing and washing. My hair particularly gives me trouble; it's grown longer and unchecked down my neck. I make a mental note to get a haircut at the slightest chance as I scrub out dirt that joins the rest of my body's grime in staining the water. 

I spin around sharply at the sound. Someone walks in, a man, broad and stout. He looks familiar though, but I don't feel good about this 'reunion'. My sense of danger is tingling, as I move swiftly to where my clothes lie and draw out my hunting dagger. 'What do you want?' I snap. I'm clearly at the disadvantage; down here in the pool with no exit except the door before which the stranger stands. If I can make a calculated dash, I could tackle him…

He turns and my breath catches in my throat. The man wears a knicker, and the only other clothing on him is a black patch over his left eye. The other one is a menacing, lupine brown that fixes on me the same way it had that cursed evening. Even in human form, he looks very much like the wolven I had mutilated in the forest. 

I feel my grip on the knife slip momentarily as he takes a step forward. He paces in a semi-circle and so do I, keeping him within my watch, but he doesn't leave the door unguarded. He might have the advantage, but if I can strike fast enough, I can enucleate his other eye, and leave this place. I prepare for the assault, my body coiled and tensed like a spring. If I go down, at least I'd do it brutally. 

He laughs. A deep and hearty sound that resounds through the room, sending a chill through me even though I'm sure it shouldn't. 'You actually believe you can outrun me', he says between chuckles, 'I'm missing an eye, not my brains'. I don't answer him, but I'm thinking any second from now will be my moment. He licks his lips and bares his fangs the same time, the same ones that came close to ripping my face off. 'Occupied, then. I'll come back later'.

I watch him turn to go, my heart thumping heavily. He stops halfway through the door, though, and says without turning, 'My eye seems to be healing, though. It's a coin toss really, if it would ever be as it was'. He turns fully and stares at me. 'I might demand recompense if it goes….wrong'. Then he leaves me wondering how long I'll last in this place. 

SAELYNA

Not again. 

I try to shut it out. I blink, I shake my head, I turns away. It's a haze, like some show that I'm part of, yet remotely I'm not. A show I must watch, and must be part of. 

'Saelyna, come along now. We'll be late'. I look up at the sound of my mother's worried voice. The duck stew lies forgotten behind us, Ima licks at my left fingers and Cyran grabs my other hand. He smiles at me and I smile back, but I know mine is not as reassuring as his. We both know nothing is alright. 

Mother takes us out of the cottage, and helps us mount Vandel, our family stallion. Ima yaps after us, and I beg mother to let her come along. 'Go now. I'll take care of her. Find uncle Fardin without delay', she says and Vandel gallops down the path at her whistle. All around us, I can hear the sound of pounding hooves that aren't our horse's.

My vision shifts, the world blurs and colors swirl to reveal Halden on fire. Houses are burning, elves and humans alike engage strange horned folk in mortal combat, bodies litter the street wherever I turn. I stagger around, crying for my parents, for Cyran. 

Mother answers. I find her amidst the chaos somehow, and she races toward me. Her long black hair is messy, her clothes stained with blood and ashes, a sword in one hand. She grabs me with the other hand and drags me away from the mayhem. We are attacked several times, but she holds them off, hacking and stabbing and summoning consuming flames of blue, leaving bodies in our wake. 

I can suddenly smell burning wood, at the same time I feel heat of a striking intensity. I hear him cry out for help, I feel his struggle as the hut burns all around him. 'Mom! He's in there!' I yell, pointing at a burning building nearby. She doesn't hesitate. She dashes in, blasting the door down in her haste. I see a glow of blue from the windows, just before the whole place crashes down under the flames. Someone bumps into me, I hit my head on something hard and…

I sit up on the bed. 

Cyran isn't by my side and the headache doesn't come this time. In fact, I feel quite alright, save for the bruise in my right rib cage, and a mild ache in my arm. The hall is dark, though, so I know it's night. A firefly lamp stands nearby and behind it…

I yelp as I spot the figure sitting by my feet. I don't need to see his face to know he's the man in black. 'You talk in your sleep', he says quietly, 'Which would have been a  tad cute if you weren't yapping'. In spite of my initial fright, I bristle at his tone. 'You don't have a right to scare me like that. Or watch me. It's creepy'. He doesn't get offended as I had thought; instead, he raises both hands. 'Apologies if I offended you, milady, but I'm not a threat. Just a regular man…well, most of the time'. 'You're the man in black', I venture, 'You saved my brother two nights ago'. He shifts one foot, and replies, 'Interesting name you gave me there'. He leans forward, and I wish with all my heart that the lamp wasn't there. 'And it was last night. The fever must have really taken a hold to messed up your sense of time'. 'Well, maybe if you hadn't kept me here like a prisoner, none of this would have happened'. 'You and I both know you would have been killed or worse. Besides, rexanten is not caused by being rescued by a stranger. It's caused by xanten, the magic the mages use. It would seem one of them tried to infect you with it'. I feel sick again as I recall the creature's cold and deathly touch on my face before I passed out. Before this man saved me. 

'Why did you help my brother? Why did you save my life?' In one swift soundless motion, he's on his feet, and stretching. 'Most people would say "thank you". Rest up. I'll have food brought to you', he says and walks out. 

I don't know why, but I call out, 'You never told me your name. I'm Saelyna, by the way'. He pauses, the curtain in one hand. 'Caivan', he murmurs without turning before leaving the hall with a swish of his dark cloak.