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| Chapter Three | |||||||||||||
| This time her dreams were different then the ones she had experienced for the past four months, they weren't painful memories that she couldn't banish, they were peaceful.� She was wandering through some woods looking for something, but she was in no hurry.� She didn't know what she was looking for, but she knew she would know when she saw it.� The woods were beautiful, the colors were so vibrant they almost didn't seem real, but they were, bright, beautiful and more real than her next breath. | |||||||||||||
| Along the path she was walking on a small stream was bubbling softly, seeming untouched by man.� A little way farther she heard the laughter of children, the sound was clear and bell-like, a very beautiful sound to hear.� She followed the sound until she came to the source; two children were playing near the water.� What the game was she seemed to know, but could not recall a name or the rules.� They played as children always do, carefree, with no heed to their surroundings.� They didn't seem to notice her, so she stood a while and just watched them.� The little boy was fair skinned with longish golden blond hair and striking blue eyes, he too, like the place where she was standing, seemed vaguely familiar, like an old movie that was watched once while she was a child, and never thought of again until now.� The little girl was almost an exact opposite of the boy, while he was fair, her skin had more of a ruddy look to it, as if she spent much time in the sun.� Her hair was also long, but more of a deep chestnut brown, full of curls; he played the game quietly, watching her every move, while the girl exclaimed loudly if she were winning or losing and didn't seem to notice the close attention he way paying to her.� She was more intent on talking then anything else. | |||||||||||||
| Dallas watched the two play back and forth, finding herself drawn into their fun.� When she finally took her eyes off of them she noticed that it had suddenly become very dark and cold, all noise, with the exception of the two children, had ceased.� Suddenly from the shadows Dallas saw a group of ugly creatures emerge.� She tried to cry out a warning to the two children, but found that she could make no sound.� It occurred to her that she was only an observer, she could not change or affect what was taking place, it seemed as if she was almost watching something that had already taken place, something from the past.� She watched in horror as the creatures surrounded the children. | |||||||||||||
| The boy did not notice the danger until it was too late; he jumped to his feet to protect the girl, but it was no use, the creatures easily tossed him aside and seized the girl.� "Calieath!"� The girl screamed to her friend in terror. | |||||||||||||
| Then suddenly the world around Dallas seemed to fade and swirl, finally just as suddenly as it had begun the world righted itself.� She found that she was in the same spot by the stream, but everything seemed to have changed.� The trees that had merely been saplings were now tall majestic trees, everything seemed to have changed; grown older, sadder.� She looked around her in wonder.� Confused by what she was seeing, Dallas began to back away.� She halted when she heard someone approaching from her right.� Forgetting that she was only an observer, she hid herself among the trees. | |||||||||||||
| A young man approached to site that the two children had been playing.� He was tall and athletic, with long golden hair, idly Dallas wondered if all males here had such beautiful hair.� He was dressed a green tunic and green breeches, with a bow and quiver swung across his toned back, everything about him had a distinct "woodsy" feeling.� He walked with his head hung in sadness, when he reached the spot where the girl had sat, a smooth stone; he stopped and knelt next to it.� Tenderly he ran the tips of his long fingers over the stone.� "I am sorry Daladriel.� I could not protect you, but that day I swore that I would fight for the rest of my life against the evil that took you.� I am sorry, I am so sorry."� His voice was so full of pain and guilt that it brought tears to Dallas's eyes, but it was when she saw the tears glistening in his eyes, that her heart broke for him. | |||||||||||||
| "It wasn't your fault."� Dallas said pleading, her own voice chocked by a sob.� She knew he couldn't hear her, but it had to be said.� That was shy she nearly jumped out of her skin when his head flew up and he looked at her; he had heard her and see her! | |||||||||||||
| "Wha-" He stood and looked at her, his face the picture of shock. | |||||||||||||
| Dallas regained full use of her voice and spoke again. �"It wasn't your fault.� You couldn't have done anything to stop it; you were only a child." | |||||||||||||
| "Daladriel?" he started to walk toward her, as one would approach something they thought would disappear if he made one wrong move.� When he was only an arm's length he slowly raised his hand to touch her face.� His hand was so close she could feel the warmth of his skin and the world went black! | |||||||||||||
| Dallas opened her eyes to find herself in her apartment; light was streaming through her window.� She glanced at a clock and was shocked to see it was almost ten.� She hadn't slept past eight in a long time.� Slowly she uncurled herself from her sleeping position, went over to the kitchen, started the coffee pot, and then got into the shower.� After she finished she wrapped herself in a large fluffy robe and sat down at the table with her cup of coffee.� She couldn't get the image of that man out of her mind.� As he had stood only a foot away, she had gotten a very good look at him.� He was enchanting and beautiful, she had never really thought of a man as beautiful, but he was, his eyes were a misty blue-gray and her lips looked so soft...Dallas quickly stopped herself there.� What are you doing girl, she asked herself, stop fantasizing over a man from your dreams.� But try as she might, she couldn't banish the image of him from her mind.� Restlessly her eyes wondered around the apartment.� They stopped when she caught sight of the drawing pad on the floor where she had dropped it in her sleep.� Well, if I can't get him off of my mind, I might as well be productive with it. | |||||||||||||
| Taking her coffee with her, she sat back down in the care she had fallen sleep in, picked up the paper and pencils.� Quickly she lost herself in lines and textures and getting them just right. | |||||||||||||
| She was awoken from her little world by her watch alarm going off, telling her that it was time to get ready for work.� She looked at the time, shocked for the second time that day, realizing just how much time she had spent on one drawing.� Quickly she got into her work clothes and went down to the put to begin her day of work.� Time flew even faster than normal, and before a blink of an eye she was finished closing up the pub she warily made her way up to her apartment, and for the first time, went strait to bed and slept. | |||||||||||||
| This cycle continued for the rest of that week and into the next.� Every night it was the same, she would dream of that beautiful man, but after her first time he couldn't see or hear her.� When she woke up in the morning she would draw a new picture of him, (usually of something he had been doing in her dream). | |||||||||||||
| The following Saturday was an exceptionally busy one and after sweeping, Dallas collapsed into a chair that she hadn't stacked yet.� "Busy night tonight," Galden stated as he set a beer down in front of her then took a seat, with his own in his hands, across from her. | |||||||||||||
| "Yes it was," Dallas affirmed attempting to stifle a yawn. | |||||||||||||
| "How's the room workin' fer ya?" | |||||||||||||
| "It's wonderful.� I've slept better these past few weeks than I have in years," she told him with a smile.� Then she continued on to tell him how she had spent the first few nights cleaning rather than sleeping, of her discovery of the hidden paints and paper, and her subsequent dreams since then.� "I swear the folk lore must be getting to me, because last night I swear I saw that his ears were pointed."� She finished with a laugh and took another sip of her beer. | |||||||||||||
| She hadn't noticed but the whole time she had been talking, Galden had been very intent on her every work.� "Well," he said slowly.� "If our lore is helping you to sleep at night then I?m glad,? he paused a moment.� "If you wouldn't be minden', I would like to see these pictures you've drawn.� I'm interested in seein' this man that beckons you to sleep." | |||||||||||||
| Dallas hesitated unsure; she had never really shown her drawings to people.� In college the only ones who ever saw them were her teachers and her roommate at the time.� "Sure, I don't mind, but I warn you, they aren't anything fantastic," Dallas started to get up but Galden waved her back down. | |||||||||||||
| "Not right this second dear, you still haven't finished yer ale."� Dallas smiled and took her seat again.� They sat in a comfortable silence, both content with their own thoughts for the time being.� It was Galden who broke the silence, "Tell me, if you could have anyone thing, what would it be?" | |||||||||||||
| Dallas sat silent for a while then looked at him solemnly.� "I would want to know my true family.� As you know I'm adopted but I never felt as if I truly belonged, and it seemed like people treat me that way.� I guess, just to have a place where I belong," she looked at the shocked expression on Galden's face.� "Don't take me wrong, I love it here," she tired to recover quickly.� "But it still isn't home yet." | |||||||||||||
| "So you would wish to find 'home'?" | |||||||||||||
| "That, and find out who this man is in my dreams," Dallas joked, then covered her mouth to hide a yawn. | |||||||||||||
| "You look worn out enough to fall asleep in yer ale.� How 'bout I walk with you to your room so you can show me this mystery man, then you can getin' some rest.� Maybe tomorrow will bring you your wish." | |||||||||||||
| Dallas laughed, "Yeah, he'll just turn up by the side of the road when I'm on my walk." | |||||||||||||
| "This is a mystical place to live," Galden said with a knowing smile. | |||||||||||||
| "I don't think that would increase the likelihood of my running into this dream man on the side of the road."� Dallas walked with Galden up to her apartment. | |||||||||||||
| Galden was quiet for a long moment when she showed him her drawings and painting, finally he completed her on her accuracy, laid his hand on the top of her head and wished her a good night, "Until later, Dallas." | |||||||||||||
| Dallas shook her head in wonder, What an odd man.� She stepped in the shower still thinking about what Galden had said about her wish coming true.� She chuckled to herself at the absurdity of the idea when she finally got out and was just tying her silk robe when all of a sudden the room became very dark and cold.� The sudden drop in temperature made her head spin; before she could find anything to hold onto, she felt herself falling, then everything went black. | |||||||||||||
| Chapter One Chapter Index Chaper Three Home |
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