26.

A strange dream disturbs Kyara.

26.

 

A cold rain began falling in the mid afternoon as Kyara sat quietly next to Luke’s bedside.    She felt really strange in the nun’s habit, but it was warm and comfortable, so she just accepted it.  The convent was peaceful most of the time except for bells announcing various events such as prayer, or dinner.    Several times Lylia came to check on her, but Mother Julia never came back.   Lylia speculated that she was too busy; probably trying to figure out who tried to assassinate her.

She had declined the invitation for dinner, preferring to stay by Luke’s side as the mysterious blue glow slowly seemed to be healing him.    He was still unconscious, but from time to time he thrashed about for a few moments and then would fall completely still.

The blue glow covering his mid section grew alternately brighter or dimmer throughout the day but as darkness began to fall and the rain increased in tempo, he began to shiver.

Kyara jumped up and went over to him, feeling his hand, which was ice cold.    For an instant she thought that perhaps he was dying.  

She was about to rush out of the room and find Mother Julia when - either voluntarily or out of a mere reflex- Luke squeezed her hand tightly.

“Luke?”  She said softly and at the sound of his name his grip lessened, along with the shivering.    His skin began to warm and his breathing grew regular like someone in a deep, peaceful sleep.

The blue glow dimmed down considerably and after watching him for a few minutes, she returned to her chair, confident that he was (for the time being) out of danger.

“What is happening to you?”  She whispered to him as she sat in the darkness, listening to the rain hitting the roof.    She found her eyelids growing heavier and heavier and in a short time she slipped off into a weary sleep.

 

***

There was a forest, deep, alive and powerful, with huge trees towering over, creating a permanent twilight below.  

She was running through it, as light as a deer, her hair long and flowing behind her as she raced.   Exhilaration filled her as she dashed forward, through the trees at almost impossible speeds.   She wore a delicate white gown and slippers like a proper elven princess of the time before her father’s kingdom ended.

She was being pursued by something strong, wild and determined.   Though she could not see or hear it, she knew it was hot on her heels.   The danger and fear were there, and something surprising as well - a growing excitement and building sense of pleasure that was completely foreign to her.    But it spread over her like a warm bath as she fled.

Her body tingled, her heart raced and her face flushed wonderfully.    It was as if the chase was making her feel fully sentient for the first time in her life.    She sensed everything - the subtle colors of the forest, the smell of flowers and wood, the call of insects and birds and the caress of the leaves and branches as she rushed through them.

 

That which was pursuing her was nearer now; she could feel its heat on her back.    Slowly she became aware that her pursuer wasn’t an ‘it’ but a man.     Instead of frightening her, the awareness thrilled her.   

Abruptly, the path ahead opened up to a clearing and at the other end a huge, wide cliff.    She could run no more.

The thought made her heart race with excitement.    She could hear him now, right behind her, crashing into the clearing, his breath labored but still strong.

Warmth filled her and she spun around, feeling something awakening in her; young, unsure and turbulent.  She made a sound somewhat like a large predatory cat, springing forward toward her pursuer.   The tables had turned, she was the huntress, she would pursue him, yet he wasn’t running away.   He came toward her in the dimness with a determination that matched hers, ready to challenge her.

Closer and closer he came until just when they threw themselves forward at each other and she was about to see him-

 

Kyara jerked awake with a cry of alarm, jumping up to her feet and nearly falling over the nuns’ habit that she wore as she spun around wildly scanning the dark room.

For a few moments she stood there, trying to control her racing heart, watching and listening.

The rain was still falling and Luke was still lying there breathing steadily.    

But something was different.

 

She couldn’t figure it out at first.   Then it dawned on her.   The blue glow covering the lower half of Luke’s body was completely gone.

As soon as she realized this, irrational fear swept over her and instinctively she backed to the door, then fled through it, rushing down the hallway in fright though she wasn’t sure why.

She was glancing back down the hall when she suddenly became aware of someone standing in front of her.    With a slight peep of fright, she stopped just before crashing into the person and at that moment a flash of lighting sent enough light through the stained glass windows high above that she was able to make out briefly the ancient form of Mother Julia standing in front of her.

“M-Mother Julia!”  She said with a shaky voice.

“Princess Kyara?   Dear girl, are you alright?   What has happened?   Is it your friend?”

“The glow has left him.”

“It he still breathing?”

“Yes…”

“What is it, my dear?   You sound afraid.”

“I don’t know… I guess it was a nightmare…when I woke up I was upset and when I saw the blue glow was gone, it…it scared me.”

“Scared you?”

“I-I don’t know why…”  She felt tears welling up in her eyes and tried to hide them, but somehow even in the dark corridor, the elderly nun saw it.

“You poor dear; here - come with me.”

“But… Luke-“

“He’ll be fine, my dear; the healing is complete - it is a good thing.   But he will sleep soundly for a long while.”

“Have you had a case like this before, Reverend Mother?”

“No, no, but there were stories of this pool and some of them told of its healing powers to those of elven blood.   Come with me back to my room and I will fix us some tea.”

“Reverend Mother, I apologize - I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Mother Julia laughed softly, “Dear girl, you did not wake me!  I sleep very little in my old age.   In fact, most nights I walk up and down the halls of this convent, praying for the nuns here and for our troubled world.   I have found that prayer restores me more than sleep ever did.”

The Mother Superior led her down the hall to a door at the very end, which she softly pushed open, revealing a large, but humbly furnished room, warmly lit by soft candle light.   Outside the storm continued to rage, but it seemed much less noticeable here, in the serenity of the great lady’s private chamber.

“Tea is my one indulgence - something I would find impossible to give up, but thankfully, Yesh the Merciful does not demand that of me.   Be seated, my dear, and I will pour us a cup; I keep a Practical Magic warming plate with a kettle ready for times such as this.”

“Do you have many late night guests?”

“You’d be surprised at how many of the sisters find sleep torturous to them.   I often bring them here to exorcise their troubles and help them find peace.   Now it is your turn.    Tell me about the nightmare that you had.”

Kyara hesitated, embarrassed to share it, but the kind expression on the elderly lady’s face as she brought her a cup of herbal tea dispelled her shame and to her surprise, she told her everything.

Mother Julia sat and listened intently, sipping on her tea from time to time.

“...Then I woke up and I didn’t know where I was at first.   When I saw the blue glow gone from Luke, for some reason it scared me to death and I had to get out of the room.   The rest you know.   Am I completely crazy, Reverend Mother?”

“Hardly that, my dear!    Tell me… how well do you know your friend, Luke…what was his last name?”

“Penrook.    Well, I knew him a little from the time he was a young knight in my father’s court, but I got to know him better during our journey… why do you ask?”

Mother Julia smiled, “Because I would say that the key to understanding your dream’s meaning lies with your friend, Luke Penrook.”

“It does?   How?”

“Dreams tell us of things we struggle with, but the message comes in symbolism.”

Kyara shook her head, “I’ve never had a dream like that, Mother Julia!”

“Perhaps it is something specific to elves.    Your mother was a Nymph and your father was an elf.   Did he tell you of any…customs… or perhaps… traditions that might help you understand this dream?”

Kyara sensed that the lady might know something that she was hesitant to explain to her, though Kyara did not know why.

“I don’t recall anything,”  She murmured before taking a sip of tea.

“Well, perhaps something will come to mind,” she responded, sensing Kyara’s uneasiness, but not wanting to upset the girl.

They drank their tea and spoke of other things, such as the storm, sister Lylia or the condition of the High King’s court.

After a short time, Kyara had relaxed and suddenly felt quite tired.

“Perhaps you should get some sleep, dear girl.    Why not head back to Lylia’s quarters and rest.”

“I am rather tired.   But if it is okay with you, Mother Superior, I thought I’d return to sit with Luke,”   For some reason she almost felt embarrassed saying this and felt her cheeks slightly blush.

“Has your fear left you?”   Mother Julia asked gently.

“Oh, I wasn’t afraid of Luke… it was just a dream… wasn’t it?”

“I’m sure that it was, dear girl.    He will probably sleep for quite a few hours, so you should get undisturbed rest.   I’m certain he will have a lot to say when he awakens.   Send for me when he has had time to adjust to his surroundings - I would like to speak to him.”

“Do you think he’ll be alright?   I-I mean… he won’t have a different personality or something will he?”

Julia shrugged, “I don’t know, my dear; I’ve never met someone who came back from the dead before.”

Kyara paled upon hearing her words and for an instant debated just returning to Lylia’s room.    But the fear quickly passed, replaced by a strong feeling of commitment to her friend.    To her surprise, Mother Julia hugged her gently, “Don’t be afraid of your dream, Princess; sometimes good and even wonderful things hide behind fears.”

Kyara just nodded and a few minutes later had returned to Luke’s side.    The glow was still gone and he was in a deep sleep.    As she sat there staring at him in bed, the question kept creeping into her mind of whether the wounds from the torture had merely healed, or if…   She would not allow herself to complete the question, for it wasn’t proper for a lady to think.    Shaking it from her mind, she slid down some in the chair until she found a comfortable position and drifted off to sleep.   But this time there were no vivid dreams.

She’d been asleep perhaps a quarter of an hour when Luke stirred, took a deep breath and opened his eyes.    He looked around in puzzlement, having no idea where he was and surprised to find what appeared to be a nun slumped down asleep in the chair next to his bedside.

He felt different, as if he had been reborn.   Looking at his arms, he was surprised to see his scars had vanished.    Then he realized that he was no longer in any sort of pain.    Immediately he began running his hands down his body, stunned to find that he was no longer a eunuch.

“How?” He whispered, sliding out of the warmth of the bed.    He was whole and fit, feeling incredible for the first time in years. 

But his mind was a jumbled mess of memories.   He knew who he was and could piece together recent events from the flashes of memories.   He remembered falling from a great height, the helpless terror of accelerating into death.

Then engulfing cold and floating in the icy depth of nothingness.    But even then there were whispers from ghosts in the ether that filled the timeless period.   

Now he had emerged once again in the land of the living and the spiritual voices had faded, leaving him displaced but restored.

Taking a few steps, he knelt by the sleeping figure in the chair and peered closely at her.  Covered from head to toe in a nun’s habit, he did not recognize her at first.

“Kyara?”   He whispered after a few moments, “What has happened to you?   You should be near the great forest, not here… wherever ‘here’ is…”

Her face was angelic as she slept and he thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

Gently so as not to wake her, he scooped her up and carried her over to the bed, then softly laid her down, covering her up against the chill.    Her feminine shape managed to hint of itself even in the non-flattering nun’s habit and his body responded with a stirring that he had not felt in a long while.

Wrapping himself in an extra blanket that he found on the edge of the bed, for a while he glanced out the small window, but it gave him no clue to his location.   His best guess was St. Catherine’s convent, but that was far south of where they had last been and Kyara should have gone north rather than south.

Finding no answers, he just slipped down into the chair that Kyara had been sleeping in.    Winding himself up in the blanket, he listened to the rain falling for a long time before he fell back asleep.