Finding rain

"Nette."

My transition to wakefulness came without any of the turgid emotions I had felt in my dream. It was just an ihn of growing accustomed to the new surrounding before I understood that Deenyet was standing in the flap trying to encourage me awake. Something in her tone urged me to my feet and pulling on enough clothing to be able to follow. Before I had drifted off, I knew of the drums beating warning from the out skirts of the Out Riders. I'd only closed my eyes for a short while but it was all the time that was needed for the rain of Kassar arrows to fly through the air and plummet into the herds.

How are the bosk?

It was my first query but she was quick to let me know there were no major damages among the shaggy beasts. Instead, we were on our way toward the kaiila and my heart took a second beat. Several of the herd among the kaiila had felt the cascade of arrows. Two dead, three with superficial wounds and one that may not make it through the night. Sinewy had the shaft of one of the enemy's points embedded in his jaw. The fright had set one of the mares into labor but she was not suffering more than usual. Barhk was bellowing out orders when we arrived and we had to inform him that he, himself, had a trickle of blood running from the side of his hand. He had no idea how he'd been injured and in his usual gruff tones said he was fine .. just see to the beasts. Stubborn Tuchuk.

The ahns passed by bandaging the creatures that would let us and stabilizing those that would not ... including Barhk. Before the first rays of the sun began to peer over the horizon, it was Magda that clanged a metal cup against a hot kettle letting us know she had made something to warm us. Myzon brought me a bowl while I sat in the curve of Sinewy's foreleg running my fingers through the long silken fur. The mighty giant was sleeping and I guess dreaming while I soothed away his fears. Once the dawn broke, pyres would be set for the blazing of the dead, until then we waited for the arrival of new life. My elder asked if I'd been able to sleep. There was no keeping secrets with the trail worn warrior. He listened as I told him of my dream and how that more than the contents of it, I was still curious of how the emotions went so deep within it and awakening there was little more than a yawn and a slight bit of sadness.

"Dreams are not always as we see them, Nette. They speak in riddles that we must unravel. They are symbols to places we roam inside and outside ourselves." He said that children are our inner selves, a new self seeking to develop. It was understandable that there would be deep rooted anger to feel someone taking that away even if that threat was me. I asked what seemed most natural to ask.

"Why do I not feel that same anger when I woke, my elder?"


"Because it was only a dream, little one. It was only a dream."